((Welcome back! This chapter was inspired by listening to the Sonic '06 boss battle music for Mephiles, and I figured he needed a spotlight. He's just such an amazing villain that I can't resist. In this installment, we will see just how the involvement of Mephiles in Dark's plan came about.))
This chapter takes place during Chapter 17 of In the Dark, just before Sally, Shadow, and Amy attempt to teleport to the past, but instead ended up in the future. This is in third person POV.
In a world made up of shadows, one demigod ruled over every being. It was a dreary place with deep purple skies and a stark black landscape. All but the shadow minions, void of free will or expression of self, were dead, but even these lackeys were the shells of people who had been seduced by their god and given an empty life of blind following. In a castle that floated on black ooze in the sky, the oily drops never seeming to reach the ground, sat the demon, his eyes the only thing to add color to the world. Acid green cat eyes against bright scarlet sclera. It were these eyes that opened when a ball of black smoke appeared before him.
"Mephiles the Dark," a cocky, amused voice said. A figure stepped out of the black smoke and onto the ground before the altar of the demon. The newcomer bent low in a bow, his long, blackish quills, raised high over his head like the crown of a king, nearly brushed the smooth ebony tiling. "Such a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Both your manners and your words are a ruse," Mephiles spoke boredly, and though he had no mouth to prove that he produced the sound, his muzzle moved as if he had.
The stranger's eye twitched at this shrewd observation, and he raised himself back up to his full height, which was still less than three and a half feet, quill-style aside, and he was tall for an anthropomorphic Mobian. His white eyes, absent of iris or pupil, raised to meet Mephiles, and in a voice erased of the annoyance he felt, he said, "Is that any way to treat a guest?"
"As far as I'm concerned, I did not invite you," Mephiles stated blatantly. He gazed down at the hedgehog, the tiniest spark of interest, or perhaps mere curiosity, in his demon eyes.
"At least allow me to introduce myself," the visitor replied, a smirk playing at his lips, identifying the look he was being given. "I am-"
"I need no introduction," Mephiles cut him off. "You are Sonic the Hedgehog, are you not? Though you are corrupted by the darkness inside of you."
"You confuse me with my alter ego, but yes, I am Sonic, in a word," the hedgehog smirked, his slightly pointed incisors gleaming in the dim light. "I am Dark Sonic. The one you speak of is long gone."
"As far as you know," Mephiles replied to himself, amusement creeping into his voice. He obviously knew something that Dark didn't, being a creature of the future as well as past and present. "Now, is there a reason you came here other than to waste my time with idle chit-chat?"
"I do have another reason," Dark said, lifting his chin dignantly. "I've come to strike a bargain."
Mephiles scoffed, then chuckled. "You think you can bargain with a god?"
"You are a demon, not a god, nor even a demigod," Dark sneered, put off by his inquiry being laughed at. "Don't confuse yourself with your goals."
Mephiles narrowed his eyes. "State your deal," he said pointedly.
Dark cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "I think this will be of concern to you, if you hear me out," he explained. "I have a problem on my hands. I am attempting to create a perfectly dark world, and my goal is nearly complete. However, I have a few little bugs I need to squash out. They are trying to stop me from creating my perfect world."
"And this concerns me, how?" Mephiles asked blandly.
"Because in my world, it is demons who will rule," Dark grinned, his blank white eyes gleaming when he talked about his dream. "It is people like you who can roam the world freely. And with both the world and Hell in your grasp, you could overtake heaven and make it yours! Is that not what demons crave? Power over those above them?"
Mephiles was silent for a moment. Dark's smirk grew, thinking he had him on his side. Then his smile dropped. Mephiles was laughing, low at first, his shoulders shaking, then threw his head back and cackled. His voice echoed throughout the palace and seemed to make the walls tremble. Dark, startled, took an involuntary step back, mentally cursing himself for doing so, for showing fear in the presence of the one he was trying to manipulate. Eventually, Mephiles calmed, letting his head fall to set his gaze on the hedgehog.
