Flaws and Repercussions

Expectations Pt. 2

Ashley...?

I stood in the doorway shocked as I looked at my terrified friend. She was bound with red ropes around her arms and legs, and a brown cloth tied around her mouth. Her electric blue eyes bore into mine...
"This one right here." Erna said, pointing at Ashley "Is the most troublesome mortal i've ever met in a longtime." Ashley's thoughts disagreed with the next comment from Erna, "I want to kill her so badly...". Nerium, Claudia, and myself all immediately yelled "NO!" at this.

"Tristesse said no killing, remember?" Claudia reminded Erna. Seriously, who is this 'Tristesse' and didn't Nerium just kill Mrs. Cheverino? I defensively walked in front of Ashley. What are you doing?: her thoughts said. "Leave my friend alone" I said loudly and with confidence. All three women looked at me...again. Nerium looked 100% done with my shit.

Great now I'm gonna die: Ashley's thoughts said. This bitch is not helping. "What are doing, little witch?" Erna asked, she looked absolutely confused by my action. "Protecting my only friend" I replied. Erna seemed aggravated with my reply. "It's always the same with you mortals." she sneered. After this she pulled out a golden longsword out of midair. Her hair seemed to brighten and glow with intense power.

Her power seemed to go off in shockwaves that gave off feelings rage and war. I'm surprised that I've managed to piss off two powerful beings in at least one hour. Before Erna could manage to give an epic war cry, Nerium yelled "Erna, stop this!". Nerium's voice seemed to be coming from everywhere and instead of one voice it sounded like the voices of a little girl, an old woman, and a middle-aged man speaking all at once. It hurt my ears and I saw Ashley cringe, but the other women didn't seem effected at all.
But it did work as Erna backed down after Nerium yelled. After that show I began undoing Ashley's binds. The others, either, didn't seem to notice or care. After I released Ashley she said a quick "Thanks" before pulling out a long, ornate, gold staff out of nowhere. The large topaz and sapphire at the top of the staff began to glow as she poured her magic into the stones.

The others noticed this, however. They stopped their, sort of, hushed conversation to look at the two of us. Ashley was the only one who could voluntarily use her magic. I have only been able to use my magic involuntarily, which is horribly inconvenient. Ashley's magical aura seemed to set all three of them off at once. Nerium's hair began pulsing crimson and her silver eye glowed ominously, Erna's hair and red eye glowed and she became livid with rage, and Claudia's appearance grew more sickly and a swarm of flies came out behind her. Whatever that was in Ashley's magic was going to probably get the both of us killed.

Oh shit...
My same thought Ashley. Yet, before they could lunge at me and Ashley a dense mist started to poor into the room. It began to smell like decay and the rattling of skeletons could be heard. This seemed to stop all three of the powerful bitches, who looked just a tad terrified. Ashley covered her nose due to the smell, yet I felt as if I blocked out of the smell I would be insulting something worthy of praise.

The mist surrounded both everyone and everything. It felt like it was measuring the might of both me and Ashley. After a while the mist began condensing into the figure of a tall, white-haired woman...

Oh shit, It's the woman from earlier. Just like I remember her. Only this time she stared with her cold, lifeless eyes at Nerium, Claudia, and Erna. The three of them seemed to be having their own private pity parties. The woman than turned to me and spoke "My name is Tristesse, young witch." her accent was french. So this is Tristesse...
I imagined someone much more intimidating but she came in as a mist and still radiated immense power, so what do I know.

"E-Emmaline." I stuttered my name, although she never asked for it. I was both terrified and filled with awe. Ashley on the other hand was ready to piss her pants. Even though she tried to hide her fear her mind gave her away. When Tristesse turned to her, she positioned her staff in between them. Tristesse turned the well-crafted gold staff into dust with merely a wave of her hand. Ashley looked even more horrified by this, especially since it was a gift from her dead grandmother. R. I. P. grandma Haeward.
"You've done all that I've expected, little witch." Tristesse said, turning back to me. They keep calling me a witch...am I really a witch? Before I could ask the white-haired female turned back to the three other women. "What did I tell you three?" Tristesse barked. The other three cringed at Tristess's tone. They looked like children being scolded by their mother. It was quite humorous, I couldn't help but smirk. Ashley pulled me to the wall and said "Mind telling me what the hell is going on here?".

"I have next to no idea." I answered honestly. "Well mind explaining what the hell happened while we were separated." Ashley said 'matter-of- factly'. I gladly obliged with her request.
When I got to Mrs. Cheverino's death Ashley gasped with a mortified expression. "That's awful" she said.
"No, it's not she was bitch" I said.
"It doesn't matter, Emmaline, she was still a person."
"No, Ashley she was just a bitter and horrible person"
"How could you know, Emmaline?"

Oh, great now I will have to tell her that I could hear the thoughts of people around me...
"She did nothing but complain about her students and family.-"
"Wait, how could you know that?" Ashley interrupted.
I explained to her how I could read and hear the minds of others.
"That's how you knew the answer to Ms. Hunter's question isn't it." Ashley said with a hint of mischief in her blue eyes. "Yes." I said. I continued with what I was saying earlier: "She treated her son like he was a nothing but a slave." I explained. "Oh." was all that Ashley could respond. I then continued the story to the present.

"So are you a witch?" Ashley asked me after I finished the story. Before I could answer that good question, Nerium interrupted me. "Witch, we need to take you back to your residence to talk about...stuff." she said while glaring her, now, gray eye at Ashley.

I really didn't want to take these ladies back to my house...
I looked at Ashley hoping she would have an idea on what to do. Nope. Don't even think about it: her thoughts answered for me. I looked back at Nerium. Tristesse, Claudia, and Erna stood a few feet behind the oriental.

"Fine." I said "But Ashley comes along with me." Erna gave a look of spite and the others seemed to be pretty cool with the arrangement. Nerium gave a nod of her head and signaled me and Ashley to follow her.
Tristesse lead all of us out of the all white building.

I gripped Ashley's hand for support and squeezed her hand, she squeezed mine in return.

I heard her thoughts clear as day as we walked out of the main entrance.

You ready?

Yes.