Sonic ran after her. Sonic ran after him. Both were standing still, one arm outstretched, inviting him to join them. Sonic chased after them, but with every step forward they moved further away. No matter how fast he went, he could never catch up. Before long, the atmosphere in the empty void changed. And they spoke to him, mocking him.
"You really thought that I'd been with you?" Scoffed the Princess, "a malicious freak show with abandonment issues? Hahahaha!"
"Why do you persist in hanging around with us?" Laughed the Ultimate Lifeform, "why don't you go back to the little hole you came from and disappear?"
Both of them turned around and walked away into a bright light. Sonic tried to catch up, reaching for the princess…
"Don't go!"
Sonic woke up shouting. He could barely remember his dream before waking up. Sonic sat up and took a look around, finding himself in Dark's dungeon. The drab walls and dark interior remained but there was something different about the dungeon.
Some of the walls had flecks of gold and other bright colours, which was rather unusual for Dark's castle, which was always coated in dark colours. Another unusual occurrence was Dark sitting in a corner next to the bars, he was also in the cell.
"What are you screaming for?" Asked Dark, irritated.
"I just had a really messed up dream," answered Sonic. He didn't want to fight with Dark, not when he had questions of his own.
"Of course you did," muttered Dark.
"What's going on, Dark?" Asked Sonic, sitting up on the bed, "why are you in the cell?"
"Venice had given me more Negative Energy," explained Dark in his usual bored voice, "so I took over your mind like before. However, that pathetic Doctor activated the hypnosis trigger and made so that you are completely obedient to his commands. I was placed in the cell for that very reason. You were able to fight for control because of that thing on your wrist."
"The ring Tidus had given me?"
"Yes, however Venice has just dropped us into a large basin of Negative Energy which will eliminate any chance of you fighting against him."
"So what do we do?" Asked Sonic, walking over the corner opposite Dark and sitting down next to the bars.
"I suggest we at least gain some sort of control over this body and get out of the basin before you are completely suppressed."
"Right, but what about getting out of here?" Pestered Sonic.
"Must I think of everything?" Spat Dark.
"Well, it is your castle."
"The bars were altered so that I couldn't escape," said Dark, "go and break them."
"Fine. Fine."
Sonic picked himself up off the stone cold floor and preformed his signature Homing Attack on the bars. As Dark predicted, Sonic was able to saw right through. Dark then exited the cell after Sonic.
"Follow me," Dark said adding, "if you don't hurry, you will be consumed. Look at your ankles, it's already started to take effect."
Sonic looked down at his ankles to see his fur turn darker, to a dark midnight blue. Sonic looked at Dark as the dark hedgehog walked off. Sonic followed Dark through dungeons and up the stairs into the main hall. The dark and gloomy castle appeared to be abandoned for the most part. The empty structure was completely silent, with only the sounds of the hedgehogs feet keeping them company. Dark seemed determined to stop the darkness from consuming him, but why? Why would Dark try to stop the one thing that would give him what he wants? Several of these questions were bouncing around Sonic's head like footballs.
"Why are you doing this?"
He blurted this out. He didn't actually want to say it out loud but, as usual, he spoke before he thought things through. Dark took a quick glance at Sonic before sighing.
"Isn't it obvious?"
Sonic was surprised. Dark, while still sounding like an emotionless jackass who can only feel anger, sounded a lot calmer and almost…sad in a way that wouldn't be clear to those who didn't know Dark well.
"I'm sorry to say that it's not."
"You are me, as I am you," sighed Dark, "what hurts you, hurts me. If someone beats you up, I feel every punch, every kick. I hear every insult, every remark. If it hurts you, physically or emotionally, I feel it. I feel the exact same way. The difference between us is that I'm willing to dispose of those who have hurt us. You don't want to kill them, punish them. I still don't understand why."
"Because I'm not better than them if I kill them," explained Sonic, "not to mention it makes me feel worse than before."
"But you've killed people before without remorse," replied Dark, "what changed?"
"I got a new home," answered Sonic, "a new family. New friends. I got what I dreamed of, a life of adventure and friends to share it with."
"And a lover."
"Of course!"
"I see," said Dark as they went upstairs towards the Sanctum.
They went up the lengthy staircase in silence, with Sonic pondering over Dark's response. Sonic knew Dark wasn't telling him the complete truth, as he didn't completely answer Sonic's question. The blue blur checked himself over, with everything below his waist now a sinister shade of dark blue. Dark seemed to have noticed this too, as he had quickened his pace. Sonic followed his dark self as they both reached the Sanctum.
In the Sanctum, a large cloud of dark purple mist was hovering above the floor. Sonic felt something rather off about all of this, but he knew he didn't have much of a choice. Dark looked over at Sonic
"Come, let's get rid of this for good."
Before either of them could dispel the mist, the dark cloud engulfed the pair and everything went dark. Beyond dark. As Sonic opened his emerald eyes he could see nothing but an endless abyss of darkness. He was floating in the abyss, but felt claustrophobic in the open space, like he was being restrained. The deafening silence sent chills down his spine, the silent darkness felt consuming, powerful, unending, inevitable.
"CHILD."
A venomous, merciless voice cut through the never ending silence like a knife slicing through flesh. It was haunting, sending several shivers throughout Sonic's body, yet he felt compelled to listen. It was...enticing.
"YOU CANNOT ESCAPE THE INESCAPABLE," the malicious voice echoed across the darkness like a plague, consuming Sonic, "YOU ARE MINE. YOU CANNOT ESCAPE YOUR FATE. DO NOT RESIST THE DARKNESS, IT WILL CLEANSE YOUR SOUL FROM MORTAL RESTRAINTS."
"NO!" Shouted Sonic, "I won't become your slave!"
Sonic continued to struggle against the invisible restraints but to no avail. The darkness consumed him, swallowing him in a pit of darkness and despair. The last thing he heard was the voice laughing wickedly.
"I AM MEPHILES, YOUR GOD!"
A/N I hope you guys had a good Christmas and New Year! I should be back to uploading chapters a bit more often this year alongside some new stories. Please R&R! Sonadow out!