tampered | Log: Complete

Log: Complete

When; December 28th (night time) at the Carousel
Rating; PG (for now)
Characters; Mephiles

i_am_allofme
Summary; Mephiles has finally agreed to answer some of Shadow's questions. Hopefully. (Angry black hedgehog fun!)
Log;

One step to calm the storm inside you
Unlock the secrets in your head
Not another day, no more confusion
No more living like we're dead

The offer almost seemed too good to be true. There had to be a catch, some sort of trap. But there was Shadow, walking towards the carousel in hopes of finding Mephiles and finally getting some answers. He just didn't understand what was going on. Every time he tried to remember, his head hurt and he began to feel weaker. He wouldn't have minded so much.. if he had his shadow back. Mephiles had stolen and taken the form of the hedgehog's shade, for what reasons, Shadow was unsure of but it was affecting him in many ways. Little did he know, or refused to notice, his body, his exsistence, was becoming empty, while Mephiles was becoming more complete.

Apparently Shadow wasn't the only one who didn't remember anything. Sonic and that other hedgehog, the silver one, seemed to have experienced a memory lapse as well, or so the black hedgehog guessed. He had been thinking, dwelling on it, for the past few days now, trying to figure out why they would forget. Was it Mephiles' doing? Or perhaps it had to do with time. Shadow was very familiar with the aspect of altering time and space, so it could be possibly that something happened in the past that somehow got changed, causing everyone to forget. But what didn't explain why Mephiles remembered.

Dammit.. my head hurts again..

[OOC: THOSE LYRICS FIT THIS LOG. D= I just couldn't resist posting them. Who loves unnecessary commas? I do. <3]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Silently his feet touched the cool surface of the moving, ticking, spinning carousel's roof. Each step in perfect rhythm with the echoing ticktockticktockticktock... Hands linked, fingers intwined with fingers behind his slender back, head tilted towards the stars. Peridot watching through black lashes, the softest breath of wind passing past those fake quills.

Mephiles had stopped waiting a long time ago, slid over to the concept of just walking with the spinning motion of the City's centrum and watching the firnament was enough. Even when the second aura, the shadowless, appeared nearby he didn't take his gaze off the twinkle and sparkle above.

He liked the twinkling. The blink of something alive amongst the black.

But then there was a twist. And Mephiles' head tilted forward, serpentine acid tore from the stars and square through the air until they zeroed in on red and ebony. Let his body turn and walk against the spinning to stay put, before pale lips jerked and curled and there was this snow white ragdoll smile.

And they didn't move with the whisper of, "You are late."

_{[OOC: ...I am -so- sorry this is so late. I fail at life. ;;; Sorry~ Hope I can make it up somehow. &hearts &hearts ]}

"I was busy." Shadow grunted. He had been thinking too much, as usual. "Are you going to answer my questions now?"

Two thin eyebrows above a slash of pale fur arched, gemstone gave a glitter and the dark hedgehog tilted his head with a thoughtful hum. A slender, gloved finger touched unmoving lips as he drew his attention back to the twinkle, but his feet kept moving with the ever ticking metronome.
"Oh, the questions.." a pause, "That depends.. Do those questions really"

Then there was a slash. A violent whip of the wind and suddenly acidic eyes were no more illuminated by the carousel's light but right in front of Shadow's and a scream thundered right into his face- "TORTURE"

--Mephiles' face was gone in a flash but therefor there was the softest of breaths that tickled against Shadow's ear as the bitter cold had collected now behind him.. and the Thief of Shadows with it.. within the beat of- "your heart~?"

Shadow remained unmoving and unnerved by Mephiles teasing. "I need to know. I don't like secrets." He glanced back at the other hedgehog. He wasn't in the mood for games. Best to get things over with as soon as possible.

"Why did you steal my shadow?"

"Steal?"

The word tickled into that pointed ear like a second ago, and there was a touch of frostbite hands on Shadow's shoulders- just before the dark one pulled another flash.
Frizzing out like the picture within a too-old TV box to only leave a lost, black tendril behind-- before he was perched atop the carousel once again, moving with the ticking, eyes and smile alight.

