A/N) i have returned with yet another chapter! Did any of you like the little visit the KotLC characters gave us last time? Let me know in the reviews if y'all want me to do it again.

Keefe: of course they want you to do it again

Me: Shut up, Keefe. Not now

Keefe: *sulks away*

I'm laughing so hard right now. Anyway . . .

ONTO THE NEXT CHAPTER!

Chapter 21

I was walking down one of our bases' campsites, when i heard and angry voice behind me.

"What did you do to her?!"

I sighed, recognizing Ruy's voice in an instant. I knew this would happen eventually. When i turned around to look at him, he looked furious. Fists clenched, jaw tight, body rigid.

"I don't know what you're talking about," i told him.

Anger sparked in his eyes. "Where is she!?" he shouted.

Several seconds passed by, possibly even minutes. I sighed, rubbing my temples and trying to block out my thirst for flames forming at that moment. Finally, i looked up and told him, "You know where she is."

His face fell, and all the color drained out of him. I stared at him, unsure of what to do. Eventually, he whispered, "You . . . you killed her?"

I nodded soberly. "Ruy, i'm sorry but-"

"You killed her?!" He screamed. "Why!? Why would you kill her?! She didn't deserve that! She was innocent!" his last words dissolved into quiet sobs.

I sighed again. I wanted to reach out to him, but i needed to stay strong. "She wanted to keep the baby."

"And that results in killing her?"

"No," i admitted. "But she was threatening to come clean to the Council. She didn't want us messing with her baby's genes. She wanted her to grow up to be a 'normal elvin girl.' Ruy, you have to understand-"

"Oh, i understand plenty," he interrupted, his words dripping with venom.

"I don't think you do," i told him. "This is exactly why we didn't want you two to have any connection with each other. But you decided that after the baby was taken out, it would have been safe to socialize. I warned you not to, Ruy. But you didn't listen. We need Project Flaradon to work. We'll do whatever it takes."

"What about the Lodestar Initiative," he asked quietly.

"Ugh. That's simply a back up plan. That woman, Gisela, thinks too highly of her yet-to-be-born child. She won't even let us tweak his genes properly. Project Flaradon is where our attention lies. But we must keep it as much as a secret as possible. The Black Swan can never know we have an alternative for their precious Project Moonlark."

"So, that's it?" Ruy asked after several seconds of silence. "You're just gonna let her death pass over you, just like that?"

"I'm going to erase it from my memory," i told him.

"Oh."

It was the last word i heard before the scene fast-forwarded like a movie and dissolved into a bunch of screams.

"No! Please, no!" she shouted, thrashing in her ropes. "Just let me keep my baby! Let me keep my baby!"

I tried not to let her get to me. I dragged her to the peak of the mountain, throwing her against a pile of wood. Her face was bruised and her body was bare and scraped.

"This is your last chance," i told her as i called down Everblaze from the stars.

"Fintan, please!" she begged, not even trying to hide herself. "Don't do this! I just want to keep my baby!"

I shook my head. "You cannot keep your baby. You shouldn't have gotten so attached." i got ready to throw the ball of Everblaze, but she screamed, "Wait!"

"What?"

"At . . . at least tell me . . . was it a boy or a girl?"

I sighed. "A girl."

She smiled through her tears. "A beautiful baby girl. Hm. Can you . . . somehow give her the name i want?"

"It's up to the humans on what they name her."

"But, you could motivate them to name her."

It was her dying wish. So i agreed. "What would you like?"

She smiled to herself. "Ebony," she whispered.

I nodded. "Ebony it is." And with that, i threw the Everblaze towards her and the wood pile. I watched her burn. I heard ever blood curdling scream and shout and cry. I watched her body waste away under the flames. I watched the blood spray about. It would be another memory i would need to erase. Too much gore and guilt for me too handle. It was horrid. But i would remember one thing.

Ebony.

…

"Yeah, from where i stand," Keefe said, "she's innocent."

Sophie nodded along in agreement, her eyes turning to Ebony. But that's when she shouted, "Guys! Something's wrong with Ebony!" Biana looked at the girl as she pulled her arm back. But she shouldn't have, because soon, Ebony collapsed. Luckily, Dex was quick enough to catch her from behind. He quickly set her down on the soft carpet.

"Ebony?" he asked, shaking her shoulders. "Ebony, can you hear me?"

