I didn't sleep good that night. I dreamed of when I stabbed Sonic in the heart.

It wasn't any fun to revisit that memory, but even more when I stepped closer to Princess Elise, and she suddenly morphed into Alabaster.

"Why?" She asked. "What good does this do you, huh!?"

I stared. "It...it doesn't do me any good."

Alabaster shook her head. "Mephiles...Mephiles..."

She continued to repeat my name, but it started to sound different, until she was screaming. "MEPHILES!"

I jolted awake, and sat up straight. "What?" I panted. "What is it?"

"Sorry...you quit breathing in your sleep." She sat down on the couch. "...I got scared."

"...Alabaster, I gotta tell you something. It's about Dr. Chiros. He is-"

"He's Iblis. I know." I blinked in shock, and she sighed. "He wasn't that much of a pain before...then one day, he became a complete jerk. I didn't know why until one day his eyes flashed green." She looked at me. "I'd seen those eyes before."

I nodded. "So what do we do? He'll be looking for me."

"I know...and I don't know what to do. He's your brother..."

"He can't be destroyed if I can't...he said he took over Dr. Chiros' body, so he obviously still isn't naturally a physical being."

"He's more like a lava elemental...I've got it! We can trap him!"

"Wouldn't he just melt out of anything we put him in?"

"I've got a plan, but it requires you getting him to morph into his true form." She got up from the couch. "I need to call somebody."

"At 3 AM?"

She grinned, "It's 9 AM where she is...you get some sleep."

I nodded, curling up on the couch again. "...Alabaster...I'm sorry for trying to eradicate you before...It was wrong of me."

"No problem, Phil...and call me Abbie."

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

I wondered what Alabaster was up to, but she wouldn't hardly say anything, except for that I was crucial to the plan.

A week passed, and finally I heard someone knock on the door. I was hesitant to open it, but I slowly turned the knob and pulled it open. "Yes?"

A hedgehog stood at the door, holding a massive, black crystalline jar. "I believe your girlfriend asked for this, sir." She explained, her voice betraying her native territory as Londoon.

I blushed, "R-Right...thank you." I took the jar, shivering as I felt how cold it was.

"Careful. It's enchanted."

I nodded, then turned as Alabaster hurried over.

"Mandie! It's so good to see you!" She hugged the hedgehog. "Thank you for doing this on short notice."

"My pleasure, mate. I wish I could stay longer, but I have to get back before things get too crazy at home. You be careful with that jar, alright?"

"Of course."

As she left, I handed Alabaster the jar. "So this jar...you really think it'll keep Iblis locked up?"

"Yes. It will trap Iblis. All we have to do is have you anger him enough to get him back into his original form, then I use the incantation to seal him inside."

"Whoa whoa whoa! Freeze!" I shook my head. "I barely have any of my power back, and there is no way I'm letting you near Iblis again! He'll kill you, now that you helped me escape!"

"I can handle myself, Mephiles."

"I can't... I won't let my only friend get hurt fighting my fight! I can't let you risk yourself any more."

"Mephiles Solaris...You are the one person I thought had the guts to defeat Iblis. Why are you so scared of him!?"

"I'm not scared of Iblis! I...I'm scared of losing you." I felt the chill again, but ignored it. "You've shown me kindness, which is something I'd never had before. Ever since we met, all you've ever done is try and help me. I...I care about you too much to see you suffer for it."
Another chill, and I almost lost my footing.

Alabaster set the jar down. "...This might be too early, but I don't care."

"What, what might be too-mmph! Mmmm..." I felt a powerful chill as she wrapped her arms around me and our lips touched.

My first kiss.

I almost wanted to pull away, so she couldn't feel me tremble, but something deep told me not to.
She finally pulled away, and looked at the floor. "Sorry."

"That felt...good, actually."

"I need to explain something to you, Phil..." she tapped her fingers. "...about my parents."