Trouble in Paradise
Summary: The Mystic Isles Protectors have fallen victim to chaos, thanks to an evil entity called Necazuri. Cedric and Sofia join Butterford to stop her, but while on their mission, the sorcerer is plagued with off-putting visions and Necazuri's taunting voice in the back of his mind, causing him to question everything and everyone around him, even Sofia. (Takes place 3.5 years after my Season 5 stories, and most notably after the events of The Tainted Ten)
Disclaimer: I don't own Sofia the First. I do own Charlie and Serena (both mentioned), Butterford, Muscles, Ira (mentioned), the AutoCoach, and Necazuri. Nana and Tanya belong to MarionetteJ2X.
A/N: This chapter is a bit longer than the others, so hang in there! We're about to see some action go down. 😉
Chapter 5: Confounded
The trio continued on their way, following Sofia's amulet as a guide. The pink gem glowed brighter the closer they got to their destination.
Sofia pressed her fingers to the side of the amulet as they walked, frowning. "I've never seen it this reactive before," she told the other two. "It kind of worries me."
"It'll be okay, Sofia," Butterford assured her calmly, adjusting his sash over his shoulder. "Just brace yourself, okay? Keep your guard up."
"I will." The princess noticed that she hadn't heard much from her silent husband in a while, and she glanced toward him, seeing a vacant expression on his face. "Cedric? Are you all right?"
"Mm," came his noncommittal response, a slight nod following soon after. Truth be told, he was very much focused on the task at hand, even if he wasn't fully cognizant of everything.
Sofia caught Butterford's eye, an expression of concern on her features. She sighed when he reached out and gently grasped her hand, reassuring her with a smile.
They'd barely managed to traipse a mere few hundred feet more when Sofia's amulet began reacting quite strongly, glowing brighter than it ever had. All three friends immediately shielded their eyes from the intense glow, trying to protect their vision. However, a low laugh cut through the normal sounds of the forest, causing the friends to risk opening their eyes, noticing Necazuri standing right in front of them. While the amulet had died down, it was growing warmer to the touch, which baffled and alarmed the princess wearing it.
"Well, well," the enchantress cooed, her pink eyes glowing ever so slightly as she observed the trio before her. "If it isn't the Princess Sofia! My, I've heard so many tales about you, your travels, your bravery…" She scrunched up her nose, holding out her hand, as if measuring the other young woman. "I didn't realize you were that small…"
Flustered, Sofia demanded, "You're Necazuri, right? Why are you causing chaos in the Mystic Isles, and why did you go after my friends and family?"
"I was bored," the woman complained. "I needed some fun! I loved watching everyone descend into madness, and I've always loved watching as people fight their loved ones before ultimately destroying them." She shuddered in pleasure, biting the tip of her thumbnail. She grinned a bit, showing off a few sharp white teeth. "It's almost poetic in a way, you know… People always say they would never harm those they care about—their friends, family members, coworkers, and loved ones… But I think we already know that those are usually the ones who get hurt the most." A sly smile slid over her lips as her gaze shifted to the sorcerer. "Don't you agree?"
Cedric made no response, and he instead withdrew his wand from his robe, holding onto it.
"We're here to stop you," the auburn-haired princess and sorceress challenged. "You will fix the problems you've caused in the Mystic Iles. We'll see to it."
Necazuri laughed, folding her arms. "You're a little too late for that, Princess Sofia. Last I checked, the Protectors Orion and Vega have already settled the issues. Oh, and something about two girls named Nana and Tanya—your children, I believe—were also perfectly fine." She smiled smugly.
Butterford frowned, a wary feeling washing over him due to how amused Necazuri seemed rather than irritated that her "plans" were foiled. Feeling a bit on edge, he stepped in front of Sofia. "What are you after, you old crone?"
The pink-haired enchantress snarled at him. "First of all, I'm not old, pretty boy. Secondly…" She raised her hand, blowing lightly on her sharp nails. "I'm rather pleased that my plan worked so well…"
"What plan?" Sofia asked, feeling Butterford's hand press against her side, keeping her back.
Necazuri laughed once again, lifting her arms to cross them behind her head. "The chaos I caused in the Mystic Isles was a red herring, Princess. I honestly didn't care what the outcome was. They could have killed each other for all I cared." She smirked as Sofia's eyes widened, realizing that she'd essentially led them all into a trap. "I wanted you to come here, Princess Sofia… We have a score to settle, so to speak. Namely, returning my amulet to its rightful owner: me." She frowned a bit, lowering her arms. "Of course, I wasn't expecting you two little tagalongs, but when I noticed that there was already a rift forming among you three, I decided to take advantage of it."
