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: Aww, you guys… First of all, for theblindwriter95: *hands heart back* I'm sorry. Here you go. Haha. I told you it was going to be a bit emotional. But with this chapter, you'll get a little bit more happiness. It's chapter 22, after all! My favorite number. 😉 (Yes, I did that on purpose. :D) Don't worry. It's about to get even more intense after this chapter. We're about to wrap this story up. 😉 Also, this chapter is much shorter, but it was set aside just for this scene, so there's that. :D
Chapter 22
Cedric's Revelation
Summary: While preparing to return to Enchancia, Cedric overhears Sofia crying and attempting to speak to Chrysta via her Enchantlet. Disappointed in his actions, he decides to intervene and make amends with his apprentice.
Cedric hadn't even given his reaction a second thought until he arrived in the living room, his suitcase firmly clutched in his hand. It was then that he paused and dropped the bag onto the floor, sighing heavily and dropping onto the sofa. "What have I done?" he murmured to himself, running a hand over his face.
He'd completely just gone off on the one person who'd always given him such encouragement and thoughtful words, all because he was frustrated about losing their wands. "I'm an idiot," he declared with resolve, shaking his head and standing to his feet. "I have to make it up to her…"
He moved back down to his room and slowly pushed the door open, only to see Sofia crumpled to the floor, her cheeks reddened from crying, and tears flowing every now and then, despite how she tried to wipe them away. Her hairband had come completely undone, and her hair was scattered all over the carpet that she now lay upon. To make matters worse, she seemed to be speaking to someone via her Enchantlet, and he inwardly groaned in dismay when he realized exactly who it was.
"I can't believe he yelled at you like that," Chrysta snarled, pacing back and forth in the view of Sofia's Enchantlet projection. "Wait till I get my hands on him."
"Chrysta, I don't know wh-what to do," Sofia managed as she wiped at her eyes with her left hand. "M-Mr. Cedric is my best friend and my guardian—my mentor… I can't believe he'd leave me… A-And I can't just leave the ones who've gotten captured. I'd feel awful if I left, knowing that they're probably going to… To…" She sniffled, her tears flowing yet again at the thought of losing her new friends to a wayward sorceress.
Cedric winced at her words and finally decided enough was enough. He pushed the door open and walked inside, his gait a bit slower than usual and his head low in guilt. "Sofia…"
The princess turned with a startled gasp, her blue eyes still shimmering with tears. She then frowned. "Mr. Cedric, I thought you were gone…"
"Is that him?!" Chrysta's voice called from the Enchantlet. "Hey, sorcerer! Why don't you pick on someone your own size? You really think it's a good idea to shut out the main person who cares about you, you noodle nose?!"
"Chrysta!" Sofia sighed in frustration and blushed in embarrassment at her trainer's words. "I'll talk to you later." With that, she cut off the communication and turned back to her friend, who knelt next to her on the carpet. "You really hurt my feelings earlier," she admitted softly as she sat up, her fingers entwining and her head lowered, her loosened hair blocking her visage of him and brushing the floor.
"I know," he responded quietly. "I… I guess I was just so angry with Kitanya and her horrid cat that I took out my anger on you." He reached out with one hand and gently tilted her head up, the pad of his thumb brushing away her tears. "You didn't deserve that, Sofia. I'm so sorry…"
"Mr. Cedric, I've always said we're a team," she reminded him as she reached up to grasp his hand. "I wish, for once, you'd believe me when I say that. I know you're upset about our wands, but we can get them back. And we can save Master Elgraste, Dexter, and Brexley. I don't give these speeches for fun—I give them because I mean them."
He chuckled wryly and nodded, sighing. "I realize that. You always mean what you say." He shook his head slowly. "Can you ever forgive me for my terrible actions earlier?"
"Well… I can." She giggled lightly as she gestured toward her Enchantlet. "I can't speak for Chrysta though."
The sorcerer rolled his eyes. "She's always going to find some reason to dislike me, so I'm not entirely surprised. The only person I care about accepting my apology is you."
Sofia nodded and offered him a kind smile. "I've forgiven you before, Mr. Cedric, and I can do it again." She leaned forward and hugged him, her arms resting tightly around his neck as she laid her head against his shoulder. She felt his arms rest against her back, his hands stroking her hair. "I love you, Mr. Cedric…"
Cedric smiled thoughtfully. At this point, he'd heard her say that far more than a handful of times, usually after something life-changing, tragic, exceptionally endearing…the bigger moments of their lives. Of course, as far as he was concerned, this counted as one of those big moments. And even still, he found that she was beginning to say it more often, regardless of circumstances. It was a wonderful feeling to have the unconditional love of someone who truly believed in him and wanted the best for him. "I love you, too, Sofia… So very much…" He slowly rocked them back and forth, continuing to hold her gently. "Nothing will ever change that."
She giggled a bit as she sat back, reaching up and placing her hand against his cheek. "We'll succeed. Don't give up, Mr. Cedric. I'm still with you. And I'll be with you through the rest of it, until we win."
He gave her a calm smile, grasping the hand against his face. "What are we waiting for then? Let's go."
Sofia nodded and recovered her hairband from the floor, quickly tying her hair back into a messy ponytail before hopping to her feet and pulling Cedric up as well. "Before we do anything, we're going to need some help."
"From who?" he wondered as she started tugging him from the room.
"From Mahiya."
To be continued…
