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: We'll get a bit of background on Butterford in here, and we'll also wrap this story up in preparation for "Weakened Link." I have plans for Butterford later down the road, but not any time soon. Meanwhile, many of you keep asking what's wrong with Sofia… Remember that everything I've done recently has been purposeful, and those actions are starting to reveal themselves—big or small. 😉With that said, hope you enjoy the final chapter!

Chapter 7: Land, Home

While they were waiting on the Protectors to arrive, Cedric decided to check on the incapacitated passengers and make sure they were all right. On the other hand, Sofia had pulled Butterford over toward the dining area, sitting across from him at one of the small tables.

She knew being around the other crewmen, even if they were frozen, would probably put undue stress on him. And while she had no real basis for it, she just knew he was different. She'd pretty well learned how to read people by now, so she decided to trust her instincts. She watched him fiddling with his gloves, clearly both nervous and trying to distract himself from reality. After all, his closest friend had just been vaporized before his own eyes, not a trace of his body remaining. How cruel…

"Thank you for saving me," Sofia murmured quietly, trying her best not to startle the fair-haired man. She smiled when he glanced up at her. "I can't say I was expecting it, but…"

Butterford sighed. "I've been trying to get out of The Five for years now," he admitted. "And Hopscotch… H-He, um…" He cleared his throat, frowning as he lowered his eyes to the table. "He's actually the reason we were here… Long story short, a long time ago, we just wanted something stable. A job—any job." A bitter laugh escaped his lips as he shook his head. "Careful what you wish for, right?"

Sofia folded her arms and leaned back in her chair, continuing to listen to him.

"It wasn't long before we were roped into this lifestyle. And I've done some terrible things; I'm not going to lie…" He tapped his fingers against his wrist. "When you get dragged into this mess, it's easy to forget little things like morality and…goodness. Not that I ever had a solid foundation for either, but…" He subconsciously tugged at the gloves again before sighing. "Anyway… I hated it here. I stuck near Captain Zhigo to deter suspicion. If he saw me near his side all the time, doing as commanded, then he'd have no reason to suspect that I wanted no part of this."

The princess nodded. Seemed fair enough…

"Hopscotch promised me—he promised me—he'd get us out… He is—w-was—older than me, so…I trusted what he said. And we were so close…" He closed his eyes, lowering his head. "He was much more than just a best friend… He was…all I had."

Sofia smiled sadly. "I could tell…"

"Y-Yeah…" He cleared his throat. "Anyway… This soul collection thing for the Kryfito Realm… It's been going on for a long time. Captain Zhigo works for some 'boss' who's responsible for the realm."

At this information, she sat up straighter. "Do you know who the boss is?"

Butterford shook his head. "I don't. I was just a crewman. I did what I was told to avoid getting killed, honestly. All I do know is that the 'boss' didn't just have Captain Zhigo and us doing his dirty work. I've heard he has a lot of people working for him…"

"Hmm…" Sofia had to wonder if the boss mentioned had any connection to the recent villains they'd encountered: the Elementals. They all had some greater entity they were working for as well… Master Extorio, he was called. Could the boss and the master be one and the same?

"…And you shouldn't thank me…"

She blinked out of her thoughts and turned her attention to Butterford again. "Why do you say that?"

"Because… I knew what I was doing. I could have left at any time."

"Not without getting yourself hurt, Jas… I don't think anyone could fault you for that. I don't know your whole past, but it's pretty clear to me that it's shaped who you are today… But you're changing that."

"My entire past is completely responsible for my situation, and ultimately what led me here," he admitted. He gestured toward the gloves. "You may notice I wear these all the time."

She nodded. "My partner always wears his too. He says they're mostly work gloves."

"I wish I could say the same." Hesitantly, he reached for the glove on his left hand, and after a few more moments of uncertainty, he slowly tugged it off, followed by the other one.

Sofia gasped softly as she looked at his hands. They were scarred up and down his fingers, the backs of his hands, his palms… All over the surface of each hand, pretty much. His fingernails appeared very weak and brittle and far more transparent than usual. Part of his skin seemed to be eaten away on his left forefinger, where a bit of bone and tissue were visible. "W-Who did that to you?" She looked up at him. "Was it the captain?"

