Storm continued to fight a loosing battle against Mimereus.
Storm was growing increasingly more frustrated with the fact that he can't risk closing with his enemy.
He had to resort to the few magical attacks he had at his disposal, but Mimereus was clearly more skilled with the art than Storm and continued to dispel or redirect Storm's attacks.
Mimereus's eyes glowed brighter as he cast an unknown spell and Storm prepared to evade the incoming attack.
It never came, which suprised Storm at first.
His eyes happen to fall on his shadow and he realized that it was moving on it's own and was staring at him.
It ripped itself free of Storm's body before floating free of the ground and creating a darker copy of Storm's own body with glowing red eyes.
The lightning crossing this copy's body was a deep purple color and his scales was a darker, navy blue color.
But his features were otherwise identical to Storm.
The copy flexed it's limbs and gave a mischievous grin at Storm.
Storm didn't wait for his doppelganger to attack and jumped at him.
He slashed at it's right forelimb, the doppelganger made no effort to defend or evade.
As his claws connected with his opponent, Storm felt searing pain in his corresponding limb.
He looked down and saw three large slashes running across the limb. Blood was seeping from the wound.
The double blasted Storm back with a blast of Purple lightning.
"Any physical attacks I launch against it gets reflected back to me!!" Thought Storm in panic.
The doppelganger stepped forward and Storm limped backwards to avoid him.
He looked at Aurora to judge her progress.
She had managed to get a dull glow from the orb, but it was still going to take a while to get it ignited.
Storm looked at his darker twin.
"Maybe you can help?!" He thought.
Storm jumped into the air and his double took off in pursuit.
The double dove at Storm and tried to slash at his wings to force him back to the ground, but Storm managed to evade the strike.
Storm flapped hard to get above his opponent before diving down and ramming the shadow from above.
Normally he would have torn his opponent's wings, or struck at the back of it's head, but because of the pain mirror effect, he couldn't risk it.
His opponent struck the ground and Storm felt a dull ache formed in his underside as he felt his opponent's pain.
Judging by how little it hurt, Storm knew his opponent wouldn't stay down for long.
"Aurora!! When I warn you! Get ready to move!!" Storm commanded with a quick mental communication.
The shadow quickly took off again and shrieked in annoyance.
It opened it's mouth and unleashed another blast of Purple lightning.
Storm dipped to the side and rolled out of the way.
"Now, Aurora!!" Commanded Storm.
She leaped off the tower as the lightning struck the orb.
It absorbed the energy hungrily and a moment later the Orb glowed with a light as bright as the noonday sun.
Both the Shadow and Mimereus shrieked in pain.
Storm's double desolved into nothing and the mist covering Mimereus's body disappeared and his true body was revealed.
His body seemed to be made of the same black ooze that storm had seen around the Dark Forest.
It seemed to be unnaturally thin as if it's owner had been starved for decades.
The shadowy membranes in his wings had disappeared, leaving just the bony fingers in his wings.
Mimereus seemed disoriented and blind in the light.
Storm frowned in response.
He had hoped that the orb's light would have been enough to banish him completely, but it seemed like it couldn't match the radiance of the real sun.
"Guess I'll have to finish him off the hard way!" Thought Storm.
He dove down at Mimereus while he was still disoriented and struck him in the chest.
Several deep gashes formed in Mimereus's body.
Mimereus shrieked in pain and tried raised a claw to slap Storm away, but Storm dodged it with effortless ease.
He jumped at Mimereus's exposed side and rammed him into the wall.
Causing the entire cavern to shake as the two giants clashed.
As Storm held him pinned, he felt something.
A source of energy, buried deep underneath Mimereus's corrupted form.
Before Storm could do anything else, Mimereus shoved him off him and his connection to this power source faded.
"What was that!!" Thought Storm.
Something about the way it felt was familiar to him.
After a moment he recalled his fight with the lightning elemental.
"Could Mimereus be the same?!
Is he nothing more than a magical construct?!" Thought Storm.
Mimereus tried to run, but Storm tackled him to the ground.
"Where do you think you're going!!" Yelled Storm.
As they both rolled on the ground Storm plunged his wounded right arm into the center of Mimereus's chest and began digging for the power source he felt earlier.
His claws closed on something solid and he began pulling at it.
The corruption resisted his efforts and entered Storm's body though his open wounds on the forelimb and began infecting his bloodstream.
Then, with a hard yank, he ripped a golden orb out of it's body.
He crushed it in his grip and an unknown energy flowed into his body.
Then Storm collapsed as exhaustion claimed him.
The construct shrieked, and the blue lights in his chest began to glow brighter.
A sudden flash of light exploded from his chest and it's body was ripped apart from within.
The lights fled the cavern and passed through the walls of the mountain.
Darkness covered Storm's vision and he passed out.
The last he heard was Aurora shouting his name.
Storm awoke in an unfamiliar dark landscape.
Thick dark mist covered the landscape, hiding any features.
Red lightning occasionally flashed behind the mist and illuminated the area.
There was no one else in this place with him.
Storm was shaking with weakness and his body felt cold.
He tried to stand, but collapsed a moment later.
"Aurora!!!" Storm called, but no reply came.
A sudden golden light illuminated the area as a large ethereal golden dragon appeared in front of him.
He was incorporeal, and seemed to glow from within.
His wings were extended, but the membranes connecting the flight bones consisted of pure, golden light.
Two long tendrils extended from underneath it's nostrils like a mustache.
Storm tried to get to his feet again, but he was unable to muster the strength to do so.
The dragon looked down at Storm with a look of pity, regret and remorse.
He placed a hand on Storm's back.
Warmth flowed into Storm's body, restoring his strength and banishing the corruption that was flowing through his veins.
Once he was done, the golden dragon removed his limb and Storm got to his feet.
"Thank you!" Said Storm.
"It's the least I could do after what I put you through. " replied the spirit.
"You're Mimereus, aren't you?"
The spirit nodded his head.
"That thing I fought?
That wasn't you, was it?" Asked Storm.
"No... it was my prison."