Hey guys!Sorry for not updating.I went to various places and met out with my friends;).
PLEASE READ THIS:
I have two big exams coming soon,one in July-August,one in Sep-Oct. They're both extremely important,and I need to study for them real hard to get into a favourable secondary-school.I'll probably update at weird times,so please excuse me.I'll be probably free in...Oct-Nov.
Yeah, I know you guys are 4-5 months from now?I'm also very sorry. I'll surely update,and sometimes this story will be on hiatus. So is my crossover.I'm trying to update as much ;)
Readergirl6262:I did give some obvious clues...but WATEVA!And about that,you'll just have to wait and see,ok?Thanks for reviewing!Love you!
ForeverFreeFall:About that...I guess you just have to wait and see!Soreas and Biana?Woah,I won't control what you ship,but it's not happening in here...*sheepish smile*Sorry...Maroon was my mistake,though.I always thought it was ,thanks for wishing me Happy birthday and reviewing!You're so sweet!
EVERBLAZE:Even though you changed your name,I am still gonna call you EVERBLAZE. Derder did affect me lots(circle of influence.o.0)and Jin,sadly,is not a Chinese name,not 津津有味.But it's an Asian name!And don't worry about twinkletoestbh,I guess you have to try harder next time,my friend!:)
Guest:Thank you so much!I love you ,seriously.
Thanks for twinkletoestbh for following/making the story a favourite!Update sooner,fellow fanfic author.
R&R!
Sophie tensed. "Estelle...hang in there." she whispered. Biana clutched her hand, then looked up at her encouragingly.
"It's going to be alright. No reason to worry." Biana said. Sophie rolled her eyes and forced a nervous smile, and followed Mr Forkle and the boys out of the dining hall.
They winded down a wiggly path and into two double doors. It reminded Sophie strangely of the Healing Center. Corked bottles of medicine stood on shelves that threatened to topple over, and beds that looked weirdly familiar, and a man that...
Sophie, Dex, Fitz, Keefe and Biana gasped.
"Elwin?" they asked in unison. Elwin raised his iridescent glasses slightly and smiled.
"You weren't expecting me at all, were you?"
"B-but how could you be in two places in one time?"
Elwin smiled. "I'm in the Lost Cities in the day, then I rest a little while in the night and go to the Black Swan to work as healer."
Sophie leaped over and hugged him. "It feels so good for you to be here too," she mumbled through the fabric. Then she pulled away, looking around. "Where's Estelle?"
Elwin's bright smile vanished. "She's over in the other room. Come, let's see her."
Mr Forkle turned away and exited the room.
The six of them entered the room quietly.
"Estelle?" Elwin called softly. "Some people are here to visit you." Silence followed.
Then a weak fragile voice Sophie hardly recognised as Estelle's spoke. "Who?"
Sophie stepped out of the gloom, drawing in a sharp breath. Estelle looked deathly pale and there was a horrible deep gash in her chest. She looked exactly like what a person close to death would be. To add on the tension, Bullhorn, Elwin's banshee, was sleeping beside her.
"How can you still speak?" Sophie whispered.
"Are you alright?" Dex asked worriedly. "I-I hope..." He trailed off, but Sophie knew what he had been wanting to say.
I hope you don't die.
"But I thought Foster here healed you." Keefe said quietly. Estelle managed a weak smile.
"She did. I'm healing. Not slipping away, don't...worry..." Her eyes began to snap shut.
Elwin rushed over to her side and shook her awake. Estelle's eyes fluttered open, but they seemed wearier than before.
"Don't try to speak yet," he warned. "It's eating at your energy." Estelle didn't argue and stared at Sophie and her friends instead. Her aquamarine eyes were much dimmer when Sophie had first seen her. She looked at the others. They were practically shaking, their faces as white as sheet. Death was so rare in the Lost Cities, so they were scared to see elves die.
Sophie sat on her bed and started to caress Estelle's arm. "Don't die." she whispered. "I still need your help to heal Prentice." Sophie wasn't sure if Estelle had heard her. Her eyes stared into blank space, barely blinking.
