Sonic the Hedgehog: The Phantasy of Archangelus

Paradigm Eleven - Darkness Encounter

EN ROUTE TO THE CALM LANDS - Sometime Later…

Sometime after becoming acquainted with the Chaotix, Rouge and Shadow awaited for Team Sonic at the rendezvous point. Quite some time had passed before they finally arrived. Shortly after, they all set out together again, en route to the Calm Lands. Rouge had found the other Chaos Emerald, but that triggered a greeting from a lava sentinel, which Knuckles was able to swiftly defeat. In consequence, however, Rouge was burned.

"Here, I'll help you."

Tails had already pulled out his first aid kit when he saw Sonic and Shadow stepping up to each other. Sonic showed the newly obtained Chaos Emerald, and Shadow showed the green Chaos Emerald.

"Chaos Control!" they called out together, Sonic crossing his arm over Shadow's.

A time rift was created, and Knuckles stepped over to it, as well as Tails and Rouge. Then, Sonic followed; but he seemed to be trying to hold back, waiting for Shadow, who looked off into the distance.

He had spotted Mephiles, who revealed himself from a heavy smog that encircled him as he arose from the earth. Shadow grimaced, but Mephiles seemed to be grinning; he licked his lips malevolently, calling Shadow with his finger.

Shadow felt a chill shiver down his back, his pupils briefly going in and out of dilation. He ignored the presentimental feeling and headed straight for him.

PRESENT-DAY SPIRA - BEVELLE - Midday…

Rouge was safely returned to the Bevelle she and Shadow were originally traveling to. But she looked around and quickly found that she was alone.

"Shadow?" she called, but there was no answer. "Shadow, where…?" She looked down to see that the green Chaos Emerald was in her hand. "Oh no…? Shadow…? And he doesn't have the Chaos Emerald anymore." She gripped it tightly in her hand and looked around, seeing that no one saw her. She pondered for a moment. "Hmm…? Maybe the Chaotix can help me find him." Then she let out a hopeless sigh. "As saddening as that is…"

THUNDER PLAINS - Later That Afternoon…

The Chaotix were stuck under a weather shelter in Thunder Plains, having lost their way around. Charmy had proven himself to be the worst navigator: Even though he possessed a bird's eye view of the region, he got easily turned around.

"As if we didn't get lost before…!" Vector said, feeling sort of down. His head dipped, a sweat drop falling from his temple. "I give up."

"My, what a stormy little pickle you three have gotten yourselves in," a feminine voice made the comment.

Vector, Espio and Charmy looked up to see Rouge trotting toward them.

"Rouge-Baby!" Vector's heart shot straight into the sky as he spotted her dazzling face. He darted over to her and kissed her hand. "What brings you to these dreary parts?"

Rouge yanked her hand away and wiped off the kiss. "Well, circumstances have arisen where I need your assistance…! The future of Spira is in complete shambles, and I need your help in order to change it."

"As in…change the future?" Charmy asked a little nervously.

Espio had a discreetly skeptical look on his face. 'Aren't we not supposed to do that…?'

"But how are we gonna do that?" Vector then asked. "What do you want us to do?"

"First, I need you to take this and deliver it to Shadow," Rouge told them, handing the Chaos Emerald to Espio.

Espio looked down at it and slowly nodded to her.

"I'm not trying to change everything, of course; just the marginally significant details. Leaving a big imprint on a dimension totally different from our own is a big no-no. Right?" She winked, giggling at Espio.

Espio blinked, blushing vividly.

"Don't worry, Baby Cakes! We'll get this package delivered right on time!" Vector promised optimistically, flexing a bicep.

"Yeah!" Charmy agreed, throwing his little fists into the air cheerfully. "Mission time! Mission time!"

Rouge nodded. "I'm counting on you guys."

"You've got it!" Vector and Charmy exclaimed together.

Espio gently bowed to her. "Understood."

Rouge quirked a smirk at him.


Moment later, the Chaotix were off, venturing out into the unknown.

With Vector and Charmy still being easily confused as they all headed south, then north, then south again.

"Umm…? Which way did we come from again?" Vector and Charmy asked, shrugging.

"Guys…!" Espio drawled hopelessly.

They eventually found an Al Bhed Travel Agency and rested there. Espio was sipping from his hot beverage as he eyed the Chaos Emerald Rouge had handed him, while Charmy and Vector ignored their drinks with their heads down against the table.

FUTURE SPIRA - RUINED MACALANIA EASTERN SPRING - Time Unknown…

Shadow treaded into the depths of Macalania Woods: The fading forest was now destroyed and reduced to nothing, compared to the way it had been. He found a spring, its water having evaporated, only for lava to replace it. The little bit of land Shadow stood on was burnt to a black crisp; it crunched as he walked.

He could hear cackling; he grimaced.

It was Mephiles.

Mephiles stood atop a branch of the scorched tree in the middle of an island surrounded by lava.

"So, you did decide to follow me…" he teased.

