REVERSE/REBIRTH: ESPIO'S TALE

Chapter Two: Lingering Shadows

Last time on Reverse/Rebirth:

Long after closing the Door to Darkness, Espio found himself awakening in the basement of Castle Oblivion. Drawn by a strange and familiar voice, Espio is granted a card to help in his search of 'the truth'. Unfortunately, the card directed him to his most horrifying memory: Hollow Bastion. During his stay in the memory, Espio learned that only his darkest memories can be returned and all his friends are nonexistent. He foudn himself with the Heartless that formerly served him and his former mentor, Black Doom. Enraged by his proclimations of darkness, Espio killed Black Doom. Before departing, Espio swore to destroy all darkness, including himself.

The scene once again returns to the white rooms of Castle Oblivion. The room resembled much like the one previous to the beginning of the adventure, but held a flight of stairs on the other side instead of a blank door. At that moment, the door to the memory opened as Espio the Chameleon walked inside with his hand over his eyes. The dark chameleon did not question why he had arrived in the room; his mind was occupied on the words of the trivial voice he heard in the memory of Hollow Bastion.

"But you cast them aside." The voice stated. "To reach the outside world, you passed through the Door to Darkness. Behind you, you left everything you had once cherished, all in the pursuit of darkness."

"That's a lie!" Espio thought desperately. "I don't desire the darkness. I cast it away."

"And what do you have to show for it?" The voice questioned. "First your friends, then the darkness. You heart only know how to throw things away. Your heart is hollow except for the darkness you couldn't escape from."

"That can't be right." Espio thought hopelessly. "But...what if he is? Everything I've done, everything that happened, I threw it away. How could anyone stand to look at me? Is my heart really doomed to remain hollow?"

After taking a moment to organize his thoughts, Espio soon realized where he was. Staring around the room, the dark chameleon would most likely guess that he was still on the first floor. If there was any chance of escape, it would be in the higher levels of the castle. Just as he took his first step towards his next journey, the unknown voice returned. But this time, Espio knew exactly who it was.

"You are an odd one." The voice stated. "Why do you shun the darkness when it is the true path your heart has chosen?"

"Hmph!" Espio sneered to the ceiling. "I know you heard every word I said to Black Doom."

"The darkness is your greatest weapon." The voice proclaimed. "You must learn to accept it in order to be strong."

"Why would you care?" Espio questioned spitefully.

"Stop resisting and accept the darkness." The voice commanded. "You must do so if you are to serve me again!"

"I will never return as your slave...Mephiles!" Espio exclaimed.

At the sound of those words, a portal of darkness erupted from the floor. When the dark cloud descended, the well known figure of the ultimate evil emerged. His body resembled much like a hedgehog, but was forged from purified dark-purple crystals. Several white quartz crystals formed to create his claws, feet, quills, and a portion of his chest. He wore nothing but a long white/grey coat with the Heartless emblem chained around his neck. If there was one thing Espio could never forget, it was the demonic jade eyes surrounded by the vast pools of crimson. The voice had belonged to the Seeker of Darkness, former ruler of Hollow Bastion, and father to Amy: Mephiles.

"So, you knew it was me all along." Mephiles said amusingly. "And yet, you do not seem surprised."

" I already surrendered to the darkness once." Espio said. "I'll just be dragged back into it like before. But, I do wonder how you survived when I know that Sonic and the others destoryed you."

"That is an interesting tale, but one best saved for later." Mephiles said malevolently. "Right now, I am more interested in you."

"Let me take a wild guess." Espio sneered. "You just want to control my body again."

"I really don't have time for these games." Mephiles said drawlingly. "But I will admit your body will make a fine host for me. Now, surrender to me again and..."

"You must be insane!" Espio interjected. "There will not be an 'again'!"

Forging the Soul Eater from his heart into his hands, Espio charged forward again the Seeker of Darkness. But the Heartless ruler nonchalantly holds out his hand to block the initial attack and pushes Espio back with a wave of darkness. Espio soon found himself lying on his back, staring at the white ceiling, suddenly feeling at a loss of energy.

"Did you honestly believe you could harm me?" Mephiles chuckled. "A weak and pathetic fool like you couldn't even defeat Sonic. And you had the power of darkness at your side."

"Excuse me...for being weak..." Espio groaned as he propped himself up by his elbows.

"Someone as weak as you needs the darkness." Mephiles stated, walking closer to the chameleon. "Submit! Bow to the darkness and to me!"

"I will never surrender myself to the darkness." Espio stated fiercely.

"Your power is nothing but darkness." Mephiles informed, stopping a few feet from his prey. "It is because darkness is the only thing know. It is something you were born with. The darkness will remain a part of your forever. That is your destiny."

