Puzzling

Summary: During a trip to see Greylock and his family, as well as to discuss plans to confront the recently discovered enemy, Cedric, Sofia, and several others find themselves ensnared in a strange trap, where they have to solve perplexing clues to escape. In the process, they encounter two new enemies.

Disclaimer: I only own Angel and Zinnia, and the two Elementals called Zemeo and Aerlo. Tanya and Nana belong to MarionetteJ2X. Everyone and everything else belong to Craig Gerber.

A/N: Two new Elementals coming your way! These two like to tag-team. Haha. And you know how much I love puzzles, riddles, clues, etc. So this story promotes plenty of that. I've decided that this story will be a two-shot: getting us to the point of the puzzle-solving escapade, and then the actual process of puzzle-solving (which will be a bit more tedious). I figured it might be better that way. 😉 Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1: Unearthed

"How does that look, Tanya?" Sofia asked as she finished braiding Tanya's hair. She smiled as the girl held out a handheld mirror to observe the princess's work. "Is it 'Tanya approved' or what?"

Tanya smiled and nodded before handing the mirror to Sofia. "Yes, it is. I am not surprised that you are good at braiding hair, though. I am sure you have had plenty of practice with your own."

"Yeah, although Cedric is usually the one braiding my hair these days." She blinked when she heard a small snicker escape the white-haired girl before her. "What's so funny?"

"It is nothing. I just think it is sweet that he does such a kind thing for you."

Sofia smiled. "Without even being asked most of the time. I think I'll keep him."

The girl giggled, murmuring to herself, "That is no surprise…"

The princess stood from her bed, brushing out her sorceress dress. "How do I look?" She ran her fingers through her loose hair a few times, sifting through the waves. "I know it's not necessarily any fancy party or anything, but since it's basically a reunion of magic wielders, I figured I'd dress for the occasion."

Tanya nodded happily. "You look lovely, Mama." Her smile slowly morphed into a small smirk. "I am sure Papa will think so too."

She laughed. "He'd better. He made it for me."

The young girl sighed in amusement. She found it somewhat adorably entertaining how her guardian was still a bit…what was the word? Naïve…about certain things. But she would eventually figure things out. Of that, she was certain.

"Ready?" Sofia took Tanya's hands and helped her down to the floor.

Tanya was dressed in her usual attire, her feet still bare as always. She flipped her braid behind her back before smiling up at Sofia. "Ready."

Cedric handed Nana another sweet bun while they waited for Sofia and Tanya to arrive. He sighed as he lowered his head into his hand, his elbow propped on the same table where Nana was sitting. "What is taking them so long?" he asked in frustration. "We're supposed to be leaving soon…" He chuckled as Nana reached out with her free hand and gently patted his head. "Thank you, my darling."

The duo glanced up when they heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," Cedric called out, sitting up a bit before smiling lightly when he saw his niece and her boyfriend there. "Oh, Calista, Angel… Come on inside." He grabbed his wand and conjured a few chairs, which the couple sat in. "We are still waiting for Sofia and Tanya."

"I can't believe you're up this early, Uncle Ceddy," Calista teased. "Fully dressed, hair combed, and everything."

"Ha-ha, Calista." He smirked. "I decided to go ahead and feed Nana while we were waiting on the other two, and I've got the AutoCoach prepared as well. I needed to make sure it would provide a comfortable sitting for all six of us."

"Will it?" Angel wondered.

"Quite comfortable, actually. There will be enough room for Tanya to sit with you two, and we can hold Nana. If that's all right with you both, that is."

"Of course, Uncle Ceddy," Calista agreed with a nod. "Tanya's fine. And it's just a trip to Ivy's Island and back, right?"

"Well, a trip there, an important discussion or two, and then back home eventually, yes."

In fact, the current trip was to discuss an important matter that they were all mostly familiar with at this point: the situation with the ones who called themselves the Elementals. In addition, there was also the case of Cybil Marie, a now former classmate of Calista's, who disappeared last month with someone calling himself Blitz. They really wanted to discuss this information with not only the current group and Greylock's family, but also Sir Finlay and his family. However, they'd gotten word that Gabriella wasn't doing too well; her pregnancy was a bit more complicated this time around, so it was necessary for her to stay home for the time being, which also eliminated Sir Finlay's input.

But that was fine. They could handle things on their own…hopefully.

A few minutes later, Sofia arrived with Tanya, both of them laughing.

Cedric couldn't help smiling at the sight. "What's so funny, you two?"

