Hey guys! I started watching Sofia the First about a week ago out of boredom... I didn't really like the show, but then I saw the episode "Cedric's Apprentice" and I fell in love with both the show and Cedric. I think the friendship between him and Sofia is adorable, and the one between him and his father was intriguing. I wanted to write something about them, and was thinking of ideas while listening to some of my favorite Simple Plan songs, and a story started to form! I hope you guys enjoy!

Inspired by Simple Plan's Perfect.

Cedric let out a groan of frustration as he once again failed to get the spell he'd been working on correct. Sofia would be here any minute for her magic lesson and he needed to learn a plant growing spell. He'd always had trouble with it and school, and now he was expected to teach it! He was doomed.

"You never could get even the simplest of spells correct," the gruff voice of Cedric's father grunted, echoing through the small lair. Cedric flinched in surprise and turned to the portrait of his mother and father, watching wearily as his father emerged from the painting. The elderly wizard landed with a huff in front of his son, folding his arms across his chest. The two sorcerers stared at each other for a moment in silence, Goodwin watching his son with slight disapproval and sympathy. Cedric only noted the first.

"That's not true father," Cedric started, his tone irritated. "If you don't mind, could you leave? I need to get this spell right before Sofia gets here." The young sorcerer turned back to the spell book, muttering the words of the simple spell under his breath with his brow furrowed in frustration. Goodwin the Great didn't leave, but he stayed silent and watched Cedric with slight curiosity. When Cedric once again failed to get the spell right, he threw his wand down onto his desk and flopped down into his chair with a sigh, shaking his head.

"Here, let me show you," Goodwin said gently when he noticed his son's distress, pulling out his own wand and observing the spell for a moment before turning to the small plant on the desk. Cedric glared at his father, but watched grudgingly to see what he was getting wrong. After all, he is the greatest sorcerer in all the land, Cedric thought, a little sadly.

"Bring your wand up like this-" Goodwin swung the wand upward and to the right with vigor "- and say the magic words. Einhardi crescere!" Goodwin bellowed the words in a deep voice and the plant immediately sprung to life, a rose blooming with leaves of a dark, luscious green and small thorns. Cedric perked up a little, his eyes flickering from the plant to his father. Goodwin handed Cedric his wand and beckoned to the rose, an invitation for him to try. Cedric swallowed by the lump in his throat and nodded, getting to his feet. His eyes narrowed in concentration and he took a shaky breath.

Raising his hand like he'd seen his father do, Cedric cried, "Einhardi crescere!" The rose began to glow a brilliant pink before disappearing into thin air, leaving a patch of dirt and a few scorched leaves in its wake. "No, no, you're doing it all wrong!" Goodwin scolded, snatching the wand out of his son's hand. "You didn't wave the wand with enough flourish! And you said the words too blandl-"

"I can do it myself, thanks!" Cedric snapped, snatching the wand out of Goodwin's hands and glaring at him. "Didn't I tell you to leave, father?" Goodwin shook his head sadly at his son's antics and placed his hands on his hips, looking up at his son but still managing to look superior.

"Well, you obviously can't. I learned this spell in minutes when I was a child! It's taken you years, and you still don't have it right!" Goodwin replied coldly. Cedric went rigid. "I don't care how fast it took you to learn it, father! I'm not like you!" Cedric snarled. Goodwin, taken aback, replied with the first thing that came to his mind: "Of course you aren't! I didn't grow up to be a complete and utter failure!" Cedric's snarl faded and he gaped at his father.

"I-I... I'm not a failure!" Cedric spit back desperately. Goodwin didn't notice his son's disturbed expression and scoffed. "Hah, right, and I'm not a sorcerer!" Goodwin said with a laugh. Cedric's eyes were burning, but drew himself up again.

"Nothing I do is good enough for you. Why can't you just be proud of me for what I've accomplished?!" Cedric said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Because there's nothing to be proud of!" Goodwin hissed. Cedric's eyes were burning again. He wanted to look away from his father's angry expression, but his eyes were wide and fixed on him in a sort of horrified anticipation.

"You spend all of your time trying to figure out a way to steal something from a helpless little girl, you can't complete the tasks the King gives you, you have trouble with the simplest spells, and you're just... you're just you!" Goodwin continued. Cedric felt something wet and warm run down his cheeks, but he didn't take the time to see what it was. He bared his teeth, clenching his fists and trembling with rage.

"I do other things! I've impressed King Magnus! I teach Sofia magic! I've mastered some of the most complex spells that you wouldn't even begin to fathom doing! Everything I've done, from teaching myself to trying to become has been for you! I'm trying to prove myself to you!" Cedric shouted, more of the hot liquid streaming down his face. What was it?!

"Oh really? I find all of that hard to believe. You've always been a suck up to your mother! You've never come to me for anything, for advice or to teach you something or anything! You don't care about what I think," Goodwin replied, his eyes blazing with anger as he glared at his son. Cedric's face slacked and his arms hung limply at his sides, his shoulders slumping.

"That's... That's all I care about," Cedric murmured weakly, wrapping his arms around himself and blinking rapidly, trying to stop whatever was rolling down his cheeks. Goodwin bellowed and raised a hand high above his head. Everything blurred and Cedric found himself reeling backwards, his cheek stinging and the wind knocked out of him. He stumbled and crashed into the bookshelf behind him.

"Stop then, because you're never going to be good enough to be my son." Cedric's breath caught in his throat and his head snapped up, but Goodwin was gone, having vanished back into the painting after hitting his son. Cedric's breaths came out in shaky pants as he staggered to his feet, bracing himself against the wall, hiding his face in his hands, and trying to even out his breathing. When he brought his hands away, his gloves were damp. He was crying. That's what it was... Cedric curled his hands into fists and looked down to the ground, his eyes falling to his discarded wand. His eyes started swimming again and he hastily tried to wipe the tears away on his sleeve, but he couldn't make his father's words leave his mind.

I didn't grow up to be a complete and utter failure!

You don't care about what I think!

You're never going to be good enough to be my son.

You're just... you're just you!

Everything about Cedric disappointed his father! Wasn't that a comforting thought?! Cedric kicked his wand away and stormed over to his desk, slamming his spell book shut. If his father was only going to be disappointed in him no matter what he did, then why should he do anything at all? Him being alive was just a burden to everyone.

Cedric closed his eyes, knowing what he was going to do would effect more people than just him. He silently begged that Sofia wouldn't be the one that found him.