REVERSE/REBIRTH: ESPIO'S TALE
Tomo the Chameleon © Kiba Sniper
Chapter Nine: Dark Magic
Last time on Reverse/Rebirth:
Espio made a surprise encounter with one whom he would consider his sister: Tomo. While she claimed that she was searching for her brother out of concern, he soon learned it was to test his strength. The dark chameleon had unfortunately learned that Tomo had willingly accepted the darkness. A battle clashed between them, which ended with the result of Espio as the victor. However, Tomo was only holding back. She soon discovered the location of the secret Order members. Through a great deal of persuasion and deception from Oracle, Tomo offered her services to them.
The scene opens to the next floor of Castle Oblivion. Espio rushed his way up the stairs, looking worried and angry at the same time. After just meeting his sister, he wanted answers to his questions. Where did they come from? How long has she known King Jet? And why did she accept the vile corruption of the darkness. Unfortunately, upon arriving at the next level, Tomo was nowhere to be seen. The only thing that stood out for the white walls was the door held on the raised platform.
"Where are you?!" Espio yelled. "Come on out and show yourself, you two-faced faker!"
"Faker?" A familiar voice chuckled. "Oh no...That's not exactly the right word."
The Hero of Darkness didn't need a guess to know who was speaking – he heard that voice too many times in his head. As expected, a portal of darkness emerged from the ground and deposited Mephiles on the raised platform. This was the second time the Seeker of Darkness made a physical appearance. Espio's hand was itching to summon the Soul Eater until he noticed something different. Having used Mephiles' power on several occasions, he found it unusual that the darkness surrounding in was much less potent than normal. And now that he thought about it, he could remember Mephiles only using a small trace of darkness in their previous fight. Something was amiss.
"What are you saying?" Espio questioned strangely. "Isn't she just a copy of what I used to be?"
"More like a model." Mephiles stated humorously. "She is the perfect example of what you should try to be. She accepts the darkness...just like you once couldn't help but accept me." He ignored the chameleon's glare. "But now you are afraid. Perhaps you are the one who is being a two-faced faker. It is fake when you pretend to have no fear."
"When have I been afraid of the dark?" Espio questioned.
"Inside of the card-worlds." Mephiles replied. "You grapple desperately with the darkness. Desperation is fear. You fight the darkness because it is what frightens you."
"Shut up!" Espio snapped.
The dark chameleon summoned the Soul Eater to his hand and made another attempt for a preemptive strike. Unfortunately, Mephiles came well prepared and stopped the dark blade with his hand before expelling him back. As Espio tumbled backward on the floor, he noticed something else that was unusual. That defense was made from light, not darkness. The dark chameleon jumped back to position, but did not move.
"Stubborn child." Mephiles said idly. He tossed another set of cards, which Espio caught. "Continue your fight, if you must. Eventually, you will learn. You cannot resist the darkness."
And with that, the Seeker of Darkness faded into the void. Though still surging with anger, Espio was reluctant to allow the Soul Eater to leave his side. What did he know? Tomo was a traitor and he had no fear of the darkness. So why does Mephiles keep pestering him about it. Without bothering to see the cards, Espio walked up to the platform and raised one to the empty door. Shielding his eyes in pain, Espio tugged into the next world.
---Hogwarts---
When the light had faded away, Espio was greeted with a number of unusual surprises. He was standing in the wide-sweeping lawn of a towering castle with a dark forest at his back and a bottomless lake to his left. But even the pale crescent moon or the whispers of the trees seem to calm him when he caught his reflection in the water. His shoes and gloves were missing as his nails were lengthened at both ends, this tail was split into two directions, and he gained six horns in the back of his head. He also took notice that the gauntlet given by Mephiles was missing, meaning he was unable to summon the Soul Eater at will.
"What happened to be?" Espio said with a growl in his voice.
"This is the aftereffect of entering this world." Mephiles explained. "Your body has been transfigured to make it suitable to the world. Personally, I think it's an improvement."
