Supernova---A KOTLC fanfiction

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Sophie

Keefe, get over here, Sophie transmitted to Keefe.

Is everything all right?! Keefe asked, worried.

Sophie bit her lip. Should she tell him right then, through transmissions? No, she decided, she should wait until he actually came. The news would be easier to take when the person telling it to you was right in front of you. Yes, everything's fine, Keefe, Sophie finally replied, I just want to tell you something. And it might be easier to say when you can actually sit down, and I'm with you, and when there are cute alicorn babies to cuddle with.

There was a beat of silence and Sophie sensed Keefe's nervousness through their mind link. Finally, Keefe responded, Okay. I'll be there. Near Glitter Butt's pen, right?

Sophie smiled a bit at the Glitter Butt comment. Glitter Butt was Silveny's nickname that Keefe made up for her. Actually, it might be easier by Calla's tree. That's where Wynn and Luna are right now.

'Kay.

See you soon, Keefe.

See ya, Foster.

********

Sophie stood by the Panakes tree, Wynn and Luna dancing at her feet. She tugged at her eyelashes. How was Keefe going to take the news of Fitz's anger explosion and the fact that he couldn't see his best friend anymore?

A figure blinked into existence near Verdi the T. Rex's pen. Keefe. He turned toward the Panakes tree, and saw Sophie. Sophie's heart leapt to her throat, and she rushed down the mini hill that Calla's plant form stood on. Keefe ran toward her, enveloping her in a big hug. "You okay?" He asked once they pulled apart.

"I'm not sure," Sophie replied. With Keefe, she could actually be honest about her true emotions for once. "With everything that's happened over the past few days... it's been a lot."

Keefe frowned. "What has? And am I going to like this news or not? 'Cause I've a feeling that I'm not."

Sophie tugged an eyelash out. She chose not to respond, and instead took Keefe by the hand and led him to Calla's tree. Wynn and Luna immediately went over to him and started begging for treats. Keefe laughed. "I'm sorry, but I don't have any treats!" He said apologetically to the baby alicorns.

Sophie smiled a bit, and they both sat down. "So," Keefe started, "what's been happening that no one's really bothered to tell me before this?"

Sophie rested her head on his shoulder. "So much," she replied, "too much."

Keefe put his arm around her. "So tell me," he said, his voice suddenly serious, "what's happened."

Sophie lifted her head off Keefe's shoulder to look him in the eye. "It's Fitz," she said finally.

Keefe's ice-blue eyes looked confused. "What about Fitz? Did anything happen to him?"

Sophie drew in a breath. "In a way, I guess. Um, so... I told him about... us, and Biana told me that he got really mad, and when she tried to comfort him, he like... exploded, I guess, and threw a goblin star at her—" Keefe drew in a breath. "—and almost killed her. She saved herself, thankfully, but now Fitz has changed. And then, the day after, Biana found a black disc with a white eye on it in his room. Fitz said it was a human evil eye charm, but Biana isn't sure. Um... she also said that we shouldn't go to see Fitz right now. He's in an unstable state."

Keefe laughed bitterly. "Isn't he always," He said, shaking his head. "He really needs to keep his anger in check."

Sophie nodded. "He does," she said, swallowing a lump in her throat. "Biana worries that Fitz will... defect."

Keefe drew in a breath, shocked. "To the Neverseen?" He asked incredulously.

"Yeah."

"No. Wonder Boy wouldn't! Remember, he almost killed Alvar for defecting!" Keefe said, trying to chase the thought away from his mind. "I mean, yeah, Fitzy has anger issues, but... he wouldn't join the Neverseen... right?"

Sophie took a shaky breath. "I hope he won't."

Keefe nudged Sophie, trying to cheer her up. "Hey. Don't worry. He won't."

"Okay." Sophie didn't sound convinced.

"Would you like to go to Atlantis with me?" Keefe asked suddenly. "You know, to distract you." He looked down at his hands, suddenly self-conscious.

Sophie smiled. "Keefe Sencen, are you asking me out on a date?" She asked teasingly.

Keefe fiddled with his thumbs. "I mean... it's perfectly fine if you don't want to go...."

Sophie grinned. "What are you talking about? Of course I want to go with you! When?"

"Really?" Keefe sounded surprised and relieved. "Okay—maybe tonight? See you there are 6?"

"Sure."

They smiled at each other, both suddenly shy. Just then, Sophie's Imparter rang. Their attention shifted to the vibrating square, where big, bold letters said: BIANA VACKER.

Sophie gasped. She quickly pressed accept and Biana's face filled the screen. Immediately, Biana's voice, high-pitched with worry, began talking super fast.

"It's Fitz!" She shrieked. "He's gone! Disappeared... not in his room! And the eye chip is gone!"

Keefe and Sophie exchanged concerned glances. "Whoa, whoa, slow down," Keefe said, "what happened?"

Biana took a shaky breath. "So I went into Fitz's room to ask him where my mirror was, and he wasn't there. So I searched his room, thinking that maybe the eye thing had something to do with his disappearance, and that wasn't there either. His room looked virtually untouched. So I thought that maybe he left to see somebody, so I called everyone he might've gone to see, but he wasn't with any of them. I was curious, so I went back into his room, trying to find his Imparter. It was still there. And believe me when I say that he brings his Imparter everywhere. But wherever he was, he didn't bring his Imparter to go there."

"Okay, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he defected," Keefe said, optimistic.

"No," Biana agreed. "But there was something else. When I looked at the floor, the ground in front of the door had marks on it—faint burn marks, it looked like. And then, I saw small indents in the carpet shaped like footprints. Footprints that weren't made by anyone I knew. Not that I make it a habit to look at people's feet. Anyway, one pair of footprints were made by someone wearing heels, and the other by somebody wearing boots. And yet, while there were new footprints in Fitz's room, nobody had come to Everglen."

"That doesn't really mean that he's Neverseen now," Sophie said.

"Well, yeah, but," Biana replied, "get this—I found a mark burnt into the carpet, almost lost. It was barely visible, but it was there. And guess what it looked like?"

Keefe and Sophie exchanged a nervous glance. They knew what Biana was going to say, but neither of them wanted to acknowledge it.

"A white eye," they all said in unison, "the Neverseen symbol."

"It's finally happened," Keefe said, "the golden boy defected."

"Yeah," Biana said, looking scared, "and who knows what the Neverseen'll do now that they've got Fitz."