Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own Sofia the First or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: Yay! Cedric finally gets to travel to the Mystic Isles with Sofia! It's a dream come true for pretty much all of us. Lol. And of course, he'll officially get to talk to Chrysta in person (though I have a feeling he probably met her at the party at the end of "Forever Royal"). Let's just say…these two have differing opinions on quite a few things, especially on Sofia. 😉 And that will all blow up in chapter five! :D


Chapter 3
A Sea of Confusion

Summary: Summary: After being summoned to investigate a rumored magical deficiency in the Isle of Mermaids, Sofia and Cedric travel to the Mystic Isles to see what's going on.


The next morning, after packing up their luggage and loading the AutoCoach, Sofia and Cedric got to spend about an hour with Sir Finlay and his family, eating breakfast outside under a cherry blossom tree and chatting. It was nice to just sit down and enjoy their friends' company for a while, even though they knew that it wouldn't last much longer. Still, any time was better than no time at all.

"Where are you heading to next?" Sir Finlay asked as he spoon fed some small portions of his own breakfast to Sapphire, who hummed happily. Evidently, the little girl loved food.

"The Mystic Isles," Sofia responded honestly.

"Wait, what?" Cedric asked, baffled by her reply. "Why in Merlin's name would we go there? We're supposed to be…" He frowned as he saw his apprentice's expression change to one of guilt. "Sofia…"

"Chrysta contacted me last night," she told him. "She needs my help investigating something going on in the Isle of Mermaids."

"Don't they have like a hundred Protectors up there? And you're the Protector of the Ever Realm, are you not? As in, here, around our kingdoms? Why should she need you conducting an investigation in the Mystic Isles, of all places?"

"Maybe she just needs my help. She's still my trainer, after all, even if I don't exactly 'train' as often these days."

Gabriella watched the exchange between the two friends before smirking. "I don't know why you're complaining, Cedric," she finally stated pointedly, getting his attention. "All you sorcerers always want to visit the Mystic Isles, and now you finally get a chance, and you're upset about it?"

"It's not that, Mrs. Gabriella," he insisted. "I'm just keen on keeping my apprentice safe and sticking to our agenda, established by her father." He sighed. "Besides, I don't think that fairy likes me very much anyway."

Sofia giggled. "Chrysta is a Crystal Fairy, Mr. Cedric. Not the same as other fairies, and she'll remind you of it any time you get it wrong."

He rolled his eyes and waved a dismissive hand. "Whatever. I'd just rather not veer from our path, but if you must go…" He shrugged. "I suppose I can't stop you."

"And you're coming with me, so it's not like I'm going to be out of your sight," she laughed. "It's going to be fine!"

"Every time you say that, another villain pops up," he mumbled with his arms folded. "I'd rather not jinx us, Sofia."

She shrugged. "Fine." She scooted closer to him on the bench they were sharing and nudged him gently, leaning her head against his arm and blinking a few times, offering him her sweetest smile. "Forgive me?"

He smiled and shook his head, wrapping his arm around her. "Nothing to forgive, I suppose."

"Are you two always this mushy?" Gabriella teased, laughing. "I don't think even Finny and I act like that."

Sofia giggled as Cedric let her go. "At least he'll hug me now. When I first met him, he was always pushing me away and treating me like I had some sort of contagious illness or something." She grinned at Cedric as he scoffed.

"If I remember correctly, you were a bit too enthusiastic, rushing up and hugging someone you hardly knew, who was secretly plotting to steal your amulet and overtake your kingdom." He paused, blinking. "Yeah, that didn't really shine a positive light on me just then, did it?"

Sir Finlay chuckled. "Perhaps Princess Sofia saw something in you back then that you couldn't see in yourself yet. She's quite perceptive, after all." He glanced at his pocket watch while the two Enchancian friends exchanged amused glances. "I suppose you'd best be on your way. I'm sure the Protectors will be anxiously awaiting your arrival."

"It was good seeing you guys," Sofia told them as she stood and gave each Helvetian family member a hug, including a giggling Sapphire. "We'll see you again soon, probably after I start school again, though."

