Ebony

Chapter 3 - Pieces to the Puzzle

"W-what are you!!" Ebony says in a panic as she backs up towards the window. A lady in a black robe and long black hair, with dark orange ends, moves closer to Ebony. "Oh I'm so sorry dear, but as someone who loves you very much...its best you don't know." The woman says in a sweet tone.

"l-love?" Ebony says slowly with confusion. "Yes dear, love..." the woman then drops her hood then continues "I've always loved you, and we've talked a many of times...remember" she points to the keyhole "I know, I know, I should have come in sooner but...the timing had to be PERFECT and what better time than your 18th year and a healer's visit on the way."

Ebony now scans the lady questionably looking all over her body. She had a dark robe with long sleeves and length that went all the way to her feet, shoes black, maybe heels, and beautiful green eyes. While Ebony scanned her, the woman looked over the room. Dust everywhere, it looked as if no one inhabited the place in years: cob-webs, broken furniture, & insects crawling all over and in the leftover food bowls in the corner of the room. The lady then spoke in disgust. "Ugh! All this place needs is a white chalk outline and this would be a murder scene, your mother would have never wanted you to live like this!"

"M-M-Mother??" Ebony said in shock the words alone made her fall to the floor "Yes darling dear...please get up, and sit on the bed" Ebony didn't move. so the lady sighed. The lady then bent what seemed like her knees to sit on her own legs face to face with Ebony ."Yes Ebony, Mother, I was a friend of your Mothers, my names Shino, me and your mother were best friends, she was the only one to ever really be close to me and not just want me for my power. You see I have dark...power."

"Power...?"

"Yes! And most people would use me for it but not your mother. She was a kind and gentle soul. But one day she was in a panic, and I couldn't understand why. She was saying such foolish things at that time. She made me promise to take care of you." Now Shino grabbed Ebony's hand and said "that brings me to why I'm here...to tell you something...hard to hear."

"T-T-Tell me..."

"...Your mother was not killed by sickness...she was...murdered." At those words Ebony snapped onto a uncontrollable rage screaming, throwing, crying all at once. She destroyed everything in the room.

Shino snapped her fingers. Ebony was stuck. Frozen in an awkward position but still found a way to scream her head off.

Shino then wiped her hand across Ebony's mouth making her silent.

Shino then stepped back and smirked as she admired her work, "I see all your sadness has turned into anger." Her voice had changed from a pleasant caring tone to one with heavy bass as she continued, "Good." Shino started to walk in circles around Ebony's stiff body. "See I'm here to help you, I'll make you a sane little girl again with some added power and you will be able to bring revenge and mayhem on whoever and whatever you please, now blink if you understand." Ebony use all the strength she could to blink and with Shino's clap she was free making her fall from out of the air and on to the dresser hitting her chest hard.

"Good little girl." She patted her head and said, "Stand up straight." So, Ebony did so. Then, while closing one of her eyes Shino speaks, "This might hurt a bit." Shino then grips up Ebony's shoulders and lets her power flow. Ebony screams in horror. It was the pain of a thousand suns, like seeing her mother die 20 times, like being set on fire by Hades himself, and getting eaten alive from the inside out.

The pain was excruciating so much so that her skin was peeling off in chucks starting from her feet up, the room shook, and Ebony's eyes start to turn red making her bleed tears. By the time the skin peeling got up to her neck Shino let go and Ebony passes out.

Later, Ebony wakes up with Shino standing next to the bed Ebony lays on. Shino looks over top of her body making Ebony rush back towards the wall. Shino laughs with a slap of what looks like knees and says, "Good, your senses are back." Ebony looks at her hands and her feet as she was seeing them for the first time. "What did you do to me?" Ebony said in a calm normal voice as she whipped the blood from her head

"I made you sane, you pretty much lost your mind after you lost your mother. I mean yes, it is a normal tendency to be sad but, you went ballistic! I mean really, ballistic. So ,when I gave you 5% of my powers I guess...it knocked your sanity back. So, in other words, YOUR A REAL GIRL...it's okay, you don't get the joke, that's a little ahead of your time but, anyways. That's what I did for you. So, where's my thank you?" Shino laughed as Ebony says a gentle thank you and leaps for big hug when she steps back Ebony speaks again. "Well..." After looking around, "Can you also help me with this room I mean it's a little...dirty." Shino said 'sure dearie' and with a flick of her hand the room was spotless, the old furniture was fixed including new pieces. All gold, with the walls painted light blue for contrast.

Ebony was so happy she gave Shino another hug but to her surprise, Shino said, "Don't be too happy now, all things come with a price."

"What type of price?"

"...It's not a big deal...it's just that with this power, whatever you say you will do, must be done. You can't go back on your word or else..."

"Or else what?"

"Or else...you will be stripped of your powers, become a servant of Hades, and never be allowed to return to the surface ever again. Promises have to be kept, once broken Hades will take you..."

"Oh. Okay...I mean it's not that bad I just won't make promises or the ones I do make I'll keep."

"Right.... then let's start my plan."

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