Unedited.
"Is this weird?" Anne asked. Sophie, no Eliza stared at the girl before her, that had been Wylie only a few minutes ago.
Anne's skin was freckled and pale, with thick red hair spiraling like a fox's tail down his- her back. Sophie wasn't sure how he had extracted red hair and freckles from her own form, but she had to admit. Like all elves Anne was beautiful. With a straight nose, and dark blue eyes, the girl before her looked exactly like a fairy or elf would from the many myths humans had.
In the bathroom mirror, Sophie -Eliza stood the exact height of Anne. But instead she had hair as black as coal, unlike the fiery red head next to her. She had tan skin, with blue eyes nearly twice as dark as Anne's, making them nearly look black, high cheek bones and sleek jet black hair mixed well. "No." Sophie said, but her voice was different, a smooth and flawless tone, in the mirror Eliza shook her head. Though anyone could have heard the lie. "No not at all." She said. Anne smirked, getting a mischief glint in her eyes. "It's weird." Eliza scoffed. "Yeah." They both looked old enough to be fresh out of Foxfire.
Stepping out of the bathroom Anne spoke. "So how does this work with us-" she cut short, staring in the middle of Sophie's room. Sophie turned and had to clamp back a scream. There stood Wylie Endal and Sophie Foster, staring back at them. A moment passed, staring at themselves. Somehow it was like watching the whole thing from third person and first.
She could see Eliza standing tall, and Sophie looking confused, but yet she could see both of them at once. Her vision wasn't split and her mind wasn't warring with itself. Instead it was like switching views on a video game, she could choose to be Sophie or Eliza, or watch them both at once. "Allow me to introduce myself." Anne said stepping forward. "I'm Anne Riley." She said bowing to Wylie who looked to be focusing on controlling both his identities. "I'm Wylie." He said smiling at himself. Sandor looked like he was getting a headache.
"So what now?" Sophie asked. She couldn't take her eyes off of Eliza, who was a polyglot. For an ability Sophie chose one she herself was most likely slip up on. Plus if she chose any of her others she would most likely be found out. "It's almost like cloning ourselves into somebody else." Wylie said. It was confusing but it made sense.
"So what do we do?" Eliza asked. "Can we just send ourselves to live in Atlantis like room mates or something?" Sophie asked. "I prefer Eternalia." Wylie said, as Anne ate the ruckleberry he had saved. Sophie watched curiously, wondering what would happen.
Quickly the red hair turned black, the freckled skin cleared and turned darker. Sophie's own head was starting to hurt. "Uuuummmm...." Wylie said as he stared at himself. "This is confusing, I don't get it." Sophie said. Two Wylies now stood in her room, with one Sophie Foster and one Eliza Minter."
"Let's sit down and talk this out." Said the second Wylie. Even Sandor sat. "Alright, let's take a logical look at this. Anne" Wylie said turning to himself. "You are a figment of my imagination brought to life. Should you die, only you would die." He said. "If you were given a ruckleberry, you would reveal who I am. Giving me away, however." Wylie said looking troubled. He started talking about technicalities, strategies, and he used big words, Sophie was having trouble keeping up, but once he finished she spoke. "So, let me see if I got this." Her head was really starting to hurt. "Eliza is kinda just like an extension of my mind?" She asked. The real Wylie nodded. "In a nutshell, yes." Sandor rubbed his temples. "So I only have to keep track of this Sophie." He pointed to the real Sophie. Wylie nodded again.
"Yes, consider Eliza a rope that leads to Sophie, should anything happen to Eliza, Sophie would only feel it mildly." Wylie said. "So what do I do with this rope?" Sophie asked. Eliza nodded, "Yeah, we won't need these identities until later." It was a little unnerving to see Eliza speaking exactly what Sophie was thinking. "I suggest sending us to Eternalia, to try and see if we can root out any Neverseen spies." Said clone Wylie. "I agree." Sandor said. "It seems the best course of action." He said. "Well what about our registry pendants?" Sophie asked. Wylie frowned. "That's what I don't understand. It's like our own registry pendents have been duplicated, but theirs." Wylie pointed at his clone and Eliza. "Don't have a signal unless we want them too."
Sophie decided not to dwell on details. She had another identity and it was working. "Okay. One last thing." She said. "Money. Exactly how are these two supposed to survi-" she stared wide eyed as both clones or extensions pulled a green cube out of their pockets. She had almost forgot, the elves could be drowning in wealth if they wanted. "Looks like we already got it covered." Wylie said. "Looks like it. First things first. Let's get more ruckleberries for you...er Anne." Eliza said, before moving with grace Sophie herself could never manage.
