Mind of War (On Hold)

The Lonely Road

Free smiled at Kai before walking out of the door. As she left, she nearly tripped over Onyx. He glared daggers at her as she regained her balance.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." Free explained.

Onyx stood up, looking through her and walked away without saying a word. Had it been a year ago Free would have found his behavior strange. He used to be such a light-hearted person, but now he seems completely different. Sometimes she would get the feeling that Onyx was hiding from her. She already knew who he was, so she didn't understand the need to hide from her. It would be easier on him if her just told Song and Kai who he really is. Everyone has been in such a gray mood, actually gray was an understatement. She was beginning to feel as if the mortar that held the group together was beginning to disintegrate.

Free decided not to let Onyx bother her. She thought about the way Kai had looked at her causing hope to fill her heart. "Maybe, he is starting to like me back," she said to herself. The thought of Kai starting to see her more than just a friend her made her happy, but so many things were making her sad. Onyx has distanced himself, and something is bothering Song although she will never say it. It was sad to think that everyone was beginning to travel down their own lonely roads. When she first joined Team Liberate Free felt like an outcast because she didn't have the same bond as the rest of them. Now, everyone is becoming a stranger to the other. The only thing she could do now was hope for change, like she hoped for everything else.

As Free stood outside of Bliss' house, Song had went home she had packed a bag for a few days. She was ready to travel the unknown tunnels. She was excited and at the same time she was upset. She needed to leave someone behind. Bliss was going to Capital Q and Onyx had volunteered. While the rest of the team saw this as a sacrifice, Song knew that he just wanted to stay back with his little sister. She was very unraveled by Onyx's lack of trust and faith in her. Song pushed her frustrations away, a habit that she relied on, as she redirected her mind to the upcoming mission and her new acquaintance Creed. It seemed liked her was quite impressed with her abilities as a Shadowhunter, not to mention the fact that he was quite accomplished himself. He was amazing to watch.

She tried to focus her mind away from her troubles, so she thought of her father. Song was not one to acknowledge that she needed a rock, because she liked to be the rock. She wanted to be the one people could turn to and trust, therefore it truly bothers her whenever she feels as if people that she cares for don't trust her. But in all honesty, her father was her rock. They had been through the brightest of days and darkest of nights together. When she needed saving he always came to the rescue. This thought made her smile.

"Song," her father called.

Song turned around and smiled at him.

"I just want you to watch your back and stay safe over these next few days. Follow your instincts and fight with your all. But most importantly...come back home." He pulled her into his strong arms. Song felt like she could have cried, she didn't want her father to worry, but Song knew that crying was only going to make him worry.

"I will come back home," she promised him. In that moment, Song knew that everything was going to be okay. It had to be.

Elsewhere, Onyx walked alone. His head was pounding with the pressure of unexpressed emotions. Words he wished he was brave enough to say, the path he hoped his legs were strong enough to walk, and the call to destiny that he must be man enough to answer. The dice had been set from the moment he was born, but he had been foolish enough to believe the destiny wouldn't follow him on his voyage of freedom. But it did. He was on his way home to Aura, but the thought came to take the long way home, through the town leaving the alley shortcuts alone. "You know what you have to do." He told himself. This was true, he did know what he had to do, but doing it was going to create a lot of damage. This was mainly because he didn't want to do what he had to do. There was no way around it, his friends were going to the tunnels and the essence of who he really was and his secrets were embedded there. He hated feeling like he was betraying them, but there was no other way.

"I'm surprised that the Shadows have not claimed me yet," he said aloud in an empty street. Onyx sighed and turned around heading towards Song's house.

This was going to be the hardest thing he would ever do, but it had to be done. When what you need to do and what you want to do are in two totally different directions, you must choose the need over the want. That is what his father would say. His father told him that when he was growing up training to by the Guardian. There were several paths leading to many different places, but at the end of the day, destiny had called. He knew that if he turned his back on what he needed to do, he would never truly have what he wanted. Onyx thought of his father and mother, he wanted them to be proud of him.

Onyx knew deep in his heart that he wanted to be with Team Liberate, but most importantly he didn't want to lose his friends. This opportunity to be a team gave him a freedom and a sense of self that he had never experienced before. But he has to do the job that destiny has beckoned him to do. This job was directly related to fulfilling his family's legacy, which would make his parents proud of him and he wanted that too. But that was a lonely path, his parents had little time for friends and maybe if they had a strong friend network, they might be here with him right now. "What would father do?" He asked himself, as he approached the door to the Valor residence. "What would father do?"