EBC - crash of guilt

When Scaeden had taken off after Maia and Torex to capture the Coliseum cats, he hadn't thought twice. It was second nature, catch them before they get out. One goal; catch them. Catch them. Catch them.

When the lynx saw the cats crossing the log, something pricked in the back of his mind, but he didn't say anything. It was hardly noticeable; just a little nervous tick, a disregarded thought. It had barely processed. Maia immediately jumped up to get them, knocking over a young one about halfway across. It wasn't until the caracal was laying out on the log that he and Torex both noticed the lion coming back to Maia.

They screamed to get her attention. Scaeden felt a twist of nerves in his stomach, but that was typical. Maia could handle herself against the lion until he and Torex would help.

But she couldn't handle herself against the pounding rain that poured down on them, and that was something Scaeden hadn't been predicting. When she ducked, she slipped, and the lion and caracal ran off. Suddenly the hunt didn't matter; Maia was far higher on Scaeden's priority list.

"Maia!" he called out, leaping up onto the log and taking off towards her. She called out for help. "Hang on!"

The log lurched. It was unsteady, and Scaeden almost lost his own balance. Maia called out for Torex to stay put. The lynx propelled himself forward and reached out to grab Maia's paw--

CATCH HER.

CATCH HER.

CATCH HER.

She fell.

Her paws disappeared beneath the rapids; Scaeden's first instinct was to leap after her, but he knew wouldn't be able to help her there. His leap was already halfway completed and he was almost completely off the log when claws grabbed his pelt from behind and heaved him back up. The lynx crouched down, desperately watching the waves crash and the water pound down. Lightning flashed, and thunder soon followed. Water added to water. Noise added to noise.

Death added to death.

"She'll surface," Scaeden said, his voice shaky. "She'll pull herself on shore. Watch the shore."

"Scaeden..."

The lynx looked up at his friend, whose red eye was locked on the water.

"Torex, she'll come up," he repeated, but he didn't look back to the river. The rain flooded his eyes, and he kept blinking it away, but more kept replacing whatever he got out. After a couple blinks he thought maybe there were tears mixed in there, too.

They sat like that for a while. Torex staring at the river. Scaeden staring at Torex.

I've lost too many friends.

I didn't catch her.

She fell.

Finally, Scaeden pulled his gaze back towards the river and let out a choked gasp when Maia wasn't on the shoreline anywhere they could see. She was gone. She was gone.

---

A little parting gift for Sketcherzz BUT I THINK SHES ALREADY GONE IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK FOREVER.

7 EP to Scae

The prequels: and

Maia (c)
Torex (c)
Art, Scaeden (c)