"We'll look forward to it," Gabriella told her. "Especially Sapphire."

"Sofia!" Sapphire exclaimed, shocking the others.

"She… She said my name right," Sofia gasped.

"Funny," Cedric replied, chuckling and folding his arms. "I had the same reaction when you finally said my name right."

"Funny, Mr. Cedric." She grinned and gently cooed at the little girl a few times before walking back over to her friend. "You guys be safe, and we'll see you some time soon."

"Same to you, Princess Sofia," Sir Finlay answered. "Cedric, safe travels. Stay alert and learn a lot."

The formalities and farewells finished, Sofia and Cedric double checked the AutoCoach to make sure they had everything before taking off.


Cedric was able to set the course for the Mystic Isles, though it did require a bit more magic to do so. By the time he was certain that the coach was on track, he was exhausted.

"Are you all right?" Sofia asked in concern, placing one hand on his shoulder, her blue eyes searching his brown ones for confirmation.

Cedric smiled and gently patted her hand. "I'm all right. It just took a bit more magic than I realized." He sighed and conjured a few pillows and a large blanket. The pillows arranged themselves behind the friends while the blanket draped over the both of them. "It couldn't hurt to get a nap in, I suppose. If my calculations are correct, it will take about an hour to get there."

Sofia was a bit surprised to hear that. With Skye, it took only a few minutes. Maybe since the AutoCoach was an Ever Realm invention, it took longer? Or maybe it was because Helvetica was farther away from Enchancia, which accounted for the time? She ultimately forfeited her attempt to rationalize everything and settled back against her pillows. "I guess a nap might be a good idea," she agreed.

"Hmm. Sleep well, Sofia." Still drained from the magic loss, Cedric leaned against his own pillows and was instantly asleep.

Sofia watched him for a few minutes, pondering over some things. He hadn't put up much resistance when it came to traveling to the Mystic Isles, at her behest. She found that admirable. Of course, she knew he'd always talked about taking her in the past, and now they would finally get to go together. It was, in its own way, a 'dream come true.' She smiled softly before closing her eyes, feeling sleep overtake her as the AutoCoach flew onward.


Sofia jolted awake with a startled gasp when she felt the AutoCoach touch down, signifying that they'd apparently stopped. She glanced out the windows and lit up, recognizing the beautiful scenery of the Mystic Isles. She reached over and shook her mentor, who jumped at her action. "Mr. Cedric, wake up! We're here!"

"Okay, calm down," he murmured, yawning with one hand over his mouth. He then blinked his sleepy eyes and gasped, surprised. "Wait, did you say…?" He jumped up and instantly regretted it as he whacked his head against the low ceiling of the AutoCoach. "Ow…" He sat down and looked out the window, gasping at the sight. "Wow… I knew from the paintings I'd seen that the Mystic Isles were beautiful, but this is simply breathtaking."

"Just wait until we get outside," Sofia teased as she pushed the door open, stepping down the ladder and jumping onto the ground.

Cedric followed his apprentice as she began leading him in the direction she deemed correct. "Sofia, do you know where we're going?"

"Of course. I come here all the time."

He still couldn't fathom that. Of course he knew about her Protector role by now, but actually seeing her in action in a land that she now considered second nature was going to take some getting used to.

While they walked, Cedric took in all the sights around him. He was fascinated by the colorful clouds and landforms in the distance. There seemed to be magical creatures and items everywhere he looked, which made him feel at ease for some strange reason. Perhaps it was his sorcerer heritage or something. Regardless, while it was new to him personally, it still felt so familiar. It was certainly a feeling he could get used to.

After a brief explanation from Sofia, Cedric discovered that they were on a section of the isles called the Isle of the Protectors. "And I'm assuming this is where the Protectors stay?" he confirmed.

