Shadows at Augury Academy

Summary: An enchanted school called Augury Academy is shrouded by an ominous mystery: professors and students vanish without a trace, casting a shadow over the once-harmonious halls. Cedric, Sofia, and Butterford are summoned to go undercover at the school, where they unravel a web of secrets, puzzles, and missing people. As they delve deeper into the mystical academy's secrets, the trio must guard their true identities while unearthing the truth behind the disappearances, lest they become the next targets to vanish in plain sight. (Takes place 6 years after my Season 5)

Disclaimer: I only own Jas Butterford, Serena and Charlie (mentioned), and the other OCs as well as Augury Academy. MarionetteJ2X owns Nana and Tanya (mentioned). Fictionary the Fairy owns Lauren (mentioned).

A/N: A mystery story! Finally! This is what I initially wanted to write when I started Mystic Mystery. But this is the direction I really wanted to go. 😊 Hope you enjoy! Also, this is my 500th FF story! o.o I can't believe it! lol


Chapter 1: Out of Retirement


It was the middle of summertime in Enchancia, and most of the children were busy with different activities. Serena and Charlie were at a summer learning academy for magical youths, and Nana and Tanya were traveling the realms on vacation. While Cedric and Sofia were able to spend quite a lot of quality time together, it was clear that the princess was growing a bit restless.

Cedric looked up as he heard Sofia's soft sigh. They were under a tree outside, with Sofia leaning against the bark, and he was stretched out with his head on her lap, her hands gently brushing through his hair (something he deeply enjoyed). He smiled gently at her, reaching up to caress her chin with his thumb. "Are you all right, my love?"

"Hmm…" The princess smiled, clasping her husband's hand in hers. "I'm fine," she responded, threading her fingers through his. "I guess I just want… I don't know, maybe some fun? Not that spending a lot of time with you isn't fun…"

"Oh, good, I was starting to get a complex." The sorcerer sat up, moving over beside her, resting next to her. "So, you just want to go on a journey? Perhaps a vacation of sorts?"

Sofia hummed, shrugging. "Vacation—maybe. But I don't know. Maybe even just some sort of quick mission would be great."

Cedric sighed, brushing his fingers through her hair. "A mission, you say… Have we not been on enough of those, darling?" He leaned toward her, pressing his lips just under her ear. "We could just spend some quality time together… The children are away doing their summer activities. Wormy and his family have flown eastward for the month. Aside from your family and the rest of the kingdom, of course, it's just you and me."

She laughed a bit. "We're never fully 'alone' though, are we? But I guess that's not exactly a bad thing…" She moaned softly as he nibbled lightly on her earlobe, sending shivers down her spine. "C-Cedric…" When he edged a bit backwards, she turned to face him, tracing little patterns on his shoulder. "I think it's just a little quiet lately. I miss the kids and even some of the chaos. I think even just a trip to the Mystic Isles might be a good distraction from this…mundaneness lately."

"How about this? We can travel there tomorrow, but for today…" He rested his hand against her cheek, a soft smile on his lips. "I want to spend time with you. Just you."

The princess blushed a little at his request before nodding. "I can handle that." She barely had time to say anything else before he leaned forward and kissed her deeply. "Mm… Cedric…"


The next day, the couple traveled to the Mystic Isles, which was just as lively and enchanting as ever. They'd scarcely exited the AutoCoach when they heard a familiar voice.

"Cedric, Sofia!" Butterford called, hurrying over to them. He laughed as Sofia rushed into his arms, and he spun her around a few times before lowering her to the ground, placing a chaste kiss on the crown of her head. Next, he moved over to Cedric, who simply smiled and initiated a hug, which thrilled the former crewman. Getting a hug from the sorcerer wasn't exactly rare, but it wasn't as common as a hug from the princess. He stepped back moments later, folding his arms. "What brings you guys up here?"

"Sofia was bored," Cedric joked dryly, earning a scoff and little nudge from his wife. "Or rather, she craved adventure and wanted to come here."

Butterford laughed as he looked at his friend. "Sweetie, don't we have enough 'adventures' in our life by now? There's nothing wrong with staying home and spending time with Cedric."

The sorcerer gestured toward the Guardian. "See? Jas agrees with me. I offered cuddles, magic, and quality time, but no, we have to be 'adventurous.'"

Sofia grinned at him, holding one of his hands. "We can still do all those things while on our adventure. I mean, at some point—probably not around people." She brushed her lips over his, smirking as he attempted to kiss her, but moving back ever so slightly to prevent it. "I don't like sharing you with other people, as you know." She moved forward again, initiating the kiss he'd been briefly denied.

Butterford rolled his eyes, unfolding his arms to place his hands on his hips instead. "Anyway," he began pointedly, smirking as his friends broke apart and smiled sheepishly at him, "I'm sure there are plenty of things you can find to do here. And if you'd like some company, Muscles and I will join you later. But you might want to start by seeing Chrysta. She was talking about you guys yesterday. I think she missed you."

"Aw. Let's go see her then." Sofia kept her right arm linked with Cedric's before linking her left arm with Butterford's. "What have you been up to lately, Jas? I meant to ask."

"Pretty much just spending time with my family, and working around the headquarters a bit. Thankfully, it's been pretty calm here most of the summer."


The trio chatted a bit more as they neared Chrysta's home, Sofia knocking on the door and waiting patiently once they'd arrived. When no one answered, they decided to try the headquarters instead, where things were certainly more chaotic. Protectors were in and out. There seemed to be a temporary leadership committee in charge as well, as Orion and Vega were nowhere to be found.

"Where are they?" Cedric wondered as soon as Sofia pointed out the obviously missing duo.

