REVERSE/REBIRTH: ESPIO'S TALE
Chapter Three: The Lost City
Last time on Reverse/Rebirth:
After escaping the horrors of his past, Espio encountered another shadow best forgotten: Mephiles, the Seeker of Darkness. It was discovered that the darkness of the Heartless Leader still nested inside Espio's heart, preventing him from ever returning to the light. To test the true limits of his power, the dark chameleon challenge Mephiles, only to end in defeat. And before he could corrupt Espio fully, the essence of King Jet shined to the rescue. Now Espio must travel through the hall of memories, unaware of another group interested in him.
The scene opens into the basement halls of Castle Oblivion. It was obvious that Espio was getting agitated by seeing the same walls repeatedly with the only exception of the blank door at the end. As he stared at the white paint of the walls, he is reminded of something during his time with Black Doom. In all the books he read, he knew that the color white represented light and purity while he was anything but pure. Espio felt like a stain on the floor – contaminated and corrupt. But while these thought trailed through his mind, he suddenly became aware of his sense of smell.
"What the?" Espio asked confused. He closed his eyes to focus on the scent. "Something smells funny. What is this odor? It seems vaguely familiar." He took a whiff of his gloved hand and gasped in shock. "Darkness...It's the smell of darkness. I can't believe this is happening. Darkness has even seeped into my skin."
"Aw, don't you worry abut a thing, Espio!"
"Your majesty!" Espio exclaimed happily.
Against the bright colors of the castle walls, a single sphere of unnatural light dropped from the ceiling. It seemed spectral, almost as if a soul had returned from the dead. Espio watched with natural wonder as the light stopped directly in front of him before expanding with a powerful flash. Espio felt a sting in his heart from the light, but did not give signs of weakness while a physical form was given to the light. Now standing before him was a proud and majestic emerald hawk with five pointed feathers, white chest feathers, and a dark flame of his wrists. He wore white gloves with red and black cuffs held by a metal loop, red, white and black boots and a pair of white goggles with yellow lenses. But even with him standing in the heart of the room, he appeared as more of a spirit than anything
"Your majesty, it's you!" Espio cheered gratefully until noticing his spectral form. "Your majesty, what happened? I can see...right through you."
"Kinda weird, isn't it?" Jet chuckled, posing his ghostly essence. "I can only send a small bit of my light into this place. That's why I gotta ask you a favor."
"A favor?" Espio repeated.
"You better listen good, Espio." Jet stated with authority. "Because I'm only going to say this once. Just because darkness has a hold on you doesn't mean you have to forget who you are. It's your job to fight the darkness inside you. I know it won't be easy, but the best things in life never are. So do me a favor and don't let go of who you are. Because even in the deepest darkness, there's always a small trace of light somewhere."
"That's from the story Sonic's mom told him when he was a baby." Espio smiled.
"She was always a smart girl." Jet nodded. "You and I have already seen that light before, Espio. The true light of Kingdom Hearts hidden behind the Door to Darkness. If you just follow that light, I doubt Mephiles will be able to take over." He crossed his arms and tapped his foot expectedly. "So, can you do this one little favor for me?"
"I promise." Espio accepted. "I won't let Mephiles or the darkness take over."
"And don't worry, I'm on my way." Jet proclaimed. "It will take a while, but hopefully you can get along well without me."
Jet holds out his hand for Espio to take, grinning smugly without reason. The dark chameleon sighed gratefully and reached out to take the offer. But as he close his hand over the king's spectral acceptance, he suddenly fell through, which caught him by surprise and fell forward onto his face. As Espio crawled to his knees, he had the funny inkling that King Jet had planned for that to happen – he was laughing uncontrollably.
"I'm sorry, man." Jet sniggered harshly. "I just couldn't pass it up."
"It was my fault." Espio shook his head. "I forgot that you were just an illusion."
"Eh, it's nothing to worry about." Jet shrugged nonchalantly. "Even if we could touch each other's hands, the promise we made still exist in our hearts. That means we are connected."
"I guess we are." Espio nodded acceptingly. "You know, you are very wise, your majesty."
"Now if only Wave could hear that." Jet said jokingly. Suddenly, the emerald king looked down at his feet and noticed the light beginning to fade. "Whoops, look's like my time is up. But before I go, I have one last gift for you, Espio."
"A gift?" Espio questioned.
"I might not be here physically," Jet stated distantly. "But that doesn't mean I can't help. Whenever you need me, just give me a call."
