Mal Voyage

Summary: Chrysta informs Sofia of a strange recurring incident in a location known as the Bixtou Realm, where hundreds of couples from many different realms have gone missing while on a supposed couples' getaway retreat. Desperate to know more and recover the missing participants, she sends Sofia on an undercover mission, but there's a catch: she has to go with Cedric, and they must pose as a newlywed couple to avoid suspicion.

Disclaimer: I only own the Bixtou Realm and any OCs mentioned on the ship. Though they are not in the story and are only mentioned, Nana and Tanya both belong to MarionetteJ2X. Everything else belongs to Craig Gerber.

A/N: Hey, guys! I'm back with the second chapter. Cedric and Sofia are going to have a lot of planning to do in this chapter, and of course, it wouldn't be complete without a little bit of Wormwood commentary, right? Also, we get a nice callback to "A Pirate's Life" with revisiting the names of Raelyn and Horatio. 😉 Hope you enjoy!

Duchess M: Thanks for the mention! I'm not even sure how 400 stories came about, except to say that it's been six years' worth of work. Lol. I figured I'd get a question about the "magical technology" thing. I looked up the term of technology (as we currently know it) and when it was first used as such, and it apparently originated in 1859. The show itself seems to take place in the later part of the 1800s, from what I gather, so it seems to fall in line. Granted, the general concept has been around for much longer, though I don't know if the founders or users really coined the phrase in that respect prior to that time. I'd considered using a different term for the Enchantlet, but I guess I just went with it considering the makeup of the device. I kind of wish we knew more about it, honestly. But like you said, the show itself sort of toggles back and forth with time periods and such, and there's even a confusing crossover with one of the Wicked 9 items (Dr. Facilier's hat, from The Princess and the Frog, meant to take place in the 1920s…unless, of course, the character himself had been around much longer, which wouldn't be the least bit surprising). At this rate, I almost want to just chalk it up to the fact that it's an "enchanted land," and kind of roll with that general idea. Haha

Chapter 2: The Return of Raelyn and Horatio

"Well, I have some rather good news," Cedric told Sofia later that day after they'd returned from the Mystic Isles. Seeing as she'd just left her room, he was now walking with her along the corridor. "My parents have come by to see Calista and the girls, and they've offered to look after Nana and Tanya while we're gone."

She raised her eyebrows at this information. "That's…perfect, actually…" She laughed softly before taking his arm. "Are they staying here tonight?"

"Yes. Your father had a spare room set up for them. They'll leave with the girls in the morning."

"And…you told them what's going on?"

He smiled sheepishly as they continued walking. "More…or less… I mentioned that you had a rather involved Protector mission, and you needed my help. That's all I said."

"Good, because that's all I told my parents and the others too." She laughed in relief. "Honestly, the actual truth behind the mission is probably one of the last things I'd want to explain right now. Too many questions to answer…among other things."

"Right, of course…" He playfully smirked at her. "I'm sure your parents are still a bit disappointed that they couldn't attend a 'wedding' for us. We did, after all, elope in the middle of the night after having a whirlwind of a secret romance."

"Oh, is that what you recall happening?" She grinned as she shook her head, leaning against his arm as they walked, now approaching the tower. "Oh, my dear Cedric, you seem to be confused… As much of an introvert as you are, we both knew how important it would be to have a wedding with our closest family members and friends present." She giggled softly as he opened the door, and she released his arm, smiling as he ushered her inside. "Which is, of course, why we did have the wedding here…at our castle."

"In the springtime."

She winked at him as they began ascending the stairs. "Which surprised me, honestly, considering how much you once complained about the spring…"

"Yes, well…" He reached out and took her hand as they climbed, gently squeezing her fingers to hold her attention (which worked rather well). "Only you could help me change my dislike of the season… You brought new meaning to my life, after all, and isn't that what spring is all about? New things?"

"Hmm, yes…" She giggled and blushed a bit. "Let's…continue our planning in the workshop."

"Hmm…" He traced his thumb over the back of her hand, making her hum quietly at the soft sensation. "Are we planning…or 'reminiscing?'"

"Cedric…" She laughed as they reached the door, which he deftly unlocked before opening, guiding her inside.

