Chapter VII: One Step Closer

Cedric was panicking. He had roamed the halls frantically, searching for her, and now was scouring the gardens. Finally, muffled hiccups reached his ears. Following the sound, he found her sitting on a large rock in the sun, her hair looking like fire in the afternoon light, the purple streak practically glowing. She was hiding her face in her knees, and trying desperately to cease her sobs.

"Becca," he began.

"Go away, Cedric," came the sullen reply. "You're missing class."

The thirteen-year-old remained where he was. "Becca, he didn't know," he insisted. "He's really sorry."

"Then where is he?" Rebecca demanded, raising her head. Her chocolate eyes were red-rimmed, and the lower half of her face was soaked with tears and snot. She sniffled and used her sleeve to dry herself somewhat. "Why are you the one telling me this?"

"He…" Cedric hesitated. "He's upset, too. He doesn't know how to say it."

"It's not too hard!" she angrily declared. "Two simple words! 'I'm sorry!' If he wanted to, he could add 'for sc-scaring you to near d-death!'" Fresh tears started running down her face.

Cedric stepped closer. "Becca, please stop crying," he pleaded.

"I'm trying!" the little girl sobbed. "But that was… r-really horrible of him!"

Cedric sat next to his friend. "Greylock didn't know," he repeated. "He thought it'd be a funny prank, like normal."

"There is nothing funny about-" she cut herself off with some shuddering gasps, unable to even finish her sentence. She resumed hiding her face in her lap.

Cedric awkwardly wrapped an arm around her shoulders, if anything to keep them from shaking so terribly. He considered it a win that she didn't shrug him off.

"I still get nightmares sometimes," the young sorceress quietly admitted to her knees. "This isn't going to help."

Cedric winced, but stayed silent, uncertain what to say. Slowly, Rebecca's head leaned against his shoulder.

"I know he didn't know," she continued, "and maybe that's my fault. But-"

"No way," Cedric interrupted her. The ginger raised her head to look at him in confusion. "It's not your fault that you didn't tell him. You don't have to tell him. You didn't have to tell me."

"But if I had," she started to say.

"Then, yes, this might not have happened," the sorcerer admitted, "but really, Becca, it was just bad luck. He could've done it to anyone, and you still would've seen it, and we'd still be in this situation."

"...Should I tell him?" Rebecca quietly asked.

Cedric paused. "That's up to you," he finally answered.

There were a few moments of silence as the girl contemplated her decision. At last, she shook her head. "No," she firmly declared. "I don't want to. I just… don't trust him, I guess. Not with this. It's fine that only you know."

Cedric did his best to hide his smug smile, but was sure he did not succeed, so was grateful that his friend wasn't looking at him at that moment.

"We're missing class," he reminded her.

Rebecca shifted closer, nestling her head further in his neck. "Can't we stay here a little longer?" she requested. "The sun feels good."

Cedric flushed deeply, but only feebly tried to persuade her to go. "But-"

"Besides," she continued, "it's not like you need the lessons."

"Sure, I do," he countered. "Even I still mess up spells now and then."

"Yeah, the complicated ones that even my uncle dare not try," she shot back. "Face it, Ced, you're better than every one of us in the class. I still have issues with changing an apple into an orange!"

"Well, there's still Grimtrix," he pointed out.

"Okay, maybe not him," she reluctantly agreed, "but honestly, you beat him in personality, anyways."

"If I'm to succeed my father-"

"You'll be fine, Ced. Yeah, like the rest of us, you were terrible in the beginning. And there was, you know… the Incident." His brow furrowed at the memories of being called 'the worst sorcerer the kingdom's ever had,' and gave his light-colored bangs another withering glare. But before he could reiterate the fact that it was not his fault, Rebecca continued, "But that was almost five years ago, now. And ever since you asked the Headmaster to tutor you himself, your power has grown so much. I saw you conjure a shower of roses the other day! That was astounding! Someday, I'm one hundred percent certain, you'll be even greater than Goodwyn."

Cedric stared back, utterly speechless. She sounded so confident in him, so sure of his success. No one, save for his mentor and his mother, had declared so much faith in him.

Suddenly, the Hall's bells sounded, and the sorceress slumped in defeat.