"That would make sense, wouldn't it?" A grimace appeared on the former crewman's face as he shook his head. "No. I came from a wealthy family. When I was younger, I was a masterful piano player. My mother taught me how to play before she passed away. But my father…" He frowned. "He had a very violent streak, especially after Mother's death. He took to the bottle often, and he was inebriated most nights. One night, we had a horrific argument, and Father grew very angry with me. He grabbed my wrists and pulled me outside, where he for some reason had a bucket of acid."

Sofia's mouth dropped, putting the pieces together.

"The moment he plunged my hands into the acid, I could feel it eating away at my skin… It was the most excruciating pain I've ever experienced…" He sighed. "I was able to fight Father off, and I ran after that… I had to learn how to use my hands again, and a kind woman who let me stay with her for a while in a small village far away from my homeland made the gloves for me to protect my hands…" He shrugged. "And not long after that, I met Hopscotch, and…the rest is history."

"I'm…really sorry, Jas…" Sofia frowned sympathetically. "No one should ever have to experience something like that, especially from a parent." She watched him silently tug his gloves back on, his fingers interlacing. "You know… I happen to think there's good and bad in all of us. We all do things we regret. Even Cedric and I… We've both done some things we're not proud of…" She turned and watched the sorcerer continuing to check on everyone. "But we've both grown from our mistakes and become better people in the end…"

Butterford finally smiled. "You love him, don't you? Not just as an 'undercover' thing, as you have described."

The princess blushed modestly before smiling and shrugging. "I've always loved him…" She placed her hands on the table and looked the man in the eye. "Back to what I was saying though… Um…" She gestured vaguely with one hand. "I… If you'll allow me, I can get you clemency for everything that's happened since you joined the crew. Obviously, you've had a change of heart, and people who do that—"

"I appreciate it, Princess Sofia, but no…" He shook his head as she stared at him in surprise. "You only know who you've seen here, and who's been talking to you for the last several minutes. But you don't know all the crimes I've committed before…I joined The Five. I really have far more to atone for than you realize. I'm not innocent by any means, and I'd rather let the legal system deal with my case as they see fit." He sighed. "It's not like I have anything else to look forward to…"

Sofia hesitated, a bit weary of his response. She admired him for taking responsibility, but it still seemed so unfair. He was the one who'd stepped up and tried to stop everything. He'd gone through a horrible experience with his own father. But…maybe he was right. Maybe she should trust what he said… She really didn't know him or all about his past, and if he felt that he had to pay for harsher crimes, then…she couldn't deny him that. "Fine. I understand… But promise me something." She reached out and gently took his hands, surprising him a bit. "Either during or after your atonement, whatever that might be… Find something that makes you happy. Maybe you could play the piano again… Or maybe you're a master dancer—"

Butterford laughed, the first real sense of happiness and even amusement he'd felt in a while. "Let's not get carried away, Princess. I'm not sure if I'd be able to play again with the shape of my hands, but maybe I can find something…as a way of saying thank you… Because you didn't have to take the time to listen to me or offer me anything other than a life of imprisonment. I'm forever in your debt, Princess Sofia."

"Sofia." She smiled. "If we're going to be friends, you can drop the title."

He sighed, feeling honored by her words. "I'm not sure you should want me as a friend…"

"I'll be the judge of that." She winked, gently squeezing his hands.

After a while, the Protectors arrived and assigned a designated crew to escort the crewmen to the Conjuror's Board for sentencing. As for Butterford…

"Why don't you come with us?" Vega suggested after hearing Sofia's side of the story. "We'll discuss your situation and look at your record, and we'll go from there."

Butterford blinked at her words. "I…shouldn't be sentenced with the rest of them?"

"We have a number of people in the Mystic Isles who have been in similar situations as you have, young man," Orion informed him. "They've all had a distinct change of heart. And honestly, they are all doing far better with us than they would in a typical institutional system. Not to knock the Conjuror's Board, but there are some who simply do better with us. And if Sofia thinks you're one of those, then we'll take her word for it." He smiled at the princess. "She's been right about everything else so far."

