Magic Link

Summary: Sofia's amulet randomly summons her to Avalor, so she deduces that something must be wrong with Elena. Meanwhile, Elena seems just fine and happens to be working with Mateo on evaluating her Scepter of Light. Just what is going on that brought them all together?

Disclaimer: I don't own either show! :)

A/N: Here's the second chapter, and it's actually meant to be a little shorter in essence, because the main events will be coming up in "Crystallize." This part is just to kind of lay the foundation. ;) And don't worry. I'm already starting to work on the first chapter of that story as well. So when I get a bit of downtime, which will likely be sooner than I anticipated, I'll continue working on that. :) Hope you enjoy!

*Story*

Chapter 2: Connection

In Mateo's workshop, both princesses sat to the side and waited as the young wizard took careful measures in observing Sofia's amulet, which still remained stagnant. His murmuring and back and forth between scrolls and manuscripts was both reassuring and concerning in a way.

"The amulet only summoned me to another princess one other time," Sofia informed Elena, who turned to her when she spoke. "Well, I mean, aside from my duties as the Story Keeper of the Secret Library. But yeah, I was physically whisked away to help out Princess Charlotte of Isleworth, who had been cursed and turned into a beast when she turned away a goblin from a party."

"Curses are strange things, aren't they?" Elena laughed. "Sure, I placed a few on people when they did wrong, but I'd probably never go so far as to turn someone into a beast."

"It actually seemed to help Princess Charlotte. She and the goblin became pretty close friends as a result." She smiled thoughtfully.

"I actually remember her, now that you mention it. Yeah, she wasn't the keeper of the amulet for very long. Trust me—I made sure of that." She shook her head with a roll of her eyes as Sofia giggled. "Nice girl, but there was no way she'd ever be able to free me from that thing. She was more concerned for herself and thought the amulet was just a pretty piece of jewelry."

"Did my Aunt Tilly ever come close to freeing you?" Sofia wondered as she absently reached for her amulet before realizing Mateo still had it. Force of habit, obviously…

"Well… Actually, aside from you, she was the only other one who had come close. She had her own set of adventures, just like you." She nodded toward the girl's Enchantlet, and she smiled as Sofia absentmindedly covered it with one hand. "Though I can't say she had as many as you… You're sort of paving your own path, Sofia."

"I'll say," Mateo enthused with a grin as he kept working. "Who else can say they freed Elena of Avalor after forty-one years of desolate solitude in a seemingly normal royal necklace?"

Elena raised her eyebrows at her friend. "Gee, thanks for that uplifting reminder, Mateo." She smirked when he snickered. "I'll have you know—it wasn't all desolate. Sure, most of the time I was anxious to see if and when I'd get closer to my release, but I did manage to have a bit of fun." She nudged Sofia. "I can't say coming up with creative curses wasn't entertaining for me."

The younger girl gave her friend a pointed look. "The croaking curse?"

"Hey, you needed to be knocked down a few pegs, kiddo." She winked. "Besides, I think it's safe to say that you learned your lesson."

Mateo walked back over to the girls and fastened the amulet around Sofia's neck again before sitting in front of them on a rolling chair. "All right, based on my research, I think I might have a solution as to why you were just suddenly brought here." He indicated the amulet yet again. "You and Elena are now connected. Like we discussed earlier, she'd been locked away in your amulet for a very long time. It's not unlikely that she somehow formed a magical bond with the amulet and its powers, some of which ended up being transferred into her when she left. You know how this works, Sofia: when the amulet bearer seems to be in trouble, a princess or someone beneficial is sent to her aid. Obviously, your amulet seemed to sense that Elena might be in danger or in trouble, and it sent you to her—and why you? Because you are the one who freed her, and you are the one with the strongest bond to her; Sofia, you're the only counterpart of the amulet who could really aid her if she needed it, because you've done it before."

Elena frowned in concern. "I definitely agree with your explanation, Mateo, but there's one thing that doesn't make sense here. I'm not in danger. I'm not distressed—not right now, anyway. I…" She glanced down at the Scepter of Light, which was glowing softly yet again. She then looked toward Sofia's amulet, which seemed to be responding with its own soft light. "Huh."

"What's going on?" Sofia asked, not quite fathoming the situation.

"For the past several months, Elena and I have been trying to figure out a way for her to safely use her scepter. Truthfully, it's far more powerful than your amulet…and more dangerous at that."

