6
Chapter 27:
Change
"What are you hiding?" Shadow demanded with a soft hiss, knowing that his questions would never be answered. Mephiles wouldn't answer him unless he was planning to kill him right then and there.
Shadow glared at him as he grit his teeth. That smirk said that Mephileswanted to see Shadow suffer first. He bit back a snarl; he hated Mephiles with all the fibers of his being. "Wouldn't you like to know?" He chuckled and gave a slight nod to Scourge who bristled.
"Do I have to leave?" He snarled as he folded his arms and glared at him. Mephiles frowned before slowly tearing his gaze away from Shadow and looking at the green hedgehog. He narrowed his eyes and glared at him down his nose. Scourge stiffened but refused to back down.
Shadow ignored him as he clenched his teeth, his body tingling from a hidden threat. He didn't like what was going on or what will happen and since these silver bands are completely draining his power, he didn't want to remain here when the threat, he sensed, emerged from hiding.
"What's wrong Shadow?" Scourge taunted, ignoring Mephiles's scowl as Shadow snarled and glared at him from the corner of his eye. Scourge's eyes widened before he took a step back with a sneer, hiding the fear Shadow triggered.
Shadow's former instincts were beginning kick in. Instincts to protect himself. Mephiles had made him train with Nazo while wearing the silver bands once. He knew how to fight without his powers.
He surveyed the room —for the first time— his senses whispering that his life was in danger. His gaze landed on a shadowy figure in the door way close to the couch Mephiles was sitting on. Shadow bristled as he raised his gaze to Mephiles.
Mephiles snorted and stood, narrowing his eyes and glaring at Shadow. "Get out." He hissed to Scourge and the others in the room. Dusk flicked her tail before turning to leave, the click of her heels following. Scourge dug his heals into the floor and bristled, growling. He was going to get himself killed if he didn't listen.
"What?" He snapped as Mephiles growled softly and studied him —probably debating with himself if Scourge was worth keeping alive— before a smirk slowly twisted his mouth.
"It's your wish." He chuckled softly as Shadow snarled quietly and ground his teeth. Something was off. An uneasy feeling grew in his gut, telling him that his plan won't be going as planned.
Shadow grit his teeth as he turned and looked at Nazo, anger coming from him in menacing waves. He was glaring at Mephiles, making Shadow wonder what his faker did to make Nazo so ticked off. Nazo was always the deceitful one and someone you never wanted to make angry.
Shadow watched Nazo as he ground his teeth and stalked off to the door with the shadowy figure. Snarls followed as well as the rattling of chains. Nazo stepped out of the door way and yanked on a chain he held in his hands. Eclipse stumbled forward before she quickly scrambled to her feet and tried darting away.
She hissed when the chain yanked on the cuffs around her wrists. Her fur and quills were scraggily and extremely messy, her clothing was wrinkled as she yanked on the chain extremely hard. "You already know you can't escape, so why bother my child?" Mephiles sighed as she whirled around and bared her teeth at him with a hiss.
"MEPHILES!" She screeched and jerked on the chains again, wanting to pounce on him as Nazo tightened his grip while anger flashed through his eyes with the desire to let go. "Get the heck out of my head!" Eclipse yelled before folding her ears back and glaring at him with a soft hiss. "And I am not your daughter."
Mephiles chuckled as Shadow stiffened and stared at her. Something wasn't right with her. Sure she was angry and intense and denying Mephiles's claim of being her father, but the aura she was giving off wasn't what he had felt before.
He folded his ears back and bristled as a soft growl emanated from his throat, drawing her attention to him. He pulled his upper lip back and snarled as she responded likewise, narrowing her green eyes. Since when were her eyes green?
"Release me!" She demanded with a snarl and whirled around toward Nazo, her leg aiming for in between his. His eyes widened as he jumped back, jerking on the chain at the same time. She yelped as she lost her footing and crashed to the ground.
Soft snarls escaped her as she sat on her knees and spat out blood, glaring daggers at the white hedgehog. He sighed and shook his head as she rose to her feet. "Release me." She hissed as he shook his head.
"You will be released in due time, my daughter." Mephiles chuckled. "Just not the freedom you desire." Eclipse bristled as she gritted her teeth.
"I am not your daughter. Curse you." Eclipse hissed softly. "I demand you release me right now, Mephiles." She spat his name as he grinned.