Mephiles' words seemed to hold a resonating effect on Espio's heart. The dark chameleon wanted to say he was wrong, but something inside his chest prevented the words from reaching his lips. Was Mephiles right? Was darkness really his destiny? Looking back at his history, Espio found no way to say anything against it. Maybe...the darkness was...

"Like Sonic said before: For someone who's a genius, you're a real idiot." A new sound echoed.

Espio instantly knew who the unknown voice was and Mephiles seemed to as well. Without warning, a small ball of light formed in midair and charged at the Seeker of Darkness. Mephiles raised his forearms to block the assault, which forced him backwards in midair. Mephiles flipped around and landed on his feet, but the orb of light was freely floating around the dark chameleon. Unlike the light that resonated from the castle, Espio did not flinch at the sphere; he felt safe.

"I know that voice..." Espio muttered. "Is that you, King Jet?!"

"The one and only!" Jet's voice said excitedly. "Espio, you can't give up now! I thought you were stronger than that! After all, you're not really alone. I'm still here for you."

With one final glimmer, the sphere of light faded into Espio's chest.

"Your majesty..." Espio whispered; he could feel a sudden warmth in his chest.

"Just believe in your heart and the light will never give up on you." Jet's fading voice said. "It will always be there, even in the deepest darkness."

"A light in the darkness." Espio nodded. "I understand now, you majesty." Gripping the handle of his Soul Eater, Espio rose to his feet with new strength. "I am not losing to the darkness today."

"So, you think some feeble light will protect you from the darkness I command?" Mephiles said malevolently; his eyes were more flared than normal. "You will soon learn the punishment for betrayal!"

Seeker of Darkness: Mephiles

"To show that I am kind to my subordinates, I will allow you the first blow." Mephiles said mockingly.

"I am no longer your little puppet." Espio smirked. "I'm going to make you regret that you ever met me."

"Too late." Mephiles joked; a large wein appeared on Espio's forehead.

The dark Chameleon, raising the Soul Eater over his head, skipped up off the ground and shot after Mephiles, bringing down his weapon. Unfortunately, the Seeker of Darkness effortlessly swatted the attack away with his claw. Once landing back on his feet, Espio dropped to the floor and shot his leg around towards the heel of Mephiles' feet. Unfortunately, the Heartless demon was able to predict his movements and jumped over the low kick. With a look of malevolence on his expression, Mephiles thrusted his own foot at Espio's face and nailed him just below his horn. The dark chameleon was tossed towards the white walls, smashing one of the many pots lined across the surface. Espio moaned weakly as he pushed himself up to his knees; a dark bruise was left from Mephiles' attack.

"What's wrong?" Mephiles chuckled. "I thought you were going to make me regret our meeting. So far, all you've managed do it get my feet dirty."

"I'm not done yet!" Espio yelled, jumping back to his feet.

"Clearly." Mephiles chuckled humorlessly. "Admit it; you cannot defeat me without the darkness. Surrender yourself; allow it to take hold of you. Only then will you understand what true power feels like."

"You know I hate to repeat myself." Espio glared. "I will never surrender myself to the darkness."

Espio could distinctly hear a low growl emitting from Mephiles' throat; he was annoyed. Taking his chances, Espio flipped backwards, his feet clinging to the wall for a moment, before shooting at Mephiles with his Soul Eater held forward. The Dark Chameleon was moving faster than a bullet, but Mephiles could easily follow him. He sidestepped the moment Espio was close enough and grasped him by his arm. Espio, surprised by his sudden stop, dropped his feet back on the floor and swung around with the Soul Eater in his free hand. Once more Mephiles was able to swat it away, this time sending the dark blade flying into the ceiling. With Espio made vulnerable, the Seeker of Darkness thrusted his knee into Espio's torso, forcing the dark warrior to double over in pain. Twisting Espio's arm behind to keep him in place, Mephiles bowed close to his ear.

"I will ask you once more." Mephiles said darkly; the close contact sent a wave of cold air down Espio's spine. "Accept your role in the darkness. The truth you seek is buried within it. If wish to discover your true purpose, allow yourself to be taken."

"I know the truth." Espio sneered against the pain. "I know that its evil monsters like you that mess up our worlds."

"But am I truly evil?" Mephiles asked rhetorically. "How can we be so sure that there is such a thing as good and evil? Here's the truth: we cannot. There is light and darkness, but neither can be defined as evil."

"Wow, you really are psychotic." Espio sniggered; Mephiles pushed his arm further to his back.

With a glint of angry in his eyes, Mephiles pressed his open palm into Espio's chest. The Seeker of Darkness released a spiral of dark energy, sending the wounded chameleon flying backwards until he hit the blank door. Espio fell to the floor with an audible thud and tried to push himself back up, only to fall back down on his face; his arm was shaking repeatedly.

