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When I came to be, I was nowhere. I was no one. I was...nothing. Empty and silent, I couldn't even call myself a being. Standing in between planes, existence and nonexistence, I filled it yet no sense could awaken me from this never ending nugatory. Hidden away in the deepest part of the dark. Not even a shadow could be distinguished apart, like myself. I was floating, aimlessly letting it draft into a coincidence of escapades. This hollow prison, I don't deserve such a bore. I am a being of destruction. As I was created to destroy, I crave chaos. It's an easy conclusion to come by.
And I got that slim opportunity in hand, to wreak havoc to the world once again. The earth that soiled me, that ruined me to such an embarrassing state. Desperate to fix myself anew, I made a deal with that creature. Black Doom. Using the power of the Time Eater, he brought me back to life. Of course, with a goal in mind. The bargain was simple. I killed someone, and he would make me exist again. Simple yet complicated, as his enemy is none other than the one who troubled me. Even back then and now, he's a nuisance just like the other ones. Shadow the Hedgehog, I wanted to defeat you. I wanted to get my wish granted. To exist. To live. To be.
But we all know how it went. I was triumphed by him, and he remained victorious just like in all our previous endeavors. And I, devastated, return to where I was without much room to protest. This infinite void. It's becoming a growing exasperation, spreading with an abundance of infestation that I couldn't get rid of. One peculiar thing I wondered was why he couldn't remember me. He didn't recognize my form, my voice, or even the threat I gave him meant nothing other than danger from a maddening anonymous. He was confused, baffled by my sudden appearance to defeat him, to kill him. Funny. How could an Ultimate Lifeform be so forgetful? His brain isn't as great as his powers are.
...Strange. It's indeed very strange. Suddenly, I wasn't in the void anymore. I wasn't merged in the dark, inseparable in one giant canvas. I wasn't senseless, as I felt the wind blow over my face. I could feel the ground, the earth that disowned me from being here, from simply existing, from becoming nothing more than forgotten history. I don't understand what has transpired, what led to me escaping that timeless space. I couldn't care less. Now that I'm here, I only wish for one thing. To rewrite this world, to make room for a being such as myself. Whichever will I need to use, I'll use them in any way possible. Perhaps I could even take over this world, again. All I needed to do was to find my own Iblis.
"Shadow? Is that you?"
That voice... I recognize it even after all these years. That high note intonation had been an annoying ring in my ears. Remembering what had happened in the past wasn't pleasant, not when no one else but yourself keeps reminiscing about them, to the point you're filled with nothing but vengeance to the ones who humiliated you in such an undignified defeat. I was ready to plummet him to the ground, burying him into the same motionless state I was in. I aimed to destroy him the same way I did before, reminding him of the pain plunging right into his chest. Though when I looked, I was already satisfied with seeing his facade. He didn't need the reminder. He remembered me. Those trembling legs, that wavering eyes, that uneven steps back, what tasteful fear. It's shameful of a hero to have cowardice.
"Mephiles...?" He quivered, still unmoving. "How...did you come back?"
"I couldn't have known better, Sonic." I replied nonchalantly, "You should be more adequate to give me that answer."
He turned away, squirming by himself. Suspicious. "No... It can't be..."
"Oh, now I'm curious myself. Though, I couldn't care less before." I coiled around him with no room for escape, "Did you do a ritual for my return, Sonic the Hedgehog?"
I added more, "Are you finally bored of the usual thrill and asked for more by resurrecting me?"
"You wish!" He retorted fearlessly, and I wasn't one to react. "Who would want to revive a foul like you?! Dream on!"
"If I'm not in remembrance, how could I be here? Why do I still exist? Why do I return, right where you are?"
That's right. This has boggled my mind the more I linger. No one should have remembered. I was erased, to never exist at all. Yet I remained in their memories, in his, and recently, in Shadow's. Albeit briefly and vaguely with not much details, he still etched a part in them. Was that what edged him into existence? Being remembered is what led him into being? If that's the case, then he would have been able to leave a long time ago. Sonic hasn't had his memory fogged off, unlike his dark counterpart. He could remember clearly from his shivering upon meeting eyes. What makes this one so different?
...Oh. Now this is unexpected. The blue hedgehog turned red. Embarrassment, it seems. Strange. Was he actually that stupid to summon me so blindly without thinking of the consequences to follow? Idiocracy is a terrible disease to have, I fear.
I was about to ask him bluntly, but he cut me off. "I didn't do some stupid ritual to call you, okay?! I'm not an idiot to call the bad guy out!"
I gathered myself, standing as I uncaged him. "Then, what did you do?"
He struggled to get the words, but he eventually did. "...I wish the world wasn't cruel to you."
...I was stunted. I didn't give a reaction, let alone spare a word of reply. I froze. I couldn't say anything. No utterance rushed out of me, questioning the logic behind such...inadequate wish. Seeing as I remained silent, shocked beyond belief, he rambled with an elaboration even more illogical than what I've heard.