"As you wish my dear." He nodded to Nazo. He glared at Mephiles with a twisted scowl before flicking his wrist.
"I'm not your pet!" The cuffs to her chains dropped, making Shadow tense and flex his fingers. He didn't want to fight her if it came done to that. Right now, all she wanted was freedom and she didn't seem to care about him. A twinge of hurt crossed his heart but he pushed it away. This wasn't the same Eclipse he had fallen for. Something or someone has changed her.
She snarled as she launched herself at Mephiles. He sighed and flicked his wrist. She cried out and grasped her head as she dropped to the floor, whimpering softly with mixed moans. "Get out . . . of my . . . head!" She shrieked through her clenched teeth as she rose to her knees, still clutching her head.
"Are you still fighting, Eclipse?" Mephiles asked calmly as he rose to his feet and approached her. She growled threateningly but did nothing to attack him when was right next to her. "Oh my child. You are mine. You are of my blood."
"Go to hell." She snarled and slowly rose to her feet, glaring at him through her thick eyelashes.
What is going on? Is she really Mephiles's daughter? What is she fighting and how is Mephiles controlling her? Shadow grit his teeth, not wanting to know the answers to the questions pummeling his mind.
"Do you still want to kill Shadow, Eclipse?" Mephiles asked with a soft chuckle as she slightly swayed, refusing to look at him.
"I hate you." Mephiles frowned at her answer. "I want to kill you."
"So you no longer hate him?"
"I hate you." She gruttled out. "And get out of my head. I don't need you telling me what to do, father." She spat as Mephiles clicked his tongue as he walked away from her and towards Shadow.
"Do you care for her?"
"What she said: I hate you." Shadow snapped as Mephiles frowned.
"Fine. Suit yourself." He shrugged and glided over to his fridge. "Kill him Eclipse." Shadow's body snapped to attention as he turned his gaze over to her to see her staring at him with those intense green eyes.
"I don't take orders from you." She snapped, never taking her gaze off Shadow. Her body tensed as her green eyes swirled with wisps of red. Shadow frowned as an angry huff escaped Mephiles.
"You will kill him." Mephiles hissed softly. Eclipse exclaimed in pain as she grasped her head and dropped to the floor, grinding her teeth. She was losing the battle.
"I don't . . . take orders . . . from . . . the likes of YOU!" She screeched and faced Mephiles, launching herself at him with an angry snarl. Shadow blinked as she crashed into him, knocking him to the ground and biting his shoulder as her talons racked down his arms. She straddled him as she wrapped her hands around his neck.
"Get off!" Mephiles roared and blasted her off. She yelped when her back slammed into the wall. She dropped to the ground, looking up at Shadow in daze. Shadow's ears perked up with interest when he saw the red wisps in her gaze were thicker.
Mephiles frowned. "Apparently you need more." He sighed before approaching her. She snapped her attention to him when he got closer. She hissed before trying to scoot away from him. "Relax." He purred.
"I don't need more of you." She panted as Mephiles placed his hand on the top her head, making her flinch. Shadow's eyes widened when black goop from Mephiles slowly trailed down the side of her face, stopping before reaching her chin. He inhaled sharply as he watched it sink into her fur, making her groan.
No wonder almost everything about her seems off. Mephiles is somehow controlling her.
"Are you ready?" He asked as he took a step back. She rose to her feet and glared at him.
"I really hate you." She snarled as Mephiles pointed at Shadow who bared his fangs and flexed his claws. She turned her attention to him, the red wisps now gone. "Yeah, what about him?" She snorted and folded her arms, glaring at Mephiles again.
"Kill him."
"I don't want to do that." She growled as her body tensed. Shadow bristled.
"You don't have a choice."
"You never give me choice." She snarled as she flexed her hands, her body angled towards Shadow. He grit his teeth, watching her and waiting for her attack. Mephiles just chuckled as he turned his back towards her. She looked at him from the corner of her eye, the thin wisps returning, as she flexed her hand.
She twisted her body around and slashed at him. She gasped when he caught her hand and looked at her from the corner of his eye. "I told you to attack Shadow, not me." He hissed softly as he pointed at Shadow. She folded her ears back with a growl before turning her attention to Shadow.
"But you are Shadow's shadow. So I can attack you." She kicked him in hip, making him gasp and release her as he stumbled sideways. He straightened and glared at her.
