Werewolf99: Except neither of those is what I want at all. Here's the thing – I don't like reading that kind of story, so I'm certainly not going to write one. If you don't understand why I don't like reading it, that's fine. But I hope you can understand that because I don't, I don't like writing it. And if not, then... Oh well. Different people are different. And honestly, I'd rather talk about other things.

Chapter 18 (Silver & Shadow)

Shadow and Silver dropped to the floor, Shadow instantly taking in their surroundings. They were in some sort of base – Rather like one of Dr. Eggman's many laboratories, in fact. The lighting was odd, and rather blue, almost as if it were underwater. "I still don't believe you, you know," Silver said. "But if this can help save the world, fine. If you're wrong…"

"I am not wrong, but your point is considered," Shadow said. "Now, where do we look for the truth…"

An explosion sounded in the distance, prompting Shadow to grab Silver by the hand and drag him down the hall to it. They arrived in a room, with shattered glass littering the floor. On the floor, lying on his side, was a man Shadow recognized from Rouge's data-digging she'd always do while he pretended he wasn't listening – the Duke of Soleanna. Shadow ran over to the man, and began shaking him.

"Is that…" Silver asked, from his position by a scientist he had been shaking awake. Shadow turned to the center of the room, seeing a small ball of flame inside a broken capsule, hovering above what appeared to be a liquid shadow. "It's Iblis!"

"And that black shadow is Mephiles," Shadow said, recognizing what had come out of the Scepter of Darkness.

"THAT'S Mephiles?" Silver asked. "… How?" He noticed that Iblis and Mephiles were now running away. "Hey! We gotta stop them from escaping!"

"I'll take Mephiles," Shadow said. "He is my battle."

"Leave Iblis to me," Silver said, clenching his fist.

"w-wait!" a weak voice behind Shadow said. Shadow turned to the Duke of Soleanna, who was struggling to get up, holding something familiar to the genetically-engineered hedgehog in his hand.

"Seal it with this…" the Duke said, handing Shadow the Scepter of Darkness. Shadow took it, running off with Silver to leave the duke with his daughter.

Almost immediately after leaving the laboratory, they managed to get into a fight. Iblis-monsters attacked them, giant flaming worms and lizards of evil. Shadow took the lead, blasting everything he came near with Chaos Spear. Once the Iblis monsters were defeated, the two hedgehogs continued to the next room – Which was much larger, and, of course, had more monsters.

There were tons in the large circular room, again all minions of Iblis. Along with the kinds of monsters in the previous room, there were fiery birds as well. Shadow and Silver worked together to defeat them, taking out as many as they could.

"Do you believe me now?" Shadow asked, as he spin dashed through one of the fire lizards.

"I'm not sure one way or another right now," Silver admitted, levitating himself and Shadow up to a higher platform that he thought he'd seen a sliver of shadow ooze up. The next room was filled with pits that were who-knows-how-deep… So Silver levitated them across the pit and let Shadow just throw Chaos Spears at all the Iblis Monsters in the way. Once they were at the other side, they were met by a breathtaking sight out the window.

"… We're underwater," Shadow said. "… Wow…"

"That's really cool!" Silver said. "… Wish I could swim. But we need to get going, and stop Iblis and what you say is Mephiles!" They left the room, coming to another, almost identical one. Silver used the same method as before, but they met an even larger Iblis monster at the other side. A few well-timed conveniently-placed crates to the head and it was out, though. Soon after, they met their first shadow creature, a sort of low-down, doglike creature, which Shadow wasted no time in wasting with a homing attack.

"You gotta teach me that when the world isn't in mortal danger," Silver said.

"How are Iblis and Mephiles so powerful even in this primitive state?" Shadow asked, as Silver levitated them across yet another gap.

"I have no idea… But Iblis did destroy the world, remember?"

"Oh, yes, that reminds me. Silver? When you go back to your own time… Even if you fail your mission, Iblis is gone."

"What?!" Silver dropped Shadow, and if they hadn't reached the other side of the gap, things wouldn't be looking so good for the black hedgehog right about now.

"Mario – That man in red with the fire abilities – Destroyed it himself once it had been weakened enough. I still don't know how he did what he did, but I felt you should know."

"That… that's great news!" Silver exclaimed as he hit the switch he'd found, opening the door to the next room. He and Shadow ran through, coming to a hallway with a fork. Down one hall, there were Iblis monsters, and down the other, shadowy creatures could be seen.

"But now… If we don't act, that may not be the case. Silver, take the left path. I will take the right. Iblis and Mephiles must be taken down. Once we're done… Use Chaos Control to escape the base, because I don't know how to leave."

The hedgehogs parted ways, Shadow taking the path filled with the shadow creatures, and Silver the path with the fire monsters. Both quickly made their way through, each coming to a dead end where their adversary lay in wait.

