CHAPTER 14

ROSE'S THORNS

The next day at the Chaotix, Vector was placing the white Chaos Emerald in the vault where the rest was being held.

Charmy was beside him staring at the beautiful emeralds, "Those emeralds are really pretty, Vector."

"Yeah", he agreed. "Pretty, but very dangerous if they ever got into the wrong hands."

"Like...Kaliyah?" He asked nervously.

Vector shut the vault and slowly nodded, "yeah", he answered.

"Cheer up, Vector. I'm sure Shadow could help her with her powers if they had ever got out of control", Tonya said.

"But Shadow could get affected by Kaliyah's demon essence like he did before and what good would that do for us?" Rouge said.

"Oh, I guess you're right", Tonya said.

Charmy sighed, "Poor Shadow. I miss him."

"Hey!" Vector shouted. "I said don't think about him! If he wants to be an ass about my orders then I don't give a shit about him! He can just jump off a cliff for all I..."

"Hey guys", a female voice had called from the doorway.

Everyone looked over at the door and saw a pink hedgehog dressed as a ninja standing beside Espio. Everyone stood there in shock.

Espio tried to smile, "Hey, guess who's back?"

Vector growled, "Espio...", he murmured.

The hedgehog made a wide smile, "Looks like you guys are happy to see me more than usual." She walked over to Vector, "You missed me, Vector?"

He crossed his arms in an angry way, "I could careless about you, Rose the deadly ninja assassin."

The hedgehog's ears flopped down, "Come on, Vector. Don't tell me you're still upset from last time."

"Damn right I am."

"But Vector, I changed really I did."

"Oh yeah? Prove it."

Rose smiled and took out a purple emerald and placed it in Vector's hand.

Somehow Vector wasn't surprised that she had a Chaos Emerald with her. "How did you get this?"

She shrugged, "I got my sources."

He glared over at her, "I still don't trust you."

Tonya crossed her arms in disgust, "I'm with Vector. I don't trust her neither."

Charmy flew beside her and whispered in her ear, "You're jealous aren't you?"

Tonya face turned bright red in embarrassment, "Shut up, Charmy!" She shouted with annoyance.

Rose warmly smiled over at Espio, "I'm so glad that I could help you, Espio."

"You did a good thing, Rose. I'm proud of you."

"I would do anything for you, Espio", she said with a slight blush.

Tonya stood there disgusted with the hedgehog, 'What a bitch! I hope Espio doesn't get himself in trouble with her. I mean she used to work for Dark for god's sake.'

Rose then started to look around her for a short time. She turned to Espio, "Oh, where's Shadow? I don't see him anywhere."

Espio just blinked for a moment and started to explain himself. "Oh that's right. Shadow doesn't work here anymore."

Her eyes widened, "What! Shadow, doesn't work at the Chaotix anymore? What happen?"

He scratched his head, "It's a long story."

"You can tell me. Can't you, Espio?" She asked in an innocent voice.

He smiled, "Sure."

Later at Shadow's house, Kayla was in Shadow's room jumping on his bed with happiness. While she was jumping, she was giggling away with her undying enjoyment. She then stopped laughing and looked at the black hedgehog standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. "Hi, Shadow."

The hedgehog sighed, "Kayla, what are you doing?"

"Jumping on your bed."

He placed his hand on his forehead, 'It must be the chocolate she had.' He looked up at her once more, "That's it. No more candy bars for you. Now get off of there before you hurt yourself."

She sighed, "Aw." She stopped jumping on it and sat on it instead. She watched as Shadow joined her except he had laid down on it. She smiled and fell on top of him, hugging him. "What's wrong, Shadow?"

He shook his head, "Bored I guess."

She looked up at the black hedgehog, "Shadow, now that I'm staying with you, are you going to watch over me now?"

"I suppose."

"If you're going to look after me now, then you could be like my new daddy or something."

Speaking of fathers made Shadow think about her and her father. "Kayla, do you ever miss your father?"

She took her head away from his chest and looked into his eyes, "Well, sometimes, but not much because I have you."

Shadow sat up from the bed and hugged her, "Listen to me, Kayla. I don't think replacing your father with me is a good idea."

"Why?"

"Well, he brought you into this world and I didn't. He's the only one for you not me. Do you understand, Kayla?"

Her ears flopped down, "I think so, Shadow."

He made a small smile, "Good."

After his words, Kayla had thought that Shadow didn't really care for her anymore. It was like he didn't want her around. Those hurtful thoughts made Kayla feel like she was crying.

Then a beeping sound was heard from Shadow's cell phone. He took it out of his pocket and looked at it. It was a text message from Espio. All the message said was 'HELP.' "Help? Something must be wrong down at the Chaotix." He looked over to Kayla, "Come on, Kayla."

She nodded and followed him out of the room.

Back at the Chaotix, Rose stood there looking at Espio's injured body lying on the floor while she was holding all six Chaos Emeralds in her hands. She smirked, "You have to be the most dumbest creature alive, Espio. I can't believe you fell for my same tricks twice."

Espio looked away from the floor and looked at her with blood dripping from his mouth. "Rose, why? Who are you working for?"

"You know him. Dark Demon."

His eyes widened with shock, "What! You're working for him again? But Rose, I-I thought you had changed. Dark was only using you remember."

She looked around and saw everyone else on the floor badly hurt. She looked back at Espio and shrugged, "Oh well. I guess I'd better go before..." She was cut off when a yellow spear had cut her arm. She held her arm, looked behind her, and saw a black hedgehog with a brown squirrel child beside him. She gritted her teeth, "Shadow..." She looked down over at the scared child with him, "And you must be Kayla or as Espio told me AKA Kaliyah."

Espio gritted his teeth in anger.

All the others could do was watch the horrible situation take place because they were too weak to get up from the floor.

Kayla stared at the six emeralds in Rose's hand and her craving for blood had started to rise.

Fortunately Shadow saw the way she reacted, "Kayla, no! Don't look at them!"

Kayla tried to control herself but she couldn't. She tried to look away, but the demon inside of her wouldn't let her. "I-I can't!"

Rose dropped the emeralds to the floor and glared over at Shadow. "Lets end this Shadow." She ran over to Shadow with her fist trying to punch him, but something had stopped her. She stopped with her eyes wide open and blood coming from her mouth.

Shadow watched in horror as her body fell to the floor with blood rising from her stomach. 'No...' He slowly turned to Kayla and saw her in her full demon form with her whole hand covered in blood.

The demon took her blood covered hand and licked some of the blood away from it.

Shadow stood there and still watched her.

Afterwards the demon walked past Rose's wounded body and walked up to the Chaos Emeralds. She bent down to pick them up.

"Kayla, no!"

Before Shadow knew it, a black essence of wind had blew around the building.

Kaliyah could feel the evil within the wind as well. She looked behind Shadow and saw a black monstrous creature with his hand on his shoulder.

The demon with piercing blood red eyes gave her a look full of evil and darkness. He took his eyes away from her and whispered in Shadow's ear. "Long time no see, son."