And the emerald hawk faded from existence, but not before leaving behind a small present on the ground. Espio kneeled now and grabbed the object, which turned out to be a green card. Similar to the card he retrieved from Black Doom, Jet's portrait was printed on the face. After storing the card in his gauntlet, he proceeded to the blank door at the end of the room. Deciding to use the cards given by Mephiles, Espio raised one to the door and vanished into the light
---Traverse Town---
As Espio wandered aimlessly into the new world, he found that it took an unnaturally long time for him to regain his sight. The darkness inside him must have drugged him worse than what he had expected. When he could see properly again, the dark chameleon found himself staring into the square of quaint little town that he could recognize from anywhere. With the various shops, bricked streets, and multiple advertisements, it wasn't difficult to tell he was in Traverse Town. But there was one fact that bothered him.
"This can't be right." Espio commented defiantly. "I remember seeing Mephiles destroy Traverse Town when he took the Master Emerald. How can it still be here?"
"Even in this castle, your memory is failing." The voice, now identified as Mephiles, cackled.
"What do you want know?!" Espio roared to the sky.
"I've just come to see how my little project in holding up." Mephiles replied.
"So now I'm some kind of experiment." Espio growled spitefully.
"Young Espio, you were always a point of interest." Mephiles stated coolly. "You possess such darkness that I have not seen since my own time. You make the makings of becoming the next Seeker of Darkness."
"Not interested." Espio said firmly.
"Oh, then I suppose you will not need my help with them." Mephiles commented.
"Huh?" Espio questioned confused.
Turning sharply around on his heel, Espio found himself tackled to the ground by a dark blur. While holding his attack back by its tiny neck, the dark chameleon took this opportunity to recognize his opponent as a Shadow Heartless. He pressed his feet into the monster's chest and kicked it backwards into one of the shop windows. Espio flipped back onto his feet and summoned his Soul Eater in a cloud of darkness – he cringed at the thought. But while the Shadow crawl through the broken glass, it snapped its head to the sky and emitted a high-pitched squeal. Not even a moment passed before it was joined by four more Shadows and three Soldier Heartless.
"Is this really the best you can throw out?" Espio laughed mockingly. "You must be slipping, Mephiles."
"Wasn't it the Keyblade Master who told you appearances can be deceiving?" Mephiles retorted.
"Compared to the creatures in Black Doom's castle," Espio smirked confidently. "This shouldn't be too hard."
The Heartless seemed to realize that they were being insulted as red veins formed on their black heads. While the Shadow Heartless took the lead in front, the Soldiers balanced themselves on their pointed feet and began to twirl. Espio always did find the Soldiers to be humorous. And as two of the Shadows jumped with their serrated claws in front, the dark chameleon effortlessly killed them with one swing of the Soul Eater. He had expected to lose a card in his gauntlet, but he had not expected was to find a wisp of darkness billowing into his arm.
"What is going on?" Espio questioned fearfully.
"Ah, it seems my gift is taking effect." Mephiles said pleasantly.
"What are you talking about?!" Espio shouted impatiently.
"The darkness within you grows during battle." Mephiles explained. "It culminates after every attack until your body can no longer suppress it. Then it takes over you body and allows the darkness to release itself."
"I won't let that happen." Espio hissed.
"You don't have a choice." Mephiles stated pointedly.
He was right – he didn't have as choice. As the two remaining Shadows swarmed around his legs, Espio managed to kick one to the side and stab the remaining one through the back. But because of his mind was distracted by Mephiles' words, he was clueless to the spinning Soldiers until one of them slapped their foot across his face. The dark chameleon staggered backwards – Appearing dazed for a moment – and shook his head free of confusion. A second Soldier twisted for his direction, but Espio flipped over the armored creature, cutting its head from above. And as he landed, he fell backwards onto his back to avoid another swing from the Soldiers before stabbing it through the chest. With only one Soldier left, Espio thought of a great move to finish it off. By thrusting out his palm, he summoned a fireball of dark flames that devoured the Heartless before it could even blink.
"Very impressive." Mephiles complimented. "You have managed to expel whatever darkness you had gathered during the battle and use it as a weapon. That is a natural trait of those who seek darkness."
"I don't want anything to do with the darkness." Espio stated firmly, killing the last Shadow Heartless.
"Why deny your heritage?" Mephiles questioned persuasively. "Did you not enjoy the touch of true power? Do you not realize that the darkness is your birthright? You accepted the darkness and you can never escape from it."
