CHAPTER 9

CHANGING

The next morning at Shadow's house, Shadow had came downstairs and walked into the kitchen shocked to find Kayla sitting at the table drinking a glass of some kind of thick dark red liquid. Shadow curiously walked over to her and studied the liquid she was drinking.

Kayla took her mouth from the glass and focused on Shadow. "Hi, Detective Hedgehog. What are you looking at?"

He made a small smile towards the child. "Okay first of all, I don't work at the Chaotix anymore so you can just call me Shadow."

She nodded in agreement, "Okay."

"Second of all, what are you drinking?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. I found it in the back of the refrigerator. It was in a plastic bag or something like that. I don't know what it is, but it's really good." She was about to place the glass to her mouth again.

Shadow's eyes widened in panic. "Kayla, no!"

Kayla set the glass back down on the table, "What is it?"

Before she took another sip of the mysterious liquid, Shadow had took it away and placed it far in the back of the refrigerator.

"What's wrong, Shadow?"

Shadow turned to her in stress, "Kayla, you didn't know what that was?"

She shook her head in complete silence.

"That was blood, Kayla."

She gasped, "It was?"

He nodded, "I don't want you to touch that ever again. Understand?"

She nodded, "Okay, but why do you have blood in the refrigerator?"

Shadow deeply hesitated to answer the question. "I...don't think I want you to know that yet."

"Aw why not?"

"I just don't."

Talking about the strange blood in the refrigerator made Kayla want to think back about what happened yesterday. "Um, when you and Vector were talking yesterday, what did you mean when you said you were a demon like me?"

Shadow once again hesitated, "...Uh?" Then fortunate for him, his doorbell rung. "I'll get back to you on that", he said as he answered the door. Once he opened the door, he was quickly pulled into a kiss by a white bat.

She then took her lips from his and walked into the house.

Shadow shut the door and turned to her in surprise, "Rouge, what are you doing here?"

Rouge ignored his sudden question and began to talk to Kayla. "Hello Kayla, how are you doing today?"

"Really good", she answered with a wide smile.

"That's great, sweetie." She then looked at the red smear around her mouth. "What's that around your mouth, sweetheart?"

Kayla took her tongue and licked around her mouth. The taste was blood and she loved the taste even though it was supposed to be a disgusting thought. "It's the blood I drunk this morning."

Rouge's ears perked up, "Uh, did you say you drunk blood?"

She nodded, "Yeah, it tasted good too."

Rouge looked away from Kayla and turned to Shadow with a glare.

Shadow saw the look on Rouge's face and knew it was bad news for him. He turned to Kayla, "Kayla, could you go upstairs for a while? I have to talk to Rouge alone."

"Okay", she got out of her chair and walked upstairs leaving the two alone.

Shadow confronted Rouge and quickly tried to explain himself. "Rouge, it's not what you think."

She crossed her arms, "How did she get to the blood, Shadow?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. She must've smelled it from her room."

"She can't smell blood from her room and into the refrigerator. That's impossible."

"For mortals. Demons can smell blood miles away from where they are."

She gasped, "Oh Shadow, I think Kayla's powers are developing faster each day. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. Soon she'll be able to sense the demon in me perfectly and that'll probably set Darkness off. I could barely control myself the last time Kaliyah appeared. She felt my inner demon and I felt hers. I could've gone demon right then if I hadn't controlled myself so perfectly."

"If that happens then all hell will break lose. How will we stop you guys then?"

"Just do your best okay?"

She pulled Shadow's body closer to hers, "Every time I fight with Darkness, the more I hate it. I mean it's still you...in the inside."

"I know, but there's nothing you can do. I was born with this curse, I'll end my life with it."

"Poor Kayla. It's a real shame that she has to go through this."

He sighed, "Yeah and I'd rather not tell her about her demon self yet. I don't think she'll be able to handle it."

Kayla was around the corner listening to their conversation and now understood everything. She was becoming a monster and there was nothing no one could do to help her. She decided to not listen to anymore and just went up to her room.

Rouge nodded in agreement, "She's just way too young." She looked up at Shadow with her arms still wrapped around his body. "Anyway, how are you taking the no job thing?"

"Well it's a lot more easier on my life I'll give you that."

Rouge smiled and leaned her head on his chest.

