REVERSE/REBIRTH: ESPIO'S TALE
Tomo the Chameleon © Kiba Sniper
Chapter Nineteen: Way to Dawn, Part 2
Last time on Reverse/Rebirth:
Espio was once again reunited with King Jet, who was waiting for the outcome of his decision with ZoN. It is unknown how, but the king felt he knew the woman from somewhere. Leaving a cryptic message, ZoN stood aside and allowed Espio to continue his pursuit for the Seeker of Darkness. Before wandering down the unknown path, Espio requested the king to destroy him in any case that Mephiles was victorious. But King Jet thoroughly refused him and agreed only to save him from Mephiles' claws.
The scene opens to the final basement floor of Castle Oblivion, close to the entrance of the fortress. Espio, King Jet, and Deathwing solemnly made their approach to the end of the corridor, where their final challenge was awaiting them. The chamber they had entered was just as empty as the previous they had come from, but with some noticeable differences. The Heartless emblem was mounted on the far right wall with black markings curving around the body. On the opposite wall, the symbol of the Order was present with the same markings, but in silver. Was there supposed to be some meaning behind this?
"End of the line, Espio." King Jet stated, noticing the lack of doors and hallways. "It doesn't look like he's around here."
"No, I can smell him." Espio said determined. "Darkness that foul is impossible to hide. So why don't you show yourself, Mephiles?!"
Only a few silent moments passed before the darkness lingering in the chamber alerted the presence of its master. Mephiles, The Seeker of Darkness, appeared ominously through the Corridor of Darkness – his silver coat flowing silently. The trio of heroes quickly took their stances with their weapons poised. When thinking back, Espio realized this was the first time he had ever battled Mephiles face-to-face. In the past, he had either accepted the demon's darkness or faced ZoN taking his shape. It was only the dark chameleon realized how unprepared he was.
"I have watched you fight during your travels." Mephiles stated coldly. "Your journey through the darkness has opened your heart to me. I know your strength." He held his claw out in emphasis. "Your skill to manipulate the shadows has grown – it has matured. And yet....why do you accept the darkness, but still refuse me?"
"Because he's not an evil monster like you." King Jet proclaimed.
"You know you and I are similar." Mephiles said, ignoring the king. "We both follow where the darkness leads. Indeed, we are the same, so why? Does some part of your heart still fear the dark?"
"That's not it." Espio grinned deviously. "The truth is...I just can't stand your foul stench."
"You simple fool." Mephiles said disappointed. "You should now my powers well by now."
"Yeah, I know." Espio said cockily. "Or did you forget? I used all the power you had to give and Sonic still beat me in the end. And reminded me: who was it that was slain by Sonic at Kingdom Hearts?" Mephiles hissed spitefully. "I'm not at all impressed by you powers. If you can be beat by a fifteen year-old boy, I'll have no trouble taking you down."
"Very well." Mephiles said coolly. "In that case...you shall sink into the abyss!!"
The Seeker of Darkness crossed his arms close to his chest, summoning the endless darkness that festered within him. Though he knew they had made a promise, Espio still feared that Deathwing and King Jet may interfere. And just before Mephiles exploded into the void of shadows, the dark chameleon turned and pushed his friends out of its range. And when the Hero of Darkness regained his senses, he noticed a sudden change in the environment. Castle Oblivion had been left behind and the two beings of shadows were left on a small platform of pure-white rock. Searching the air above, Espio easily recognized the Endless Abyss that he had seen once before.
"This is..." Espio said slowly.
"Yes, the same world where the Keyblade Master and I did battle." Mephiles answered. "And once I take control of your heart, I will use the Keyblade to reopen the Door to Darkness. And then, Kingdom Hearts will finally be mine!"
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Espio growled.
"In a few moments, you won't be saying anything." Mephiles proclaimed.
The Seeker of Darkness: Mephiles
Both beings of darkness remained calm and collected as they glared at one another, but Espio couldn't resist a small shiver running down his spine. Never before had the Hero of Darkness felt such a mass of darkness collected into one place. The air was thick – Espio felt that one move would lead to an early demise. But he shortly discovered that not moving would be just as lethal. Without his opponent realizing it, Mephiles vanished from existence and reappeared only a few inches away with his claw drawn back. Espio barely registered his movement and intentionally dropped backwards as the demon's claw stabbed overhead. The dark chameleon pressed his hands against the ground before making contact and thrusted his right foot to the demon's head. Unfortunately, Mephiles' claw swiftly grabbed his opponent's ankle and raised him off the ground by a few inches.