Sofia nodded. "Pretty much. The Protectors of the Mystic Isles anyway." She smiled and grabbed his hand, tugging him along. "Hurry! Chrysta doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"I figured as much when your sister informed us that she's the reason you were whisked away before your graduation even happened two years ago." He rolled his eyes. He'd heard all about Sofia's trainer's impatience, attitude, and sarcastic wit by now. He had already formed an opinion of the Crystal Fairy based on how much danger she'd allowed his apprentice to face predominantly on her own, and if he had his way, they'd definitely be having a talk before they left for their next destination.

They didn't have to travel far before the red-clad Protector landed before them, her hands on her hips. Like most other adults around, Chrysta hadn't changed a bit in the last two years. She did look a little ragged at the moment, presumably from working, but other than that, she was the same. "Took ya long enough," she remarked toward the younger girl, smirking.

"Sorry," Sofia giggled. "We had to eat first, and traveling here without a unicorn isn't exactly quick. Oh, Chrysta, I want you to finally officially meet my mentor and one of my best friends, and our Royal Sorcerer: Mr. Cedric. He's the one who's trained me in magic all these years."

"Ah, yes," she remarked with a grin. "You're the one who had everyone circle up and used that spell to save Sofia. That was pretty impressive."

Cedric blinked. Well, there's a compliment he hadn't been expecting. "Oh, thank you… But really, I'd do anything to help Sofia. She's gone above and beyond to help me in the past. I owed it to her." He gave his friend a gentle look. "Life wouldn't be the same without Sofia."

Sofia smiled shyly, clasping her hands behind her back.

Chrysta smirked at the other Protector's reaction before rolling her eyes. "Well, I'm glad you're here too then, Cedric. We could use all the help we can get." She beckoned them forward and floated ahead of them as they followed her. "All right, so the reason I called you here, Sofia, deals with the Isle of Mermaids."

"Are they okay?" the teen asked in concern.

"Well, define 'okay.' They're healthy and thriving right now, but the magic is depleting over there."

"How do you know?" Cedric wondered.

"The mermaids all have a magical item each, similar to your friend Oona, Sofia."

Cedric clammed up the moment the little blonde mermaid's name was mentioned. Years ago, when Sofia was still considered a pest in his eyes, he'd tried to steal the mermaid princess's enchanted comb when the Enchancian princess interfered and stopped him. It had later startled him how far he had been willing to go that one time to get what he wanted, even at the risk of harming someone he now considered his closest friend. He wasn't necessarily surprised that he still remembered the girl's name. It hadn't exactly been a shining moment in his life.

Chrysta continued her explanation, not having noticed Cedric's reaction, "Some have necklaces, some have rings, some have barrettes… But everyone has something."

"What about that Protector mermaid I met a few years ago?" Sofia wondered. "Nerissa?"

"She has her Enchantlet, which is her magical item." Chrysta stopped flying and turned midair, causing the other two to pause. "The magical items are suddenly becoming…normal. Like, there's no magic left in many of them. We need to figure out why. Which is where you two come in."

"Hold on a minute," Cedric finally said, folding his arms. "How did I get dragged into this?"

"I'm assuming Sofia," the Crystal Fairy retaliated, smirking. "I literally saw her dragging you along through the isle. I'm not one to say things like this, but that was just plain adorable." She laughed as the other two blushed. "It's pretty obvious how close you two are. Sofia always tells me that you work as a 'team' or something like that." She hovered a bit higher. "I'm starting to see what she was talking about."

"Anyway," Sofia insisted, trying to steer the conversation back on topic, "if we find the source of the magic depletion, what do we do?"

"Alert Orion and Vega—or me, for that matter. We'll determine what to do from there."

"And you aren't able to conduct this mission yourself, because…?" Cedric frowned curiously.

She scoffed. "Look, sorcerer, I know you don't know me that well, but let me lay this out for you. I'm a Protector of the Mystic Isles—as in the whole, entire realm. I've already got plenty of things I'm working on. Sofia hadn't reported any misdeeds in the Ever Realm recently, so I figured she could be recruited for help. I didn't realize she came with a tagalong."

And there it was: the attitude he'd heard all about. Cedric wasn't sure if he and this particular Protector would be able to get along, but so far, they weren't off to a great start. Sure, she'd complimented him earlier, but now things were turning for whatever reason. "Well, this 'tagalong' is up for any challenge. If Sofia needs help, I'm glad to assist."

