Beyond Enchancia's Gates

Summary: Cedric and Sofia begin their journey as dictated by the Protectors, which takes them back to the Kingdom of Helvetica; upon arriving, they seek out the help of Sir Finlay, and in the process, they make some surprising discoveries. (Part of the Beyond Enchancia Series. Takes place over two years after the show's ending.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Sofia the First.

A/N: All right, guys. Buckle up. We're heading off to Helvetica to see what's really going on with these two villains. 😉 And as promised, this story is longer. Enjoy!

Note: Y'all… I saw Wreck It Ralph: Ralph Breaks the Internet. And let me just say…it inspired some things that I'm probably going to try to do with Sofia and Cedric (and their friendship) down the line. Stay tuned for that. Haha.

Warning: CUTE FLUFF AHEAD!

*Seventeenth Story/Episode 17*

"Have we got everything?" Cedric asked as Sofia entered the AutoCoach, shutting the door behind her and sitting opposite of him. They'd decided this method would be much quicker and more efficient than taking Skye and Minimus. After all, should there be any real danger, it would be best to leave them out of it.

"I think so," she responded distractedly as she stared out the window toward the castle, a worried expression on her visage as she absently played with the capelet attached to her Protector outfit.

"Your mother will be fine, Sofia." He smiled gently as she glanced toward him in mild surprise. "You're rather easy to read when it comes to your family, my dear. And I realize that the queen is due with the new child any day now, so you have every right to be concerned. But I think it's safe to say that she's in wonderful hands. Just think of all the people around her who can help her if she does go into labor while we are away."

Sofia's face melted into a small smile as she nodded. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric. I needed to hear that. A lot of others have told me the same thing too… It does help to hear you say it though."

"Oh? Because you value my opinion so highly?" He smiled proudly as the AutoCoach lifted into the air.

The princess smirked a bit. "No, because if even someone as cynical as you believes it, then it must be true."

Cedric instantly deflated, causing Sofia to laugh. "Well, excuse me. I didn't realize having a realistic perspective made me 'cynical.'" He rolled his eyes and smiled as she calmed down. "Trust me. I know that things are going to be all right."

She nodded and took his gloved hands, sighing with a light smile. "I trust you, Mr. Cedric."

He just gently squeezed her hands in response.

The AutoCoach soared on through the air, heading to their destination: the Kingdom of Helvetica.

A few hours later, the two friends arrived in the familiar kingdom, touching down right outside the castle steps. Even upon barely exiting the coach, both Enchancians found themselves face to face with none other than Sir Finlay.

"Cedric, Princess Sofia," the silver-haired man greeted calmly yet seriously. "The castle workers will secure your luggage, but you must follow me immediately, please."

Sofia swallowed nervously as Sir Finlay turned and began leading them away, their luggage being retrieved behind them. She blinked as Cedric grasped her hand and smiled toward her, a reassuring look in his dark eyes. She returned the smile before following after the other man.

"The Protectors contacted me a few days ago to inform me of what's been going on," Sir Finlay acknowledged as he guided the friends to his workshop. "I have connections with the Kingdom of Parsens, which is apparently the kingdom Ms. Chrysta heard being mentioned when the two of you were indisposed, Princess Sofia."

Sofia frowned and folded her arms. "Call it what it was, Sir Finlay: we were captured."

He nodded solemnly as they entered his workshop, the door magically shutting behind them, causing even Cedric to jump a bit in surprise. "Even so, this chap who captured you both—Rami… I'm familiar with him. He leaves something of a bad taste in many decent magic wielders' mouths, I'm afraid. He'll follow any order issued by someone more magical and powerful than he is." He reached up to a bookshelf and withdrew a large blue book, opening it and laying it out before them. "And he once resided in this kingdom." He pointed toward the book, showing the Kingdom of Parsens.

"I've never heard of it before all of this," Cedric admitted. "Where is it?"

"Approximately a hundred and forty kilometers south from here. The royal sorcerer there, Kagano, will actually be able to give you more insight into this Princess Imaldrina that has been mentioned."

Sofia glanced from the book to Sir Finlay. "We're supposed to go there next, aren't we?" Seeing the older sorcerer nod, she sighed. "Chrysta told me that I'd be busy, but I guess I wasn't expecting to actually go directly to the source… Or at least the homeland of the source."

"I assure you that any answers you seek, you'll find them there, Princess Sofia."

