Douse the Flame

Summary: When Sofia gets word that Greeneyes has been revived and is out for revenge against Sofia and her family, she calls for help to eradicate the evil entity for good.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Sofia the First, as they belong to Craig Gerber. I own Serena, Charlie, Angel (mentioned), Takoda (mentioned), Butterford, Muscles, and several others. MarionetteJ2X owns Nana and Tanya (both mentioned).

Chapter 2: Foreboding Feeling

The Kingdom of Enchancia was sleeping soundly, with the stars twinkling above all the inhabitants' dwellings. There was a peaceful breeze that drifted by every now and then, as it was mid-spring, but it was nothing more than a warm kiss from Mother Nature herself.

In the apartment outside the Enchancian castle, Cedric and his family were in for the evening. Cedric and Sofia were now cuddled next to each other in their bedroom, and both Serena and Charlie were sleeping in their shared room. The room down the hallway was empty for now—a room that Tanya and Nana shared each time they returned home from school and/or traveling together. They still actively worked as Protectors, along with some of their childhood friends, and they were often commended for their work and compared (very kindly) to Sofia, saying their efforts and dedication were very reminiscent of their mother's.

While Charlie was having a restful sleep, Serena was another story. She mumbled incoherently as she tossed and turned, a small whimper escaping her lips. After several moments of silence and stillness, Serena suddenly cried out in pain as she sat up, her covers slinking from her and falling haphazardly onto the floor. Her hands were lifted to her eyes as she screamed.

Charlie gasped, sitting up and staring at his sister across the room. The four-year-old boy had never seen his sister in such a state, and he was worried. He slid from his bed, his tiny feet carrying him as quickly as possible over to his sister's bed. He placed his hands on her arm, shaking her. "Serena!"

Serena's eyes snapped open, but instead of the usual blue that mimicked her mother's shade, they were an almost sickening shade of green. Additionally, there was a strange dark hue about her, negative energy practically wafting off her small form.

"Serena," Charlie tried again, his hands reaching one of hers and squeezing gently. He felt one little tear leak from his eye upon seeing his sister in such pain, but he refused to leave her alone right now. "Serena, please! Wake up!"

The young girl froze, the darkness around her dissipating, and her eyes slowly shifted back to their normal color. She tried to focus, her vision swimming a bit at first, until her gaze finally settled on her obviously worried little brother. She ever so gently returned the gesture he'd initiated, squeezing his hands. "Charlie…" She lifted her head when the door to their room opened, and Cedric and Sofia hurried inside, both of them obviously hastily wrapped in their matching robes. She didn't think much of it as she asked, "Mama? Papa?"

"We heard you screaming, nugget," Cedric told her, lowering next to the bed beside Charlie, his arm gently wrapping around his son while his free hand extended to brush his daughter's long hair behind her back. "Are you all right?"

Sofia sat on the edge of the girl's bed, smiling lightly as Charlie moved from his father and over to his mother instead, climbing sleepily into her lap and resting his head against her shoulder.

Serena sighed as Cedric kept his gaze steadily on her, and she nodded. "I think so, but… I had a really bad dream." She lifted one hand to absently massage just above her eyes, the stinging sensation gone but the residual effects still there. "I had a horrible dream about a lady with evil green eyes trying to hurt me. She put her hand on my head and… I could feel all my magic and everything being pulled out of my body. It was scary…"

As soon as Sofia heard 'green eyes,' she was on guard. Of course, she'd been pregnant with Serena all those years ago when Greeneyes herself had made an appearance, stealing the unborn baby for her wicked purposes… Of all the terrible things she'd been through, Sofia knew that was by far the worst. Not only had she had her daughter ripped from her, but aside from Charlie, the wicked entity had destroyed her chances of ever being able to have children thereafter. It was something she'd had to come to terms with, but something she never should have had to go through.

Cedric could feel the tension from his wife, but he had to keep a steady mind and tone. He hoped it would settle their fears. "Serena, darling, I'm certain it was just a bad dream."

"Are you sure, Cedric?" Sofia asked quietly, her blue eyes narrowing in concern as her husband glanced back at her.

"Her eyes were green, Mama," Charlie told her as he sat up a bit. "When she screamed, and she looked at me, they were green. Not blue."

Cedric and Sofia caught each other's eyes, obvious dread written on their faces. This was no ordinary dream, then.

"Am I in trouble?" Serena asked softly, sniffling as the trio looked back at her. "Did I do something bad? Is someone out to get me?"

"No, love," Cedric whispered, moving to the bed and scooping his little girl into his arms. "You've done nothing wrong. No matter what happens, you know we'll protect you."

"I'm going to kill her myself," Sofia declared the next day as she was visiting Butterford and Chrysta in the Mystic Isles, pacing in front of her friends as they were gathered in Chrysta's home. "If she lays a single finger on my daughter, I'll rip out her stupid green eyes first, then I'll use the most brutal spell I can find to kill her slowly."

"Sofia, calm down," Chrysta told her gently, watching as the princess slowed her pacing and looked back at her. "We don't know it's for sure Greeneyes, do we?"

"Do you know of another being with evil glowing green eyes who would target the daughter she literally ripped from my womb to use for her evil plans, and then as a sacrifice, Chrysta?" She hadn't meant to sound so harsh, of course, but this was her child they were talking about. And Chrysta had asked quite possibly the worst question at the time…

"You're right. I'm sorry…" The fairy sighed. "So… What do we do?"

Butterford grabbed his friend's hand and pulled her down onto the sofa next to him, wrapping an arm around her as she sighed heavily and leaned against him. "I wasn't originally going to say anything, but… I've had a horrible feeling the last few days… Something I couldn't shake. But you know, sometimes feelings are just that: feelings. However, there have also been signs around the isles that suggested something foreboding…"

Sofia sat up, staring at her Guardian carefully. "Like what?"

"According to the reports, the water in the Isle of Mermaids is flowing the wrong way. And the birds and other wildlife on the isles aren't singing or making much of any sound."

"Yeah," Chrysta added, catching on. "And Orion said there was a dull haze over the clouds. I didn't notice until this morning… And from what I heard from some other Protectors, some of the alicorns' horns had withered away completely. Just a lot of strange omens around us…" She frowned. "Maybe you're right, Sofia. Evil isn't all that uncommon for us, after all…"

"Tell me about it…" The princess looked down as she felt her hand cupped, and she glanced up at Butterford, whose features were serious and concerned, like they usually were before something terrible happened. "Jas…"

"Just be careful and stay alert, Sofia. If it comes down to it, be ready to fight. We'll be there with you, as you already know…"

Sofia squeezed his hand in assurance. "I won't back down when it comes to protecting my family. If Greeneyes is back, I'll make sure it's for the final time…"

To be continued…

Next Chapter: An Unwanted Bond