"It's about time you two got back," Wormwood complained with a rather dramatic yawn as they entered and shut the door behind them. "It's been far too quiet here the last several hours. No children running around the workshop. No discussions of potions and spells. No brewing. I've never been so bored in my life."

"I find that hard to believe," the sorcerer remarked as he released Sofia's hand, watching her walk over to the stairs leading up to his window before sitting down. "You have always struck me as a raven who gets bored easily, Wormy."

"Yes, well, I've usually been…preoccupied recently." He sighed. "Alas, Nina flew off to visit her mother, and Mr. Birdsong is out of town, so the Raven Haven isn't open right now. And the girls have been with your sister and parents while you two were gallivanting around the Mystic Isles without me…again."

"Aw, Wormwood," Sofia cooed from her spot on the stairs, smiling genuinely at him as he looked toward her. "You'll just have to come with us next time." She took off her boots, setting them aside, stopping only to rub her sore feet for just a moment, before beginning to release her hair from its braid. "Although I don't think you would have been interested in this particular visit."

"Make yourself at home," Wormwood drawled sarcastically as Sofia shook out her hair before standing up, walking back over to them. He frowned curiously as he saw the princess leaning against the sorcerer, her fingers gently tugging at his robe sleeve. "Hold on a minute… What's going on here?"

"I-I'm not sure what you mean, Wormwood," Cedric lied as Sofia's hand abandoned his sleeve in favor of his own hand, her fingers slowly entwining with his. Seeing her coy smile, he returned the gesture, albeit in a bit more of a nervous manner.

The raven rolled his eyes. "Cedric, you're a horrible liar, and we both know that Sofia is an even worse one. So, let me ask the precocious princess: what's going on, Sofia?"

She smiled mischievously as she looked the bird straight in the eyes. "Cedric and I are now married."

There was a rather long pause as the partners stood, watching and waiting to see what Wormwood would do or say. He hadn't really moved since Sofia's response, and it was getting a little bit uncomfortable. Finally, the silence was broken by a burst of laughter from the bird.

"Oh!" Wormwood grinned as he wiped some tears from his eyes with his wing. "Oh, I needed that laugh, Sofia… Hahaha! Oh, you and Cedric married… That's great! Ah!" He calmed down and cleared his throat, almost immediately reverting to his typically aloof nature. "What's really going on?"

Cedric sighed. "We are participating in one of the Protectors' undercover missions, whereby Sofia and I must pretend to be married."

"That's not much of a pretense, is it?" The raven rolled his eyes once more. "You're practically 'married' as it is, partners. For goodness sake, you even have matching rings already." He gestured at the BerryBands on their fingers, which made them blush a bit. "You work together, eat together, raise children together, and even sometimes fall asleep together. You've got the best part of a normal 'marriage' without having to go through the tiresome 'wedding' process, and there's little to no actual romance involved."

"True, even though some of the things Cedric has done for me might be, by most peoples' standards, pretty romantic," Sofia admitted as she massaged her partner's hand. "He's saved me so many times, treated me better than almost anyone else has, and…" She smiled softly as she stilled her hand. "And… been so…gentle…with me…"

Cedric watched her quietly, though he was about to say something until he heard an over exaggerated gagging sound from his familiar.

"This is the worst mission you two could have taken on," Wormwood complained. "You're mushy enough on your own. Now you have to kick it up ten notches?" He shook his head. "Are you trying to drown us innocent bystanders in your disgusting fluff?"

Sofia smirked at his response. "Innocent, huh? Not exactly the word I'd use to describe you, Mr. Former Mastermind, but okay…" She turned to Cedric, ignoring the raven's sardonic mutterings under his breath. "We need to go ahead and start planning, Cedric."

He nodded slowly before smiling. "Y-Yes, I suppose we do…" He turned his attention to his feathered friend momentarily. "Wormwood, would you mind heading out for a while so that we can discuss our plans?"

Wormwood frowned. "Why do I have to leave? I can sit here quietly without interfering."

"Several years of the inability to hold in your opinions say otherwise." Cedric raised an eyebrow as the bird groaned in annoyance.

"It's dark outside!"

