I have neglected you peeps hehe whoops sorry. BUT I CAN EXPLAIN! THE REASON I DIDN'T UPDATE IS...

*Flips through notecards*

I was busy with homework? Nah. We all know I'd do fanfiction instead of homework.

I got a life? Pfft no one would believe that.

Kidnapped? Please, no one wants to kidnap me. I'd feel bad for my captor.

Writer's block? CRAP CRAP CRAP *RIPS NOTECARD TO SHREDS* HIDE THE EVIDENCE! NO ONE CAN KNOW! *Clears throat.* Definitely wasn't writer's block.

I died. Yeah, that's a good answer. I died.

BUT I LIVE AGAIN! YOU MAY REJOICE!

*Crickets*

I said, YOU MAY REJOICE!

*More crickets*

Please rejoice?

*More rotten fruit is thrown at me*

Darn.

*Someone in audience yells "YOU DO THIS EVERY CHAPTER! IT'S NOT FUNNY ANYMORE!"*

Would you rather I made you actually like me?

*Everyone screams "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" and runs away*

'Kay then. Enjoy!

Ooh wait I have to respond to reviews.

Mrs. Moonlark: OooOOOooOO no it's not. BECAUSE I CANNNNNNNNNNN AND IT'S FUNNNNNNNN! But thank you so much! :)

xylah: Thank you! Legacy killed us all and SOKEEFE FOREVER!

Cary Swirls: Heh heh. HAHAHAHAHAHA NO. Thanks though!

Eva L: You do? You shouldn't. But YAS THE CUTE SOKEEFE DREAM. No, definitely isn't. Thank you! I'll try (Lol because that's totally gonna happen.)

Sara: :) :) :)

Guest: Thank you! I will... eventually.

Loony Lovegood: Thank you! Nice name btw.

Mallowmelt: Thank you! I will... eventually.

Pinkout: Hi! Thank you so much! I'm really trying to, so that means a lot! :P

FlowerGirl15: Oh hi! I remember you! That sucks, but I'm glad you read it! Lol, being an evil author really is fun! Yes yes... at some point. GRRRRR OBLIVIOUS SOPHIE! STOP BEING SO GOSH DARN OBLIVIOUS! Thank you!

A River Of Ink: Thank you! Keefoster forever!

oOoOoOoO pRoCrAsTiNaTiOn! fUnNnNnNnNnNnNnN!

Ugh, enjoy.

"So, um, where are we going?" Sophie asked, her casual tone contradicting the dread growing in her gut. "And more importantly, how bad is it?"

Marella shrugged. "First question: Brumevale. You know, that awful hideout with all the stairs?" (A/N: I have a minor obsession with bringing my characters here any time the Black Swan has to meet. Probably because it's fun to torture them with stairs."

Sophie groaned. Not only where the stairs- how should she phrase this?- not fun, it would take a really long time to get there. She'd definitely rather just find out the "bad important" news and get it over with. Especially since walking up the stairs would give her mind enough time to create millions of worst-case scenarios. All of which she would convince herself was true and then panic. No thanks, she'd rather just find out now.

"And as for your second question," Marella added. "No idea. Forkle just said he had bad news, but he was going to wait for all of us to be there before he told us. I'm sure it's not so bad."

"Famous last words." Sophie muttered.

Linh nudged her gently. "I'm sure it'll be okay. You shouldn't be so pessimistic. Just because some things aren't going so well right now, doesn't mean everything's going to go wrong. Things'll almost definitely get better soon. So don't give up on hope yet. Okay?" (Excuse me where can I get a Linh?)

Sophie gave Linh a genuine smile, glad she was fortunate enough to have one of the kindest elves in the universe for a friend. Evidently, Marella felt the same way. Considering she put an arm around Linh's shoulder and announced "Linh, you are most definitely the nicest person in the entire history of the universe."

Linh turned pink at the compliment. "I don't think that's true, but... thanks."

Sophie sighed and said "We should probably start climbing those stupid stairs... mallowmelt, I hate those stairs."

"Don't we all?" Marella said. The three girls joined hands and leaped to the hot, stuffy entrance. Linh released the whirlwind to access the staircase.

