UNLOCKED, kotlc

Chapter 47

"Sophie please. Don't ignore me," somebody said.

Sophie forced her eyes open, squinting at the florescent sunlight streaming through her open window and rubbing her eyelids groggily as she adjusted herself on her huge bed to face her Imparter.

"Why did you hail me?" Sophie said, forcing bitterness into her tone but also trying to keep quiet.  The soft, rosy-cheeked blonde Councillor through the square-shaped screen was sitting in one of her fluffy golden armchairs propped up against her rose-pink colored wall- and this same Councillor also happened to be her biological mother, who nobody knew about except for her, Oralie, her unknown biological father, and a few members of the Black Swan.

"I... thought we could get over this," she said, her pink cheeks taking on a pale tint.

"Over what? Over every single lie you've told me, every smile you've faked, every feeling of pride that you've given me- and you lied and lied and lied just because... just-"

"Sophie," Oralie said calmly.  Her non-angry tone just fueled the boiling fury inside of Sophie that she was desperately trying to extinguish before she did something rash and got herself exiled.

"I just wanted to say.. I'm sorry," Oralie said quietly.

"Well... well sorry's not enough!" Sophie spluttered, wanting to thrust her Imparter across the room. "You don't get to pretend like you love me after everything you've done to ruin- yes ruin! My life! Okay?"

"I do love you," Oralie told her simply.  "It's just complicated."

"Complicated?" Sophie demanded.  "Unless you have answers to whatever mess I'm going through then just... just go, okay?"

"I don't," Oralie admitted, staring at her feet.

"Then go!" Sophie practically yelled at her.

Oralie looked at her furious expression quietly.  "If looks could kill, I'd be dead by now."

Sophie scowled, her penetrating glare only deepening.  "If looks could kill, I'd be dead by the first moment I saw you."

And then she promptly hung up in Oralie's petty, lying, cheating little face.

__________

"So.. who was that?" Sandor asked, but smartly didn't push as Sophie glared at him and stomped off to her bathroom.

Sophie literally dragged herself through her tedious morning routine, and by the time she was finished, she'd cooled off considerably- at least enough to get through breakfast with her real, much-better-than-Couciller-rosy-cheeks-and-lyingcurls parents who were so much kinder and better than Councillor Lyingcurls ever would be.

And after that, she really didn't feel in the mood to visit her friends.  Or do much else.

So she headed outside towards Calla's panakes tree for some fresh air and adorable alicorn snuggling with Wynn and Luna, who'd grown considerably and could hardly be classified as babies- although compared to Silveny and Greyfell's toweringly regal figures, Sophie could see why the term still applied.

Luna whinnied and curled up on her lap as Wynn sat across from her and nudged her nose.

"What am I going to do about her?" Sophie asked quietly, completely aware of the fact that she was currently speaking to two baby alicorns.  Technically, she could transmit, but she really didn't feel like using up her mental reserves.

"Out of all the people- even out of all the Councillors- why her?" Sophie mumbled, running her hands through Luna's soft white fur.

"I hate Councillor Oralie," Sophie spat.  "Why did Calla suggest Oralie as my mom? Why not some normal person that I could just give up their name to the matchmakers?"

"COUNCILLOR ORALIE'S YOUR MOM!?" three voices shouted all at the same time and Sophie felt like she was in a terrible dream- where she as falling and falling and falling and she'd just hit rock bottom.

Fading out of the air was Tam, Biana, and Keefe.

Sophie had a feeling that this was not going to end well.

But of course, Councillor Bronte's favorite motto rang through her head: When you hit rock bottom, you just dig deeper.