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 Abstruse 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: With this chapter, we'll spend some time wrapping things up. Of course, it's not the last time you'll see Zarova (or the other Elementals, for that matter), so don't get too comfortable! 😉
Chapter 5: Reignite
Tanya morphed into her adult form and swiftly pulled Cedric to his feet, holding onto him as she noticed his gait was a bit wobbly and uneasy. "Stay with me, Cedric," she mumbled to him as he leaned heavily against her. "We can still save the princess."
"Sh-She's gone, Tanya," he whispered as he gazed at the lifeless body of the six-year-old girl on the ground, her features pale and solemn. The venom in his bloodstream was doing its worst and starting the clotting process, shutting down his thoughts and his motor skills, steadily progressing his own inevitable death if he didn't get some help. "Nothing can save her." He glanced down as the amulet began glowing, levitating from his neck again.
In addition, Ceddy's and CeCe's amulets were glowing and hovering midair. The light that pulsed from each one was stronger than any they'd seen before.
"You can't defeat me!" Zarova laughed tauntingly as she sent a blast toward the alternate realm Cedrics, who both quickly dodged the attack and hurried near Cedric. "Oh, no, wait! That's actually perfect." A smirk formed on her lips as she powered up again. "Why don't you all just stay right there, and I'll go ahead and kill you while I have a chance?"
"How about I just kill you instead?" Tanya challenged, dropping into a defensive stance, her eyes narrowed and glimmering in a dangerous manner. "I am quite sure no one would mind."
"Save the drama for your mama, you Never Realm Reject." As if that comment didn't sting enough, Zarova smirked. "Oh, wait. You can't. Your mama is dead."
Tanya snarled and lunged forward, plowing headfirst into the older woman, her hands around the sixth Elemental's neck. "I will kill you!"
"T-Tanya, stop!" Cedric called, dropping to his knees as the other sorcerers gathered closer to him, seeing after him. He could feel his body shutting down, even as the amulets continued glowing. "We must…" He moaned in discomfort as he could swear he felt his blood continuing to clot, which likely meant the end for him soon… "S-She must know how to save Sofia!"
"Sofia is dead, Cedric!" Tanya snapped back, her hands tightening more on the woman's neck, pressing her thumbs dangerously close to her carotid arteries (supposing Elementals had the same general makeup as human beings, anyway). "Why prolong our revenge?!"
"Because Sofia deserves better!" He watched Tanya pause, though she still never let go of Zarova. Surprisingly, Silas the snake hadn't attacked her, and he had to wonder why… Maybe it was something to do with her negative energy overpowering his, but he was too weak to ponder over it. "S-Sofia wouldn't want you to… To…" He shook his head, feeling woozy and disoriented. He barely even noticed the Amulet of Avalor unfastening from his neck and floating over to the fallen form of little Sofia, latching itself around her neck instead.
"W-What's this?" Ceddy wondered as he and CeCe watched in awe as the amulet began pulsating brightly.
Tanya, distracted by the amulet, yelled out in pain when Zarova managed to maneuver her leg enough to knee the white-haired woman in the stomach and shove her aside. "Ahh!" Tanya lifted her hand to her stomach, wincing at the sharp pain she felt there.
Zarova, a bit winded from her near suffocation, tried to gather enough oxygen to her brain and lungs before making any hasty moves. Meanwhile, she glowered at the little girl on the ground, whose amulet (future-wise, anyway) continued its task.
The Amulet of Avalor was always a peculiar jewel. It was able to host a princess for 41 years. It was able to grant wishes and cast curses, with or without Elena's help. It was filled with ancient magic and mystery. Just when people thought they had it figured out, it surprised them yet again.
So when Sofia's childhood counterpart was suddenly healed and breathing normally again, sitting up with a hand to her head, and an expression of confusion on her face, people were extremely relieved yet utterly bewildered, to say the least.
"Sofia?" CeCe asked as he walked over to her, kneeling next to the little girl, who stared at him in surprise. "Are you all right?"
"H-How do you know my name?" she asked in surprise, and then she looked at the other two sorcerers. "Who are you? And why do you all look the same?" She gasped. "Are you triplets?"
Ceddy chuckled. "Something like that…" He watched in mild surprise as she instantly crawled over to sit in front of Cedric (her Cedric), her small hands reaching up to cup his face. A little smile lingered on the calmer sorcerer's face. "Hmm."
"Are you okay, Mr. Sorcerer?" she asked sweetly, frowning at how pale and sickly he looked. "Oh, you don't look like you're feeling good… My mommy always gives me a hug if I'm sad or sick. Can I try?" Seeing Cedric nod very weakly, she threw her arms around him, hugging him warmly, her hold firm yet gentle.
As she hugged him, the amulet pulsed again, and Cedric could feel the warmth and healing powers trailing from the jewel into his body. Was it the amulet doing this, or Sofia herself? Had she somehow summoned the amulet to her and healed herself? Too many questions to consider as he felt his strength return, his blood flowing normally, and his brush with death now a thing of the past. Somehow, he was healed, and he gratefully returned the girl's hug as he held her closely. "Sofia," he whispered, at a loss for what else to say.