After a moment, in which Sophie stared at the stairs as though they were her mortal enemy and had just insulted her terribly, they began the long walk up the stairs.

"So," Marella said, after one-hundred-seventy-two steps of walking in silence- yes, Sophie counted. Yes, she was aware that counting stairs was weird. No, she did not give a sparkly alicorn poo.

"Yes?"

"Are you going to tell us more about Keefe Hunkyhair Fos- sorry, Sencen- dreaming about you?" Marella asked.

"Why do you even want to know about this?" Sophie asked, barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Because I am the gossip queen and that is my job. Now, spill the tea."

Face heating up, Sophie refused to meet Marella's eyes as she answered the question. "So, um, he was dreaming about me."

"Shocker." Marella muttered.

"Shut up. Anyway, it was just, like, a memory. He was dreaming about some stuff that happened a while ago- around the time you manifested, in case you were wondering. And I happened to be in the memory. That's all."

"That's all?" pouted Marella.

"Yes! Sorry to disappoint."

"But I wanted juiciness!"

"Marella, stop torturing the poor girl." Linh's soft voice became Sophie's savior.

"Marella, listen to Linh."

Marella sighed dramatically. "Fine."

They lapsed into silence again. Counting the steps was Sophie's only distraction from the horrifying theories bouncing around in her brain. When that wasn't enough anymore, Sophie also began counting the number of times she tripped. An unsurprisingly high number resulted from this. Eventually, Sophie's lack of physical stamina provided a distraction and Sophie could stop counting her trips. Thankfully. The number was starting to be a bit embarrassing.

On stair number six-hundred-thirty-six, they made it to the top. Relieved, it took most of Sophie's willpower not to plop down on the spot. "No... more... stairs..." she panted, leaning against the wall of the lighthouse.

"Thank... mallowmelt..." Marella responded.

The door opened. "You kids. Act like you're going to die because you climbed a few steps. Honestly."

"Stairs... are... hard..." Sophie gasped. "If you... wanted me to... be... athletic... you should have... made me... athletic. And... coordinated."

Mr. Forkle sighed. "You kids," he repeated. "Come on in."

As soon as they were inside, Sophie collapsed onto a sofa. "Thank mallowmelt... my legs don't have to support me anymore!"

"Um, since when have your legs ever supported you," Dex teased, which alerted Sophie to the fact that her friends were all in the room. (With the exception of Keefe, of course.)

"Ha ha. Very funny." Sophie laughed sarcastically.

"I thought it was funny," Tam said, defended Dex. A tiny tiny bit of his saltiness went away as he looked at Sophie and asked "How's Keefe doing?"

Sophie hesitated, not entirely sure how to answer that question. "Um... alive?"

"He was dreaming of her!" Marella offered unhelpfully. Sophie wasn't sure, but she though she could see Fitz's jaw clench. Although they had broken up, it was possible that he still had feelings for her, Sophie supposed. He was her EBWSATBJFWBMSLSNS, after all. Ex Boyfriend Who She Agreed To Be "Just Friends" With But Might Still Like, She's Not Sure, was the ridiculously long version of the nickname. Truly, it was a terrible nickname. Why the mallowmelt was Sophie still using it?

Then Sophie remembered Marella's comment, and why her EBWSATBJFWBMSLSNS was potentially mad and jealous. "It wasn't like that! He was dreaming about something that happened a while ago and I just happened to be in the memory." At this, Sophie noticed Fitz visibly relaxing.

"You kids and your love triangles," Mr. Forkle muttered.

"Love triangles? What- love triangles?" said Sophie, either confused or- no no no what the heck do you mean there was no way she was in denial.

Everyone else in the room rolled their eyes simultaneously, but no one answered.

Mr. Forkle cleared his throat. "Anyway, now that you're all here, I have some bad news for you."

Nervously, Sophie tugged at an eyelash. A tiny part of her was glad that she could stop imagining terrible things, but that bit was overshadowed by the dread. "What is it?" she asked in a tiny voice.

"Well, the thing is..." Mr. Forkle hesitated, not wanting to break the news. "Fintan Pyren escaped from prison last night."

MUAHAHAHAHAHA I'M EVIL!

Please review!