His cold resolve was what truly pushed him forth to the chamber of the flame, its resting place, its sanctuary… The pleasant smile on his face would have warranted fear in the eyes of innocents had they any clue on what he was doing. He was content, eager, but at the same time, composed and patient. It would come soon… soon, it would all be worth it.
"…I have returned."
He spoke suddenly with a firm tone of voice, though there was a touch of arrogance within it. Ascending the stairs, he remained silent, until he came to a gentle stop, a few steps away from a brilliant light at the other side of the room. His calm, but wry smile, made itself known still, as he looked across to a flickering flame, sat on a pedestal, waiting, watching…
"I am overjoyed," the flame responded, dancing excitedly.
"You certainly know how to express it," the being remarked, looking amused at its enthusiasm. His hands dove into the depths of his quills, searching for something.
"How was your journey?" the flame queried, a tad curious. Not a scratch… seemingly.
"Met with obstacles," he replied curtly, slight irritation flashing in his eyes briefly. "The point is, I achieved my objective. They are within my grasp…"
"They?"
The flame was mildly confused. The last time they had spoken, he had only mentioned one gem, capable of granting wishes of those with a desire dearest to their very souls. But they? This connotation it had composed now, it consisted not of one, single emerald… but several. The question that would have followed would have been: 'How many?'
The flame chose not to question such things. It trusted he would have the required amount to ensure it didn't disappear from this world…
No one would come here…
The first time he had entered the corridors, the flame had felt a sense of insecurity, soon overridden by its own inquisitiveness of this new being. It watched silently, desperately trying to calm its jittery movements to observe the being without complications. It stared in awe as he ascended the stairs, looking around with a gaze of intrigue of his own. His footsteps, that echoed so gently around the room, eventually grew louder and louder, until…
"…huh?"
Red eyes settled on the flame, and the flame's jumpy attitude ceased, as nonchalant deer would in headlights. The flame scanned him, searched every portion of his body, taking in his sombre appearance. Black, the creature was; his bore spikes that went upwards, had ears, had red rims to several appendages, 'spikes', and the corner of his eyes; his skin was tanned; a section of his chest was of a fluffy nature; he wore shoes that were strange even in the eyes of men, and finally, there were the significant rings around his wrists and ankles.
The flame was intrigued by the being. It was something new from what it usually saw. It was something refreshing, something living. Its capability of omniscience taught it things about humanity, but even that had a limit, and certainly was nowhere near in invoking such an experience with a real being.
Both stared at each other, both locked in frozen interest at the views of their respective oddities.
"A flame…?" the hedgehog questioned, looking baffled. It was light, and just flickering lightly in the shade of the tent-like structure.
"You… you are living, correct? You are one of those...?" The flame trailed off, seemingly trying to think of the word. It had never seen an organic being, before… only within its perception.
"I'm not of this Earth…" the being cut in before the other's thought could surface.
"Not of this Earth?" the flame repeated, seemingly allowing those words to sink in… It formed a statement of fascination. "…how… interesting."
"Is it?" the black hedgehog asked, raising an eye ridge and folding his arms.
"Yes, yes, of course," the flame responded, flickering excitedly. "Your abilities… they cannot be the same as the ones of this world, can they?"
Its companion was silent for a few seconds, until he spoke once again.
"…no, they're not. I'm the Ultimate Lifeform… something unlike the rest of the… world," he muttered, his eyes drifting to the green crystals that littered the room. His gaze was cold, bitter… something that the flame labelled as indescribable. It had no idea how he was feeling… "And… what of you?"
"…hm?"
The flame was surprised at this question, though was quite happy it was asked.
"I am… something akin to that, I suppose… This realm…" The flame was hesitant. "…In a way, I rule over it…"
"And yet… with all this might, you're hidden away from plain sight?" The Ultimate Lifeform queried, seeming sceptical.
"That much is true… but it's something I revel in." The flame burned brighter, but that brightness died down rather quickly. "Gazing from afar… to all those who know me…"
The being knew not of what this burning light was speaking…
"I don't know of you."
