Our Planet has Crashed [COMPLETE]

fifty two - KOTLC

Fitz POV:

"You can't possible be considering about this, " FItz repeated for what seemed like the millionth time. He gripped Sophie's wrist even tighter.

"But, Fitz—"

"No," he grabbed her other hand, pulling her towards him. "You can not give yourself up! Did you hear me?"

Sophie only looked down at her feet.

"As much as I'm loving watching you two fight," Glimmer interjected, looking at an imaginary watch on her wrist, "we have to get going. Are you coming, Sophie?"

Sophie tried—again—to wrench herself out of Fitz's grip. Then she simply whispered, "Fitz, I'm sorry. But I have to do this," and she must have channeled all her energy into breaking away, because he was stumbling back from the force of it afterwards. 

When he'd regained his balance, the last thing he saw was Glimmer tying Sophie's wrists together and holding up a blue crystal to the light before they disappeared.

Beside him, Biana put a hand on his shoulder. "She'll be fine. Right? She got out once. We'll see her soon," which would have been convincing if her own voice hadn't been shaking.

Fitz wanted to scream. In fact, he would have, if there wasn't a group of fifty or so prodigies staring, wide-eyed, at him, Biana and Linh. Instead, he made it do with tearing his hands through his hair—over and over, even though is wasn't nearly as satisfying.

"Come on," Linh mumbled. "We need to tell Tam and Wylie," She began trudging to the frame of the shattered glass doors. Biana tugged him along gently, as if he were an animal she was afraid to anger. 

Near the Elite towers, he saw Tam, Linh and Willow surrounded by Elite prodigies who were poking and prodding Willow. Fitz wasn't sure if Dex's translator worked all the way back here when it was hidden behind some china back in Jerboa's hut, but it seemed to work at least a little, since the elves were yelling questions and poor Willow looked traumatized.

"Tam! Wylie!" Linh yelled. "Come here! With Willow, too, if you want," she added, glancing at the green dragon.

Wylie sent the Elite students to Jensi to get an update on what had happened before joining their sullen group.

"So," he said. "Why are you all so—"

"The Neverseen have Sophie!" Fitz exploded. "Because she wanted to get Keefe back! And we don't even know how the Neverseen will give him to us! For all we know, it was a trap!" 

Tam and Wylie looked aghast. Even Willow, who seemed used to Sundew's constant yelling, seemed surprised by his outburst. Biana put a hand on his shoulder—again. "Glimmer came by," she said, casting a quick glance at Tam, who immediately looked guilty. "She said that if Sophie came with her, the Neverseen would give Keefe back. Because they took him. Or at least, we think they did. 

"We don't know if they actually will give him back, but I think Lady Gisela is in charge right now, and when we worked—sort of—with her to get Sophie's parents out of Nightfall, she was, well, a little fair? She gave us what we asked for, even if it was a little later than expected." She looked at Fitz as if she had been hoping to cheer him up. Fitz scowled at her.

"Yeah," Linh said, "but how do we know that they will give us Keefe back now? What if they give him back when they're done with him? Like when he's a hundred or something?"

"Exactly my point!" Fitz said. "That's why I didn't want her to go! And she did," 

"Okay," Willow said. "I see. So Sophie is gone, the Alwaysseen have her and they will come get you guys in a week. So why don't you strike another bargain? You have a week to see what would be best to give and get, and maybe you can try to get Sophie and Keefe while giving them . . . I don't know, this thing?" She gestured to the broken school.

"First off, it's Neverseen. Second, I don't remember hearing Glimmer say they'll ever return Sophie. And finally, you know how devious the Neverseen are. They won't give Keefe back ever. And also, the school is basically trash now," Fitz said with a bitter laugh. "All we can do is nothing. We can't even get out of here!"

"Fitz . . ." Biana started, putting her hand on his shoulder again. It was so annoying. He shrugged her off. "No, Biana. We literally cannot do a single thing."

"Uh, Fitz. Really—"

"No! You don't get it. We can't—"

"Fitz! Glimmer is back!" Biana yelped, pointing behind him.

"We don't know if that's Glimmer." Tam pointed out. "That can be Ruy, or Fintan, or some other person—"

"I recognize her shoes." Biana pointed at the black knee-high boots dusted with . . . was it shattered crystals? That was one nice escape route.

"What do you want?" Wylie demanded when she was within earshot.

"Nothing. I came here to give." Glimmer stalked towards them, boots thudding softly on the burnt purple grass. "The Moonlark had a request,"

"Bye! Please stay safe! Don't ever come back!" Linh shouted to the terrified Level 1, 2 and 3 prodigies.

"I don't think you should have said the last part." Tam suggested, pointed to a young Level 2 boy whose eyes shone. "You made it seem like 'No school forever!'"

"Well, did you want eleven and twelve and thirteen year olds to come back when we're fighting the Neverseen in a week?" Linh retorted. 

"We're fourteen. Not much older," Tam pointed out.

"Okay," Glimmer clapped her hands, demanding attention. "They're gone now. And you have another four days here. Don't even try attacking. Not worth it."

Fitz blinked once, and she was gone.

"Don't listen to her," Willow said, sharpening her claws on a nearby rock. "You have me! And I'm wonderful, right?" She gave everyone a somewhat creepy grin, showing all her teeth. No, that did not help.

"Besides," Biana said. "We have so many people to help! I mean, not really any adults, of course, but maybe we can find a Technopath here to dismantle the lightleaping forcefield, get some Conjurers to get us food or a bed or something, and ooh! Maybe we can try transmitting to Sophie! Or at least Dex and Marella and Maruca," 

"Are they alright?" Wylie asked anxiously. He was obviously asking for Maruca.

"I can try. Transmitting, I mean," Fitz mumbled. He had been pretty much useless the past three days, moping about Sophie, breaking walls (and his wrists), screaming in an abandoned boys washroom . . . you get the idea.

Biana smiled him as if he'd just offered to take on all of the Neverseen on impulse. He sighted, stalking off for somewhere more private. 

He wandered around the Level Four wing before settling in front of Sophie's locker.

Sophie? Can you hear me? It's Fitz, he tried.

No reply.

SOPHIE! ARE YOU THERE? IT'S FITZ!  he yelled.

Still no reply.

SOPHIE! PLEASE ANSWER ME! DO NOT TELL ME YOU'RE SEDATED OR SOMETHING BECAUSE I WILL—

Fitz?  came a voice.

SOPHIE!

Hi, she replied nervously. I'm so, so, sorry I—

Where are you? We'll come and get you—

Please don't Fitz. I found Keefe.

You WHAT?

Please listen. I found Keefe, we're in the same room, but . . . her mental voice went silent.

What? Sophie? SOPHIE?

After an agonizing minute, she finally said:

But the Neverseen want me to bring him back.