"Okay, fine, let's get to class. I suppose I ought to talk to Greylock sooner rather than later." She lifted her head off Cedric's shoulder, and slipped off the rock, wiping her face free from any unresolved tears. Cedric remained where he was, still stunned from her words.

She turned to face the sun, and inhaled deeply. "You know, I always feel better after some time in the sun," she announced. "But, I think, this time, you helped me more than anything." She faced him once more. "Thanks for that, Ced. You're a great friend."

His voice finally returned to him. "I'm not that great," he tried to say.

"Oh, knock it off," she playfully snapped. "You're the best. Definitely my best friend." She smiled warmly, and he fidgeted under the gaze. "I can always count on you."

Enough.

"You've helped me so much…"

He didn't deserve this.

"...and it's nice to know that you've always got my back."

No more.

"So, thanks for always being there for me."

Stop it!

"Now come on! Race you to conjuration!" She turned her back, and began to run away from him.

No… Wait!

With a cry, Cedric sprang from his position to catch up to his friend - his closest one - and promptly crashed into his desk. Wormwood squawked in surprise, jumping from his perch a bit, while Rowena let out a startled hiss, coiling tightly.

Cedric yelled in pain and clutched at his knees, which took the worst of the brunt in his attempt to catch a memory. And that is all it was: a dream of a memory, of happier times in his school life. Slumping back into his chair, he pinched at the bridge of his nose.

It had been nine days since he had realized what might have been a cause for Rebecca's curse, and he had spent most of those days trying to figure out how it could have happened, or why. He had worked through the youngest princess's birthday party, her Halloween Gala, even opting out of a trip to Wei-Ling to focus on this endeavor. He must have fallen asleep in the middle of his studying last night. He glanced out the window; the sun was only barely rising over the ocean.

He surveyed his desk with a lazy eye. So many vials and tubes and ingredients which he had not used in so long. Perhaps he needed a small break; if he cracked over this case, what good would he be to Becca then? He should take his mind off it for a moment, come back with fresh eyes and a more relaxed mind, and perhaps he would find a breakthrough.

"What's a potion I haven't brewed recently?" he muttered under his breath.

"You're not going to explain what that was?"

Cedric blinked and turned to face the krait on the floor. Her head was underneath a middle section of her body, still coiled and tense.

"Nightmare," he muttered.

"You're lucky you're too far away for me to strike," she warned. "That scared the daylights out of me…"

"You're far too jumpy, then," Cedric responded, distractedly. "Besides, didn't Rebecca order you to not bite anyone?"

"Even she can't fault me for acting defensively!" she snapped. "Don't freak me out!"

"Whatever boils your cauldron," Cedric said under his breath. "And speaking of…"

He pulled various tools and ingredients to him, and started mixing away, pulling the steps from his memory bank, but refusing to check his potion book. He could not make it too easy for himself, after all. The sun had reached maybe the mid-morning position when he was nearly finished.

"A little more hogweed nectar, and…" A small cloud of purple smoke billowed from the small vial he held, just as it should have. "Ah, my super-growth potion is complete." He was certain he performed all the steps correctly. One hundred percent. However, it should still be tested. It was the only way to show others the proof. "But since I have no guinea pig…" he grabbed Wormwood by his feet, "a raven will have to do!"

"Oh no, you don't!" Wormwood cried angrily. "You didn't check the book once! You're not testing that on me! This is animal abuse, you monster!"

Rowena snickered quietly at the cries of the bird.

"Hold still, Wormy!" Cedric insisted, failing miserably at keeping both the raven and potion steady.

Suddenly the door slammed open. "Mr. Cedric!" a sweet voice sang out, startling the sorcerer.

Wormwood slipped out of his grasp, and the potion fell onto the desk with a clatter and a poof. In less than a second, the desk grew twice as large, shoving the poor man onto the floor at the feet of the youngest princess.

"Don't you know you should never sneak up on a sorcerer?" he snapped. He vaguely noticed she was wearing her Buttercup troop uniform, instead of the usual lavender gown and tiara.

"Sorry," Sofia offered. "I just wanted to tell you that my Buttercup troop is going to Mystic Meadows!"