"Nor do I, you."
The visitor stared briefly, before its gaze moved back to the flame.
"Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog."
The flame was silent for a few moments, then it decided to grace the being with an answer. "Greetings, Shadow… I am what is known as Solaris, the Flame of Hope. Lord of the sun, of time…"
"Time?" was what caught the hedgehog's interest.
"I suppose… that is what's most interesting, isn't it? How humanity grew… how it prevailed…"
"Prevailed?" Shadow's tone was in disbelief as it was disgust.
The flame seemed surprised at the difference in opinion. "You disagree?"
"…" He looked to the side with a guilty expression. "Not completely…"
She wasn't like them…
"Hm. Humanity makes mistakes, yes… but the hope I embody to them is… 'not for show'," Solaris replied optimistically, its voice confident.
"…"
Shadow did not agree. Fifty years ago, he had not agreed. Three months ago, he had not agreed. And he still did not agree now.
Humanity was unforgiveable. Humanity ripped away everything he loved. Humanity deserved nothing more than destruction… The destruction that Shadow had promised her…
"Now, of your abilities… you did not describe them in detail…"
"I don't need to," Shadow replied bluntly, looking to the side and still slightly sour from their disagreement earlier. "Just know I'm capable of many things…"
Solaris seemed to be pondering something. "Could I… ask for… assistance, perhaps? Yes, this is your first visit… it's so rude of me… but it's… urgent."
"Urgent?"
The black hedgehog's ears perked in interest.
"My life is fading… I burn less and less each day… I have been here for so long… Watched so many rises of the sun… I fear my time here is ending…" Solaris chuckled slightly. "How ironic fate can be…"
Shadow blinked. "And?"
"I don't want to go."
Shadow looked at it questionably.
"You wish to defy your own extinguishment?" he asked, furrowing his brow.
"This world… there's so much more to it than a slab of earth… And… I wish to continue watching it, even if it means residing here for eternity…" Solaris mused in fascination. "I wish to extend my life."
Shadow eyed the flame with slight surprise. This was such a pleasant point of view…
…there was no way he could ever accept such a viewpoint.
But…
"If I helped you…?" Shadow queried, feigning interest for information.
"My life… It's upheld by Chaos Energy… There are gems of such an energy, correct?" Solaris queried. "I require their energy… only from one, sole emerald…"
Shadow seemed… curious.
"Why? Why not more…?"
"I have a form that's… very much unstable. Having too much energy would trigger that… It would bring havoc to the world, cause destruction… And I dearly wish to stay away from that… The world I reside does not deserve such treatment…"
…it does.
"And if you were to come in contact with all seven…?" Shadow asked, focusing on the flame.
"…! You must not!" the flame spat anxiously, flickering violently and worried. "If any harm would come to this world, from my doing, I would not forgive myself!"
Shadow stared at it blankly, then gave a friendly smile. This feature was uncharacteristic on his face, but Solaris knew little of him…
"Don't worry."
He turned around, then made to descend the stairs.
"I promise… I'll make everything better."
As he reached the bottom, his back turned, he smirked menacingly as the naïve little flame took his words to heart…
"…Shadow, what is this?!" the flame expressed immediate fear at seeing the seven Chaos Emeralds floating around the hedgehog, ready and willing to 'help'…
"…hm? Is something wrong, Solaris?" Shadow asked pleasantly, smiling at him.
"I explicitly told you not to bring this many!" the flame whimpered. "Th-this world…"
"…will burn as it should," Shadow finished ominously. "I failed once. I won't fail again…"
"Wh-what?" Solaris trembled and flickered as the hedgehog approached. "N-no! Stay away!"
"Shhh… I'm trying to help you…" Shadow whispered, no longer able to hide his smirk.
"NO! N-no, you're not! Stay back! I will not allow yo—ack…?!"
Shadow watched in awe as the emeralds moved to their own accord… They were no longer circling the black hedgehog, but the flame itself, and they were progressively growing brighter and brighter. He stood back to admire the 'fireworks'.
