Chapter Seventeen: The Friend

Ember had managed to find herself a small room, down the hall from Penny's where she had made herself at home rather quickly. After hours of redecorating, she was finally satisfied with what she was able to accomplish.

" Well, it's not exactly like home but it's gonna do just nicely" Ember smiled, overlooking her progress as a rather hard knock on the door, thundered through the room.

" Whose there? " Ember called out and received no response. After thinking for a moment, she knew exactly the identity of the disturbance.

" Penny? What could you possibly want with me? I thought you disliked me" Ember mocked as she walked over to the door, placing her hand on the knob but offering entry into the room.

" Just open the damn door" Penny growled, growing more and more frustrated by Ember's resistance.

" Ooo sassy" Ember turned the knob of the door and opened it to find Penny standing behind it, staring holes through Ember.

" What do you want? " Ember asked, with her usual happy and upbeat tone which bothered Penny to the very core of her being.

" If you are going to stay here, I have to be able to trust you" Penny said, her tone, shakey as her body shivered from the pain.

" Alright, and what did you have in mind to help with that? " Ember, whilst not approving of Penny's attitude, knew that she would have to do her best to get along with her if they were to be living together.

" Well first we are going to have a talk" Penny explains as she pushes Ember out of the way, walking into her room and sits down, looking over a room that had somehow become marinated in a positive energy as opposed to any other room in the cabin. Even the smell within the room was of a sickeningly sweet nature that was both pleasing and yet overbearing on the nose. It smelled of candy and sweets, and yet leather and old wood.

" What the hell did you do in here? And what is that smell? " Penny complained as she covered her nose, her eyes beginning to water from being overwhelmed.

" Its my own homemade insence" Ember explained. "It's made with a ton of different things that I have found in the mountains. But trust me, it's good for keeping your system clean and cleat and promotes positive thinking" Ember chirped as Penny continued to hold her nose.

" Well it's alot.." Penny complains again, but finally decides to shift the conversation.

" So..what are you? Are you human? " Penny asks boldly.

" As far as I know I'm human. I don't have any magical powers or anything. But, I do have alot of survival skills so I'm pretty content with that" Ember had always been content with who she was. She was never the biggest, the strongest or the fastest. But she was always happy with what she could do. She could get by and that is all she needed. Penny could sense that Penny was telling the truth, even though she still had many doubts about the sincerity of Ember on every single front.

" That you are aware of? Were your parents human? " Penny continued her inquiries.

" I didn't know my parents super well but they were human. I spent most of my life with my neighbors because my parents were killed during the war. My neighbors always assured me that my parents were amazing people. So I couldn't answer that entirely for you " Ember explained.

This had been the first time that Penny had actually possessed the ability and freedom to have a conversation with someone whose life was directly affected by the war.

" I'm sorry about you parents" Penny offered her condolences, feeling slightly bothered by her own tone towards Ember.

" There is nothing can be done about it now. All I have been able to do is make the best of a bad situation. And that is why I am usually In a good mood. Like I've explained to Lysette, being sad and being angry about things that can't be changed will not just magically change things. No matter who or how powerful you are" Ember walked over and sat down on her bed, that had been properly tucked together, blankets looked almost perfectly flat. There was a small teddy beat that was resting on the bed and Penny took notice.

" Is he your friend? " Penny asked, referring to the tinny vanilla colored bear that wore a rather friendly smile on his face.

" My neighbors gave him to me when I was little. He has been my friend..my bestfriend for a long time. And he keeps me company" Ember smiles as she picks up the small, fluffy bear and holds him close to her chest lovingly.

" What is his name? " Penny asked, trying to lighten the conversation from her angry initiation to the conversation.

" I never really gave him a name. I don't think he ever really needed with him. But, I usually call him buddy but not as his actual name, ya know?"

The one thing that Penny could tell about Buddy was that Ember cared deeply for him. His fur was completely clean outside of a few slightly loose brown eye that drooped down.

" Well we all need a friend. I've always had Lysette. My parents died as well when I was very young and every since then, I've been under Lysette's care" Penny opened up a little to Ember who seemed to be listening intently.

"So I get what it's like losing people that important to you" Penny added as Ember perked up a little. " Well you got be raised by a Lycan so that is pretty cool" Ember smiled as Penny chuckled. " Yeah. But it's rougher than you'd think. But then again, maybe not. You seem smart enough to figure out how people work pretty quickly" Penny pointed out. Ember's psychological analyzations had been pretty spot on and that was something that intrigued Penny.

" Again, survival skills" Ember giggled. " Do you think you could teach me how to do that? " Penny asked. " If I am not going to handle things with violence, I need to develop my skillset" Penny's request surprised Ember but she was also happy that communication was taking place in a healthy way.

" I can try, but it's going to take a lot of time. But knowing how people are and what they are going to do, will keep you alive for the most part. I'm not a huge fighter so I've had to find ways around altercations and that has always been my biggest asset" Ember admits.

Looking at Ember, though she was physically fit, she did not seem to be all that much of a fighter so Penny was satisfied that Ember on some level, had to know what she was talking about.

" So are we done with the questions so I can start getting to asking you some? Ember placed Buddy down as Penny nodded.

" So if you are not Lycan, what are you? " Ember asked, this had been something that remained on her mind since first seeing Penny fight. After learning that Lysette was a Lycan, and how easily Penny had overpowered her, explaining it though basic assumptions would not be enough.

" To my understanding, I am a crossbreed between a Witch and a Night Slasher. Which, in case you were wondering, a Night Slasher is something akin to what you probably know as a Reaper" Penny admitted. She knew very little about her parents therefore she knew very little about herself.

