All Aboard
Summary: Chrysta sends Sofia on an Undercover Protector Mission to investigate strange magical occurrences at a boarding school, and her mentor and siblings get pulled along for the ride.
Disclaimer: I only own the characters featured at the boarding school.
A/N: Haha, everyone thinks they know what's really going on at this point. We'll see. 😉 Also, a huge fluff warning for this chapter… Like, for real, I just went, "Awww!" when I wrote it. :p You've been warned! Enjoy!
Chapter List:
1: Protective Instincts
2: Intervention
3: Parental Agreement
4: Boarding Abroad
5: Magic Words
6: Claire Lois XIV
7: Hidden in Plain Sight
8: Down with the Dame
9: Safe and Sound
*Story*
Chapter 8: Down with the Dame
The following day was much the same as yesterday's routine, including the four Enchancians attending each class, study hall, and lunch. However, Cedric was considerably weaker than yesterday and required aid walking. James took his left side while Sofia took his right, and Amber carried his books for him.
"I feel awful, being such a bother," Cedric lamented as they were heading to their final class of the day.
"You're not a bother, Mr. Cedric," Sofia whispered to him, smiling as he glanced at her. "You're our friend. Friends help friends."
He smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, Sofia."
"See, that's why she's his favorite," James laughed as Amber smiled and rolled her eyes.
Upon approaching the underground classroom, Cedric instantly stopped within sight of the entrance.
"What's wrong?" James asked, blinking as the young sorcerer began shaking. "Cedric? I mean, uh… Tobias?" He had to be careful not to say their real names in this setting.
"I think he's getting sicker," Amber declared as she set down his books on his desk before exiting into the corridor again.
"What is wrong with your friend?" the professor asked, frowning.
James sighed. "He's been getting really bad headaches since yesterday, and I don't think he's going to make it through class today. If it's okay, I'm just going to take him back to our room, so he can get some rest."
"Very well." She eyed Cedric calmly, her sea green eyes burning into his brown ones. "I hope you…feel better," she stated, a slow smirk forming on her face.
Cedric didn't respond and was more than grateful when James whisked him away from the classroom and back to their shared room.
"You don't think she's the one behind this, do you?" Amber asked quietly as she followed her sister into the classroom. They would at least be able to stake it out and see if anything else strange occurred.
"No," Sofia told her. "She isn't wearing a cameo. The Protector I talked to said to look for a cameo."
"If you say so…"
They watched as the class progressed. The chant didn't occur that day, but the students were far more subdued than yesterday. Like Cedric, they seemed tired and weak, but they also had vacant looks on their faces. In fact, Sofia and Amber were the only two who actually appeared to be fully alert, which more than likely made them stand out a bit.
Still, the professor never mentioned it, and they weren't about to bring it up. The only thing they cared about was wrapping up the day and solving the mystery so that they could get back home.
Once the class was over, Amber grabbed both Cedric's and her books, placing them into her backpack, before walking with Sofia back to their room. After dropping off the school stuff, they hurried over to the boys' room, knocking on the door.
James answered and ushered them inside. "He's…not doing that great, you guys." He pointed toward Cedric's bed, where the young sorcerer seemed to be slowly slipping in and out of consciousness, his body shaking.
"Mr. Cedric…" Sofia moved over to him, sitting down and grasping his hand. "Mr. Cedric, please, open your eyes for me."
"So…weak…," he murmured, attempting to fight the exhaustion he felt.
"I know, but…" She held tighter to his hand, her heart heavy. She was scared that if he fell asleep, he wouldn't wake up. It had been on her mind since this morning, when he was visibly weaker than yesterday. The last thing she wanted was to lose her mentor and closest friend. Her determination renewed, she took hold of her amulet with one hand while keeping her other firmly clasped with his. "I wish for Mr. Cedric to be freed from the evil magical hold this school has on him."
The amulet hardly reacted. It glowed a little before becoming stagnant again. And Cedric was no better than before. Disheartened, Sofia ripped the amulet from her neck and threw it onto the other bed. "What good is this thing if it can't help me save him?!"
"Sofia, calm down," Amber soothed, placing her hands on her sister's shoulders. "Cedric is going to be fine. We just need to give him some time to rest. After that, we'll follow up on your lead."
"What lead?" James wondered.
"Oh, uh… Sofia thinks she may know a little more information about the headmistress." The blonde princess shrugged as James raised an eyebrow at her. "Look, Sofia, if Lady Lacroix is the woman behind this—and even if she's not—we're going to fight back. We'll see to it that the students who've been affected by negative magic are released from its hold, and we'll also take care of Cedric. Just don't give up, okay?"
