Ouch. That last review is the reason you guys are getting a early chapter. It got me really fired up.

For the record, dear, if you accuse someone of stealing a story, don't do it in anonymity where I cannot contact you, and please do so when you have evidence of the fact. Your review seems more of a flame than a actual accusation.

If there is one thing I despise, it's stealing. Now, I would start a rant where I explain the basics ideas that led to me creating this story, but if you've bothered to read the author notes you would already know most of it. Besides, why bother? I know I made this story, and I certainly don't need to defend myself against a halfhearted accusation on a anonymous comment.

Anyways, that disturbing mess aside, here goes the next chapter! Not a lot of smut, sorry. Even if this is a practice, I prefer having a somewhat coherent plot.

Sapphire eyes stared down at the stream of data, unblinking as their owner took in the endless flow of information the machine was giving him. Tails spun around on his heels, grabbing a wrench from the table before he walked over to his newest creation -his only hope of ever seeing his brother again.

The teleporter laid spread out at his feet, the machine's delicate parts marked for him to easily recognize as they lay on a wide green sheet. Creating it had been a hassle, even with Eggman's reluctant help -Shadow had been exceptionally helpful in making the crazed scientist comply to their demands, and for that Tails was incredibly thankful.

Still...

...for the young mobian, it felt as if it wasn't enough. Almost a week had passed since Sonic had been abducted, and he had yet to hear of any sightings of the Time Eater. It was as if the creature decided to hide after taking the cobalt hedgehog captive.

Or maybe it left this dimension entirely, and the small, broken body of a blue hedgehog had been left somewhere on a desolate world for them to find...

No. Tails sighed as he kneeled down in front of the half-built machine, staring deep into the intricate mass of metal. He refused. He wouldn't go that far. Eggman was a known liar. The old man loved to bring misery to those who stood in his way. Eggman would never refute the chance of causing them meaningless dread. He had to be lying when he said Sonic seemed...

Blue eyes darkened as the yellow fox picked up one piece of his latest creation and began working on the intricate insides, triple checking everything after he was done before finally setting it down with care on the worn table. Immediately afterwards, the vulpine grabbed another section of the machine and began working on it diligently, his desire to see his brother return safe and sound fuelling him through the long night, keeping him awake and calm through numerous bugs and blocks in his research. Inter-dimensional travelling wasn't his forth, but he knew more than the average physicist.

He didn't have time to think about such dreadful possibilities. Tails was going to stay determined. He would find his brother; it was only a matter of time and patience. With the data he was collecting from the clearing the Time Eater had appeared in and with the help of Eggman's notes on the creature, the mobian was certain he would see Sonic again in the near future.

...and when he did, Tails was going to beat the living day lights out of that idiot for acting stupid and poking dead things.

xxxxxxxxx

Somewhere far away, in another dimension and in a less distressed mood -for now, because being captive to a demon was bound to cause emotional instability, especially seeing what kind of relationship the two had- emerald eyes slowly fluttered open as a slow yawn passed through fawn lips. Unaware of the mobian plotting his revenge from the other side of reality, Sonic slowly sat up, shivering as he felt the blanket keeping him warm slide down and bunch up around his midsection.

The young hero's eyes flicked up to the ceiling of the birdcage, noting with a slight frown that it was still nighttime. The skies of the White Space were as black as ink, endless like the void of space. It was truly intimidating to look at, and a far cry from what he was used to in Mobius. There were no stars to greet him here, only a vast expanse of darkness hanging ominously over his head.

It's not that bad. The cerulean male thought as he reached up and scratched behind his right ear, feeling the appendage flick as a result. It's not what I'm used to, but it could be worse. The green orbs flicked to the corner of his vision, noticing the tip of the tallest purple spires blocking him from seeing the sky fully. The crystal structures glowed with a soft inner light, the wide array of violet reflecting upon the sapphire birdcage, casting a vibrant shadow on his prison.

Sonic raised a hand up and watched the colourful shade turn the fawn fur into a pasty shade of purple. Smiling softly, he looked down at himself, noting how his blue hide became paler under the lights of the crystals.

By looking down however, he was reminded of his location.

More importantly, of who he was laying on.

The cobalt speedster watched with silence the calm expression on Mephiles' features as the ebony god continued to slumber, unaware of his unwilling pet's awakening. Striped arms hung around a thin blue waist, a pair of limbs Sonic was unable to move despite his best efforts. Mephiles was surprisingly physical in his slumber for such a cold and uncaring being, and the young hedgehog couldn't wiggle around too much for fear he would awaken the immortal.

Right now, he was too tired to deal with the crystal creature's shenanigans.

Conflicted, too.

Unfortunately I can't choke the bastard, unless I can pull a portal out of my ass. Frowning, the cobalt male laid back down against his captor, pulling the soft blanket along up to his chin. Sleep however did no return, and his mind wandered against its owner's will. Sonic found himself thinking back to yesterday, the pleasurable sensation of Mephiles on top of him, their bodies writhing together in ecstasy...

