Hello, my lovely readers! So, this is going to be a little different. Yes, as it says in the description, this is Legacy-compliant! It is not in the same continuity as 'When Even Two Sparrows Fall' or any of my oneshots. So, Biana and Dex are not dragons, Fitz cannot earthbend, none of that.
What does carry over is the following: Everblaze is semi-sentient. Pairings. Lord Cassius is a dollophead. Some other little headcanon things you many notice. This should only line up with canon and itself.

Enjoy the heartbreaking sadness!

Sophie wiped her eyes again, not caring that the handkerchief was as soaked as her sleeves. It would probably stain if she didn't change her clothes, but she didn't care

Four.

Bloody.

Freaking.

Thrice.

Blasted.

Months.

Months.

And Keefe hadn't moved. Not. Even. Blinked. Elwin said he was perfectly fine, just sleeping. Every Empath they'd consulted said his emotions were perfectly level, just sleeping. She and Fitz had poured their energy into searching his mind for anything, any hint of life, any reassurance that he really was just sleeping.

If it weren't for the fact that she could see his chest rise and fall and feel his heartbeat every time she checked his pulse, she would have assumed he was dead.

The Council had told her they had one last option. They'd made it extremely clear that this could only be done once and there was no telling what would happen. This person they knew could either help Keefe, or she could raze the Lost Cities to the ground. There was no way of telling.

They knew it wasn't soporodine or any other sedative. There was no reason for him to stay unconscious. So hopefully whoever the Council was going to contact woke up on the right side of the bed.

A gentle hand removed the soaked handkerchief from her hand and replaced it with a dry one.

"Hey Fitz."

"Hey." He rubbed her shoulder, silently asking permission to hug her. She stood, leaning into his embrace, but finding herself with no more tears left.

"Do you think this is going to work?"

"It has to. We're out of options. If this doesn't work, then…"

"Then we lose Keefe."

He squeezed her tightly. "That isn't going to happen."

"Did the Council tell you if they wanted us there?"

"I think they're coming here. They will want you downstairs though."

"I guess."

There was a light knock on the door and Linh called softly, "They're here and waiting for you."

Sophie took a deep breath and wiped her eyes again, glancing at Keefe's still form. "I hate to leave him alone."

Fitz pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I'll stay with him."

Sophie sighed, squeezing the fresh handkerchief in her hands. She followed Linh out to the vortinator in the hall. The gut-wrenching spinning no longer bothered her. She'd endured it far more times than she'd admit.

From her mother's reaction, she looked horrible, but Sophie felt no inclination to change that. Whatever bedhead she had, she'd probably had worse.

Outside, all twelve Councillors were waiting, along with Alden, Della, Biana, Dex, Tam, and Lord Cassius.

"So how do we summon this person?" Her voice was hoarse and strange from disuse.

Councillor Emery cleared his throat. "We already have. If she wants to come, she'll meet us here. If not, we have no way of making her come or contacting her again."

An uncomfortable silence fell over them. Sophie was starting to think all hope was lost when a blaze of fire split the sky and a gold dragon, whose wingspan was easily over a hundred feet, launched itself through a flaming portal and landed with a huge blast of air in front of them. The woman on its back jumped off, flames flashing and sparking in the air around her.

"Councillor Emery, this had better be important!"