I Am...All of Me

All Too Familiar

   Every victory has it's price. The greater the victory, the higher the price. So what is the cost for defeating something as dreadful as Solaris?

Third Person POV

     Shadow leaped backward, panting heavily as he tried to make out the shapes surrounding him in the abandoned facility, his sharp ears ringing from the sound of deep, maniacal laughter echoing around him. He couldn't understand what had happened. He, Sonic, and Silver had just defeated Solaris in Soleanna, so where was he now? Where were the others? The black hedgehog calmed himself down, controlling his breathing and focusing his mind on the problem at hand, and his eyes began to adjust to the lack of light. The laughter grew louder as a form that seemed to siphon the darkness around it emerged from the floor. He glared at it and fell into a battle stance, ready to face the creature that had caused this chaos--the one who had also stolen his reflection. 

             "Mephiles," Shadow spat. 

    The crystalline hedgehog made eye contact, and an unknown feeling crawled its way up the Ultimate Lifeform's tail. 

     "Lose something?" the mouthless being asked, confusing the other, until he held up four shimmering, gold rings, making them float in the midst of a purple orb. Instinctively, Shadow rubbed his wrist, only to find it bare. The same with the other and his ankles. Mephiles chuckled darkly as watched the sudden dreadful realization appear on Shadow's face. 

    "These certainly are very beautiful, but highly unnecessary," he stated. The black and crimson hedgehog reached out for them, but it was too late. With a snap of a finger, they were gone. Shadow snarled and lunged, tackling his opponent with a ferocity never before seen. He gave no chance for an opening, but repeatedly punched Mephiles in the face. The blue and violet mobian lifted a hand and fired a ball of dark energy, sending the Ultimate Lifeform flying backwards. His head rammed into a metal wall, causing his vision to momentarily double. 

    "I may not have conquered the world, but your loss shall be a good consolation. There will be no machine to save you this time, Shadow the Hedgehog." 

    A smirk grew on the hybrid's tan muzzle, as hr picked himself up, "Who said I needed saving?" 

   Mephiles swept his hands about, staring about the room before returning his stare, "Do you not know where you are?" 

     "Doesn't matter," Shadow replied and lunged once again with superior speed. His enemy barely dodged the punch but didn't move in time and was struck with a rocket-boosted kick to the side. Mephiles staggered but did not fall. In fact, he laughed. 

    "Look around you! Tell me where you are!"

  Shadow growled, balling his fists. He knew the danger of playing games with the enemy, but if he could figure out his location, it would make getting out much easier. He glanced nonchalantly around the dark room, never letting his guard down. It appeared to be an old military base or research facility that had been abandoned for some time. But yet, there was something vaguely familiar about it. Maybe it was the position of the bolted door in the far corner, or the lingering scent of liquid nitrogen that clung to his nose. If he had a mouth, Mephiles would have smirked at Shadow's expression. 

               "Yes, this is Prison Island."

   No, no, no! Don't give in! Don't give in! Shadow chanted in his mind as he packed up. He wasn't afraid of the other hedgehog. Far from it. His back quills brushed against cold glass, and ruby orbs widened as Shadow released a shocked gasp. He turned around and stared at the intact stasis unit, his eyes never leaving it as years of memories began to burst. 

   "No!" he shouted, not to Mephiles, but to himself. He fought the sudden rush of memories to the point his head throbbed. He snapped his eyes shut and grabbed his skull, helpless to the nightmares of his own mind. The other hedgehog only watched in sick amusement as the simple words and images tortured his most hated enemy. It was time to put the next step of his plan into action. 

    Shadow growled and shook his head, opening murderous red eyes to glare at a pair of reptilian green orbs. Out of reflex, he released a volley of chaos spears towards the crystal form, only for them to be deflected as if they were no more than specks of dust. Shadow panted, the cost for using his own energy with no limitations being extremely high. Without his rings, he had no way to regulate how much power he used or what effect it would have on himself. 

    "Well that was a bold move," Mephiles stated absently, "My turn." 

   Shadow threw himself on the ground just in time to dodge a blast of dark purple energy. He rolled out of the way of another strike and curled into a spindash, using his momentum to attack the other. Mephiles dodged, and Shadow crashed into a row of heavy shelves. He stood up, tossing the crates and shelving off of him. Hand to hand combat would buy him more time, but a chaos strike would be more effective. His timing would have to be perfect, for he could already feel the drain of his energy leaving him. Mephiles stood in front of the cryogenic chamber, a large orb of dark matter held in both hands. Shadow fired his skates and dashed towards him, flaming red energy licking his form. 

     "Chaos...BLAST!" he cried as he fired all of his energy at the black and blue hedgehog. There was no way he could escape. When the explosion faded, nothing remained in the dark entity's place. Shadow sunk to his hands and knees inside of the open glass chamber, sweat dripping from the side of his face. For the first time in a long while, he released a smile, an exhausted one but genuine. 

           "An impressive show, truly."

   Shadow's head jerked up, "Impossible," he breathed. There was no way he had just exerted all of his power on a decoy. He pulled himself up and made an effort to climb out of the capsule, only for his hand to press against solid glass. When had the door closed?! His crown-like quills bent painfully in the lack of space. He punched the door repeatedly but didn't make a scratch. Kicking didn't do anything either. In a last attempt, he charged a chaos spear in both hands and fired. A vague memory reminded him that somehow this case had been built with these attacks in mind. 

    "Let me out!" he commanded and continued banging on the glass to the point his knuckles bled through his gloves. The temperature inside of the chamber dropped to a dangerous level, and white fog began to rise out of the vent below him. Shadow glared through the haze to see Mephiles at the controls. He was turning on the machine. 

   "Mephiles! LET ME OUT!" he yelled, looking for any other way to break free. His ruby eyes landed on the hinges of the lid, and an idea struck him. But as he reached for it, the air began to grow thick. His muscles slowed to a lethargic lull, and his eyelids became heavy. He couldn't even see through the glass anymore. No...not now..not when I'm...so close, Shadow thought as he pressed a palm against the ice cold glass. Black eyelids closed, and his system fell into a state of hibernation.

   Mephiles watched as Shadow's struggle to stay awake ended with glistening green eyes. There would be no way anyone will be able to find him, not in time to stop him anyways. 

    "Fifty years was too short a time for you, Ultimate Lifeform. Sleep well, until the next two centuries. I may have use for you someday," he waved as he disappeared into the darkness. He left a moment too soon, for he didn't hear the chilled words that fell from Shadow's lips. 

       "Fall. People like you always fall...."