The Lost Moonlark (KOTLC fanfic) (SOPHITZ)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Sophie clutched her board tightly as Alvar stood hup and walked to Sophie. Alvar held out his hand, "I'd like the red board." He smiled, though it looked like he wanted to ask for something else. Like a secret or answers. Everyone grumbled as they held faithful to their bets. Alvar smiled, Biana leaned up and whispered a secret in Della's ear. Sophie handed her board to Alvar before picking up the green one, since Fitz had claimed white.

Everyone loaded up onto Kyle's larger plane which had enough seats for everyone, called 'Rosethorn' named after Rose herself. Sophie sat in the cockpit, as everyone found seats and headsets. "How far is this lodge?" Alden asked nervously through the headset. "Thirty minutes at most." Kyle answered. Why had Sophie felt so disappointed when Alvar had won? It was like she had been hoping for the unexpected heart pounding favor Fitz would ask. What would he have asked? Would he asked for a kiss?

Sophie glanced back. Biana and Dex were sitting together as Dex twisted together wires making various animals Biana named. Linh and Keefe each sat I together, looking like they were playing the silent game, but Sophie's eyes were captured by bejewelled stars, that made her whole body turn on an alarm. Fitz, sent her a smile, not even trying to look like he hadn't been staring at her. Though his own cheeks turned pink, he didn't turn away. Sophie sat back straight in her seat, her heart battering faster then ever.

"Sef, you good?" Kyle asked. Sophie nodded, trying to kill the churning in her stomach. "Y-yeah." She said stuttering out the first letter. Kyle looked over at her, his eyebrow raised. Sophie shook her head as she pulled her iPod out, she stuffed her headphones in, as she set her headset aside she turned on her music. Never before had music felt so calming, yet it made an energy buzz in her mind, as she mentally prepared for the competition. They arrived at Pine lodge just as it started waking up. Kyle landed smoothly, and everyone climbed out, with Myth following them excitedly. Signing into the lodge under the name of Whitaker.

Sophie checked which room she'd be sharing with Biana, and Linh, before hurrying outside, to the snow covered ground. Sophie sat on the cold ground and strapped the board to her boots. She had taking to snowboarding much better than she did skiing. Standing up Sophie shifted her weight like Kyle had taught her to, finding her balance.
Linh joined her. "Does all this ice bother you?" Sophie asked, her breath puffing out in the air, in a cloud. Linh shrugged. "It's not at pure as...Atlantis, and it's frozen so it's harder to...feel it in it's water form. Does that make sense?" Linh asked. Sophie shrugged, "I'm sure it does, but you're okay...right?" Sophie asked, looking at the dark haired elf.

Linh nodded. "Yeah. I'm...I'm okay." She said. "As okay as you can be right?" Sophie asked. Linh smiled, her silver tipped hair flashing, as she nodded. "Yeah. I'm good."

"Good." Sophie breathed. "How are you?" Linh asked, as she took Sophie's gloved hands in her own. "I'm..." How was Sophie. Confused, lost and unsure wasn't very assuring, so she settled for the next best thing. "I'm figuring things out. We'll be able to go home soon." She promised, not even sure if her home looked the same anymore. Biana came out, and joined them. Sophie wrapped her arms around her friends. "We'll be okay. I'll take care of us...all of us." She promised. Linh grinned, "Let's go make some fire on ice." She smiled. "We'll be there in a minute." Biana promised, holding onto Sophie's hand. Linh grinned, "See you there." With the sound if ice crunching she slid away. Sophie looked at Biana.

"Um..." Biana's face was red, as she fiddled with her thick gloves. "How are you holding up?" Sophie asked, placing her hands on the younger girl's shoulders. Biana nodded, "I'm actually great. Dex and I-" Biana turned redder then Sophie's hoodie. "We...he um...he's going to t-talk to you." Biana stuttered before boarding after Linh. Sophie looked back at the lodge, where Keefe had somehow gotten on the snowy roof, calling for everyone to look out he shot down the roof, past Sophie and after the girls. Sophie felt the cold air whoosh by her, but she was staring past Alvar and Fitz at Dex, who looked like he was stalling.

Sophie grinned wider then she had in days. She tried running towards him but forgot she had a snowboard on her feet and promptly fell on her face in the snow. She quickly took off her board, as Dex hurried to see if she was okay. Sophie popped out of the snow, and embraced him tightly. "I knew it! I knew you could do it!" She said leaning against him. Dex was red faced as she pulled away, "So it's true you an-" Sophie cut off as Alvar and Fitz slid to a stop beside them. Sophie shot them a look, pulling Dex aside she spoke lowly. "So are you and Biana..?" Sophie got her answer by Dex's face going redder.

She couldn't help but embrace him tightly again, only for him to lose his balance and them go tumbling down the hill. "Are you okay?" Dex asked as he rolled off of her. Sophie however was smiling. It didn't matter that she was having her own internal war. She was happy for her cousin, she threw snow at him. "Why didn't you tell me before?" She asked tackling him into the snow. "Oofph! Cause you were dealing with your own stuff." Dex said breathlessly. Sophie shoveled more snow on his grey jacket that made his hair look more red, and his eyes look paler. Dex sat up, throwing snow at her. Sophie battered it away with a smile on her face.

"Look at you."

"Shut up." Dex mumbled turning red, he accepted her help up. "I'm happy for you Dex." She said.
"I can tell." He said his blush not fading. Sophie looked down at the next hill where Biana was adjusting her boots. "Off you go!" Sophie said pushing Dex down the hill. His eyes went wide as he slid down the hill. Sophie climbed up hill where Alvar and Fitz helped Della with her skis. Kyle and Rose had skis and prepping the others on safety. Sophie put her board back under her feet and tightened it shut.

Shaking snow off her hair, she flipped up her red hood over her beanie. "Don't use all your energy. You've still got a competition." Kyle told her. She scoffed. "Me? I'm just warming up." She said swinging her leg forward, the board beneath her crunched over the slick snow, Sophie slid down the hill, launching off the second she made it to the obstacle course, where Linh and Keefe seemed to be having their own competition, executing perfect tricks, that few pros could. Sophie envied their grace for a moment, before she shook it off. Normal. She reminded herself, before launching herself into the course.

~

"Linh Whitaker in first place, Biana Whitaker in second, and Sophie Whitaker in third." Said the announcer. Sophie breathed out a breath of relief, she looked over at Kyle who sighed, whether it was of relief or of disappointment Sophie couldn't tell. Kyle turned to her and smiled. "Looks like your still in." He said.

"One down two to go." Sophie nodded. Kyle smiled, as he placed his arm around her shoulder. "Just pray she doesn't break a leg." Elwin said making Sophie blush. Elwin smiled down at her, "You did surprisingly well out there." He said. "Thanks." Sophie said.

Dex had come in first, Keefe and Tam somehow made it to second, Fitz and Alvar tied in at third. Sophie watched as Keefe grabbed the ledge of the ice ramp, lifting his board up he nose grabbed it, before swinging back down, as Tam swung through the air, grabbing the edges of the board he was crouched down. He wanted second just as much as Keefe. Sophie felt someone's eyes on her. As needles threaded up her back, Sophie glanced around the crowd that had gathered and to a green eyed girl, with bouncy blonde hair, she stared at Sophie. Sophie recognized the look easily. It was malice.

"Sophie..." Rose said quietly, making Sophie look up at Rose. "A friend of mine just called me." Rose pulled Sophie aside. "Someone came in asking for you...by name." Rose said offering Sophie a cellphone.

By name.