Maybe something changed her when she and Shade were on their own.

Maybe, but nothing personally traumatizing had happened along the way. Something had made her change inside.

Was it Ash threatening to kill her?

Not exactly, that had been something she could brush off easily. But the fact of everything that had happened and that he hadn't seemed to care. She had become fond of him, and then ... it was like it hadn't mattered to him. But the main thing was that he had told her she couldn't come with him that night he had left.

Right. Ash has a very bad tendency to try to protect others but only ended up hurting them.

Yeah. Now Jason and Fatespeaker knew that.

Yeah. He had some issues.

But at least Shade didn't care, he still adored Ash.

That was good, although Ash wasn't sure it was.

Well, it was good. Shade the icey was innocently adoring of him. Ash was his idol.