"Mama challenged me to a race up the stairs, and she nearly tripped on the first step," Tanya explained. "And then she just started laughing… So that made me laugh, and here we are." She grinned and waved at Nana, who was happily munching on her third sweet bun while waving with her free hand.

"Sofia, you look lovely," Calista gushed with a smile. "You'd outshine any of those other stuck-up sorceresses we've met before."

Sofia smiled at her friend's comment. "Aw, thanks, Calista." She turned her attention to Cedric, who held out his arms as she immediately walked toward him and hugged him. "Morning, Cedric."

"Good morning, my dear," he returned, humming softly. He chuckled as she released him and looked at him expectantly. "Ready to go?"

The princess nodded. "Ready when you are."

After everyone had eaten breakfast, the six Enchancians proceeded to the AutoCoach, Cedric and Sofia sliding onto one seat with Nana in Cedric's lap, and Angel, Calista, and Tanya sliding onto the other seat across the way. It was, as Cedric had called it, a comfortable fit. The trip to Ivy's Island wasn't too far anyway, so it would be a pleasant enough journey.

"There are so many things we don't know," Sofia mumbled about fifteen minutes into their journey. She sighed and folded her arms as she leaned against the wall. "We've heard a few names now: Topaz, Yeizou, Blitz, and even Cybil Marie…"

Calista frowned as she nodded. "As horrible as she is, I wasn't expecting that…"

"Now, we've talked before about the Elementals representing the primary elements," Cedric reminded them. "Yeizou was a Water Wielder. Topaz was a Fire Wielder. What was Blitz, exactly? Because we were not there for him."

Angel frowned. "I think…a Lightning Wielder, perhaps? He certainly controlled a great deal of it."

Sofia turned to Cedric. "Lightning isn't an element, is it?"

"Not quite," he answered, gently stroking Nana's hair as she slept in his arms. "It's more of a combination of air and fire, really… Sort of an…overlap, you could say."

"So… Mommy Fire Wielder and Daddy Air Wielder—whoever that is—had to…overlap…to make Baby Blitz?" Calista guessed, causing her uncle to roll his eyes and Sofia to laugh. "What?" she asked cheekily, grinning. "I'm just trying to understand this whole situation, Uncle Ceddy."

"Cute, Calista. Really cute. Although if anything, from what we saw, I'm rather sure that the two called Topaz and Yeizou are likely in a relationship. Those are the Fire and Water Wielders."

Calista gasped. "Ooh, family drama maybe? Fire wanted a baby, but Water said no, so she went to Air?" She lifted a hand to her mouth. "Scandalous!"

Sofia laughed. "Calista, stop that." She smiled and shook her head. "But we do know, at least, that there's at least one outside the usual list of elements."

"If that is the case," Tanya told them, her voice calm and rational as she spoke, "then there are probably more in this group than you originally thought. For by logic, both earth and air are still missing… And who is to say that there are not more overlaps?"

"She is right," Angel confirmed. "There clearly are others… But we should wait and see what they are."

"There's another key piece we're forgetting," Sofia reminded them. "When my Enchantlet scanned Topaz and Yeizou back at the seminar, the information said that they work under someone called Master Extorio, who originally worked for Malum In Se."

Cedric sighed. "I'd hoped never to hear that name again… And I sincerely hope this 'Master Extorio' isn't as bad as his predecessor."

"We'll take him down just like all the others, Uncle Ceddy," Calista told him encouragingly. "We just need to stick together, and we can do anything." Inwardly, she was trying to forget that her own father had originally been linked up with the dreaded Master Extorio. He had been locked away, though, and for good reason. Any man who had been willing to sacrifice his own family deserved far worse, in all honesty.

Not too much later, the group arrived at Ivy's Island, the AutoCoach parking near the castle entrance. They exited, looking around at their surroundings.

Angel, who had never been to the island before, was a bit taken aback by the drastic color differences in the castle and the colorful field of flowers in the distance. "Whoever chose the colors for this land seems to have conflicting interests…"

Sofia giggled as she nodded. "That's…a long story. Ivy used to be adamant about keeping this entire area black and white with no color, but then Miss Nettle happened, along with Greylock and Zinnia… So I guess it's safe to say that she's had to make some compromises with her color scheme."

"I'll say," Calista laughed. "It definitely looks like very different people live here."

"You should have been here for our first big fight: the bedroom color."

The others turned to see a smirking Greylock standing behind them. While most just waved and said hi, Sofia actually hurried over and gave her friend a hug, Nana (now on her shoulder) getting in on the action by hugging his head.

