Sonic's POV:

The three of us were all sitting around the table, eating the ramen noodles Shadow had put in the microwave.

Rouge had walked in, quite surprised to find Silver and I here. "...So are we having a powwow of the hedgehogs in here?"

Shadow sighed. "Silver had nowhere else to go, and Sonic...he just hasn't left."

I gave him a teasing glare. "Eggman beat us up a little earlier, but I had it in the end!"

"You had it?" I whipped around as the shadows in the corner gained glowing green eyes. "And you wonder why I don't like you..."

I tried to grab Mephiles, but all I found was the wall behind him. "You...!"

Shadow pulled me back, holding my hands behind my back as Mephiles morphed into his physical form. "Let him talk, Sonic...!" Shadow hissed.
I fought against him, but his strength was more than mine.

"He's more Shadow's faker than you, Sonic." Rouge murmured. "Who are you?"

"Someone you'd be happy you've never yet until now." Mephiles stepped forward and Shadow put himself on front of Rouge, dragging me with him. "Relax. I'm not here to hurt any of you...unlike you, Sonic."

"Then why are you here!?" I shouted. "How are you still in existence...!?"

"You destroyed Solaris, not me." He looked to Silver. "I'm here because Silver shouldn't be."

"What!?" Silver stood up from the table. "So you're going to kill me now?"

"No. I mean you should not be here. In the present. Not unless there's an emergency."

Silver nodded. "Eggman stranded me here when he took my Time Stone."

"Ah...that would explain the futuristic weapons systems on his ship."

"The ship you let escape!"

Mephiles' eyes widened, then he glared at me. "How was I supposed to know!? I'm immortal, not all-knowing! And I didn't let him escape, I was saving your selfish butt from going extinct! If I hadn't saved you, Silver wouldn't even-"
He paused, his shocked expression telling me he'd almost exposed some deep secret.

"What?" I pulled myself loose from Shadow. "Silver wouldn't what!?"

"I've already said too much. I should've known helping you would be a mistake..."

"Why you-"

"STOP IT!"
I turned as Rouge shouted at us. "Look, I might not know what history you guys have, but yelling at each other isn't going to help anyone."

"And neither is letting this guy go!"

Mephiles shook his head. "You're not willing to listen to me, Sonic. I didn't kill you by my own choice... Even if you don't trust me, you'll need my help in getting Silver home."

"Oh yeah, why!?"

"Because I'm the only person completely immune to the Time Stone's effects. Once Silver is back home, I'll get out of your quills again."

"He's right." Shadow replied. "We have to let him help."

"Have you lost your mind...!?" I hissed.

"No. But perhaps he has found his..." Silver smiled nervously at Mephiles.

"Thank you... By the way, Sonic, your friend Amanda says hi."

"How do you know Amanda...!?"

"She helped me with a delivery a few months ago." He bowed. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have places to be." Then he vanished.

I took in a deep breath. "How can you trust him after-"

"I don't." Shadow replied. "I'll be keeping a close eye on him..."

.......................................................................

Mephiles' POV:

I stepped out of the darkness and into the hotel room again, my legs finally collapsing out from under me and dropping me onto the bed. "Ugh...!"

"Are you okay...?" Alabaster whispered.

"Yeah...I was so sure he was going to kill me..."
I put my hands to my chest, swallowing hard. "...I've never felt so much like my old self than I just did; having to be calm on the outside while I'm shaking on the inside."

"Oh, Phil...you sure you wanna do this?"

I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths. "...Yes. I have to do this...for my own sanity."

"...Then I'm helping too."

"Thank Chaos...!" I accepted her tight hug. "I was hoping you would...!"