"I just... I've been thinking how cruel that you were kinda erased just like that." He nervously spoke, "You might not be the best thing ever. Heck, even Eggman's still alive and he's as bad as you. Maybe even worse! So... I just thought it would be nice if you had a second chance?"
How foolish. How naive. Much more idiotic than that silver quilled hedgehog. That innocence is exactly why you could never truly defeat me, erase me. He could've chosen to forget, to abandon in disremembrance buried by the newest memories he created. Yet, he wasn't very wise in decision making. Obviously, he couldn't pick the right memories to forget and remember. An idiocy act such as this is what would lead to his downfall. Especially in my hand.
"...Thank you." I said, in an earnest pretense. "All this time, I've been wanting to exist. And you give me that chance once again. Truly, you have my utmost gratitude. Sonic."
"Okay, cut the act." He seemed annoyed. Guess I couldn't trick him after all. "You don't think I actually believe that, right?"
"That's essentially up to you, dear hero." Or could I? "I've tasted what it felt to not exist, yet remain in sense to feel emptiness and deafening silence. This is a salvation from the darkness I've lost within."
I looked into his eyes. Good, waver. Let your heart crumble under my words, sympathetic fool. "My life is in your hands. If you wish for me to be, then I will. If you simply deny me, then kill me, into complete erasure."
I added more, planting further the uncertainty inside. "You have the power to do what you should. I can't stop you, not with how powerless I currently am."
I have to tread carefully. Brute force won't guarantee me a glorious comeback. I have learnt so from the past experiences dawn upon me. I would rather have my hands remain unsullied as well. I can use his naivety, that blind hope he has to navigate my way to my goal. It was undeniably vexing to rely on him, reluctance has been knocking to take over ever since I acted so. But, if there's a chance in this falsified compromise, then I will indulge in it until it runs dry to dust.
He sighed, a heavy one after much silence. "...Fine. I'll let you live. But, I can't let you go around the world without someone to supervise."
"No need to fret such a trifling matter." I tried approaching him. Interesting. He wasn't as afraid as before. "I'll be with you until the end."
"Uh, yeah. How exactly?"
"Like this."
I attached myself to his shadow, assimilating into it in entirety. I am a being of dark, and like any darkness that is angled at every corner of the earth, I exist in the same spot. The ickiness from this exchange urged me to vomit, nauseous engulfed me at the pretense of turning into a remorseful being. Yet, to ensure my plan works into fruition, I endure, as much as I did in the plane of in-between. I disappeared briefly into it, and it felt...different. Different from the nugatory I was trapped in. His shadow felt spacious, even though it's nothing bigger than his own silhouette. It gives unnecessary comfort, one that drags you into a pull to struggle against. This felt more...warm.
A drowned out voice seems to call me. Muffled among the puddle of blackness, their words are hardly coherent for hearing. It was clearly that idiot blue-quilled, using that mouth to exert anything but bearable noises. He's much more insufferable than I ought to remember. I emerged myself back out, meeting his face just a small distance as I looked up. He was...worried? Curious. What makes him so shaken up by this display of power? Was he afraid of me being a threat, or perhaps in his own wishful mind, that he was afraid I would disappear into non-existent once more? The sentences escaped from his muzzle afterwards confirmed the latter question I asked myself.
With another sigh, he uttered, "I thought you disappeared again for a second. That scared me."
"I told you, didn't I?" I reaffirmed my stance to him, "My life is in your hands."
He smirked, that same confident smirk he always had. It's... irritating. "And I'm gonna make sure you enjoy every last of it."
I didn't think much about his statement. That reassurance is as effective as squeezing blood from a turnip. Useless. I don't enjoy life the same as him. Frantic in steps, eager for the most mundane matter, and always on the run for the most ridiculous of things. I loathe such a carefree lifestyle. What enjoyment does he see in doing something as trivial as this? Relaxation, it's nothing but wasting time into an irreversible recovery. Indulgent, I'd rather kill a few lives with a swipe than feeding these lowly creatures their consumption. He's truly incomprehensible. What makes him so sure a destructive creature such as I, would magically change to share the similarity he has? Truly a foolish commitment.
We traveled far and wide, and each time without fail, he would show me the beauty of this world. Making a convincing presentation out of it, I was still deterred. He forces me to join him in such imbecilic actions. And with me having no other choices but to obey for this act to be fruitful, I reluctantly indulged him. The sparkles he sees each time lights reflect on them, the glistened sunshine that bathes the colors into a bloom, and in his words, the serenity of peace wind flows around, surrounding us with a sense of soothing calmness destroys any chaotic arrangement prior. How ironic. He doesn't know total chaos will come once I regain my power. With each participation he invited me to, and each that I answered, there is some euphoric sensation leaking out of him. Excitement, happiness, I dare not to think it was for me. It was nothing but self satisfaction for a mindless hero. If he truly wants me to be happy, and satisfied in salvation, then... He should have let me take over.
