Birds Don't Hug People
Sofia grinned as she walked over to her mentor and dropped a handful of rosemary into a section of a basket beside him. "Here's the rosemary."
"Thanks, Sofia," he said, smiling toward the young girl from where he knelt on the ground. He dropped a handful of hemlock into another section of the basket before dusting off his hands and standing up. "With you helping me, I get things done so much faster than when you're not here."
Sofia smiled happily. "That's what apprentices are for." She looked around at the castle grounds. It was a bright summer day in Enchancia, and she and Cedric were collecting herbs for his stores. Things had been so peaceful since the day she graduated from Royal Prep a few weeks ago, and she was glad. As much as she enjoyed being an official Protector, she loved spending time with her family and friends, especially her favorite sorcerer. She turned back to him. "What else do we need?"
"Well, let's see…" He pulled a piece of parchment from his robe, looking it over before giving a relieved sigh. "I do believe we've gathered everything on the list."
"Great! How about if we get a snack? I heard Chef Andre is trying out new recipes for cookies to serve at the Midsummer Ball coming up. Maybe he'll let us try some."
"I am rather famished," he admitted as he pocketed his list and stood, picking up the basket. "Very well. To the kitchen to be guinea pigs for the chef." He started walking toward the castle.
The princess giggled and started to follow, but then something caught her attention. Looking up, she saw a pair of white doves flying around. They looked so gay and free that she couldn't help asking, "Have you ever wished you were a bird?"
"Huh?" At the strange query, Cedric stopped walking and turned back toward his friend. "My dear girl, sometimes you ask the strangest things."
"Sorry," she said with a sheepish grin. She gestured toward the doves. "It's just that birds are so free. They can fly high and go any where they want. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be a bird."
"Not all birds can fly," he reminded her. He pointed to her amulet. "But I seem to recall that you can turn yourself into a bird."
Sofia gasped, a hand reaching up to grasp her amulet. "Oh! I guess I forgot I could turn into animals." She blushed when he chuckled. Looking up toward the doves, she said softly, "I wish to be a bird."
Cedric watched as his apprentice shrank into a dainty little dove with lavender feathers. She chirped merrily as she spread her wings and lifted off the ground, flying upward toward the sky. He watched her fly around a few times as he stood there holding his basket of herbs. After a few minutes, she was back, landing in front of him and transforming back to her normal self. "How was your flight?"
"It was ah–mazing!" she responded, beaming. "But being a bird isn't much different from riding on Minimus and Skye, so I don't really need to be a bird. Besides, I like to hug you, and birds don't hug people." She grinned and moved forward, wrapping her arms around him.
"Sofia…" The sorcerer was unable to keep an amused smile from crossing his face as he patted her head. "Are we still getting a snack, or is there another animal you want to turn into?" he joked.
She laughed, releasing him and taking his free hand. "Flying around made me hungry. Let's go see about some cookies."
And they went to the castle kitchen for yet another one of their adventures: taste–testing for Chef Andre.
A/N: Yes, I know. This story is a little lame. I know Sofia turned into birds a couple of times on the show, but neither of those times seemed to be just for fun. Plus, I was having trouble coming up with something for Flight.