"What are you doing here?" Shadow began to interrogate. "Did you ruin this world?"

"Why, the answer to that is yes…as well as no." Mephiles' voice was whispery and menacing. "Perhaps, 'tis better to show you…!" His eyes flared, his irises flashing a sharp lime-green, and sent his gaze into Shadow. Their eyes locked in place, and Shadow instantly felt a lightheadedness come over him. Feeling his vision blur, he closed his eyes, moaning.

'These Humans…! Where are they taking me?'

His dispossession of sight prevented him from completely understanding what was going on. All he could sense was hostility and physical force.

"Present him to Vegnagun," ordered a man's voice.

He had been restrained by the neck, wrists, and ankles. He could feel their impatience pushing him toward something frigid. He wriggled in his restraints, grunting as they forced him on his knees. Shadow was panting, despite the coldness of whatever was "breathing" on him. The blindfolds were swiftly whipped from over his eyes. Shadow snarled; just as he did so, his pupils were steadily contracting.

A massive mechanical face impeded his vision. Its piercing cobalt gaze seemed to be judging Shadow as he knelt there. Its "breath" chilled Shadow's flesh, his fur and spines prickling.

But the Humans didn't show him any remorse; they only waited for Vegnagun.

Shadow growled.

"Absolution Machina, Vegnagun: We have forgiven this one of his transgressions. But now, you must pass our judgment on him, for he has sinned a great deal. You must annihilate this one…with your Nemo Ante Morten Beatus."

Shadow's own eyes glistened as he saw the gradation of the massive face's eyes darkening from indecisive cerulean to an alarming and lethal crimson.

Shadow's eyes flew open, finding himself on the ground. He got up hastily and looked around. He growled. "Mephiles!" he yelled out.

"After the island of Spira was devastated by Iblis' flames, what do you think happened, Shadow?"

Shadow snarled, gripping his hands into fists.

"A search for the guilty. For this reason only…"

Shadow glanced more around him, his eyes furious scarlet.

"Spira, especially the surviving leaders of Bevelle, used this cataclysmic event as a reason to search for you and your posse. I have foreseen all of this, Shadow…and after they'd found you, they judged you, 'forgave' all of you…only to obliterate you, one by one, with a machina that had the same origins…as you."

Shadow was silent in thought.

"You were all seen as intruders somewhat, anyway…" He giggled coldly.

Shadow's brows twitched lightly.

"Such brazen defiance I see in your eyes."

A cloud of smog swirled out around Mephiles, and he reappeared behind Shadow. He caressed his fingers along Shadow's jawline.

"Join me, Shadow, and we will rid this world and yours of humanity forever. It's only fair to give back what was intended for you and your friends, is it not? All of you deserve to feel the right sense of justice…!"

Shadow stood there, allowing Mephiles to caress his cheek, before flashing a fist at Mephiles' face, only for it to miss. Mephiles had dematerialized into a smog-like substance and slithered away.

Shadow grimaced. 'Damn…!'

"I should take that as a 'no,' then?" Mephiles smirked, tilting his remolded head to the side.

"Whatever it is you want, you can get by yourself," Shadow rebelled. "Your petty attempts to manipulate my mind and influence my feelings towards Humans are pointless. Without human beings in my life, I wouldn't even be here. Whatever harm they have done or will do to me, to us…we are willing to forgive."

"Will you forgive humanity for this folly, then? …If so, then you are even more foolish than I thought! And yet…!" He wisped back over to Shadow. He slid another fingertip along Shadow's lower lip. "You can still forgive them, Shadow…and then kill them? For the sake of their ignorance, of abating all their fears…? Protecting your friends by turning the Humans' own…twisted sense of logic against them?" he hissed into Shadow's ear.

A hand came at Mephiles' face. Shadow was grappling the doppelganger's jaw tightly; Mephiles giggled.

"We will determine our own destiny," Shadow said, scowling deeply. Shadow prepared a Chaos attack. "Chaos Shockwave…!"

The blast rippled through Mephiles' skull and blasted him back a distance. Inky ooze was left on Shadow's palm, as well as the crisp-black earth. Shadow frowned, still sensing the wicked one's presence.

"My my, such malevolence…!"

Shadow stared Mephiles down a moment as he took on a transformation: Crystalline matter began to freeze over the inky puddle. Mephiles rose from the frosting ooze, his body regenerating and hardening. He had his arms crossed over his chest. The dark ice spiked his quills and the fur on his chest. His hands became claws, and the heavy familiar-looking mist was being emitted from his tapered calves.

The lava suddenly spouted from its simmer and flooded rapidly toward Shadow. Shadow jumped back through the air to evade the lava flow, but Mephiles was flying at him in midair. Shadow reflexively performed an axe kick to Mephiles' head, but it evaporated before it could connect. Shadow grimaced, seeing that there was nowhere to land but on the tiny island in the middle of the lava flow. He situated himself there and waited.

Mephiles sent a ring of clones soaring toward Shadow, menacingly cackling. Shadow peered through the deception and released another Chaos attack.