Cedric raked a hand through his hair as he sat down on one of his friend's stools. "Is there anything you can tell us about this woman, Finlay? Because while I'm sure this Kagano character will be a beneficial source, I'm thinking it would do the both of us a world of good if we might get an idea of what we're up against, if possible…"

Sir Finlay sat down across from Cedric, watching as Sofia sat next to her friend. "I'm aware of her sights being set on you, Princess Sofia. I honestly can't imagine why… The main thing I do know is that Princess Imaldrina was exiled from her own kingdom."

Sofia's mouth dropped. "What? Why?"

"I'm not entirely certain. The details of her departure are fuzzy, because I'm sure the royal family wanted as few people as possible to know about it." He frowned. "I only knew about it because of Kagano, with whom I am good friends. From what little he's told me, the princess was a danger to herself and her family, and he was surprised the exile hadn't occurred earlier."

"That's saying something," Cedric murmured contemplatively. "So, I suppose we'll learn more on her when we get to Parsens. Now for someone you may actually know more about—Galiviano."

"He's on the move again." Sir Finlay folded his sleeve cuffs down. "I'm far more familiar with Galiviano. In fact, I've heard from reliable sources that he has allegedly sought out some of the well-known dark magic promoters, which can only mean that he hopes to increase his dark abilities to take you down, Cedric, as an act of vengeance." He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully as Cedric sighed. "I suppose that's the price we pay for being loyal to our royal families: we run the risk of the enemy seeking us out for revenge."

"Whatever these two have planned, they're gonna fail," Sofia stated confidently, finally feeling her nerves lessen. "Call it cliché, but I still believe that good will triumph over evil in all situations."

"Not all, my dear," Cedric corrected apologetically.

The princess sighed and gave her mentor a pointed stare. "Look, Mr. Cedric, if we're going to fight back against these guys, we've got to stay positive. I need you to be an optimist for once and believe that we can take these guys down and get everything back to normal."

"You're asking me to abandon my realist nature," he sighed, shaking his head. "That's quite a challenge for me, Sofia."

"Fine. If you don't believe in anything or anyone else, then just believe in me." She smiled kindly at him, mirroring his previous method of trying to cheer her up. "You're the one who told me that my mom will be okay while we're gone. You're the one who volunteered to help me on this journey."

He raised an eyebrow at her choice of words. "I think 'volunteered' is a bit of a stretch, but…" He shrugged as she grinned a bit. "But of course I believe in you… It would be foolish not to."

She blushed modestly. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric…"

Sir Finlay smiled at the exchange between the friends before standing suddenly. "I'm sorry to interrupt this moment, but I have a bit of a surprise for the both of you, to sort of alleviate the heaviness of this reality we've been dealt."

"Is it something sweet?" Cedric wondered hopefully as he and Sofia stood, following the other sorcerer as he led them through the entrance to his own bed chambers.

The older man chuckled at the inquiry. "Quite. Wait here a moment." He walked onward before disappearing behind a light blue curtain. It wasn't long, however, before he emerged with a small baby dressed in a white outfit, her hands and feet both covered for warmth. A generous amount of brown hair coated her head, some curling along her forehead.

Sofia gasped at the sight. "Oh! Mrs. Gabriella had the baby."

Cedric blinked as he looked at the tiny human being, those big brown eyes meeting his almost instantly.

"Cedric, Princess Sofia, I'd like to introduce you both to Davina."

The princess practically melted right there. After all the constant troubles, dangers, and uncertainties they'd been facing recently, the sight of that little girl did wonders for her heart. She smiled happily and walked forward, gently stroking the little one's cheek. "Hi, Davina. I'm Sofia!"

The baby gurgled a bit, a toothless grin appearing on her face before she turned, tucking her head against her father's chest.

"Would you like to hold her?" Sir Finlay asked gently, smiling at Sofia.

Sofia nodded enthusiastically and held out her arms, sighing with a fond smile as Davina rested in her arms and just stared up at her current holder. "She's so sweet." She then glanced toward Sir Finlay again. "How does Sapphire feel about having a little sister?"

The man chuckled. "She keeps calling her 'Davvy.' Can't quite say her name properly yet, I suppose, but we'll get there eventually. They seem to get on quite nicely."

"I love having a sister," Sofia responded, gently tracing her fingers along the baby's arm. "I'm sure Sapphire will too."

"Let's just hope she doesn't teach this little one how to cause trouble," Cedric remarked as he folded his arms. "From what I recall, your little Sapphire is quite mischievous, Finlay."

The older man laughed. "You've no idea, Cedric. A few months ago, one of the kitchen staff found her lounging in the big boiling pot under the cabinet. She'd dragged her blanket and stuffed cat toy that Princess Sofia gave her, and she'd fallen asleep inside of it." He shrugged. "My child."