"I made a mistake." Espio acknowledged. "But that's all in the past. I will never give into the darkness in my heart. And a few shadow bugs won't be enough to change my mind."
"You're right." Mephiles agreed. "A few Heartless are clearly no match for your skills. Perhaps if I provide something with a little more...substance."
Espio knew he had vanished again, leaving him alone with his thoughts. It was true the he had accepted darkness before and he loved the thrill of destroy the Heartless with his dark powers. Did that make him just like Mephiles? But as he stared down at the stones below his feet, he noticed a tremendous shadow flying across the ground. Suddenly, a deafening thud could be heard, following by a powerful shockwave – Espio was almost afraid to look. He spotted a pitch-black dragon with a red underbelly about twice Espio's size. It was long and slender with two massive wings, six horns on its face, a blade-like tail, and iron cuffs around her arms and neck.
Shadow Dragon: Cynder
"You are to be my challenge?" Cynder questioned disappointedly. "What a waste of my time an power."
"Ok, I certainly don't remember you." Espio stated, raise Soul Eater to his side.
"It is as Black Doom said before." Mephiles laughed darkly. "You heart has fallen too far into the darkness. Now you can only see creatures who reside in that same darkness. You may no have met this dragon before, but she is the only trace of darkness that exists in this world. The same effect will go to all world you come across."
"At you forgot what I said before." Espio glared. "If I'm stuck seeing people of the darkness, then I'll just take them out one-by-one!"
"Foolish mortal." Cynder laughed. "Prepare for an early demise."
The dark dragon turned her back to the chameleon warrior and lashed her tail-blade to him. The steel limb cut through the stone street, but Espio was quick to jump into the air before the blade could strike. Before landing, the dark chameleon managed to cut through Cynder's rough hide, leaving a visible trail of blood. The shadow dragon hissed from the pain and curved her neck around and snapped at her attacker. Espio tried swinging Soul Eater to ward her off, but the demon-blade rebounded off the dragon's snout, knocking it out of his hand. This left Cynder with an opportune chance to close her teeth over the chameleon's right arm – she relished his cries of pain. She flailed her head around the air, still holding Espio, and released a moment later to send the dark chameleon flying. As he smashed through the doors into Omega's shop, Espio leaned on his side to examine his arm. It was bleed heavily, but he noticed a mist of darkness surrounding it.
"The darkness..." Espio whispered surprisingly. "It's healing me."
There are many benefits to wielding the darkness." Mephiles voice commented. "It is not just used as a weapon, but as a protector as well. Don't you want to savior that phenomenal power?"
"Tempting, but I'll pass." Espio said sarcastically.
Without warning, the roof of the shop was ripped apart, revealing the steaming Cynder.
"Oh, you're still alive." Cynder growled playfully. "Then that means I can have a little more fun."
As the shadow dragon reached her claw inside to grab him, Espio avoided it and jumped for the door. He slipped through Cynder's hind legs – avoiding the tail – and skipped over the stairs to land back into the square. Judging by the crunching sound from behind, Cynder was not far from chasing after him. He need the Soul Eater and fast. He spotted the red wing of the demon-blade resting on the floor next to the outdoor café, but was cut off when Cynder's tail fell in front. The shadow dragon herself favored the direct approach by reach out for her prey with her extended claw. Espio twisted to the side to avoid the claw and gathered the remained of darkness he collected into his hand for another fireball. Unfortunately, just as the sparks began to crackle in his hands, the flame suddenly died out. Taking advantage to Espio's confusion, Cynder spread her left wing to uppercut the dark chameleon in the chin, sending him flying backwards to the entrance of the town. Espio groaned, pressing down on his throbbing forehead.
"I don't get it." Espio mumbled gruffly. "I used the powers of darkness before."
"Than was when you had enough cards to battle with." Mephiles stated.
"Say what?" Espio questioned. Looking down to his gauntlet, he noticed he only had one card left. "What happened? I know for sure that I had more cards than this before the battle started."
"The Dark Firaga is what is known as a sleight." Mephiles informed. "It is a special technique that requires three cards to use. You may have had the darkness to unlock it, but you needed the cards to wield it."
"Can't I just recharge?" Espio grunted.
"I do not intend to give you the satisfaction." Before could realize what happened, Cynder constricted her tail around Espio's body. "I may have been soft on you because you also possessed the darkness. But now, you will be destroyed."
