A figure was standing on a snow covered hill, staring into the distance. The darkness enveloped the person, and the only light to see by was the moon, which was quickly being covered by clouds.
A storm was brewing, dark and thick, rolling down over the mountains, traveling fast. The figure turned and started to hurry down the snow, slipping but never falling.
Soon, they were enveloped by a thick forest. It was even darker there, as no light penetrated the branches.
The figure hurried on despite the darkness. They rushed through as if they had traveled the route so many times it would be forever in their memory.
A rabbit, spooked by the figure ran out of a bush into the night. The person did not stop, every moment or two looking back to see how far the storm had come.
At last, the figure reached a clearing, where a house stood. It was old, but well kept and sturdy. Merry light from the windows provided a haven from the darkness.
Rushing up the steps, the person reached out, and pushed on the door. It slid open, and warmth spilled out into the night.
The figure stepped inside and closed the door, bolting it shut. They stared out at the scene before them: friends and family gathered around a fireplace, surrounded by books and contraptions. Mismatched chairs and furniture stood throughout the room, pulled up to stand around the fireplace.
A person looked out from behind the wing of a chair. He was older, with a beard and hair that were starting to gray at the edges. His eyes sparkled with wisdom and magic as he stared at the figure, waiting.
"A storm is coming," said Sylphrenia.
"And we will be ready," replied Merlin.
~Two Weeks Earlier~
It was two days before winter break and everyone at Auradon Prep was excited. There was a hum of good cheer and holiday joy, one that did not share.
In three days, she was going to leave to spend four weeks in Camelot. She was excited about going, however she was not excited for what was in store for her. Sylphrenia had to find Morgan le Fay; Merlin's wife, Maddie's mother, and the woman who had raised Syl when she had left Avalon.
Needless to say, Syl was sad that she was the one to track her down and bring her to justice, but as she was the guardian of Camelot, it was her duty to find her. She had been preparing for it ever since the night of the coronation, when she realized that she was more than just a normal student at Auradon Prep, and that she had duties to attend to.
A little less than a year ago, Morgan had betrayed her kingdom. She had attempted to assassinate King Arthur. She also gave Queen Genevieve a love potion that was so strong that nobody could break it. The potion had caused the queen to leave with Lancelot, one of Arthur's knights. It had left the prince motherless and the king grieving. Arthur had assembled his forces to stop Morgan le Fay, but she had fled. As the fairy of the realm, it was Sylphrenia's job to bring her back to his court to face justice.
The thought of hunting down the person who was like a mother to her had caused her to get in a worse mood each day. She was not the only one, however. Many of her friends were getting sadder and quieter as it got closer to the break.
Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos were all planning to stay at Auradon Prep for their break, as they were unable to visit their parents in the Isle of the Lost. Sylphrenia's friendship with all of them had grown, and her once strong feelings for Jay were... still there, however they had become good friends. She was willing to push down her feelings, and she had long ago decided that it would be best
Syl had also become very good friends with Jane. Ever since the coronation, many of her friends had disappeared, so Sylphrenia had tried to help her become less concerned about her appearance. Jane was actually very sweet and funny, and Syl was glad to have gotten to know her. She was still trying to get her to not feel bad about freeing Maleficent, but Jane was insistent that it was her fault. To atone for it, she seemed to be doing more work and community service. She had even admitted to Syl that she had signed up to plan the Cotillion that was going to happen at the end of the year.
Jane was also planning on staying at Auradon Prep, since her mother was the headmistress.
The Fairy Godmother however, seemed to have very different plans. Sylphrenia was called to her office after her last class of the day.
Syl knocked on the door at the appointed time, and she was let in. It was a grand room that was lavishly furnished, and fit to be a headmistress's office. She came in, shutting the door behind her, and was prompted to sit down in the seat across from the headmistress.
"So Sylphrenia," she said, clasping her hands together and placing them on her desk. "I assume that you are going to Camelot for winter break?"
"Yes, and I will be coming back the day before Christmas," Syl replied.
"You are planning to, ah... find Morgan le Fay?" Fairy Godmother looked at Sylphrenia. "That doesn't seem like much of a vacation."
Sylphrenia shrugged. "It's what I need to do. I will do it."
She nodded her head. "Of course, but I have a suggestion."
Sylphrenia looked at her. "What?"
"Well, as you may already be aware, many of your friends are staying here over the break. Why don't you invite them to come with you? Show them where you grew up. Your family."
Syl considered it. "How will I find Morgan if I'm showing my friends Camelot?"
"You'll want to show them everything," the Fairy Godmother said. "That should provide a good excuse to look around places you wouldn't normally go. Consider it multitasking. Having fun, while doing work at the same time.
