when things dont go as planned
The sun shone through the thin cracks of the stone, alerting Silver to the time of day. It was morning. Wait, morning? Golden eyes shot open.
Silver began to panic. He had slept through the night! Shadow was waiting for him back at the canyon and he had overslept by hours. Nervous beads of dread began to climb down his face. Oh he wished he didn't have to traverse the woods alone… there could be stalkers…or wolves…or whatever the heck that thing was…
But he couldn't stay. A hoglet of his age couldn't survive on his own - he was too small and weak to survive more than a day. Slowly, and carefully, Silver began to pry his way out of the stone - pushing his small body back through the crack that seemed so essential to his recent escape. Bleeding paws touched the yellowed grass, bringing a small yelp of pain to the young hedgehog. Birds cawed and flapped in the distance, echoing through the decay with an eerie reverberance.
Immediately, Silver's instincts kicked in. Crouching low, he unintentionally let out a whine. He needed a grown-up…and fast. A small thing like him was easy pickings in the dense woods.
Limping forwards, he slowly creeped his way into the woods. Getting going was easy, but navigating his way back was going to be the worst challenge…at least he hoped it would. Luckily, he was able to spot his bloodied footsteps from his agonizing run and plodded onwards.
No wonder the Shadow thing had found him. He had left an obvious trail. It was sheer luck the thing assumed he had left the hiding place, because if it had decided to tear through the stone, there wouldn't even be a body for Shadow to find. Silver shuddered. It might have been big enough to swallow him in one gulp.
Rats scurried away from the hoglet, frightening him. A small scream filled the air as Silver jumped backwards, hitting his tail against a rock. Tears began to fall on the ground as Silver whimpered out. He shouldn't be alone… He shouldn't be alone….
Sobbing, he continued onwards…Shadow wasn't going to look for him….
"Shadow!" He cried out, begging through the trees. Why couldn't the ranger just come get him? Why?
Silver dragged himself onwards, fur puffed to its max as clouds fell over the woods. Each trembling step brought dread as he feared his untimely demise. He was too young to be alone…too small…
A log appeared in the distance. Golden eyes looked it over before spotting a familiar bandage waving like a flag in the gentle wind. Scabbed and bleeding paws picked up the pace. Silver limped up to the log and seized his bandage, ripping it off the bark and tying it around one of his paws. At least he didn't have to walk on all of his wounds anymore. Pain eased slightly on his left foot as the bandage provided cover.
With each stride, he grew more and more wary. The woods jeered at him through the wind. You'll never survive. You're too small. Give up now.
Silver sobbed, covering his ears as a snake hissed. He was too small. He'd never survive. He should give up…
Ivory fur met brown as the hoglet curled on the ground. Trembling he cried. Why couldn't he be safe? Why couldn't he just have a family? A home? A mother…? Fliss….
"Fliss!" He wailed. Eyes pouring tears. He wanted to curl into the bird's bubblegum arms and just rest. Be safe. Be away from this horrible place. He wanted his family…
But no….
They were gone.
The wind coldly brushed his trembling fur. Icy fingers brushing against his tiny body as the air threatened to take what little heat he had left. Who was he in this vast, dying world? He was a tiny, sickly, injured hoglet without a parent to take care of him. The ground bit at his knees, stones piercing through skin as nature itself tried to claim his small form. Silver shivered, the breeze kissing his fragile skin with sharp teeth as a storm started to blow in. Clouds grew heavier and heavier as rain started to fall, pounding into the child's thin fur.
Lightning blasted through the sky, the loud noise frightening Silver to his feet. With a howl of fright, he bolted into the woods; not caring where he went, or where he ended up. All he knew, is that he must run. Run, and run, and run.
His bandage flew off his paw, exposing his foot once again to the elements below. Pain crept up his legs as he blasted through the woods, not caring that stones and sticks followed him as he ran. Logs and trees lifted off the ground, flying through the air as Silver hurried on. Raindrops ceasing their fall and leaves swirling endlessly upwards and down. Stones and sticks, spiraling through the wooded place until Silver eventually found his paws lifted off the ground.
A blood curdling scream erupted from the hoglet's throat as he climbed higher and higher into the air, waving his arms around as he flipped this way and that. Branches and twigs clung to his fur, blood dripped into the air only to float away, oh how he wished he knew how to get this under control! If only he had ever been taught what to do!
But he had.
Clarity struck the hurdling hoglet as his memory ceased to fail him. Every single time Shadow had taught him, he had been taught to move his hands. Not close his eyes. Not strain his mind. Move his hands.
Silver stared at his glowing paws. Were…his hands tied to all this…? Blinking his tears away, he extended them again, keeping his eyes open and filling his lungs with air. Perhaps Shadow did know what he was doing…
"Step, out, step, out, swipe, swipe cross."