Nothing.

Her eyes were open, but she seemed unaware of everything around her. She stared straight ahead into nothingness, and a cold sweat began to form on her now-pale skin.

Della dropped to her knees on Ebony's other side. "Ebony? Ebony, sweetheart, what's wrong?"

She reached to touch the side of her face, but as soon as she did, she yanked her hand back as if she had burned her. And, she actually might have.

Della looked up at the others. "She's burning hot. Alden, hail Elwin." Alden nodded and took his Imparter out of his pocket as he stepped out of the room.

Dex poked her arm, and immediately regretted the decision. "Yikes! She's right. It feels like she's on fire . . ." his voice trailed off as he looked down at his fingertips. "Ow," he said, waving his fingers around. He stared at Ebony. "I . . . i think she burned me."

"What?" Sophie asked, coming up to her best friend and grabbing his hands. And, sure enough, his fingertips were red and a little raw.

"How on earth . . . ?" Sophie looked at Ebony. Without realizing, she had reached out to touch Ebony's arm.

"Sophie, no!"

But it was too late. Her skin seared and sizzled against Ebony's and she yanked her hand back, yelping in pain.

"Ow!"

"Sophie, we made you smarter than that," Leto scolded. Fitz squatted down next to her and took her hand, looking at the burns. They were much worse than Dex's, and Della didn't have one at all. But, she hadn't even left her hand on for that long.

Fitz began to gently blow on her fingers, taking away some of the sting. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Sophie nodded, and she felt her cheeks turn pink. The moment was short lived, though, because suddenly, Ebony began screaming. Blood-curdling screams. Screams that belonged in a nightmare or horror movie. Everyone gathered as closely as they could without touching her. But they all backed up when she started thrashing. And then she started sobbing. But all the while, her eyes were fixed straight ahead, and there was nothing anybody could do. It would requiring making physical contact, so unless you wanted to get burned . . .

"What's happening to her?" Biana asked, clearly frightened. Dex had stood up by then, and Biana buried her face in his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him. You could tell she was silently crying. In fact, everyone looked terrified. It was as if Ebony had been possessed.

She continued thrashing and sobbing and screaming, and no one could do anything except watch. Alden rushed into the room as soon as the screaming began, and watched in horror with everyone else.

"Elwin will be here soon," he told everyone. They all nodded. But was there really anything Elwin could do.

As suddenly as it had begun-although it lasted for several minutes-she stopped. Well, she stopped screaming and thrashing and sobbing, but tears still ran down her cheeks. You could hear the sizzle of the water as soon as it touched her skin and you could see it evaporate into steam right before your eyes.

"What's happening to her," Keefe asked quietly as he sat down next to Sophie and Fitz.

"I wish i knew," Sophie told him as she shook her head. "But, her mind is impenetrable."

"To my dad and Leto," Fitz reminded her. "We haven't tried yet."

Sophie looked up at Leto. "Do you think it could work?"

Leto pondered over her question. "It might . . . but i don't want any of you coming into contact with her right now. You could burn yourselves."

"I wish i could calm her down," Keefe said after a few more moments of watching her cry. She stared straight ahead.

That's right. If Sophie enhanced Keefe, he could send calming feelings towards her. But he would have to come into contact with her.

"I can't watch her suffer like this," Della said suddenly, standing up and running into her husband's arms. She and Biana both cried. It really was a disturbing sight-Ebony, that is. It made Sophie want to cry and throw up at the same time. Ebony suddenly seemed like she was gasping for breath, or trying to form some sort of word. Everyone gathered around her.

"Mmm-m . . ." she started. "Mu-mmm . . . M-M-Mom!"

And then . . .

She vomited.

A/N) Well, there's a vivid picture for ya. Am i right? I hope you guys liked this chapter. We keep getting deeper and deeper into the story . . . What will we find? Only one way to find out! Keep on reading! And review while you're at it. Reviews always make me so happy.

Keefe: i thought i was the one who made you happy

Me: why are you still here?

Keefe: *sulks away*

I'm laughing so hard again

Anyway . . .

Don't forget to check out my other story, The one-shots of an Undecided13! Thank you all so much for reading, and don't forget to review! I love you guys so much!

On that note . . .

Until next time!

Ah!

Keefe, put me down!

Keefe: *laughs evilly* it's payback time . . .