"What will you do now?" Mephiles questioned, walking closer to Espio. "With only a fraction of my powers I have already forced you to bow at my feet." He stopped several inches from Espio's face and kneeled down. "Have you realized the truth yet?"

"Yeah..." Espio groaned. "You're still an evil, psychotic maniac. How you are related to Amy I will never understand."

"It is a mystery." Mephiles said thoughtfully. "The true ruler of darkness assisting in the birth of the Princess of Heart. My darkness must have been overpowered by her mother's love." He grasped Espio by the scruff of his neck. "But what you need to realize is the ultimate truth. There is no good and evil. There are only two kinds of people that exist: those who seek power and those too weak to obtain it. So, Espio, which are you?"

"Let me answer that one!"

Suddenly, a sphere of light emerged from Espio's chest and struck Mephiles between the eyes. While the Seeker of Darkness was shot backwards near the stairway, the glowing sphere hovered over Espio. Thanks to the rejuvenating light of the sphere, all of Espio's wounds were healed.

"You're majesty." Espio said shockingly. "What are you doing here?"

"Ya didn't think I was gonna leave you behind, did ya?" Jet's voice echoed cheerfully. "Face it, you're stuck with me."

"Well, I'm not going to complain." Espio chuckled as he jumped to his feet. "But I don't know what much a tiny ball of light and a defenseless chameleon can do against the Seeker of Darkness."

"Hey, don't try to spoil the fun." Jet's voice whined. "You're a smart guy. You can think of something to get out of this."

Espio felt slightly more confident from Jet's praise, but it still wasn't enough to take down Mephiles. Speaking of whom, as the Seeker of Darkness was pushing himself back up; Espio noticed his movements were slower. Espio had to guess that Mephiles, who was made from pure darkness, was vulnerable to sources of pure light. And as he turned his attention to the Soul Eater, which remained stuck in the ceiling, an idea struck him.

"Your majesty, do you think you can create a distraction?" Espio asked.

"One distraction coming up." Jet said excitedly. The sphere of light shot across the room and stopped only inches from Mephiles' face. "Yo, where you always this ugly or did it take some work?"

"You meddlesome foul!" Mephiles roared hatefully.

While Mephiles swiped his claws at the tiny sphere, which continually avoided him in amusement, he remained unaware of Espio's intentions. While the Seeker of Darkness wasn't looking, Espio used his species ability to cling along the surface of the white walls. He climbed up to the ceiling close to his Soul Eater without Mephiles realizing what he was up to. After making sure that King Jet was out of the way, Espio grasped the handle of the Soul Eater and ripped it sharply out of the white surface. Shortly after, he dropped down and fell directly between the two opposite forces. Just moments before he touched ground, Espio swiped his Soul Eater down Mephiles body quick and clean. The room had gone silent; Mephiles remained wide eyed and unmoving. Knowing of his victory, Espio turned back to the sphere of light with a proud smile.

"Looks like this battle is over." Espio grinned.

"How right you are." A cold voice replied.

Espio's body remained frozen at the tone as he felt a cold, smooth hand being placed on his back. He barely had time to blink before he was thrusted forward and smashed against the wall, leaving an imprint in the clear surface. While Espio lay weakly on his back, he could barely make out Mephiles' figure; he was unscathed.

"This battle has come to an end." Mephiles stated. "Game over."

Mephiles: Victorious

"What...what's wrong?" Espio panted, crouching back to his feet. "Giving up...already?"

"I am no fool." Mephiles proclaimed interestingly. "If I were to destroy you at this point, I would be without a proper host. I have tried to convince you, but it would seem that you are intent on resisting the darkness. Take a look with your own eyes."

Mephiles reached into his coat and pulled out a set of blue cards similar to the one Espio found in the Endless Abyss.

"So it was you from the beginning." Espio glared; his mind was in deep thought. "But if that's true, then why did his voice sound different in Hollow Bastion?"

"These cards are crafted from your memories." Mephiles informed. "Advance through the worlds they beget and you will come to understand your true meaning in this world. But remember, chasing after the light will not distance you from the darkness. You cannot run from your destiny."

"I never said I was running." Espio said sternly, holding out his hand. "Hand them over. And in the end, if I haven't given up, I will defeat the darkness."

Mephiles noticed a certain fire spark in Espio's eyes. Without breaking eye contact, Mephiles tossed the cards across the room and Espio caught them wwhile staring back at the Heartless demon.

"I do have one last gift for you." Mephiles said in a low tone.

Mephiles held out his claw towards the dark chameleon and waved it in a particular fashion. As he clutched his claw into his palm, Espio began to notice a cloud of darkness radiating from his own chest. Once the darkness faded, Espio barely had the strength to keep himself standing.

