REVERSE/REBIRTH: ESPIO'S TALE
??? © Kiba Sniper
Chapter Five: Mind over Matter
Last time on Reverse/Rebirth:
The Order members, Oracle and Mewtwo, discovered Espio's existence in Castle Oblivion. Mewtwo theorizes that the dark chameleon is drawn to the castle by the will of Sonic's heart as he traveled the higher reaches of the castle. Meanwhile, Espio attempts to ward off Mephiles' continual threat when entering the next memory. He was unfortunate enough to encounter a familiar beast that seeks revenge for his death. Just when hope had seemed lost, Espio had unwillingly surrendered himself to the darkness and gave Mephiles full control. The Seeker of Darkness nearly obtained permanent control until King Jet cleansed his body. The darkness in his heart was growing weaker.
The scene returns to the white halls of Castle Oblivion as Espio exited the previous memory. For the first time since entering the castle, the light did not pain him, but gave him a sense of peace and security. He was staring at the picture of King Jet on his card, wondering if the Babylonian ruler had finally extracted the darkness from him. Unfortunately, his hopes were shattered by the echoes of a familiar evil.
"Why did you allow him to suppress me?" Mephiles questioned. Espio was delighted to hear he sounded weak. "You cannot tell me that you did not enjoy the exciting sensation you felt. How can you willingly throw that away?"
"It was your fault for attacking the king." Espio muttered pointedly; he didn't want to admit the dark demon was right. "Besides what use would I have with your power if I lose control of myself."
"Because it is necessary." Mephiles stated shortly.
"You make such a compelling argument." Espio said sarcastically.
"You will need me." Mephiles stated firmly. "Especially with the approaching danger."
"What danger?" Espio questioned.
"Why don't I answer that?"
The dark chameleon jumped backwards, flipping in midair, and landed as a portal of darkness erupted from the floor. Once the domed corridor vanished from sight, Mewtwo appeared – his tail twitching in anticipation. Espio prepared his hand to summon the Soul Eater while noticing Mewtwo's weapon of choice. The alien creature was holding three metallic spheres clutching between his trio of round fingers, gently rolling them in place.
"I take it that your name is Espio." Mewtwo said coolly.
"How did you know my name?" Espio glared, slowly closing his grip. "Are you working with Mephiles?"
"You are half correct." Mewtwo answered ominously. "Let us say that he is not the Mephiles which you are familiar with. He is Mephiles and he is not Mephiles. Perhaps a Nobody best contains the idea."
"I was never a fan of riddles." Espio sneered. "Try explaining again."
"He belongs to neither the light nor the darkness." Mewtwo summarized. "But he walks the twilight between." He chuckled lightly at Espio's surprised expression. "Catching on now? Oh yes, you also stand in between the light and the darkness. It would appear that we have much in common."
"Maybe..." Espio said silently. "Like you said, there really is darkness left inside of me." Suddenly, he threw out his hand and summoned the Soul Eater. "But so what?! Darkness is my enemy! And so are you for reeking of that awful scent of darkness!"
"Oh, so it's a fight you want." Mewtwo said amusingly. The three metal spheres in his hand began to float supported around him. "Very well, I will take you on! I am sure to collect some useful data!"
Cloned Telepath: Mewtwo
Espio didn't know why, but just knowing that Mewtwo existed made his blood boil at an alarming rate. Drawn on by the hate, the dark chameleon gripped his weapon of choice and charged forward – the Cloned Telepath did nothing. Once close enough to attack, the Hero of Darkness slashed across Mewtwo's chest when his ears caught the sound of clashing metal. He stared at his hand, which was shaking slightly, and traveled up the width of his blade to discover a metallic sphere in his path. Mewtwo had called the metal orb to protect himself without moving – the alien warrior was telepathic. With a malevolent grin, the cloned mastermind called the remaining twin spheres over his shoulder to strike at his target. Espio's fast reaction managed to block off one of the attacks, but the second sphere made contact with the dark chameleon's forehead. The Hero of Darkness flipped backwards to catch himself upon landing, wiping away the blood that dripping into his line of sight.
