Chapter 8

Mephiles sighed, then his pulled his fingers up. Shadow felt the phantom spike point upwards. He gave out a strangled cry, then slumped forward, floating in midair, kept up by Mephiles' torturous lazer. Mephiles thrusted his arm back and Shadow slumped onto the floor.

"You know that this is just the beginning, Shadow. It would be best to give in now," Mephiles said as he walked over and stood over him. "Anything to say, Shadow?" No answer. "Please cry for me," he mocked. Shadow closed his eyes, knowing what would come next. Mephiles lifted his leg, then stomped down with full force on Shadow's spine. Shadow grunted. His battered insides could hardly take anymore. He knew what would happen if he lost. He could just face the paradox and try again. But he had no toxic substances or prison collars to hold him back now. He had no excuse to give in so easily.

Mephiles bent down and grabbed Shadow's quills. The demi-god gave them a strong tug. Shadow's body was bent backwards with a sickening crack. The hedgehog choked and grunted with pain, but hardly gave a response.

"Giving up?"

"J-Just getting started!" Shadow retaliated. Mephiles sighed and dropped Shadow's head and lifted his foot from Shadow's spine.

"Hmm. What is the most painful thing imaginable?" Mephiles asked. "Maybe I need to start ripping organs out." Shadow closed his eyes and braced himself. "It's so sad for you, Shadow, that you would survive this. But luckily for you, not for long. Because I shall just destroy this timeline once I fuse with Iblis. Your suffering undone."

"Until next time, and it all comes back!" Shadow cried out. Mephiles kicked Shadow to roll him onto his back. Then, Mephiles pulled Shadow up by his chest fur. His free hand, he held out. It flashed to crystal. Shadow gasped and scrunched his eyes up tight. Mephiles plunged the sharp crystal shard fingers into Shadow's chest. Shadow saw white and his eyes rolled back. Mephiles gripped Shadow's heart, and yanked it from his chest. Shadow slumped to the floor. Mephiles looked down and watched Shadow's face, specifically, his eyes. Any tears? Finally, yes. Shadow was motionless, expressionless, seemingly lifeless. But of course he was very much alive… a tear fell from his eye, rolled down his cheek and onto the floor. Wish a blast, Iblis was released. Mephiles was right, it was inevitable.

Shadow awoke with a gasp. In front of him was Sonic and Silver.

"Shadow! What happened? You released Iblis!?" Silver cried out.

"Wh-what's this?" Sonic asked. "Hey Shadow. Aint seen ya' in a-while. Coulda' used your help." The blue hedgehog folded his arms and looked down at Shadow irritably.

"Why?" Shadow closed his eyes, feeling a thumping pain in his chest.

"Humans are treating us like dirt," Sonic said and put his hands on his hips. "Cartin' us off to Prison Island. They haven't caught me yet."

"That's why they put me away. So I couldn't help," Shadow said under his breath. Silver looked at Sonic.

"Wait, you're from back then?" Silver asked. "We just escaped from there." Sonic put his hand on his chin as he looked Silver up and down.

"Nice chest fluff, buddy," Sonic said, then eyed Shadow suspiciously. Shadow sighed in frustration.

"We need to turn super and destroy Solaris," he stated. The other two looked at him in confusion. "Do we have the emeralds."

"Yeah, Shadow. That's what we used to heal you," Silver said. Shadow looked down, there was still green blood dried on his chest fur, but the holes were healed up.

"That's what I can feel. A new heart…" Shadow pondered. "I don't think it likes me."

"So, we goin' super?" Sonic asked. "I'm guessin' you can do it too?" He looked at Silver. Silver shrugged.

"You can," Shadow said and stood up. "Let's do this."

"The flame's through here," Elise said. "It once inhabited me, when I was alive, many centuries ago."

"I see. That's why you're here," Sonic said. The two of them walked into the room. "Shadow."

Shadow was already in the room, holding the flame.

"What do we do? If we put out this flame, we'll just end up in the same place again. We need to do this differently."

"What are you talkin' about, Shadow?" Sonic asked.

"Shut up, Sonic! You don't remember! I remember all of the times we've ended up here!" Shadow yelled. "I'm so tired. I can't take this any longer." He closed his eyes tight and thought. "Mephiles. Solaris can exist. But Mephiles can't. And Iblis. They turn Solaris into this… destructive thing. Just let the flame exist as it is. No experiments." Shadow looked at Elise. "Princess Elise. You need to stop your father from experimenting on this flame."

"How?" she asked. Shadow swallowed nervously. He didn't know how. "I won't remember."

"Hey, Shadow. How do you remember?" Sonic asked. Shadow looked at Sonic, feeling helpless.

"I don't know." His shoulders dropped.

"You're tied to me, that's why," Mephiles said as he waltzed into the room. "You cannot avoid this, Shadow. You're doomed to repeat this, forever." Shadow set the flame back on the stand. He folded his arms and stared at Mephiles.

"We'll see. We're doing this differently," Shadow said. Mephiles looked back at Shadow confidently. Shadow walked over to Elise and grabbed her by the hand. He looked into her eyes, imploring her. "Please. Remember this. Stop your father from experimenting on the flame." Elise nodded with determination. Mephiles didn't seem bothered by it.

"I shall see you again, hedgehog," Mephiles said and walked out of the room.

"Hey, how do we get out of this place?" Sonic asked. Mephiles chuckled from the corridor. "Aww man, there'd better be a bathroom in here."

"We're not… stuck here, are we?" Shadow asked, tensing up. Sonic shrugged.

"I guess we're not getting reset if the timeline's not getting wiped out," he said. Shadow growled in frustration.

"Shadow… I'm guessing the flame was blown out before, and we're still in this situation? Mephiles and Iblis still managed to exist." Shadow looked at Elise in surprise.

"Yes."

"So we just blow out the flame, and I'll try to remember this. I'll make sure my father's experiments don't happen." Shadow nodded. Then he took the flame.

"Perhaps… if I blow it out… it'll change something," Shadow said softly, the blew it out.

RESET

2002

"You did it. Thank you," Shadow said.

"It was my honour, Shadow. Anything to save the world," Elise said and bowed, then she looked over his shoulder. Inside the castle, her elderly father was alive and still ruling.

"Hopefully there will be no resets. I'd hate to have passed on the burden of remembering to you," Shadow said as he turned to leave.

Once he left the castle premises, he was stopped. Shadow's breath was caught in his throat. He felt his heart skip a beat.

"I still exist." It was Mephiles.

"It didn't work!" Shadow cried out, grasping his head in frustration. Mephiles shook his head.

"You're wrong. It worked. I wasn't created in this timeline. However… I have the ability to jump timelines."

"So it's useless. You'll always form Solaris!"

"Wrong. I am the one with the time travel powers. I was the one who was able to traverse the timelines and avoid getting wiped from existence. Iblis was destroyed. I am alone. Incomplete. And it is your fault, hedgehog." Mephiles pointed a finger at Shadow. "And I vow to make you pay."

Shadow felt a shiver go up his spine.

The End