Tales from the Castle - a Sofia the First fanfic
Chapter 18: Alternate ending to "The Emerald Key"
Notes: this is the third part of a three part update to "Tales from the Castle" (see Chapter 16 of "Tales from the Castle" for the first part of this update). As for this chapter, it is an idea I had for an alternate ending to "The Emerald Key". In this alternate ending, we'll assume that Sofia's family knows what Sofia's amulet can do. Think of this alternate ending simply as a what if scenario.
A discovery
"You know Miranda, if Lani isn't the Princess of Hakalo, then who is she?" King Roland asked out loud.
"We'd better go find out" Queen Miranda suggested.
As a storm once again raged outside, Lani sat on her bed, crying. Sofia then entered the room.
"Lani, I'm sorry" Sofia apologized.
"What are we gonna do now?" Lani asked in despair. "How will I ever get back home?". She slumped back on the bed, only to straighten up again. "And why is this bed so uncomfortable?!"
"Impossible" Amber said, as the rest of the royal family entered. "Our beds are the softest in the kingdom".
"Let me try it" Sofia suggested as she sat on the bed, then immediately got off. "Ow! Lani's right. It's really lumpy".
"That's why I couldn't sleep last night" Lani declared.
"Oh, excuses, excuses ..." Amber sighed, as she too sat on the bed. "Oh! it feels awful! No true princess could ever sleep on this!".
"There must be something under the mattress" Sofia suggested as she reached under it, and pulled out a ring. The lumps on the bed vanished. "Look!" Sofia exclaimed.
"That's Leilani's ring!" James gasped.
"Leilani must have put it there so Lani wouldn't sleep well, and fail the test!" Sofia observed.
"Well, I know one thing" Miranda commented with a frown. "A true princess would never cheat".
"If Leilani was cheating, then ... you're the real princess" Amber said to Lani, taken off guard.
"Hello, people!" Clover yelled, poking his head into the room. "I could have told you that yesterday!".
"We did make a big mistake" Roland admitted.
"We have to stop her, Dad" Sofia declared.
"You're right." Roland nodded. "To the coach!".
The royal family and Lani ran out of the room.
In hot pursuit
The royal family and Lani climbed into a coach, with Roland at the reins. Luckily, Leilani's coach had just left, so they were able to catch up to her, just as her coach reached the forest.
"Leilani, stop!" Sofia demanded as she held up Leilani's ring. "You wouldn't want to leave this behind, would you?".
Frowning, Leilani turned to the coachman. "Can this thing go any faster?!"
"Stop that coach at once!" Roland ordered.
Obeying his king, the coachman pulled on the reins of the horses, stopping them.
"They all know I'm the real princess!" Lani shouted at Leilani. "Now give me back the key!"
"Never!" Leilani yelled back, before changing back to her true self, a woman. She then used her crystal to blast the coachman into a bush.
"It's you!" Lani gasped.
"Yes, and now your key is mine!" the woman boasted. The woman then leapt into the driver's seat, and snapped the reins of the horses. "Away!".
The coach started moving away.
"Hurry, Dad!" Sofia urged. "Get her!"
The chase started up again.
"She tried to steal the key from my ship last night!" Lani recalled. "She's the reason I fell overboard. Who are you?!"
"I am Mamanu" the woman declared. "I was once the royal enchantress of Hakalo".
"I've heard of you" Lani acknowledged. "My father caught you stealing magical crystals from the royal museum. He banished you from the kingdom forever!".
"But now that I have the Emerald Key, I will rule Hakalo!" Mamanu gloated. "You and your parents will never see home sweet home again!".
"No!" Lani gasped in shock.
Mamanu laughed in an evil way as her coach moved ahead.
"Heyahh!" Roland snapped the reins. "Faster!"
As the ride got bumpier, Miranda and Amber held on to each other.
"Whoa!" James smiled, excited over the pursuit.
Suddenly, Sofia's amulet started glowing.
"Oh, we've losing her!" Roland exclaimed.
At that moment, a magical blast hit a large tree branch, sending it crashing in front of Mamanu's coach.
"What's this?" Mamanu gasped as the horses stopped.
"Hold on!" Roland called out, as the coach went over a deep slope.
"Whoa!" the passengers gasped, as Sofia held onto her father.
Mamanu leapt out of her coach, and started running.
"She's getting away!" Lani yelled.
Help from the future
In the distance, a seventeen-year-old Sofia, and a seventeen-year-old Lucinda, watched what was going on.
"We have to stop her!" the teen Sofia exclaimed. "But first, Lucy, you've better change your appearance to that of a regular witch. These people shouldn't know too much about the future".
"Got it" the teen Lucinda acknowledged as she pulled out her wand. Lucinda then waved her wand over her head. Her princess gown, her tiara, and her amulet were replaced by a standard witch outfit.
As Mamanu ran up a slope, the teen Sofia and the teen Lucinda approached with their wands drawn.
"Stop right there, Mamanu!" the teen Sofia commanded.
"What is this?" Mamanu gasped. "Get out of my way!"
Lani and the royal family got within sight of Mamanu.
"Look at that" Miranda declared. "Those two young women are stopping her".
