Sophie sighed as she lay down for bed. Nightmares chased her these days - literally. One of her nighttime terrors had been pitch black horses chasing her, an aura of death surrounding them. But she had been running, not just away from them, but towards something.
A bright light.
When she had woken up, shaking, the dream had reminded her of a fear that was lurking in the back of her mind these days...
That she wouldn't be able to see him before she died.
The concept of her death was common in conversations, her thoughts, in every waking moment that she went through now.
It didn't scare her anymore.
The only thing she was worried about when it came to closing her eyes was that what she had to do, her role, would not have been finished.
A week before she had finally deciphered the meaning of the nightmare.
She remembered what he had said to her the last time she spoke to him, he said that she couldn't fix him.
But it was killing her that Keefe didn't know that even if she couldn't, she loved him enough to try.
And if she died before she was able to tell him that, she was sure that she would still feel guilt for the fact that he wouldn't know for the rest of his life.
She didn't believe in God, as religion became just a silly idea to her now.
People would put the mention of gods or spirits into things they didn't understand - to try to make sense of things and explain what they knew not how to do.
But Sophie now knew that everything in nature and the world happened because it was just the way the universe worked.
In fact, that was what Fitz had first told her when she had experienced light leaping for the first time.
But yet, Sophie found herself praying to whatever deity was above, watching.
Please save him. Let him know, and I'll let him go.
A trail of tears tracked their way down her face.
---------------------------
Sophie locked eyes with him.
The battle was over.
The fight was won, and she knew now that everything had just led to this.
"Are you going to fight me?"
The whole mass of people held their breath, waiting for his answer.
His response came clear as he dropped his weapons, and several Emissaries rushed to him and held him up, pulling his arms behind his back.
Sophie's eyes widened.
"No! Wait!"
Keefe's lifeless looking eyes met hers, and for the first time in a very long time, she thought she saw a spark.
Time had slowed down as their eyes met, but it sped up again as she stumbled across the clearing to kneel before the boy she thought she had known.
She looked up to the Emissaries, and they dropped him after seeing her gaze.
Keefe dropped into the grass, still kneeling.
Sophie knelt as well, looking up into his eyes as she pressed a hand to his face.
She knew he couldn't do anything, as his arms were bound by shackles and tied behind him. Maybe that was the reason the Emissaries let her get so close.
When he made no attempt to move, she tried pulling her hand away but Keefe closed his eyes, nuzzling his face into her fingers.
She took shaky breaths, pushing his messy hair away from his face.
"Please," she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes as she looked to the Councillors - or, who was left of the original twelve.
Emery sighed.
"Miss Foster, we know that it's hard - "
"No! You don't understand!" The tears fell out of her eyes now, and everyone stared as the girl they thought was so strong broke down in front of them.
"He helped us! He helped us so many times..." She turned back to Keefe, pressing their foreheads together.
"Please. Say something, anything to defend yourself."
His pale eyes stared back at her.
But just as he opened his mouth, a voice from the remaining survivors called out as Timkin Hekes stood up.
"I think we should let the boy go."
Sophie gaped a little at the man, and what felt like loud silence was now defeaning.
Timkin shrugged.
"Believe her. Believe the girl who saved your world. She gave all of you a second chance after most of you judged her, some making her a laughingstock. But she gave you a second chance, and I say it's time to repay the favor. Besides," Timkin smiled for the first time since Sophie had met him, and his gaze softened as he looked at his wife.
"Can't you see how much she loves him?"
Keefe's eyes widened, and he froze completely.
Suddenly, voices started rising as more and more people agreed, and finally, the remainder of the perfect world Sophie had come to years ago rose up in one, unified voice.
"Yes," they chanted, "Yes."
And when his hands were released from the metal shackles, Keefe fell into her arms, and she reached up and ran her fingers through his hair as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
Then he spoke, for the first time that day.
"I love you."
Sophie pulled away to look at him, and she had opened her mouth when he leaned forward and kissed her, softly but desperately.
She pulled him to his feet, and they stood and watched the sky as one by one, Biana, Dex, Fitz, Tam, and Linh ask came by to silently looked up to the dark starry night, fireworks and light beams shooting up as Flashers showed off their brilliant talent.
Keefe smiled.
"Fix me," he said without looking at her. "Show me how it's like to be loved."
Sophie smiled up at the sky.
"Trust me, I'll do anything I can."
For the first time in a long time, she could look at the crowd of people and say that all she felt was hope.
Just hope, for everyone.
She knew that for once no one cared who was alive, and that everyone was happy for everyone, just because they lived.
No one cared about whatever past they had, no one remembered what they had been fighting for just a week ago.
No negative feeling was in the mass of people, and Sophie fueled on the positivity, pushing every ounce of the energy out of her body and smiled as the power of hope and happiness rushed through everybody.
For once, they weren't afraid.
From now on, and forever.
I'm sorry it took so long! Hope it was worth the wait!