"I was right." Mephiles stated victoriously. "You do still have a fear of the darkness. Your breathing is ragged, your eyes are quivering, and I can feel your body shaking – you are scared."
"It's not the darkness making my skin crawl." Espio sneered. "It's the fact that you're actually touching me. It's kinda creepy."
"Such insolence." Mephiles said calmly, tossing Espio to the side; the dark chameleon landed safely. "If you would only accept the fact that you need my control to become more powerful. I have yet to reveal the true extent of the darkness' power."
"So I guess you were only holding back against Sonic." Espio smirked.
"Precisely." Mephiles answered
The Hero of Darkness was unsure whether to believe him or not. But the more he thought about, the more he realized that it was actually the Heartless beast that faced Sonic with Mephiles in control. And when it came down to it, it was the light of Kingdom Hearts that eradicated Mephiles, not the Keyblade Master. The Seeker of Darkness had never displayed his true power. Speaking of whom, Mephiles slowly kneeled to the ground and pressed his claw into the white stone and eroded the limb in shadows. The dark chameleon had expected the claw to strike directly in front and jumped backwards I hopes of avoiding the attack. It wasn't until he landed against one of the stone fragments that he realized his mistake. Mephiles claw appear under the chameleon's foot and constricted the warrior in place. With one claw still available, Mephiles clustered a large mass of energy into the shape of a glaring-red arrow.
"I will give you this one chance." Mephiles said warningly. "Accept me into your heart and we shall go beyond the limits of even the Higher Powers. Black Doom has already proven powerless in comparison."
"I really hate repeating myself." Espio grunted.
"You have made your choice." Mephiles said coldly, holding out the collective energy. "Then I will have to take what I need by force. Chaos Lance!!"
The demonic warrior pushed the glowing arrow ahead as Espio continued to struggle with his restraint. Once realizing that he wouldn't have enough time to break free, the dark chameleon swiped three cards from his gauntlet and threw his hand forward. A barrier of reflective lights deflected the energy arrow and shot it through one of the nearby stone pillars, which evaporated upon contact. Once he was safe, Espio summoned his Keyblade and slashed it across Mephiles' wrist, severing the crystallized limb. The Hero of Darkness kicked off the ground and glided across the platform until he was only inches from his enemy. Mephiles was quick on the reaction and removed his arm from the ground and twisted around to avid the assault. However, Espio rebounded against a stone pillar and slashed across his right shoulder. There was a period of silence between them as the dark hero landed – Mephiles collapsed to his knees.
"Not bad." Mephiles commented collectively. "Your skills have improved. You show no mercy to your enemies and you remain unafraid of the consequences of your actions. Well done."
"You admire my abilities, but you don't bother to show what you can do." Espio said suspiciously, raising his Keyblade to eyelevel. "Why are you so determined to hold back if you want to take over my heart?"
"Because I wouldn't want to cause any lasting damage to my future vessel." Mephiles proclaimed, gripping his limping arm. "But from what I have examined, holding back against you will result in my own demise. Perhaps its time I stopped treating you like a child."
"That would be appreciated." Espio glared.
"Now then..." Mephiles chuckled lightly. "Shall we begin round two?"
The Hero of Darkness placed himself in a stance that provided no openings in his defense. But Mephiles did not strike and instead started tugging at his useless limb. And with a sharp hiss, the Seeker of Darkness ripped his arm from its socket – a trail of emerald-green blood leaked from the open wound. Espio realized what he was planning and quickly dashed ahead and swiped his Keyblade across the demon's neckline. But Mephiles lowered himself closer to the ground, effectively dodging the chosen weapon, and drilled his fist into the chameleon's chest. Espio staggered backwards, doubled over in pain, as Mephiles jumped clear over his head and kicked the warrior back before touching the ground. Espio recovered from the shock shortly after and turned, finding Mephiles with a new arm.
"Great!" Espio exclaimed thoughtfully. "He can regenerate, too! Why can't they ever make this easy?!"
"If it were easy, there wouldn't be much of a challenge." Mephiles said ominously.
"How did you...?" Espio questioned shakily.
"Your heart is like an open book to me, Espio." Mephiles proclaimed drearily. "I know everything about you – all your strengths, weaknesses, hopes, and fears. The darkness had grappled you for too long and has turned you into its prisoner. Deep down, you are scared."
"You're wrong about me!" Espio yelled defiantly. "I'm not afraid of the darkness! I have taken the darkness in my heart and transformed it into a weapon for good! I'm not an evil murderer like you!"