"Enough." Mephiles hissed as he approached her and dropped more goop on her. She gagged when it entered her mouth. "Now kill Shadow." Mephiles pointed to Shadow again.
He tensed his body and growled, waiting for her. She looked at her hands as a golden-green ball began to form in between her palms. He tensed his legs and leaped to the side as it flew at him.
He inhaled sharply when he felt her fist implant on his stomach, forcing him to double over. "Forgive me." She whispered into his ear before he slid to the ground, yanking a blade out that she had plunged in him. It vanished. He growled softly before lifting his head to look at her through his eyelashes.
Shadow ground his teeth together as he rose to his feet. I need to remember that she is doing this all against her will. He narrowed his eyes and studied her. She isn't herself; does this mean that she's fighting her way or the way Mephiles knows how to fight? Or am I fighting a completely new part of her that lied dormant till now?
He side stepped her when she launched herself at him. He firmly grasped her shoulders and brought his knee up as he pulled her down, making a hard connection to her spine and forcing her to arch her back. He dropped her to the ground as he pranced away, watching her roll over and rise to her hands and knees. Nothing seemed to phase her.
He hesitantly approached her, his instincts shrieking at him to get away from her or to finish her off. He ignored both as he kneeled next to her, knowing very well that Mephiles was watching them. He did not care. "You have the power to fight his control." Shadow said loud enough for her to hear.
Mephiles tried to take control of him one time. It didn't end very well.
"What do you think I've been doing this whole time?" She hissed as Shadow leaped away from her when she tried to trip him. An idea formed in his mind. He wasn't sure if it would work but it was better than sitting here and fighting her.
He rooted himself in place as Eclipse rose to her feet. She licked her lips as she studied him. Shadow returned her stare before she charged him. He blocked her out stretched hand and pushed her hard against the wall.
She yelped at the hard impact, her head slamming into the wall as Shadow pinned her against it. She moaned softly. She looked up at him, too dazed to push him away. He ground his teeth as she hissed softly when he dug his fingers into her shoulders and lifted his leg, burying his knee into her diaphragm.
Yeah, he was doing this attack again but another part of his instincts told him that if he could get her to throw up, it would release Mephiles's control on her.
He has learned to trust his instincts over the years.
He released her and backed away as she folded her arms over her stomach and doubled over, grinding her teeth together before she glared at him through her eyelashes. She groaned softly as she buckled to the ground, quickly digging her fingers into the stone floor as her body began to heave.
Ew. Shadow wrinkled his nose and took a few steps back as a mass of black goop dropped to the floor. Eclipse moaned softly before more left her body. Shadow wanted to gag so badly.
"Shadow," Mephiles sighed with a slight shake of his head. "You are never fun when it comes to a fight." Shadow lifted his gaze to his shadow thief.
"That's because I know how to end them quickly." Shadow growled before an idea flopped into his mind making him flash a dark grin at the cerulean and black hedgehog. "I owe you thanks for teaching me." Mephiles quickly narrowed his gaze and straightened; his ears flipped forward, giving Shadow his full attention.
"I suppose you do." He chuckled after a few minutes of staring at Shadow. Shadow scowled. Mephiles took insults too coolly and knew how to flip them around. Shadow frowned and folded his arms as Mephiles made a green orb.
Shadow narrowed his eyes and watched him as he flipped the ball over the back of his hand then to the palm before tossing it up and snaking his arm behind himself only to catch it.
"Maybe I'll accept this as thanks." A dark smile grew across his lips as he flicked it towards Shadow then another towards Eclipse. "With the power you two carry; I won't need these blue stones anymore." He chuckled and flipped a blue stone in the air before tossing it at Nazo.
Shadow gasped and collapsed to the ground as a burning pain engulfed his body. He ground his teeth as he felt, and heard, his shoes tear. His eyes widened at the sight of his nails growing into four inch claws. "You'll both be my under control this way." He hummed happily, too happily but Shadow's mind was to numb to focus on the meaning of his words.
Shadow groaned softly as he felt his ears, and tail, stretch. He dropped his head and ground his teeth together, biting back a cry of pain. He wouldn't allow Mephiles the pleasure of knowing in any way possible. The tips of Shadow's toes and fingers throbbed before the pain spread.
6
