Change
ElectricCircuslover: It's been, what, four years since I did a Angel and Shadow story with two together. I haven't been in the mood to write. Oh, bold is Angel speaking Turin and italic for Stitch. I wish I could be as open to my mother as Shadow was. Probably the motivation for this story…
Shadow sat on the porch in his true form. His body took up half of the empty doorway exiting the newly structure. His large horns would occasionally scratch against the ceiling while his large feet would sometimes fall off of the step due to the size. His long rib-like spikes under each of his six arms would move inward and outward as he breathed. His tail whipped everywhere due to his emotions being stirred, while the spikes on the ends scratch against the wood. The pupiless eyes all over his body opened up, constantly moving as he kept watch on the door when his large demon wings moved up. His spikes between each eye would have black steam come out of the tips of each spike every time the red band near the ends glowed and faded.
"I showed them I could change and I don't regret it one bit. Stitchie got what was coming when I ripped his arm off. No more will anyone look me down and think twice on inflicting pain on myself. I grow tired of it all," Shadow snarled with a deep voice coming from his reptilian mouth, "It's a shame, Danny couldn't survive the change. I guess I was stronger than my schizophrenia," he chuckled, balling up his six fists, "I'm more powerful than my family could ever dream. I could conquer this planet if I really wanted to, however, the point being it's not worth it if you're hated for ruling over millions of lives. I wish to not be a king. I wished everything that bothered me to go away, and for the most part, it did go away but I'm still haunted by the word 'acceptance' in this so-called 'o'hana.' Instead of being rewarded for defending against a brute I became a target for looking like a monster. Pfft, let them fight me. I will crush them like the dirt they are," he smiled, looking up at the sun.
The door to the house opened up. A small pink experiment walked out of the house wearing a 'World's Best Mom' apron. She had a strong resemblance to Stitch but has two long antennae with a purple band near the ends.
"Shadow, what is wrong?" Angel frowned, walking to her large pitch black son.
"Nothing is wrong, mom. I'm talking to myself again. I'll be leaving this planet in a few days," Shadow replied, not paying attention to his mother.
"I really hope you're making the right choice. I worry a lot about you and due to recent events I've been like a train derailing to grand central station. Please, Shadow, tell me what is wrong. I'm begging you to tell me what is bothering you. I love you so much and I don't want anyone to take you away because you're too different from us. I must know, what is going on in your mind," Angel shed a tear.
"Mom, I know you're hurting but I've reached my limit on how much ignorance I can tolerate in this family. Look, you are the only thing that I care about anymore. Not, Andy or Berrie, but you. I gave this family a try and for eighteen years I've been ridiculed, shunned, and frowned upon because of what I am. I know what I did to you in a previous life. I know what happened and I regret everything I did to you, but this family sees me as the same monster that hurt you in your dreams. You must understand that leaving the nest is a good move for me. I'm thinking about joining the Galactic Alliance if it makes you happy. I want to use my powers to do some good in the world. Apparently, this island is too overpopulated for my abilities. It would be a waste mother," Shadow grabbed his mother and hugged her, trying her best to not poke her with his venomous spikes.
"The family doesn't hate you, Shadow. It never has but I understand why it is you want to leave. Please, do come back when you feel overwhelmed. I will always accept you. I love you as if you were still a pup," Angel wiped her tears, "I look at your baby pictures a lot now. You've grown up a lot and I can't say if you have matured enough to be called an adult. I think this is a very mature move on your side that you chose to think your life through before being rash. I know one day I have to be greeted with harsh realization that you're not a pup anymore. I've been with you all your life and to see you go away just breaks my heart. Promise me that you will visit me often," Angel cried into Shadow's chest.
"Mom, the o'hana' doesn't like me. I've seen the glares and dirty looks from the other Experiments and B-Xs. It's best that I go away from this planet and live a life of solitude. I can't tolerate the bullshit any longer. I don't even know if I'll ever come back to this mud ball of a planet. This island is too over populated with Experiments. There is little room for me anyway to live on my own. Granted, I can live in the jungle or the beach but I prefer my solitude mother. I don't want to be around anyone anymore. After Sparkle cheated on me and got pregnant the will to be around others diminished to nothing," he rubbed his mother's back.