"It was your life your parents lost their lives." Mephiles stated; Espio crawled backwards fearfully. "Your sister was cursed by your existence, and your friends risked their existence due to your actions. The worlds have grown to fear and hate you for the damage you have caused to their hearts."
"But...my friends..." Espio mumbled pathetically.
"Your friends showed no hesitation in sealing you behind the Door to Darkness." Mephiles continued, knowing he was deteriorating the chameleon's will. "The Keyblade Master of Light and the Princess of Heart has no need for a tainted soul such as yours to corrupt them. I am willing to believe that they have already forgotten you."
"You're wrong..." Espio said shakily. "You're wrong!!"
Driven by rage, the Hero of Darkness jumped to his feet and swiped three cards from his deck. Espio thrust his fist forward and released a sphere of black flames twice its normal size. But Mephiles effortlessly knocked the fireball into the air at the same moment Espio stabbed ahead. With his emotions running high, the Dark chameleon had lost all stance and form – he was just swinging at random. The Seeker of Darkness could easily read his movements and sidestepped every swing while discovering a number of counterattacks. It wasn't until Espio tripped on a loose fragment that the demonic master stabbed his claw through the younger warrior's stomach. Espio resisted the urge to retch and attempted to keep himself collected as Mephiles lifted him off the ground, increasing the pain.
"This is the moment I have been waiting for dearly." Mephiles said pleasingly. "I can wander the worlds freely and assume my rightful place as ruler of all worlds."
"Not...happening..." Espio panted heavily. "I'll destroy you. Even if...I have to take...my own life..."
"Poor, optimistic Espio." Mephiles chuckled malevolently. "At this point, there is nothing you can do. Now, let us become one and conquer the worlds united. Then I will show that so-called 'Superior' who is the greater half."
The Hero of Darkness didn't try to understand the meaning of his words. Mephiles forced their foreheads against each other, creating a connection of darkness between them. Espio grunted painfully as the connection stabbed through his mind and slithered its way down to his heart. Mephiles was forcing their unity and the dark chameleon held no power left to resist him. But even as Espio was slowly succumbing to will of Mephiles, he suddenly remembered the last days he spent on the islands with his friends.
---Flashback---
Sonic, Amy, and Espio were making their way home after a hard day's work of gathering supplies for the trip. Amy had already taken an early lead while Sonic and Espio held back for a moment. The cobalt hedgehog was ready to follow her example until he heard someone call his name. The hedgehog turned and captured a golden, star-shaped fruit that had been tossed to him.
"You wanted one, right?" Espio smiled playfully.
"A paopu fruit?" Sonic said confused.
"They say if two people share one, their destinies become intertwined." Espio explained as he walked past his friend. "They'll remain a part of each other's lives, no matter what." He waved his hand to tease his friend. "C'mon, I know you want to try it."
"What are you...?" Sonic said embarrassingly.
The purple chameleon only laughed as his best friend tossed the legendary fruit and charged ahead in pursuit. By the time the two friends had made it to the docks, Amy was already halfway to the main islands in her boat. Sonic watched the pink hedgehog disappear over the waves as Espio undid the knots holding both their crafts. The purple chameleon was prepared to tease his friend for his crush on Amy until the younger islander spoke solemnly.
"Hey, Espio, do you think we'll be friends forever?"
What kind of question is that?" Espio said disappointed.
"Well, just think about it." Sonic continued with a hint of sadness. "There are probably hundreds of world out there and we might get separated. Years will pass and we'll start to forget each other and where we came from."
"In normal cases, that would be true." Espio nodded. "But you and I aren't normal, Sonic. Even if we never see each other again, there is nothing that will ever make me forget our friendship."
"Yeah, you're right." Sonic smiled, knocking his forearm against his friend's. "No matter what happens, we'll be best friends forever."
"That's a promise of a lifetime." Espio added.
---End Flashback---
Without even realizing it, Espio suddenly dropped to the ground on his knees, no longer feeling the pain coursing through his body. He stared in shock as Mephiles staggered backwards, clutching his head and screaming bloody murder. Though his mind couldn't comprehend what had occurred, his heart already knew the answer. Espio smirked confidently and gripped his Keyblade tightly as Mephiles composed himself to face the younger warrior."
"What...?" Mephiles growled weakly. "What did you do?"
"When you tried to take over my body, I remembered a promise I made." Espio explained. "That promise was made from the strongest light possible – the light within the darkness. And as long as I hold true to hat promise, you can't touch me." He lowered himself in preparation to strike. "You lose, Mephiles."
