Author's Note- I wanted to let you guys know that I'm going on a road trip and probably won't be able to update for a while. Sorry! Anyways, hope you like the chapter!
Sophie's mind was broken.
Her memories were shattered and upside down, yet agonizingly familiar. Everything was blurry and distant, but also completely overwhelming.
She couldn't even remember her own name.
But in all of the madness, there was one memory that was clear. A picture of a teenage boy with perfectly styled dirty blond hair, an impish grin, and ice blue eyes that held a trouble making gleam. But in those eyes she saw hurt, betrayal, insecurities, and a secret side that she felt close to.
She couldn't remember anything beyond the faint picture of the boy, and that left an an aching pain. As if, by losing him, she was losing a part of herself.
That pain drove her to keep together whatever little bit of herself that she had. It seemed to activate her instincts.
And so, she began to look for a small nook in her mind. A safe place in the confusion.
She wouldn't let this break her.
Keefe was crestfallen.
This had been his only chance, and he'd screwed it up. Not only had they teleported to the wrong place, but they weren't even in the Lost Cities.
Never the less, Keefe knew that he needed to do something. So he ran to the front door of the Foster residence, with Sophie still cradled in his arms, and banged on the door.
This time, it was Sophie's human father who opened the door.
Why for once couldn't it be Amy? He thought.
The man in the doorway wore a concerned expression. Understandable considering that Keefe looked like he'd been in a fight (Which he had), and was carrying an unconscious girl who happened to be his daughter.
"Please help!" Keefe begged, unconcerned about whether or not it had come out as a command.
Mr. Foster nodded, allowing Keefe to enter.
He set Sophie on the living room couch. The adrenaline from the battle seemed to be wearing off, and Keefe was suddenly aware of his exhaustion.
Mrs. Foster entered the room, "What's going on, Honey?" She then gasped upon seeing her daughter.
She wasn't supposed to recognize Sophie, but her clouded eyes made Keefe unsure. But that was a problem for later.
She seemed to notice Keefe, "You," she said, her eyes narrowed.
"Please help," he pleaded. "M- my friend, she's hurt!" He was careful not to use Sophie's name, but he still choked on the word.
"What happened?" Mr. Foster asked.
Suddenly, Amy raced down the stairs, saving Keefe from answering the question.
"What's wrong?" she asked. She then spotted Keefe and stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes trailing to Sophie as she let out a gasp. She ran to her sister, kneeling besides her, "What happened?"
"There's no time to explain, but I- I think her mind is broken." he responded, his voice breaking.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Mrs. Foster asked.
Amy meanwhile, seemed to be trying to hold back her tears. But something else lied there; a fierce kind of determination. "We need to get her to the lost cities." she said.
"Yeah, but I don't have a leaping crystal." Keefe stated.
"Mr. Forkle gave me one. He told me only to use it for emergencies, but this definitely qualities." she said, running back up the stairs.
Keefe nodded and followed her, the Fosters right behind.
When Keefe reached Amy's room she was grabbing a clear crystal from the top of her closet. "This should take us to the entrance to Atlantis." she said.
Keefe nodded, "Then we should probably go see Livvy. She may be able to help." he said.
"What are you guys talking about?" Mrs. Foster asked.
"Yeah, nobody is going anywhere until you tell us what's going on!" added her husband.
Keefe glanced at Amy, wondering whether or not he should blurt out "I'm an elf!", just so that he could get Sophie to safety sooner, but he figured that that would cause more harm than not. He also knew that Amy wouldn't let him go on his own, so he left it up to her.
After a few minutes, Amy sighed and told her parents, "Fine, you guys can come with us. But we need to go now!"
Keefe doubted they could've left without the adults anyways, but that seemed to satisfy the Fosters. They probably remembered that they had a teenage girl on their couch in need of medical help. Or their curiosity had gotten the best of them.
Either way, Keefe wasn't sure he could continue just standing there for one more second.
When they were all finally outside, ready to leap, Keefe realized a few flaws in their plan. But he couldn't think about that right now. All that mattered to him was that Sophie was safe.
"Well, this would be a lot safer with nexuses and fade fuel, but hey, what can ya do!"
"Wait what?-" asked the Mr. and Mrs. Foster in unison.
And with that, Amy lifted her crystal to the light, and they leaped away.