Reimagia
Summary: Now a graduate of Ever Realm Academy, Sofia accepts Cedric's invitation to train in a secret realm called Reimagia, which is home to some of the most powerful sorcerers on earth. However, there's a dark force lurking in the realm, destroying conjurors one by one, all while offering cryptic clues to his identity. If Cedric and Sofia can't solve the mystery, they'll be next.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sofia the First or any characters affiliated with the show. However, I do own the Kingdom of Reimagia and many new OCs mentioned in the story.
A/N: Last chapter! 😊 Now, we have several things going on in this chapter, so hang on. The last part will lead us into the next story, which will be revealed in the coming weeks. I'll post on my profile when the title and site have been made available (I have the title, the premise, and the outline; believe it or not, I do not have the website done yet). Anyway, thanks for reading this story, and thanks to all who participated in the puzzle! It's not about getting it right; it's about giving it your all. 😉 Yes, I just went all "Sofia" on you. Haha. Off to the story!
Chapter 12: Power of the Heart
"You've tried my patience for long enough, Princess Sofia," Kinoroh taunted as his purple ball of energy continued crackling with electricity. "Meddling where you had no business being. Solving puzzles that were not meant for you. Why, I could have destroyed far more had it not been for your intervention." He smirked, releasing a section of the electricity in his right hand. "For that, you must be punished." Without any warning, he hurled it toward Sofia.
"Sofia, watch out!" Cedric grabbed his friend and pushed her out of the way, taking the full blast himself.
"MR. CEDRIC!" Sofia sat on the pile of rubble, her eyes widening at the sight of Cedric's attack.
The sorcerer attempted to cry out in pain, but the coursing of electricity through his body prevented him from doing so. Before long, the attack lost its power, and Cedric collapsed to the ground.
Sofia quickly crawled over to him, leaning down and pressing her ear against his chest. She sighed in relief as she heard a heartbeat. It was somewhat sporadic and far weaker than it should be, but it was there. She sat up and noticed that he seemed to be knocked out, and no wonder with the attack. Mimicking his motions from a few days ago when he was taking care of her while she was sick, she placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed his forehead. "I won't lose, Mr. Cedric," she whispered, hoping he could hear it, regardless of his current situation. "I promise you that."
Determination renewed, she stood to her feet, her wand gripped in her right hand as she glared at the evil being in the air. His smirk angered her, and with all she had, she used her wand and sent the most powerful spell she knew toward him: "Interficio!"
The powerful blast hit Kinoroh, and he grunted, appearing to be in pain. Even the ball of energy between his hands seemed to be dissipating. But soon, he started laughing uproariously, surprising the girl below. "Stupid girl!" he taunted, hurling a blast toward her and watching as she dodged it. "That spell only works if you're trying to destroy your enemy. But you can't destroy what was never created!" Another blast left his hands, striking her wand.
Sofia gasped as the wand in her hands disintegrated before her very eyes. "Oh, no," she murmured in disbelief. Distracted, part of Kinoroh's lightning struck her in the arm, ripping the sleeve from her shoulder to her elbow and slicing straight through her skin. She winced in pain, grabbing her arm. When she moved her hand away, she was startled to see all the blood coating her palm and fingers. She clenched her hand into a fist and breathed in, sighing. "Don't freak out, Sofia… You're fine." She'd lost her wand, but she hadn't lost her motivation. Glancing to her side, she knew exactly what her motivation was. "Mr. Cedric… I won't let you down."
"Tick-tock, Princess!" Kinoroh called, laughing like a maniac. "I could do this all day. I have the patience of a saint—ironically enough." He smirked as she glared at him. "I'm interested how a puny little human like you thinks she can annihilate a powerful entity like myself. You're just a spoiled little princess who needs everyone to save her so that she can go back to her fancy castle with her fluffy little dresses, aren't you?"
She took in his words before smiling dangerously, causing the evil being to do a double take. "You obviously don't know me very well." Clasping her hands together, ignoring the slippery texture of the blood on her palms, she closed her eyes and concentrated.
"The goal of mastering Hand Magic is to control it—don't let it control you. Focus all your energy into the palms of your hands and the tips of your fingers."
Despite the pain in her arm, Sofia concentrated and extended her hands, feeling the magic within her flowing to one central point: her hands. She could feel it coursing through her veins, energized by her will and sheer determination. However, she remembered something else Malvino had said…
"…Never close your eyes."