"It's not that dark," the sorcerer argued back calmly.

"I'll keep my comments to myself, really." Wormwood flew over to Cedric's desk, using his talons to withdraw a book from the usual pile. "Look, I've got a bit of light reading to keep myself occupied."

Sofia laughed as she noticed how thick the book was, and then she saw the title. "The Definitive Collection of Spells and Potions Across the Realms, Volume 3. Right, Wormwood. That's light reading to you?"

"It's interesting," he returned, fetching a tiny set of pince-nez spectacles from a small box, nestling them near his eyes. "I'll leave you both alone. Raven's Honor." He opened the book to a section where it seemed to have been marked with a ribbon, and he grinned at the other two. "See? I left off with the active ingredients for transformative potions. Fascinating section, really." He perched on the edge of the book and actually did begin reading.

"Anyway…" Cedric smiled at Sofia. "Let's get started."

They sat together and plotted their lives together as a couple. Of course, to offer some distinction between themselves and their undercover counterparts, they knew things had to be at least a bit different…

"Where did we meet?" Cedric asked as he held a quill to some parchment, glancing toward his partner.

"A bazaar," she responded playfully as he penned the information down. "You were there shopping for ingredients, and I was there because my sister had dragged me along. I bumped into you by accident, causing you to drop some of your supplies, and you started ranting."

"And then I looked up and saw you," he finished, smiling gently as she blushed a bit. "And I forgot my annoyance immediately, because I'd just caught a glimpse of perfection." He chuckled as her blush grew darker.

"Cedric…"

Wormwood turned his head and rolled his eyes as heavily as he dared before turning back to his book. Not saying anything was obviously going to be a challenge, but he was absolutely curious how they'd sort out this so-called 'plan' of theirs.

"W-We got to know each other for a few weeks before you asked me if you could court me," Sofia continued. "Of course, you didn't ask me without getting nervous and being kind of shy about it, but you still managed it."

"And why wouldn't I be nervous?" he countered, writing the information down. "A beautiful girl had just agreed to become my romantic partner… And we both knew it would lead to our inevitable marriage, so I suppose I was more relieved than anything…" He glanced up, smiling at her shy expression. "You talk about a dream coming true…"

She giggled. "Cedric, you're so silly." She then gestured with one hand. "So, we courted for about a year and a half before you finally proposed. By the next spring, we got married." She frowned, pondering her words as she pointed at random spots in the air, as if counting something. "So… Yeah. Let's say we got married…just a few months ago?"

"That still qualifies as 'newlyweds,' I imagine," Cedric agreed, writing down the new information. "So… According to this, we met two years ago, and we've been married a few months. It's May now, so…we married in March?"

"March 10," Sofia agreed with a grin. "Same as the day we met two years ago."

He laughed. "Ah, a sentimental thing. People like stories like that."

Wormwood coughed once, and he looked over at the partners, only to notice that they'd cast pointed stares at him. "Oh, I do apologize for coughing. I had…a strange sensation in my throat." He turned back to the book, thinking, 'The sensation of wanting to heave at this mushy mess…'

"Um, so what else?" Sofia began playing with her hair as she pondered. "I guess Raelyn and Horatio should have different birthdays from us."

"Yes…" Cedric watched her fingers as they caressed her hair for a few moments, and then he blinked, snapping himself out of it. "R-Right, um… Well, perhaps Raelyn is a bit 'sunny' like you…"

"Hmm, Sunni," she giggled softly. "I wonder how she's doing…"

"Sofia, focus now." Still, he had wondered the same thing on occasion. They still didn't know the little girl's real name, nor did he fully understand… Well, actually… Maybe he was starting to get a better understanding of that…situation. He shook his head, realizing he was losing focus. "Um, so… I-If Raelyn is a bit of a 'sunny' person, then perhaps her birthday should be in the summertime. How about… June?"

"June…24?" the princess offered, smiling. Seeing Cedric nod, she shrugged. "Glad you like my suggestion. And for Horatio… Maybe he's a little bit more mysterious than Raelyn…" Her smile turned a bit playful. "Probably a winter person… Hmm, not much different from you, actually."

"Funny." He pointed the quill at her. "All right, then. What's Horatio's birthday?"