Elena nodded. "One time I overdid it and the scepter literally sucked the energy right out of me. I was apparently asleep for two days."

The younger girl's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"We still don't know all the secrets behind the Scepter of Light," Mateo admitted with a sheepish look. "But we do know it's extremely potent and can be harmful if mishandled. That's why I'm helping her train to use it properly—so she doesn't go fainting on us all the time when she uses it in the future."

"Okay, but this still doesn't make sense." Sofia gestured between herself and Elena. "You said the scepter caused her to pass out before, but it didn't summon me then? And now, when it's just reacting a little bit, it rips me away from Enchancia and pulls me here? And a lot more dangerously than any other princess, I might add. Most just randomly fade into view and then fade out. I was falling from the sky."

Elena nodded as she gripped her scepter. "She's right, Mateo. Something isn't right here. It's almost like the amulet summoned her here with a sense of urgency for some reason, and that can't be good…" She lowered her head. "Though honestly, I've had an uneasy feeling for a little while now…like someone's watching us, or like something bad is coming. It's just a feeling I can't seem to shake."

Mateo frowned in concern. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because I didn't want to worry you guys." She brushed some of her hair behind her shoulder. "Besides, I didn't have any evidence or anything to prove my feelings, so… I don't know." She shrugged and smiled lightly when Sofia grabbed her hand in a comforting manner. She gently squeezed the younger girl's hand as a sign of gratitude.

The wizard sighed and nodded. "All right… Looks like we have something to keep an eye on then. I believe you, Elena… When you say you have a bad feeling about something, it always comes from a place of…intuition, I guess we could call it."

"So what happens now?" Sofia inquired curiously.

"We keep our guard up—you too, Sofia. You know better than anyone how people seem to go after powerful objects and people tied to them." He gestured toward both the amulet and the scepter, which both girls grasped. "If someone is after these items—either of them at this rate—then it's best to stay alert. Sofia, you need to let Mr. Cedric know what's going on. He's the only person on your side who knows about the Amulet of Avalor and the true secrets and powers it holds." He saw her nod before turning to the older princess. "I'll help you, Elena. We have a few more people on our side, too, so don't worry. I'll talk to Gabe and get him to pass along the word for more security, just in case."

"But what if this isn't just about security, Mateo?" the brunette asked. "If it were any sort of…human threat, for lack of a better description, I wouldn't feel so threatened. Dealing with bad people is one thing, but bad people with dark magic and negative intentions, if that's even what's going on here? Yeah, that's far worse, I think…" She sighed. "Gabe and the others wouldn't stand a chance against some magical attack. There's got to be something we can do. And there have to be answers we're overlooking."

Sofia smiled reassuringly and took Elena's hand again. "If there is a threat, if there is something coming after you—or after us—I'll do everything I can to help out."

"But Sofia, you're so young…" The Avaloran princess smiled thoughtfully as the Enchancian girl gave her a sarcastic look. "I know. I know. Age isn't a factor in bravery. You've done a lot more things than people twice your age would ever be able to do." She sighed and patted the girl's hand. "Thank you."

"So what do we do now?" Sofia turned back to Mateo.

"For now, we wait. We observe and, again, stay on guard. Now you need to get back home, and I think I've found a spell that can return you safely, without you being hurled through the sky again."

"Yeah, thanks, because that really wasn't something I was expecting." She giggled before hugging Elena. "Don't give up, Elena. Whatever it is, I know it can be beaten. And I'll be by your side if you need me."

Elena laughed softly and returned her hug. "Thanks, Sofia."

Mateo spoke the magic words and safely returned Sofia to her own kingdom. He then conferred with the older princess some ideas and strategies for deflecting any potential danger. Right now, they'd observe and keep security high. He planned to work on a magical defense barrier or something to protect Elena—anything to keep her safe.

"And you're sure this will work?" Elena asked skeptically as she clutched the Scepter of Light closer, the glow no longer being produced.

"I sure hope so," he responded with a nod. "Let's get to work."

Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location, five shadowed figures stood around a large crystal ball, Elena's face the prominent image being displayed.

"She's the one," an older, gruff voice spoke clearly to the surrounding figures. "The time is not yet right, but she is the one who holds all the power we'll ever need. When the time comes, my friends, we'll acquire what is rightfully ours, and no one will be able to stop us this time…"

The end (and to be continued in "Crystallize")