Sofia smiled pleasantly toward her mentor. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric." Then she turned back to her trainer. "Chrysta, Mr. Cedric and I will investigate and see what we can find. There's got to be a good reason for the magic disappearing from the mermaids' items. We'll let you know what happens." She looked around. "Where is Skye?"

"Beats me. I saw him yesterday though, chatting with the Mare of the Mist, who for whatever reason didn't get all flighty and take off the moment he neared her. Now, that was cute." She giggled. "I think he has a little crush." She waved as she took off. "Later, guys! Let me know how it goes!" With that, she was gone.

Cedric frowned and placed his hands on his hips. "She is quite possibly the least helpful 'trainer' I've ever met in my life. Did she often leave you to your own devices?"

"Surprisingly, no. She used to practically hover over me to make sure I didn't mess anything up. And she also used to go on a lot of the adventures with me." She shrugged. "I guess since I'm fourteen now, she figures I can handle it on my own." She then winked at him. "Plus, I've got you, Mr. Cedric."

He hummed thoughtfully. "Hmm, true."

"But we've got to get to the Isle of Mermaids, and there's no way we're getting there without a ride." She glanced down and grasped her amulet. "Well… I guess this is worth a try." She closed her eyes as she felt the jewel begin to warm up. "I wish Skye would come to me and Mr. Cedric."

Cedric had seen the amulet's newer powers and abilities in action far more often in the last two years since Sofia finally revealed all of her secrets to him and her family. However, even for all the studying he'd once done on the elusive gem, he never would have imagined that it would offer so many different wishes. He knew about the blessing or curse aspect, but then he had to wonder if that was something only done with Princess Elena trapped inside. Still so many questions… But regardless, that amulet had come in handy on many occasions, and he was glad his friend had finally mastered it.

Before long, a white unicorn with a light blue mane and tale appeared, landing next to the two friends. He smiled and bowed respectfully to the young Protector. "What a delight to see you again, Princess Sofia!" he greeted pleasantly as the girl giggled.

"Hi, Skye! Sorry it's been a few weeks since I've seen you. Final exams were sort of brutal."

The unicorn chuckled. "I know not of these 'final exams,' my princess, but I can only imagine that they were, indeed, troublesome." He glanced toward Cedric beside her. "Oh! I recognize you. You are the noble sorcerer who rescued our dear princess a few years ago." He smiled happily. "You have my eternal gratitude, kind sir. Princess Sofia is lucky to have a friend like you."

Cedric smiled. Now, that was more like it. He hadn't always been much of a fan of unicorns or anything, but this one may very well change his mind. "Thank you… Um… Sorry, what was your name again?"

"I am Skye, Princess Sofia's noble steed in the Mystic Isles. My alternating partner, Minimus, is her noble steed in the Ever Realm. Perhaps you know him better than I."

The sorcerer blinked. "Sure…"

Sofia gently grasped the unicorn's mane, getting his attention. "Skye, can you take us to the Isle of Mermaids? Chrysta said there's a magic depletion there, so Mr. Cedric and I are here to investigate."

"Certainly! Both of you climb on my back, and I will be happy to take you to the Isle of Mermaids."

Sofia hopped on without hesitation, but she laughed as she saw Cedric's uncertain look. "It's just like riding a horse, Mr. Cedric."

He made a face. "Yes, well, the last horse I rode threw me off, so…" He yelped as Sofia grabbed his wrist and pulled him onto Skye's back, directly seated behind her. "I was getting there myself."

She grinned at him over her shoulder. "Sure you were." She turned back toward the unicorn. "Let's go, Skye!"


The Isle of Mermaids was even more beautiful than the Isle of Protectors, in Cedric's opinion. Its majestic landforms and plentiful waterfalls alone were lovely, not to mention the numerous exotic plants that seemed to only grow on that isle (and certainly not in the Ever Realm). Then, of course, there were the mermaids themselves, all of whom seemed rather haggard and didn't appear to be very happy.