In one of our recent stops, he uses me as a dependent to get a plain apple hanging by the tree. He could have picked it himself. He's more than capable of doing so with all the skills and abilities he harnessed all these years. Yet, he wants me. Specifically asked me to bring it to him. Annoyance starts to slit its way to my head, slithered through the cracks whispering to lose my mind. Though, I prevailed and obliged like an obedient dog. As I handed them to him, he grabbed my hand with a soft grasp. It was gentle, as if singing a lullaby to hush me with harmonies of tranquility. His eyes, were they always this bright?
"See? You can be gentle if you want to be." ...Excuse me? "You don't have to revolve yourself around destruction all the time. You can just be...you."
Just be me? This is me. A cunning villain that tried to overtake his enemies in a facet of false kindness. A darkness that seeks to engulf the world in chaos and turmoils. A being that wishes to enact avenge to the world that rejects him. A being that wants to be stronger than he ever could. Someone...who wanted to rip that smile off your mouth.
"Sonic?" A familiar voice. To think he'd show up now, what perfect timing. "What are you doing?"
"Shadow!" His hands left mine. It's...cold. "I know it's weird, but it's not what it looks like."
"You're helping the devil now?" That glare could kill if it could fire bullets, but I wasn't affected at all. "That guy's dangerous, Sonic. Stay away from him!"
"No, Shadow. You don't know that." Going against an ally to stand for this fabricated relationship? How amusing. "He's changed now. He's not a bad guy anymore."
"Be stupid somewhere else!" The blue one turned sour, his droopy ears a clear sign. "He's an embodiment of darkness, of all chaos! How could he be changed? He's tricking you!"
"Does that apply to you too then?!" Again, with illogical arguments. "Just because you're part Black Doom, you're like them?!"
"This and that is different! Please, Sonic!" He slowly stepped forward, coercing him to give in to his plea. "Just...listen to me."
You think you got the upper hand, don't you, hybrid of a lesser being? In your own words, I am a being of darkness, and a representation of all it was within. You can't win against me. I have planted my seeds in his heart. The doubts of your persuasion contrasting with what I presented, your weak coax clearly lost. Look at how reluctant he is to join your side. He remained here and stood here, still by my side. You can't get him, not when he's mine. Before things could escalate further, I have to ensure he remains my foundation. He's my gateway to be permanent, to concrete my existence into solid truth. Safety measures need to be provided, and as efficient as I was, in a blink of an eye, I wrapped him into the safety of a cocoon.
"Mephiles?!"
"Sonic!"
You're too late, Shadow the Hedgehog. And here I thought you’re the second fastest thing alive. Pathetic. Sonic...is mine now. With this, no one can get in our way. In this entrapment, he'll be my prisoner for eternity. Using this method, I can use him for my gain to vanquish. This way, I can remain to exist, and I relish, even at the expense of being his shadow.
It's been days since then. Perhaps even longer. My sense of time hasn't been the best ever since my banishment. I couldn't care less regardless. As long as I persisted to reign, I was apathetic to such information. No one has been able to penetrate against the walls I've built. The thorns scattered are indestructible, impenetrable even with the forces of a tycoon. The monsters spawn in my will, it secured the fortress I made with precise lethality and vicious ravage. The air was cold and foul, the high tower couldn't be reached with simple flight without avoiding suffocation. It's an infallible fort, and it shall remain for the rest of time.
Those colorful troops of his, of Sonic's, attempt to break down an inch of it. Futile, I say. I am undefeatable, and I'm formidable against such a puny threat now. It doesn't shake me. Not even the slightest. Those weaklings don't deserve my mercy. I should have crushed them the moment an opportunity came. But, it's entertaining to see them struggle. To witness their effort be in vain, it was a hilarity that coerced me to a chuckle. All their attacks didn't leave a dent, yet they still strive foolishly to make a hole. They can't leave a mark, not even a single scratch will etch, thanks to the power seeping through me from him. From Sonic.
Ever since he's been in this cocoon, in my protection, his consciousness has left him. His eyes remained close as he kept being trapped within. He still takes his breaths, rhythmically in intervals to exchange as time goes. His warmth prevailed, it spread across like a virus infecting me into succumbing to it. The warmth that leaks out from his heart, pulsing through the dark veins around is addicting. I never thought I'd craved it. I tried to deny it, to refuse the invitation of warmly coziness, but it drags me down into submission against my will. That fervour tenderness rushing through as whispers of comfort, it encourages me that what I did is no more wrong than the next. I want to exist, and you simply let me, and I won't let the chance be squandered.
...I see. Now I understand the reason behind my attraction to him. The resemblance between them, how could I have been so blind to never seeing it before? My goal is within arms the moment I gained his trust, his cooperation, his heart. With my mind and his power, we can become something even greater. We can become a refined being, much more powerful than Solaris. He is the missing part I need. The fire that turns me into a blaze. The organ that made me whole. The key to my great resurrection. The vital part of my return. He...is my Iblis.