"You are but a weakling in comparison to me, if you think you can conquer one world but be unable to take care of a few glitches in your plan," the demon spat. "I know your future, and I can tell you that you never achieve this so-called 'perfect world.' I have everything I need. Your offer is a single dollar to a rich man."
"The problem with time travel, as I'm sure you're aware, is that there are constantly changing variables," Dark replied cooly. "The future is not determined. However, you could help me to change it in my favor and, in turn, you could have more than you could ever want. You'd join our oligarchy, with fellow demon Sonic EXE and myself, of course. We need not to split the power with one person. All you need to do is kill these people, and leave the rest to me."
"Intriguing," Mephiles said, resting his chin on the back of his hand, mildly interested. "Explain to me what exactly you want me to do."
"I overheard a plan made by the people whom I'm after," Dark began, his confidence growing with each word and the go-ahead from Mephiles. "They have a plan to go back in time to prevent me from coming into power and starting all this. You are an expert on time travel, correct?" He received a nod. "I need you to monitor the time portals, wait for them to open a portal, and perhaps send them someplace else. After that, it shouldn't be difficult to capture them and bring them to me. If they cause you too much trouble, simply kill them. One of them is an immortal, but I doubt he'll be a problem for you."
Mephiles regarded him with a narrowed stare, but his look was impossible to read. Was it loathing? Amusement? Speculation? Or perhaps it was predatory, like a lion ready to pounce on the mouse. His eyes closed and he let out a sigh, and his hand twitched on the armrest. It was with a mere point of his finger that arrows of black energy fired from nowhere at the unsuspecting hedgehog. Dark acted on impulse, his hands producing a force field to block the blasts, which fizzled out in puffs of dark smoke upon impact. He raised his glare to Mephiles, who hadn't even looked to see if his attack had any effect.
"You are so petty," the demon hissed, the words rolling like acid off his nonexistent tongue, "to be unable to dispose of a few insignificant rats yourself." He stood up, his feet, if he had any, were obscured by thick, purple and black smoke. He waved his hand downward, and there was a booming sound and cracks formed in the ceiling, the gravity increasing at the base of the altar. Dark grunted as he was forced to one knee, trying to keep to his feet with one hand on his other. He glared daggers at the demon, his fist clenching at his side. He had to be rational if he wanted Mephiles on his side and not let his temper get the best of him.
"Look at you," Mephiles continued, "kneeling down to me. This is how it should be. You are a mere bug, and I the raven. You will be consumed if you doubt me. What you ask is such a small task, it's hardly worth doing."
"I don't doubt you in the slightest," Dark ground his teeth in a forced smirk. The pressure pushing down on him was increasing. "But you doubt me. I'll propose a different deal, then. A duel of sorts, darkness versus darkness."
At this, Mephiles's eye twitched, giving away his curiosity at the idea. However, the pressure pressing down on Dark increased, forcing him to both knees, his fists forced to his sides. "I cannot be bothered by such trivial fights," the demon said, his tone bemused.
Dark's temperamental nature kicked in. His aura flared around him, and he threw his arms out wide, palms down, sending a wave attack that emitted from his body. It caught Mephiles off guard, knocking him back into his throne on the alter. The blast broke his concentration, freeing Dark from the oppressing gravity. Dark stood up, brushing off his legs while Mephiles recovered from the sudden attack, then pointed a threatening finger at his opponent.
"If I win, you must do my bidding for this single task. After that, I will share the rule of my dark kingdom with you," Dark stated, his glare hardening as he spoke, his tone challenging. "If you win-"
He was cut off by a chuckle from Mephiles, who was slouched in his chair. He lifted his eyes to meet Dark's, his amusement plain in his demeanor. "If I win," Mephiles continued, "I'll personally tear you apart limb-from-limb, make you one of my slaves, and take over your precious kingdom. You will be reduced to nothing more than a mindless shadow roaming the darkness from whence you came."
Dark's tough composure wavered, but only for a moment. Then, a grin spread wide on his face. "You drive a hard bargain," he said, licking his lips. The insanity within him stirred. "But that's fine, because I won't lose! I'm all fired up, and I'm ready for some bloodshed!"
