My heart was thumping hard in my chest, my breath all I could hear in the darkness. The fear of the hunted lay down upon my shoulders, adrenaline the only thing keeping me from falling to my knees.

I was exhausted. The enemy was not far behind... I pushed myself faster, knowing it was hopeless. he would catch me.

If I weren't so preoccupied with my flee, I would have shuddered at the thouht of those venomous green, reptile-like eyes, the blood-red sclera accenting the image of fear.

My legs felt like lead, my arms were heavy, my breath coming in raggid gasps as I tried futiley to get away from the darkness behind me. I couldn't see where I was going, fear clouded my veiw, I was running from the darkness in the darkness.

Eventually, I got to the stage where I was forced to stop my desperate flee, my lungs burning, my mind clouded by exhaustion.

I whipped around, trying to catch sight of anything, anything at all I could use topinpoint my location. I caught sight of something silver and reflective; a lake! I peered into it, it's glassy surface tranforming into a mirror.

A black hedgehog, streaked through with crimson, and matching eyes stared back at me. I didn't care for my reflection, I needed water. I cupped some up in my gloved hands, and gulped it down.

I fell to my hand and knees, worn from my run; even with my hoverskates, it had been useless to try and get away. Without E-123 Omega and Rouge to help me, I stood no chance of defeating the dark being who was... was...

My eyes widened in horror. He was right here. Crouched next to me, watching with mild amusement at my exhausted visage, struggling to even crawl, yet alone stand.

"M-Mephiles..." I coughed, even to me it sounded weak.

"Why did you flee, Shadow?" He asked, his crystal-tipped quills shining in the pale moonlight. "Why did you run? Was it cowardice?"

I couldn't answer, I was too busy gulping in air.

"You knew you couldn't outrun me... Yet you still attempted to..."

"D-Don't... M-Mephiles... J-Just g-go away..." I spluttered. "G-go... L-let me be..."

His emotionless eyes were cold and hard, no signs of sympathy visible, due to their lack of presence in the Demon. Mephiles raised his hand up high, his claws radiating with Dark Chaos Energy. With a swift move, he brought it down, hard, upon my neck.

I blacked out.

--

I jolted upright, breathing hard, coverd in sweat. I looked around, paniking. Where had he takn me? Where was I?

I checked my surroundings. I was half-covered in a black doona, on a mattress on the floor. A bed slightly higher than mine right next to me. A green-on-black she-hedgehog snoring lightly, her chest raising and falling slightly as he gentle breath moved her chest up and down rhythmatically, fast asleep. I recognised her to be Rebecca the Hedgehog.

I looked at my hands; crystalline claws. My breathing slowed. It was just a dream. I wasn't Shadow the Hedgehog. I was Mephiles. Mephiles. Not Shadow. Mephiles.

I calmed myself, my breathing returning to normal, however slowley. I wiped the sweat off my face with the back of my hand, as to not damage my head with my claws. Claws. Not fingers. Claws.

I took one deep breath, and checked the clock; 2358 hours. Almost midnight. I sighed. It would take forever to get back to sleep after that horrific nightmare.

But... Why had I had it? And why had it been from Shadow's viewpoint? I lived by the law that evrything happened for a reason and that there's a way out of anything. So, what was the reason? Perhaps it was telling me something would happen soon involving him, or that Dark would gain control again and kill him.

I shuddered at the thought. That was crazy. Impossible. Dark the Demon was long gone. He would never come back. Just the thought was ludicrous.

But... What if it wasn't? What would happen if he did, somehow, return? Who would he go after first? Shadow, Sonic, Silver, Manic, Crescent, Robo-Knuckles, or Rebecca? My heart missed a beat as I thought the last one.

I looked up at said hedgehog, who rolled over in her sleep, her foot twitching as if she was running, muttering something about an explosion and how pretty it was.

Anyone but her. I couldn't stand the thought of her death. I had hurt her before, and had sworn on my life I would never do so again. I was the reason she was now part demon.

I got to my feet, pushing my doona off of me, and looked her in the face. I smiled slightly as she wrung her hangs as if she was strangling some poor unfortunate person. Disturbing, slightly, cute, never.

I kissed her lightly on the forhead, and was pleased when she stopped stranling someone and muttered, "Love you too, Meph..." under her breath.

Those words were all I needed. I was immediatly calm again, all traces of panic left, leaving me in compleate and utter bliss as Rebecca resumed her all-important mission of strangling people. I hoped she was imagining it to be Dark.

I climbed back into bed, a small smile on my muzzle as I slipped back into a dream-like state.