Sofia giggled. "I'd almost forgotten about that. I'm surprised she still has it."

"It's her favorite toy. And then a few weeks ago, she used her magic to take King Cyprus's crown. As you can imagine, Gabriella thought it was hilarious, while the king believed he was being haunted or something."

Cedric rolled his eyes. "Naturally. I suppose some things never change."

"Where is Mrs. Gabriella, Sir Finlay?" Sofia wondered as she gently rocked the baby. "And Sapphire?"

"Taking a nap in Sapphire's room," he responded, smiling. "It was time for Sapphire's nap, and Gabby hasn't slept well since the birth a few days ago, so she was more than happy to take advantage of that downtime."

The princess laughed. "I'm sure." She gazed back at the little girl in her arms, those brown eyes watching her silently. "You are so sweet. And you look a lot like your mom." She looked toward Cedric. "Want to hold her, Mr. Cedric?"

"Erm… Maybe when she's a bit older and less…breakable? I've not always been known for my gracefulness, you realize…"

Sofia grinned and nudged him backwards, causing him to sit in one of Sir Finlay's cushioned chairs. "No excuses." She carefully passed the alert baby to her friend, watching in amusement as he stuttered a few hesitancies before finally relenting and holding the baby as if she were the most fragile thing on the planet (and to Cedric, she was). "There, that wasn't so bad, huh?"

"Sure…" He now had no choice but to cradle the baby, who was soft and warm, and, admittedly, adorable. And… "Why do babies always smell so good?" He blushed as Sofia and Sir Finlay both laughed at his question. "What? It's an honest question! Calista smelled the same way when she was born. Is it some sort of baby magic?"

"Knowing my children, probably," Sir Finlay responded good-naturedly. "Honestly, I'm not sure what it is. But it's comforting and sweet, I believe."

Sofia sat down on the arm of the chair, leaning slightly against Cedric as she gently caressed the baby's hair, smiling when the little girl yawned sleepily. "Do you think my new little brother or sister will be this way? Quiet and curious?"

Cedric chuckled as he shrugged his free shoulder. "Curious, perhaps, but I'm afraid 'quiet' doesn't run in your family, my dear." He glanced down as he found that Davina had gently wrapped her tiny fingers around one of his, holding on as tightly as she could before slipping into a deep sleep. "…All right, I'll admit, that's adorable."

Sir Finlay chuckled in response before leaning down and gathering his sleeping daughter into his arms. "I'll put her to bed. Do you two remember where your guest rooms were from your last visit?"

Sofia nodded. "I do. I can get us there. Thanks, Sir Finlay." She smiled as he nodded and walked away before turning to Cedric, both of them still situated on the chair. She grinned playfully at him. "I think babies like you about as much as you not so secretly like them."

He rolled his eyes. "Perhaps I'm just interesting-looking, and they find me fascinating."

"Or maybe they sense that you're a good person and comforting," she argued lightly, smiling gently. "Because it's the truth. One of my best comforts is getting a 'Mr. Cedric hug.'" She winked playfully as he laughed softly. "It always makes things better."

"If you say so, Sofia." He stood and held his hands out, pulling the teen to her feet. "Let's get settled in for the evening. If we're off to Parsens tomorrow, we're going to need all the rest we can get."

She nodded before hugging him, catching him off guard a bit. She smiled as he soon returned the hug. She then inhaled a bit before laughing.

Cedric glanced down at his apprentice. "What's so funny?"

"You know that whole 'baby smell' thing you mentioned?" She grinned as she gripped the top part of his robe. "I think Davina decided to share some with you."

He scoffed as she released him, and he quickly began dusting off his robe. "Very funny, Sofia." He smirked at her laughter. "Come on then. Let's get settled for the evening. We have a long trip ahead of us tomorrow."

She nodded, still giggling a bit as he led her onward.

Icy blue eyes glared at the scene of the two friends walking and chatting happily, the hologram image swirling in a smoky blue mist. Princess Imaldrina snarled quietly, her hand gripping and breaking a glass chalice she'd been holding. "Laugh while you can, Princess. Soon, you won't make a sound…ever again."

The end

(Next Story/Episode 18: Maybe)

Ending Note: I heard the name Davina from YouTube. I was watching a video where P!NK reacted to people singing her songs, and one of the singers was named Davina. I then went to her channel and listened to her songs, and I've been listening to her since. And her name stuck with me, so I decided to name Sir Finlay's and Gabriella's second daughter after her. 😉 And there you go. A little back story! :D Also, the baby smell thing is a real thing. At least from my experience. 😊