Sofia giggled. "Thanks, Orion." She smiled as Cedric walked up to her, placing an arm around her. "How is everyone?"

"Slowly coming around again. As far as the Kryfito Realm goes…"

"Already taking care of it," Chrysta finished, grinning as she landed on the deck, her hands on her hips. "The people trapped in there were in a hyper-state of sleep or something, but we've got some of our most powerful Protectors already working on it. When they release everyone back to their normal existence, we're going to seal the realm for good. No more Kryfito Realm."

Butterford's eyes widened. "You can do that?"

Vega nodded. "Magic, among other things, really can do wonders." She glanced toward Cedric and Sofia. "Well, I hate to ask this of you two, but do you think you could possibly navigate the Vista di Galileo back to the Ever Realm port? I know it took a few days to get here, but…"

"I do have a navigational spell that could help," Cedric informed her. He rolled his eyes. "However, this is the one time when teleportation would have been far easier."

"One day, Cedric," Orion chuckled. "One day, they'll lift the ban."

After the Protectors left with Butterford, Cedric set his navigational spell for the original port in the Ever Realm, and the galleon began its journey back to the starting point.

"Horatio!" Orla called out, dragging Zydel with her. "Raelyn! Oh, my gosh, are you guys okay?" She seemed to be swaying a bit (probably due to vertigo or something), and her husband was having to hold her steady. "I don't know what happened, but there were these bad guys, and—"

"We know," Sofia responded calmly with a smile. "And… Now that things have calmed down, I guess we owe you guys the truth." She gestured between herself and the sorcerer. "We're not married."

"I knew it," Zydel laughed, shaking his head. "While you two do seem close, you don't strike me as a married couple. You didn't from the beginning."

"And our names aren't Horatio and Raelyn." Cedric placed a hand on his chest. "I'm Cedric the Sensational, the royal sorcerer from the kingdom of Enchancia." He smiled at his partner, who seemed thrilled at the use of his original title she'd bestowed upon him once again. "And this is our princess, Princess Sofia."

Orla's mouth dropped. "The Princess Sofia?! Girl… Our kids talk about you all the time: the well-known Protector from the Ever Realm who has stopped plenty of villains and saved our realm so many times. Your name is famous in our home. I just didn't know what you looked like, or I likely would have figured it out a long time ago." She laughed. "Do I need to bow now, or…?"

"Please don't," Sofia laughed. "I think we're passed that point by now."

Zydel gestured between Cedric and Sofia. "So… You two aren't actually…"

Cedric responded, "Well, she is my partner. We're just not married."

The princess smiled, nudging the sorcerer playfully before reaching up and running her fingers through his hair as she coyly responded, "Yet…"

Orla snickered as Cedric blushed at the girl's teasing. "Ah, I see… So! You two said you knew what happened. Details, please."

Sofia laughed. "Well…"

After giving Orla and Zydel a brief review of the events of the crew and the other realm (omitting certain details for their safety, of course), evening approached rather quickly. Given that the navigational spell was automatically guiding them back to the port, no one on board had to worry about steering the vessel. The rest of the crew, which turned out to be innocent (and probably entirely new, as Cedric and Sofia suspected that the previous crew—minus The Five and the captain—had been offered to the Kryfito Realm as well), continued their duties of making food, promoting games, or tending to their passengers' needs.

"Did you find your wand?" Sofia asked as they walked back to their cabin, a bit annoyed that she had lost hers.

Cedric smiled and withdrew his wand from his robe. "I did. It had rolled under one of the deck chairs. And don't worry about your wand. It's not the first time you've had one destroyed or lost, and it's never your fault either."

"Yeah, but I'm sorry you keep having to make me a new one every few years, it seems…" She sighed as he opened the door and led her inside before shutting and locking it behind them. "It's just so…" She gasped softly as he took her hand, pulling her back toward him, wrapping her in a warm hug, his head resting atop hers. She smiled happily, returning the hug, and humming in content as she rested her head against his chest. "Now, this is what I needed…"

"No more dizzy spells recently?" he asked quietly, still hugging her.

