Kuro stared in shock as Indigo projected one of her secret poems as an illusion. she blinked tears from her eyes so she could see. that was a betrayal of trust! how had indigo found it, anyway? she threw it away! and why would she show an outsider?
she needed to talk with indigo about something, it wasn't important now, and walked to the looping wing, figuring she would be with her new friend. she walked ins silently and waited in the shadows since they were talking and indigo seemed emotional. the blonde girl put her hand on indigos shoulder and hugged her. then indigo projected words. the words had a familiar layout, so she squinted and read her poem! being shared with an outsider! and not just a poem, a secret poem! a poem she destroyed!
she stormed down, freely letting tears stream. she made small gagging sounds on her tears and kicked a few pebbles, alerting them to her. they both turned to her in surprise. as soon as indigo saw her, her face swept with guilt.
"Is this your sister?" the blonde girl asked innocently. indigo didn't answer.
"Kuro! I swear- I- we- I'm so sorry!"
Kuro stood there without words. she fixed indigo with a stare of betrayal and disappointment. she wouldn't give Indigo her words. and indigo knew that was worse than any words. she would rather Kuro have shouted at her, rather Kuro had said anything, rather face their father when he was drunk. but Kuro said nothing.
"I... i think it's best you leave." she choked out to Magdalena. Magdalena looed between them in confusion but complied.
"Please, Kuro! i didn't mean it!"
Kuro just stared at her.
indigo started crying. "I found the poem in my caves, it must have fallen in. please, Kuro! say something! forgive me?"
Kuro opened her mouth. "i trusted you. you betrayed me in the worst way possible. you are not my friend. you are not my sister. you are not worthy of my words. goodbye, Ernestina." she pointedly used Indigos' real name.
indigo choked out a gasp mixed with a cry. Kuro turned and left. she went to her section of indigos caves and collected her things. then she broke the table and cot and grabbed buckets of colorful paint. she splashed it on all the walls. it wasn't black anymore. it wasn't hers. she renounced it.
then she left to her room and deposited everything. she put her poems in a folder, took paper, pens, and her writing computer, and put that in a suitcase with a couple of changes of clothes. then she wrote two notes.
"what you did was unforgivable. know that I leave because of you. if i come back, you do not exist to me. you violated my trust. i will never give it again." she placed that on Indigos bed. she probably still loved her sister deep down, but all the rage and hurt and betrayal, and the pain of spending 17 years trying to do anything to gain a shred of love from people who should love her more then the world blinded her. she wrote another note.
"mom, dad. i don't know if you'll realize I'm gone or care. i love you. i know somewhere deep down you love me. I'm leaving because of Ernestina. if i come back, it's for you." she knew they had to love her. right?
she took black paint and covered her and indigos car on the outside, then put her suitcase in and all of Indigos stuff out. she put the key in the ignition and started driving. in her rearview mirror, she saw Indigo shout and running towards her, crying. she ignored her and drove into town, parking in some alley.
she walked around the area.
Ekwuno sensed a powerful emotion. strong betrayal. he walked into an alley and saw a girl draped in black surveying an alley. he put up his hood, projecting his face into shadow, and walked towards her.
"hello."
"Who are you?" Kuro eyed the person. they looked shady. she didn't like it. she could illuminate them and discern more...
"a friend. you feel angry, no? hurt?"
"how do you know?"
"I'm not unlike you. i have scores of my own. What's your name?"
"Ariana."
"what's your real name?"
"kate."
"I'm not stupid."
"Kuvona."
"closer."
"Kuvo."
"i know you're lying. i have a gift for sensing emotions. some might say... a gyft. i know you're a gyfted. i am too. i can help you."
"my name is Kuro."
"Finally, the truth. i can help you get revenge." they circled her. she felt uncomfortable. she slowly spun with them, constantly watching.
"i don't want revenge."
they laughed. "my dear, everybody wants revenge. i can help you hurt them for what they did."
"what's in it for you?"
"helping a fellow?"
"do i look stupid?"
"When the time is right, ill tell you."
"i don't like to owe strangers."
"you won't owe me anything. all i want is for you to get revenge on the person who wronged you. for you to be happy again."
"i don't want to hurt her."
"how many people have wronged you?"
indigo. that blonde girl. her parents. "many."
"you can make them all regret it. just accept my help, friend."
"why would i trust a shady stranger telling me to hurt people they don't know the names of?"
"you want to." her eyes met his and widened.
"yes. i want to."
"accept my power. it will give you the strength to carry out, both physically and emotionally."
"i accept." her voice still changed and her pupils dilated.
"who hurt you?"
"Indigo. Magdalena. my parents."
"how do you feel?"
"i hate them."
"How will you feel when they die? when you wipe the smug looks off their faces?"
"happy again."
"good. what are your gyfts?"
"darkness. illumination."
"i weaponize darkness. the shadow you cloak with is now lethal. i will also get you weapons. you want this."
"i want this."
they broke eye contact and she blinked. she felt a change come over her and felt more powerful, and more angry. A cold anger.
"i want to destroy them."
"yes, you do."