Royal Rumble

Summary: Enchancia is hosting a competition called the Royal Rumble between their kingdom (as well as a few visiting members) and another kingdom called Carpus. However, what starts off as friendly rivalry quickly descends into madness as members from the opposing team start causing unnecessary drama and chaos. (Collab with MarionetteJ2X)

Disclaimer: Oh, boy… lol. I own the following: Corban, Alamea, Sir Finlay, Gabriella, Sapphire, Davina, Zinnia, Angel, Corban's new puppy named Ollie, and (if she shows up) Nina. All other OCs (especially Nana and Tanya) and the games belong to MarionetteJ2X (except a few that were from the show), and everything else is Craig Gerber's. Phew. Haha.

A/N: Unlike the last story, this will be a chapter story that covers both the training for the competition and the competition itself, including some confrontations between the times somewhere in the middle. Expect fun, drama, chaos, and everything in between! Lol.

Chapter 1: Let's Get Ready to Rumble

"Sofia, get back here!"

Sofia laughed and squealed as she ducked away from Cedric, who was chasing her around a tree in her secret garden. She had in her hand his precious golden bowtie, which she'd just swiped from him after he'd mentioned how tightly he'd accidentally tied it that morning. "You were just complaining about it being too tight," she teased, giggling and moving out of the way again as he panted and leaned against the tree, no longer trying to chase her. She playfully dangled it in front of his face, grinning as he held up one hand to signal her to pause as he caught his breath. "See, you spend so much time in that workshop, doing all your experiments and spells, that you never get time to have fresh air and exercise." She gestured behind them, where Nana and Tanya were sitting on a blanket and sharing tea and cookies. "Maybe we should do this more."

Cedric finally caught his breath and reached forward, his hand closing over hers as well as his bowtie, tugging both toward him with a satisfied smirk (especially upon hearing her startled gasp). "What are you saying, my dear? I'm out of shape?"

The princess smiled wryly, batting his hand away and instead tying his bowtie around her ponytailed hair. "There, two problems solved: my hair is more secure, and you don't have to deal with the tight bow."

He folded his arms. "That's all well and good, but you never did answer my question."

Sofia sighed, reaching up and stroking his cheek with her right hand. She smiled as he made a sound of contentment upon feeling her touch. "I like you the way you are, but…" Her smile turned sheepish, especially as he eyed her curiously upon hearing that 'but.' "I think it could be good for you if you do get a little more exercise every now and then. I don't want you passing out on me when we're playing with the girls or doing work, and I definitely don't need you passing out on me if we face an enemy."

"When we face an enemy," he corrected reluctantly, frowning. "I suppose you're right… I could probably work on that soon enough. However, today, I really just want to enjoy my time…" He smiled as he felt a tug on his robe, and after glancing down, he saw Nana. "With my family…" He leaned down and scooped the little girl into his arms. He chuckled as she offered a cookie to him, which he gingerly accepted. "Thank you, Nana."

Nana grinned and nodded happily.

Sofia took his arm and led him over to the blanket, where Tanya was still sitting, munching on a cookie while reading a book she'd apparently brought with her. "What are you reading, Tanya?"

The white-haired girl glanced up as her guardians and little sister sat down with her. "Oh, it is a story of a hero who goes on a journey to restore peace to his country. However, there is a twist: the key to the peace he seeks is in the form of a young girl, who is said to hold all the powers of the universe."

"Sounds familiar," Sofia laughed, watching as Nana held up another cookie toward Cedric before shoving it into his mouth. "Nana! Don't choke him."

Cedric sputtered as Nana snickered before crawling out of his lap and over to sit next to Tanya. "Can you just imagine my epitaph? Here lies Cedric the Great. Cause of death: a forced cookie he never ate."

"I love how your epitaph rhymes." Sofia smiled as she watched him yawn before slumping forward a bit, his shoulders hunched. "Tired?"

