Sophie shot up, dread permeating her senses. Where was she? Right, her bed. She plodded out of her bed, and ran to her closet, grabbing her ruby-red uniform and her Ruewen crest. She pulled it on, clasping the cape and pinning her crest to it. Capes looked so stupid, why did elves even wear them?

She quickly brushed her fingers through her hair, unknotting the tangles, and pattered down the stairs. Edaline was at the bottom, holding a Butterblast. She handed it to Sophie and smiled, "Excited?"

Sophie nodded, her mouth full of Butterblast. It was like a maple-syrup-covered pancake that had a baby with a donut. It was donut-shaped, but on the inside, it was filled with maple cream and tasted like pancakes fresh off the griddle.

She quickly hugged Edaline with a hurried, "Bye mom!" And leaped into the Leapmaster, arriving at Foxfire. Biana waited for her next to her locker and smirked as she walked up. "Wait till you taste what today's flavor is," was her greeting. Sophie licked the DNA strip and... tasted something akin to kernelfruit? She wiped her tongue with her sleeve and her eyes were watering. "What is that?"

Biana grimaced, "Gulon gas." Sophie gagged, wiping her tongue aggressively. Biana snickered, "Hilarious, but not if it's you." Sophie rolled her eyes, "Don't you have to lick your DNA strip so you can use your books as well?" Biana flipped her hair and smiled, "No, because I keep them at home!" She said cheerfully.

"That's so smart..."

"Yup."

"Oh no! I'm going to be late to The Universe!"

"Run Sophie! Run!" Biana cried after her, laughing. Sophie sprinted to her classroom, barely arriving in time, plopping into her seat. "Miss Foster," A displeased voice said from above her. "Yes... Sir...?" The elf looking down at her was dark-blue-eyed, with dark brown hair. "Sir Asli." He said in a clipped tone. "Yes, Sir Asli?"

"Miss Foster, Magnate Leto needs you in his office."

Sophie stood straighter, "I'll go right now," She nodded her head at Sir Asli, "Thank you." She quickly walked out of the room and toward the glass pyramid where Magnate Leto dwelled.

She knocked, once, twice. "Come in," He called. Sophie walked in, guilt hitting her in waves as she stared into the wrinkly, bloated face of 'Magnate Leto,' as she recalled what Biana and Keefe had confessed to her. After the Neverseen had been defeated, or rather, neutralized, Mr. Forkle had shed his disguises, mostly. He still hasn't revealed who he truly was and for good reason.

"Miss Foster, there is a... complication," He started, face grim. Sophie froze. Did he know? He couldn't. Nobody had told him! Nobody left any clues for him to find... did they? She shook her head, her hair falling in a curtain, hiding her face. He sighed, "Gethen... he has some interesting information for us," Sophie's face blanched. "Gethen?" Mr. Forkle nodded gravely, "Yes, Gethen." He clarified. "It could be world-changing, and I believe it may trigger one of the memories I placed in your head a long while back."

Sophie shuddered, remembering the last time she recovered a memory. The pain of it was... astounding. But then again, it was probably because the memory had been her inflicting on Amy. She cringed inwardly at the thought of it.  "Miss Foster, it will not be how it was with your sister. That memory was wreathed in pain and terror. This one... this one is just knowledge."

Sophie nodded shakily, "Okay." Mr. Forkle softly smiled at her, "Thank you for your cooperation, Sophie. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think you will find Mr. Sencen outside." He winked and smiled at the look on Sophie's face. "Finally figured it out, didn't you?" His face softened, "And I know who your parents are, and they are most definitely not related to Mr. Sencen, so feel free to get close to him."

Guilt pressed into her chest, choking her. "I- I'm not Unmatchable," She whispered. Mr. Forkle shot upright in his chair, "What?" Sophie choked on a sob, "Fitz, he- he invaded your mind. He told the Matchmakers," she got out, not revealing Keefe or Biana's part in it. Mr. Forkle's face turned red. "The Vacker boy?" He said quietly, a dangerous quiet. Ooh, that was bad. 'The Vacker boy?' It's like the whole 'That Boy' thing. "Yes," Sophie choked out. "I'm sorry."

Mr. Forkle raised an eyebrow at that, "Sorry? Why are you sorry? You didn't have anything to do with this." Sophie wrapped her arms around herself and whispered, "But Fitz... he did this for me." Mr. Forkle smiled grimly at that, "The Vacker boy was misguided. Extremely misguided, but none of it is your fault. You didn't ask him to do it, nor did you encourage him to. You even stopped your search for your biological parents. He did it on his own accord, so do not, and I repeat, do not blame yourself for this. Now, Mr. Sencen is still outside, waiting for you."

Tears pricked at her eyes and she sniffled, "The guilt... it's still there." She wiped at her eyes with the corner of her cape, dampening it. Mr. Forkle smiled sadly, "It may always be. If you keep a damper on it, it won't consume you, it won't break your mind, but an ember of guilt will always, always, be present."

Sophie paled, "Always?" she whispered.  Mr. Forkle nodded, "Always. Over time it will shrink, but a grain of it will always remain." Sophie nodded slowly, "It will fade." she said firmly, assured. She smiled at Mr. Forkle and nodded her head in thanks, "Even if the Neverseen is vanquished, I will always, always, be the Moonlark." She said steadily. With a ghost of a smile on his face, Mr. Forkle nodded, and as she exited the glass pyramid, he whispered, "You will be, Sophie Foster."

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