A fire's shadow: Fading

A boy with red hair

A/N I'm not dead! Or at least not yet, I mean, umm....nevermind. I promise you all that I have my reasons as to why I have been absent from updating any stories for some time now. I currently have two projects that I have unintentionally put most of my attention to and that has made it hard for me to write on anything else. But I'm going to try and bring you all som content in these hard times, or at least as much content as my mental health allows me to. But don't get too hopeful, I can't promise anything rn with things that are going on in my personal life.

Although that's technically not an excuse when it comes to this book seeing as I kinda have som chapters already written out, but nevermind that *nervous laugh*. Anyway, I hope you're all staying safe in these times and that you all respect others and not leave your home if you have symptoms. And with that, I'll leave you all to read. 

Kai found his teammates walking towards the village through the forest, all wearing their casual clothes instead of their ninja suits. It was then he also noticed Amy being with them. "What's going on here? Why are you here?" He asked, confusion hinting in his voice.

"Sensei Wu thinks we need a break. He has ordered us to take a vacation and to take Amy with us. According to him, we're driving ourselves into the wall by searching after Shadow every day. And judging by what the falcon saw you doing, I'd say he was right." Nya explained while handing her brother a bag with his casual clothes.

Growling, the brunette grabbed the bag, "You all know how I feel about you using that bird to spy on me."

"Yeah, we know. But ever since Shadow ran away you've been acting more aggressive and reckless than usual and it had us worried. We just wanted to make sure you didn't hurt yourself or someone else." Lloyd said as he placed a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder.

Kai let out a sigh of defeat, "Fine, I guess I have been acting differently since he disappeared. I just want to find him.  At this point I don't even care if he comes back or not, I just want to know that he's alive and okay."

Amy stepped forward, her blue eyes filled with mixed feelings, pain, concern, worry, anger, sympathy. "Kai...I want to find him too. But punching trees or driving yourself crazy won't make it easier to find him, and I think you know that just as well as I do."

The brunette lowered his head and closed his eyes tightly, holding back the tears that formed in his eyes. "I just feel like I failed him......I could have done something.....I should have done something.....But I didn't.....the night he talked to me.....I had the chance to help him....but I didn't move or said anything......I tried to.....but I couldn't.....the look in his eyes.....and the tone in his voice.....it didn't even seem to be the same Shadow anymore.......I failed him......I'm a terrible brother....."

Amy was frozen in place, and so was the others, none of them had thought about how this was affecting Kai differently since he was the last one to see Shadow.

Amy clenched her fists and held back the urge to smack the brunette across the face for being such an idiot. "This is not on just you Kai. If anything it's on me. Shadow was fine before I got involved. And I know what every one of you is going to say. That I'm not to blame and that there was nothing I could do. But have you ever considered this, who else is there to blame for this? It's not Wu, not Lloyd, not Nya, not even Kai. The only one to blame for this is either me or Shadow himself. And there's no way Shadow is to blame."

The red ninja shot forward and wrapped his arms around Amy, "You are not to blame for this Amy. Shadow was fine because of you. He was smiling because of you. He was happy, he was no longer trapped in his own prison of his dark thoughts because of you. You were what made him smile, he chose to cry in front of your aunt because you were worth it. So if you ever blame yourself for his decision, then you're forgetting that you were what made him not make that decision earlier."