(Imaginary- Evanescence)

BIG chapter :)

Iris' empire grew rapidly. Over the course of two nights, she had collected the essence of three other dimensions. Her negatives made sure no one objected to her authority and if they did, that would be the end to them. The other people and creatures from those different dimensions had their whole worlds turned upside down seemingly overnight. Iris sat atop a marble pillar high above anyone else. Her new dress made of purple ribbons suit her perfectly as her mirror shard necklace adorned her regally. There were also purple ribbons wrapped around her legs as they freely swayed down the marble pillar she was relaxing on. Two massive, liquid rainbow fountains were besides her. The stone statues of Wiseman were just being torn down by her captives.

She reached for a star high in the cosmos. Holding it tightly in her claws, she squeezed it in her palm. A silver powder fell down to the ground below her. There was an empty spot where the star once was. She had become this world's goddess. No one could rival her. Her beastly creatures from the real world were here as well. The pair climbed up the pillar to where she was and began to fight over who was to stay by her side. Iris smiled and materialized a marble tree for them to nest in.

What was I going to do before I got distracted? Oh yes, tease Wiseman about how his world is mine.

(With Sonic and Tails in Eggman's base!)

"So, what happened?" Eggman asked as he pulled a piece of the bubble he was captured in off his red clothes. "It worked flawlessly?"

Sonic stood there with his arms crossed over his chest. They needed a plan and they needed it fast. But what was her weakness? Tails answered for Sonic.

"It worked. But now we have other issues that need dealt with."

"Oh goody I knew it would!" Eggman said as he left them alone and worked on something else.

Sonic stared into the starry portal. Who would know anything about her? He knew the answer and he didn't like it.

"We must find Mephiles. Follow him, learn anything we can from what he says about her."

"There has to be another way. A better way. He wouldn't tell us anything Sonic." Tails said as he remembered when they had visited the demon before he just laughed.

"Let's just follow him then. What other outs do we have?" Sonic questioned in exasperation.

The rest of the day passed as night scared away the blue sky. The moon was but a sliver, even less light to show through the darkness. Mephiles was thrilled. He was in his liquid darkness form and watched the cars rush by on the busy freeway.

Alot of prey is out tonight. I've got easy pickings.

The demon thought to himself as he extended a crystalline arm from the liquid. Blue, jagged crystals covered the streets as many cars collided into one another. Mephiles laugh could be heard from the shadows. Sonic was about to spring up from his hiding place but Tails grabbed his tail.

"Shadow will come soon enough." The fox said as Sonic mumbled to himself.

Sure enough, in comes the anti-hero with a grenade launcher and a machine gun attached to his heavy duty bike.

"Okay, who's causing commotion tonight!?" Shadow asked, very angry and waving around the machine gun. "I'll put a hundred shells in him!"

Mephiles collected all the chaos he needed and left. He quickly teleported behind Shadow and whispered boo before teleporting to his lair.

"MEPHILES!" Shadow yelled, firing blindly into the air but to no use. "One day I swear...!"

The civilians ducked down from Shadow's random gunfire until he composed himself. Shadow cleared up the mess.

(To Mephiles who has arrived at his lair.)

My sweet, sweet home. Mephiles thought to himself as he tiredly hovered inside. It's a shame that I have to stay hidden again for awhile.

Then something else caught the demon's attention. He slowly turned his serpentine gaze behind him.

"Come out come out whoever you are. I know you've been watching."

Sonic and Tails had just caught up to Mephiles who was teleporting in short bursts home, and Tails just happened to wiggle his tails at the wrong time. The boys stayed low to the ground, trying to give the impression that no one was there at all.

"It's too late. You should've hidden yourself more carefully..."

Mephiles levitates towards the mortal boys so he won't startle them and soon, a black long shadow falls over them. Mephiles is peering over the two with a smirk.

"Hello... dearest friends..."

Tails scootches across the ground awaaaay from Mephiles, while Sonic bravely stares him down. Mephiles has always thought of Sonic as heroic and brave, and that's why he wished he was more cowardly like his friends. Of course, words like 'heroic' and 'brave' to Mephiles meant 'weak' and 'easily targeted'.

The mortal and demon stood there in silence until Mephiles said, "Well?"

"We were observing you."

"Am I that interesting?" Mephiles questioned.

"We needed to know somethings, so watching you might have helped."

"Did it?"

"No."

"Sorry to disappoint you."

More silence. Mephiles never broke Sonic's gaze and Sonic hated that. When he looked at you he looked at you. Deep into your aura.

"If I ask you something.. how honestly will you respond?"

"Depends on the subject matter."

"Your wife."

"Irisatine? You're not planning on courting her, are you?" Mephiles asked with some sarcasm in his voice. "I don't think it would end well... for you."

"I don't want that black-hearted demoness, she's all yours." Sonic scoffed. "No I just want to know about her powers."

"Good. Why would I tell you such a thing? And why are you so open about it?" Mephiles asked.

"Because I'm at a dead end."

"Well now it's a dead end completely. I won't tell you anything in regards to her." A low growl comes from Mephiles' throat. "Now leave my territory at once. I've been more than tolerant with you mortals."

Sonic and Tails leave without getting into an argument with the demon and go. Mephiles slinks back into the decaying stench of his cave.

Iris... what evil scheme are you making?