"Ha, ha, very funny." Espio said dryly. "Haven't you caused enough trouble for one day?"
"This has been a very long day." Mephiles proclaimed. "Actually, longer than it should be. I guess time isn't a factor in Castle Oblivion."
"That's very interesting." Espio said sarcastically. "Now if you don't mind, I have to find the leader of this world. It's the only way I'll be able to leave this castle faster."
"You're already thinking ahead." Mephiles said. "You are already using the skills I have given you."
"No, I'm using my own." Espio sneered.
The dark warrior cut off the connection at that point. Looking around the grounds, Espio concluded that the most likely place to find an enemy would be in the depths of the dark forest. Brushing through the leave-strewn floor of the forest, Espio kept a watchful eye on his surroundings – his new form have him extrasensory perception. On rare occasions, Espio would cross paths with an assortment of creatures: centaurs, hippogriffs, and a winged-horse he recognized as a thestral. These particular creatures seemed very affectionate to him as they nuzzled him with their leathery-skinned heads.
"Ok, this is very creepy." Espio shivered, watching the nearest one with a bone sticking from its neck.
"Thestrals are creatures that love darkness." Mephiles stated. "They only appear to those who have seen the darkness of death in their lifetimes. And you, having killed so many of the darkness, and granted this wondrous treat."
"A treat for you, maybe." Espio groaned; one of the thestrals licked him with its serrated tongue. "I, on the other hand, have no such desire to allow myself to be taken in by these things."
"But you may need them for your incoming dilemma." Mephiles said mysteriously.
"What dil...?"
But he could finish, the dark chameleon found himself being pulled down to the ground and several white hands emerged from the ground. When being pinned down, the captors jumped from the dirt and revealed themselves. They were a group of five Heartless with unusually long claws and a decaying corpse visible through the white bandages. Espio remembered the day it was he who discovered this species and named them Wight Knights. The thestrals hissed and snarled at their intruders, but did nothing when the mummified shadows raised their claws to them. In the moment that the Heartless were distracted by the winged-horses, Espio expelled his tongue from his mouth and wrapped it around a tree above. The Wight Knights fell backwards in shock when Espio suddenly launched himself into the treetops. Once reaching the branch, Espio stabbed his claws into the trunk – he removed the blisters from his taste buds slowly.
"Like I said: terrible taste in the mouth." Espio spat.
"That was fairly quick." Mephiles chuckled. "The Heartless, I mean. They caught you off guard without a presentable sign of danger. Are you quite certain that you do not require my help?"
"I think I've had enough of you." Espio said coldly.
Once again, Espio cut off the connection between them – he was gaining more control. When the Wight Knights finally caught Espio in their sights, three of the mummified Heartless used their jagged claws to crawl their way to the top. They were unfortunate that they were going up a chameleon – a natural climber. The Hero of Darkness twisted around the tree trunk with his tails snapping at every turn until he stopped in the face of the first Heartless. The Wight Knight did not seem surprised by this and swiped their claws across the trunk, just a few seconds after Espio flipped overhead. The dark chameleon grabbed the other two Wight Knights by their heads while strangling the leader with his twin tails. Pulling a single flip in the air, Espio launched the mummified Heartless to the ground, dog piling them above their partners on the floor. Kicking off the tree, cracking the bark, and dived over the pile. He landed on all fours over the Wight Knights, crushing them into oblivion.
"See, I told you I didn't need your help." Espio smirked. "I am powerful enough on my own."
"You have only managed to extinguish a few minor soldiers." Mephiles said coolly. "But you forget, the darkness holds many secrets. The true shadows lurk in its depths."
"How about you stop speaking in riddles?!" Espio snapped. "You are just as bad as Mewtwo!"
"If you want an answer, look around." Mephiles chuckled.
"Look around..." Espio repeated confused. "What the hell are you....?"
"Avada kedavra!" A high-pitched voice screeched.