"That is such a strong word you are accusing me with, Shadow", he almost purred the words, extended a slender arm and that gloved hand hung down as if he were expecting a kiss-to-the-hand.
"Especially since you presented me your shade on a silver plate like that. After releasing me, by accident, assured?"
...Black collected between those cold fingers.
"Just like now, true? Do you remember, Shadow? This?"

And the hand tilted, facing up to the sky and there was a little ball of black collected, floating just above that upturned palm. Echiong with the softest heartbeat in perfect rhythm with Shadow's pulse, radiating his aura..
Amused.

"Shadow's shadow~"

"I.." He clutched at his head and groaned. No matter how hard he tried to remember, he just couldn't. It only gave him a seering headache, like right now.

"Nrgg.." Shadow clenched his eyes shut. "I can't remember.."

But that reminded him of something he had been meaning to ask. He massaged his temples and opened one eye to look at Mephiles, "Did someone mess with the timeline?"

"That," his free arm drew a wave a clear swipe through the cold December air and he chuckled at the sight of the hedgehog writhing so sweetly, "you must ask them." And the wave ended in a gesture towards the sky.
"The Deities should know whether it was the doing of seven sparkling Emeralds or the Timeline Tangents' humour~ But.."

And he jumped. Back, a swish of quills and fur and soon Mephiles crouched upon the upwinding pole in the middle of the spinning ticktock. Not needing to move to keep eye-contact, now.. but viper-green slid down to the pulsing ball of black he cradled in his hands like a child.
There was something.. almost wonderous in his gaze.
"..you would certainly have the power to."

Peridot shop up, locked with crimson.

"Quite a pain, is it~?"

"You're not answering my questions." Shadow barked. He wasn't in the mood for games, especially from Mephiles, "What happened back in our world? Why is it that you know me, but Sonic and I have never even met you! Whenever I try to remember, I get a splitting headache. Something had to have happened!"

Green eyes closed. He smiled again and his head tilted to one side, and his fingers started to move slowly, the legs of a spider, and he purred to himself. "A power that is quite a burden, not?"
He simply wrote over the black hedgehog's shout. Moreover- started with a blank sheet of paper.

"So many questions.. I give you a deal, Shadow."
And he stood. The cariousel's lights outlined, enveloped him, made him shine like he himself never could and both his arms were now stretched. Right out, straight out, towards Shadow.
"You like racing, do you?"

Black twisted. The little sphere of shadow spiraled, seeped down through his fingers and once again palms turned- turned down. And from skinny fingers, each, a black wire enlongated slowly to the ground.

"If you catch us," and malice slithered through the purr, interrupted only by the hissing of black and shade twisting and squirming at the end of those wires and Mephiles lifted his arms. "you shall get your answers."

And he laughed as he twisted his hands- the hands of a puppeteer, fingers merging into black wires holding black limbs and blackblackblack...
Holding the puppet that was Shadow's shade, the desired treasure, a spitting image of the original, and it rose its dark head and, taunting, flashed that fake smile that could only be possessed by its Master.

_{[OOC: ....Dance, my puppets! Mwahahahaha!]}

"That wasn't the deal." Shadow sneered at the 'faker.' But was there any other choice?

If I play by Mephiles' rules for a bit, he might be easier to get through to.

The black hedgehog sighed and cracked his knuckles, eyeing his shadow. Better make sure there was no hidden consequences for racing, "And if I don't?" He asked casually, flexing his gloved fingers.

"You would never not."

And with that and another laugh, echoing and loud and stark against the ticktockticktock--hahaHA.. the dark one whipped off the carousel. His arms waved, wires danced, and the shadow's body moved with a sickening noise- sheer and weightless and so limp -with the pull and jumped.

And both, master and puppet, ran and flew and thrashed through the streets and up to houses' roofs beneath the moon's pallid shine.

Shadow tried his best to keep up, unsure of the path they were racing. Despite being angry at Mephiles.. it felt nice to get out and stretch his legs like this. It had been such a long time since he last raced anyone. He felt energetic and alive again, the cold air whisping past him, the blurring lights.. It was exciting.

Better not get distracted though. Shadow kept his eyes glued to his target, watching and studying his every move.