She instantly opened her eyes, narrowing them in concentration as she glared at the being above her.
"You'll feel it welling up within you, and you'll have no choice but to let it go."
"Let it go," she whispered to herself, directing her hands upward. She yelled out once before releasing her built-up power, watching as a stream of lavender magic soared high and impacted with the powerful ball of energy between Kinoroh's hands.
The spirit grunted once, knocked back a bit by the teen's power. He grinned wickedly down at her. "Impressive! But one meager blast of Hand Magic won't take Kinoroh down!" He growled and sent another powerful blast of dark magic her way.
Sofia gasped and grasped her amulet. "I wish to be a bird!" She shrank to the size of a rather small bird, with purple and pink feathers, narrowly missing the blast of magic. She flew out of the way as another blast came her way. "Ugh, I've got to do something…" She landed a few paces away. "I wish to be myself again!" Instantly, she reverted to her normal self.
"Making me chase a human around?" Kinoroh drawled. "It's dull, it's boring, and it's high time you realized that you won't win!" He struck her again: this time in her stomach, making her cry out in anguish before collapsing to the ground. "Is that it? Is the esteemed Princess Sofia giving up?!"
She groaned in pain as she felt the deep gash in her stomach. Reaching up, she could feel the scratches on her face, and she knew her right cheek was bruised just by barely touching it. She felt utterly weakened at this point with barely energy to speak of. She glanced toward Cedric, who was still lying unconscious on the ground several feet away. Seeing him, she felt her determination renew as she stumbled to her feet.
"I've got to say," Kinoroh began, "you're the most interesting opponent I've ever encountered. Sliced and diced, weak, running out of energy, and probably going to die… Yet here you stand, undeterred." He momentarily released his powerful magic to clap mockingly, a smirk on his face. "Well done."
Sofia, noticing her chance, reached up to her amulet. "Please… Please, I wish for strength to defeat this monster… I can't lose…" She looked again to the fallen sorcerer. "I can't lose Mr. Cedric… And I won't let anyone else die!" She felt the amulet warm beneath her fingers, filling her with the energy she had previously lost. Rejuvenated, she summoned her own magic once more, allowing it to pool in her hands and her fingers. "Hey, Kinoroh!"
The evil being stopped his taunting actions and glared at her, his eyes widening. "Wait!"
"I'm Princess Sofia of Enchancia, and with every ounce of power I have left in me, I will destroy you—once and for all." With nothing else to say, a far more powerful blast of Light Magic erupted from her fingers, striking the entity directly in the chest—where his heart would be. Some potent words from Lady Maeve echoed in her mind as she held her hands steady.
"Dark Magic has its own weaknesses. It's a cousin to evil itself, and even evil can be overpowered by enough goodness returned. Light Magic comes from the heart. Dark Magic comes from the absence of a heart…or, at the very least, one very difficult to find—almost like it's shadowed by the darkness."
She whispered to her amulet, "I wish for happiness, kindness, goodness, and Light Magic to return to the realm of Reimagia. Destroy this evil and give them peace and hope again!"
"AGH! What are you doing, you wretched girl?!" Kinoroh tried to claw at the magic that had pierced him, but even touching it caused him to seethe in…pain? "What is this?!"
"It's Light Magic, you fool!" the entity connected with him from the Lieslendo Caves—the one known as Daemno—sneered. "You let yourself get distracted, and now she's going to destroy you!"
"NO! THIS CAN'T BE!"
Sofia fell to her knees as her energy was spent, but she kept her hands and her concentration trained on Kinoroh. "Please," she whispered to the amulet, "just a bit…longer…" She could tell she was overexerting herself, and she didn't want to pass out before she finished off the evil being. "Please…"
With one final blast, from both her hands and the Amulet of Avalor, Kinoroh was covered in a bright shower of Light Magic, and before she knew it, the evil entity was no more.
