The Demon Sword: Sorataki

Chapter 42: Hollow triumph

Andrew sits next to the stairwell of the bunker with a building knot forming in his gut. Though he was certain that the battle was over and anything that they do encounter from here won't be any real threat to Natalie's life he still felt a deep unease eating away at him causing him to fidget from one sitting position to another.

With this well of bothersome energy building up within him his legs twitched up and down until he could not stand sitting still any longer. As he stood up, however, Aaliyah with a bothersome sigh pushes Andrew back down to sitting with a hand on her hips. Andrew just glared up her at with a low growl.

"You need to sit still and let the patchwork I've done kick in otherwise it would have been for nothing," she said. "Besides, there nothing to be all uppity about anymore is there?"

Andrew just bowed his head whilst clenching his fist

"True, but it's when you think it's over. That's when they hit you with a new one," he mumbled, recalling past experiences. "I've got to be there be sure nothing happens to her,"

Aaliyah tilted her head to one side whilst narrowing her eyes in confusion.

"Sure are 'optimistic' about your partner's capabilities huh?" she said sarcastically.

Turning around to the still collapsed Flynn she asked, "Does your friend always sound this negative?"

Not getting a response, however, Aaliyah noticed that Flynn was awake but spaced out also. A look of dissatisfaction etched on his features as he looked upwards longingly at the sky. Seeing that her efforts to include him in the convocation were futile she shook her head lightly before turning back to Andrew.

"You can't be around the people you trust with vibes like that," Aaliyah picked up. "Even if you don't say anything just being by them with that kind of energy can effect there 'A' game, just imagine how they would feel if they see you panicking over them being out of your line of sight for three seconds?

Think of how that would make you feel if you were treated like an incapable pup?

Cuz I'll tell you now, the cute novelty of it all dries up rather fast,"

"So you telling me it's wrong to feel worried my friend's safety?" Andrew said partly annoyed.

"No, it will be more wrong for you not to be worried, wreak less in fact."

"Then give it to me straight, which is it!?" Andrew snapped, after realising that he was directing his frustration at the wrong person he averted his gaze in apology.

"There is nothing wrong with being worried about someone you care about. But there is a right way to go about it." Aaliyah continued almost unaffected by his outburst.

"Imagine how many people are likely in early graves because the one closest to them assumed their capabilities below what both of them truly knew, or how people fail to reach their full potential or their dreams because their loved ones had already stated to them what they are able and unable to do."

Just then Andrew began having hazy flashbacks to his younger years before Natalie's kidnap and loss of her parents, a distinct memory of witnessing her cry for the first time; they stood in a graveyard, Natalie opposite the gravestones of her teachers Leonardo and April. He remembered the frustration behind her watery eyes being reflected off the moonlight.

The heart-broken tone she yelled, the cries of someone who has started to come to terms of losing their long lived dream. He could not remember the words or reasons it impacted him so deeply at this given moment... but the feeling itself had stuck with him.