"You might say that… I stayed up late working on that deodorizing potion." He smirked as she giggled. "Considering Nigel was the one who requested it, I hesitate to ask what it's for… Regardless, I figured I'd go ahead and get it done so that I could at least spend time with you and the girls…" Again, he yawned.

She laughed softly. "Yeah, I see that worked out well. Come here." She adjusted her sitting position to where her legs were tucked to the side, her skirt fanning out over her legs. She guided Cedric to lie down on the blanket, and she then helped him rest his head on her lap. "Get some sleep." She carefully rubbed his back as he yawned before trying to protest a bit.

"Sofia, no… I need to spend time with you…"

"You are…" Her hand moved from his back and up to his neck, where she ever-so-lightly traced patterns along his skin. His soft sighs and murmurs of delight made her giggle. "You just happen to be getting all the attention."

He yawned again, humming in appreciation as his partner's fingers slid into his hair instead. "Don't worry, my…my Sofia…"

Sofia blushed. His Sofia? He'd actually called her that before, though the circumstances were different… Surely, she was taking things out of context. Of course, he was tired this time. He probably was unaware of what he was even saying.

"You… You will be next and will get…all of my attention." Without much else to say, Cedric fell asleep, lulled into his dream world even as the princess continued stroking his hair.

Tanya hummed thoughtfully as she looked toward Nana. "Have they always been like that?"

Nana beamed and nodded. Oh, yes. She knew her Mama and Papa were very close and always affectionate with each other. However, even the little strawberry girl had noticed that they'd been doing things like that far more often, and they would do little things she didn't fully understand: holding hands when they weren't crossing a busy street or braving a crowded area, whispering when it was perfectly fine to speak a little louder, watching each other with contemplative stares while conversation around them continued, stroking each other's hair even if they didn't need to, and so on.

She'd overheard Amber mumbling something about how 'smitten' they looked, though she didn't know what that meant. Maybe they needed a new pair of mittens for the cold weather, and they were shaking from the wind blowing and chilling them, so they were…smitten? She held a hand to her head, blinking. That was too much for her tiny brain to process.

The throne room was filled with many people, in and out for work purposes or general visiting. The royal family (minus Sofia and James) were seated on their own thrones. Desmond was near James by the door entrance, chatting with him, since he'd just gotten back from a knight excursion. Alamea was in Amber's lap, asleep. Corban was running around, chasing his new Cocker Spaniel puppy named Ollie while giggling. And many others were simply gathered for no reason except to converse.

"King Roland, you've received a letter from King Hayden from the Kingdom of Carpus," Violet announced as she passed a rolled scroll off to Roland before curtseying to him. She blinked when she heard a soft cough nearby, and she turned to see Baileywick standing aside with Nigel, his hand over his mouth and a slightly perplexed expression on his face. She frowned curiously toward him before hearing Roland laugh. She turned her gaze back toward him.

"Ah, it's our turn to host the Royal Rumble games, isn't it?" He nodded with a grin. "It's been twenty-five years, and I'm hoping to take that trophy off their hands..."

"What's the Royal Rumble, Daddy?" Amber wondered, brushing her fingers through her daughter's hair as she slept.

"It's a competition that happens once every twenty-five years between our kingdom and the Kingdom of Carpus. Actually, it hasn't been in practice too long, since it only first occurred fifty years ago, when my father was younger." He tapped his chin. "He and King Charles of Carpus created the games with the original intent of seeing which kingdom was better. The first time the Royal Rumble games took place, they were hosted here. Twenty-five years later, Carpus hosted the games. Now it's our turn again…"

"So, it's just a bunch of games between our kingdom and theirs?" Miranda frowned as her husband nodded. "But why?"

"The trophy," the king explained. "The winner would be granted something called the Magnificent Trophy of Excellence, which is rumored to grant your kingdom growth and prosperity." He sighed. "I wouldn't know if that rumor is true since we've yet to win. In fact, last time, Enchancia experienced a period of darkness for a few years, where the crops didn't do as well, and commerce was poorer than usual."

