Chapter Fifty Five: Tough Love

Deep within her own mind, A battle began to rage the likes of which she had never quite experienced before. Ember had felt the her own flesh being melted from her bones and her mind both shrinking and expanding within seconds apart. This was pain unlike which she had ever experienced and there seemed to be no way out of this darkness.

For what felt like months slowly passing by, Ember had wandered through darkness in hopes of finding a way to free herself from her prison but all attempts were to no avail. No objects, no landmarks, nothing but the empty blackness waited before her eyes.

" Penny" she called out but recieved no reply. She felt so alone here, something that Penny, had been use too but here, it felt amplified.

" How the hell am I going to get out of this..? " Ember continued to ask herself as she continued her search for an exit. " And how did I even get here in the first place? " She wondered. Though, the more she had allowed herself to think clearly on it, she reached the same conclusion. " This must be magic".

Though, whilst this felt like magic, this did not feel as though it belonged to anyone in particular. Ember recalls experiencing Penny's magic and it seemed to belong to Penny...a certain " sense" about it seemed to point ownership to her friend. Even the other witches seemed to have a certain aura about them that felt like a personal fingerprint of magic, be it good or bad.

But this, this had felt empty to her. As though this belonged to no one at all. Which was quite strange considering that the magic had to come from somewhere. " Perhaps it is of the world, itself " Ember questioned. The world, this world, was full of magic. It seeped out of the ground almost so clear that you could smell, feel it and taste it. So perhaps, this magic belonged to the world, the Underworld, and not one single person. This was the only logical conclusion that Ember could reach.

" Why don't you love me? " A voice called out from the darkness. Ember turned around quickly to find that Penny was standing behind her. Ember was almost certain that she had not been there before, so this was strange to her. " Penny? You are here? " Ember exclaimed, happy to see her friend!

" Why don't you love me.." Penny asked again as the sinking realization came forward in Embers mind that something was off. " I do love you..just..not in that way " Ember explained as she tried to collect herself.

" You are lying to me " Penny accused to which Ember shook her head in denial. " I'm not lying to you" Ember maintained. " I just don't see you the way you see me. I see us as friends..and that's okay. We are good friends.." Ember explained as Penny began to sob, tears pouring down her eyes which broke Embers heart simply at the pitiful sight.

" I just - " Before Ember could console Penny, Penny drew her fist all the way back, and launched it with immense speed, deep into the gut of Ember who fell to her knees in agonizing pain. " Why.." Ember looked up to Penny who was now, no longer crying, and instead, glaring down at Ember.

" If I Can't have you..then no one shall have you " Penny then crashed her knee, with great force, into the face of Ember who fall back onto the ground.

" I am not your friend. And I could never be truly friends with such a disgusting, greedy creature like you. You are nothing to me" Penny hissed as she approached Ember who was now bleeding from her mouth.

" I don't want to fight you Penny" Ember explained as Penny grabbed Ember by her hair, and dragged her across the ground a few feet before flinging her with ease into the air, making Penny crash back to the ground several feet away.

" You can't fight me..you wouldn't stand a chance" Penny smirked as she approached Ember who tried her best to stand back on her feet.

" You don't mean this..you don't- " Penny punches Ember across the face, caving in the cheek of Ember who crashes to the ground again.

" You are nothing without me" Penny laughs as she raises her hand back, ready to fly her fist back into the face of Ember, whose eyes were now glowing red.

" YOU DONT MEAN IT " Ember screamed, her eyes burning red with fury, having completely changed.

Ember, swings her arm around and crashes her own fist into Penny's face which sends Penny flying backwards several feet.

" You Hurt me " Ember springs back to her feet and charges at Penny who dissapears just as Embers fist crashes into the ground where Penny once layed.

" You hurt me.." Ember sighed as her eyes returned back to their normal coloration.