This is the beginning of one of my favorite battle scenes that I've written. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Chapter 8: Mephiles' Revenge

In theory, Sonic saving Misty from Eggman would have changed my time. But when I jumped out of the wormhole, the same sight that I left behind to save my world greeted me once again, as bleak as ever.

"What?" I wondered in astonishment. "But...did Sonic fail?"

"Silver!"

I turned to my companion as she ran towards me. "Dawn! What happened? Why is everything destroyed?!"

"What do you mean?" she asked, puzzled. "We went back to the past to eradicate the cause, but we were wrong. How do you suddenly not know?"

"Wait," I started, "you mean...nothing's changed?!"

"Does that bother you?"

I clenched my fist, thinking hard. How did this happen this time? Unless Sonic failed...but if he succeeded –

"We need to get back to Indigo Plateau," I suddenly snapped. "The database should give us the information we need."

Dawn nodded, and we set out quickly.

"This makes no sense!" I cried as I ran through the database. Dawn read it to me. "This didn't just happen! This database has it wrong!"

"Well, it wasn't thanks to Misty's death," Dawn noted. "That's gotta mean something good, right?"

"I guess so," I shrugged. "But if Sonic really did succeed, then what caused the birds to run amok?! Something had to!"

"Tsk tsk, Silver. Still so naive. I guess changing the past for the better hasn't done much for you, has it?"

I recognized the voice instantly, but I no longer welcomed it in my ears. "Mephiles," I growled, turning around to face him.

"What? Upset to see an old friend?"

"You're not our friend," Dawn snapped.

"Well, fine then. Acquaintance, I suppose? In any case, I told you the key to saving your future was killing the blue hedgehog, did I not?"

"Shut up!" I shouted, shocking him. "I know you lied to me about Sonic. I know that he isn't the true Disturbance!"

"And yet your world remains in destruction because you failed in your mission. Tell me, how do you explain the fact that everything is the same as when you left it?"

"It's not," I growled, pointing at the screen. "Sonic succeeded in saving Misty from death. Something else caused this. I know it."

"And this time," Dawn nodded, smiling as she pulled out the three orbs, "we know how to stop it."

"That's right," I nodded. "We need to get to Shamouti Island."

"What?!" Mephiles exclaimed. I was surprised to see him so fearful. "How – where did you get those?!"

"An old friend gave them to us," Dawn smirked.

"A really old friend," I added.

"You insolent fools," Mephiles growled, dark energy glowing on his hands. "You really think you have any real chance of victory?"

"Oh, we don't think...we know," I retorted. "Just try and stop us!"

Mephiles chuckled sinisterly. "Oh, I will. Believe me, Silver...I will." With that, he disappeared.

"Come on, Dawn," I nodded to her. "Let's finish this once and for all!"

With that, we started on our long and perilous journey to Shamouti Island. The seas had dried up long ago, so our trek was across fire-stained, dry land. It took us a while, but after several hours, we finally reached our destination.

"There's the monument!" Dawn pointed to it.

"Let's go!" I shouted excitedly.

"Hold it right there!"

We turned suddenly and saw Mephiles standing right behind us. "Don't think it will be that easy. You can try all you want to save the world." A sudden blast of power knocked Dawn down, the three orbs flying off of her.

"Dawn!" I exclaimed.

"But in the end," Mephiles sneered, "you will always lose." I rushed to grab the Lightning Orb, but Mephiles stepped in front of me. "Going somewhere?"

"Outta my way!" I shouted. I was closer than ever to saving the future, and I wasn't about to lose now. I unleashed a telekinetic blast, but he caught it in his hands with no hesitation. It pulsated for a moment as I looked on in shock, then he threw it at me, knocking me to the ground. Weariness took me down as I struggled to get up.

"Poor Silver," he mocked, standing around me. "Trapped in a never-ending cycle of life and death. Where will it end?"

I looked up in disbelief. "Why?" I groaned. "Why are you doing this? What can you gain from destroying my world?"

"But I didn't destroy your world," he sneered, pointing to the sky as three shrieks pierced our ears. "They did."

"Then why are you stopping me?" I asked, still weary, though my strength was gradually returning at a slow but steady pace.

Mephiles merely chuckled. "The only way to achieve my goal is to have power: power to achieve it and power to stop those who would stand in my way, including you."

"What goal is it that I'm stopping?" I asked.

"That's none of your business," Mephiles sneered. "But when I have achieved it, then you will understand. For now, though, you cannot be allowed to save the future."

"Don't think...it will be that easy," I grunted, finally getting on my hands and knees as I slowly looked up. "I would rather die than leave the future in this state."

Mephiles chuckled malevolently at this. "To be honest, I was hoping you'd say that." Energy blazed on his hands. "Now I have an excuse for why I had to kill you."

I shuddered. My strength was still not recovered, and I had nowhere to run. I closed my eyes in fear.

"NO!"

The blow never came, and I looked up and saw Mephiles fall facedown. I looked up, my strength returning. "Dawn!"

"We have to get the treasures!" she exclaimed. "They're coming!"

I nodded and stood up, slowly walking over to the Lightning Orb. I picked it up and brought it to the shrine, placing it in its place. Dawn brought the Fire Orb and placed it likewise. But the Ice Orb remained hidden.

"Where did it go?" Dawn wondered.

"Looking for this?"

We turned and saw Mephiles holding the Ice Orb in his fist, a malevolent grin on his face.

"Hand it over," I growled. "We don't want a fight."

"Not a chance," he sneered as the birds congregated behind him, to our horror. "I journeyed to the future to seal you away so that you wouldn't interfere with my plans. Now I shall finish what I started!"