"December 2. He was born right after midnight." She winked at him, causing him to blink at her. "To add to that mysterious nature… A night owl, even from birth." She grinned at him as he rolled his eyes. "Which explains why he's always staying up late working."

"I hate to interrupt," Wormwood began as he lowered his spectacles and turned toward the duo, who glanced at him, "but…aren't you both pretending to be these people? Maybe don't speak of your counterparts in the third person. If you immerse yourself in your character, then you can become that character."

Cedric laughed. "Thank you, Director Wormy." He nodded toward Sofia, smiling. "He is right though… We should…apply this information to ourselves, I guess." He watched her continuing to run her fingers through her hair, and he set the quill onto the parchment. "Do you want me to help you with…?"

"Huh?" She blinked, glancing down at her hair, then looked back at him and smiled. "Sure… And I can take notes now, I guess." She accepted the paper and pen from him, turning around as he moved his chair closer to her, summoning a brush at the same time. She looked over the notes and grinned. "Your writing sure does get lazier at the end of the day."

"Well, it's been quite a long day, wouldn't you say?" He gathered her hair behind her and slowly began running the brush through it, smiling as she sighed in relaxation. He had a feeling she'd enjoy that… She always had before, after all. "Now, then… Where were we?"

"Hmm? Oh." She looked over their notes. "Okay, so, we have the names, the whole meeting thing, the marriage date and place, our birthdays… I don't think it would hurt to include a few things that are true about us, accidentally or not. Like obviously, nothing is going to replace our favorite color." She wrote that down: 'Favorite color—purple.'

"That's true." He continued running the brush down the length of her hair before saying, "I think the most important things have been covered. Anything we haven't thought of, we can adjust on the spot."

"Yes," Wormwood remarked dryly, "because you're the king of improvisation."

Sofia laughed as Cedric put the brush aside before simply running his fingers down her hair, sending a slight shiver to her spine. The brush always felt good, but it didn't even compare to the sensation she felt when his fingers brushed her back. "O-Oh, Wormwood… Heh…" She sighed, closing her eyes and relaxing a bit more. "It'll be okay… We'll be fine…" She kept the parchment level in her lap, but the quill was loosely in her grip by now.

"Cedric, could you stop?" Wormwood suggested, smirking. "You're distracting the princess."

"Oh?" Cedric slowed his movements to a near halt. "Sofia?"

"D-Don't listen to him!" She laughed sheepishly, realizing how frantic she must have sounded. "I mean… I-I'm not distracted. Really… Heh…"

He hummed thoughtfully before placing his hands on her shoulders, leaning over to whisper to her, "Perhaps we should call it a day, hmm?" He brushed some of her hair aside, his cool fingers brushing her warm neck, making her shiver a bit. He smiled. "We're leaving rather early tomorrow, after all, and it's best to make sure we're prepared and packed. Since we'll be gone for a week, it's best to check that we have everything ready, right?"

"R-Right…" She stood up before hurrying back to the staircase, grabbing her boots, and then looked toward the other two. "Well… I guess I'd better go then." She smiled sweetly at Cedric, who returned the favor. "Good night, Cedric." She looked toward the smirking raven. "Wormwood."

Wormwood chuckled. "Good night, Princess."

"Good night, Sofia." Cedric stood, walking up to her. He placed one kiss on her forehead, making her giggle softly. "I'll see you in the morning."

She nodded before turning and leaving, shutting the door behind her.

The raven tilted his head a bit as Cedric sighed, leaning up against the wall. "Are you sure this mission is a good idea?" Seeing Cedric glance over at him, a confused look on his features, Wormwood gestured toward the closed door. "Cedric… Surely you saw what I did."

"I'm not sure what you mean, Wormy." He folded his arms. "It's just a mission that she needs my help with. We'll solve the problem like always, and we'll be back home before you know it."

Those sharp green eyes narrowed as the raven lifted off the desk and flew over to his master, landing on his shoulder. "Cedric. There's something you're not saying…"

"Then perhaps it doesn't need to be said…" Cedric reached up and softly scratched the raven's head, smiling thoughtfully as Wormwood sighed in content. "Yet."

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Shipping Out