"No…" She leaned back, glancing up at him. "I should have asked earlier… I know you were doing a lot of fighting back there. Are you okay?"

"Well, for the most part, yes, but…" He released her, gently massaging his temple. "I did get a bit of a headache after dealing with all of that."

She smiled mischievously, taking his hands. "I think I know how to make that better."

He blinked.

After changing into their pajamas for the evening, Sofia was propped up on the "wall of fluff" pillows, a book in her right hand, while Cedric was lying across the bed, his head on a smaller pillow in her lap. She used her free hand to gently massage his head, her fingers running through his hair every now and then, much to his delight. With all the careful and soft attention, he was very close to drifting off to sleep.

"I do believe we've done this before," Cedric joked sleepily as Sofia flipped a page with her right thumb. "Wormy apparently called us boring."

Sofia laughed. "Sounds about right. He wouldn't say the same if he got the same attention."

Cedric slightly shook his head. "Don't you dare. He hasn't earned head-scratching privileges recently. Let him stop some villains, and then we'll talk."

She snickered, placing her book down and readjusting herself so that she could keep her left hand in his hair while her right hand gently traced over his face. "Hmm. A little jealous that the raven might get this type of care, huh?"

"I wouldn't say 'jealous,' but definitely wary of a homebody bird getting feather massages. What does he even do all day? Mock, sneak berries from the kitchen staff, terrorize the woodland creatures…"

"Yeah, Clover did tell me he was back to picking on him, and now he's started in on Crackle." She laughed. "Funny thing is, she can breathe fire, so he only tried that once before he learned his lesson."

"Ah, I wondered why some of his feathers were singed. Heh, serves him right." He hummed appreciatively as she caressed his cheeks, ears, eyebrows, and even down his nose. He blushed softly, remembering what she'd said only recently to make him feel better… If she found his nose adorable, who was he to disagree? As long as she continued this gentle attention, he was perfectly fine.

"So… Now that we have some time to talk alone…" She was a little nervous to approach this topic, especially since they'd been interrupted each time or one of them had backed out of it for some reason. Eventually, the interruptions would stop, and there'd be no turning back from what it was that she wanted to say.

"Hmm?"

But was she really ready for that yet? Sure, things had very obviously changed… This whole charade had pretty well proven that even more-not like she needed more evidence, but still… If they started this conversation here and now, on a galleon, heading back to the Ever Realm, in a bed in their own private cabin…they'd have to finish it. There was nowhere to retreat to if she changed her mind. "Um… About my wand…" She could practically feel him releasing a slow breath, as if he had been waiting anxiously to hear what she had to say. Oh, yes… Good call on waiting. "H-How long until you think I might get a new one?"

He chuckled. "Not long at all once we get home. And it will look just like your old one, just like last time. I think I pretty well have the pattern down by now."

Sofia nodded. "That's good to know…" She smiled and giggled as he sighed contentedly. "Feeling better?"

"Hmm? Oh, um, yes… But…" He half shrugged, considering his position. "I-If you wanted to…continue…" He cleared his throat. "I wouldn't…mind…"

The princess rolled her eyes in amusement, her fingers continuing to play with his hair or stroke his face. "You only have to ask, Cedric… Any time you just want some downtime like this, say the word…"

"What's the word?" he asked curiously, missing the general suggestion.

"Oh, uh…" She smirked. "Galleon."

It took him a few moments, but he finally grinned at her. "Ah, I got it. It might be a little difficult to work 'galleon' into a conversation, but if this is the end result, I'll definitely figure out a way."

"Oh, Cedric…" Her smirk melted into a warm smile as she leaned back against her pillows, sighing, her hands never leaving her partner's hair and face, even as they both eventually drifted off to sleep.

A few days later, after they'd landed in the port and bid farewell to Orla and Zydel, Cedric and Sofia headed toward the AutoCoach to begin the journey home. After loading the luggage and other items they'd brought, Cedric noticed Sofia stumble a bit before falling into his arms, knocking him against the coach.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly, tilting her chin up to look him in the eyes. "Sofia?"

"I-I'm fine…" She sighed. "Another dizzy spell."