Sofia watched as Cedric whimpered softly before pulling his hands from hers and curling up on the bed, his body relaxing and giving into sleep. "I just… I want him to be okay."
"He will be," James urged with a small smile as his younger sister glanced toward him. "Cedric's stronger than we give him credit for. He will be fine." He blinked a few times as a loud rumble sounded through the room. "Uh, as much as I hate to break this moment of seriousness, I'm kind of hungry…"
Amber rolled her eyes. "Kind of?" She laughed. "Let's go find something to eat then. Sofia?"
"I'm not hungry," she said softly. "I'll stay here and watch Mr. Cedric."
"Okay." Amber gestured for James to step into the hallway, which he did, before walking over and picking up the amulet. She then stepped over to Sofia, clasping it around her neck again and smiling at her. "We'll need all the help we can get when it's time to settle the score, so maybe you should hold onto this." She gently kissed the crown of her sister's head before leaving with her brother.
Sofia sighed and looked at the amulet now dangling around her neck again. She couldn't blame it for not solving every problem she had. It wasn't realistic. Rather than ponder more over that, she lay down next to her mentor, facing him and watching him sleep, a worried expression on her face. She moved a little closer to him and closed her eyes, cherishing the sound of his breathing—even though it was a bit labored. She reached out and gently placed a hand on his chest, tears welling behind her eyes as she made the best realization she could: his heartbeat was still persistent. These were signs that he still had life and fight left in him, despite how grim the situation looked.
Sofia rested her head against his chest, the sound of his heartbeat lulling her to sleep.
When the twins returned to check on the other two, they were only slightly surprised to see that Cedric and Sofia were fast asleep and huddled close. They knew very well how much Sofia cared for Cedric and his wellbeing, and the toll the negative magic had taken on him physically had done the same to her emotionally.
Amber smiled and picked up a spare blanket, draping it over the two friends. "Let's let them sleep for a while. They could both use it."
James nodded before grinning. "Know what I brought?" He grabbed his back and withdrew a checker board, smirking at his sister. "Wanna play?"
She returned the smirk. "Only if you're okay with losing."
"Hah, like I'll lose."
An hour later, after four games and four losses on James's part, the twins noticed that the sorcerer was finally stirring.
Cedric sat up, yawning and rubbing at his eyes.
"How are you feeling?" Amber asked gently as James began putting away the checker board.
"Better," he admitted. "I never expected when I came here for this to happen. I've never been so weak in my life." He glanced down and noticed that Sofia was still fast asleep, and his gaze softened. "How long has she been…?"
"Since you fell asleep," the other princess responded honestly. "She's worried about you, Cedric."
"We all are," James admitted.
"I appreciate it, really. I just hope we can solve this mystery a bit faster."
"Sofia had a lead," Amber told him, seeing his look change to one of intrigue.
"Really? What was it?"
"I'll…have to let her explain when she wakes up."
Cedric frowned and reached over to the bedside table drawer, withdrawing his wand. With a single flick, he produced some lavender blossoms, resting them next to her head. He smiled as she awoke moments later, inhaling the scent of the flowers. "You're up."
Sofia blinked in confusion before gasping and practically tackling her mentor in a hug, nearly knocking them off the bed. "You're awake! I was so worried…"
He chuckled and returned her hug. "I'm perfectly fine, Sofia…" He sighed as he gently tugged on her ponytail, getting her attention as she released him. "That's a lie, actually… I'm still a bit weak. But I don't feel as bad as the last little while. However, onto more important matters: your sister tells me that you received a lead on this situation."
Sofia nodded reluctantly. "Yeah… Apparently, there was another woman a long time ago accused of doing the same thing that's happening here, but her name was Dame LaCrolais. I don't know for sure if they're the same person, but Lady LaCroix is the one running this school, where a lot of these students are losing their powers and energy, just like you…"
"What are we waiting for, then?" Cedric demanded as he stood to his feet. "Let's confront her already and take her down if she is the culprit."
"Are you sure you're strong enough for that?" Amber asked, concerned.
"Maybe, maybe not, but we won't know until we try." He reached out one hand to Sofia, smiling gently as she hesitantly took it and nodded.
"He's right," Sofia confirmed. "Let's go."
To be continued…
Ending A/N: I'll write the final chapter sometime this week—maybe tomorrow. And I can tell you right now, it's going to be somewhat long, if my notes are any indication, lol. 😉 Good night!