He was fast. He was fast and glid on the skates he stole, sparks of light cascading from metal clashing with metalstonerock and he laughed all the while as the wind and lights tore at the fake fur he wore so well.
He didn't look back. He knew Shadow was following, felt it, felt the piercing stare drill and burn into his back but, oh, it was by far not as hot as the stare Mephiles used to receive day by day, second by second- until torn apart so cruelly-!

"Oh!"

The sarcastic howl thrust from the dark's core as he hooked an ankle against the flagpole he just rushed past, using the momentum and spun around it violently, curling his hands to fists-- and he hurled the puppetshadow in a long and vast and powerful arch like Ball and Chain and laughed out, "Catch!" as the puppet rushed right for Shadow's presence and thrust a steely fist in its flight past.

Noticing the sudden movement, Shadow immediatly jumped over the hurling target, pushed himself of Mephiles' head and landed infront, or rather behind him now, and rushed on ahead.

He glanced back at his copy and grinned. The race wasn't over with yet.

Mephiles' head slumped forward, knocked down by the heel smacked against his skull and for a moment those viper-eyes were wide.
The puppet continued its flight despite anything, completing a wonderful arch 'round the flagpole 'till it flew forward. Lunged like a lion at its prey and Mephiles gave in to the pull and followed.
And the grin was gone. For just a moment, second, shard of time, that grin had vanished.

Instead there was a growl, snarl, merging into a hiss and those skates scraped over the roofs as he hunted. Chased after.
And that hiss, yet again- merged into the craziest little chuckle and his shoulders shivered with it.

And then the laughter burst out, and he jumped from a rooftop to the next, spinning and arms spreading- and he and his doll dove into the ground shadows with the sound of a sword slicing into flesh.
The blackness exploded in a splash of tendrils and swallowed the two, pulled them in like a lover.

And theywere gone.

Shadow skid to a stop, noticing the cackling had disappeared and that he was no longer being chased. He looked around but kept his guard up, incase Mephiles decided to pop up again and try to attack him.

But with each turn, with each swish of black and crimson quills, something would mirror the move. Something below- something laid against the stonecold ground.
Something matching each quill, each hair on Shadow's body. Something lost, something desired, something.. to always and forever follow.

His shade.

The black hedgehog looked down. He had to be dreaming.

"..Mephiles?"

And the shade turned and moved right with the tilt of the head, quills mirroring the swish the breeze sent through Shadow's. Perfect.
And then there was a whisper that came from everywhere and nowhere. Soft and wonderous and just the same tone in which the red and ebony hedgehog asked that one word. That one name. That same little whisper.

"..Shadow?"

He wasn't sure what to make of this. Things were even more confusing than they were before. His adrenalin was still pumping, so he was unsure if all his strength had returned yet.

".. When I said I wanted my shadow back, I meant JUST my shadow. Not you with it." Shadow crossed his arms, ashamed to admit that he felt silly standing there talking to his shade.

Copy. Every move, every tilt, the tiniest stir. It was there.
It was perfect. It was back. Giving in to the pale lunar rays, a mirror against every ground, surface, the black to the white.
The shade was as true as ever.

And the voice- the whisper. Everywhere and nowhere, swaying through the wind around the one this black shillouette belonged to. It chuckled.

"You are never satisfied, are you, Shadow?"

Shadow couldn't help but smirk. "No, but I suppose I settle for this. For the time being atleast. Aslong as you try not to steal my body."

"Is that so?"
Amused, the voice caressed past his fur, like fingers trailing over his cheek and jawline. Or like lips.
"How easy do you think is this, Shadow?"

And the breeze picked up. Quills swayed, fur ruffled and moment by moment the breath and whisper increased, the breeze became wind...
Became stronger.

"The race is not over yet~"

_{[OOC: You will seeee >3]}

"!! You.." Mephiles had caught him off guard. That brought a smile to his face.

Maybe I'm growing soft, or I've been thinking too much.

Shadow shook his head and immediatly took off in the direction of the wind, the smile not fading. Mephiles was indeed a worthy opponent.

And it followed. The black copy of the one racing once again, against the wind, it followed and slid over rock and steel and air and once again merged with its owner.
True owner?
The wind whistled past Shadow's quills, whipped with the smooth and ferocious movements as two racers thrashed past roofs and lights and static.

