Rising From The Ashes

After the Matchmaker's Office

(A/N: This is my first fanfic ever...well, I did one before but never published it and then Flashback came out so I decided to do this instead. Hope you like it! Please put ideas in the comments and constructive criticism. I have a lot of homework, so I probably won't update regularly.)

     Sophie stared at the screens in shock. When she finally came to her senses, she strode out of the room, pretending like she didn't care, but she swiped away a few traitorous tears. Her pace quickened and she swung open the wide doors of the Matchmaker's Office, heading out of Atlantis and back to Havenfield. Grady and Edaline followed her, leaping back right after her.

     Sophie Elizabeth Foster is unmatchable, the screens had said. Was it because of her abilities? Did the matchmakers hate her? Was it because she didn't know who her genetic parents were? Were the Councillors trying to mess with her life?

     I want it to be you, was what Fitz had told her at Everglen. What was the point of matchmaking if you couldn't be matched? She almost wished she could curl up under a rock and die. Almost.

     When she finally reached Havenfield, she stormed up to her room and slammed the door, her parents casting worried glanced at each other.

     She had survived almost being burned to death, taken enough sedatives to last a lifetime (unwillingly, of course), dodged melting crystals, and risked her life in order to help others. And for what? To be told that she could never get matched and have kids as a thank-you present? She had stared death straight in the eye and slapped it, yet fate was the one killing her.

     Fitz would be so disappointed. Maybe even mad at her. No. He would be furious at the matchmakers. She knew his echo would kill him if his emotions were too strong, so she had to make sure Flori healed him before she told him.

     Grady and Edaline knocked on her bedroom door and she opened it. They looked very worried.

     "They said I can't be matched." Sophie told them. Grady looked guilty and Edaline was tearing up.

     "Those elves have no right to tell you who you can or can't love." Edaline said, tears swimming in her eyes.

     "I'm so sorry, Sophie." Grady told her, the guilt still lurking in his eyes. Why was he sorry? He hadn't done anything, right?

     "Sorry for what?" she asked.

     "This is the Council's fault. They don't want you to be a Councillor, but they also won't give you a list because they don't know who your biological parents are. They don't want you to pass on your talents or your genes because they have never been tested before. I was told a few days ago that this would happen." Grady explained. The Council was controlling her life. And Grady knew. But he didn't tell her. Her dad chose not to tell her. Edaline gasped.

     She turned to Edaline and said, "Can you get Flori? I need her help with something. Tell her to come in about an hour."

     Then she cast a long look at Grady and closed her bedroom door. She heard them talking, then footsteps walking away. Since she had a full hour, she decided to take off the extensive makeup on her face, throw away the frilly dress, and take a shower.

     Once she finished, she hailed Biana on her Imparter and laid on her bed. Biana answered immediately, probably excited because Sophie had told her she would go to the matchmaker's office and nervous because she hadn't already talked to Fitz.

     "How did it go?!" Biana asked, flopping onto her own bed. Sophie felt tears spring to her eyes and Biana gasped. "Oh, Sophie, I wish I could come over right now, but I need to do something else. Come over tomorrow morning."

(A/N: For some reason, my hand wants to write Sophitz instead of Sophie every time I write her name. I feel like it's a good and bad habit. Good because I ship them and write Sophitz a lot, bad because I could accidentally do that a lot.)

     Flori stepped into her room after Biana hung up. "Hi."

     "I need you to teach me the echo song." Sophie (A/N: Just did it again) told her, putting her hands over her eyes. She didn't want to be this upset, but she was. Fitz would be matched with other girls. Not her. She knew she should've let go of him that day in the reception hall. (A/N: I think that's what it was, but if it's not, then I mean the place in Everglen where they almost kissed.) Maybe then it would be easier to deal with this. He couldn't become a bad match. He was a Vacker. She knew he cared about her, but family had to come first. At least, that's what she would tell him when she had to.

     While Sophie (A/N: It happened again) had been busy thinking, Flori had sat down on her bed with a piece of paper. Sophie glanced at the paper and saw that it was the lyrics to the echo song. Somehow Flori had known Sophie would ask her about it.

     "Can you teach me the song? I want to try to heal Fitz. Since the Black Swan manipulated my DNA, I figured they might have given me something to make me like you and Calla." she said.

     "I can teach you the song, but we already healed Fitz." Flori answered. Sophie was confused. She should remember this, photographic memory and all, but she didn't. Oh well, she would look into it later.

     They spent the next two hours together, making sure she got everything right. Flori taught her the lyrics and the melody to the echo song. Surprisingly, she learned quickly. Flori had even said she was very good at singing. Soon, Flori had to leave and Fitz hailed her on her imparter.

     "Hey, Biana told me you would come over tomorrow. Can you come over right now instead?" he asked. She nodded and then hung up, walking over to the leapmaster.

     "I'm going to Everglen," she yelled to her parents. She didn't wait for a reply before leaping to Fitz and Biana's house.

(A/N: This chapter is 1050 words, not including this message. I'll probably either post shorter chapters or update slowly. OMG I LITERALLY JUST PUBLISHED THIS AND PEOPLE ARE ALREADY READING MY FANFIC?!?!?!?! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!!!!!!!!