"Have you given up already?" Mewtwo chuckled amusingly. "I had hoped to receive more of a challenge."
"Who says I'm done?!" Espio snarled.
He made a dive for another attack, but one of the metallic spheres struck at his leg, fracturing the bone. Mewtwo smiled maliciously as the dark chameleon toppled forward.
"I'd say you've had enough." Mewtwo said mockingly as he approached the wounded hero. "I wouldn't want to injure you too much. I still need you to run a few tests."
"Is that what this is about?" Espio questioned. "I'm supposed to be some kind of test subject for your amusement?"
"Actually, it's much more than that." Mewtwo said, kneeling to the falling warrior. "You see, I need you to...."
"But what he needed Espio for remained unknown as he jumped backwards in shock. The dark chameleon had twisted his arm around to strike with the Soul Eater while swiftly drawing to his feet. The Cloned Telepath was worried and confused as to why Espio had recovered so quickly and shifted his gaze to the injury. Though invisible to normal people, Mewtwo could see a protective cast of darkness surrounding his leg. The cast served as a double purpose: it would heal his broken bone while depleting the darkness he had collected so far. Unfortunately, most likely due to the King's interference, the darkness was only strong enough to reconnect the fragmented bone, but not seal it. This because obvious to Mewtwo when Espio made a swift strike to attack, but kept off his injured leg. The Cloned Telepath effortlessly guarded against Espio's assault by using his sphere without lifting a finger.
"Just surrender." Mewtwo tempted. "You could do such good for the world."
"And why would I help you?" Espio growled, blocking another sphere with the side of the Soul Eater.
"You do not understand the significance of this castle." Mewtwo informed, commanding another orb to attack the chameleon's shoulder. "We could learn so much from your memories. The tales of your mind could weave a historical find."
"Sorry, not interested." Espio grunted.
The Hero of Darkness flipped backwards in midair and tossed his Soul Eater across the room. Naturally, Mewtwo summoned two of his sphere to rebound the attack while using the third for a preempted strike. This was what Espio had been waiting for. With a quick hand, the dark chameleon reached out and clutched the steel orb in his hand. Mewtwo gasped in shock and unintentionally called back his missing sphere, accidentally pulling his enemy into his defenses. The alien warrior tried to use his secondary spheres for defense, but Espio effortlessly kicked them away. He held out his hand and called the Soul Eater before slashing the evil blade across Mewtwo's chest. The Cloned Telepath staggered backwards as the front of his coat was ripped, revealing a small portion of his pale chest, but found no traces of blood. Horrified, the Order member thrusted his palm to the sphere remaining in Espio's grip. All of a sudden, the dark chameleon felt a painful stab.
"Yeow!" Espio screamed, releasing the orb. "What the hell?"
He glanced down at the metal sphere, which had gained a row of spikes before returning to it's smooth appearance.
"Surprised, are we?" Mewtwo questioned coolly, summoning all three spheres at his side. "I will admit that I was taken back as well. You are the third person who has been able to pass my perfect defense."
"What's with the metal ball?" Espio questioned.
"My weapons are made from a special material called Orichalcum." Mewtwo explained. "It is mainly used to synthesize items, but when purified, they become a weapon that can transform under a certain amount of pressure."
"That means trouble for you" Mephiles cackled.
"Oh, not you again." Espio groaned, raising the Soul Eater. "Whatever you want, it will have to wait until later. I'm in the middle of something."
"I have merely come to offer my assistance." Mephiles proclaimed; Espio struck at Mewtwo, who countered with a metallic round shield. "With my darkness, I can give you the power need to defeat this mutant."
"I don't need your help." Espio stated as he kicked off Mewtwo's metal pole. He landed across the hall and pulled out the green card of King Jet. "I have all the help I need right here."