The princess blinked. "What do you-? Ahh!" She gasped, feeling herself restrained and tugged forcefully backwards, a very familiar wand aimed at her throat. "C-Cedric?!"
"Cedric!" Butterford gasped, looking back at the couple. "Stop! Let her go!"
The sorcerer didn't respond, either verbally or physically, and his glowering eyes remained locked on Necazuri, his pupils dilated and hazy.
"Jas!" Sofia cried out, struggling to move from her husband's hold. "Help-!"
"Oh, isn't that just lovely?" Necazuri chastised, folding her arms as she grinned at the other woman. "It's interesting how you immediately turned to your Guardian when you couldn't get what you wanted from your own husband. Why do you think the man was so jealous recently? Hmm? Look how you've turned your full attention to him, like you've been doing…" She shrugged. "Honestly, I can't blame him for wanting revenge."
"Cedric, let Sofia go," Butterford tried again, a bit more firmly yet calmly, trying to stay in control of the situation. "You don't want her to get hurt, right? She's your wife, and you love her. Can't you see that you're hurting her?"
Something seemed to snap in Cedric as, even in his dazed state, he turned his stare to Butterford, a pained expression on his face. "I am the one who's been hurt," he seethed, his hold on Sofia only increasing, despite her whimpers. "And did either of you care? No! Can you imagine how horrible it was for me, seeing my wife and her Guardian shamelessly flirting with each other and quite clearly having some sordid relationship behind my back? It's a slap in the face!"
Stunned by the unexpected accusation, Sofia gasped. "That's not true, Cedric!"
"Cedric, please be reasonable!" Butterford gestured vaguely. "You're not the only one who's married here! I'm married too, and I don't like women that way… And I would never do that to you—"
"You said you could have fallen in love with her," Cedric countered, his frown deepening.
"Y-You… You heard that?" Butterford wondered, feeling a bit uneasy. He'd assumed Cedric was asleep at the time when they were in the AutoCoach, and… Well, he and Sofia had talked about things like that before, and they'd done so in a sweet, hypothetical, friendly way… He hadn't meant it to seem so…
"I heard it…" He'd heard it from Necazuri, but hearing Butterford confirm it himself was…different. "I dreamed of it too… I recall what you told Sofia: that she is the 'exception to the rule,' so to speak… And for her to return the sentiment, how could I not be jealous or angry? She's supposed to be mine, Butterford! Not yours!"
Butterford was taken aback, especially since Cedric had called him by his surname, which he hadn't done in years. Also, it was clear that reasoning was out the window, especially since it finally clicked that the man was under a spell. A deep one, at that… "Cedric!"
When she felt her husband's grip loosen ever so slightly, Sofia took a chance and swiftly grabbed the wand he'd been holding at her throat, and she forcefully turned herself around in his arms, feeling his grip tighten, and the wand returning to its position once again. She flinched as she felt the slightest bit of magic nick her skin, but it wasn't enough to harm her. Looking up, she could tell that his eyes were totally glazed over, but she hoped she could get through to him somehow… "Cedric, please," she pleaded softly, lifting one hand to his cheek, which she noticed was rather cold. "Think about our lives together… Remember how we started off as friends—a sorcerer and his apprentice… And then you made me your partner…" She stroked his cheek, ignoring the wand as it shifted a bit, resting at the side of her neck now. "And then we discovered how much we loved each other… Remember our marriage, our family, our adventures… The sacrifices we've made and the victories we've won…" She reached up to his brow, stroking it gently.
"S-Sofia," Cedric whispered, though he still remained in his position, with the princess held tightly in his embrace.
"Cedric, I do love Jas… I love him with all my heart. He's one of my dearest friends and my Guardian, and I'm so glad to have him in my life…"
Butterford was astonished to hear those words. He hadn't been expecting them at a time like this. It was…nice to hear…
"But I'm in love with you… I always have been, for a long time now, and you know that… I always told you that no one and nothing would come between us again, Cedric, and I meant it." Despite feeling that the wand had moved more firmly against her neck, she ignored it and pushed herself onto her tiptoes and forward, kissing Cedric deeply.
Butterford's attention was drawn from the couple when he noticed Necazuri moving swiftly, powers building up in her hands. Thinking quickly, he hurried over to his friends, using his own protective powers to form a shield around them all, just before the enchantress's powerful blast hit. He grunted in discomfort as he could feel just how strong the magical pull was. "Cedric," he began through gritted teeth, "snap out of it! Sofia loves you! You know that!"