Elwin sighed. "I dare not give her any sedatives, lest she can't come back. So I'm trying everything to help her escape from death. Though I dare say she can make it."
Biana bit her lip numerous times and when she spoke her voice was shaking. "S-so what can w-we do?" She looked at Estelle and her face turned paler until she looked like she was about to puke. Fitz steadied her gently as she swayed, moaning softly. He looked nauseous too. Alden had looked the same when his mind was broken.
"I think our friend Biana needs to rest," Elwin declared, helping Biana to another bed at the opposite side of the room.
Estelle sighed. "Please, I won't die," she said. She tried to sit up, wincing as she did so. Finally she managed it and forced a smile at Sophie, Dex, Fitz, and Keefe. "I'm alright now." To prove it, Bullhorn scattered away from her and started screaming at the top of his voice.
Elwin, Sophie, Dex, Fitz, Keefe, and Biana all cringed, covering their ears. "Bullhorn's ever so noisy," Keefe muttered.
"But Estelle's still in danger." Fitz said. Keefe rolled his eyes.
"Like I didn't know that." Sophie smiled at their argument despite herself.
"Well," said Elwin, "at least Estelle's not that close to death anymore." He gave Estelle a bottle of Youth to drink and a few serums. Then he flashed a few coloured lights of the spectrum and gave a smile. "Her cells are healing fast. Thank goodness."
They all sighed in relief and Biana wobbled over to join them too. Fitz's and Biana's eyes were wary with doubt and fear. Keefe and Sophie came over and squeezed their shoulders, comforting them. And surprisingly, Dex.
"I thought you hated Fitz and Biana." Sophie whispered to him. Dex snorted.
"Please, I still do. It's just that Wonderboy needs some comfort too, sometimes."
"Estelle! You're walking!" said Sophie, appalled. Estelle smiled.
"I heal fast, don't I?"
Sophie, Estelle, and Elwin were alone in the room. Mr Forkle had called her other friends for a meeting for goodness-knows-what.
"Now, now, none of that, Estelle," Elwin warned her sternly. "You may be well and walking now, but I still expect you to rest tomorrow. I won't allow you to go to training." Estelle scowled.
"Why? Fine. But only one day. Time is running out."
This had Sophie perking up. "Why? What?" Elwin muttered something and fled the room.
Estelle looked down at the ground. "There's still a lot more things we need to do. Number one: heal Prentice. We need to break into Exile, which isn't a problem but you five hadn't been trained right and proper yet. Number two and three: stop the Neverseen from their devious schemes. Which is a lot. Like the Everblaze. We need another way other than frissyn to stop the wild fire. Frissyn is hard to create and it's dangerous, because we need to collect Quintessence. Number four: there's a really powerful Telepath in the Neverseen that we will need to stop - he or she's stronger than Kerlof. Number five: we haven't told you this, but there's really a leak in the Black Swan. Someone betraying us. So we will need three of you five to be double agents."
"What?" Sophie asked, shocked. "We, double agents? Y-you know what happened to...Jolie."
Estelle flinched. "Jolie, ah yes. It's probably a very reckless plan, but it needs to be done. It's necessary. Why three? Because we couldn't have one; it's too dangerous, but we couldn't have all five of you too. So, three."
"But why not Soreas and Sora then?" argued Sophie. "They're more talented than us."
"Ah, that's the thing," Estelle said. "None of us trust them. Especially Sora. Some of us are seeing double and we suspect that Sora has a twin - which I know she has. And that twin is very devious - could probably be working for the Neverseen."
Sophie went all quiet. She knew that Sora had a twin sister or something, but...working for the Neverseen?
Reporting to Sora and Soreas?
Unbelievable.
"So, the double agents will be going to the Neverseen in about a few weeks. And oh" - Estelle caught Sophie's gaze, looking straight into Sophie's eyes - "you will definitely be one of them."