"This can't be!" Zarova yelled angrily, though her voice was rather raspy after the debacle with Tanya. She whipped her head toward the other two sorcerers, the amulets around their necks still glowing, and her eyes widened in alarm when two other six-year-old Sofias (nearly identical to the Ever Realm Sofia) landed in their arms. "What is going on here?! They were sealed away!"
"They are connected," Tanya surmised as she shakily stood, holding a hand to her stomach. "To the amulet… Or to…" She frowned as she watched each Sofia awaken, magically healed and alert, most likely due to the amulet. Granted, with all the factors in play, it was really hard to tell.
Zarova growled, seeing that she was both outnumbered and outdone at this point. "No matter… Soon, we will have our revenge. You're not invincible!" She yelled both in pain and at being caught off-guard as she felt a fist connect with her cheek, knocking her onto the ground. She glared at up Tanya, who smirked down at her.
"For the record, neither are you." She held up her fists. "Now be gone before I actually use my Death Bringer and make an example of you!"
The older woman smirked and wiped away a bit of dark blood from her lip before laughing darkly. "Till next time, then…" She vanished.
Ceddy held tightly onto little Fia while CeCe cradled little Sofie, both girls a bit tired and disoriented. Only little Sofia seemed to be fully alert at this point, and she was watching Cedric carefully.
"Are you all right, Mister?" Sofia asked curiously. She held a hand to his forehead, which was warm. "I think you've got a fever. Mommy always tells me that sleeping and eating warm soup can help. Unless you don't like soup…" She grinned. "Marshmallows might help though!"
Cedric laughed and scooped the girl into his arms, hugging her gently. "Oh, Sofia… Same old Sofia…"
"We should probably get the girls back to their actual realms and times," Ceddy suggested, smiling as little Fia snuggled into his chest. It was kind of strange, having a smaller form of his partner being this affectionate without realizing it, but in a weird way, it was also sort of…familiar? Hard to explain… "And then, we'll need to check in on our own Sofias, yes?"
"Yeah!" CeCe seemed a bit worried as he gently patted little Sofie's back. "I hope they're okay now."
"Only one way to find out." Cedric released the younger Sofia, allowing her to stand on her own as he prepared to stand himself. He blinked as she placed her hands on either side of his face, observing him carefully. "Yes?"
"Do I know you?" she asked quietly, a rare look of serious contemplation on her face as Cedric chuckled, playfully ruffling her hair as she lowered her hands. She giggled at the action.
"Not yet, my darling… But soon…"
Three separate portals opened up, and each amulet tugged against the sorcerers' necks, in different directions. Ceddy and CeCe bid Cedric and Tanya farewell before heading into their own Sofia's past first and then later returning to their own realms.
"Sofia, come eat!" Miranda called from the small house, none the wiser that anything had even happened.
"Coming!" she called back before looking up at Cedric and Tanya. "You guys are so cool… Can we be friends?"
Tanya chuckled and nudged Cedric, who smiled with a soft laugh.
"Of course, my dear. One day… We'll be the best of friends."
Not really understanding that comment, Sofia simply jumped up and down excitedly. "Yay! I got new friends! Whee!" She spun around once before waving excitedly, calling out her goodbyes, and then bolting into the house.
"I see where Nana gets her energy," Tanya remarked in a deadpanned tone, which caused Cedric to snicker. She then reverted to her child form before taking his hand, pulling him toward the portal. "Let us go home, Papa."
He smiled, nodding, and followed his daughter back to their own realm and time.
"Mm…" Blue eyes slowly blinked open, vision bleary from having been closed for so long.
"Sofia…"
Sofia groaned at the sound of her mother's voice, and she ever so slightly turned her head to face the queen. "Mom?" she asked, a consistent wave of tiredness falling over her. "W-What happened?"
"You passed out," Roland responded. "Something about fainting spells, and the sixth Elemental, Cedric said…"
"Cedric!" She gasped as she sat up, perhaps a little too quickly, and immediately regretted it as a wave of dizziness washed over her. "W-Where is he?"
"I'm here, Sofia," Cedric assured her as he walked over to her, kneeling by her bed, carefully coaxing her back into a lying position. "Take it easy, my dear… You've been through more than you realize."
She frowned at those words. "The sixth Elemental?"
"Zarova, the Plasma Wielder." He cleared his throat. "We, um… We fought her, but she's still out there, along with the others. I fear it's only a matter of time before we see all of them together…"
"We'll handle them together, like always," she assured him, reaching out and taking his hand. She smiled tiredly. "I am going to guess that you guys saved me." Seeing him nod, then glancing toward Tanya, who smiled at her mother, she giggled. "Thanks, guys." Her hand brushed against her amulet around Cedric's neck, and she smirked as he blushed. "Finally got that amulet, Cedric?"
"T-To save you!"
She smiled teasingly and grabbed the amulet, tugging him closer so she could place a kiss on his cheek. "I love you," she whispered gently so that only they could hear.
