DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sofia the First nor do I claim to. I just like the show and wanted to write a little something for it. However, I do own the OC Zwick and Megumi as well as the concept of the Rune Mage I'll be using for this story.
_[ STORY ]_
Cedric flew from the Town Hall and rushed down the front step, once in the center of the main road he looked back to see Rene and Sofia following, "what happened, Mr. Cedric?" Sofia asked once they joined him each taking the rest bit to regain their breath.
"Sorry, I...thought I saw something," Cedric said.
"So you left us behind," Rene chastised.
"Mr. Cedric didn't live us, not like that," Sofia interjected, "sometimes your instincts take hold, and you do things you wouldn't normally. I know I've done it and it's more than likely happened to you Mr. Rene," she added glaring at the soldier.
"My apologies as a guard that sort of thing is heavily trained out of us," Rene said, taking the hint, "I meant no offense to you Sorcerer I forget not all of you would have combat experience, training yes, but being in the field is far different."
"No, your right it is my job as much as it's yours to protect the Royal family, but I ran…"
"Sometimes that's the best thing," Sofia said hugging her friend, "and besides you do have combat experience, you fought that evil wizard, and there have been a few other instances."
"Hate to interrupt the pep talk, but are the walls of the Town Hall moving or am I seeing things myself now?" Rene said taking a few steps back from the withering framework.
"That is some foul magic," Sofia said covering her mouth looking ill.
"It's dark magic permeating from the very fiber of the building," Cedric said.
"I take back what I said, " Rene hissed drawing his sword, "if I could sense magic and was somewhere with THAT I would bolt for safety too."
Sofia withdrew her wand, "what do we do?" she asked.
"We run, " Cedric bellowed as he summoned a rune below the building a pale purple dome enveloped the Town Hall before it disintegrated into a bank of fog.
At that, the trio ran, but instead of making their way to where they entered they headed towards the road that would lead to Swampbell; exiting the village they found themselves entering a carnival in the process of being set up its owners and crew all frozen like the rest of the villagers.
Sofia looked behind them as they slowed to a walk, she could still see the top of the shield Cedric had raised, Rene looked back as well but to see where the Princess was his foot caught the end of a wood beam. He went down, still having his sword drawn he twisted midair so not to cut himself, he landed full weight on his right hand.
There was an audible snap as the man stifled a scream, Sofia and Cedric rushed to his side asking if he was alright, but the shot of pain rising like fire into his arm made him take a moment to lay there on the ground panting as he clasped the appendage to his chest. Once the initial wave was over Rene pulled himself to his feet, "I'm fine now," he said starting to walk away hand still pressed firmly into his torso to keep it stable.
Cedric and Sofia exchanged a look before they both caught up with the man and pulled him towards a tent one of few that was fully set up, once inside they found panels of cloth and mirrors lined up like a maze, "let me see your hand," Sofia demanded as Cedric pulled a storage crate from its hiding place.
Once seated Sofia brought her wand up and cast a healing spell the first she ever learned, "that was an excellently performed spell, Princess," Cedric said.
"Well I did learn from the best," Sofia beamed, the praise made Cedric blush, "how does it feel?"
"As if nothing happened," Rene said astounded flexing his fingers and wrist.
"I think it best we stay here for the night," Cedric said pulling a second storage crate towards the front of the tent and pinning the flaps closed under it.
"Why? The sun is still out, and I'm fine now," Rene said.
"Helping spells, unlike potions, use the body's own healing abilities to mend what the spell has been cast on," Cedric started, "doing so will tire the body like if you had a cold. Meaning you need to rest after a healing spell, something as small as a broken wrist would only require a couple of hours," he continued, "but the sun will be quite close to the horizon by then so it makes more sense to stay here. It gives us all a chance to recover from the day."
