Illustrious Lights (Sting x OC)

~21~ The Midnight Intruder

-Recap-

When Yukino finally stopped, she was completely bare. Her clothes were scattered around her on the tiled floor and she looked towards the ground in embarrassment.
Her turquoise Sabertooth mark was full display on her stomach. Jiemma took notice of this.
"You don't deserve that emblem. Erase it!" he sneered.
"Yes, sir." Yukino sniffled. "I haven't been here for very long, but thanks for all you've done for me," despite her current situation, she still tried to thank him.
It made Sorella grit her teeth.
"I don't need your gratitude! Get out of my sight!" Jiemma demanded.
Without saying more, Yukino picked up her clothes and left.

~ ~ ~ ~

Sorella was livid, it took no genius to figure out that she was ready to yell at the next person who spoke to her about Yukino.
She was walking down the hallway with Sting, Rogue, and the exceeds in silence. A hard glare burning the floor with her gaze.

"Master can be so intense, I mean. That hurt to watch." Sting mentioned.
"You shouldn't have watched then." She turned her glare up him, and he quickly shut up.
"Well, it can't be helped. There's a reason we're the strongest guild in Fiore," Lector replied bitterly, and both Sorella and Rogue stopped walking.

"I'm really going to miss her..." Frosch sulked.
"Is this really how guilds work?" Rogue suddenly questioned, his morals were conflicting.
He knew deep inside of him that this was wrong.
"Yukino was one of us, wasn't she?" Rogue asked.
"Of course she was," Sorella replied. There was not an ounce of hesitation in her voice.
"...She screwed up so she's out. You know what they say about the weakest link, she would've held us back." Sting said and Sorella snapped her head back on him.
"What did you just say?" There was hostility in her voice.
"I said what I said," Sting retorted.

Sorella slapped him.

"You're despicable, you have absolutely NO right to say that of all people!" Sorella stormed away before Sting could say anything more.
Sting was silenced, Lector and Frosch were taken aback, Rogue was wide eyed.

"Sorella!" Sting chased after her, catching up to her at the end of the hallway.
"Leave me alone!" Sorella seethed, her hands were balled into fists.
"Listen—" He was about to speak, but she cut him off.
"No YOU listen to me! You're so prideful and arrogant, and shallow, you're a hypocrite! Yukino was my FRIEND! She was the only person I could open up to in this god damn guild! She understood me, and I betrayed her by letting her go without defending her! I'm so fucking pathetic, it's laughable! And our Guild Master is a piece of shit!" Sorella yelled at him; tears of anger threatening to fall from the corners of her eyes, she didn't care.
"What did you call me?" Sting asked, offended.
"If that's all you're focused on, then there's truth to what I said," she glared. "Orga can take my spot in the damned games for all I care!"
"Sorella, think this through," Sting urged.
"I did, and I asked myself, 'What exactly am I fighting for?' Sabertooth's pride? Being number one?" She scoffed. "What is there to take pride in if we're just throwing out people after one loss? I couldn't come up with an answer," she shook her head in disgust.
"What is your purpose of joining Sabertooth, if it isn't for pride?" Sting suddenly questioned her, and Sorella's eyes widened.
She knew the answer, but she never wanted to tell anyone. The only person she ever told was Yukino.
Survival.
"That's none of your concern," Sorella declined.
"Why are you so secretive?" Sting questioned.
"I've always been secretive, you just never knew it," Sorella said, done from the conversation and she stormed to her room.

Rogue, Lector, and Frosch had caught up with him.
"What was that about?" Rogue asked when he caught up.
"You're not deaf, I know you could hear her every word," Sting bitterly replied, glaring at the spot where Sorella previously stood.
"No, what I mean to say, what's going on between you two?" Rogue elaborated.
"What does that mean?" Sting asked, annoyed.
"Since this morning after chariots, it was subtle, but I could tell something changed between you two. And I'm not deaf," Rogue replied, repeating Sting's words. "I could hear you two whispering to one another."
Sting shook his head.
"It's complicated," Sting muttered.
"Then start talking," Rogue urged as they continued to their rooms.