He returned the smile, running his hand through her hair as she sighed. "I love you too, Sofia…"
The sweet scene was promptly interrupted as yet another portal appeared in the room, causing those around to either groan in dismay or gasp in surprise. Happily, though, the ones who stepped through this time were more than welcome.
"You guys?" Sofia asked in awe, seeing Fia, Ceddy, Sofie, and CeCe together, Fia with her amulet returned and Ceddy with his around his neck, both jewels glowing a bit. She glanced toward Cedric, who was still wearing hers, and noticed it was glowing as well. "What…?" She looked toward them again. "What's going on?"
"We told the girls what happened, and they were both worried about you," Ceddy explained, watching the princess slowly stand with the help of her sorcerer. He smiled warmly at his friend. "I'm glad to see that you seem to be better."
"I feel better than I have in a long time, Ceddy…" She laughed as Sofie immediately ran toward her, nearly crushing her with a hug. "Oh! H-Hey, Sofie!" She giggled and returned the girl's hug before glancing toward Fia, who seemed a bit shy all of a sudden. "Fia?"
The other princess merely rolled her eyes and sighed, an amused smile on her lips. "One time," she insisted before yelping as Sofie grabbed her hand and pulled her into their little…Sofia hug fest. "Gotta love this fluff, right?" She smiled as Ceddy wrapped his arms around her, followed by CeCe doing the same to Sofie and Cedric matching up with Sofia.
"Oh, come on, guys!" CeCe called happily, grinning. "Group hug!" With that, he threw his arms as far around the others as they'd go, only meeting mild resistance from Fia (who wasn't a huge fan of 'group hugs') and Cedric (who wasn't fully prepared for this turn of events). "Oh, relax, you two! Enjoy the love!" He hummed brightly as the others just laughed and gave in to the weirdest hug ever.
"Okay, this is getting weird," Amber laughed. "I wonder if our counterparts are this awkward."
"And squishy," James added with a grin. "I mean, look at them." He gestured toward the double trios, who were slowly beginning to separate from their group hug. "That's the definition of 'squishy.'"
Sofie giggled as CeCe took her hand, twirling her once, then pulled her into his arms, kissing her nose playfully. "Aw, CeCe…"
"You never twirl me, Ceddy," Fia pointed out, folding her arms and staring fixatedly at her partner. "Why is that?"
"When would you rather me try that, Fia? When you're wearing a hundred pounds of armor, when you're practicing combat, or when you're eating your precious cookies? All three are dangerous situations for me."
"Cookies are dangerous?" Tanya asked, blinking as Nana sat next to her, wearing much the same expression.
"They can be…" He shuddered a bit, grinning as Fia slapped his shoulder. "I'm kidding, Fia. Relax."
"Maybe we should take some time to talk," Sofia suggested, smiling. "It's not often we get to just…talk to ourselves."
CeCe laughed. "That's one way of putting it! I'm good with that. We're good with that," he corrected himself, taking Sofie's hand and winking at her, causing her to blush and giggle.
"Sounds good to me," Cedric added. "We could do with a break."
"Yes, we could," Fia agreed.
With that, everyone, including the alternative counterparts, left Sofia's bedroom to enjoy their time together—a much-needed bit of relaxation that they very rarely had.
A few days later, Cedric and Sofia were alone in his tower, simply sitting at the worktable and talking, when a portal opened from nowhere, and to their surprise, a letter appeared, dropping onto the worktable between them. The portal then vanished.
"What's this?" Cedric wondered as he tore the envelope open, pulling the letter from within, unfolding it. "Oh, it's from my Absentia counterpart. 'Dear Cedric and Sofia, Sofie is fine. She is back to her normally happy, cheerful, bubbly self. We wanted to extend an invitation to our wedding next' —wedding?!" His mouth fell open as Sofia took the letter, looking over it in awe. "I…didn't even know they were…you know…"
Sofia finished reading the letter before laughing, placing it onto the table. "I'm not surprised though. They seem like they were meant to be together. Literally." She smiled thoughtfully as she traced the letter and then allowed her hand to slowly wander to his, caressing his fingers as he gulped softly. "It's really sweet…"
Cedric hummed and turned his hand over, capturing hers in effect. "Indeed, my love…"
She stared at him for a few moments before smiling softly. "Your love?"
He gently kissed her hand. "Always." Before he could say or do anything else, the door to the workshop opened, and Nana and Tanya burst inside.
"Papa, Mama, hurry!" Tanya gushed excitedly. "Nana and I found a nest of baby redbirds! They are so beautiful!"
Nana nodded happily, clapping her hands.
Cedric stood and, with his hand still holding the princess's, guided her toward the door, following the girls. "Not as beautiful as your mother," Cedric told them, causing the girls to giggle and Sofia to blush modestly.
"Oh, Cedric…" She laughed, latching onto his arm. "Always trying to make me happy…" She smiled and whispered to him, "It's working."
He chuckled. "Good to know…"
The end