"You're worrying me with this, my dear… I know that some days you're perfectly fine, and other days you get hit with these spells once or twice… Perhaps we should let you see the medic when we return home."

Sofia nodded. "Maybe I need it… It's kind of worrying me more than I'll admit, but… I know it's not normal."

"Don't worry, Sofia. We'll figure out what's going on." He pressed a kiss to her forehead before helping her into the AutoCoach, then following after her and shutting the door.

With the coordinates already set, they took off toward Enchancia.

Upon arriving in Enchancia, the partners were thrilled to land and immediately be greeted by Violet and some of the castle workers, who began unloading the coach.

"Did we miss anything?" Sofia asked Violet as the workers took the last of the luggage, carrying it into the castle.

"Your brother nearly set a swan on fire," the stewardess sighed, shaking her head at the memory. "He was tryin' to light one of his bloomin' cannons, and before Princess Vivian could stop him, he'd dropped the matchstick right where one of the poor swans was tryin' to rest." She had to laugh at the memory of it. "I don't think I've ever seen a swan run that fast…before rememberin' that he knew how to fly."

"Aw, I bet that was Ralph," Sofia recalled, shaking her head. "That poor swan. He's fifteen years old now, and he's still having to watch his back when it comes to James."

"And Mr. Cedric, your sister took good care of your workshop, though she was called in to help out at Hexley Hall for a few days. Mr. Merlin actually came in to oversee things for you after that."

Cedric gasped. "Merlin came back when I wasn't here? I'm rather honored he decided to help manage such a modest workshop."

"Maybe we'll see him later," Sofia reasoned, nodding.

"Oh, I'd best be gettin' back inside." Violet grinned. "I promised Mr. Baileywick a game of backgammon after the final round of chores. I'll see you two inside." With that, she took off.

Cedric and Sofia looked around, glad to be back in their familiar environment, before Cedric extended a hand to Sofia. She smiled and accepted, walking with him toward the door, their hands gently swaying between them. Once they reached the closed doors to the castle, Sofia stopped him, peering up at him.

"If I had to pretend to be married to anyone," she began playfully, smiling as his lips quirked into a small smile of his own, "I'm glad it was you."

"Oh, Sofia, you don't have to flatter me." He lifted one hand, brushing some of her loosening hair aside, his fingers resting on her cheek. "I already love you."

They neglected to hear the slowly opening door, five pairs of eyes trained on them.

"I know…" She lifted one of her own hands, burying her fingers into his hair, before slowly guiding his face toward hers.

Their eyes had just closed. And once again, they felt an amazing sensation as their lips just barely brushed each other—

"Ahhh!"

Cedric and Sofia separated quickly, though not without a bit of pain as Sofia's rings had gotten caught in Cedric's hair, and Cedric had to prevent Sofia from tumbling down the steps (since she'd jumped at the sound). When they composed themselves, they both blushed upon seeing their small (and smirking, snickering, or smiling) audience.

James, Amber, Alamea (in Amber's arms and the screaming culprit from just moments earlier), Tanya, and Nana were all at the door, watching them curiously.

"H-Hi, guys!" Sofia attempted, smiling sheepishly. She laughed as Nana hurried over, clinging to her leg. She then noticed Tanya walking over to Cedric, prompting them to hug. She picked up Nana before narrowing her eyes at her siblings. "H-How long were you there?"

"Long enough," James joked, snickering. "What were you guys doing exactly?"

"I-I had something in my eye," Cedric lied, feeling his cheeks flushing as Amber smirked at him. "It, um… A-And Sofia was—"

"Making the pain go away?" the future queen teased, bouncing her babbling daughter just a bit as the partners blushed. "Didn't realize that's how it's done now, but good to know. I need to tell Desmond that we've been doing it all wrong."

"Amber!" Sofia sighed, shaking her head, and trying to will away her blush. But she smiled lightly. Even with all the teasing they were enduring, it sure was good to be home. Her smile grew as Tanya hugged her next, and then Cedric placed his hand on her back, guiding her as they followed the others inside.

However, even though they were now back home in their own realm, that didn't mean their troubles were over. In fact…

They'd only just begun.

The end

(And to be continued in "Weakened Link")