-:-:-:-
It wasn't long before the battle arena was set out. Mephiles and Dark hovered on either side of a broad field surrounded by completely black trees, as if they were all but a silhouette. The ground was covered in a shallow layer of viscous black liquid that seemed to move on its own accord. It was truly a battle of darkness, both contenders being hosts of such an infectious thing, ready to face off. This was a test of strength and power, with not only the fate of the world on the line, but the fate of a hero who was lost within the darkness who had yet to return. It was a fight Dark Sonic could not lose, or consequently, he'd lose not only his own life, but the life he had taken over, and the world he had sought to create. For Mephiles, it was merely a trial of spirit and his own strength and abilities. He had nothing to lose. The demon had confidence in his powers, despite the fact that he rarely used them. Besides, they were in his realm, where every advantage was on his side. He studied Dark for a moment before speaking.
"This battle you fight is your own risk, and I will not be blamed for your downfall," he said, his voice low and threatening. "You will lose everything, and there is no way around it."
"You talk big game for someone who only pulls the strings of his wars and lets others do his chores," Dark scoffed, adjusting the cuffs of his gloves. "I'm not going to lose, and that's a fact. With this win, I'll be sure to knock you down a few pegs!"
"You know not the effects of your transgressions," Mephiles snapped, spreading his arms wide. Drops of the ooze under their feet rose up and morphed into his shadowy minions, hundreds of them quickly surrounding the arena, leaving only the center open for the two. He pointed forward, commanding his army when he said, "Return to darkness from whence you came!"
All at once, the minions flew past Mephiles, converging in on a single point. Dark closed his eyes, then shot straight into the air, causing them to collide with one another. He had a moment to look around, but saw that Mephiles was nowhere to be found. He'd have to deal with his lackeys first. The minions behind the shadows that had collided below him flew up into the air, lunging at him. Dark spread his arms and blasted multiple shots of dark energy, which locked on and hit the shadow minions, causing them to dissipate. More kept coming, however, and he had to keep firing these blasts to hold them back. Once he had an opening, he flew toward the ground before any of them could reach him. Dark spotted Mephiles's reflection in the oily ooze, where he was observing his opponent's struggle against his minions. Dark knew he had to lure him out into the open to attack. To do so, he had to take out as much of his cavalry as he could. He waited for the minions to come after him, then closed his eyes to concentrate. He brought his hand down in front of his face, charging his energy around him. His eyes flew open and he thrust his hands outward with a shout, blasting a shockwave of energy outward. It obliterated a majority of the shadows chasing him in one fell swoop, fueling Dark with the power he needed. Without the shadow army to support him, Mephiles reappeared to fight for himself. Dark didn't give him the time, however. He fired a laser shot directly at him, barely giving the demon time to put up a force field that still forced him back. Dark's aura was significantly darker, and his eyes glowed triumphantly.
Mephiles took this moment to attack. He teleported behind Dark without him realizing it, then grabbed him with a harsh grip. Dark gasped, then cried out as Mephiles's hands emitted black sparks. He found he could no longer move, paralyzed by the demon.
"I told you," Mephiles hissed in his ear, "your overconfidence will be your downfall." He suddenly vanished, and the ooze below him shot up like a reverse waterfall, circling around him in streams of oily liquid. He only had time to give a scream of anguish before it completely encased him in a suffocating black sphere of the viscous substance.
