(Y/N)'s POV:
Cedric has been out somewhere today while I've been learning a new charm not even Cedric knows how to do. The Patronus Charm. I haven't gotten it right yet. But that can come later. Cedric just came back with a rose that only blooms every 100 years and he's using it to make a power-plucking potion so he can choose any power from Sofia's amulet. Yeah, we need the thing first. Cedric left to go get it. Can't wait to see how well this goes.
Well, he came back with it and Sofia doesn't even know it's gone! He called his mother from the painting and told her what he did. She was so proud. But what power was he going to take? He wanted the power of supreme strength so no one can stop him from taking over. He took his potion and tried to get the cork off but his hands were stuck. What's going on? Winnifred and I helped him get unstuck but spilled the potion on the floor. And his hands were stuck to the floor.
"Why are my hands so sticky?" Cedric asked
That's when I realized, "Hold on, you put the amulet on?"
"Well, of course, I did. Why?"
"Once you put the amulet on, you're bound by its rules," Winnifred said taking Cedric's book from the desk and reading it, "'For each deed performed, for better or worse, a power is granted, a blessing or curse'."
"The amulet cursed me!" Cedric said trying to detach his hands from the floor.
I tried to help him. But he only flew back onto the mirror behind him and was stuck again.
"Yes, my dear, with sticky fingers, for stealing Princess Sofia's amulet, no doubt," Winnifred said.
"I must undo the curse. But how?" Cedric asked.
"'The only way to break the curse is to make up for your bad deed'," Winnifred read, "Well, since you took something from Sofia, maybe you should give something to her."
"Oh, but what? Surely not the amulet!"
"Of course not. You need that to take over the kingdom. Give her something else. Something as important to you as the amulet is to her."
I was trying to pull Cedric off the mirror. But things got worse when I did. Because I didn't know where to pull him from, I had to grab his torso and pull him off. But he just fell on top of me making us tumble until I was on top. And he's stick to me now. This is so embarrassing. Cedric sat us up as he continued to talk to Winnifred.
"But what do I have that the princess could possibly want?" Cedric asked
We heard Sofia giggle in the background. I need to get off Cedric because we're in quite the position. I moved my hands to his chest where I started to try to push him off. As we struggled, Winnifred suggested that we asked Sofia what she could want from him. I want off Cedric. Can we have that arranged? We got unstuck and backed off from each other extremely flustered. Winnifred made a small locket for herself to hide in while we go to Sofia for some unspoken help.
We went to the front of the palace where Sofia was packing up apples. We were ready to go talk to her but Cedric still had a problem, the amulet is out in the open. To save him the bother, I hid it under his bowtie and walked over to Sofia. Sofia tossed him an apple that then got stuck to his hand. While he talked with her, I took the apple from him with some struggle. He asked her what she wanted but she didn't seem to want anything. But then asked to have a flight in his flying machine.
He said no because it was the most precious thing he owns. Sofia understood and moved on. I had to break the news to him. I told him to give it to her and his sticky fingers would be gone. So, he went to fetch it. He came back with it and told Sofia that she could have it. That helped him break the curse and now his hands weren't sticky anymore. That's great and all but how is he supposed to get a power with no potion? Winnifred told him that he would have to get the powers the same way Sofia does; by being good.
Cedric doesn't know how to be good. Well, he does know how, he's just been blind to it. I'll have to help him out along with Sofia. She's better at this stuff than me. Sofia and James returned from their flight. Sofia had to go and give the people in the village apples. We offered to join her and she let us. We got in the coach and left. When we arrived, we started handing out the apples. But it wasn't a good enough deed to give him a new power. He had to do something better, kinder even. He noticed a tree and had an idea.
He made it grow taller and grow all sorts of fruit for everyone. Nice enough to give him a new power. He can now grow as tall as a giant! He boasted that he could take over the kingdom better this way. But he accidentally crushed a wagon and he lost the power. He realized what happened and fixed the wagon to get the power back but that didn't work. He has to stop doing bad things or he won't keep these powers and just end up cursed. Right, back to Sofia for help.
"Mr Cedric, everyone loves your fruit tree," Sofia told him.
"Yes, yes, how very heartwarming. But Sofia, I need you to help me do more nice things," Cedric said
"More?"
"A lot more. I don't ever want to stop. Oh, please. You must teach me how to be a better me."