"They seem so sad," Sofia noted as Skye landed next to a tree, allowing them to dismount from his back. "I guess the lack of magic has really upset them."

"I suppose that would be like me without my wand," the sorcerer reasoned. "I'd be upset too."

Sofia nodded and then began walking down to the water, aiming to speak with some of the mermaids. She blinked when Cedric grasped her wrist, holding her back. "Mr. Cedric?"

"You're not actually going to talk to them, are you?"

She frowned. "Why not?"

"Aren't you aware of how deceptive mermaids can be? You've never heard the stories of them luring sailors into the water—into a watery grave, more like?"

That wasn't necessarily a connection Sofia wanted to make, especially since her birth father had been a sailor himself. She gently pulled her wrist from his hand. "Mr. Cedric, it's fine. All the mermaids I've met so far have been pretty nice. If anything, I'll steer away from sea monsters." She scoffed and continued onward.

Okay, that one, he deserved, and she wasn't even aware of his role as the suggested 'sea monster' all those years ago. Thankfully. He didn't know how she would react had he told her about that, because even with their strong friendship, the fact remained that he'd really been about to hurt her that one time… He despised the person he used to be, and he was grateful he'd undergone a huge change since then. Still, maybe some things were better left unspoken. This was one of those 'things.' Silently, he followed the princess onward.

"Hi," Sofia greeted happily as she saw a brown-haired mermaid with a pink tail and top swimming next to the bank. "I'm Sofia."

"I know about you," the young mermaid responded with a soft smile. "You're one of the newer Protectors. They say that you're very strong, despite your age—that you defeated the evil Vor."

"Yeah, that's me," the princess laughed. "I'm here to help you guys, along with my friend Mr. Cedric." She gestured toward the uncertain sorcerer. "He's our royal sorcerer, so he can probably help too. Chrysta told me that there seems to be a magic depletion around your isle."

"Yes. It started about a week ago, when a lot of the mermaids' magical items began malfunctioning. Eventually, they just stopped being magical, if that's even possible."

"Oh, it is," Cedric stated honestly. "Especially if there's a stronger object counteracting or absorbing the magic from the items."

"Has there been anything out of the ordinary that's shown up around here recently?" Sofia gestured vaguely. "Maybe a new plant that seemed to grow overnight, or a meteor shower that wasn't expected?"

The mermaid frowned. "Now that you mention it, some strange crystal no one has ever seen before popped up in one of the caves under the water. No one paid much attention to it at first, and now…" She shrugged. "Well, we don't remember which one the crystal was in, and there are so many caves down there…"

Sofia turned to Cedric. "Could any type of crystal be responsible for draining magic?"

"Only one type I can think of. Imbibing Crystals."

The princess tilted her head. "I've never heard of those."

"They're rare," he admitted. "Many dark magic wielders would use them to withdraw magic from people or objects that contain it. Granted, I'm not entirely sure if it's a malevolent magic wielder we're dealing with or not."

Sofia grinned and grasped her amulet, which was already beginning to glow. "Only one way to find out." She glanced toward Skye. "We'll be back soon."

He nodded. "Yes, my princess."

Cedric blinked. "What do you mean, 'we?'" he managed before Sofia grabbed his hand with her free one, pulling him down to the ground beside her.

"We wish to be merpeople!"

Sofia transformed into her usual mermaid disguise, her hair now loose and scattered behind her in the grass. She giggled as she saw Cedric's transformation.

He had a dark purple tail now…and that was pretty much it. And he was so flushed in embarrassment that his normally pale skin was a deep shade of pink. Cedric thankfully still had his wand, so he pointed it at himself, muttering a spell to create a water-resistant robe similar to his normal one, which wrapped around his upper half. He sighed in relief.

"I didn't realize you were so modest, Mr. Cedric," Sofia teased, sliding into the water and grinning at him as the other mermaid from earlier swam away.

"You are a cheeky little princess, you know that?" He tightened the tie around his waist, huffing. "There's a good reason I don't go to places like this. I burn like a lobster on a bad day."