"Things happen, Shadow. I'm disappointed in her and Stitchie. Those two almost caused a family feud because of their selfishness. I can imagine what you're going through, Shadow. You remember when your father cheated on me for a Galick and how we lived with your grandma's house for awhile because of that? It hurts tremendously but he made it up to me. At times I feel like it's never good enough to me. I shared my husband with another for awhile before they quit seeing one another. I didn't like supporting someone else's kids because of a stupid affair. During all this I never isolated myself. I feel that very knife in your back Shadow and to this day it's still there. It's depressing and the burden of that knife weighs heavily in my mind. I feel for you Shadow but locking yourself away from everyone doesn't make it any better. Do you talk to Danny anymore? Normally you talk a lot about her but since I see you very little anymore I haven't heard about her," Angel frowned.
Shadow set his mother next to him on the stairs. He frowned as he looked at his mother's sad expression on her face.
"Danny is gone, mother. I don't' know why and I don't care anymore. I've told you before, I like my privacy. I don't' think I'm going to live on another planet. I'm going to create my own ship and live in it. I'll just live in space where people don't often travel to. Yes, I understand that the Galactic Alliance is all about communication but I don't have to spend all my time with people. If I do my job well I won't have to worry about being with others. I believe we get our own cruisers on the job but I'll be using my ship. I'll manage mother. I will show how good I can be in this world. I will make the galaxy a safe place for you mom," Shadow assured, setting his mother next to his feet on the top step.
Angel sighed, "I feel hopeless, Shadow. I feel like a bad mother for letting you sink so low in your depression. If I knew what to do for you I would do it gladly but you tell me so little it really hurts me. I want you to be happy. That's all I want for you, Shadow. I want you to be happy. I hope joining the Galactic Alliance makes you happy in the future because I seemed to have failed you in some way, shape, or form. Please visit me when you have free time. It's not good for me to be left in the dark. I love you very much."
Shadow took a deep breath and stared down at his mother, "You didn't fail me mother. I'm just going on a different path. I want to make this world safer for you. Everything I'm doing is a benefit for both of us. This will make me a better person and I'll be making some money to live on. I need to be dependent on myself at some point in my life. I've changed a lot over the past few months. I've been thinking a lot about myself and I've decided that I needed to grow up and be independent though my actions. The solitude really helped me mother. There is nothing wrong with me and you shouldn't worry about that. I finally opened my eyes and accepted what I am. I'm not human or alien. I used to be a evil ghost that has been reincarnated. I don't know what that makes me. I'm an 'it,' mother. I'm not even a real B-X like my half siblings. Doesn't really matter to me anymore."
"It doesn't matter what you or I are. The thing that really matters is you're my son and I'll always love you no matter what you are. It just seems I haven't done enough for you. I've had many children whether they are your father's or not-'
"Please mother, Stitch isn't my father," Shadow interrupted, slamming his tail into the wood floor.
Angel looked down at her feet and sighed, "He may not be your real father but that doesn't mean he doesn't love you."
Shadow snarled, getting on to his feet as black steam blew violently out of the tip of his spikes all over his body, while walking down the stairs.
"No, Stitch never loved me. He's always hated me from the time I was born to now. Mother, he tried to kill me when I was born. If it wasn't for Spring Lovetta catching him in the act I'd be dead. He hasn't moved on and still sees me as that bastard that hurt you in your dreams. He is not my blood. He will never be my blood and I'll never accept his apology. He paid more attention to his real sons and daughters than to me. I was second class compared to him. I hate him mother. I hate Stitch with every fiber in my body. The only reason why I broke his ribs and his nose was the fact he tried to fight me because I hurt Stitchie badly. Look, Stitchie got what was coming. For two years he's beat me up, treated me like crap, and marauded what was left of my life. I stood up for myself and got defensive. Oh, but you know what, I have no regrets what I did to Stitchie and Stitch. Stitch saw me as a monster to the family and Stitchie took away my dreams away. I will never forgive them for what they did to me. They are nothing to me. You are my family. You are all that matters to me anymore. I was dealt a bad hand in life and the only support was a big middle finger," Shadow punched a tree as he let out a dragon-like roar.
Angel sat silently as she stared at her hulking son. She really didn't know what to say other than apologize for his hardships. She truly felt she totally failed as Shadow's mother.
"I don't know what to say Shadow. I don't know what I can actually do for you. You tell me so little anymore. If you truly believe going to space is a good move I will respect that. I really hope you feel more comfortable living on your own than with me. Really, I do, but, I beg that you visit me when you feel social. I could really use your company, Shadow. I don't want you to bottle everything up because you feel accustomed to it. I always listen to you no matter how much I disagree. I love you no matter what," Angel shed a tear.