"Follow me, come with me~"

It was like a chant. Like a song, and the wind felt like hands beckoning and coaxing, flicking and telling the black hedgehog to hurry and run. And run, and run.

Run to the gigantic body of the Cathedral springing into view.

_{[OOC: Hee~ &hearts &hearts &hearts x3]}

Shadow did as he was told, but unlike last time, kept his guard up. Why was Mephiles leading him to the Cathedral? Would he answer his questions once the race was finished? Or was he planning on ambushing him?

The Cathedral- gigantic and majestic beneath the firnament, beneath the twinkleglint, stretching high up as if to reach for the sky. For the living fire up there casting its shine down onto this place-- of course Mephiles would chose this.

The wind drew an arch just before the giant monument's walls, leading up- up to the very tip of its arched steeple. The air's breath twisted, spiraled around the tower, twittering its song to finally curl above the highest spot. And perch.

"Come with me, Shadow~ Come up here~" and he could almost feel his shade give him a tiny, persuasive nudge.
Almost.

As he drew closer to the cathedral, Shadow began to pick up more speed. Once he was close enough, he pulled a gleaming chaos emerald from his quills.

Time to show off.

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

In the blink of an eye, Shadow raced up the cathedral wall, right to the top of the steeple. He put the emerald away and crossed his arms, waiting for Mephiles to appear again.

And then there was silence. Only the occasional whisper of wind and breeze brushing past and around Shadow's body, seeping through his fur. Blindly it caressed over that smooth- ohsosmooth Chaos Emerald..
The air's strength had died down. It was now but.. breeze. Calm, and cool....

"I suppose" and the wind twirled through the hedgehog's spines, "it is time to tell you, then~?"

Shadow tensed up, ready to grab the emerald if that wind decided to do anything. "Yes. It'd be appreciated."

It did nothing. It slid and twirled and brushed- but it did not swipe. It was calm. And cool.
But it switched directions. Dramatically, from the ground it blew up towards the sky, throwing Shadow's quills up, letting them whip within the speed and cold and exhale.

"Then, Shadow.."

It happened too fast.
The black wires flew past his face, pulling and tearing at something and frostbite was suddenly right there against his back, like teeth ramming into his throatvein, and not even he had time to react before clawed hands grasped his temples as if they were to tear his head off.

But then the images flew through his head.

The room explodes within a burst of Shade and Fire--people scream and Silver next to him gives a shout of shock as well-
He's given the Sceptre and he follows, Silver takes off the other direction, it's all an act of sheer impulse but he follows after a pool of Shade sliding along the floor and he knows what it is--
There's a roar of anger and ferocity and pure and utter RAGE, and with spread arms he watches that collection of tarshadeblackness getting sucked into--
--the Sceptre shatters as it falls to the floor. There's Rouge and he can hear Eggman screaming something before a wave of black tears out of the ground and -into- the ground--
And then there's this sickening feeling of shade leaving his body, twirling upon the floor and for the first time he looks into gemstone viper-eyes.

"I owe much to you, Shadow."

It all tore through this Ultimate Lifeform's head with the heat and power of a thousand Volt and more, blinding and deafening and numbing and back.

And he felt Mephiles' smile as he tore the hedgehog's shade from him once again.

"Enjoy them."

And shoved him off the steeple.

_{[OOC: And the memories are back like promised~ x3 &hearts]}

The pain.. everything.. it was too much to handle. He couldn't respond to Mephiles shoving him. He just fell, fell straight towards the ground. His body refused to work and his head felt like it would explode at any second.

There was a loud thud as Shadow hit the ground, his body almost lifeless. The memories kept replaying over and over in his mind. He felt so.. empty, even worse than before. Like a lifeless doll, like how Mephiles first appeared before him.

And he laid there, until he couldn't think anymore and couldn't withstand the pain, finally falling unconscious.

_{[OOC: Heh. x3 &hearts And~ Could say this log is complete.. because Shads is out cold and Mephy kept his promise? He'd just float away gloating right now. <.< xD *pets Shadow* It was fun! x3]}

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Log: Complete

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject