Weakened Link

Summary: A powerful enemy has its sights set on separating Cedric and Sofia, whom it considers too powerful due to their bond. It plans to infiltrate the past and eliminate the princess, but what it doesn't count on is the powerful ties between the alternate realms, and the partners' sheer will to protect each other at all costs. (Collab with MarionetteJ2X)

Disclaimer: I don't own the show. Nana, Tanya, and the Abstruce Realm and its inhabitants all belong to MarionetteJ2X. The Absentia Realm and its inhabitants belong to Mr. Shortman92. Any other OCs you see, including Angel, Corbin and Alamea, belong to me.

A/N: Surprise! While most of you know I'm not a fan of Valentine's Day, I couldn't think of a better day to release a chapter (especially one with FLUFF) than today. Thanks to Deth and Shortman for the notes and the suggestions to make this chapter flow…and be a little silly/sweet for a change, despite the serious nature of the situation. 😉 You'll see. If you celebrate, Happy Valentine's Day! If you're like me, Happy Chocolate Day! :D

Chapter 2: Weak in the Knees (Absentia Realm)

It was another beautiful, sunny day in the Absentia realm. The skies were clear and blue. There was a nice cool breeze coming in from the south. People were carrying about their day as usual, with no worries to speak of. It was something of a calm and relaxing day.

Well, except for one person…

At the Enchancian Castle, a certain royal sorcerer was pacing across the cobblestone flooring of the tower. He was nervous, his teeth leaving indentions in his bottom lip as the time ticked by.

"It's not like her to be so late," he mumbled as he stopped, glancing worriedly toward the workshop door.

He'd been waiting for Sofia for over two hours now. It was very unusual for her to be so late, especially since she'd always been rather early instead, her energetic and sunny nature always preceding her before she even entered the room, warming his heart each time. He was delighted to call her his apprentice.

Well, apprentice and…best friend? Hmm, perhaps…something more than that, actually…

*Last Week*

"Here you are, my dear," Cedric offered as he passed a basket of fruits and bread over to Sofia, who graciously accepted. The warm blush on her cheeks and soft, adoring smile he observed on her lips made him infinitely glad that Fayette had decided to stay with Sofia's parents earlier. "Do you, um…?" He gestured toward a few water goblets on the picnic blanket (since they were seated near the water outside the castle). "Would you like some water? Or juice? I can conjure anything."

She giggled as she shook her head before choosing a sprig of berries. "I'm all right for now, CeCe."

Cedric blushed now, his hand lifting to the back of his neck in embarrassment. She'd started calling him by that affectionate nickname a few weeks ago. At first, he hadn't had a clue how to react, but now… Hearing her call him that? CeCe, or Say-Say phonetically… He didn't want to admit it, but it was kind of growing on him. In fact, every now and then, his own nickname for her would slip out. "A-As you wish, Sofie…"

Sofia smiled fondly at him before biting into a few of the berries, laughing as some of the juice trickled down her chin and into the grass. "Apparently, I'm as sloppy at eating as a toddler." She placed the rest of the berries into the basket before looking around. "Um, actually, Cedric… Can you conjure a napkin?"

"O-Oh, yes, I…" He paused for a moment, observing her as she attempted to wipe her hands on the picnic blanket. 'She's beautiful,' he thought to himself, 'even with the berry stains…' He'd been feeling more than friendship for the village girl for a while now, considering how close they were and how often they saw each other—working or relaxing, telling stories to Fayette together, falling asleep under the stars as they sat at the top of the tower to talk quietly… It was practically natural. How could he not…? Oh, no.

"Cedric?" Sofia was a bit surprised when he scooted closer to her, using his hand to tilt her chin up so she would look into his eyes. "What are you…?" She blinked as he kissed her chin, his lips brushing along the berry remnants, before trailing his lips up a bit to kiss the corner of her mouth. She blushed darkly and blinked at him when he licked his own lips.

"No napkin," he explained simply, smiling shyly at her.

The auburn-haired girl was floored by his actions. Not that she hadn't wanted something to happen between them for quite some time now, of course, but… He'd caught her off guard. Slowly, she smiled as she reached up and tugged gently at his amulet, pulling his head closer to hers. "Cedric… Do you like me?"

He blinked at her, processing the question. "I, um…" He jumped when a crack of thunder startled both of them, each of them jolting apart as a few drops of rain began falling to the ground. "Oh, seriously?! It wasn't looking like bad weather earlier…" He stood and quickly pulled Sofia to her feet, holding her closer as the rain began falling harder. "Hang on," he whispered, feeling her holding him tightly, before transporting them back into the castle. "That was…unexpected."

Sofia smiled teasingly at him, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "Not really," she responded, though he could tell she wasn't speaking of the weather. She placed a soft kiss to his cheek before turning around, her hands lifting to wring out her drenched ponytail. "I'm going to find some towels. See you in the tower?" She giggled as he simply nodded, the water dripping from his own hair and clothing. "Don't be long, CeCe…"

**Present Day**

Cedric willed away the heavy blush that had fallen onto his face, his hands frantically digging into his dark hair. "That was… She—and I…" He groaned, stopping his frantic mumbling to stare at the still-closed door. Oh, that's right. He'd been waiting for her, hadn't he? Perhaps…longer than he'd realized—

"Enough," he chided himself, sighing. She was late, which wasn't like her at all…except for the past few days. Each day, she was a little later: five minutes, fifteen minutes, half an hour… The time delay had cut into their magic lessons, not to mention quality time together. When he had asked her about her lateness, she'd simply responded that she was having trouble sleeping and sometimes had random headaches that she couldn't explain. While she'd simply dismissed them as overexertion from their magic training, Cedric wasn't entirely sure. However, he had told her to get some more rest if possible.

And yesterday, when she'd come in an hour late, he'd promptly sent her home to get some sleep.

"But CeCe," she'd attempted to argue, before she'd found the sorcerer's hand on her mouth, a soft yet insistent smile on his lips as he'd gazed at her.

"But nothing, Sofie," he'd whispered, returning the nickname exchange and causing her cheeks to tinge pink. "You need some sleep. We'll try again tomorrow. The usual time."

And here it was: 'tomorrow.' Today—the usual time. And she was still late. Over two hours late. He'd even sent Fayette to check on her about thirty minutes ago, and even she hadn't returned yet, which was worrying him.

"I've got to find them," he murmured to himself, grabbing his wand from his desk and tossing it into his robe pocket, preparing to leave. Just as he'd stepped toward the door of the tower, he heard a familiar fluttering of wings. Turning to stare at the top of the tower, he saw Fayette quickly flying into the room from the open window, haphazardly navigating her way to him. He blinked as she landed a few feet away from him, on the steps to the stairs, panting heavily as she attempted to get her bearings. "Fayette? What's wrong, little one?"

Fayette looked exhausted, almost as if she'd participated in a flying race or something. Yet she wasn't responding to him, which wasn't like her. Her tiny face was coated in worry and panic as she stared up at him, her small form wracked with fatigue. Something was wrong… Really, really wrong…

Cedric's mind was filled with what-if scenarios, many of them alarming. This was a happy realm, full of goodness and innocence, unlike many other realms. Nothing bad ever happened here… Well… He took note of the crumpled girl before him and felt a bit of guilt building up within him as he thought of how she'd lost her parents. So, bad things did happen, even if it wasn't that common, but… Uncertain how to feel, he quickly knelt by his charge and scooped her into his arms, feeling her cuddle into his chest. "What happened, Fayette?"

The tiny fairy looked up at her guardian, taking in a deep breath as she continued clinging to her guardian's robe. Desperation and tears filled her eyes. "It's Miss Sofia," she finally told him softly. "She needs help…"

He froze upon hearing the seriousness in his charge's words, his blood turning cold. Sofia… He held the girl tightly as he turned and sprinted from the tower, Fayette clinging to him as he ran, her wings useless now as exhaustion overwhelmed her. Cedric was so preoccupied with his focus on reaching Sofia that he'd completely missed the soft glow of his amulet.

When he finally made it to his destination, the sorcerer was panting. His body didn't even register his exhaustion as he limply stood before the home of the Balthazars. Hanging just to the side of the homestead's front door, there was a sign (one for their shoemaking business) that indicated that they were closed. This was unusual, considering these were their usual hours of operation and they never closed, so Cedric was even more on edge. "Sofie…"

Fayette eyed her guardian worriedly, her own tiredness evident in her eyes and her slumped form. She knew he was anxious and nervous. She could practically feel his heart pounding as she leaned against his chest. She reached up to gently pat his cheek, smiling softly as he glanced down at her.

"Fayette…" He slowed his breathing, taking in a few calming breaths, before shakily reaching up to take her hand. "It's all right…" He wasn't sure if he was assuring her or himself, but he knew they both needed to hear it. Sighing, he stepped up to the door, urgently knocking, waiting to see who would answer.

It was perhaps a minute or two, but to the nerve-wracked sorcerer, it felt like hours. Usually Miranda or Birk, or even little Corban, would open the door within seconds. But this… This was unusual.

Finally, Birk, Sofia's very kind and easygoing father, opened the door, his normally happy features now a bit sullen. As soon as the older man caught sight of the sorcerer and the fairy in his arms, he understood exactly why they were there. "Cedric, Fayette," he mumbled tiredly, gesturing toward them, and stepping aside. "Come in, please." His face was lined and creased with worry, which was highly unusual for the normally energetic and jovial man. "You're here for Sofie, aren't you?"

"Well, she didn't show up at our lesson today, and I was—"

"We can't wake her up," Birk interjected, a look of dismay on his features. "She was fine this morning, and then she started complaining about a headache… Before we knew it, she'd passed out at the breakfast table, and we were unable to…" He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "She's still breathing, but it's like she is in a deep sleep. We're not sure if she's sick, or…"

"Do you mind if I check on her?" Cedric asked softly, not wanting to upset the shoemaker and sailor any more than he already was. "I mean… Perhaps I might be able to see what's wrong with her?"

"I'll take anything at this point, Cedric. Come along."

Sofia's room was very simple with a single bed, a trunk at the foot of it, a dresser, several magic books and artifacts stashed on a desk in the corner, and a window with a seat underneath it. Compared with the princesses' rooms, it was extremely limited, but that's how Sofia of the Absentia Realm liked things: simple, honest, and significant to her.

The normally hyperactive villager was so still in that bed, the covers pulled up to her shoulders. Her hair was free from its normal ponytail, hidden beneath her covers. Even though they could see that she was breathing, it was so subtle that it almost seemed like she wasn't.

"I don't like seeing her like this," Fayette mumbled to Cedric as she held fast to his robe. "Can you help her, Papa?" She'd been calling him that on and off for a while now, though she was more inclined to look at him as a paternal figure at this stage in her life. She still missed her biological parents, of course, but this wonderful sorcerer had been the father figure she'd so craved for a long time, and he deserved to know it.

Cedric didn't respond as he took the chair from the desk in the corner and pulled it up beside the sleeping girl, sitting down to observe her. Any form of rational thought was halted as he gazed at her. All he could think about was his best friend, here, in a comatose state… It was surreal to see someone so vibrant and effervescent reduced to…this.

"I, um…" Birk sighed as he rubbed his arm. "I need to see if I can check on Miranda. She's trying to keep Corban out of the room and work on the inventory for our shop to keep herself preoccupied, so…"

"You go ahead, Birk," Cedric insisted, casting a quick smile at the other man, someone he now considered a good friend. "I'll keep an eye on her for a while… Maybe see if there's anything I can do?"

"I appreciate it, Cedric." He returned the smile. "I can see why she likes you." Without another word, he turned and shut the door behind him.

Cedric felt his cheeks burning again, but this was no time to think about that. His friend needed his help. He watched Fayette flutter down to the bed, cuddling close to the other girl, her hands softly playing with her hair. "She just passed out, hmm? She's been saying she's felt rather tired the last several days, so…perhaps it's something medical."

"She's not going to…go to sleep and never wake up, right?" Fayette gazed at her guardian with innocent yet fearful eyes, and she was immediately relieved when he shook his head.

"No, my darling. I will take care of her. I promise you." He retrieved his wand from his pocket and muttered a few soft words, roaming the wand up and down the bed to see if he could locate any illness. Surprisingly, he found nothing. "If it's not an illness…" He frowned thoughtfully. "Could it be…something magic-related? A…magical attack, perhaps? But who-?" He gasped as his amulet began warming up against his chest, the pink color pulsating in a stronger glow than before. "W-What's this?"

Fayette sat up, her mouth agape, as she pointed behind the sorcerer. "P-Papa, look!"

He turned, standing, hardly registering the clattering of the chair as it fell to the wooden floor. There, before him now, was a large swirling portal—the same as Cedric from the Abstruce Realm had encountered. He glanced down at his amulet, noticing it trying to tug him toward the portal. "What's going on?!" He grunted as he was pulled forward, falling to his hands and knees in response as he fearfully gazed at the strange portal ahead of him.

"Are you okay?" Fayette asked, not wanting to leave Sofia's side, but also afraid for her guardian. She whimpered as he stood up, shaking, and trying to fight the amulet's pull on him. "Papa?"

"I'm all right, Fayette," he called, though he was starting to get a bit dizzy. He glanced down at the glowing gem again, then back at the girls. "Wait…" He gasped. "Maybe… Maybe the answer to Sofia's condition is…" He looked ahead of him again. "Maybe it's in there."

"What if it's not?" the little girl challenged, still too weak to fly, but leaning forward all the same. "What if you get hurt? I can't lose you like I lost my mommy and daddy…"

Those words stung as he paused, feeling the reality of them cutting deep. He knew she still had bad dreams sometimes about the loss of her parents, so losing him and Sofia would be doubly bad for the little one. Bad things did happen, despite his former beliefs, but he was determined to make something good out of this horrific circumstance. He sighed, smiling gently as he turned to his charge. "If I get hurt, but I'm able to rescue Sofie… It's worth it, Fayette. I'm going to see what's beyond this, but I'll come back. I promise. Take care of her, all right?"

Uncertain but compliant, the fairy nodded. "O-Okay, Mr. Cedric… I'll do my best."

Cedric noticed how distant she sounded when saying his name, and he lowered his head.

Fayette noticed this and corrected herself, "Papa…" Seeing him smile at her correction, she frowned. "You'll come back to me, right?"

He nodded. "Of course, my dear. I'll never leave you alone. I promise-oh!"

She watched as he was promptly tugged and absorbed into the portal, which disappeared before her very eyes. "Be careful, Papa… Please…" She then looked back toward Sofia's silent form, a tear almost spilling onto her cheek. Truth be told, she'd actually seen both Cedric and Sofia as parental figures lately, and she knew how much closer they were getting. If they got together, they could be a family, and she'd finally have… She sniffled, the tears finally falling as she hugged Sofia's neck, squeezing her eyes shut. "Please be okay… Mama…"

To be continued…