Before long Anne was back, and the girls left. It was strange. Sophie could talk to Wylie without really talking to him. For a solid hour, she and Wylie sat in her room, using Eliza and Anne. As the two girls strode through Eternalia. It was like watching from an inside screen, as the girls easily found a cozy home, that was place above a cafe and something that seemed to be close to a hang out spot for everyone wanting to party. Shopping was easy enough and for Wylie he was pretty good at fashion. "Sophie!" Both Wylie and Sophie jumped scrambling for their identity forms, as Biana and Fitz burst into her room. "I should go." Wylie said shoving his papers into his bag. "Yeah." Sophie said smiling. Anne laughed, as Wylie grinned. "Later." Wylie said, brushing past Fitz and Biana. Calling a hasty goodbye to Sandor. Sophie stood up, quickly pushing her own papers in her bag. "What do you need?" She asked hastily pushing her bag in her desk drawer.
"Why was Wylie here?" Fitz asked. Sophie gave fake chuckle, that was to high pitched as she waved her hand, still trying to push her bag in. "Oh, just school stuff. What are you doing here?" She managed to close her drawer. "Our Dad wants to talk to you." Biana said. "Oh, well you see I have a busy schedule." Sophie looked at her desk, only to shove the plans she and Wylie had made to get into Exile, into the top drawer. Dropping a paper weight Sophie managed to shove everything in the drawer and closed it. She turned like she hadn't stopped the conversation, to crumple papers into her drawer. "The thing is, that I-" Sophie nearly groaned as she raced across the room slamming her closet door shut, hiding the formal dress she'd chosen.
Iggy gave a scared burp and flew from his cage, chewing on a planning paper. "Can't get to him." Sophie yanked the paper from Iggy, giving him an accusing glare she pushed the paper in her pocket. "Just now. Another time." She promised. Leaning over her dresser awkwardly trying to hide her open album, she had started transmitting pictures into, of Exile from her memory. She slapped it shut when Biana took another step into her room. "Sophie....are you trying to hide something?" Biana asked. Sophie became angry at that, as she stood up straight, she picked up the new memory log. Biana had no right to ask that, not to mention she herself had hidden stuff from Sophie. Sophie strode across the room and shoved her memory log in her book shelf.
"I don't see why it'd bother you if I did." Sophie's voice grew soft as she saw a thick, light, brown, journal sitting on the shelf. Alvar's journal. She hadn't read it yet. "Sophie, we're sorry." Biana said. Sophie ignored the comment as her hand trailed over the spine of the worn journal. Perhaps talking to Alden- no. Sophie shut down the thought as soon as it formed. She passed up the journal and picked up her iPod. "Is that all you guys came here for? I have work to do." She said. "That's all I came here for....I'll see you later." Biana said and left. Sophie tensed as she went to Iggy's cage where the imp had gone back to sleep. Sophie's back tingled as she felt Fitz staring at her. "Sophie." He transmitted. Sophie set her iPod aside. Tilting her head in acknowledgment, to his transmission. Sandor cleared his throat and left the room. Closing the door behind him.
"Sophie, please say something. Talk to me, yell at me. Please just say something." Sophie hadn't spoken to him, without really talking to everybody. "What am I supposed to say Fitz?" Sophie transmitted trying to take a deep breath. She took a deep breath and turned to face him. "Just leave." The hurt in Fitz's eyes tore at her, but she wasn't ready to forgive him, any of them, not yet. Fitz looked away her eyes before speaking slowly. "I'll be back." It wasn't a threat, it was somehow comforting. He was telling her he was going to make up for lying to her. He hesitated for a moment, in a flash he stood in front of her. He looked down at her, his eyebrows drawn down by some hidden thought. He brought his knuckles up and brushed them across Sophie's face. Leaving trails of warmth across her face.
Guilt filled his eyes, his voice was laced with honesty. "I will make it up to you." He said. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then just like that he was gone. Sophie had to grit her teeth to keep the stupid smile that wanted to form, off her face.
~
Sophie smoothed down the front of the white dress, that had a hue of teal to it, she could hear the clicking of heels across the marble floor.
Rounding the corner Lady Gardenia strode down the white marble floor. Her dress had a knee length slit in it, showing long dark legs, that positively glowed in the light. Her sun kissed skin caused a golden halo around her, but Sophie knew better now, that angelic look was a disguise to hide the devil. Lady Gardenia dark hair was twisted into a side bun. Strands of her hair made her cheek bones look sharper. "Ah, welcome Miss Foster." She said. "I have someone I'd like you to meet. He's in the drawing room." Lady Gardenia said, taking Sophie's cloak. A pit started to form in her stomach, as she followed Lady Gardenia down the hall. It could only mean one thing. Another matchmaking meeting.
However as Sophie walked into the empty drawing room she found a tall figure standing beside what looked to be a very old reform player of some sort. It wasn't Fitz. Sophie's nerves twisted tighter and tighter until the elf turned around. He smiled disarmingly. "Ah, hello Sophie." He said bowing. "Sophie this is my son Charles. He's going to be your tutor for the next few months." Lady Gardenia said.
"Tutor? For what? I'm doing fine on my grades. I'll have you know I passed with a eighty nine percent this mid term." Sophie said. Lady Gardenia smiled sweetly. "Not those lessons. Charles is going too teach you how to catch your match. Finishing lessons if you will." Lady Gardenia said. Sophie felt her eyes widen.
"What?!"
(Oh Lady Gardenia is turning into a character I like.)