The princess, exhausted, lowered her hands and all but collapsed onto the debris that was once The Galley. She caught her breath and stared at the sky as the clouds lightened and the sky returned to its normal color. She could even hear in the distance that the waves of the water had calmed. She breathed deeply a few times before gasping. "Mr. Cedric…"
Exhausted, bruised, and scratched up, Sofia hurriedly yet clumsily moved over to Cedric. She reached down and picked up his hand, holding her fingers against his wrist and sighing as she felt a pulse. "Mr. Cedric," she called gently, squeezing his hand. "Please wake up…"
It took several seconds before he slowly opened his eyes, his brown ones staring into her relieved blue ones in curiosity. He gasped as he noticed the scratches and bruises not only on her face, but all over her body. The blood that coated her shirtdress and skin alarmed him. He reached up and cupped her face with one hand and asked, "Sofia, what happened?"
She smiled in relief and simply responded, "We won."
After waiting a while until more of their strength returned, Cedric stood up and helped his friend to her feet. Seeing that she was in worse shape than he thought, especially with her injuries, he lowered and gathered her onto his back. Once they vacated the debris, they located the advisors and several others at the Grand Cupola. Axima was sitting on a bench outside, still in shock, staring at the ground.
"She's only just realized that she's lost her entire family," Lord Palazzo explained as he talked to the two friends privately. He sighed as he saw Malvino sit next to the girl, wrapping an arm around her. Even still, she didn't move. "I'm afraid it's going to be a long time before she feels safe or even happy again."
"I can understand that," Sofia mumbled, leaning against Cedric's back. "Losing your dad and brother in one day is bad enough; finding out your brother—who was possessed—also killed your mom? That's awful."
"Indeed. But we'll take care of her and deal with the loss of our leader. As it stands, she will be the new leader of Reimagia, unless she appoints someone else."
"And what of The Galley?" Cedric wondered.
"We have a special team who will come in to magically rebuild it when we are ready. Meanwhile, I'm aware that Princess Sofia was here to train for her sorcery equivalency, but I'm sure you'll understand if the trainers—and you—are granted at least two weeks to replenish not only supplies but strength and energy?"
Sofia nodded, sighing. "I think I'll be perfectly fine with that, Lord Palazzo." She smiled gently. "Thank you. And…if possible, pass along our condolences to Axima, please."
The man nodded. "Will do. Get some rest, Princess, and thank you for all you've done for Reimagia." He smiled before bowing and leaving.
Cedric glanced over his shoulder at his clearly exhausted partner. "Let's get you back to the dormitory, hmm?"
She smiled and nodded. "Sounds ah-mazing."
That evening, Sofia bathed and cleaned off all the blood and debris that had gotten into her wounds. She should have been alarmed by the color of the water by the time she was done bathing, but she figured she'd rather see it in the claw-foot tub than on herself. She drained the water before using a new stream of water to wash her hair, cleaning it of the filth of the day as well.
After she finished, she carefully exited the tub and twisted her hair into one towel before gently towel drying her body, wincing each time she came close to one of her injuries. Afterward, she used some potions Cedric had given her to treat her wounds, seething at the stinging feeling as she did. She dressed the wounds afterward, leaving them to heal. She dressed in loose pajamas and, after towel drying her hair as best as she could, let it down to air dry the rest of the way. She then walked out of the powder room and down the hallway, blinking as she saw Cedric sitting near the pool with what looked like a picnic. She smiled gently as she eased herself down to the floor across from him. "What's this all about?"
Cedric, who had bathed and dressed before her, sat across from her in his own pajamas. "We never did get to finish eating earlier, and our food spoiled. I figured I'd make up for it, since you saved my life and Reimagia and all."
She laughed before groaning a bit, reaching up to the wounds she'd attempted to treat. "Ow…"
"You know… I may have a better solution for you." He moved over to her and sat next to her. "May I?"
Sofia nodded and lifted the sleeve of her right arm, where she'd treated her first wound and wrapped it in gauze and bandages.
Cedric released the bandages and lifted his wand before murmuring some words, a healing spell, and he soon smiled in satisfaction as the wound sealed itself.
The princess sighed in relief. "That's so much better…"
"Any more wounds?" Seeing her nod, he told her, "Let's get them all healed. Can't have a broken princess on my hands, now can I?" He chuckled.
Sofia giggled. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric."
He healed the rest of her wounds, sealing the one on her stomach and the little ones along her face. "You surprised me today," he told her gently as he brushed her drying hair back, healing another wound. "You were able yet again to defeat an evil being…with Light Magic, you say?"
She nodded as she eyed him carefully. "Isn't all magic that isn't Dark Magic called Light Magic?"