" Well..I wasn't expecting that but I have to admit..that's pretty damn cool" Ember squealed with excitement at the possible questions she could now ask. " So do you have a scythe or...how does that work? " The one thing that had always been attributed to Reapers were scythe's with which Reapers would reap the souls of the deceased to carry them into the afterlife.

" I know Lysette explained that Lycans were kind of like werewolves, so I don't want to just assume. Night Slashers are probably called that because they are not the same as Reapers? " Ember continued as Penny tried to think of the proper response.

" I think my dad had one but I obviously don't have one. And I don't really think I need one? I don't have any plans to do the work that he use too so I'm going to assume I'll never have one. But I do have magic on some level, so I guess I get that from my mom" Penny had Been thinking on this for a while as well. She had not seemed to display any gifts from her dad but her mother's abilities were now manifesting. Though, since it had taken a long time for her mother's to come forward, perhaps her father's would take a little longer

" I'm not sure how any of this works if I'm being honest. But I'm learning as much as I can, and honestly, I need to practice a little more. Right now, I can at best, alter the terrain around me but I'm not sure what else I can do" Penny wanted badly to experiment with her powers but she had to be careful. She had lost control last time and almost destroyed Lysette, this would mean she would have to be alot more cautious in the future.

" Well if you had healing powers, that would help you immensely right now" Ember giggled as she placed her hands behind her, leaning back a little in the bed.

It was this statement that had Penny's mind racing. What if she did have healing abilities that she wasn't aware of? She would have to give it a try to truly know the answer"

Penny, placed her hand on her ribs, and tried to concentrate as Ember looked on with great interest.

At first, nothing happened as Penny painted images in her head of herself beginning to heal her ribs and began feeling a tingling sensation coming from her sides.

Penny's excitement grew as she began believing that her magic was actually working the way she had wanted it too. Though, as she kept her hand on her side, she began to feel woozy and light headed, which made her remove her hand from side quickly.

" What is wrong? " Ember asks as she rushes to Penny's side, worried that she might fall over from exhaustion.

" I just..I feel drained. I think I used to much energy..and I'm not sure if it even worked" Penny explained as she began to tip over, being caught by Ember who helped move Penny to her bed, so that she could lay down.

" Just try and rest for a minute. Maybe it was too much for you.." Ember knelt down, making sure to stay close by Penny's side.

" I'm fine..I just..I'm drained. I'm going to be fine. You don't need to stay by my side" Penny's words were slurred but Ember could understand her but disagreed.

" You are not fine..you nearly passed out" Ember corrects and then looks down to Penny's ribs. " Dif it even work? " Ember felt guilty about mentioning the healing power fearing that it had pushed Penny to far especially when she wasn't completely healed.

" I don't feel any pain in my side" Penny reached down, pressing down against her ribs and flinched from a sharp pain. " Okay, now I feel pain!" Penny yelped.

" Well at least you tried" Ember chuckled lightly at the situation. Penny nodded and tried to sit back up but was gently pushed back down.

" No, you need to rest a little bit. No more pushing yourself till you have healed more. Just give yourself a few minutes " Ember tried to reason with Penny who showed Ember back as she struggled to sit back up.

" I said I'm fine. You have got to trust me on this" Penny struggled to stand up to her feet, stumbling at first as Ember stood up to offer her support.

" I am not going to get anywhere by just sitting around. And now we know that healing really isn't my thing" Penny groans as she hobbles, trying to take a few short steps to reach the chair she had been sitting in originally.

" Well maybe it is..but we won't know until you work with it a little more. But maybe start with something less severe than the ribs" Ember tried to assure Penny.

" Well, we have to start somewhere and I'm not going to give up on trying. It might hurt but now would be a damn good time to figure out the healing abilities" Penny was convinced that she could use her abilities to aid her, even if it was a little painful.

Penny placed her hand over her ribs and again, tried to focus on the healing of her suffering as Ember looked on, worried that Penny might almost pass out again.

A few minutes pass of complete silence, and nothing seemed to be happening. There was no tingling sensations that Penny could feel and there was no clear signs that anything had changed within her. " Come on.." Penny pleaded with herself, trying to focus even harder though the pain in her side was growing more and more intense by the second.

" Ow! " Penny yelped, causing Ember to try and plead for Penny to cease the healing though she had no intention whatsoever of quitting.

Penny, pressued harder against her side, picturing her energy flowing from her hand and into her side. Though she was beginning to feel light- headed, she continued forward. Doing her best to balance out the energy flow, so that she didn't over exert herself.

Another minute or so passed before Penny's palm began growing warmer. The pain was slowly beginning to subside though Penny persisted on channeling her energy into the pain.

" I think..I'm okay" Penny finally spoke as she removed her hand and looked down to her hips. " Are you sure? " Ember asked as she looked on, in slight disbelief.

" Let's find out" Penny reached down and pressed her hand again into her side, this time, not channeling her energy through her palm and found that she was experiencing no pain. After coming to terms with the lack of pain, she felt it would be best to try and stand.

As she slowly made her way to her feet, she no longer felt a sharp pain in her side. " I did it! I really did it" Penny squealed as she began dancing around the room with the biggest smile she had worn for since the discovery of her powers. As she danced around the room, Ember clapped her hands together with glee.

" Look at you! You are freaking awesome" Ember cheered happily as she watched Penny's dancing come to hault before collapsing to the floor, face first, completely knocked unconscious.

" Well..you almost did it.." Ember sighed.