WARNING: MONSTER A/N AHEAD. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
FOUR HUNDRED REVIEWS! ! ! When I joined fanfiction exactly two years ago (stay tuned for my essay in a few paragraphs!), even ten reviews would be a great accomplishment for me. Four hundred was even more in the realm of fantasy than the stories I wrote fanfiction for.
And then it happened. And for that, I can only thank my amazing readers.
Crowd: Well, you sure can't thank your own talent!
And now, my fanfictioniversary speech!
I joined two years ago to publish some bad Percabeth fanfiction. It got a few reviews. Not many, but a few. And then I started writing for Keepers, and my account basically blew up. At times, it's still unreal to me.
Joining fanfiction was probably one of my better ideas. This website has been an opportunity to write, to share my writing, and to improve. I would not be as talented as I am today if I hadn't practiced writing fanfiction and posted it here. I've also read some amazing fanfictions, probably too many to name, and made some incredible friends. I'll always be grateful for this website, and glad that I joined.
HAPPY TWO YEARS!
Anywhoooooo. I got so many amazing reviews, and even though fanfiction GLITCHED and I couldn't see any of them for DAYS, I can see them now! And I shall respond!
Bob, Bob 2, and BOB369 (Hopefully you're all the same person...): I WILL NEVER STOP WITH THE CLIFFHANGERS! And thank you for the compliments. The flames a while ago really made me feel awful, but it seems like you're trying to be a bit nicer, so I'm grateful for that. PS: Flames suck, but I'm a sucker for antagonist redemption.
Lady Kiddo: Only thing better is them dating. Just kidding. Or am I? Sort of. Thank you! i HaVe No CoNfIdEnCe WhAtSoEvEr but I'm sure your garbage is great too! It's a garbage can, not a garbage cannot! UGH, NO ONE LIKES THE FIVID-19!
SokeefeWillAlwaysBeBetter: Yep! I'll try!
R2A88: That's... fast? Maybe? Three hours is shorter than the time it took to write. Anyway. Thank you! That's such an amazing compliment! I'll try!
girlonfire: *Fintonavirus. You forgot the toilet paper! Anyway. I'm glad you liked it! (#GiveElsaAGirlfriend) YAY BLACK SWAN! It might actually be the first time. Whatever indeed. DESTROYYYYYYYYY! Nice reference! I'll try my best. AND PEGGY!
MarellaIsTheBest: FIVID-19! NOOOOOOO! Honestly, it annoys me when the villain and the hero spend 93483 pages explaining their plans- GET ON WITH IT ALREADY! FedEx? Maybe... ;). I don't think it works to publish chapters, but I'll try in a review! Nice font! And no problem.
Mallowmelt: Oh shoot. Both good points. I blame Glitterbutt23 for stealing my copy of Legacy so I can't fact check this stuff. 1) Okay, so, maybe the two Paragons are built so that they connect with some sort of tube/hallway/solid thingy so councillors in opposite hamster balls can communicate? ? ? Maybe? 2) I guess they couldn't bring too many people? And deemed the councillors useless? Sophie has the same power as Bronte, so his wouldn't be as important? And she doesn't want to see Oralie, and none of the other councillors would want to help. 3) It is a great name. 4) Thanks!
Sky: AHHHH! TOILET PAPER! NOOOO! Ahem. Thank you so much! Pacing is the worst to try to nail. And honestly, she is (second to Gisela, but I killed her). I think I'd be okay with that. ALL HAIL QUEEN BIANA! And ahhhhh! Thank you! -A. Fan.
Princess Book: Calm down. Actually, you're a fanpotato- you can't. Never mind. Don't jump off a cliff unless you're a teleporter like Silveny! But ahhhh thank you so much! It does. Say goodbye to the toilet paper! Don't get used to it. We're all insane here. I'll try! Your obedient fangirl, A. Fan.
HernameisBurrito: AHH! Not literally, I hope. Hey, I'm evil, but I'm not that evil. Oh no! Coughing! Do you have the fintonavirus? Ahh thank you! I'm sure yours was fine (your teacher is wrong). OH MY MALLOWMELT I LOVE THAT IDEA! To bad I've already planned this out. New fanfiction idea? No, I already have an idea for my next one.