"But Mr. Cedric what about that spell you used on the Town Hall? Wouldn't it disappear if you go to sleep?" Sofia asked
"My dear your talking to someone who can go a full two days and nights without sleep," Cedric chuckled, "I will be up keeping an eye out well you two get some rest."
"I can't ask you to do something like that," Rene belted, "I'll be fine to go now, and we can find a place, further along, to rest so you can sleep as well."
"I swear...get some rest or I will use a sleeping spell on you," he said, "on both of you if need be," he added when he saw the Princess opened her mouth.
"Hey I was going to agree with you," Sofia said.
After some more arguing Rene finally gave in, he curled into a ball atop the crate and fell asleep; Sofia stayed awake with Cedric talking until the sun hung low in the sky, soon she followed the guard into slumber after summoning a pillow.
Night fell, and the waxing moon hung low in the sky Cedric made sure the pair were soundly asleep before withdrawing his wand and used it to bring one of the lamps to life, "a candle within a room of mirror," Cedric muttered walking into the maze.
Towards the center of the tent, the Sorcerer found a space with mirrors surrounding him, his few years of watching his mother crystal gaze taught the Sorcerer how to find the center of an area; he placed the candle on the floor and moved away looking into each of the glass surfaces.
"This was stupid," he muttered to himself, "what am I even looking for?'
"How about a proper introduction?" a voice called.
Cedric spun around to see reflected in the surface a short fellow not much older than himself, dressed in a ragged blue tunic and black pants, his hair a striking red with a single fading scar along his left cheek.
"Who are you?" Cedric demanded.
"Okay there is not a lot of time for a full explanation, but here's the gist, my name is Net I am Megumi's grandson, and like you, I am also Rune Mage. Icban the guy you disintegrated did save Mignola's spell book, that I managed to show you not long ago. You did kill the bastard, but his soul survived and founds its way to my grandmother where he took control of her and ate her soul so he could have a body again one that had Rune magic. She had unfortunately already passed it onto me as your grandfather did for you. So he forced me to use a spell from your family book to trap you in this dream world so it can siphon off your conscious and will, as part of his revenge." Net said, "any questions?"
Cedric stared at the image, before taking a deep breath, "how can I trust you?" he asked.
"Sometimes you need to take a leap of faith," Net said, "also you've known something's been up for a while."
"I admit you are correct on that, how long has this spell been going?"
"Over a month in the real world."
"If...If I've been gone that long how has no one noticed."
"Icban used a lycanthropy changeling to replace you at the castle," Net explained, "he started planning this only a few weeks after he died and has been putting pieces into place since wassailia.
"Why are you helping him?"
"He used Megumi's memories to capture my daughter, and he already killed my wife for defining him," he said, "I'm as trapped in this as you are, but there is a bit of hope, in a weeks time there will be a Howlers Moon the opposite of a Blood Moon it will expose the changeling..."
The glass started to crack.
"Alright running out of time, try and keep it together this spell is designed to draw out your worst fears and darkest thoughts and to use that information to break you all I do is feed it power, though I've been trickle feeding it all this time. You've lasted this long because you've already been fighting this kind of darkness; you can last a bit longer. I know you can. Good luck."
Cedric stood dumbfounded at the shattered glass, "Poseidon's Pumpkins what is happening!?" he breathed, the world spun again before he blacked out.
Back below Red Run, Net sat back on his heels panting from the magic he used to delve into Cedric's mind, "BOY!" a distorted woman's voice called.
Net glanced over his shoulder at the figure that was once family, "child do you care to explain why I felt a surge of magic just now?"
'Damn I didn't expect him to sense it,' Net thought, "oh that...I...um started to doze off, and he almost woke up, I panicked and used to much magic to put him back under," he lied hoping with bated breath the specter bought it.
Icban didn't buy it, but he had no other indicators of what Net had planned so he left leaving the man in the black bowels of the ruins, "damn it all that moon can't rise any faster."
_[ ~FIN~ ]_
Note: That's it for this story next up is Howler's Moon.