Suddenly, a metallic dagger cut through the air and ripped the card in two.
"You were saying?" Mephiles murmured amusingly.
"I'll take your offer." Espio answered grudgedly. "But I remain in control."
"I will accept your terms..." Mephiles hissed. "...For now."
With their agreement settled, Espio lowered his blade and opened his defenses. Mewtwo mistook this as a gesture of surrender and thrusted all three metallic spheres at once. Before he could realize the consequence of his actions, the alien warrior watched in horror as the Hero of Darkness grasped one of the spheres and crushed it in his palm. With the return of the darkness, Espio's Dark Suit appeared on his body in a wisp of black smoke.
"Decided to dress up for the occasion?" Mewtwo said mockingly.
"Yeah, I decided to make myself look nice for you." Espio taunted.
"I see your transformation hasn't done anything to close that large mouth of yours." Mewtwo grimaced. The Clone Telepath melded his spheres together in the form of a steel scythe. "But this is only the gist of the battle."
"Now the real show can start." Espio nodded.
Espio floated across the floor with the Soul Eater pressed forward to Mewtwo's chest, but the alien warrior blocked with his weapon. The Cloned Telepath curved the scythe hold around his neck and made a wild swing that managed to cut open the cloth of Espio's armor – it resealed itself. Mewtwo scolded at the dark clothing. He grasped the end of the metallic weapon and pulled a swift upper cut to Espio's chin. But the dark chameleon bent backwards to avoid the blade while making a wild kick to the alien warrior's wrist. The metal scythe was sent flying to the ceiling, where it remained trapped, as the Hero of Darkness reached for his gauntlet. He pulled out three cards, which disappeared into particles of light, and gather a heavy amount of darkness into his palm. With Mephiles' assistance, the darkness was much more powerful as they erupted from his hand in the form of a black fireball. Mewtwo remained motionless as the Dark Firaga closed the gap between them and instead returned his attention to the scythe above. The steel weapon reshaped its form and dropped over its master into the shape of a massive dome to cover his entire body. The dark flames only singed the metal, but did not harm the Order member in the slightest.
"My, you are abrasive." Mewtwo chuckled humorously.
"You haven't seen anything yet!" Espio exclaimed. He stepped forward for another charge, but the Dark Suit suddenly vanished along with his powers. "What the? Mephiles, what are you doing?!"
"Blame your king." Mephiles answered tiredly. "My power is weaker due to his interference."
"Aw, looks like the subject has lost his magic." Mewtwo mocked as he returned the metal to its original state. "I think this battle is over."
Mewtwo: Victorious
"Not yet, it's not!" Espio screamed defiantly.
The dark chameleon rebounded off the floor, jumped into the air, and took a wild swing at the Clone Telepath. But Mewtwo effortlessly blocked it with all three spheres using a single thought. Espio tried to remove his blade, but the metallic orbs remained locked around it.
I knew there was something special about you." Mewtwo laughed wickedly. "I have found, coursing through your veins, there is a darkness of formidable power growing like a parasite. It was well worth the trouble of aggravating you."
"That's what this experiment was for?" Espio questioned. "To make me mad?"
"It was amazing how you had not figured it out for yourself." Mewtwo cackled darkly. "All this excitement has provided me with invaluable data that I can use against the Keyblade Master."
"What?!" Espio exclaimed surprisingly. "Sonic is in the castle?!"
Before answering, Mewtwo commanded the spheres to push his enemy away.
"Indeed, he is." Mewtwo nodded in a superior manner. "He is making his way to the higher levels of Castle Oblivion even as we speak." He stroked his chin in thought. "Hmm...I wonder how Duskmon has progressed with the girl."
"What girl?" Espio questioned angrily. "Do you mean Amy?"
"In a way." Mewtwo said mysterious. "But for now, I bid you adieu. Thanks for the memories, Espio."
And with that, he vanished into a portal of darkness.
"It was a trick all along." Espio growled. "Now he's going to use my power against Sonic."
