Okay, this is part of a Collaboration fic that CoolAnaAngel of DeviantArt came to me for as an idea about a year ago, and after some delays, we finally finished it (all while typing back and forth through the DA notes system, in fact! O_O ). She handled the odd numbered chapters, and I handled the even ones, and back and forth, we created this interesting alternate version of Next Gen through Mephiles the Dark's POV as he encounters each character, each time travel part, each boss fight, and what we saw and didn't see.

Well... CoolAnaAngel wrote this chapter, so here it is:


It is done.

After years of planning, patience, and agonizing waiting, it is complete. My Plan— our Plan— is real. I am finally where I want to be, where I belong.

It's been absolute Hell, my life, from the moment I was split from my very being, my essence, my soul ten years ago. When I was released, I immediately initiated my Plan. And now, all of the pieces are falling into place. Sonic the Hedgehog is dead. I am with Iblis. I am Solaris. I am eternal, powerful, and a god.

Finally.

A sadistic glee rises inside of me. The same glee I felt when I killed the hedgehog. I laugh, unable to contain this wicked amusement. I see the girl's face when the hedgehog falls forward, bleeding and unmoving. It's somewhat surprising—and exhilarating— how much blood is inside a body. They say the more iniquitous the soul, the blacker the blood. If this is true, my blood is as black as midnight.

A bright flash of golden light breaks my reverie. I look down and refocus my eyes. Three orbs of blinding and pure gold light advance towards me—us. No, not orbs…hedgehogs. I recognize them at once. One of them has red streaks through his now golden fur; Shadow. I glare. Didn't my duplicates deal with him? Another one has hair that inexplicably reminds me of a leaf; Silver. Idiot. I suspected he would choose the losing side. The final hedgehog is what rocks my nerves the most. His quills are upturned and there is a familiar fire in his eyes.

Sonic.

No. I killed him. I know I killed him. I saw the life leave his green eyes. This isn't possible. How could he be alive? They would need the seven Chaos Emeralds to do such a thing. And I—

I freeze, now realizing my fatal error. Iblis and I flung the emeralds to the distant corners of this disintegrating world. I had counted on their rivalry towards each other to keep them from working together.

I had miscalculated.

I calm myself. They are a slight bump in the road to victory. I'm still going to be successful. They will not take away from me what I have tried so hard to accomplish. My rage flares as the trio faces Iblis and me, ergo causing Iblis' fury to build as well.

Sonic clenches his fists and curls into a ball before charging at us with his trademark Spin Dash move. His attack is redirected back at him and I laugh dryly. Shadow moves forward and pulls his hand back, now glowing with Chaos Energy.

Well, the fool can try.

His hand lashes out towards us, sending at least a dozen Chaos Spears our way. I don't even feel them as they hit home. My confidence is renewed and I allow Iblis to continue attacking them. The final hedgehog, Silver, holds his hands up and Iblis' attacks are suddenly encased in a teal aura. Silver shouts something inaudible before throwing the rocks at him. Does he seriously—

A sudden pain racked the right side of our body. I look at our arm and see the guard protecting it is cracked in two. Silver throws something else and the guard comes off completely. I order Iblis to attack them with our Dark Chaos Lance and he does so. Too late. The hedgehogs have already moved and now Shadow prepares another attack. A dozen more Chaos Spears hit us. It feels like a hundred knives are being plunged into our body.

This isn't possible! They can't hurt us. We are Solaris, the Eternal Flame. We cannot be hurt. We cannot be defeated.

And yet, here we are.

The next minutes stretch into years. Their attacks continued like a horrible requiem. Sonic. Shadow. Silver. Sonic. Shadow. Silver. Sonic. Shadow. Silver. Again and again.
Suddenly I'm aware of a strange feeling building in our gut. It feels tense and like the pressure keeps building. I look at the spot and I feel my face pale. They're aiming at me now; the conscious of Solaris. If they hurt me enough…it's over…

No. How could it have gotten this far? Where could I have made a mistake? I do not make mistakes. I can't afford to.

A mistake. That's what I am, right? I'm a horrible mistake, an experiment gone rogue. All because of that naïve Duke and because of that accident ten years ago.

Ten years ago…

An accident…

I was created, sealed, and forced to live out ten long years in a prison…

Slowly cracking and reaching my breaking point…

I would do anything to change all that.

Something seems to click in my mind. Why didn't I think of this before? Surely this will solve everything. Yes, it will. I know it will. I just have to act now before my window of opportunity is gone for good.

Without a second thought, I open a rip in time and fling myself into it.