Sylphrenia thought about it. Having her friends there would make her visit much more enjoyable. She could think of all the places that she could show them, all the beautiful magical places they could explore.
"Well, I could take them to explore..." she started.
"Wonderful," Fairy Godmother exclaimed. "Ben has agreed to take Mal, while Jane, Evie, Jay, and Carlos have all agreed to join as well. They were quite excited when I told them about it."
"You... already asked them?" asked Sylphrenia, looking suspiciously at the headmistress.
She turned pink, but looked Syl straight in the eyes. "I believe... that it will be very important for them to be there. It is crucial that you do not lose yourself there. You have responsibilities here. Avalon's pull on you in Auradon is weak, but in Camelot... well, having your friends there will help you."
Sylphrenia nodded. "Thank you. I believe that this break is going to be more... interesting than I thought." All the sudden, the prospect of going to Camelot seemed brighter. She smiled at Fairy Godmother, feeling cheery. "Can I go now? I do believe that I need to pack."
Fairy Godmother nodded. "Of course dear."
Syl left her office and almost skipped down the hallway, feeling jubilant. She hadn't realized the toll finding Morgan was taking on her emotions.
She arrived at her dorm and went inside. When she came inside, Mal and Evie were inside packing. Evie had been folding a shirt, but when Syl came in, she dropped it and ran at Syl. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed, hugging her.
Mal came up behind Evie. "We were pretty excited when Fairy Godmother suggested that we go to Camelot," she admitted. "Evie was really happy that you were willing to show us around everywhere."
"Thanks for coming," said Syl. "I can't wait to show you guys everything." Evie let go of Syl.
"It's going to be so amazing! There's supposed to be some super awesome dressmakers in Camelot that I totally want to see." Evie exclaimed.
"Yeah," said Syl, going over to her bed and pulling her trunk out from under it. "All of their stores are located in a place called dressmaker's row. One of the more famous stylists there designed Belle's wedding dress. She had some of the best designs before her daughter took over her shop. I don't know what has happened with it since, but all of the other dressmakers have done some pretty wonderful things."
"Talking about clothes," started Mal. "What should we bring when we go to Camelot?"
Syl opened her dresser and started pulling out clothes. "It's going to be really cold there, so I would bring as many layers as possible. Some formal wear as well, because we will visit King Arthur-"
"We are going to do what?" asked Evie in surprise.
"Meet King Arthur. He'll want to be there to welcome you to his kingdom," Syl replied.
"Wow," said Evie, impressed.
"What else should we bring?" asked Mal, bringing the conversation back to the task at hand.
"Swimsuits," Syl stated.
"Are we going swimming?" asked another voice. Sylphrenia turned around and saw Carlos and Jay standing in the doorway. "Because it's kind of the middle of winter," Carlos continued.
Sylphrenia smiled at them as they came in. "How about I leave it as a surprise?" she asked. "But trust me, you guys will want them."
Jay came over, and sat on her bed next to her suitcase. "I've heard that some of the best swordsmen have come from Camelot."
Syl shrugged, tucking another article of clothing into her trunk. "Some of the greatest sword makers have come from Camelot. Excalibur, for example, was created there. It was one of the greatest swords ever created."
Jay brightened. "Maybe I could get lessons."
Cay laughed. "Not like you need them to get onto the ROAR team."
Jay looked at him "I want to be captain, not just on the team." They all rolled their eyes at this. Jay had been obsessing about getting on the team ever since he had learned about it. The tourney season had ended, and he had been preparing to try out by training for hours at a time.
"So, how are we getting there?" asked Evie. "I know that Mal is going with Ben, but Fairy Godmother just said we are going with you."
Syl shrugged. "I've got a car," she said.
"But multiple people have said that you can't drive. That's why you always use the limos," Carlos said.
Syl glared at him as they all laughed. "I can drive just fine. Just I do it better when I am outside of city limits."
"Uh huh," Mal said, smiling at her. "Whatever you say."
A knock sounded on the door and Carlos opened it. "Oh, uh, hey Jane," he squeaked out.
"Hey Carlos," she said. "Can I come in?"
He blushed, jumping out of the way. "Oh, yeah, of course. Come on... in," he finished lamely as she walked in. Immediately she went over and hugged Sylphrenia. "Thank you so much for inviting me! I can't wait to leave Auradon Prep for my break. It happens so rarely. I can just feel that this is going to be awesome!"
She stepped back and sat down at Syl's desk.
"You guys are all really excited about this, aren't you?" Sylphrenia asked them, her stomach sinking. What if she let them down and had to leave to find Morgan. What if she wasn't strong enough and they got hurt in the crossfire? What if Camelot was a disappointment to them?
Jay nudged her. "Hey, of course we are. And, it's going to be fine. I don't know what you're worrying about."
Syl hid her frown. If only he knew.