"Chaos Spear!"

It skewered through Mephiles after his clones, with him crying out in pain. But then it morphed into laughter before he fell into the lava.

Soon after, a flume of darkness arose from the lava and flew toward Shadow with a loud hissing sound. Shadow danced out of the way of the flume multiple times before he was struck in a blind spot. The flume mercilessly attacked Shadow from all directions, scarring him deeply.

The onslaught ceased, and Shadow collapsed to the ground. Shadow gasped for breath, for the darkness had consumed his airways as it attacked, flying right through him.

Mephiles regained his crystalline "Shadow" form and heaved a heavy sigh. "Is that the best you can do, whelp?"

A storm of kunai rained down from above, aimed at Mephiles. At the twitch of his ear, a wisp of dark amethyst hardened over that side of Mephiles; the kunai were, unfortunately, deflected. He and Shadow looked over to see the Chaotix poised in another charred tree in the distance.

"No worries!" Vector called confidently. "We're here to defeat the enemy!"

"We're here to win!" little Charmy cried out, also confident. "Yeah!"

Espio formed a hand sign and became invisible. He dashed out toward Mephiles, leaping from the tree branch.

Vector sharply looked over to see that Espio had disappeared. "Bah! Espio, don't go charging in there!" he cried out after him. He seemed panicked. "We weren't done intro-ing yet!"

"How wonderful." Mephiles sounded grimly cheerful. His eyes gleamed eerily. "More toys for me to break…!"

Suddenly, the ground underneath the lava began to fissure, and the lava flowed into where the cracks were. Chunks of lava-coated earth erupted out of the earth and soared toward Shadow and the now visible Espio.

"Hey, look out!" Charmy cried as he pointed frantically.

Espio quickly pulled out one of his katana and sliced through the impending boulder. Tiny blots of lava sprayed onto Espio's cheek from where the blade was cutting. He grunted, hissing from the pain.

Shadow was able to deflect the other boulders coming at him. "Chaos Shockwave!" The rippling Chaos Energy halted them and pierced through them, making them explode into thousands of pieces.

Seeing another wave of molten liquid flying toward them, Shadow and Espio leapt up to one of the tree's branches. They looked around the sweltering arena, with Vector and Charmy following this move.

Shadow instantly spotted Mephiles soaring toward him and retaliated with another Chaos attack. "Chaos Spear!"

The powerful bolt shot Mephiles out of the air. He fell back, hissing, and dove straight into the lava, purplish ooze bubbling from the spot.

Vector, Espio and Charmy hopped up closer to Shadow, and they all watched as the ooze evaporated.

"Well, that's the end of him," Vector said proudly, crossing his arms.

"Don't be so sure, Vector…" Espio countered.

After an anxious moment, a cataract of lava shot up violently. Everyone covered their faces from the spurting lava.

Vector had turned all the way around and shielded the back of his head, only for some lava to spill onto his tail. "Gyah! Hot! Hot! Hot!" he shrieked loudly. He grabbed his tail and blew on the spot where the lava landed, tears brimming his eyelids.

The lava flume fell away and revealed Mephiles. He was floating there, smirking sinisterly. At the snap of his fingers dark energy appeared behind him, swirling and surging with lightning: It was a portal. Mephiles glided into the portal, coaxing Shadow and the Chaotix to follow with a seductive finger.

"Come for me." He snickered heavily.

"Mephiles!" Shadow shouted, rocketing after him.

The Chaotix leapt through the portal as well, and the chase commenced.

PRESENT-DAY SPIRA - BEVELLE - In the Afternoon…

The other end of the portal appeared, and allowed Shadow and the Chaotix to exit out of it. Shadow and Espio landed safely to a kneel, while Charmy caught himself from falling by buzzing. But Vector could only land squarely on his behind.

"Oww…" he moaned.

Shadow searched feverishly for Mephiles, but there was no sight of him anywhere. 'Damn it…!'

"It seems that Mephiles has fled to another location," Espio spoke up, looking out for any onlookers. He politely bowed. "We will assist you in pursuing him, if that is what you wish."

Shadow looked at Espio and nodded approvingly; Espio straightened and returned the nod.

"Well then, let's get to it, gang!" Vector boasted, flexing his biceps.

"Mission resume! Away!" Charmy pumped his fists in the air. He was buzzing around in the air, ready for anything.


M.P. Lilith: Looks like Mephiles really was the one to rear his ugly head. And Shadow, being our beloved SEGA anti-hero, dashed right after it (regardless of his opinions about Mephiles' debatable grotesqueness).

Mephiles' powers are terrifying; even Shadow is, self-denyingly, shaken up by them. Good thing the Chaotix Detectives jumped in when they did. But now, Shadow knows Mephiles is up to something...evil, without a doubt. Did those evil-feeling vibes say otherwise? The plot deepens, thickens, and...will probably have you in hysterics. Because Team Chaotix. Need I say more?

On to Paradigm Twelve of Shadow's Story!