The queen nodded. "I remember that. It had people really worried for the longest time, including me."

"But it thankfully ended," Baileywick finally interjected, walking up to stand next to his successor and friend. "And Your Majesty, with all the current residents we now have here at the castle, do you really think this is an appropriate time for Enchancia to host some silly games?"

Roland grinned. "Baileywick, this is the perfect time. The more people we have there, the better it will be! Plus, we deserve a break from the doom and gloom anyway."

"Still," the former steward spoke as he felt Violet gently grasp his arm. "Don't you remember the last time the Royal Rumble happened? It wasn't all fun and games that time… Do you recall all the things that went wrong?"

Roland sighed as he nodded. "Yes." He frowned. "A few too many 'incidents' for my liking, where many of our team members began getting injured… Even my father and King Hayden's father King Charles got into it, with my father accusing his father of cheating; of course, it could never be proven. But Hayden and I have always gotten along really well, and I'm sure whatever team members he has assembled won't be that bad." He shrugged as he tapped the scroll against his shoulder. "Besides, Baileywick, them reaching out to us could be a form of a peace offering."

"Or a challenge to settle the past quarrels, if you don't mind me sayin' so, King Roland," Violet responded with a simple shrug. "Though in what manner, I suppose that's yet to be seen."

Baileywick sighed and nodded.

The king just grinned. "Don't worry, you two. It's going to be fine. Now, we just need to get a team together. If I remember correctly, we need ten members to a team, as well as one magical being or creature. And this event is for men, with the exception being that the magical creature can be either male or female, so I'm going to need the best members I can find."

Baileywick laughed wryly. "Please overlook me, King Roland. One, I'm not as young as I used to be. Two, I'm retired, so…"

Roland laughed. "No worries, Baileywick. I'm sure I can find some people to join the team."

"I'd love to be on the team, Dad!" James enthused excitedly as he set his knight shield aside near the entrance to the throne room and placed his hands on his hips. "And Desmond would too."

Desmond eyed his brother-in-law uncertainly. "Did I just get volunteered for these games?"

The other prince grinned. "Part of being in the family, Des."

"Great," Roland added. "Now, who else could we get? Nigel and Baileywick are excused from the games, and most of the other men around here are far too busy working."

Angel, who had been talking with Cordelia and Calista on the side of the room, turned, approaching the others. "You speak of games, Your Majesty?" Seeing Roland nod, he smiled. "My tribe always played a great many games. It has been so long since I have played, so that could be quite enjoyable. I will join your team."

"That's wonderful, Angel! Thank you!" He nodded toward the Native teen, who smiled as Calista stepped up to him and took his arm. "And… Well, we still need a few more people to join our team."

"What about Cedric?" James suggested. "I mean, I know he works just as hard as the other guys, but he would be pretty cool to have on the team." He smirked. "If you can pull him away from Sofia, that is…"

Amber snickered, making eye contact with her twin.

The king nodded, missing James's teasing remark. "Yes, they work together a lot, don't they? And I'd hate to disrupt their work. But Cedric would probably be an asset to the team. I mean… He did play with us last time when he was a teen." He tapped his chin. "Granted, he was a bit moodier back then."

Miranda rolled her eyes. "I can't imagine why, Rollie…" She smirked as he either ignored her comment or was actually completely oblivious to it.

"Oh, I'm sure he'd love that, King Roland," Cordelia quipped, stifling a giggle.

"Absolutely not," Cedric denied that evening as Cordelia, Angel, and Calista had come to explain the situation while he and the three girls were now resting in his tower. "I'm far too busy to play silly games anyway. I've much to do."

"Yes, like having near daily picnics in Sofia's garden," Cordelia teased, watching as both Cedric and Sofia blushed. "And playing with each other's hair, or cuddling near the fireplace." She smirked as they again blushed, though a bit darker this time. Oh, yes, she'd caught them in that scenario more than once. It was almost too adorable how enthralled with each other that they'd become.

"Or dancing around the tower with a fake skeleton," Calista added, smirking as her uncle sputtered.