Greylock chuckled as he returned Sofia's hug before reaching up and playfully ruffling Nana's hair. "Hello, little one. Have you been giving your parents a hard time?" He grinned as Nana gasped and shook her head vehemently. "How predictable. You do take after Sofia, after all!"

Nana giggled quietly.

"Come along then, everyone. The ladies are inside." He smiled excitedly. "And we have pie!"

"Ooh, chocolate, perhaps?" Calista asked hopefully as she and the others followed the sorcerer.

"Is there any better type?"

Inside Ivy's castle, Ivy and Miss Nettle were sitting on a sofa in one of her common rooms, each enjoying a piece of chocolate pie. Zinnia sat in an oversized chair, filled with several dolls and toys, her face covered with traces of chocolate (indicating that she'd likely already devoured her portion).

Ivy looked up when the Enchancian group followed Greylock into the room. She smiled and set her plate down. "About time you got here," she remarked playfully. "I was starting to wonder if you'd gotten lost or something."

"We had a bit of a late start," Cedric admitted, shrugging. "Now then, where is this pie Greylock spoke of?"

Miss Nettle grinned and pointed toward the coffee table before them. "Help yourselves."

Nana grinned as she saw Zinnia waving to her from her chair. She hurried over as the dark-haired girl shoved some of her toys onto the floor to make room for her friend. Nana clambered up the chair and sat next to Zinnia, hugging her happily.

"Aww," Sofia cooed. "It's sweet that they get to be reunited." She looked toward Ivy as Cedric passed her a plate with a piece of pie on it. "They got really close during the Royal Rumble, along with all the other kids. I wish you could have seen it. They were so cute."

Ivy smiled and shrugged. "Sorry I couldn't make it. I wasn't feeling well. Although…now that I know why, it does make more sense."

Cedric tilted his head in confusion. "Were you ill with the flu? Stomach pains perhaps?"

"Oh, I had stomach pains, all right…" She laughed and placed one hand over her stomach. "I'm just a little bit pregnant right now…"

"Aw, congratulations, you guys!" Sofia gushed excitedly. "I'm so happy for you!"

Greylock chuckled. "Thank you, Sofia. We're thrilled."

Calista seemed rather delighted by the news, though a thoughtful expression appeared on her face. "You too, huh? We heard Mrs. Gabriella was also pregnant, and they say these things come in threes…" She tapped her chin. "I wonder if Amber is next and will be having another baby. Or…" She smirked as she glanced at Sofia, who blushed darkly.

"C-Calista, really?!" The princess placed one hand on her hip as she offered her friend a pointed stare. "I'm…so not ready for that… And there are…other things…th-that should h-happen first…" She turned her head to the side as a few others eyed her curiously, especially her partner. "B-Besides, I think raising Nana and Tanya is our primary goal for now."

"'For now,' she says," Miss Nettle teased with a grin. "Hear that, Cedric? Things might change down the road… And I'm sure the little darlings will have your hair and Sofia's eyes."

Cedric blushed just as darkly as Sofia did, not having expected this sudden turn of the conversation. "C-Could we focus on the real reason we're here?" He gestured vaguely, trying to regain his senses and take the focus off himself and Sofia. "The Elementals?"

"We really do need to discuss that," Angel spoke up, hoping that everyone would be able to concentrate on the matter at hand. "Because I have a horrible feeling that we have not seen the worst of these new enemies yet."

"Agreed, Angel," Tanya added as she stepped up from next to Cedric. "It is only going to get worse from here…"

"We need a plan then," Sofia suggested, glad to have the focus on the real reason they were all together now. "How can we defeat the enemy without any of our own being lost? I don't want to lose anyone else like we lost Quilor…"

"Seems like we have a lot to think about then," Greylock admitted. "So… Let's start planning."

While the group was talking, two figures appeared in Miss Nettle's meadow of Wake-Upsy Daisies.

One was tall and tan, almost the color of the upturned soil near the base of the trees. His hair was short and as green as the grass that swayed around the meadow. His body suit was black and formfitting, accentuating his muscles and abs. The top of his suit, however, was an earthy brown, from his shoulders to his neck, just above his chest. His sleeves were three-quarter length, stopping above his wrists. Two leather belts surrounded his waist. He also wore black boots, each laced up in an intricate fashion. His somewhat small eyes were a strange hue: a mix of green, red, and blue, spanning the circumference of his irises. In his hands was a whip that appeared to be made of a thorny vine, the base of it an orange metallic texture with an emerald jewel nestled on top. The same type of gem could be seen at the end of the vine, though it was much sharper and appeared to have several scratches and a few faint traces of a dried red substance caught in a few tiny crevices of the surface. His name was Zemeo, and he was an Earth Wielder.