Fitzphieistrash: 1) EEEE! YES! I think you're right. 2) Thanks! I stalk SM's instagram too, even though I don't have it either. 3) Hmm...
All right, enjoy!
Sophie froze. She'd been so caught up in taking down the Neverseen that she forgot why this specific fight was taking place. All of their previous accomplishments in this battle meant nothing if she couldn't stop Fintan from causing human extinction.
Stall! her brain screamed, but she couldn't seem to think of words that would distract him-
"Why are you doing this?" Dex asked, briefly turning his head to Sophie and grinning before looking back at Fintan.
Thank you, she transmitted.
Are we seriously doing this villain monologue thing? Fitz transmitted to Sophie.
Well, we need to stall him...
True, true, Fitz agreed, before leaving her mind and listening to Fintan's answer.
"Humans," Fintan growled. "Deserve to die."
"Why do you think that?" Linh asked. "Have you ever met a human?"
"No, but-"
"Because Sophie has," Marella added. "Sophie's met many humans. So she's more qualified to decide whether or not humans deserve to die. Sophie?"
Sophie swallowed and thought about the time she'd spent in the human world. Considering it'd taken up twelve years of her life, she felt bad for not thinking of it more often. In the human world, she had always had the sense that she didn't really belong... but that had less to do with the humans around her and more to do with the fact that she wasn't human. Some humans had bullied her back at her old school, but some elves were just as bad when Sophie was at Foxfire. Jealousy and hostility weren't species specific traits. And Sophie's human family... in no world did they deserve to die. Yes, some humans were awful- but so were some elves. And just like some elves were amazing people, some humans were too. Despite the flaws of elvin society as a whole, no one was trying to commit genocide against them, so why should they do that to humans?
"Humans don't deserve to die," she said.
"That's what you think," Fintan countered. "Because you are naive and only willing to see the good in the world. You are blind to all of the flaws-"
"That's not true," Keefe interrupted. "Foster is the moonlark. Her job is to see the flaws in the elvin world from a different perspective."
Fitz nodded. "Yeah. The human world definitely isn't great- pollution, ignorance, hostility, a superficial society-" Sophie waited for the but, a little offended that Fitz had to take the time to list each one, but she couldn't argue with any of them.
"-But the elvin world has a lot of flaws too," Keefe continued. "Like, we discriminate against the stupidest things. Who cares if two siblings are twins? And our matchmaking system is screwed up-"
Sophie looked over at Fitz. Fitz looked away and Sophie's gaze turned to Biana. She had forced herself into a sitting position and was nodding along. Alden gave her a shocked look, but said nothing.
"-our Council is flawed, and people are hated both for having no special abilities or being too powerful."
"Being a screwed up species isn't specific to humans," Tam said. "And genocide is going a little bit overboard."
"You know nothing of what humans do!" Fintan snapped. Sophie raised her eyebrows, and Jensi opened his mouth, presumably to point out the obvious, but Fintan continued. "There is so much war. Terrorism. Hate."
"Like what you're doing?" Stina asked. "Like, um, burning things, killing innocent people-"
"And the environment! They're destroying it!" Fintan yelled.
"The world is heating up. Considering your life revolves around setting things on fire, I don't think that's so tragic," Glimmer said.
"Enough!" Fintan yelled, shooting a burst of flames in Sophie's direction. She yelped and dodged.
Grady glared at him, brow furrowing in concentration. Fintan's hand, the one holding the vial of Fintonavirus, opened. Based on the outrage on Fintan's face, Sophie doubted he did that willingly, but she took the opportunity, grabbing the vial with telekinesis and yanking. Ruy gritted his teeth and pulled back. Sophie's friends joined in on the telekinetic tug-of-war until the Fintonavirus came flying towards them. Wylie caught it as it flew through the air and handed the vial to Maruca, who made a force field around that.
Sophie cheered and, caught up in the celebrating, kissed Keefe. When they separated, she saw Fitz staring at them, a sad look on his face. He gave a small smile before turning away and high five-ing Dex. On Fitz's other side was Marella, trying and failing to pick Linh up and spin her around.