"They were here a few days ago," Butterford told them, frowning. "I hope they're okay."

"They better be; they're on their honeymoon." Chrysta moved past the other three, passing off some papers to the assembled committee. "Hi, Cedric. Hey, Sofia. Jas, glad you came by. Actually…" She paused, turning to the trio, a small smirk forming on her lips. "I'm glad all of you are here…"

Cedric frowned, holding up his hands. "Oh, no, you don't. The last time you said something like that, we ended up on one of those wretched missions."

"Well, I—"

"Um, excuse me," Sofia interrupted, seeming a bit startled. "Am I the only one who heard her say that Orion and Vega are on their honeymoon? When did they get married?"

Chrysta grinned, shaking her head. "They eloped earlier this week. Vega wasn't big on a huge wedding, and Orion didn't like the idea of the costliness of the event, so they just decided to take matters into their own hands. They knew someone with an officiant certification, so after taking care of temporarily covering their positions, they headed out. They kept it kind of quiet from everyone except a few people, namely me, but honestly, I'm just surprised they waited so long."

"I'm not," Butterford countered, shaking his head. "They're always working. They probably felt hesitant to take even a small break, with as often as things happen around here."

"Good point. Anyway," she continued, "about that mission." Chrysta sighed, folding her arms. "I love them and I'm happy for them, but their absence is coming at a really bad time."

"What's going on exactly?" Cedric wrapped his arm around Sofia as she leaned against him, her head resting on his chest.

"We've gotten some reports about a disturbance at an enchanted school called Augury Academy. Apparently, a lot of professors, students, and staff members have been reported as missing in the last few months. We were told that the school has been trying to keep the situation as quiet as possible while also trying to figure out what happened to the missing people. They haven't exactly had any luck, so the headmaster turned to us for help."

"I feel like I know where this is going." Cedric frowned as Sofia lit up, seemingly excited.

"Is it what I think it is?" Sofia asked Chrysta, a mild sparkle in her eyes.

She nodded. "Headmaster Brion has requested some undercover investigators to help them solve the mystery of their missing people. He's gathered portfolios about the group. There are three professors, six students, and two staff members missing right now, and who's to say there won't be more?"

"How does the rest of the academy just not notice eleven people missing?" Butterford wondered. "And it's summer. They're still in session?"

Chrysta shrugged. "They're on a different schedule than most of the other realms. They're similar to a year-long school, but they do their own specific breaks. Anyway." She turned and grabbed a dossier before looking at Sofia, smiling as she held it out to her. "If you guys are interested…"

Sofia bit her lip as she glanced at her husband first. "Cedric?"

"Oh, very well. But we will need to return home to pack, and I'm quite sure your family will need to know about this mission. We've left them out of enough trips in the past. I'd feel better if they knew about our actual location for a change."

"I'm okay with that," the princess agreed before glancing up at her Guardian. "Jas? Will Muscles be okay if you're gone for a few days?" She eyed Chrysta quickly. "It is just a few days, right?"

"For now," the crystal fairy pointed out. "Unless more time is needed, during which time, if you contact me on your Enchantlet, I'll let Muscles and your family know."

Butterford tapped his chin. "Well… I guess Lauren is doing her magical training with Ira and other trainers, so…" He nodded. "I'll talk with him when he gets home in an hour and let you guys know. I know his biggest concern will be potential danger, though danger always seems to have a way of finding us anyway, even if we're not looking for it."

"Tell me about it," Cedric sighed, wrapping his arms around Sofia's waist as she leaned into his embrace. "Now, Chrysta…" He glanced up at his former rival, who just offered him a calm smile. "I'm going to set some boundaries for our safety. No longer than a school week. Our children will be returning next Monday, and we must be home for them."

Chrysta nodded. "I can agree with that. And we may be able to switch over to a few other Protectors who are due to return if you guys don't solve the mystery by then. Which, let's face it, you're definitely going to." She grinned at Sofia, who smiled enthusiastically. "I haven't seen your princess this excited about something since she saw that six-tiered holiday cake at our autumn party when she was pregnant with Charlie."

"I think all of us were excited about that cake," Butterford laughed, nudging Sofia playfully as she giggled. "Okay, let me go home and wait for Muscles, and I'll talk to him and let you guys know what we discuss. I'll be back later." He left the headquarters, leaving the other three behind.

"You sure this is what you want to do, Sofia?" Cedric asked her gently as she turned to face him. "I'll be with you regardless, but… You know that sometimes these missions get a little out of hand."

"I'm sure," she told him sweetly. "After all, you and I are really good at mysterious cases. This is something we can do to help others, but I think it'll be good for us too. It's in our blood, Cedric, believe it or not." She grasped his hands as he chuckled. "Don't you love a good mystery anyway?"

"I suppose." He pressed a kiss to her forehead as she smiled. "You're hard to say no to, you know that?"

"She really is," Chrysta laughed. "Okay, I'll be in the office area while you guys are waiting. Feel free to get some snacks from the back room if you want, and come get me when Jas returns. If everything goes well, I'll help you guys prepare some undercover disguises." She left the couple behind as she heard Sofia laugh lightly.

"You know, I do think this will be a great adventure," the princess gushed, hugging her husband. "Thanks for indulging me with this, Cedric. I know I'm weird."

"You're not weird, my love," he told her, smiling down at her as she beamed up at him. "You're…unique."

"I'll take it," she giggled, pressing up on her tiptoes to kiss him. "So basically, we're both coming out of retirement for this mission." She giggled harder as he rolled his eyes in amusement.

"Oh, Sofia…"

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Wise Guise