Flinching, his eyes closed shut as he forced the memories back into the dark hole they had crawled out of. He still hadn't gotten over the fact he swooned like some kind of maiden while Mephiles ravaged his mouth and played his body like a musical instrument. At the memory of that particular event flowing back, Sonic felt like dying of embarrassment right there and then.

Why did I let him kiss me?! And why did I do that to him...?

Don't get him wrong, he understood the base desire that resulted in him being unable to pull away. Sonic had always been a fan of danger; he thrived on it, to his friends' desolation. He enjoyed being just quick enough to evade Eggman's deadliest creations, he loved to explore dark and unforgiving zones that had been listed as inhabitable for a reason; he also adored bantering his opponents to death, especially Shadow, and be forced to run away crackling once the thoroughly enraged Ultimate Lifeform ripped his rings off and performed a small Chaos Blast. Even then, as he ran for his life he would only laugh like a madman as he felt the scorching heat of the energy wave that made his rival so feared licking at his back and sometimes burning patches of his fur.

But could his love for danger apply here?

Green eyes glanced down at the hands holding him captive. Peach fingers trailed up the dark appendages, sliding across claws sharp enough to shred through stone before pulling back. He looked wound once more, at the world of jewels, light and shadows he was trapped in, and the realization hit him that Mephiles had created all of this.

It wouldn't be stupid to assume that here, the elder could wipe him off the map.

Mephiles was one of his most feared enemies; hell, the creature had killed him once, and Sonic wasn't likely to forget the sudden cold pain in his chest as the crystalline deity speared him through with a concentrated blast of energy. The elder was a vicious and resourceful opponent, skilled at confusing his targets, and to Sonic's dismay it seemed as if it translated to the amorous department. The cobalt hedgehog had only been able to fidget and whimper when Mephiles had claimed his lips...

...it did made sense, in a way. Sonic lived for danger, and his captor was the epitome of just that. But how could he even think of doing that with Mephiles of all people?! Didn't the creature try to destroy everything in the universe...?

No. Mephiles had wanted to merge with Iblis; it was Solaris who tried to eliminate time and space...and besides...he never hurt anyone besides the blue hedgehog...

Frowning at the sudden thought, Sonic shifted against Mephiles, idly running his fingers through the smooth black fur, unaware of the slightly upward twitch of the sleeping male's lips. He knew Shadow had been affected by the immortal, as the god had used psychology to defeat the Ultimate Lifeform when he couldn't in the battlefield...however, beyond that the creature hadn't truly hurt anyone. Hell, if he hadn't manipulated Silver into trying to kill him, the pale hedgehog and his cat companion would have remained in a bleak future, doomed to die by Iblis' claws.

In a way, Mephiles had indirectly saved the two mobians. Sonic wondered if he should mention this to the deity, just to see the elder male squirm at the thought of having possibly saved two of his most hated enemies. Then again, maybe not. Mephiles, despite his general dislike of everyone living except him, had not showed any sign of direct aggression towards his friends.

That is, besides Shadow.

Sonic had quickly learned that Mephiles really, really disliked Shadow.

A sudden movement beneath the Blue Blur startled him out of his thoughts. "Meph...?" The confused speedster muttered lazily, looking up at the older male. Mephiles was still asleep, ears flicking as he rolled to the side, causing the young hedgehog to fall against him with a small yelp.

The god remained deep in slumber -or at least seemed to, as he wouldn't put it pass the bastard to fake it- a low incoherent mumble leaving the elder male as he wrapped his arms around Sonic, pulling the surprised hero closer. The speedster could only growl softly in indignation, but didn't fight back as he was place back on Mephiles' lap, his legs dangling to the side, his arms tucked in and his face half-buried in the chest fluff of the being.

Mephiles' hands hung low on his hips, drawing his attention away from his face being pressed against the silky white fur of the god's chest. The blue hedgehog shuddered as the sharp claws ran up and down his back, leaving tingling in their wake. The cerulean beauty didn't know whether to pull away or press closer, and as such he merely laid there enjoying the soft caress, silently wishing for something more.

Sonic wasn't able to deny it. He was liking the affection, the touch, the attention and the occasional bouts of playfulness Mephiles was prone to. If the older male was courting him, he'd have a good shot at claiming the blue hedgehog -that is, if he stopped with the bullshit birdcage. Sonic disliked the lack of freedom, and no matter how soft and comfortable this place was, how pleasant and enticing the other's touch was, this was still a prison.

If Mephiles gave him room to move around, the speedster knew he would feel a bit more open with pursuing a relationship with the older male, despite their bad past. Remembering the events of today, the cobalt hedgehog smiled into the white fur of his companion's chest, the memory of the great crystal landscape replaying in his mind. He hadn't been out for long, but it had still been beautiful.