"Not exactly… Light Magic is far more powerful than normal magic…" He smiled as he sat down in front of her, holding her hands. "You know why you won?" He chuckled as she shook her head. "A number of reasons: you learned how to defend yourself and use all of your powers, not just with your wand; you fought for what's right instead of what's easy; and you used your heart to guide you. Light Magic comes from the heart, Sofia. And, as I'm sure you're probably already aware, it's very rare to see in someone who hasn't fully mastered the art of magic yet. You're close, but you still have a lot to learn, so that, my darling girl, is extremely impressive."
She smiled modestly. "I just did what you guys told me to do… And my wand—my wand!" She gasped. "Mr. Cedric, I'm so sorry, but… Kinoroh destroyed my wand." Her face fell as she saw his features alter into a perplexed expression.
He shook his head. "I'd rather have a partner with a destroyed wand than a wand with a destroyed partner." He smiled and gently patted her healed cheek. "Don't worry, Sofia. We'll get you a new one. A wand can be replaced. You can't."
She nodded before reaching forward and hugging him. "Thank you, Mr. Cedric."
"Thank you, Sofia…" He returned the hug, relieved and thrilled to have things finally getting back to normal.
Months went by, and The Galley was rebuilt. Axima had graciously passed her position to someone she deemed worthy and capable of taking care of Reimagia: Lord Palazzo. He had the ability to look at things from different perspectives, and he would listen to reason (which is what made her choose him over Lord Cadigan, though she never flat-out said that; of course, she didn't really have to, since most saw how the man carried himself, but I digress). Lord Palazzo accepted and promised to do his best to hold Reimagia to the same standard as Sir Leignton had.
Sofia continued her training with her four main trainers, including Malvino, who was reinstated and offered an apology by the officials. He accepted and actually enjoyed returning to his training with Sofia.
One day, the princess inquired how the boy had gotten his own dark mark on his eye, since it was so similar to what she saw on Kinoroh's face. He indicated that he'd been struck when he was younger when he was 'at the wrong place at the wrong time.' Not wanting to press for any more information, since she could tell it was a touchy subject for him, she let it go after that.
Finally, on a beautiful day in early October, Sofia completed her training and was summoned to The New Galley to be initiated as a full-fledged sorceress. She was dressed in a simple white dress and white flat shoes, as requested. Lord Palazzo used his wand to summon a stone made of turquoise, alexandrite, and amethyst. The mix of varying shades of blue and purple shimmered in the light as the new leader passed it to Sofia, who held onto it carefully.
"Princess Sofia," Lord Palazzo began, "according to your trainers and to the requirements set forth by the Conjuror's Board, you have succeeded in completing all necessary requirements to be inducted as a sorceress. If this is your will, please state 'yes' to the Sorcery Stone."
She smiled and nodded. "Yes."
"Do you hereby promise to uphold the rules and regulations of the magical laws, carrying yourself in a manner that reflects that of a conjuror?"
"I do."
"And lastly, do you promise to use your magic for the benefit of others before yourself, remaining on the side of the Light rather than the Dark?"
Sofia smiled toward Cedric, who winked at her, before nodding toward the leader. "I most certainly do."
"Then it is my privilege and honor to initiate you, Princess Sofia of Enchancia, as a full-fledged sorceress, as decreed by the Conjuror's Board and the Magical World." With his wand, he tapped the Sorcery Stone and stood back.
A bright light emitted from the stone and washed over the princess, and when it dissipated, all who were present were able to see her and the changes the stone had created.
Her hair was down and wavy, curling around her legs. All her usual trinkets (her amulet, her Enchantlet, her ES bracelet, and her GuardoRing) were in their usual places. On her hands, she now had a set of purple gloves that would both contain and enhance her magic. Her new long-sleeved dress (which imitated Cedric's robe except in a lighter purple shade) reached just below her knees. A line of pink buttons fastened straight down the dress toward the bottom, all aligned with a strip of sky-blue fabric from the neck to the hem. Around her waist was a gold sash, and along the sash were the same flower patterns from Sofia's younger princess dresses. Beneath the dress she wore sky-blue tights (visible only from just below the hem of the dress and above the top of her purple boots, which matched her dress perfectly.