Later in the middle of the night, Kayla entered Shadow's room while he was asleep with a big butcher knife in her hand. She quietly closed the door behind her and approached Shadow carefully, trying not to wake him. She approached his bed and examined his sleeping body. She smiled evilly and held the knife in the air, ready to kill him in his sleep. Before she could stab him, Shadow's eyes suddenly opened.

Shadow quickly jumped out of bed and took out a handgun from behind his pillow. He pointed the weapon at her. "Kaliyah."

Kaliyah growled and dropped the knife on the floor. "How could you have known that I was coming to kill you, hedgehog?"

"Easy, I sensed you out and knew you were coming. Oh and for the record my name is Shadow."

She crossed her arms, "Humph, clever using your demon senses to track me, but that still doesn't mean you'll live to see the sun."

"Have it your way. I hate the sun anyway", he dropped his gun to the floor while his hands were glowing yellow. He held them up at Kaliyah, "Chaos Spear!"

She raised her hand towards the spear, "Chaos Barrier." An orange shield had appeared in front of her and blocked Shadow's attack.

Shadow was surprised that her attacks, strategies, and strength were growing quickly.

She smirked, "Surprised, Shadow? I held back years ago, but now I'm not holding back anything. Oh that reminds me. You're a demon right? Well, if you plan on killing me that's the only way to do it."

Shadow clenched his fists, "I'm no fool, Kaliyah. You're just trying to get me to transform into my demon form. Well, it won't work. I sometimes have great advantages over my inner demon. And now that I'm learning about my inner demon every time he tries to make an attempt to take me over, I fight back. Most of the time, I almost have full control over him."

"Almost huh?" Kaliyah smirked with interest. 'I wonder...if my powers develop with more Chaos Emeralds then his will probably increase as well. Then I will be able to reach my full demon form.' "Well interesting information, but I'll probably put it to good use soon." She held her hand in the air. "Chaos Flame!" An orange fiery light had came out of her hand. The fire had struck out of her hand like a blade.

As the blade with fire came towards Shadow, he dodged it just in time and the blast of fire broke through the window. He made a small smile towards the demon, "Nice try demon, now it's my turn." His held his hands towards Kaliyah and launched yellow spears towards her in a fast paste.

Kaliyah was too slow for his attack so she was hit with the spears severely. She fell to the floor bleeding from her chest. She slowly looked up at Shadow while holding her bleeding chest. She growled, "You'll pay, Shadow. I swear it." Then she had weakly leaned against the wall crying like a child still holding her wound. She looked up at Shadow with tears, "Shadow..."she said hoarsely. "What happened? Why am I bleeding?"

Shadow studied her light blue eyes, she was no longer Kaliyah but he knew she would return soon. Now he didn't know what to tell Kayla. What was he supposed to say to her? He attacked another part of her that meant to take her over and kill everyone? He had no choice but to lie to her to make something up. "Oh Kayla, you just...fell and...hurt yourself." That was the worst lie yet, but little kids will believe just about everything an adult says.

Kayla shook her head slowly, "No, I didn't", she said quietly. "I turned into a demon again. Didn't I?"

"Kayla, how did you know about Kaliyah inside of you?"

"I heard you and Detective Bat talking about it." She looked up at him, "Am I a...monster? A scary monster?"

Shadow kneeled down towards her and hugged her. "You're not a monster, Kayla. You're just a little confused that's all."

She hugged him as well and continued crying because of the searing pain from the spears. "Shadow, it hurts", she wheezed.

Shadow released her from his grip and stared at her wound. He felt bad for injuring her like that, but he really didn't have a choice. He smiled slightly as he placed his hand on her blood. "Let me fix that for you."

She nodded slightly, but she really had her attention on the blood on his hand. Before Shadow could move to get any bandages, she took his hand and started to lick the blood from it.

Shadow just watched with shock as she licked her own blood from his hand, until he couldn't take it anymore. He jerked his hand away from her, "Stop, Kayla! Just stop!" He shouted.

Kayla was finally brought back to reality and was startled by the way Shadow shouted at her. "Why did you yell at me? I can't help it. I can't stop. I just can't."

He placed his hands on her shoulders, "I'm sorry I yelled at you, but when I look at you drinking blood...it just brings out the demon in me as well and..."

Her ears flopped down, "I'm sorry, Shadow. I'll try not to do that anymore."

He smiled a bit, "Good." He stood up from the floor. "I'll be back with some bandages." He left the room.

While Kayla waited for him. She took her teeth and sunk them into her wrist taking blood from herself.