Cedric's mind flooded with flashbacks of his life with Sofia: meeting her for the first time when she first became a princess, their many adventures over the years, when they first started falling in love, when they adopted Nana and Tanya, when they married, when Sofia had their little Serena and Charlie… Everything rushed to his memories all at once, almost overwhelming him. He felt a stream of magic from the amulet between himself and Sofia, and without thinking twice, he dropped his wand, the spell broken, and then he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer, deepening their kiss. After a few moments, he broke the kiss, staring down at his wife. "Sofia… My love, I'm so…"
She reached up to him, placing a finger over his lips. "It's all right, Cedric. You've done nothing wrong…"
Necazuri laughed maniacally as she broke through Butterford's barrier, using a quick non-lethal blast of magic to knock him backwards into the couple, the three of them falling to the ground in a tangle of limbs.
Butterford growled in frustration, moving to his knees, hurrying to actively protect his friends, his arms stretched as far as they could to keep them back, and to keep him in the front of the lines.
"Do you really think someone as puny as you will stop me?" the enchantress taunted, simpering at the audacity of the Guardian's actions.
Cedric, his mind clear and senses fully restored, noticed the situation at hand. "Jas, stop putting yourself in danger! We all have magic here, and we can help you! I don't want Sofia to have to witness losing you again, and I won't see a friend die either!"
Butterford smiled to himself, his heart swelling at the title Cedric used for him: friend. "My loyalty has always been with Sofia, Cedric… You know that." He looked back at the sorcerer. "I'm her Guardian, and it is my sworn duty to protect her. But you're an extension of her, and you're my friend too, so it's an honor to be able to protect you both."
Sofia moved from Cedric's embrace, shuffling next to Butterford, grasping her glowing amulet. "Jas, I can handle this one…"
"But Sofia—"
"Protect Cedric for me this time…" She smiled softly at him. "Especially after all that's happened lately…"
He saw in her eyes pure determination and knew he couldn't argue with her. Reluctantly, he nodded, moving just in front of Cedric to keep him safe, as requested.
Sofia, feeling that both her husband and friend were out of the direct line of fire, glared up at the impatient Necazuri. "You're done for."
The older woman guffawed, practically holding her sides as she laughed uproariously. "Oh, that's adorable, Princess! But I'm afraid you're mistaken…" She grinned, holding one hand out toward the other magic wielder. I'm indestructible, and that necklace won't do you any good… It can't harm me, since I'm a previous owner myself."
"I don't know about that…" Sofia smiled, even as Necazuri's palm filled with magic. "The Amulet of Avalor is precious, because it rewards goodness and punishes evil deeds. I don't know about you, Necazuri, but I'd say hypnotizing my husband and nearly making him kill me is pretty evil. Don't you think?" She filled her own hands with her Light Magic, clasping them over her amulet, which surged strongly. She released the magic, watching as it attacked Necazuri.
The woman was stunned when she was hit, her skin beginning to sizzle, causing her to scream out in pain. As an enchantress with incredible power, she'd rarely, if ever, felt any sort of pain before. Now, she felt every fiber of her existence being ripped apart, and she hardly had time to process anything as she disintegrated before the trio's eyes.
Sofia nearly collapsed before Butterford moved forward, catching her before she could hit the ground. She smiled tiredly at him, grasping his hand in hers, before sighing as she saw her husband's worried face as he knelt next to her. "You guys…"
"Are you all right?" Cedric asked worriedly, brushing his hand against her cheek, sighing as she grasped his hand in hers. "My love, I'm…"
"Cedric, I'm okay," she told him gently. "I promise…" She giggled as both her husband and her Guardian helped her to her feet, and she was able to stand just fine on her own.
The sorcerer stood awkwardly for a few moments, reflecting on what little he could remember, and he felt immense guilt fill him. He might not have recalled much during his dazed and spellbound state, but he knew very well this all started due to his jealousy of the friends spending more time together, and their naturally close relationship. However, he also knew that both of them had played a role in saving him… Both of them…
"Well, I think we should…" Butterford gasped as Cedric moved forward, enveloping him in an unexpected hug. "Um, Cedric…?"
"I'm so sorry, Jas," he whispered. "I'm sorry for everything lately… For assuming the worst, when I know you and Sofia would never…"
Butterford just smiled and returned the sorcerer's hug, catching Sofia's eye as she smiled at the scene before her. "It's okay, Cedric… I'm sorry too… Sorry that this got so out of hand…" He nodded briefly to the princess, and he chuckled as Sofia lunged forward, wrapping her arms around both guys.
"I love you guys," she enthused warmly, grinning at them as they looked at her. "Just…in different ways, of course…"
Finally, the tension was broken as the friends shared a laugh together. It was nice to just have some joy after all the stress lately. Of course, there was still some unfinished business, and Sofia knew just what she needed to do…
To be continued…
Next Chapter: Reignited