Silver used his psychokinesis to hold Iblis in place. Despite being the same being as Silver had fought and failed to stop in his own time, it was too weak to break out of the psychic hold Silver had on it, though it still gave him some trouble. It also helped that Silver had gotten quite a bit stronger since then.

Silver looked away for a moment, towards a sound he'd heard, and found the Duke of Soleanna carrying his daughter into the room and laying her down under Iblis's tiny form.

"Hey! You've got to leave! It's too dangerous here," Silver said.

"I have my duty! This is my responsibility. The Flames of Disaster will gain strength, and overpower you if nothing is done to stop them. If that happens, all is lost. Let me do what I must… You have brought something here that I require, though. Please, allow me to use the Chaos Emerald."

"How did you-"

"Those who can use the Emeralds can also find them. Though as a human, I have very little ability to use them, I have enough to do what must be done."

Silver nodded, giving the Duke his blue Chaos Emerald. The Duke held it over his daughter, and began to speak. "Eternal Sun! The Living Flame that has been entrusted to the royal family! Fall into slumber, with a royal soul!" The flames were sucked into the Chaos Emerald, which sent a beam of light down into the young Princess Elise. The Duke gave Silver back the Emerald. "It is done," the Duke said, seeming close to tears and passing out as he lifted his daughter into his arms.

"Can you… Take her to a safe place, for me?" the Duke asked. "I'm afraid… I'm not in perfect health…"

Silver nodded, taking the young girl from her father. The Duke started stroking Elise's hair, speaking to her.

"Remember, Elise… Be a brave, strong leader for your people… Don't cry, no matter what happens. Otherwise… Your tears will call forth the flames inside of you…"

Silver said nothing yet. He'd just witnessed, even taken part in, the sealing of Iblis inside this little girl. And Sonic the Hedgehog was nowhere to be found... So, then, how could he have caused the end of the world?

He couldn't. Silver realized. Or, he wouldn't… He can't directly cause it, and if what his friends say are true, then…

He looked at the little girl in his arms.

… I've been wrong all along.

"… And… live… happily," the Duke said, struggling to breathe.

"Are you okay?" Silver asked.

"No… I… am afraid… That ritual… In this state… I am not," the Duke said, growing quieter with each word. "But… I am glad… To have protected my people… my daughter…" He collapsed to the ground, unconscious, with his breathing growing ever quieter and more wheezing with each passing second.

Silver didn't stay to see the man die – with Elise in one arm, he took out his Chaos Emerald, and used it to quietly Chaos Control away.

"Chaos Control!" were Shadow's first words as he entered the room Mephiles was in, immobilizing him before he had a chance to even notice Shadow's presence.

"What? Stop this at once! I command you!" Mephiles' voice rose out of the liquid mass of shadows on the floor.

Shadow said nothing, and simply raised the Scepter of Darkness in one hand, and the green Chaos Emerald in the other. Both began to glow as he focused his thoughts on what he needed to do.

"Who are you? What do you intend by sealing me away?"

"I am Shadow the Hedgehog. I am the Ultimate Lifeform. I made a promise to protect this world from those like you."

"… You… I shall remember you for this," Mephiles said, in a calmer tone than Shadow had ever heard him use as he was pulled into the Scepter. "And surely, you shall die!" Mephiles could say no more, as the last of him was pulled into the Scepter.

"Chaos Control," Shadow said calmly.

Shadow and Silver both appeared outside, in Kingdom Valley, Shadow with the Scepter of Darkness, and Silver with Elise. Shadow set the Scepter of Darkness on the ground, nodding to Silver.

"… So, it's done?" Silver asked quietly. "… So… So am I… But… Shadow, I believe you now. And this girl… Her father…"

"Silver, if it hadn't happened, the future may have been in a far worse state," Shadow said, already having a good idea of what Silver was talking about.

"But… That's not fair!"

"It isn't," Shadow agreed. "And I'm sorry it happened. I know how it feels more than you may believe. But, yet, if she hadn't died… Where would I be today?"

"Who?"

"It doesn't concern you, Silver," Shadow said. "My point is, if everything is changed, you don't know what is left. Maybe that's lost on you, maybe it isn't. But we need to return, now."

Silver nodded, laying Elise back down against a tree. Together, holding their Chaos Emeralds up, they let out simultaneous cries of "Chaos Control!" As the rift appeared, Silver could only think of one thing – He's right... if I succeed, what IS left for me?

Silver has finally seen who is wrong and who is right… Too bad he had to go through all that for it to happen. And, of course, this probably poses some questions, which is the idea. He's one answer: Wario, Mario, Luigi, and Peach are not, by any means, normal. Daisy and Waluigi are, to an extent, but there's something special about the other four. Something that's canon, and that I've referenced previously, though what it means isn't defined. You'll see soon enough.