Jayde the Hedgehog • Rising Adversity [2]

11: It's Shadow✔️

Music: Vision - Elektronomia

He watched as she leapt onto a low tree branch, before clambering up after her, and sitting beside her. Jayde didn't look at him, making sure he didn't see the unshed tears that were caught in her orbs, "It's gonna be okay." Shadow mumble, placing a hand on her shoulder. He didn't truly know what was wrong with her, all he knew was that she needed his support.

Jayde scoffed, sniffing as she wiped her nose with the back of her hand, "You don't even know the truth – I hurt everyone I loved because of one stupid mistake."

Shadow didn't say anything, watching as she stared up at the sky with tearful eyes. But none of those drops of water strayed from her eyes. Her dark blue orbs turned to the Ultimate Lifeform, locking with his crimson orbs, "I could have saved him, Shadow."

He suddenly realised, "Renee, you were only little and-" Shadow was cut off by a small laugh of hers.

"I may have been little, but I was strong. I was one of the strongest kids in the village – my Dad was a guard for crying out loud! I could've lifted him up and we could've gone home together, looking back on it now as a silly memory." Her fists clenched, "But I didn't. I reached, and I stretched, and I still didn't do enough. He told me to run but I couldn't leave him." Jayde grabbed her baseball form her quills, staring at it, "Instead, I watched him fall to his death!" She stood on the thick branch before lobbing to ball somewhere, a shout of agony leaving her lips. Jayde breathed heavily and jumped down, quickly followed by the dark male.

She turned away from him, "I didn't even have the guts to return to my friends." She chuckled again, "Jayden was Mitzy's crush, her love, her everything." Her voice grew quiet and she placed a hand on the tree trunk, "And I took that away from her!"

Tears were now on the verge of her rims, desperate to fall and stream down her muzzle but she refused to cry again. I don't deserve to cry for him, "How could I ever face her after I watched the one she loved plummet to his death when I could've saved him. I could've stretched a little further. I could've grasped his hand and pulled him up."

Jayde punched the tree closest to her, wincing in pain at her stupid action, "I could've saved him!" she shouted, continuing to hit the bark with her fist, hoping that somehow it was take away her pain and make her forget the look on his pale muzzle as he dropped, his life flashing before his eyes.

"Jayde. Jayde, stop!" Shadow watched as blood crawled from her knuckles and stopped her fist with his palm as she went to hit the bark again, "You can't let this take control of you." Shadow gripped her shoulders, making her glassy orbs look directly at his, "You've taught me that it's okay to embrace the past and learn from it. I know it's hard, but if you let it get to you won't-"

"You know it's hard?" Jayde laughed, "You think you know what it's like to watch a person you love die before your eyes? You don't know anything!" she yelled, pushing him away. But as soon as those words left her mouth her eyes widened and her bloodied hand covering her mouth.

He did indeed know what it was like.

The red striped male flinched, clenching his fists. Shadow's face turned cold as he glared at the female in front of him before turning and walking away. "Wait, Shades, I didn't-"

Shadow stopped, "You think I don't know what it's like to watch your friend die and not be able to do anything about it?" the Ultimate Lifeform threw something to her which she stumbled back as she caught and continued walking away, "And the name's Shadow."

Jayde glanced at the baseball in her hands, when did he get this? She watched his retreating figure heading back to the two sleeping hedgehogs before she slumped to the ground, holding the ball close to her, what have I done?

Shadow scowled as he walked back towards the fire. His fists clenched by his sides as he continued, not acknowledging Sonic or Amy as he strolled past.

"Hey Shads, what's-" Sonic was roughly shoved into the tree closest to him, a small grunt leaving his throat. Shadow's red striped arm was across his peach chest, the Ultimate Lifeform glaring into the emerald eyes of the blue hedgehog, "Don't talk to me, Faker." He growled before pushing him hard and walking off.

Sonic frowned, wiping off the dirt and glancing at his retreating figure, "What's his problem?"

Amy got up, "Shadow, we should stick together." She spoke gently, not drawing attention to herself.

The dark male stopped, glaring at the trees in front of him, "I'll be back by morning, Rose." He spoke, no anger evident in his voice towards her - she didn't do anything wrong.

He continued, leaving Amy and Sonic to look at each other. They had woken up to the Ultimate Lifeform following the grey female into the trees, but they didn't hear any shouting or anything that would cause them to fall out - what happened between them?

Not long after, the two hedgehogs saw the grey quilled female coming out to the clearing. Her hands were limp by her side, head bowed, and quills drooped. Amy looked worriedly to her; she was never usually this quiet, "Jayde, what's wrong?"

But the grey hedgehog shook her head, walking straight past them without saying a word.

She couldn't believe she let that slip. Jayde knew Shadow had been through a lot and she knew he knew what it felt like to lose someone close - and she hurt him. She saw his flinch. Jayde could hear a twig snap in the silence he gave her. His whole face went blank, but she could see it in his eyes. Pain.

Jayde reached a tree, jumping to grab the branch and hulling herself up. Sonic looked up, grinning slightly, "What's up?"

"Go away, Sonic. I'm not in the mood for jokes." She mumbled, climbing higher into the tree until she rested on the most stable branch.

Amy frowned, before beginning to climb up on a close nearby tree under the watchful eyes of the blue hero, "Jayde? What happened?" She asked softly, sitting on the branch, watching the grey female's back as it rose and fell as she breathed.

Jayde sniffed slightly, still holding back her tears that swarmed her eyes, "I... I hurt him, Amy."

The rose female frowned. Shadow wasn't one to get hurt easily. He took everything said with a pinch of salt and let it fly over his head and didn't listen to what others thought of him, "I'm sure he was okay?" She stated, although it sounded more like a question than a response, "Maybe he just needs time to cool off?"

The blue striped hedgehog bit her lip. She could only wish that was true. Jayde clenched the baseball tighter in her palms, bring it forward and burying her face in her knuckles, "You didn't see his face..." She shut her eyes tightly, curling against the tree trunk.

The rose female watched the hedgehog with great concern. She glanced down as the blue hedgehog who shrugged with a small uneasy smile across his muzzle. Sonic's eyes glanced off towards where the Ultimate Lifeform had left, for once considering running after him – but the blue blur knew better than to try and talk with him in a grouchy mood. He really would be smacked through the floor.