"Insolent brat!!" Mephiles roared.
With a surge of hatred, Mephiles unleashed a powerful black flame from his claw. The Hero of Darkness sharply reacted with his Keyblade and staggered slightly under the pressure of the sphere. But with a great effort, Espio eliminated the darkness and charged ahead with a thunderous battle cry. A flash of light marked the end of the battle. Espio stood directly behind the Seeker of Darkness with his Keyblade held firm in his hand as Mephiles remained unmoving.
"This is the end." Espio stated certainly.
"This...is hardly...the end." Mephiles laughed weakly. "Your darkness – I gave it...all to you. My dark shadow...still lingers. And someday...someday...I will return!!"
With an insidious cackle of victory, Mephiles released his final attack. The dark demon's body exploded and devoured the entire abyss, which included Espio. The Hero of Darkness tried to fight it, but the shadows were too powerful to overcome – Mephiles had won.
"Sonic...Amy..." Espio whispered. "I'm...sorry."
"Well, you look pretty beaten up." The dark chameleon was sightless, but could still feel the radiating light hidden within the darkness. "I know you wanted to do this alone, but I'm sure you won't mind having a little help."
All of a sudden, Espio felt two creatures grab each of his hands and started dragging him into the unknown. One of them was wearing a glove and the other possessed talons on his paw. Espio smiled absentmindedly as King Jet and Deathwing led him away from the darkness.
Mephiles: Defeated
The scene alternates to the entrance of Castle Oblivion as King Jet and Deathwing helped their friend regain his balance. Espio was still a little shaken from the battle, but he felt better than he ever has. The golden door at the end of the hall symbolized his freedom – he had finally reached the end of the road.
"So, Espio...what are you going to do now?" King Jet asked. "Are going back to the islands?"
"I can't go back – not yet." Espio shook. "The darkness of Mephiles is still here. It's very faint, but I can still smell his foul odor. I think his darkness still has a hold on me."
"Your darkness belongs only to you." King Jet stated firmly. "Just the same way your light belongs to you." He scratched his head sheepishly. "Up till now, I always believed that darkness was the root of all evil. But then I met you and I changed my mind. The road you chose – I didn't know. Light and Darkness, back to back. With you, I think they might meet in a way nobody's seen before. I wonder where that road leads."
"I'd like to know myself." Espio grinned embarrassingly. "There are so many possibilities when using light and darkness together. The paths are limitless."
"Exactly." King Jet said eagerly, holding out his hand. "That why I want to walk the path with you."
"Your majesty, I'm really flattered." Espio said nervously as he accepted the gesture; Deathwing placed his own paw on top of the pile with a mild grin. "I really don't know what to say."
"How about my name." King Jet suggested. "We are friends after all."
"Fair enough...Jet." Espio laughed.
---
The final scene opens to the endless grassland where Sonic and the others first began their journey. Espio and King Jet, both adorned with the Black Cloaks given to them by ZoN, walked side-by-side with Deathwing; he was disappointed not to get a cloak. The three heroes were making their own travels away from Castle Oblivion until they reached a crossroad. It was there they met with ZoN, Terro, and Tomo with each of them standing in the middle of three separate pathways. Espio and ZoN exchanged meaningful glances with serious expressions – a choice needed to be made.
"What are you making me choose now?" Espio questioned.
"Which path will you take?" ZoN said, gesturing to Terro. "The road to light..." She waved her hand to Tomo. "Or the road to darkness?"
King Jet seemed seriously stumped at which option Espio would take, but Deathwing seemed to understand more than the avian. The thestral foal strutted past the masked enigma with a superior expression on its decay face.
"Neither suits me." Espio stated, following Deathwing's example. "I'm taking the middle road."
"Do you mean the twilight road to nightfall?" ZoN asked surprisingly.
"No..."
The Hero of Darkness watched the sun rising over the hills and unconsciously summoned the Keyblade to his hand. He examined it thoroughly, noticing the features that had once belonged to the Soul Eater. The weapon of darkness had been mixed with the essence of light that shined brightly in his memories. The present darkness illuminated by light just as the sun shines at the end of the night – he had discovered his Keyblade's name
"It's the Way to Dawn."
The darkness still lingers, but Espio has learned to overcome his fear. How will Espio's new power affect the coming war? Will Mephiles ever rise to power once again? And what is the Order planning at the moment? Find out on the final chapter of Reverse/Rebirth!
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