Mamanu found her way blocked by the teen Sofia and the teen Lucinda. Meanwhile, Lani snuck up on Mamanu.
"I'll take that, Mamanu!" Lani shouted as she rushed over and snatched the key from Mamanu.
"Give that back!" Mamanu yelled.
"You'll have to get past me first" young Sofia said as she stood in front of Lani.
"Past all of us" Roland declared, as the entire family circled Lani.
Three royal guards approached.
"Guards, seize her" Roland ordered, looking at Mamanu.
As the guards advanced, Mamanu held up her magic crystal.
"You have not seen the last of me!" Mamanu boasted.
"Stop her!" the teen Sofia shouted as she and the teen Lucinda started to fire magical blasts at Mamanu.
Mamanu erected a magical force field, then thrust her crystal down, vanishing in a puff of smoke.
"Where'd she go?" James asked.
"Far away, I hope" Amber declared.
Roland looked at the teen Sofia and the teen Lucinda. "Sofia? Lucinda? The two of you are from the future, aren't you?".
"Yes, Dad" the teen Sofia acknowledged with a smile.
"And I came along for the ride" the teen Lucinda added with a grin.
"My amulet summoned you, didn't it?" young Sofia asked the teen Sofia.
"Yes, young one" the teen Sofia answered.
"I'm very happy I gave Sofia the Amulet of Avalor" Roland smiled as he looked at young Sofia.
"Indeed" Miranda smiled as she, Amber, and James hugged young Sofia.
"Nice to see we're still friends in the future" young Sofia said to the teen Lucinda.
"Very good friends" the teen Lucinda smiled at young Sofia.
"And I notice you're carrying a wand" young Sofia observed as she looked at the teen Sofia.
"Let's just say we get good at using magic" the teen Sofia suggested to young Sofia. "Right now, the important thing is that the Emerald Key is safe".
"You have no idea how much this key means to me" Lani smiled. "And my family".
"Speaking of your family, I say we head back to the castle, and meet them" Roland suggested to Lani before turning to the teen Sofia and the teen Lucinda. "You two coming?".
"Our job here is done" the teen Sofia announced as her amulet started glowing. Sofia then gently took teen Lucinda's arm.
"See you around, kid" the teen Lucinda winked at young Sofia.
The teen Sofia and the teen Lucinda then vanished.
Until we meet again
At the royal dock, the Hakalo royal ship was waiting to leave.
"Thank you for taking care of our daughter, and keeping our key safe" Lani's father said in gratitude to Roland.
"You're very welcome" Roland smiled.
"Now we must be heading home" Lani's mother announced.
"So ... I guess it's time to say goodbye?" Sofia sighed.
"We don't say goodbye in Hakalo" Lani told Sofia. "We do this". Lani then performed a swaying dance, waving her arms slowly. "It means until we meet again".
"Until we meet again" Sofia smiled, as she hugged Lani.
As Lani got on the boat, Sofia performed Lani's dance. Lani then waved to Sofia.
"Emerald Key, lead us to Hakalo!" Lani's father commanded.
The Emerald Key glowed brightly, and the ship departed the dock, sailing into the sun.
In the future
At Enchancia Castle, a seventeen-year old Sofia, and a seventeen-year-old Lucinda, arrived at the royal dock. It was a beautiful day, with the sun shining bright, and the entire royal family was gathered on the dock.
"Sofia, Lucinda" Roland smiled. "The two of you are just in time to greet our guests".
"Lucy and I would not have missed this for the world" Sofia smiled back.
In a few minutes, a large bamboo boat docked as Baileywick stepped forward.
"I present to you the royal family of Hakalo" Baileywick announced.
Lani's parents stepped off of the boat. Behind them was Lani, who was now a young woman Sofia and Lucinda's age.
"King Kamea, Queen Halia - you honor us with your presence" Roland greeted as he stepped forward.
"The honor is ours, King Roland" Kamea smiled as he approached Roland. "It's a pleasure to see you and your family again".
Lani raced up to Sofia.
"Sofia!" Lani exclaimed with glee.
"Lani!" Sofia joyfully said as the two hugged.
"It's so good to see you again, Sofia" Lani smiled.
"Same here, Lani" Sofia smiled back before walking over to the Enchancian royal family. "You know my parents, my brother, and my sister". Sofia then walked Lani over to Lucinda. "And this, Lani, is my adopted sister, Lucinda".
"You" Lani said to Lucinda, surprised. "You were with Sofia that time when I was a child. But I didn't know the two of you were sisters".
"Lucy and I had to keep certain things secret to protect the future" Sofia revealed. "But now, time has caught up. We have a lot to talk about ...".
"... over a fine dinner" Miranda finished with a smile.
"If you'll follow us, we'll walk you to the castle" Roland invited Kamea, Halia, and Lani.
As everybody walked to the castle, they had an enjoyable time talking to each other. Lucinda walked next to Sofia and Lani, smiling at the sight of Sofia and Lani catching up with each other. It was going to be a wonderful visit - the first of more to come.
Author's notes
As I stated at the beginning of this chapter, this is an alternate ending to "The Emerald Key" - a what if scenario as it were. I hope you enjoyed reading it.
The teen Sofia and the teen Lucinda are from my Sofia and Lucinda as teens series of stories.