The second was much paler and a bit shorter than the other guy. All the same, he was still somewhat muscular, as highlighted by his opened vest-shirt made of off-white canvas-style material with spiral designs, the shoulder sleeves a dark ebony in contrast. The shirt's hem ended somewhere along the line of his visible belly button. His black slacks were lower around his hips, encircled by a dark ruby belt with a peculiar buckle: a pure silver figure of a man running with a lance in one hand and a shield in another. Dangling from his right side was a long set of silver chains, which clinked each time he moved. His black and red-lined boots matched his pants and belt perfectly, from the color scheme to the buckle design. Silver ties laced up his boots in an impeccably perfect fashion. Around his neck was a thin silver chain with two circular charms hanging from the middle, one pure silver and the other also silver but with a blue sapphire inlay at the top. His eyes were sharp, and his irises seemed to be an eerily glowing shade of aquamarine. There appeared to be some light turquoise powder surrounding his eyes, making him look even more daunting and ethereal, even. His hair was a wind-tossed mass of varying shades of blue and black, choppy and short in some places, and layered and brushing his neck in others. His name was Aerlo, and he was an Air Wielder.

"Here should be perfect," Zemeo told his partner, smirking as the Air Wielder sighed and folded his arms. "Could you not pout about every single thing? It's honestly getting really annoying, and if we're stuck working together, we might as well make the most of it."

"This is a waste of time," Aerlo complained. "We've already heard about this princess. She's like some master puzzle solver, and the people she's often around aren't exactly idiots either, from what I've heard. They figured out the situation at the Conjuror's Board a while ago—which, by the way, I told you would happen." He rolled his eyes. "Of all the people to send in as an undercover infiltrator, you had to pick Gerard the 'Generous?' More like Gerard the Jinxed. He hasn't necessarily been known for his good luck in the past, and that more than proves it."

"Are you finished?"

"Nope. Let's also talk about how this is the same princess who went up against the likes of Kinoroh and Malum In Se. Our leader's leader. The Never Realm is completely gone partly because of this girl. What makes you think that we have any chance against her?"

"Aerlo, enough." Seeing that his friend was about to speak again, he turned the hilt of the whip toward him, holding it just under his chin and glaring at the other man. "Say…nothing. Okay? Nothing." Seeing that Aerlo had quieted, he lowered his whip to his side. "Besides… She may have had a hand in the destruction of all those beings in the past, but that doesn't mean she'll succeed in defeating us." He grinned. "After all, we're the Elementals. We work with natural pieces of the realm, our powers infused with the highest source possible of each one. And we have our secret weapon as well… Her days are numbered."

Aerlo scoffed. "I highly doubt that. She seems to have a never-ending supply of luck."

"Then let's change that, shall we?" Zemeo lifted his whip, snapping it out behind him, before cracking it against the ground amidst Miss Nettle's flowers. "Terra Vitae! Labyrinthus!"

The ground shook around them as the earth before them split open in a maze pattern, stone walls rising from underneath the surface. The labyrinth, as it were, was large and daunting, with several spirals and turns galore. Along the stony walls, several curtains of ivy clung to the rocky texture, adhering to the ironic concept of "Ivy's Island." The walls were enclosed from the top in a crude form of a ceiling, thereby sealing off any way of exiting other than solving the actual maze itself.

"Here." Zemeo passed off a glowing scroll to his partner. "You're faster than I am and can get this done quickly. Set up the labyrinth and the traps. And I'll call forth our…participants. And if we are successful, we can trap them for good and carry out our plans as desired. Can you handle that?"

For the first time since they'd arrived, Aerlo grinned menacingly. "With pleasure."

Back at the castle…

"Did you guys feel that earlier?" Ivy asked as she stood, frowning at the strange sensation she was experiencing. "Almost like there was an earthquake nearby or something…"

"I didn't feel anything, darling," Greylock told her. "Are you sure…?"

"I felt it as well," Tanya spoke up, a serious expression on her face. "I have a bad feeling. Something is not right."

"Agreed," Angel added. "There is a darkness here, and it is drawing closer."

