Shadow was shaking uneasily. Every attack seemed to make him weaker...
No...
It seemed like only a matter of time before she would finish him...
No...
"Ah, yes, Shadow. You may be immortal, but that doesn't mean you can't feel anything!"
Stop it.
The coyote threw her head back in a cackle, before finally executing what would be the final blow-
NO! Leave him alone!
"Vanity! It ends here!"
Mephisto?
"It's no use, Mephisto!" Mephiles grunted, near collapse. "We are Darks; she has dominion over us! And Shadow's near death!"
"He can't die!"
"Yes he can! We immortals who feel pain must if we wish to recover! We must flee to get him somewhere safe!"
Die? Immortals...can die?
"Don't worry; it's more like fainting then actual death. But you can never tell the difference."
Oh...
"But- but-"
"I know, Mephisto. But we've no strategy against her."
"What about-"
"Quiet, please. Master?"
Dad!
"Master? How much pain is there?" The irises were dull dark red, and weakly opened.
"I can't stand up by myself...If that's what your asking..."
"Mephisto."
"Y-y-yes, Father?"
"Help your uncle. I must distract Vanity."
"No! Let me! I'm better at it! I'm still strong! I'll fight! Even if I extinguish, I'll rise back up! Let me!"
"But Mephisto-"
"You must understand what I'm capable of! You know what I'm capable of! Please, I am insignificant compared to you and Uncle! You can't fight her, even if you wanted to!"
Mephiles felt torn. He wanted to protect his demon-spawn as well as his best friend...Why must it be so? Why must he have Iblis' persistence and power and yet my persuasion?
Mephisto! And Mephiles! If only-!
"There is no stopping you, I suppose, my dear demon-spawn. Just to let you know, you are not really the bane of my existence." That was the only way Mephiles could get an "I love you" out and into Mephisto at the same time.
If only I could be there-!
"Easy, my dove."
Mom?
"Yes, you and I are here, merely glimpsing from afar," Selene explained, from somewhere close by. "Unfortunately, I can't do anything much to help." Her tone saddened. "I'm still hurt, and in a lot of pain as we speak, darling; that's why there's flashes. I'm sorry."
Please don't hurt yourself, Mom! Stop! No more!
"If that's what you want, sweet heart, I will."
Silver woke up panting. No! Please, don't let Mephisto get hurt or Dad or Mephiles! Please! He couldn't stand having to watch that nightmare. Was it...?
"Silver? What's wrong?" Leaf walked into the dim room, with one glowing psych symbol as the bed's headboard. The brightest lights came from Silver's cuffs and circles on his gloves. Her face was nervous. "Did you have a bad dream?"
A bad dream? Maybe...maybe it was only a bad dream...
"I-I guess so," he sighed, closing his eyes. I feel like a mole. A trapped mole. Living in the dark underground. "Did you hear me or something?"
"I couldn't sleep, Silver. I'm worried," she folded her arms as if she were shivering alone. "I'm worried about what Vanity might do to find us."
"She might have to retreat and strategize," he supposed. "Maybe that's a good thing. She's been fighting us for a while. She'll probably rest somewhere." The green girl sighed with ease. "That's a relief, don't you think?" Non-verbally her boyfriend invited her to sit by him, and the girl clung to him. Her spine seemed as fragile as the stem of the most extravagant flower and her fur was green dandelion fluff in his arms. "Oh, Silver, I'm so stressed out... We have no idea how to destroy Vanity."
"Just a thought..." His eyes widened a little as he pulled back. "Um, so, what I was saying about Psych, did any Guardians possibly have control have psychic powers?"
"No, sorry. I don't think so."
"Hm..." he thought for a moment, "Leaf, um, I think the reason Psychokinesis would never be an Guardian power is because it would be able to control any and everything. The Guardian would be Guardian of the Guardians, wouldn't you think?"
"Yes, I suppose so." That means, I may be able to...
I must use her energy against her!
"Silver! Where are you going?" Leaf called after him as he marched to the elevator. "Stay within the innermost walls, Leaf," he warned. "Don't worry, I promise I will come back." I must see if that was really a dream the other night! I have to make sure they are all okay!
He clutched the cyan Chaos Emerald tightly as the elevator scaled upward. This is for luck and power. I know it's been awhile since I've hidden you here, but I must know where my family is! With a low hum, he focused on finding his cousin first.
The poor beaten fire demon had been faced down in defeat since midnight, near the frozen river...
