Shadow hoped that the most Mephiles would do was play mind games. After all, that's what he'd done all along. Even when he tormented Shadow in that cave, the main purpose of it was to cause the hedgehog emotional stress as he gave him a choice. In control of Shadow's body, Mephiles created a portal to jump through. Shadow feared for where he was about to go. As Mephiles made Shadow jump through the portal, the hedgehog could not only see what was going on, he could feel it too. Every action he made, he could feel it as though he was controlling it himself. It was like a dream he had no influence over, or a vivid memory which he couldn't change. But, why was he conscious this time, while he had no idea of what was going on last time Mephiles took over his body? Shadow pondered to himself the difference in circumstances and the reason for it.

Mephiles, having access to all of Shadow's thoughts, emotions and memories, answered the question with a thought of his own. Shadow heard it loud and clear but couldn't feel his body say it. Mephiles could communicate to him secretly. He didn't know whether this was a blessing or a curse.

"Because I want you to endure everything I'm about the make you do…" Mephiles' voice spoke to him. Shadow felt sick, not knowing what Mephiles was going to do, but realising that it would be horrible and tragic. Frantically, Shadow tried to get control over his body again. He could feel every part of his body as he would on a normal day, but every time he tried to move, it didn't happen. Instead, his body made the movements that Mephiles chose. It felt like someone has physically gotten hold of his limbs and forced them to move the way that they wanted to.

Shadow teleported to the ARK via the portal. It didn't look as though it was shut down; it looked like it did back in the days of his youth. He panicked when he realised that Mephiles was back to change the past again. But there were no sirens going off, and no guns shots. In fact, GUN hadn't arrived yet. Everything was quiet, and nothing was wrong… apart from the fact that a future version of one of the creations of the ARK was about to cause havoc under the control of a demon. Shadow was terrified of the changes Mephiles planned to make to history again, what would he try this time?

The hedgehog unwillingly walked down the corridor and into Maria's room. The young girl was asleep. It hurt to see her, after what Mephiles had done to her previously… after what he let Mephiles do to her. Shadow felt ashamed to see the beautiful girl that had undying loyalty for him…. loyalty that Shadow didn't deserve. Shadow heard Mephiles' maniacal chuckle in his mind, it acted as an alarm to Shadow.

He's going to do something to her! Shadow thought. He tried so hard to move his body, but it felt as though it was held in place by a physical set of hands. Mephiles walked right over to Maria's bed via Shadow's body. Maria was sleeping on her side, facing away from her friend, completely unaware that someone had entered her room.

"She's so delicate, so weak..." Mephiles' said softly while he placed Shadow's large hand on her skinny shoulder. "And you are so powerful, so strong... what a beautiful face..." He stroked Maria's cheek lightly, then his voice turned sinister. "How easy it would be to crush it in this palm of yours."

Shadow felt like screaming; Mephiles' plans had becomes so obvious. Mephiles' voice began to chuckle as he sensed Shadow's fear.

"My, wouldn't that be awful, for precious Maria to die at your own hands?" Mephiles pondered. "But… how?"

Many possibilities filled Shadow's mind. Images of Maria's death in the alternate timeline flashed in Shadow's mind. The blood… the headless body, the fear and her screams.

"That was relatively painless… she was so lucky. But she may not be so lucky this time," Mephiles taunted. "All of things I could do to her…"

"Mephiles!" Shadow cried out, furiously, he could hear his own voice but couldn't feel himself physically make the noise. The hedgehog was a prisoner in his own body… a body that was about to do something gruesome to Maria.

"What could I do to her? You didn't like getting impaled through the stomach earlier, Shadow, did you? I wonder how a human would react to it," Mephiles teased. Shadow cried out even more, wanting to grab his head with the palms of his hands and shut his eyes tight. "Or perhaps I should rip off each limb one by one…"

Shadow became more and more distressed with everything Mephiles said. Shadow could picture it so vividly. The hedgehog's mind was overactive enough without having images put there by Mephiles.

"Ever wondered what human flesh tastes like?"

This made Shadow feel sick, he never ate meat, let alone the human flesh of his best friend. Mephiles was insane to think that Shadow would want to know that.

"Your canines are sharp enough to rip through her skin… perhaps even right down to the bone. All you have to do is take a bite and tear a bit of flesh off of her arm…"

Shadow felt his mouth open and his head leant towards the top of Maria's arm. Shadow began to scream and shout again.

"MEPHILES!" Shadow cried out, sounding even more furious and desperate than before. Mephiles retracted Shadow's body and closed his mouth. The situation had become serious, but even at this point, Shadow refused to beg; he just made it clear that he was about to rage. But the hedgehog was helpless, so his rage would only create screaming and profanities in his own head. It wouldn't bother Mephiles at all, in fact, he would enjoy Shadow's inability to physically act upon his anger.

"Angry, are you? Well make sure you don't take it out on your friend," Mephiles taunted as he made a fist and plunged it in Maria's direction. Shadow felt his heart skip a beat. He wanted to close his eyes and wish the situation away. Mephiles stopped Shadow's fist right before it hit Maria in the head, it was mere millimetres away from her skull; it would have been smashed to pieces if Mephiles used Shadow's body to hit it. Shadow's anger left; there was only fear. Mephiles sensed this fear clearly.