"What did you do?!" Espio exclaimed

"I tempered with the darkness that remains in your heart." Mephiles explained.

"You still think that I'd rely on the darkness?" Espio growled.

"Whether or not you use it is completely up to you." Mephiles said deviously. "But I'll be waiting, Espio. Waiting for you to come to your senses and yield to the darkness."

With those final words uttered, Mephiles faded into a portal of darkness. Espio had never felt such hatred before, which he quickly feared was the result of Mephiles tampering with his heart. He was nearly ready to give into his rage until a sphere of light drifted closer to his head.

"You alright?" Jet's voice asked worried.

"I'll be fine." Espio said easily. He looked down at the cards in his hands. "I guess I know what answer I'm looking for. Where do I belong: free in light or trapped in darkness?"

Jet said nothing as the sphere of light faded into Espio's chest once more. Feeling the warmth of Jet's light seemed to balance out his taste for the darkness. With a heavy sigh, Espio climbed up the stair way to the next floor.

The scene alters to a dark room in the higher reaches of the castle. Though everything in the room was practically concealed in darkness, there was one figure that stood out. He was a silver jackal with two black line roaming from the back of his head, joining between his eyes, and tracing down his nose. Like Duskmon and Pein, this creature wore a long black coat with black gloves and boots. Besides his appearance, there was something especially different about him. The background of his eyes were purple and his pupils was shaped like a black six-pointed star. He appeared to be waiting for someone.

"It's about time." The jackal said silently.

A moment later, a portal of darkness appeared, delivering a new character into play. He was a human, but with fiery red hair looped in the back and his skin pigment was a deep shade of violet. Like he rest of the members, he wore the same uniform as Oracle. The human held his arms crossed, looking very intimidating. But not to the jackal.

"Don't I even get a hello, Erazor?" The jackal said playfully.

"I was in the middle of important business when you called." Erazor said. "Why have you summoned us?"

"Let's wait for Mewtwo before I reveal anything." The jackal said carelessly, looking to his side. "Ah, here he is now."

Not moments before Oracle had uttered those words, another portal of darkness delivered a new member to the fold. He was much stranger than the other two. His skin was paler than a ghost and his entire body was completely different from normal. He held an alien appearance with a thin genetic tube connecting from his head to neck. He had three fingers under his gloves, each circular, and appeared to walk on his toes. Like the others, he wore the same uniform, which served to conceal his long purple tail. This character, Mewtwo, appeared to be very irritated about being here.

"What is the meaning of this, Oracle?" Mewtwo scowled. "I demand and explanation."

"Nice to see you, too." Oracle said bored. "It's unacceptable...if this is how far the bond between the Order goes..."

"I suggest you keep that to yourself, No. XI!" Mewtwo shouted.

"Let it go, Mewtwo." Erazor said threateningly. "If Oracle called us down, it must be important." Mewtwo looked ready to attack, but quickly realized he wouldn't have stood a chance against the two members. Once the alien-creature had settled down, Erazor turned to Oracle. "Tell us, Oracle. What did your eyes detect?"

"These 'shadows' of recent times" Oracle said unsurely. "For some reason, my eyes were unable to focus in on them. But I discovered two shadows in the castle's lowest basement. I recognized one of them to belong to Black Doom."

"But Black Doom is gone, destroyed by the Keyblade Master." Erazor stated. "He cannot return from the Realm of Darkness of his own choice."

"If you'd let me finish..." Oracle said irritably. "The shadow belonged to a very convincing double of Black Doom. But I can't say more than that since the copy has been destroyed. Our unexpected visitor saw to that."

"Who is it?" Erazor questioned.

"As I said before, my eyes couldn't focus on him." Oracle said lowly. "But this shadow held the same essence as the Superior."

"But it's not the same person." Mewtwo stated; Oracle nodded in agreement. "This is very intriguing."

"So...what shall we do now?" Erazor questioned.

"We shall bide our time and see what develops." Oracle instructed. Suddenly, his ears perked and he directed his attention to the ceiling. "Well, will the surprises never end?"

"What is it?" Mewtwo questioned.

"Within one hour, we shall have another unexpected guess." Oracle said; his grin grew wide. "It looks like things are about to get interesting. But I do wonder: who is this chameleon girl?"

Try to leave the darkness and it will haunt you forever. Will Espio discover where his true destiny lies? Where is King Jet at this time? Who are these black coated people? And who is this 'chameleon girl' Oracle speaks of. Find out on the next Reverse/Rebirth!

Please, read and review.

Now it's time to decide which world Espio will pass through Next.

A) Traverse Town

B) Meteor Maze

C) Hyrule

D) Southern Ocean

VOTE NOW!!