True to her word, the shadow dragon's grip began to increase, forcing the air out of Espio's body. The dark chameleon struggled, but Cynder's muscle was far more powerful than he had imagined. For a short moment, he began consider giving into Mephiles in order to survive. But then the voice of King Jet echoed through his mind.
"I might not be here physically, but that doesn't mean I can't help. Whenever you need me, just give me a call."
"Well, better late than never." Espio gasped as he struggled to draw the King's card. "Your majesty, I need you!!"
A brilliant storm of light exploded from the thin card, blinding Cynder to the point where she unintentionally released her prey. Espio had expected to feel the same damaging effects as Cynder, but instead felt comfort and warmth. His aches and pains vanished from existence and the Soul Eater returned to his hand – his gauntlet was full. As the light slowly dimmed, the glowing particles reshaped themselves to create the perfect copy of King Jet. The shining hawk grinned playfully.
"Wow, I didn't think you would need me this soon." Jet commented jokingly.
"I'm just as surprised as you are." Espio laughed.
"What manner of trickery is this?!" Cynder snarled monstrously.
"The best show on the world." Jet boasted, flexing his fingers in preparation. "Now I have nothing up my sleeves – of course, I don't have sleeves – and watch as I pull a Keyblade out of my hat!"
Espio was about to say he didn't have a hat, but he didn't want to interrupt. Another cluster of light former around the phantom King's left hand and expanded into a familiar weapon. It looked almost exactly like the Kingdom Key Sonic carried, but with a golden blade, white rims around the handle, and the symbol of Babylon Garden at the Keychain. Cynder paid no mind to the spectral hawk as he did not truly exist. This ultimately led to Cynder's downfall. King Jet zoomed across the square at speeds that could only be compared to Sonic's Keychain ability and stabbed the Darkside Keyblade at the dragon's heart. Cynder roared in mutinous agony and attempted to rip the hawk king to shreds, but her hands only phased through him.
"Ok, Espio, time for the big finally!" Jet called.
"At once, your majesty!" Espio responded.
The dark chameleon gripped the Soul Eater and jumped into the air, never allowing his attention to wander. His main target was for Cynder's forehead. But with the dragon's head flailing back and forth, it would have seemed like an impossible task for anyone else. But with speed and precision, Espio brought down his blade and stabbed it directly into the dragon's skull. Cynder's voice slowly died away and remained stiff for a short time before gently falling to her side. As Espio retracted his weapon, the carcass of the fallen beast faded into a cloud of darkness, leaving behind a single black card. Like before, he took the card of Cynder and pocketed it into his gauntlet
Cynder: Defeated
"Well, I would say you did well for your first time out." Jet complimented.
"No I didn't." Espio argued, shaking his head. "I used the powers of darkness to fight the Heartless. It's slowly beginning to take control of my body. I wasn't able to keep my promise.
"But you did keep it." Jet stated firmly, much to Espio's confusion. "You may have used the powers of darkness, but you did let it take you over. I know there will be times where you think you can't win and you're wrong. The powers of darkness are great, but the light will always win in the end."
"The light in the darkness..." Espio murmured.
"Aleena knew Sonic was destined to be the Keyblade Master and she was afraid." Jet explained. "Next to the Master of Keyblades, she was possibly the wisest warrior in the universe. She found the light, but can you?"
"I guess I can try." Espio nodded. Suddenly, a thought appeared in his mind. "Hey, wait a minute. Sonic's mother hasn't talk to him for over fifteen years. You don't look a day over thirteen or fourteen, so how could you possibly know Aleena." He eyed the glowing hawk. "How old are you really?"
"I think that's a story for another time." Jet stammered quickly. "Gotta go!"
And just like that, he dissolved into a cluster of light particles that faded into the night.
"Even you king is keeping secrets." Mephiles commented. "Can you trust him?"
"Shut up!" Espio snapped.
Once again, the dark chameleon was blinded by the heavy light as a door opened at the end of the square, signaling the end of the memory. As he looked down at his body, he realized the darkness within him could be seen more clearly. In some parts, it was faint and impossible to see. But in some parts, such as his injured arm, the darkness could be seen as clear as day. He realized the one fact plaguing him as he passed through the light – he was falling into corruption.
Light begins to fade and darkness seeks control. Will Espio be able to ward off the temptations of Mephiles and the darkness? Can King Jet find his way to Castle Oblivion in time? And how does the king know of Aleena? Find out on the next Reverse/Rebirth: Espio's Tale!
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