"At least he's using it for something useful." Mephiles commented.
The dark chameleon ignored his words and raced off to the stair to reach the next floor. Espio now knew that Sonic was in the castle, most likely with his friends, and he was in as much danger as himself. This was his chance to make amends for all the dark deeds he has done in his past. Finally, Espio and Sonic can go back home to Destiny Islands and put this horrific nightmare behind them.
Meanwhile, the scene alternates to the entrance hall of Castle Oblivion, to the exact point where Sonic and his friends entered the forbidden kingdom. It was raining outside the domain, which was a strange fact in on itself since there was not a cloud in the sky. The doors to the castle opened inwards as a shadowed figure entered inside and pushed the door closed behind him. The unknown character was wearing a beige cloak to cover his body and a straw hat covered his face. The figure shivered while shaking his cloak free of the dew.
"Ugh, what was I thinking?" A figure said in a feminine voice. "I traveled forever in the plain and I'm not a single step closer to finding the Keyblade Master or the King."
"You're actually much closer than you think."
At once, the cloaked figure reached behind her back and grabbed the hilt of a hidden object – it was a sword. At that very same instant, a portal of darkness emerged from the floor, but washed away to reveal Oracle instead. It was very unusual to see the silver jackal aboveground, especially when greeting a complete stranger. The unknown female remained holding the handle of her blade while never leaving her eyes away from the enigmatic creature.
"Relax, I only want to speak." Oracle proclaimed.
"That's what they all say." The female grunted.
"I can tell you have been through some troubling times." Oracle said in a drawling manner. "You were forced from your home, separated from your family, and forced into a destiny that you never wanted to begin with. It must have been cold and lonely to spend so many years away from the ones you cherished."
"How do you know all this?" The female questioned, slowly unsheathing her blade.
"I know quite a few things." Oracle stated. "I also know the reason you are here. The King of Babylon is currently on his way to Castle Oblivion as we speak. And as for the one you are searching for, I regret to tell you that he has been overlooked as the Keyblade Master. He was not worthy to wield the sacred blade."
"Liar!" The female exclaimed.
Jumping across the hall, the enigmatic female drew her blade and slashed across the jackal's neckline. But before she could reach within five feet of the creature, an invisible barrier appeared and pushed her away. The cloaked warrior tumbled backwards for a moment and caught herself before making another charge. Once again, the barrier appeared to provide an invisible protection. The female was clearly confident in her own strength and continued to cut across the unseen defenses, even though not a scratch was made. Growing tired of this fruitless battle, Oracle thrusted out his palm and expanded the barrier, sending the warrior flying backwards. The cloaked warrior landed with a heavy thud as her blade stabbed at the ground between the hand and head. She slowly crawled to her knees, panting heavily.
"Had enough?" Oracle questioned.
"What are you doing here?" The female asked, shaking hard. "I know you didn't just show up to welcome me home."
"Actually, that is exactly what I did." Oracle said mockingly. "I have come to offer my courtesy to your ever-growing quest and to grant you a choice."
"What choice." The female questioned.
"You can either serve us willingly..." Oracle said slowly. "Or you can serve us by force."
"Like I would ever obey you!" The female shouted loudly, ripping her blade from the floor. "Sorry, but you're a bad negotiator."
"That is a matter of opinion." Oracle stated.
As the cloaked warrior prepared her blade for another round, the Looming Prophet snapped his fingers progressively. Before she could realize what had happened, the enigmatic female found herself slowly sinking into the floor. Oracle had somehow summoned a hole of darkness that dragged the warrior inside like quicksand. The feminine fighter tried to pull herself out with her blade, but Oracle expanded the black hole to prevent this. And from that point onwards, the warrior could see nothing but endless black.
A strange new current of event unfolds. Will Espio come to depend on the darkness? Will Mewtwo gain the upper hand in his battle against Sonic? And who is this strange new visitor to the castle. Find out on the next Reverse/Rebirth!
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