Glowing paws swept through the motions, trying to keep form despite his position in the air.
"Step, out, step, out, left, right, turn."
Silver kept his eyes open and his lungs full, watching as the objects around him twitched and p-
BLAM
Lightning struck again, frightening Silver with a screech. A thud echoed the woods as Silver hit the ground, air stolen from him once again. Wheezing he writhed around, gasping and choking as objects clattered around him. The wind blasted through the forest, shaking the grass and wobbling the trees themselves. Silver had to move on.
Limping, he drug himself through the woods, hunched over as he coughed for air. He was alone, and he needed to find Twisted Canyon. Now.
The training grounds familiar topography fell into view. It was sheer luck that he had somehow managed to get himself back here. It was like he was fated to keep going…but why? Tears plopped onto the ground again as his adrenaline wore off and pain kicked back into his system. He crumpled to the ground as his side and his feet burned from all the damage hed taken. Nature was cruel. He wasn't nearly old enough to survive on his own…he needed help….badly…
He dragged himself onwards, headed down a trail that definitely led to Twisted Canyon. Shadow said he would be there…if Shadow was there, the hoglet would finally be safe. He wouldn't have to run, he wouldn't have to hide… he'd be safe. Shadow would be waiting, with open arms for him. Ready to take care of him. Torn paws limped onwards growing closer to his goal than before. He was almost there…he couldn't give up now.
The twinkling lights came into view, granting Silver a lift from all his panic. Tears fell from his eyes as he sobbed, trembling and terrified as to what just happened to him. Stumbling his way, he crept closer to the canyon.
A hooded form caught his eye, sitting back turned to the hoglet.
"Shadow!" Silver cried, running towards the adult with tears streaming down his face.
Red eyes glanced back, watching the tiny child swiftly approaching him. Much to Silver's dismay, and horror, Shadow jumped back, quills flared and eyes blazing. Energy crackled at his fingertips as the blood eyes scanned every speck of his body.
"What is your name." He hissed, pointing his crackling hand out towards the trembling child.
"S - Silver.." The person in question hiccuped, retreating back in fear. He had seen what Shadow could do, and he did not want to be on the receiving end of it. What was wrong with him? Why was the ranger suddenly so cold?
"Who am I?" Shadow growled, crouching down and circling around the hoglet like a hawk.
"Y You're Shadow.." Silver sniffed, stepping back from the adult. Golden eyes looked around, scanning for a fast exit if the adult suddenly decided to turn on him… oh gosh was he in danger? Silver felt more tears fall from his large eyes as his shaking grew harder and harder to control.
"Where do you come from?"
"Sh-shadow It's me!" Silver wailed, taking a step towards the hedgehog. Startlingly, the adult snarled, fangs baring for the first time as the child jumped back, crying in shock.
"How do I know that?" The ranger spat, drawing his dagger. "Give me one thing that proves that you are who you are."
Silver scraped his memory, his life was on the line. From the adult who was supposed to care for him… why would Shadow do this? Why would he endanger his life? After he promised to train him? He needed to think fast. If only there was one thing….
"What was the first thing you did when you met me." Shadow hissed, taking a step towards the hoglet. Leather boots stamped into the grass, energy crackling in his leather gloves as Silver reached through the memory.
"I gave you tea!" Silver squeaked, curling up and covering his head lest the adult charge him.
"Silver!' Shadow shouted, dropping his blade and dashing towards the sobbing child. Leather clad hands inspected the child, wiping dirt and rocks out of the ivory fur as the holget grasped onto the adult's strong body.
"Shadow…" Silver sobbed, holding onto the leather cloak. "Why…"
"I…" Shadow stammered, brushing some dirt out of the messy quills. "I had to be sure it was you…"
"Make sure?" Silver sniffed, wiping his runny nose on his sleeve as Shadow picked him up.
The ranger sat back, seemingly exhausted as he placed the hoglet on his back. Silver could see how ruffled and damaged his quills were as he held onto the stiff muscles. Heaving, the adult stood up once again. Labored steps approached the canyon edge, stopping only a brief moment before leaping back into the endless void.
Silver just closed his eyes, not wanting to see anything as Shadow approached the edge once again. Before he could say anything more, the weak child found himself set back onto the soft surface of the familiar blanket.
Bandages wound their way around bloodied wounds as Silver winced at the sudden care. Now that the adult was off guard, Silver could see how tired and sore he was. The red eyes hung half-lidded as the once gentle hands fumbled with the cleaning rag.
"D-did you win?" Silver asked, suddenly worried.
"Thankfully…" Shadow mumbled, tying the bandages tight. "It's never easy…"
"What was that thing?" The hoglet whimpered, retreating back under the blanket. Shadow looked into the distance.
"The thing that killed my friends…"