"Mom, would you still accept me if I…Let the mutation take its course? This isn't what I look like anymore. I've lost the ability to talk freely and have to resort to this form or my other two shapes. I can still communicate. All I have to do is put one of my tentacles in your ear far enough to hear me. I know this sound very strange but what I'm going to show you might…Bother you. Will you promise to not freak out on me?" He walked up and kneeled down in front of his mother.
Angel didn't say anything at first and just nodded her head.
"Please forgive me, mother…"
Shadow backed up and slammed his six fists through the ground. Long tentacles sprouted out from under his spikes as they whipped and slashed in the air. His body began to grow larger and longer as his hands began to stretch and bend in odd ways. Once fully transformed, he had four hands on each arm in a shape of a clover with fat spike in the center. Shadow's body was the same length as a school bus with excluding his massive long tail that split into three tips near the end. His lizard snout fell off and was replaced with a spade shape mouth with small sharp teeth exposed. Shadow's eyes split into single vision to quadracular (like Jumba) while his forehead sprouted long horns that looked like a bull. The legs on this form didn't change but had four spikes circling it and were placed far back of Shadow's body. His wings were large as a beetle car and size was doubled from his true form.
Shadow roared as he approached his mother who was stuck with grief and fear.
"Oh, Shadow…What did you do to yourself?" Angel cried.
One of Shadow's tentacles approached the pink Experiment. She backed up a second and took another deep breath as it entered her ear. It hurt for a few seconds but she started to hear Shadow's deep voice in her mind.
"This is what I've become, mother. I see you don't like it very much. Don't let my looks fool you; I'm still the little boy you've taken care of over the years. I've just…Matured into something else. I couldn't keep taking those pills. It just wasn't me to hide my looks from myself. I had to let things be what they were meant to be. You're probably very scared now but I won't hurt you. I could never hurt you, it's just I look like a monster. This is why I can't stay in the o'hana. This is why I must go and leave this place. I can at least stay this way on my ship and not have any problems. Might have to hide this form the Galactic Alliance but I'm not entirely sure. The only thing I have to do is not cut or poke someone or they'll mutate into a reptilian zombie. The only reason why I haven't lost my senses was I've adapted to this form and was able to control myself. When I was sixteen I couldn't control anything and I'm really sorry for what I have done to the people here. I just don't belong here mother. I really hope you understand now that I must leave this place," the voice inside Angel's mind told her.
"I understand now but please visit me in any of your forms but this one, okay? I'd really love that. As much as I hate to see you like this, I still love you."
"I love you too, mother."
The door to the house opened up, revealing a stunned Stitch.
"What the hell?" he said in his native tongue.
Shadow roared and took the tentacle out of his mother's ear.
"Get away from her you monster!" The blue Experiment shouted, leaping at the mutated B-X.
He was smacked back by Shadow's tail and hit the stairs.
"STOP IT, STITCH! IT'S SHADOW!" Angel yelled in Turin.
"What? He looks horrible," Stitch growled.
Blood dripped from all over the eyes surrounding Shadow's mutated body.
"Please don't cry, Shadow. He didn't mean it," Angel tried walking up her son but the black B-X backed up.
Shadow spat a black net-like web at Stitch, wrapping the blue Experiment up, and roared before turning into stone and shattering into dust.
Angel cried into her palms.
"YOU!" She pointed at Stitch, "You ruined my son, damn it! Well, you got your wish, Stitch. He's gone and probably won't ever come back. I hope you're pretty damn pleased with yourself. You know what, you can sleep on the couch for a week. Don't speak to me until I feel like it, humph!" Angel yelled, slamming the door.
(Five years later on The Ship of Despair)
Shadow sat in front of his mirror holding Mom, his doll replica of his mother. He shed few bloody tears and set the doll on the dresser in front of the mirror.
"It's been five long years, Mom. Five years of living in isolation from the world. Five years of pain and suffering. Five years of misery and not one time I visited my mother. I can never go back to that island or to my family. It's all been obliterated into nothing and the only people are to blame is Stitchie and Stitch. These men deserve to be tortured personally on this ship. Maybe one day I'll get around to it. Change was needed. Change made me stronger. Change became part of my life. Change altered my future and maybe one day it'll fix everything to the way it used to be. Until then, the only one that will change is me. I hope one day I can change back to a happy life once again," Shadow said quietly, patting the doll's head.