Ema’s own self emerged from the shadow of the cave just as she’d seen herself in mirrors and reflections. She was her except for the inky black hair that squirmed down to her waist. She’s Dark Ema, she decided.
The leaves of the vines around the cave brushed Dark Ema’s head as she came closer. “Come with me.”
Ema took a step forward. She knew that if they touched, everything would change. And why not? She wanted everything to be different. But then she caught a scent coming from the cave that smelled like the plague. “Maybe I’ll come back later.”
Dark Ema looked down and saw the ground between them stretch, moving them apart, and looked up. This close, her eyes were noticeably black. “We will make a great us.”
The knight had warned her about the doll. She tossed it down, and it rolled over the dirt, but then it picked itself up, and wooden limbs made jerky movements.
The doll moved like an insect, and limbs bent backward. Its head rotated to be upright.
Ema felt a pain in her upper arm, but nothing had touched her. She found blood on her sleeve. She felt tugging and pain.
Dark Ema rushed forward, “I will not go.”
The doll launched itself into the air. It was so fast, like an arrow. Dark Ema’s hair spread out, tendrils reaching out like a thousand arms.
Ema sagged to her knees in the face of doom. “No!”
There was nothing but silence. Ema expected the two to descend upon her, but nothing happened. She kept her eyes squeezed together until she hazarded a glance.
Dark Ema and the doll were frozen in place. Only their eyes moved, rolling around to look at each other and her.
Ema stood and brushed herself off. “You guys aren't so scary.”
They blinked and looked back at each other.
The sound of a commotion towards the houses caught her attention. It sounded like yelling and a ting of metal. She ran away from the cave and through the forest until she reached the clearing.
A group of soldiers surrounded her house. They waved torches and rode in a line, setting fire to the thatch. A massive man with blue eyes held the knight two feet from the ground.
They had entered a game where she made the rules. She snapped her fingers, and the fire surged back towards its source, scouring those riding with torches from existence. Only a shadow of ash hinted that they had ever been. Yet the horse ran free unscathed.
The large man threw down the knight and turned to her. “When I fought the djinn, they used the power of Everywhen. They trick those who serve for wishes into thinking their illusions are real. But they’re not quite real, are they?”
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She flicked her fingers, and a blast hit the man.” He leaned in and scooted back a few paces but didn’t go flying as she’d envisioned.
“Do you think the Butcher is so easily defeated?” He laughed, and it verged into hysteria.
The knight rolled to his feet and tackled the Butcher, but the latter only bent his knees and chucked the knight away.
The Butcher drew a black blade. “I’m going to fillet you and serve you to whoever’s still alive in there.”
Ema felt sweat dripping down her forehead. It was as if she’d run for miles.
She uprooted a tree and sent it flying. Dirt sprayed everywhere, and she felt clumps of it hit the back of her head. She couldn’t believe she could do all this. But she couldn’t do it for long. Her legs felt like noodles.
The tree shattered against the Butcher’s chest into a thousand splinters, and he roared and chuckled as if it felt good. “The djinn couldn’t kill me because my reality is stronger.”
The knight crawled on his hands and knees toward the Butcher, but that was useless. She let out a scream as she did everything she could: trees, a house, chunks of earth; all became a tornado that she sent forward.
The Butcher fought, but he was surrounded. As he knocked away a tree, a rock hit him, and a branch sliced his face. The house crumpled around him, and when he reemerged from the vortex, his face bled, and parts of bone showed on his cheeks. “You ruined my face, you bitch.” He came forward, but the blows took their toll.
Just as she fell from exhaustion, so did he. And he finally fell forward and didn’t move, though she feared he would. She took the black blade and made it pure again. She felt energy surge into her.
The knight watched with wide eyes. Then he pulled the Butcher’s head back and looked at the ravaged face. He then stumbled beside her. “I think you did it. Bring us back.”
Ema didn’t understand. “Where?”
“Think of when you are full grown. Take us back.”
She had no idea what he meant, but she tried. When she opened her eyes, a woman stood there.
It was her, but older, taller, with fine lines around her eyes and mouth. Her armor and weapons looked carved from precious stones. She looked like she came out of the Age of Heroes. “Don’t use your power any longer, child.”
“Why?.”
“It’s a rare gift to manipulate Everywhen, perhaps the rarest of them all. They’ll come for you, so wait until you’re ready.” Older Ema walked to the Butcher and passed her hand over his head. “He won’t need to remember this day.”
The knight was staring at the older Ema. “Is this real?”
“Real enough, Masahide. Now, let this spell be broken.”
The world shattered but remained except for the knight.
A decade later, Ema woke naked beside Masahide. She saw him open his eyes, and they smiled at each other.
Hisa crossed the room with a wound-up black tendril. She opened the door and looked back at them. “Don’t wait too long before you go to Whitebeard. I fear he’s lost his mind.”
Ema
Level: 3
Focus: Everywhen reality warping (50ft radius outside) (1 mile inside)
Secondary focus: unknown
Weapons: none
Items: climbing gear