'I think you're good but let me suggest a sure-fire way to bring out your best. Open your heart and just look around till you find someone who's feeling down. Look at that girl there,' she pointed to a young girl playing Dazzelball but she was struggling, 'She's off her game and lost her pep. So give it a whirl there.'
'I know what to do! Put a small spring into her step,' Cedric used a spell to give her springy shoes and went back to playing.
'Get her on a roll, help her score a goal. That's what you do when you wanna be a better you.'
'Try to save her day and make things go her way,' she won the game, 'Now I can see that I must be a better me!'
"Great job, Mr Cedric. You really helped that girl out," Sofia said looking back at the girl.
The amulet shone under Cedric's bowtie and he started bouncing too. The amulet gave him a new power!
"Let's find some more people to help, Sofia!" I said smiling.
"Okay," she said before running off.
Cedric bounced again but higher. It was great at first but some birds got in his way and he told them to shoo but then he fell on his face. That must hurt. I came to his aid when his nose turned into a beak!
"My nose, it's a beak! I've been cursed!" Cedric said worried
I gave him a fan to hide it, "Oh, Sofia, Cedric must help someone immediately!"
She led us to a bakery that was being taken over by raccoons, 'If someone's home seems more like a zoo. Clean up the mess, make their problems shoo.'
'I'll find someone whose luck has really gone sour,' he made the raccoons leave and put my the fan away as he shook hands with the Baker, ''Cause I've got to get a new power,' he made sure only I heard that bit.
'Give someone a treat when they're feeling beat,' Sofia took us to another girl whose ice cream fell off the cone, 'That's what you do if you wanna be a better you.'
'I'll have a "be nice" binge, although it makes me cringe,' he made sure I heard that too, 'They're gonna see I'm gonna be a better me! Yes, hopefully soon I can become a far, far better me!'
Cedric made the girl a throne of ice cream and treats and placed her on top. All of the other children ran over to ave some too. This gave Cedric the power to freeze whatever he wanted. But then he accidentally froze the water near the dock and the power was gone again. So the amulet can't even handle a simple accident? I'm not sure that's fair. Cedric fixed the mess he caused and it was time for the next good deed. And don't do something bad to become cursed. We arrived at a man trying to move some stones.
He was building a house by himself for his family so they have somewhere to live. On top of that, his cart to transport the stones broke so now he has to carry them himself. That will take him at least twice the time to build the house this way by himself. So, Cedric offered to just build the entire house. He did that and it was time for a new power. He now has the power he's been wanting from the beginning!
Supreme Strength! Finally! We went back home and to the throne room. Cedric told someone to go get Roland to tell him the news. Cedric sat on the throne happy with this success at last. Only for things to go wrong again. The amulet knew what Cedric was up to and gave him heavy, iron hands! He dragged himself back to his workshop, destroying the floor and his door.
"Oh, Mother, come quick," Cedric said as he entered the workshop.
Winnifred gasped, appearing, "What is it, dear?"
"Look what the amulet did to his hands," I said.
Winnifred used her magic to lift his hands, "That is one dreadful curse."
"You must help me get rid of it," Cedric said.
"The only way to break a curse this nasty is to do the most noble, kind-hearted act you can think of."
Winnifred dropped his hands, destroying the floor and puffing dust everywhere. People are going to ask what happened.
"What could I ever do that would be kind enough to break such a wretched curse?" Cedric asked.
And our problem became worse. Sofia is coming. I helped Cedric hide his new hands with his sleeves just as she came in. She instantly asked about the floor and the door but we didn't tell her so she got straight to the point. Because Cedric switched the amulet with a fake one, she thinks it isn't working. Well, I hate to say it but I think he found his good deed. Give the amulet back. So that's what Cedric did and his metal hands were back to normal. Now that that was over with, Sofia left and Winnifred appeared again.
"You gave the amulet back?" Winnifred asked
"Well, it was the only way to get rid of the curse, Mummy," Cedric said
"Then I suppose returning it was the right thing to do. It's a shame it had to come to that."
"But maybe taking the amulet isn't an option anymore. I mean, look what happened today. You have to be good to earn a power but you want to use it for evil. We should think of another idea," I said.
"You're right. We'll find another way to take the throne. And this time, we'll do it together," Cedric said.
I smiled. H told me that when we were trying to take Sofia's amulet back from Princess Ivy. But he won't remember that. We shared a hug. Today's been a long day. But at least we've come to an agreement that the amulet is no longer an option. We'll find a way to take the throne one day. Just not today.