"I was practicing for—oh, fine, I'd just completed a spell that I'd worked very hard on, and it worked, so I was happy, and Sofia wasn't around for me to dance with. So Bones the Skeleton it was."

Sofia laughed, folding her arms. "See, even I hadn't heard about this…"

"Do you dance with her often?" Angel asked innocently, causing the partners to exchange shy glances. "Sofia, that is… Not the skeleton."

"Th-That's beside the point!" Cedric shook his head, waving his hands. "No, Cordy. As much as I'd love to help King Roland out with this Royal Rumble thing, I'm extremely busy and couldn't possibly commit to such a thing." He grumbled, "And I remember far too well the events that occurred last time… Far too many of us were getting injured for my liking, including King Roland and myself. I suspected sabotage, but I could never prove it…" He frowned as the others eyed him curiously. "Besides, he wouldn't want me on his team anyway. As Sofia so kindly pointed out this morning, I'm in dire need of some exercise just to keep up with her. I'm more skin and bones than muscles, anyway."

"We can fix that," Angel told him sincerely. "King Roland informed us that the games would begin next month. That would give us approximately four weeks to train, to prepare for the different types of games that we might play."

"What do you say, Uncle Ceddy?" Calista grinned.

"You should do it, Papa," Tanya enthused, smiling as Nana (now clinging to her side) nodded excitedly in agreement. "It could be fun!"

"Fun," Cedric repeated, scoffing. "I'm sorry, my darling, but I don't consider physical exertion 'fun.' It's draining. It's exhausting."

"What if I help you train?" Sofia asked, smiling at her partner. "Being a Protector, I know how to maneuver fast, and I'm always training for one thing or another. I can help you, and so can the others."

The sorcerer shook his head. "Sofia, you don't have to do that…"

"Come on, Cedric." She walked up to her partner, standing directly before him and untying his bowtie from her ponytail (still held in place by her own ribbons), using it instead to wrap around his neck before gently tugging him down toward her. She smiled slyly as he gulped. "Please?" She leaned forward and trailed her free hand along the base of his neck, whispering in his ear so softly that only he could hear, "For me?"

Cedric swallowed nervously as she lowered her hands, leaving the golden bowtie loosely draped over his shoulders as she folded her arms and smiled. "V-Very well…"

Cordelia laughed. "Well, I guess it's true what everyone says: you really can't say no to her."

He shot a pointed look at his sister before clearing his throat and deciding to change the subject. "W-Who else is participating again?"

Angel responded, "So far, King Roland, James, Desmond, you, and I are the ones participating. That would mean that there need to be five more members."

"I have an idea." Sofia grabbed a few pieces of parchment and a quill from Cedric's desk before turning back to the others. "We could probably get some guys from other kingdoms to help. From what I understand, there's no set rule that says it has to be someone from Enchancia… Just that they're playing for Enchancia's team."

"If that's the case, get Greylock and Finlay," Cedric suggested, sighing. "If I have to do this, I'm bringing them with me."

She giggled. "I'll write to them. And what about Dante? Even Bonvis! Ooh, and maybe Prince Daniel might want to help?"

"He's not too busy running a kingdom, then?" Calista wondered. "Who exactly is this Prince Daniel though?" She gasped a bit, pointing at her uncle. "Wait a minute. Isn't that the prince you said you didn't really care for all those years ago?"

Cedric rolled his eyes as Sofia smirked toward him. "Don't worry about that, Calista. That's all water under the bridge now, and I'm sure if Sofia asks, he'll help."

Sofia smiled and shrugged. "We'll see."

Sometime later after the others had left and Tanya and Nana had been put to bed in Cedric's room, Sofia pulled her partner aside into the workshop, where Wormwood now resided from his day at the Raven Haven (though was also sleeping).