Sonic hoped he would be able to explore it further, and maybe his captor as well.

(A part of him still yearned to go home, though.)

"Awake, little bird?"

"Shut up." Sonic whispered sleepily, letting himself drop back down into the nest of cushions and blankets. He felt the older male stiffen for a moment before relaxing beneath him, the embrace he was trapped in tightening as a clawed hand drew circles on his back, lulling the tired hero back to sleep.

xxxxxxx

"Must we go through this every time?"

"As long as I'm here, yes." Sonic idly responded as he poked at his food halfheartedly with his fork, watching as the apple pie wobbled under the utensil. Annoying Mephiles was the most fun he'd had since he'd been captured (well, not counting the other thing) and the cobalt hero was determined to savour it.

In front of him lay a veritable feast. Mephiles spared no expenses to feed his captive, and while he did not need sustenance himself, the immortal always joined him, sipping on a cup of coffee and eyeing the cobalt hero as he tried to make sense of the banquet the elder had summoned.

(A few dimensions away, a family of royal squirrels could only stare at the lavish table that had once been filled with food.)

(This was the fourth time it happened, and it wasn't getting any funnier.)

"Do you really think I would poison you, little bird?"

"Sure." Sonic chirped, innocence oozing out of every pore in his body, a sign of the impending comeback that would afflict the older male. "You are, after all, the kind to sneak around and stab people in the back." Without missing a beat the sapphire mobian dropped his fork and pointed at his chest, the single digit digging into the fawn fur above his heart.

While there were no scars to pay tribute to what occurred, it was hard to misinterpret what the young hero was talking about.

Mephiles' expression fell flat as he remember the less than dignified way he had dealt with the cobalt mobian while striving to release his other half, Iblis. While he felt no shame in what occurred -his main priority had been reuniting with his counterpart, so the young blue hedgehog with the pretty eyes had to go for the princess to cry- the way Sonic replied had annoyed the crystal entity. He had half a mind to jump over the small crystal table and show his young captive who exactly was in charge here.

Pleasantly surprised by Sonic's viciousness, a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he studied the defiant hedgehog sitting on the other side of the table.

"Touché."

He really did make the right choice in picking him, Mephiles thought as he watched the sapphire male play with his food. He preferred the mortal this way. A compliant, docile Sonic bowing to his every whim was a delicious thought, but the feisty, rebellious whirlwind of chaos was better. The mobian complimented perfectly his calmer demeanour, and Mephiles didn't need to watch over his shoulder for a unexpected attack if he'd picked Shadow or Blaze.

Besides, all I need are a few touches and he's be more than willing to do anything I ask for him. Last night had showed how receptive the sapphire beauty was to his advances, even if Sonic himself seemed to be in denial about the whole situation.

His mind at peace, the ebony male reached out for his usual cup of coffee, the steaming substance practically calling out for him. Dropping a spoonful of sugar into it, he gently mixed it before bringing the cup to his lips and taking a long sip of it,

He missed a flicker of something devious in the brilliant eyes of his captive.

Mephiles choked, a hacked cough leaving the deity as he struggled to swallow his coffee, his perfectly good coffee -black with just a dash of sugar, something incredibly difficult to mess up to the point of tasting like sand- forcing its way down his throat, scrapping at his flesh and making him gag at the uncomfortable situation.

As soon as he recovered from the taste, the furious immortal threw the cup of coffee aside, watching with satisfaction as a azure lance made out of crystal exploded from the bottom of the birdcage and shattered the porcelain to pieces. Swiping his tongue across his teeth and grimacing at the thick taste of salt that utterly murdered his sense of taste with a imaginary but still very sharp knife, Mephiles quickly looked around for a solution to his problem.

While it was satisfying to see the source of his discomfort explode into tiny pieces, it only briefly alleviated the very real issue of his mouth being drier than a desert.

"...dammit...get me -nevermind..." Like a starving man, the deity lunged forwards and grabbed a glass of orange juice. He downed the whole cup in one go, but by then it was too late. His tongue felt like stone and his dignity had taken a serious blow.

The silently giggling mobian in front of him wasn't helping matters. One didn't need to know the cobalt one personally to see he was guilty.

"How?!"

"When you started daydreaming." The bored blue hedgehog commented innocently, green eyes still examining the texture of the pie. "Next time we have breakfast, don't summon similar bottles for the salt and the sugar." Flicking his eyes up, the captive hero laughed slightly at the outrage he saw in the demon's eyes. "It can lead to awful misunderstandings, don't you think?"

To add salt to the wound -which was already overflowing with it- Sonic offered the older male a fiendish smirk of victory, one Mephiles responded to by lunging over the table and tackling the surprised hero into the sea of pillows.

From my calculations, we are halfway into the story. Cheers!

Next stories to be updated will be Broken Stream and Bitter Cold, in that order. Won't take long, most of the chapters are done.