Reacting on instinct, the Hero of Darkness kicked off the ground and latched himself to a hanging branch as a flash of green light passed under him. With his enhanced senses, he could see the light hit against a tree and watched amazingly as it died instantaneously. With a suspicious expression, Espio dropped back to the ground and confronted his attacked. It wasn't hard for him to forget a face like that: the deathly pales skin, snake-like nostrils, and glimmering scarlet eyes.
"Voldemort." Espio murmured.
"It's been a while, Espio." Voldemort hissed pleasingly. "Have you been using my lessons to great use?"
"You could say that." Espio glared; a mist of darkness enveloped his claw. "Let me take a stab in the dark and guess that you're the one who I'm supposed to fight in order to escape this place."
"Impatient as always, but yes." Voldemort said silkily. "The darkness bound in your heart has formed me from within your memories. If you seek to escape the true horrors of your past, you must overcome it."
"To make things short, let's end this quick." Espio said impatiently. "I'm kinda in a hurry."
"So be it." Voldemort hissed.
Dark Lord: Voldemort
Espio didn't know what to expect from this battle. Voldemort was obviously stronger than Whisker, but he was still weak compared to the rest of Black Doom's dark council. Quick as a flash, Voldemort flourished his wand from his black robe and pointed it for the chameleon's forehead. Espio jumped away as swift as possible to avoid any spells that Voldemort might throw at him, only to watch the snake master disappear in a cloud of black smoke. He skid to a halt and stared into the space when the dark chameleon felt something poke at the back of his head. Voldemort had appeared from behind and held his wand threateningly at the chameleon's cranium.
"Imperio!" Voldemort cried.
At once, Espio was trapped in a dream-like trance that seemed to sooth his every nerve. He was no longer worried about Voldemort, Tomo, or even if Mephiles was slowly obtaining control over his body. All he knew was that nothing could bother him and everything was right with the world. Then, Voldemort's voice broke through the silence.
"Bow to me..." The voice echoed. "Bow to your superior...bow to Lord Voldemort."
But why?
"Bow to me..." the voice continued. "Bow to Lord Voldemort...swear you loyalty to your superior."
You are not my master.
"Bow to Lord Voldemort!" The voice shouted furiously. "Bend to the will of the Dark Lord!!"
"Not a chance!" Espio shouted aloud.
The Hero of Darkness eradicated the trance and shattered Voldemort's chances of control. The Dark Lord stumbled backwards from this sudden outburst, clearly not expecting such defiance from him. Espio, however, took full advantage of the situation. Though he was unable to summon the Soul Eater at will, the transformed chameleon swiped his claws backwards upon Voldemort, leaving a series of holes through his cloak. With a staggering hiss, the Dark Lord pulled back his cloak out of the warrior's reach and jabbed his wand forward to shoot another spell. This time, Espio was hit with a full-blast of the magic and suddenly dropped to the ground in agonizing pain. For reasons unknown, Espio's skin was suddenly burning like a thousand white-hot knives piercing his body. Voldemort was amused as the dark chameleon withered and curled in pain.
"Yes, feel the pain." Voldemort laughed malevolently. "The darkness could have saved you from such agony. But your fear compels you to accept it. And now you suffer from your mistake."
"I..." Espio grunted horrifically. "Am not....afraid."
"You dwell on the past because you fear your mistakes." Voldemort said cruelly. "You have caused too much pain in your life that you seek to hide in those distant memories of your life before. But it is too late."
"I...do not..." Espio hissed defiantly. Voldemort stared in shock as Espio slowly pushed himself to all fours. "A coward! I...Do not run away...from the darkness. The darkness...is my...enemy!"
"From what you say, you are neither a being of light or darkness." Voldemort scowled. "You turned your back on all those you once cared for. You family, your friends, the Keyblade Master. After all the dark deeds you have committed, do you truly believe that any of them will forgive you?"
"But...I..." Espio stammered.
