ToT Chap1 - To Be Strong Pt2

"I see you both have been living here for some time since you seem to know the area well." Madras says to Sonya. Writing down the last thing Sonya said as they continue their interview.

"Well enough. We had the same mentor for a while and she knew of Tabira. She'd tell us stories of this place and what she recalled of it to us. So due to that, when me and Yang decided to go off on our own we choose to start here." Sonya explains to Madras a brief summary of how they came here. She doesn't mind telling Madras this little bit on how they came here. "There are a few things not included from her stories, but most we can recall. For now until we get used to the area better and know the guilds we're taking things easy and staying at the Inn."

"Yes, it is a very nice place to stay at here. Will you consider finding a home in the future?"

"Not sure yet. We like the idea of traveling and seeing new places so the thought of settling somewhere hasn't appealed to us right now." Sonya shrugs speaking honestly.

Madras looks up from her parchment smiling. "I can understand that completely. You must definitely not take for granted being able to travel and see new places while you still can. You never know if you'll ever have the chance to do it again." Madras goes back to writing on the parchment. "I am glad to hear at least that Tabira has been good to you and your teammate. We want to ensure all of Tabira's residents and teams are settling in just fine and if any concerns surface we'd like to know so we can learn and improve."

Sonya nods to Madras in understanding. Deep down she too is glad her and Yang are settling in Tabira fairly well. The guild tasks are simple for now and it's giving them a chance to slowly get to know the guilds and other pokemon.

Sonya does glance briefly to the direction Yang walked off to. The interview taking a bit longer than she expected so the concern of how far Yang walked makes her anxious to find her friend. The farther she goes, the harder it'll be to find her.

"Alrighty. I believe I got quite a lot of good feedback from you Ms. Sonya." Madras speaks with a satisfied smile. Quickly scanning over all she wrote then rolls up the parchment securely. "I appreciate your time dear. And I apologize again for the slight unwanted questions in our beginning conversation."

Sonya looks relieved as she stands up. "There was no problem at all. Just some things we're dealing with that wasn't your fault ma'am."

"Just call me Madras. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other quite often from here on out." Madras gives a friendly smile to Sonya.

Sonya looking a bit bashful for a minute. Lightly scratching the side of her cheek awkwardly. "S-Sure thing, Madras." She says softly as the friendliness of the shiny Mawile catches her off guard.

Madras was about to head off, Sonya herself set to begin to walk after her teammate. Suddenly Madras freezes as a realization just comes to her and she groans loudly with a hand on her head.

"Oh dear! I just remembered. I was supposed to take a box to donations."

Sonya stops mid-step at Madras exclamation. Looking over her shoulder to the shiny as she shakes her head and sighs, mumbling about how she forgot and what to do now. Sonya makes a troubled face. Looking back and forth at the trail Yang took then back to Madras.

Her usual frown when she's annoyed comes to her face as her eyes lower. She hangs her head in defeat with a loud sigh, then turns to walk back to Madras.

"Something wrong?" Sonya asks the shiny pokemon curious. Her worry for Yang still there, yet she can't bring herself to turn her back to some 'mon who might need assistance.

Madras looks back to Sonya surprised, then thoughtful for a minute. "Well, I needed to take a box of clothes collected to the donations booth near the marketplace. I kept catching new teams and interviewing them, yourself included, I forgot I need to take it there soon. Yet I really need to file this parchment and the others I've written from other teams."

Sonya tilts her head curiously. "Can I take the box."

Madras looks to her surprised. "You will? Are you sure? What about your teammate?"

"Sure. I'll go after my friend once I've dropped it off. It won't take me very long and I'm fast so I can catch up with her easily." Sonya shrugs to Madras. Confident in her speed so as long as she hurries to drop it off and runs she should catch up to Yang no problem.

Madras looks eager and thankful to Sonya. "Well if you insist then I'd greatly appreciate it. Thank you. Follow me." Madras suddenly floats up off the ground. Little sparks of electricity coming off from below her.

Sonya kinda taken back and curious to how she's doing that, before shaking her head to snap back out of it. She quickly follows after her.

Yang you better not be too lost in thought and get lost. She thinks to herself.

--

Yang felt bad for leaving Sonya behind like that. She knows Sonya is concerned about what's bothering her and she wants to know what it is. Yet even Yang can't put in to words just what it is that's bothering her as she keeps her gaze down while walking. Not paying attention to where she's walking at all, she just keeps moving her feet forward.

Was is it that's bother her really? Was it what Marble said at the training grounds? Just what was Marble trying to tell her? That maybe she really isn't being a good teammate by sitting on the sidelines instead of training like Sonya? Or that she refuses to get in to fights period? Or, was it really because Marble was making her think about the fact if there is a fight in the future, the burden of fighting would stick to only Sonya.

Sonya would fight no matter what the odds were. She may not appear like it, but Yang knows she's strong enough to protect herself and others. And driven enough to not back down or give up easily.

In comparison though, Yang isn't like that. At any sign of trouble, she freezes up or gets so nervous she can't decide what to do at that moment. She wants to help others as boldly as Sonya does, yet knows she can't. Not anymore. And once upon a time, believe it or not, she was like Sonya.

Yang's eyes lower in sadness as the memories of who she was a long time ago resurface in her head.

She was once confident and proud of her fighting capabilities when she was younger. Her father was a strong Lucario and her mother a stern but kind Mienshao. They were both her trainers and supporters.

She learned from them both the art of self defense, fighting, protecting others, and having honor. She loved sparring and testing herself against others to see who's better. She loved the thrill that coursed through her body when fighting and winning a sparring match fair and square.

Yet, everything changed all in one day.

Yang stops walking. Her paws clenched tight at her sides as she stands in the middle of a trail surrounded by forest. Her legs shaking a bit as another memory resurfaces. One that she wishes she can forget yet never can.

The pain.

The excruciating pain that she went through for how long, she forgot. How she tried to get through it, to use all the training she was taught from her parents to push past it and pull through. It wasn't enough.

How she wishes she can get rid of that pain. To become the being she once was and was proud to be at a time. If she could go back to being that person she was, then she can answer Marble's question more confidently like she would want to. That she is strong and if it came down to fighting, she would do it if it meant helping her friends and those who can't help themselves. Deep down, those are her true feelings.

In reality, she can't do it. The pain is etched so deep in to her, that the fact it could come back terrifies her. Along with the fear of her teammate being hurt because she refuses to fight only makes her hate herself more.

She is a terrible teammate.

Refusing to fight only because of her fears. Making Sonya bear the burden of having to fight for them both because she refuses in fear of the pains she went through. Letting her fears get to her this badly she can't even be open with her only friend on what's troubling her.

Tears begin to gather at the corner of Yang's eyes. Frustration, regret, sadness, and anger eating at Yang's heart that she grips her chest in her paw tight.

"W-Why....." She mumbles to her self, a sob threatening to escape from her. "W-Why am I not strong anymore...."

Rustle Rustle

Yang gasps as a sound in the bushes reaches her. The tears still in her eyes but not fallen as she turns to face a brush shaking on the side of the trail.

Yang flinches when she hears a deep chuckle before a Braixen emerges from the bush. Wearing a hat and gloves, he smirks at Yang while twirling his stick wand in one hand.

"Well well, hey there shiny." The Braixen says to Yang as he walks out of the brush and on the trail blocking her way.