"So, I get that you're not excited about this whole Royal Rumble thing," she told him, watching him sigh and sit down on the steps leading up to his window. She sat down next to him. "Anything specific I need to know about it? I mean, obviously, you don't want to participate because—well, honestly, there are plenty of reasons you wouldn't want to do it: not being able to work in peace, being around people, running…"

He shook his head and leaned against the stone wall as he turned to face her. "I participated in the last event when I was a teenager, along with your father. It was a horrible time for me, because that was several years after the incident with Cordelia's hair, and people still called me a bungler and a loser. And that included people on our own team…"

Sofia frowned. She hated hearing about that time. She'd even been privy to seeing it once through the Looking Back Glass, and she'd so wanted to reach out and help him. Protect him. Be a friend for him when all those other people were shunning him for something that wasn't even his fault. Though he'd come a long way, she could tell that the bitter sting of the past still managed to creep upon him every now and then, and through different methods. This was apparently one of them.

"It certainly didn't help that I was pitted against a former classmate and bully of mine: a horrid rapscallion who called himself Zeke the Zealous." He sighed heavily as Sofia continued listening. "Our team had been struggling a lot during the games. And for some reason, many of our members, including both Roland and myself, were injured. It was so odd, because it seemed to happen out of nowhere. Meanwhile, the other team managed to return home unscathed and with the trophy."

"What's the big deal with the trophy anyway?" Sofia asked curiously. "Dad said something about it being called the 'Magnificent Trophy of Excellence' or whatever."

"Yes. Aptly named, due to its alleged ability to help a kingdom grow in a steadfast manner… The opposing team, however, usually tends to suffer in some fashion. Enchancia went through a rather dark period."

"Mom was talking about that earlier. Seems kind of stupid to have that sort of stipulation attached… I mean, what if we win this time? Would Carpus experience the same thing?"

He shrugged. "Maybe they should. They've won the last two Royal Rumble games and haven't had the problems Enchancia has experienced. Of course, I wasn't exactly around fifty years ago when the first game began, but my father was, and he said Enchancia went through a drought one year, followed by massive flooding and water damage the next. It took a decade before the elements began working in their favor again."

"Wow…" The princess sighed. "Maybe there's a way to fix this to where both kingdoms do well, no matter who gets the trophy." She tugged gently at his sleeve, a smile on her lips as he watched her quietly. "I know it wasn't fair that Enchancia had to suffer because of the loss, and it definitely wasn't good that you guys got hurt in some way, but the last thing we should want is for anyone to experience any grief or trouble. Right?"

Cedric smirked. "You're trying to reason with a former villain, my dear."

Sofia giggled, trading his sleeve for his hand, brushing her fingers against his. "You were never a villain, Cedric. You were just misunderstood. Luckily, I speak 'Cedric' and things seem to be better."

"Hilarious."

"I thought so." She grinned and stood, pulling him to his feet. "I think we should get some rest. If training really starts tomorrow, it'll be best for you to have all the sleep you can get." She poked his chest playfully, causing him to grumble. "Though I have a feeling that once you're released from training each day, sleep won't be a problem."

"Yes… I do hope your father realizes that this is going to set my work schedule back considerably."

She laughed. "Oh, come on, Cedric… What you call 'work' is really just fiddling around with potions and spells. Most of the time, you're with me and the girls. Or off on a business trip. Or on our own adventures. Or doing Protector missions together… But we don't have any of that planned right now, and we can make time for this." She placed her hands alongside his face, smiling. "I think you should do this. You show that Zeke guy how wonderful you are and how much you've changed since your teen years. Show him you're a force to be reckoned with. Show all the other Carpus people that Enchancia won't be intimidated. Not this year."

Cedric chuckled, grasping her hands. "At least this time, I've got your confidence in me… But I'm seriously wondering if we truly stand a chance against Carpus and their team. They're no joke, you know."

Sofia lowered their hands, smiling as she leaned toward him and kissed his cheek, causing him to blush a bit. "Then we'll just have to show them we mean business. Starting tomorrow with the training. What do you say?"

He sighed before smiling at her. "I suppose it's worth a try…"

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Training and Sustaining