Was he right? Would the others forgive him for what he did? The last time he saw Sonic, they had met on opposite end of the Door to Darkness. But he never found out if he was forgiven. Amy was always forgiving and King Jet seemed to trust him enough with his card. But what about the others? That boy, Naruto, hated him for stealing his loved one, the gang from Traverse Town considered him a mortal enemy, and he had no idea what Sonic's team thought of him. Maybe...this was how it was meant to be. Voldemort must have possessed the ability to read minds and his wicked grin grew wider.
"You now see my meaning." Voldemort said malevolently. "You are alone in the world. Without a friend or loved one to come to your protection." He raised his wand. "It would be best if I put you out of your misery."
Espio closed his eyes in expectancy – he was wondering if anyone would miss him. But just when it seemed to be over, a piercing screech broke through the sound barrier. Voldemort barely had a chance to look over before a pair of thestrals rained down upon him, forcing the Dark Lord to the leaf-strewn floor. The torture curse was thrown off while they tried to rip apart the snake master with their teeth and claws. The dark chameleon felt something nudge at his elbow and found a third thestral attempting to help him.
"You know, you're not so bad after all." Espio smiled, patting the winged-horse.
"I...I don't understand." Mephiles returned with a hint of amazement. "Thestrals can be tames, but never have they attempted to befriend those among the living. What are you exactly?"
"I guess I'm just somewhere in the middle." Espio murmured mystically.
"Release me, you foul beasts!" Voldemort screamed. "Avada Kedavra!"
In a flash of green light, the twin thestrals were hurtled backwards onto the ground. Espio expected them to be dead and sighed in relief as they stood up, shaking their reptilian head – they were beasts of death. Voldemort was now furious with the Hero of Darkness and decided it was timed to release his final weapon. The Dark Lord whipped his wand at his general direction and shot a series of green flashes for the chameleon. The third thestral instantly dived to his defense and took all the shots while keeping his ground. With a wave of his wand, Voldemort forced the winged-beast into the air and smashed it against the nearest tree. When looking back to the dark warrior, he was surprised to find that he was nowhere to be seen.
"Running away, coward!" Voldemort cackled. "Then again, that's what you do best!"
"Apparently, you weren't listening to me before." The Dark Lord stiffened when he felt something sharp stabbed through his chest and speared at his heart. To add to his horror, Espio dispelled his camouflage to reveal himself to the Dark Lord. "I never run away from the darkness. Especially cowards like you."
"Say what you wish." Voldemort coughed through the blood in his mouth. "You have been banished from both sides of the war. You have no place amongst anyone."
"Then I guess I'll always be alone." Espio said coldly. "But if I am to walk along the gray path, I will do what I believe is right!"
With that, Espio twisted his claw in the Dark Lord's chest. Voldemort gasped in equal pain and horror when feeling his heart being ripped out of place. The Hero of Darkness dropped the bloody organ on the ground, but not for the reasons you would expect. It was like waking up from a cold nightmare. Espio had killed more than one during his time in Castle Oblivion, but never had he done it in such a cruel manner. His hands were now stained with blood that could never be removed. While looking over the Dark Lord's corpse, his Enemy Card appeared and inch from his face. Espio took it, but felt sick to his stomach.
Voldemort: Defeated
"Oh man..." Espio groaned. "I don't feel so..."
Within moment, he expelled the queasy feeling through his mouth.
"What is with you?" Mephiles scowled. "This would not be the first time you have killed."
"But this is the first time I did it with my bare hands." Espio answered, wiping his mouth. "These hands...I can still feel his heart beating within them."
"You have acceded to the next level." Mephiles said proudly. "You are becoming the next Seeker of Darkness."
These words made Espio feel even worse. He felt another nudge at his elbow and felt happy to learn that all three thestrals were fit and well. After petting and praising them individually, a ray of light appeared through closing within the trees. The blank door of Castle Oblivion appeared, signaling the end of the memory. With a dreadful sigh, he bid the thestrals farewell; he crossed the threshold of the door. Unknown to him, a black shape followed him through before the door closed.