Sofia laughed, shaking her head. "What does that even mean?"

"Never mind. Let's just get this over with."

The princess smiled and rolled her eyes before ducking under the water, thrilled to find that, once again, she could breathe and see clearly beneath the crystal-clear water. She reached up and took Cedric's hand, pulling him under as well, before beginning to swim.

Cedric was struggling to get used to the new action, especially since he had never really taken to swimming when he was younger. "I feel like a fish out of water." The watery giggle beside him made him pout.

"I'm loving all the 'fish puns,' Mr. Cedric. If you're really concerned, just stay close to me. I've been a mermaid a lot of times on missions."

"I don't know whether to be stunned or impressed at this rate," he admitted, rolling his eyes.

She grinned, nudging him playfully. "You could be both. Race ya!" With that, she zoomed off through the water, leaving nothing but a trail of bubbles behind her.

"No fair! Wait for me!" Still flailing like an awkward toddler taking his first steps, Cedric finally found some form of 'momentum' and took off after his apprentice.


There were probably fifty caves beneath the water, and every single one of them was dark within. The two friends knew they'd have to split up in order to locate the supposed crystal—if it even still existed, that was. They could just be going on a wild goose chase, which would end in no results. Still, they had a lead, so they had to try.

"I'll take the caves to the west," Cedric informed the teen beside him. "You take the eastern caves. If you find anything, just yell for me. I'll do the same."

"Right. Be careful, Mr. Cedric." She smiled at him before swimming off.

"You too, Sofia," he said to himself before swimming in the other direction.


Nearly an hour they searched, and nothing turned up. Each was down to the last cave, and surely something malicious enough to have stolen magic from the mermaids couldn't be in the last cave one of them searched. That would be cruel irony, almost.

And yet…

"Mr. Cedric!" Sofia called, her voice echoing throughout the cave she currently inhabited. "I found it!" She paused, not hearing any response. She frowned, grasping her amulet. "Fine, we'll try this my way. I wish Mr. Cedric was beside me right now." She laughed triumphantly as her mentor suddenly appeared next to her, seeming rather baffled. "It worked!"

"Ugh, that was a head rush," he complained, holding his hands to his temples. "Warn me next time before you do that, huh?"

"I tried calling for you, but you didn't seem to hear me." She gestured before her at her discovery. "Look."

Cedric looked down at a glowing red crystal, which seemed to be emitting some strange glow. "That's an Imbibing Crystal, all right. And…" He grabbed the girl's hand, steering her away from it. "Don't get too close, Sofia. It absorbs magic, and the last thing you want is it taking the magic away from the Amulet of Avalor."

"Right… So how do we get rid of it?"

"There's a spell to do it. I just wish I could remember the right words… They were fairly simple, if I recall correctly." He tapped his wand to his shoulder, thinking hard about the spell he needed. He then lit up. "I remember!" He pointed the wand at the crystal and commanded, "Imbibo Deleo!" He swam backwards and shoved Sofia out of the cave as the crystal began glowing immensely. "Swim!"

Sofia gasped and did as he said, swimming as if her life depended on it…which, apparently, it did. She inhaled sharply as her friend grabbed her hand and tugged her along swiftly, through the underwater plant growth and between the mountainous landforms. Eventually, she found that they were now stopped, breathing hard. "Why…did we have to swim so far and so fast?"

"If we'd remained in line of the crystal's destruction, we could have been destroyed ourselves. Better safe than sorry."

She nodded, sighing as she calmed down. "So, it's gone?" She smiled as he nodded. "Will the mermaids get their magic back?"

"I think it's time to find out. Come along."

They resurfaced, only to find that two new mermaids were sharing time on a large boulder in the middle of the water.

"Excuse me!" Sofia called out.

"Yes?" a redhead responded.

"Have your magical items not been working recently?"

The blonde mermaid beside the first one frowned, sighing. "No…" She gestured toward a bracelet on her wrist. "My grandmother gave me this when I was born, and it was supposed to create rainbows. Now all it does is…nothing."

Sofia nodded. "I understand. Give it one more try though."

