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He couldn't explain it but he felt strangely peaceful in the rift, it had become like a second home to him; if he could even call the apartment he shared with Vanessa a home, he was hardly there to begin with. If he wasn't out working the two jobs he maintained as a civilian or out patrolling and collecting energy he was in the belly of the negaverse training. It helped that he no longer had to ask the assistance of a general or a captain to teleport him into the negasubspace.

Being a captain, and the ability boost that came with it, was still a strange feeling and concept to the boy. He couldn't say he didn't enjoy the power that coursed through his veins, no he enjoyed it very much. After all it had led to his victory against the yellow skirted eternal senshi, Iris. Sometimes he could still hear her screaming as her bone broke beneath her.

He still felt hollow about the victory.

He moved towards the pillars he trained on with Serandite, after his stint with Iris and his failed attempt at maintaining his balance he wanted to work on it. He didn't hesitate to jump up to land on a pillar. He stumbled, nearly falling as his worn body threatened to give out beneath him. He ignored in and launched himself towards another one, missing and scrambling to catch himself. His hand barely latched on and he hung there trying to pull himself up.

He hadn't seen her having been too focused on the task at hand. He should have been more aware of his surroundings, here where youma prowelled that could be a life threatening mistake. Whoops. He could blame it on his exhausted state of mind but he wouldn't because he is constantly pretending that he's fine, that there is no problem.

Oh when will he learn?

He stared up at her in disbelief, amber eyes tracing the cracks in her skin. He's mesmerized by the faint glow emitting from her skin. Slowly his gaze traveled down to her hand wondering why she was there and if she would say something once he took her hand.

He hesitated slowly reaching up to take her hand. The thought that she would beak beneath him barely crossed his mind, he was too bewildered byher sudden appearance. Instead he found himself searching the shadows for Hematite's form. His hand only wrapped around hers when the dark skinned general couldn't be found.

He seemed to teeter back and forth, from his heels to his toes despite the small amount of space between them. It was a though he would topple off if he couldn't get himself to focus on his balance. He was definitely distracted by their close proximity, he hadn't been this close to her since before she overheard the harsh words of his father.

Had she witnessed how much he had changed since she dumped him?

Vaguely he was reminded that he had not seen much of her period, then she confirmed his thoughts. "It's a recent development," he responded trying to remain casual about it. "I've put it to good use," he admitted looking away.

He refused to look back up at her when she told him the general wasn't present. "I thought you two were attached at the hip or something," he mumbled sounding terribly bitter. "How long have you been there?" He asked glancing up.

"I would say that's a shame but I'd be lying," he retorted looking neither pleased nor upset about what sounded like another breakup for the girl in dreads. In truth he only wanted her too be happy but he liked nothing about Khal, he found the man to be an arrogant a**. He doubted he would ever have anything good to say about the man, he disliked everything about him.

"Though I am sorry things did not work out for you, you deserve happiness..." He trailed off looking away when she moved to another pillar. There was much he could say, words unspoken and still unspoken from that night.

He tensed up when she accused him of improper care. "Your concerns are unwarranted, I'm perfectly fine," he insisted waving his hand about as if he were physically waving her concerns away. Even as he spoke he knew it was pointless.

It was far too obvious in his appearance. The bags were deep beneath his eyes, his lanky frame was much thinner than before and even the way he stood was against him.

"I doubt that," he replied quietly staring down at the ground as he tried to focus on maintaining his balance. He hadn't expected any of this...he never dreamed that she would show up out of the blue, to save him from his own foolishness. "Happiness is what you make of it," he told her lifting his head to look her over.

They had both changed since they had...parted ways. He felt like he should be surprised in the sudden changes in their attitudes, the way they held themselves and even how the related to other people but he wasn't. Instead he felt hollow, as he had before she had entered the scene. Briefly he wondered if he would grow accustomed to the hollow feeling that filled him or if it would fade. He doubted either.

"Depends on how good of a liar someone is. And how much they believe it's the truth," he answered easily. When she told him to look her in the eye and say he could fight he hesitated. While he was a captain she had a rank parallel to that of a general and as such, he likely stood no chance against her in his best condition but his pride wouldn't let him say no. He looked at her, gold meeting gold. "I have the strength to fight you."

It was a lie and he knew it.

Labyrinthite had never seen Alkaid in a battle nor had he ever dreamed he would one day face her in a battle. He was sorely unprepared for this sudden mini-battle that was about to occur, he knew nothing of her abilities or what she was capable of. It seemed odd how little he knew about her life in the negaverse for how long they had been together. Of course, they had always seemed to focus upon the civilian aspects of their life then.

His amber eyes widened as she called out her attack, he wasn't sure he had ever truly combated with a senshi's magic before. He wasn't sure how to react only to find that he had become enamored by the glowing ball of light that Alkaid had summoned. His brow crinkled with what appeared to be consideration before he took a step forward.

His mind was aware that the orb was pulling him towards it, that his body wasn't listening but as he began to near the edge. He tried to resist, to stop himself but his body couldn't fight the pull of the Ascendent General's power and he stepped right off the edge.

It had all seemed to happen in slow motion beginning right when he took that first step that sent him plummeting to the ground. His eyes lost the glazed look that overcame them when Alkaid released her control. He blinked slowly, twisting as he made a feeble attempt at catching the edge of the pillar. His hand grabbed only air. Then, suddenly, her hand wrapped around his wrist and he was jerked to a halt suspended in the air only by her grip.

Her eyes told him everything, he had lied to her. Lying was nothing foreign to him, he once had been told that he had a gift for it but even he knew when a lie was too obvious like his had been. He stared up at her, his amber eyes bright. The only thing about him that wasn't obviously exhausted.

Fear hadn't crossed his features, hadn't shown in his eyes instead he had simply accepted his fate. Now surprised trickled across his expression as she lifted him up and he grabbed hold of the stone. He hoisted himself up on the to platform, heaving a sigh as he sat beside her.

"I know, I don't expect you to be."

"I don't expect anyone to be," he replied, tone harsher than he intended. "I can take care of myself," he hissed turning away from her, knuckles whitening as he gripped the stone edge tightly. He was quiet after struggling not to come undone. So much had been happening and often he felt like he was losing what little control he retained over his life. The threads were coming undone and he was barely grasping at tips. He hated the feeling immensely.

"I know."

He stared forward, swallowing as he let silence settle between them. He felt strange, calm but not peaceful for he felt as though a battle raged on within him. A battle that was slowly wearing him down to the point he would not be able to fight back.

"No, probably not but that won't stop me from trying," he told her slowly lowering his head. Still he did not look at her, instead he stared down at the pink of his boots. Self destruction was a path he had chosen for himself and as much as he knew it was dangerous and unhealthy he couldn't bring himself to stop the downward spiral.