The scene alternates the higher levels of Castle Oblivion. Mewtwo had just arrived as Roodaka and Terro were discussing the Keyblade Master. Tempers seem to run high as Roodaka and Mewtwo were starting to breath down each other's necks before Terro intervened.
"How can we help you, Mewtwo?" Terro asked curiously, keeping a barrier between the two members for Mewtwo's protection. "It's not very often we see you above the basement floors."
"I have come to lend you a hand." Mewtwo offered. "You and Duskmon obviously believe this Sonic character has mach potential. But I remain unconvinced he is truly worth such coddling. I think an experiment would show if he really is worth any value to us."
"Here we go again." Roodaka shook. "This is just an excuse so you can carry out your little experiments. That's all."
"I am a product of science." Mewtwo grinned. "Experimentations are what I do best."
"Whatever." Terro shrugged. "You can do whatever you want. But you know, I think test Sonic is just a cover for testing your new toy."
"Toy?" Mewtwo gasped mockingly. "She is the byproduct of much extensive research and persuasion."
"It's like Terro said, she's a toy." Roodaka nodded.
"You should learn to hold your tongue, No. XII." Mewtwo scowled.
"Anyway..." Terro said playfully, presenting a card to the unknown Order member. "Since you came all this way, you're going to be needing this. A humble gift to my elder. I hope you use it to put on a very good show for us."
"Not to worry." Mewtwo chuckled lightly. "This will be the best show in the universe."
At that moment, another character entered the room, drawing Kumori's curious eye. Tomo the Chameleon stood proud and tall as the Order members looked over her. She had only heard fragments of their conversation before Mewtwo called her into the room – she heard something about a toy and an experiment. Mewtwo glanced at his new soldier before looking at the card Terro gave him.
"That card holds memories from Sonic and Espio's home." Terro claimed.
"It's just a card." Tomo said unimpressed. "What good is that against the Keyblade Master?"
"With a little help from Kumori," Roodaka grinned wickedly. "You'll have all your brother's memories. And then you'll understand. Maybe we can even have he ease all those horrible memories of your past and the Heartless." Tomo stepped backwards, glaring spitefully. "In other words, we'll remake your heart and then you'll be something useful to the Order."
"You want to remake my heart?" Tomo seethed. "That wasn't part of the deal."
"You need to read the fine print before signing a contract." Roodaka grinned. "Any objections, Mewtwo? After all, you do want to test Sonic, don't you?"
"It must be done." Mewtwo nodded, smiling coldly.
"How can you?!" Tomo exclaimed. "Are you betraying me?! You promised that I could help save the Keyblade Master!"
"And you shall." Mewtwo replied. "I told you that I would make good use of you, didn't I?"
"Relax, child." Roodaka hissed. "I don't think it's going to hurt that much."
"I'll hurt you!" Tomo screeched, unsheathing her katana. "Deal's off!"
The shadow kunoichi raced across the room and swiped at Roodaka. Terro and Mewtwo watched amusingly as the Cruel Temptress unveiled her spinner and effortlessly knocked back the female warrior. Tomo landed ungracefully on the floor as her weapon twirled in the other direction. She could feel her rage growing from Roodaka's insidious laugh.
"Stupid little toy!" Roodaka cackled. "Think you can defeat me? Where would you ever get a thought like that?" Tomo tried to push herself back up, but lost all feeling in her legs and forced herself to her back. "But look on the bright side. Along with everything else in your head, Kumori will erase the memory of me knocking you flat. Instead, she will implant the loveliest little memories you could ever hope for. I won't matter if they're all lies."
"St-stay back..." Tomo panted heavily.
"Sweet dreams." Roodaka said sadistically as she approached her prey.
"NOO!!"
Betrayal and deceit are never too far behind. Will Espio be doomed to walk the path with neither light or darkness? What will become of Tomo's memories? And what followed Espio out of the memory? Find out on the next Reverse/Rebirth!
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