"It hasn't worked in weeks," the blonde insisted.

"Please?" the Protector asked kindly, smiling gently.

"Fine…" She waved her hand once, expecting nothing yet again, but she was delighted to find that her bracelet was now able to make rainbows once more. "Ahh! It worked!"

"Really?" the redhead from before asked in shock. She grasped her necklace, grinning as her hair changed from red to purple. "Awesome!"

Sofia and Cedric exchanged glances before quietly slipping away, pulling themselves onto the bank once more.

Sofia grabbed Cedric's hand and took her amulet in her free hand. "We wish to be ourselves again."

Cedric was beyond surprised when they transformed back into themselves: him in his normal everyday attire, and Sofia in her newer Protector outfit, her now-dry hair back in its long, wavy ponytail. "All right, that's extremely useful."

"Ha, right? And people say wishing is silly." She grinned. "Ooh! We need to let Chrysta know about the crystal!" She activated her Enchantlet, calling her trainer and smiling as her familiar face appeared. "We have good news."

"Problem solved?" the other Protector asked hopefully.

"Yep! Mr. Cedric said it was an Imbibing Crystal causing the trouble. We found it and destroyed it, and now the mermaids can use their items again."

"What in the world is an Imbibing Crystal doing on the Isle of Mermaids?" The brunette shook her head. "I'll inform Orion and Vega, and they can look into it." She then smiled. "Good job, you guys. If you head back to the Isle of Protectors, I've secured a place for you to stay. It's starting to get late."

"But we've got an agenda to keep," Cedric argued softly, mostly talking to Sofia.

"Let's just stay here for the night, Mr. Cedric," she urged him. "It would probably be kind of dangerous to travel too late, right?"

He sighed, nodding. "I suppose so."

Sofia glanced back toward Chrysta, who was waiting for their reply. "We're on our way back." She lowered the Enchantlet and smiled as Skye approached them.

"To the Isle of Protectors?" the unicorn assumed as the two friends climbed onto his back.

"Yep. Let's go, Skye!"


That evening after eating, the two friends were given a small guesthouse near Chrysta's home, where they were able to retire for the night. There wasn't much to said "house." It had a table and two chairs for eating, a small kitchen with a woodstove, a washroom, and a bedroom with two single beds.

Sofia stepped out of the room to change into her nightclothes as Cedric used his wand to change into his. He wore a matching set of dark purple pajamas: pants and a top. He slid under the covers of his own bed and sighed heavily, draping the cover nearly over his head but leaving just enough space to stare out at the room and at the flickering candle between his and Sofia's beds.

Sofia walked back inside, donned in her own matching pajama set. However, hers was more lavender than dark purple and had a white bunny rabbit stitched into the right side of the fabric. Yet again, she'd braided her hair for bed and had removed her jewelry for the night, setting it aside onto the bedside table. She got into her bed and pulled the covers over herself before looking toward Cedric, who was smiling tiredly at her. She returned the smile, curious. "What is it?"

"Would you believe I actually had fun today on that mission?"

She grinned and laughed. "Mr. Cedric, just stick with me, and you'll always have fun. I'll make sure of it. Life is too wonderful to stay cooped up in your tower all the time. Sometimes, you need to get out and see the world. And if you ask me to go with you in the future, I'll be more than happy to do that."

He chuckled. "I appreciate it, Sofia. Now, get some sleep. I'm sure tomorrow is going to be rather busy."

"Mr. Cedric?"

"Hmm?" He sat up and grabbed the candle, preparing to blow it out.

"Do you mind if we stay here for another day?"

He frowned. "Why?"

"Please?" She gave him a sincere look, smiling as he caved. She kind of loved that he didn't even try to fight her on things like that anymore.

"Very well. But only one day. Then, we really must get back on schedule, all right?"

She grinned. "Yes, Mr. Cedric. You're the best!" With that, she turned over and sank under the covers, sighing contentedly as she fell asleep.

Cedric smiled fondly at her words before blowing out the candle, placing it back onto the table between them before allowing himself to be carried away to the world of sleep once more.

To be continued…