Shadow's hand reached out and gently places his forefinger and thumb around a lock of Maria's hair.

"Souvenir?" Mephiles mocked as he pulled at it gently, not enough for Maria to feel it, but enough to lift it out of place.

"Mephiles… please…" Shadow's voice trembled.

"You're begging?" Mephiles taunted.

"Yes… for Maria's sake…" Shadow said in defeat. If he had control over his body, Shadow would have hung his head in shame.

"Wuhahaha. I already told you! It's too late to beg!" Mephiles yelled triumphantly, but not through Shadow's mouth, luckily enough. Maria was still asleep. "I gave you the chance! Now you must watch as you kill your beloved Maria! She won't be the only one, either! There are other humans on this ARK to exterminate too. All of those scientists that put those needles in your arm, Shadow. It's time to get revenge."

"I don't want revenge!"

"Don't lie, hedgehog. I can read your thoughts. I feel your lust for revenge. It seems you have everyone you know apart from Maria. You even have some unfinished business with your creator. Shall we ask him the questions you've always wanted to ask him while you break his arms and rip out his internal organs?"

Shadow yelled out even more to block out Mephiles' voice. No words came out this time, just screams of frustration.

Mephiles chuckled again as he got another idea.

"I'm sure Maria would love to watch that happen… perhaps we should wake her up now," Mephiles said and reached Shadow's hand out to shake Maria awake.

Another growl of frustration, this time it sounded forced and pained. Mephiles stopped Shadow's hand before it touched the covers of the bed.

"Oh, wait. I have a better idea… ever heard of bestiality, Shadow?"

The hedgehog bawled and screamed as loudly as he could. But something felt different about it this time… he could feel himself screaming too. Maria sat up looking terrified, she had no idea why best friend had just screamed at her in the middle of the night. The girl pushed herself up against the wall behind her and held the covers up to her chin, looking at Shadow as thought she was scared.

"I figured you'd want control over your body for a while. You can thank me when you're a prisoner of your own body again," Mephiles' voice rang in Shadow's head.

"Shadow?" Maria squeaked, sounding terrified. Shadow took a few steps back, looking at her in pure shock. He didn't know what to say; he didn't know how to explain himself; he couldn't.

"Maria… I… ugh." Shadow couldn't talk for long, he was losing control over his body already. In his last seconds of control, he reached for his inhibitor rings and pulled them off without thinking. Maria screamed as a blast of energy was released from his body. She pulled the covers right up to her face in a hope to protect herself.

When she peaked out from the covers again, the exposed side of them were slightly torched, and Shadow wasn't standing alone. By the side of him, on his knees, was another figure. Mephiles. Shadow leapt towards him and held him against the wall. All Mephiles did was cowered and whimpered like a child. Shadow remained relentless, and attempted to perform a Chaos Spear on his chest, but when he took one of his hands off of Mephiles' shoulders, the demon managed to escape. Mephiles ran over to Maria and grabbed hold of her like a frightened child.

"Maria… listen to me. That thing there isn't Shadow… it's a monster called Mephiles and he took over my body. I managed to escape but… I couldn't take my body with me but I'm the real Shadow," Mephiles said. Shadow's heart stopped and he felt anger fill his body once again. Mephiles managed to make himself sound just like Shadow; he had Shadow's voice. The real Shadow hissed and Mephiles and pulled himself away from Maria. Mephiles stood in the way of the real Shadow's path and pushed him back as Maria leant over to her bedside table and rang Gerald.

"Grandfather! Something's happened to Shadow! We're getting attacked! Come quick with backup!" Maria cried out, sounding distraught. Shadow froze in shock, he felt betrayed.

"Maria… p-please…" the hedgehog choked, but it was too late. Gerald's lab wasn't that far from Maria's room, and GUN soldier had already arrived. Two of them bust through the door and looked to Maria in a panic.

"That's not Shadow!" she yelled and pointed to the red and black hedgehog standing near the door. She then grabbed hold of Mephiles, wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. Shadow glared at Mephiles and attempted to pull him away from Maria again but he was grabbed by the shoulders from behind.

"It tried to kill Maria with my body but I managed to escape in time," Mephiles explained, sounding shaken, afraid and just like a young Shadow.

The ultimate life form wasn't going to let this happen to him, he wouldn't let Mephiles push him around like that. Shadow struggled out of the GUN soldiers' grip and charged at Mephiles again, this time letting out a ferocious roar. He grabbed Mephiles by the neck and held him there. With one hand he held Mephiles still, and with the other he made a fist. Mephiles just took it though, to seem helpless and innocent. Just as Shadow was about to punch Mephiles in the face Maria screamed once more, thus breaking the hedgehog out of his uncontrollable rage. He looked Maria in the eyes with shock and sadness. It was no use… he was a bad guy to her… and Mephiles were her new friend.

"It's futile…" Mephiles whispered viciously as GUN soldiers came to detain Shadow again.

The hedgehog felt hopeless, there was nothing he could do… except let Mephiles win. So just like that, he left via Chaos Control.

To Be Continued…

Lucy Labrador