Mephisto! With a gasp as soon as he had found the location of the demon-spawn, Silver ran out to start flying to his location, making sure Vanity was resting somewhere far away and not on his trail. The nightmare was reality! Just as I feared! He did find the river, and Mephisto's still body resting beside it. As he landed he feared the worse; snow had piled around and on his cousin, whose body temperature would have melted the snow away and thawed out the dead grass underneath if he was well.
"Mephisto! Please, wake up!" he violently shook the body, frighteningly chill. "Please! Come on, you mustn't die! Wake up!" Maybe...he said that he might be extinguished, but he would rise back up... He pulled out his Emerald. Perhaps the Emerald will help!
As if he had sensed power, Mephisto's eye opened slowly, and with a shiver, he tried to at least sit up.
"Vanity..." he muttered, then he saw Silver and his eyes sparkled. "Silver..." He moved his arm towards him as if he wanted to hug, but shook his head fiercely. "I'm sorry I can't hug you, and that's the only way I know how to express how happy I am to see you!"
"I'm glad to see you too!" Silver's cheeks felt wet. "Where...where's everyone else? Mephiles- and Dad! Is Dad okay?" The dark one progressively and almost dizzily tried to stand. "Ugh...the last time I saw them, they tried to get away...my father...did the best he could to get themselves to safety. Vanity dared not follow. We didn't sense you two after Mephiles came.
"It was horrible, Silver." Sparkling tears came from the demon's eyes. "He couldn't sense you...Vanity couldn't, but she acted like she could. Your dad...he..."
"He what?"
"He couldn't think straight. He thought the worst...And was so distraught he couldn't counter any attacks. My dad-!
"Dad?" he frantically called. Like a lost child he ran to the edges of the clearing and called for his father. "Dad? DAD!" Whimpering he collapsed, finally pouring out every last tear. It seemed like Vanity had scattered them all, separating children from their parents and causing fear to seep through, breaking even the spirit of Mephisto, who usually would give anything to be away from his father. "Waaaaahh..." But even if Silver most desperately wanted to comfort the sobbing figure, he might die, for Mephisto's body temperature would roast the hedgehog to death. He could only pat his shoulder, trying to end the steady wailing. "Mephisto..."
"Tell me, Silver," he turned his head, eyes red and wet, "please tell me you'll be able to find them, too, won't you?"
"I promise I will try. If they aren't together, we should go for our own dads, okay?" The demon-spawn nodded. Again the hedgehog closed his eyes tightly.
Vanity had pursued the demon first, figuring he was the one who hid Earthia's spawn. She had let the "Ultimate Life Form" go, seeing that he couldn't put up a fight. But the demon had to pay. He had began to flee towards the wastelands, and she had caught him there.
"Now, Mephiles," she hissed, filling the name with disgust. "You will tell me where she is!"
"I cannot show you. I cannot even go there myself."
"But you have hidden her from me!"
"No. That was not my doing. I merely accompanied the one of many who hold the key, the blessing of my Mistress."
She gasped. But I-I had injured the girl! Angered, she knocked the grinning fool back, and as he dissolved, caused him to become like a statue, as if her head were adorned with snakes.
"Ugh..." Silver winced. "He's...somewhere in the wastelands...frozen."
"Dad!" Immediately Mephisto started off, on all fours with a roar. I suppose he'll be okay... He stared at the Emerald again, worrying again. But...where's...
He had to be there. Just because an evil being was there, he would not break the tradition. He would be there for her.
Mom' s grave.
Shadow was weak when he had stumbled and finally collapsed on the stone. He guessed it was almost or at least past midnight. My Selene... Cringing he had pulled out a fresh black rose he had picked on the way, as always. He would've picked at least a pure white one, for her as well. But he couldn't bring himself to go any further... And he laid the flower on the tombstone, the dark smooth and speckled stone. The letters were in white, and her symbol was carved from selenite, the same material her charm was made out of.
"Miss Selene Luminia Phoenicia
"Born December 22th, 2174
"Died December 16th, 2192"
Silver. He wasn't able to sense Silver by any feeling, not even a gut feeling. Did Vanity do something to him? Please... I hope not... I promised her. I promised her I would keep him safe! Please...
Mephiles. I hope he's alright, too. And Mephisto... Leaf too...
The black hedgehog had drifted off to sleep without a problem. He could feel Selene around him, but due to Vanity she was not visible, not touchable. At least he could hear her...
"Shadow, are you alright?"
