KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Brave (Keefe POV)

"I let you out of my sight for a few minutes and you go and almost die again," he said, trying to keep his tone light and teasing. As though she hadn't just almost died twice.

Again.

She opened her eyes, but immediately closed them again with a wince of pain. She opened her mouth next, as though to try to respond to him, but coughed instead. This time another whimper escaped her lips as she winced again in pain.

She couldn't even cough or simply open her eyes without pain.

And they called this fixing her?

"Hey, easy," he told her soothingly. "I'm not joking about the almost dying thing. Some wrinkly dude brought you here and said he'd almost lost you--twice--but he thinks you're okay now. Well, other than a truckload of pain, which he said he can't help you with because your mind needs to stay 'unaffected' by any medicines for at least twenty-four hours. Any of that sound familiar?"

"Bits and pieces," she said in a raspy voice, still coughing.

"Good. Then maybe you can translate for me, because he kind of lost me at she almost died. Pretty sure Grady's going to kill me when I bring you home like this."

"I'm fine."

That bravery again. This girl constantly found more ways to amaze him.

No wonder he was falling for her so hard.

"Uh...you can't see what I see," Keefe insisted. He may admire her bravery, but he also hated that she felt it necessary to be so. "You've got this whole sweaty, slightly green thing going on--not to mention this wicked bluish-purplish splotch on your hand."

She finally opened her eyes and stared at her bruised hand. Keefe felt the wave of nausea that passed through her and wondered again just what had happened to her while they were apart.

"I'm fine," she told him. "They had to give me limbium to fix me, and then a shot of some human medicine to stop the allergy."

"Sounds...fun."

"Yeah, it's awesome to be me."

"You're really fixed though? Like, you think you'll be able to help...?"

Keefe couldn't finish the sentence. He was afraid to mention Alden. Partly because he was so afraid that after all this, she wouldn't be able to heal Alden's mind and their final hope would be lost.

He needed Alden.

Not that he'd ever told Alden that. Nor did he think he'd be able to be vulnerable enough to admit it to Alden if Sophie managed to heal him. But Keefe knew it all the same.

But he also didn't want to put too much pressure on Sophie. He could feel just how much pressure she already tended to put on herself. Keefe was worried about Alden, but he was worried about Sophie too, and focusing on Alden felt strangely selfish when Sophie was lying on the ground in so much pain she could barely move or even breathe without wincing.

"I don't think I'll know until I try and see what happens," she answered him honestly. "Did Mr. Forkle give you any other instructions when he brought me here?"

Keefe explained about the scroll and asked who Mr. Forkle was. The cold, matter-of-fact way she stated that he'd 'made' her felt off somehow.

But Keefe asking her if that meant Mr. Forkle was her father tipped her over the edge even as she initially said she didn't think he was. She let out a violent shiver and her emotions started spiraling into chaos. Fear, anger, worry, even despair.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked in concern as she curled into a ball--wincing as she did so.

And the next think Keefe knew, she was sobbing, her whole body shaking from the severity of it.

He really wanted to pull her into his arms to comfort her, but something held him back. For one thing, he was terrified of causing her more pain by moving her. But also, if he were honest with himself, he worried that his arms weren't the ones she'd want around her, and he wasn't sure he could handle feeling her emotions recoil from his touch.

But he also couldn't just let her cry like that and do nothing to help.

He did want her to understand there was more to him than the jokester. Especially since he wanted to encourage her willingness to let him in. She was carrying so much on her shoulders. They were way too young for that level of burden and responsibility.

He didn't want her doing it alone anymore.

So he scooted closer and gently lifted her head, resting it on his knee. He rested his hand lightly on her shoulder, trying to reassure her that she wasn't alone. Even in her current emotional state, he felt her small flicker of surprise and appreciation for the gesture, so he figured he'd done the right thing.

And as they sat there, Keefe keenly—and somewhat proudly—aware that his presence was a comfort to her, he found himself resisting the urge to tenderly run his fingers through her hair. Where did that idea come from?!

Instead, he kept his hand on her shoulder, running his thumb back and forth with minimal pressure—trying to be reassuring without hurting her.

"Sorry," she mumbled when she got control of herself again.

"For what?"

"I should be braver than this."

"Um, I don't know if you realize this, but you're the bravest person I know--by far. Freak out all you want. If anyone deserves to, it's you."

"Thanks." She took a few slow, deep breaths, and he could tell that she was still in a lot of pain. "I want to go home," she finally added in a whisper.

Keefe questioned if she was really ready for that and informed her that Mr. Forkle had insisted that light leaping wasn't an option.

But she was hoping to have Glitter Butt teleport them instead--which sounded awesome.

Maybe he'd get a chance to explain to Grady what happened before Grady killed him for letting them get separated.

She sat up very slowly, but the movement caused her pain so intense it nearly took Keefe's breath away, too.

"Whoa--that is intense," Keefe said in a strained voice as she clutched her chest, panting for breath.

"You can feel my pain?" She asked in horror, flinging guilt his way. "I'm sorry--I didn't--"

"It's fine," he told her, stopping her from scooting away from him. "I only feel a tiny glimmer. Nothing on what you're feeling, which must be unbearable. Seriously, how are you dealing with that?"

"I don't have a choice."

He hated that she was right.

She tried to stand, but struggled, so he held on to her and helped her up, handling her as gently as he could. He pulled her arm across his shoulders and wrapped his around her waist before carefully moving her toward Silveny. The helpful alicorn knelt as they approached her, and Keefe lifted Sophie onto her back before climbing on behind Sophie.

"Sorry, am I holding too tight?" Keefe asked as he wrapped his arms around her. He wanted to hold her close, help her stay in place, but was still worried about causing her more pain.

"No--it's fine. I'm just sore. How do we get out of here?"

"You ask us to remove the cloaking," a dwarf said as he popped out of the ground.

It took everything Keefe had not to shout in Sophie's ear or hurt her by jumping. "Dude--it's evil the way they just pop out of nowhere like that."

The dwarf glared at him but flicked a switch that removed the cloaking.

But Silveny managed only a couple of steps toward the open air before she seemed to panic--and then the reason for that became abundantly clear.

A black net dropped from the cliff above, covering them, pinning them down even as Silveny reared back.

Then five black-cloaked figures rappelled from the cliff above.

They were surrounded.