A second too late, Sophie noticed the murderous look on Fintan's face, the smoke around his hands. If she had noticed a second earlier, she would have had time to scream, to warn them- but Sophie couldn't even react until she heard Marella screaming and saw Linh crumple to the ground, Tam sprinting to his sister. There were a few seconds during which the three of them huddled together, and while Sophie was still hurrying towards them, Marella and Tam both attacked Fintan with a fury that scared even her.
Sophie looked at Wylie, who was also running to Linh. She rummaged around in her pocket for a leaping crystal to the healing center- of course she had a leaping crystal to the healing center- and handing it to Wylie, saying "Get her to Elwin." He nodded and picked Linh up before leaping away.
The fight resumed. Biana managed to get back up off the ground and immediately go after Vespera, despite protesting from her family. Fitz shook his head, muttering something about idiot sisters, before going to help her. A few of the adults were still fighting, but most of them were on the side helping with minor injuries, while Maruca gritted her teeth and kept force fields around all of them. With a shock, Sophie noticed that Keefe's arm was bent at an angle it probably shouldn't be. I'm fine, he mouthed when he noticed her looking.
Sophie nodded and looked away, instead focusing on figuring out which Neverseen members they still had to fight. Gethen, two goblins, and one cloaked figure were all either unconscious or dead. Della had joined Fitz and Biana in fighting Vespera, and Marella and Tam were winning against Fintan. Trix was leaning against the Paragon's side, a throwing star in his leg and blood soaking it. Two cloaked people, an ogre, and Ruy were pretty much the Neverseen members still posing much of a threat.
Biana hit Vespera with one more sucker punch before running over to Sophie. "She's either unconscious or dead," Biana panted. "I didn't bother to check."
"Are you okay?" Sophie asked. Biana's shoulders were still bleeding, and Sophie couldn't help but wince just looking at the bruise on her forehead.
"Never been better," she mumbled, leaning against Sophie. She put her arm around Biana before briefly inflicting on the ogre.
"Hey," Biana said weakly. "I just realized something."
"Yeah?"
"Shouldn't Alvar be fighting us too?"
Ruy, who had evidently heard them, threw some sort of gadget at them. Biana pulled Sophie out of the way just in time.
"Alvar's dead," Ruy yelled, looking almost pained by the words. A million emotions flashed through Biana's face. "He came to one of our hideouts a few weeks ago to say goodbye. He said to tell you... about the Vacker legacy."
"Yeah, I'm listening," Biana snapped. Fitz turned around to listen.
"The Vacker legacy," Ruy said, "According to Alvar, is forbidding a Vacker from falling in love with anyone who wouldn't be on a list some day. It's prioritizing reputation over someone their child depends on. It is always being seen as the perfect family, no matter the cost."
"Who was it?" Fitz asked. "That Alvar was in love with?"
"That's not the point!" said Ruy. "The point is, now you know what the Vacker legacy is. Fitz threw away his relationship with the moonlark because of it, and the legacy will ruin Biana's life too. This is your last chance to escape the Vacker legacy and to join us."
Biana reached into the pouch of gadgets that Dex gave her before throwing something large and heavy at Ruy. "I'm making my own Vacker legacy," she declared, just before it hit Ruy in the head and he collapsed.
"That was awesome," Fitz told her.
She grinned. "Thank you."
Marella and Tam came over to join the group. Most of Marella was still smoking, and Tam was shrouded in shadow. Both looked terrifying, and Sophie was glad they were on her side.
"Fintan's dead," Marella said simply.
Sophie had to admit that she felt no remorse. Whatsoever. Fintan deserved his death, especially if he was responsible for Linh's... no, that was too terrible to think about. "Nice job."
A cheer from Ro interrupted their conversation- she had finally killed the ogre. Only two Neverseen members remained, both cloaked. Dex and Stina were pelting one of them with gadgets. Both looked as though they were enjoying themselves. Sophie focused on the other, took aim, and inflicted until they were collapsed on the ground. After one more explosion from Stina throwing something, Dex pronounced the last member unconscious.
Sophie gasped, clapping her hands to her mouth as tears filled her eyes.
They had done it.
The Black Swan had won.
I'll leave you guys with that non-cliffhanger.
The climax is over, now I just need some other stuff and... I won't spoil, but this is almost done! Which is bittersweet.
Please review!