"Let's go see what it is," Sofia suggested, standing up, only to have Cedric grab her arm and keep her in place. "Cedric…"

"Are you sure that's a good idea, my dear?" he asked pointedly. "Two of the most intuitive people here just confirmed that there is a 'darkness' or evil nearby, and your suggestion is to go to it?"

She frowned as he stood up next to her. "Do you have a better idea? Would you rather it come to us instead?"

"Allow me to oblige."

The group gasped as Zemeo appeared in the middle of Ivy's common room, a smirk on his face. When he saw Zinnia attempt to run, he used his thorny whip to lasso her in, pulling her toward himself.

"Ow! Mommy! Daddy!" Zinnia cried as she felt the thorns digging into her little arm. "It hurts!"

"Get your hands off my daughter!" Greylock snarled, withdrawing his wand and aiming it at the Elemental. "Ince-!"

"Are you sure that's wise?" Zemeo challenged, pulling Zinnia into his arms and grinning as the girl screamed in terror. "Would you like to blast the girl instead? I'm not sure how that will look… I'd venture to say that Father's Day would have a negative connotation attached to it if you were to incinerate her poor, weak, helpless little body."

Sofia, thinking fast, activated her Enchantlet and used it as a lasso, watching as it landed around Zinnia. She grabbed Greylock's wand and aimed it at Zemeo's whip. "Demolio!" She watched as the whip fell to the ground, now in pieces, and she quickly retracted the Enchantlet, pulling the little girl into her arms. "You're okay, Zinnia…"

Zinnia, her dress a bit ripped and several bleeding scratches along her skin from the thorns, sobbed into Sofia's shoulder until Greylock gathered her into his own arms, holding her closely as she cried.

"You certainly have a lot of nerve, attacking a child," Cedric challenged the man, his own wand drawn. "Give me one reason I shouldn't destroy you right now."

"Because you haven't earned the right to do so just yet…" Zemeo held out his hand, using an advanced form of telekinesis to levitate the whip, fully restored, into his hand again. "You're about to play a little game… And your lives will depend on your success." He snapped the whip against the floor, the emerald gems on either end reacting and causing them all to disappear from the room.

When everyone looked around not long after, they realized that they seemed to be on a stone pathway, large walls on either side of them and bricked off behind them as well. One glance upward also proved that there was also a ceiling. Their only option was to go forward, it appeared.

"Where are we?" Calista asked, confused. "Uncle Ceddy…"

"Stay close, Calista," Cedric told her as she stood next to him, her hand clutching Angel's. His own hand was holding onto Tanya's as she stood on his other side. He glanced to his right and sighed softly, seeing that Sofia was now holding onto Nana. His eyes trailed to Zinnia, who was still sniffling, her wounds now a bit more prominent, and her dress completely ruined. "How is she?"

Zinnia whimpered, burying her face in Greylock's neck.

"If I see that brute again, I will obliterate him on the spot," Greylock growled lowly.

"Not if I get to him first," Ivy echoed evenly, her hands radiating a bit of her own magic. "No one hurts our kid."

Nana reached out from Sofia's hold and gently clasped her tiny hands over Zinnia's injuries. She closed her eyes, focusing, as some of her healing powers flowed from her hands into the other little girl. When she finished a few moments later, Zinnia was healed, and Nana was clearly a little bit tired as she laid her head against Sofia's chest.

"Good girl, Nana," Sofia whispered, pressing a kiss to the girl's head.

"Thank you, little one," Greylock murmured as he cradled his daughter with one arm and reached out with his free hand to gently ruffle Nana's hair, making her smile.

Before they could say anything or do anything else, both Zemeo and Aerlo appeared in the room in what appeared to be a dusty tornado, causing the group of friends to cough and sputter.

"Who are you?" Ivy demanded once the dust cleared. "And where are we?"

The darker man smirked. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Zemeo, the Earth Wielder of the Elementals…"

"And I'm Aerlo, the Air Wielder," the blue-haired Elemental added. "And we have quite the challenge for you." He folded his arms, staring specifically toward Sofia. "We hear you're good with puzzles, Princess Sofia… We'll see about that."

"If you succeed in solving all of them, we'll let you go." Zemeo grinned. "If you fail, you'll be stuck here forever, and this maze will become your tomb."

"What makes you think we'll play your stupid game?" Calista asked, yelping as Zemeo cracked his whip near her feet, causing the ground in front of her to split open a bit. She glared at the smirking man.

"What makes you think you have a choice?"

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Ah-Maze-Ing (Not one word, Shortman. Lol!)