The Princess/Sorceress/Protector (and any other accolades anyone chose to acknowledge) grinned in excitement, laughing as the Sorcery Stone disappeared from her hands. She smiled toward Cedric, who was beaming at her as those around them clapped and cheered for her. She hurried over and jumped into her friend's arms, hugging him and giggling as he spun her around a few times.
"I am so proud of you," he whispered as he placed her onto her feet again, smiling happily toward her. "I don't think I've ever been so happy."
She laughed. "I can tell." She reached up and wiped a few tears from his face. "You're crying."
"So are you," he told her, returning the favor once she'd dropped her hands to his shoulders. He pulled her in for another hug and sighed, still smiling. "Is it everything you hoped it would be?"
"And more," she murmured before looking up at him. She then laughed. "This is probably the best yet strangest thing I've ever done for my birthday. And what a great gift! The title, and this new outfit."
Cedric nodded, smiling. "I'm glad you like it."
She gaped at him. "You designed this?"
He chuckled again as she stared at him in awe. "Happy birthday, Sofia."
She grinned. "It really is… Thank you for all of this, and thank you for believing in me, Mr. Cedric."
He reached down, gently clasping her hands. "Always."
She hugged him again, whispering, "I love you, Mr. Cedric."
He returned her hug, smiling. "I love you, too, Sofia."
Several months later, Cedric and Sofia were back in Enchancia with everyone else. News of her new role as a sorceress had spread quickly, and most were rather accepting—even Roland. She'd clearly gotten much stronger and more confident with her powers, which were improving and enhancing daily. She used her Hand Magic as often as she used her new wand, to Cedric's delight.
The two partners were currently outside in the courtyard, helping Cordelia and Calista decorate the area. As it turned out, they were decorating for none other than…the engagement party of Amber and Desmond.
"I can't believe that shy boy finally proposed," Cordelia squealed, grinning as Cedric rolled his eyes. "Took him long enough. But watch them be engaged for sixteen years before they finally get married."
"Over-exaggerating a bit there, eh, Cordy?" Cedric asked, tossing her another bag of streamers. "We only have a few days until the party, and if you keep yapping, we'll never get done."
"Oh, for goodness sake, Cedric. I'm not that bad." She then grinned toward Sofia and cheekily asked, "And what about you, Princess Sofia? Do you think you'll be the next to get engaged?"
Cedric frowned. "Cordelia, stop meddling."
Sofia just playfully nudged Cedric, laughing. "I don't think so, Ms. Cordelia." She smiled up at her friend. "We still have too much of the world to see. Don't we, Mr. Cedric?"
He returned her smile. "That we do, Sofia." He extended his arm to her, which she accepted, and they began heading off until Sofia felt her Enchantlet activate on her other wrist.
She held it out, smiling as Chrysta came into view. "Hey, Chrysta. What's going on?"
The crystal fairy folded her arms, smiling and shrugging. "Not much. Just wanted to see if you and Cedric are up for an undercover mission."
"A what?" Cedric asked, balking. "Not again…"
Sofia smiled up at him. "Oh, come on, Mr. Cedric. It could be fun!"
Seeing the excitement on his friend's face, he finally gave in and smiled, nodding. "Very well." He glanced back at Chrysta. "I guess we're in."
"Great! I'll give you the details tomorrow, since I can see you guys are busy."
"Aren't you at least going to tell us what it's about?" Sofia asked, tilting her head.
"I'll give you a hint: soon, I'll be telling you two, 'ahoy, matey!'" She winked before cutting off the connection.
Sofia laughed, realization dawning on her. "I guess it's going to be the pirate's life for us soon enough, Mr. Cedric."
He rolled his eyes, smirking. "Arr."
The end
Note: The ending info is a bit of a segue and reference to the newest story that will be released soon, and I'm pretty sure you can sort of speculate on its subject matter at this point! 😊 I'll give you more info soon enough. Also, Cedric's "Not again" referenced another of my stories where they had to go undercover: "All Aboard." Haha! Hope you enjoyed, and I'll see y'all around! Keep an eye out on my profile page for updated info. 😉 Also, as some of you may be wondering, what happened to Daemno? *shrugs* He's supposed to be the "Supreme Evil Being." Chances are he's not really gone. Where is he? Who knows? lol As far as I'm concerned, he's back in Lieslendo Caves. :p I have no further plans for him. SO! That's that. :D Later!