Cedric immediately scowled. Who told the princess of his connection to the resort for retired wizards? Maybe if he played dumb, she'd leave.

"And you're telling me this, because…?"

"Because I thought you might want to come with us to visit your parents!" she replied.

Well, it was a long shot.

"You thought wrong," he told her tersely, standing up and brushing his robes. "I already have a perfectly fine portrait of them right here," he gestured grandly to the large painting hanging on the wall. His mind raced for another excuse, anything that might allow the princess to leave him at the castle to work. A truthful one almost immediately came to mind.

"And besides, if I visit them, I'd have to see the family wand," he added.

"The family wand?" the princess echoed.

"Yes, it's a powerful wand that's passed down from sorcerer father to sorcerer son," Cedric explained, conjuring up an illusion to help her visualize what he was saying. He allowed the phony wand to leave its imaginary case and reach his outstretched hand. "Except my father refuses to hand the wand down to me." He closed his fist, and the illusion disappeared.

"Why?" asked the ever-curious child.

Mentally, Cedric snorted. There were probably a million reasons running through his father's mind concerning the answer to that, but he supplied the most basic and central one. "He doesn't think I'm a good enough sorcerer."

Sofia frowned in confusion. "But you're a great sorcerer!" she insisted.

"I'm not that great…"

Cedric twitched, forcing aside the unwanted memories, and merely explained to the princess how controlling, demanding, and demeaning his father would be, causing him to botch up the spell. Every time.

The princess was, naturally, sympathetic to his plight, and immediately offered to use her good deed task to get him the wand he clearly desired. Cedric did not even bother trying to hide his amusement as he asked her how she planned on doing that.

"By taking you to Mystic Meadows!" she insisted. "You can show your father all the amazing spells you can do, he'll see what a great sorcerer you are, and give you the family wand!"

He began to roll his eyes at the highly optimistic princess. But, in doing so, he caught sight of the blue krait lying in the shade of his drapes. She maintained eye contact with him, but remained silent, as she usually did. A constant reminder of his old friend, distressed and helpless.

"If I get my hands on the family wand…" he muttered, finishing mentally, 'It might make it far easier to break whatever curse Becca has on her.' Aloud, he said, "Alright, count me in!"

"Great!" cheered Sofia. "Let's go!"

"Just let me clean up a bit in here first, Princess," he added. "Go on and tell your troop leader, I'll be right down."

"Okay! See you soon!" Sofia cheerfully skipped out the tower, and Cedric quickly shrank his desk back to normal.

"What are you thinking, sorcerer?" Rowena asked.

"I'm thinking that the wand will be most helpful," he absentmindedly answered.

"Right…" the krait began. "Honestly, I don't understand."

He frowned. "Don't understand what, exactly?"

"How your father could think that of you," she replied. "Becca would go on and on about how powerful you were, it's one of the reasons she looked for you. But even I could see your skills. They're not lacking," she added aloofly.

"Yes, well, when one is constantly reminded of one's mistakes and errors, and never recognized for what good they had achieved, it's not so surprising," Cedric bit out.

"Hmm," Rowena hummed. "Wonder why she never mentioned that…"

Cedric scowled deeply, wishing he had kept his mouth shut. Suddenly, he remembered. "Didn't you say that Becca had gone to see my father?"

"Yes," came the answer, "but she didn't tell him anything, so don't expect him to be much help in that regard."

"Still, he might have noticed something. He always does," he mumbled under his breath, swiftly exiting the tower. If he got - when he got the family wand, he would ask his father what happened that night.

WWW

Zeus' xylophones, he was exhausted! It was always tiring after a day spent with any member of his family, but added to the extra fights he had with Goodwyn, plus the serious fright in nearly melting his mum, Cedric was quite ready to hit the hay.

But Winifred was not finished with him yet.

"Goodbye, Ceddy-kins," she said, squeezing him tightly around the waist. "Hope to see you again, soon."

Cedric patiently patted his mother on the shoulder, but was admittedly distracted, looking for his father. He had hoped that after the display at the competition, Goodwyn's opinion of him would have at least risen enough to see him off.

"Where's Father?" he asked.