The flame throttled; it moved more viciously and aggressively, and there was a noise that was the equivalent of whimpering.
"Shadow…!" Solaris cried pathetically, its voice distorted beyond all measure.
The flame could do nothing to resist the ancient gems surrounding it; they were more powerful than its weak being, and were only adding more fuel to the fire. Solaris felt an odd transition approaching, but it tried with every fabric of its being to repel it, avoid it, even if it cost it its life.
The web Shadow had spun was a dangerous one.
He was ultimately unsure of what he witnessed… the room looked odd for a few moments, distorting into a variety of different colours, the crystals around the room glowing bright and then dim. The physical shape of the flame was drifting between many different forms, so obscure that one would not be able to guess what they were.
He had to shield his eyes when the room became too bright for his seeing inceptors, and a moment after he stopped doing so, he felt a strong, hot breeze brush past his skin, almost blistering him.
"Hngh…! Ow!"
He rubbed his cheek, and then his gaze moved, staring to where the flame had once been. The emeralds, far past their useby date, suddenly shot in several directions, away from the room and out of the ruins.
Something was on the floor, dark and liquid-like. It remained still for a few moments, before it slithered towards the hedgehog's shade. As Shadow observed, taking a slight step back, he noted the liquid trembling… but trembling with what emotion?
He soon discovered what emotion when his shadow was swallowed hole, the liquid on the floor building up like a tower. And once it had built itself, Shadow found he was looking through a corrupted mirror.
He found himself looking at a pale-blue-schemed doppelganger, whose green, reptilian eyes rolled up slowly to glare at him. Its fists were tense and furious, and it sluggishly took a step towards him. It knew not how to form stable steps, but it tried… and continued trying.
"What…?" Shadow expressed his confusion.
"SHADOW…"
The voice was deep, malicious, so unlike the chirpy voice of the flame he had spoken to earlier. So unlike its cheery or otherwise pathetic nature.
"…YOU… DID THIS…?" the creature hissed angrily as Shadow took a few more steps back. "You… tried… to RUIN THIS WORLD?"
Something formed in its hand… something spherical, and something that was increasing in size.
"Who… who are you…?" Shadow looked baffled. Surely this wasn't the same flame he had spoken to…
The fake hedgehog stared at him eerily.
"Shadow the Hedgehog…" it began, ignoring him. "…after what you have DONE for me…"
It chuckled sinisterly, but then its tone grew grim and unforgiving.
"…I will give you your REWARD."
WHOOSH!
YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, hi, everybody! Long time no see! I haven't posted a sole Sonic fanfic in FOREVER! X3
But recently, I came up with an AU idea that I just HAD to write out. X3 I'm still messing with the concepts, so there might be edits here and there, but this is the premise! :D
The other morning, I was trying to think of something unique. And it made me think of all the times Meph popped up as a bad guy in my stories and other stuff. X'D I love him too much, I can't help it!
Anyways, so I thought about his past. If he'd NEVER been experimented on, he wouldn't have turned out like that! He wouldn't have been separated from Iblis, and Shadow wouldn't have had to seal away a scared Mephiles that didn't do anything wrong! He wouldn't have had to live a decade in the Scepter of Darkness, alone, and wouldn't have succumbed to insanity from both that and his hatred of Shadow!
All this spiralled from that one event. In this fic, Solaris' flame was never discovered, but there were numerous legends about it. This means the Duke of Soleanna wouldn't have tried to mess with things beyond his power, and all that wouldn't have happened.
But then I thought about Shadow and Mephiles in regards to character roles… what if they were switched? What if Mephiles was the hero, and Shadow was the antagonist?
This Shadow branches off from the main Sonic timeline in that he failed to recall Maria's true wish. Amy didn't convince him to save the Earth, and as a result, Sonic did it alone, and sacrificed himself to save Earth.
Still certain of his 'destiny', he moves to find a way to make the Earth suffer… and stumbles upon Solaris. And there you go! This fic! X3
Anyway, I hope you like it! Leave a review if you do; I love feedback. :3
Until next chappie!
-Toxic : )