"I'll be fine... Where's Silver?" Maybe she knew! "Is he alright?"
"My Shadow, you will know soon enough. I promise you that much. Please rest." Her sweet voice echoed. "Please rest..."
Uneasily he slept. What of his son? What did she mean by he would know soon enough? Was she just too worried...about telling him the truth?
Silver. I don't care! I'm going to look for you! He woke up with a small grunt. Still in a little pain, but he had to find his son. Powdery snow had gathered on him and the rose. Seems like a killing frost had settled in. But he hoped the same couldn't be said for Silver. Grunting he got to his feet. I have to find Silver. And if I find out Vanity killed him, she's dead. Bad enough that she tried, but succeeding...-
"Dad?"
Shadow stopped dead. Is that... It was from afar. The trees? Maybe he was coming...
Or it was Vanity messing with his head. He ducked behind the stone.
"Dad?" There it was again. Sniffling and wavering. Crying..? "Dad? Dad?" He peeked around the corner. He couldn't see any one yet. C'mon. Come closer.
A silvery hedgehog with wet amber eyes, marvelous golden amber, black skin framing them, and crowned with hair that spiked in five different directions. His neck was hidden by a white mane, and wore a gold cuff on each limb. A cyan circle rested on both his palms as well as the backs, and his boots were indigo with teal tips and a white stripe running down the middle. A red gem-like adornment was top- and center-most of the boots. The eyes were unmistakable. Not easily copied. A remarkable layered amber like that with the ability to catch light just right to make one streak of shine-
"Silver," he breathed. He's okay! He is! He was too relieved to move. He's okay!
"Daaad..." the hedgehog wailed. "Daddy!" His eyes were growing more red with each rub. Eventually the young 'hog collapsed; Shadow snapped into reality. He didn't have to hide anymore. Poor Silver... Fast as he could, he made his way to the whimpering figure. "Shh. It's okay."
As soon as his fingers touched the hairs on the back of his forehead, he whimpered a "huh" and whipped around with red wet eyes wide. "Daddy." Immediately Silver squeezed him. "I-i-i-i-i thought...I thought she d-d-d-did something to yoooouuuuuu!"
"I'm alright, Silver..." Please don't cry... It's just like... When Selene cried... "Please, please, stop crying..."
"So he found you with teary eyes too?" Shadow turned to his side. Mephiles was approaching with a closely following Mephisto, sniffing the air in alert. "Easy Silver."
"M-m-m-mephiles? And Mephisto?" Silver looked behind him. He had started to calm down. "So we're all okay?"
"I can't smell a hint of her; must be very far," Mephisto informed. "Very far." He went over to nudge his cousin. "You okay, little Shrub?"
"I'm fine, propane breath, I'm fine." Silver blinked. "But how am I supposed to get you three back to the temple?"
"You're not. That's the whole point. Don't worry about us," Mephisto reasoned. "We are what we are and you are what you are. No point in trying to drag us into there."
"But here is safe enough; Vanity seems to be resting," the truly mouth-less one informed. "Let us strategize here. Have you learned anything?"
"The Guardians had tried to destroy her with a blast of their respective powerss. But I think they were missing some."
"Umbra, obviously," Mephisto grunted. "That's a very powerful one. Of course they needed all the other ones to try and destroy her."
"Maybe Chaos?" Shadow suggested. "That's always regarded as one of the most powerful."
"Yes, but," Mephiles eyed the clouds, "Also Psych. Astral power. One of the reasons Umbra feared Psychs. Astral power may not destroy the body, but it destroys the soul, leaving the body completely empty, brain-dead.
"Scary thought. Very scary thought," he shuddered. "Worse than dead and being a short-range ghost."
"Can't even-?" Does anyone even deserve that fate? Silver thought. "But I can't..."
"Even as a ghost, Vanity may attempt to kill Leaf. It's better this way."
"Is there another way, Mephiles?" Shadow demanded. "Silver wouldn't kill anyone. He has no killer instinct."
"Hmm...I believe as we destroy her I may be able to erase her from space. Time would be much too complicated." He looked at every one. "So it's settled. We may be able to make up for the other elements by using the other more powerful elements. Chaos, Umbra, Pyro, Botano, and Psych. We'll meet up close to Vanity's location. You have to go get Leaf, Silver."
"But- Vanity..." What if she kills Leaf? I'd never forgive myself...
"It's okay," Mephisto nudged Silver again. "We won't let that happen."