"I don't know," Winifred replied, her voice promising doom for her husband when she saw him again.

"Well, then," her son began, rather despondently, "say goodbye for me."

"And me, too!" added Sofia, following him to the carriage.

As Cedric walked away, his thoughts clanged about in his head. Just what was he expecting? That his father would change years of attitude after one measly day? That'd be a wonder, indeed. Not even Sofia, miracle worker that she is, would be able to change Goodwyn's mind.

"Ah, Cedric!" a voice called out.

Surprised, the sorcerer spun around to see his father running to catch up.

"There's something I need you to look after for me, son," he declared, before reaching into his sleeve, and pulling out…

"The family wand?" Cedric breathed out in disbelief, hands slowly reaching for it.

"You've earned it," Goodwyn announced, relinquishing the magical tool. Barely a second had passed before he gave his son a brisk hug, along with the order, "Make sure you put it to good use!"

"Alright, everyone," Baileywick called out, "let's give them a big Buttercup farewell!"

Together, all the little girls chanted, "Buttercups, Buttercups, tried and true! Buttercups, Buttercups, we'll miss you!"

All the older wizards and sorcerers smiled warmly at the little ones, but Cedric thought this field trip should end with a bang.

"Firecrackerus explodo!"

The sky was filled with colorful fireworks, much larger and brighter than he had ever conjured before. The children all cheered at the spectacle, and the elderly looked on in approval.

Goodwyn laughed and proudly called out, "That's my son, you know! Cedric the Sensational!"

"Ready to go home, Mr. Cedric?" Sofia asked with a smile.

Cedric looked back at his parents for a moment. "Actually, Princess, I think I'll stay here for a little while longer. I'll see you tomorrow, your highness."

"Oh, um, all right, then. See you, Mr. Cedric."

"Ceddy, is everything alright?" Winifred asked, walking over and placing a hand on his sleeve.

"Well, sort of, Mummy," Cedric began. "Father, I do need to ask you something rather important."

Goodwyn frowned in concern. "Whatever could it be, son?"

"Um, well, do you recall a young lady, a sorceress, coming by about a week and a half ago?"

Goodwyn searched through his memories, while Winifred brightened. "Oh, you must mean Rebecca! You remember, Goodie, that sweet lady with the talking snake?"

"Oh yes, that's right!" Goodwyn exclaimed. "Bram's niece. I believe she only wanted to know where you were, Cedric."

"Yes, that was rather odd," Winifred commented. "I thought for sure that you would've told her. I seem to remember you being close when you were younger."

"We, erm, lost touch," Cedric managed to say.

"Then did she manage to contact you afterwards?" his mother inquired.

"Well, um, actually…" Cedric sighed. "Father, she's been cursed."

"Well, yes, that much was obvious," Goodwyn stated. "A vicious storm appears at the same time a soaked sorceress does? She was either cursed or hexed, and as none of us here could dispel the storm, we all figured curse."

"Yes, well," Cedric started, "did she happen to say anything about it?"

"Not a word, Ceddy," Winifred answered. "Whatever had happened, the poor thing was obviously quite terrified, but, again, she only asked for your whereabouts."

"Do you have an idea?" Goodwyn asked, eyes glinting with suspicion.

"Only a hunch, unfortunately. I believe it was a custom curse, tailored specifically for her. I had hoped that maybe you had noticed something, Father."

"Nothing to hint at how it was cast, son."

Cedric sighed in defeat. Perhaps it was too much to hope for. "Well, hopefully, now that I have the family wand, it'll be easier to break, whatever it may be…"

Winifred hugged her son tightly once more. "Ceddy-kins, I'm sure you'll find a way. Just as soon as she tells you how it happened, you'll be able to break it."

Cedric smiled, but with no joy.

If that were the case, it was only a matter of finding her.

And, yes, apologizing.

A/N: Meanwhile, I have my own apologies to make. Leaving this story unfinished and without an update for almost seven years? That is atrocious. I had thought to wait until I had actually finished the story before posting more, but I didn't realize how much my ADHD would work against me… Hopefully, you're still interested, and you don't mind the edits I had made in previous chapters. Nothing major has changed, I believe. But either way, I am sorry.