Mephiles scoffed and began to walk away, believing that, with Dark immobilized, there was no possible way to escape. Suddenly, there was a muffled boom, then a shockwave blasted out from the sphere Dark was contained in. Mephiles turned to see what was the matter, his eyes widening slightly. Cracks formed in the substance, black beams of light shooting out of these fissures, and then an explosion of great black fire burst forth from the depths of the sphere. The drops rained down around the arena, and in the center of it all was Dark. He was entirely black now, making his glowing white eyes stand out, like he himself was a silhouette. His aura was much thicker as well. This form was the equivalent to the form created by positive energy, Super Sonic, yet this was the polar opposite. Dark Sonic stared down Mephiles, then suddenly disappeared. His speed was incredible; it was unclear whether he was teleporting or flying too fast for the eye to catch. He passed by Mephiles multiple times in only several seconds, deliberately knocking the demon around. Mephiles put his hands out, putting a hexagonal force field around him. Dark ran into it before backing off, waiting for an opening. Mephiles didn't give him one, putting his shield down and then quickly forming balls of energy in either palm, putting his hands together in front of him, facing them outward, and fired a laser blast directly at Dark. Dark put up a force field of his own just in time, his feet dragging in the ooze below him as he was pushed back from the force of the laser. Mephiles didn't let up, putting more energy into the blast with each passing second.
Dark had a split second to change tactics, or else he'd get fried by the attack. He put his shield down, then immediately teleported before the laser could hit him. Mephiles knew he'd be coming in for another attack, so he put his hands out and emitted an invisible energy wave to push back anything nearby. Dark, who was flying in as predicted, was blown back by the air wave, stopping above the black trees. He gave a shout of anguish, grinding his teeth angrily, then threw his hands above him, charging a great sphere of his own dark energy. Before Mephiles had a chance to realize what was going on, he fired a great beam of energy that obliterated everything on the ground that it touched, and Mephiles was caught in the middle.
Dark smoke filled the arena. A majority of the trees beyond the field had been vaporized in the blast, leaving a vast expanse of smoking stumps. Dark panted tiredly, returning to his normal form, his hands still in front of him. He sighed, then waved his hand, blowing the smoke away with a gust of air.
"You're still here," Dark said, mild surprise in his voice.
Mephiles was on one knee, his body battered and charred from the blast. He had his hands out, proving he'd been able to get a shield up in time to save himself from further damage. He put his hands down, letting his head hang as he got to his little pointed feet, stumbling before righting himself, his back arching.
"You would have...murdered...the very one you seek...to serve you?" Mephiles said between heavy breaths. Clearly, he had exhausted his power.
"Please. If it was that simple, you wouldn't have agreed to this battle," Dark said, floating to the ground, stepping out of the air and walking on top of the oily sludge, which was moving much less than before, toward the demon. He sneered and shoved Mephiles back down to the ground, placing his foot on his torso to keep him down.
"I win," Dark hissed through his teeth. "It's your turn to bow down to me."
Mephiles scoffed, knocking his foot away without resistance, sitting up. A low chuckle formed in his throat. "I'll admit, I am impressed. You are not the weakling hedgehog I once sought to kill. I am a man of my word when it comes to promises. I will do your task, and in return you let me rule beside you." He raised his acid green eyes to Dark's white ones, his voice lowering menacingly. "But I promise you, this battle will not be forgotten, and I will take your life someday."
"You have fun with that," Dark replied airily with a cocky smirk. He turned on his heel, walking off. Without turning around, he waved his hand as he continued, "I hope to see the three I requested either imprisoned or dead at my place in the near future!"
"Of course, master," Mephiles replied sarcastically, but Dark had already vanished in a puff of black smoke.
((Glad this chapter is done! It's a lot of fun to write in third person, I can add a lot more detail since I can tell more than one side of the story. The fight between Mephiles and Dark was based off a combination of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 Mephiles bosses in Sonic the Hedgehog 2006. I've had a lot of inspiration for this chapter, and listening to creepy, minor-key music keeps the ideas coming! However, to keep the bonus chapters coming, I need your ideas! Let me know if there are any plot holes I can fill or if there is a prologue/epilogue for a certain character you want to see. Or perhaps you'd like to see something like this, what a certain character is doing during an event in the story. I'd like to thank you all for your continued support, I just reached 100 views (the 100th made by my boyfriend, Pastrinator64, thanks!) and this story has become far more popular than I ever could have hoped. I only wish my other stories could surpass this one! Be sure to keep coming back for more of In the Dark, and check out my other stories you'll be sure to enjoy! Sorry for bantering. See you all next time!))
~SonicTheHedgehog-Nerd