So when we left off, there were three who were spying on Shadow and Sonic. Now who were those three? They seemed to recognize Shadow. (hinthint!) So how ae the two outcasts going to react to the three visitors?

Soulflight

Chapter 10: Ally or Enemy?

"Hey Shadow, I have this sinking feelign that we're being watched..." mumbled Sonic, but Shadow was already scanning the cave in which they were temporarily residing. Shadow stiffened as he saw three figures, two of them vaguely familiar.

"Greetings Shadow." One of the figures stepped out of the Shadows. Shadow took up a defensive stance.

"Mephiles," Shadow hissed. Mephiles, the crystalline hedgehog staring at him with his acid green eyes in a way that seemed freakishly unearthly. "You have found me. What do you want with me?" he asked with more than an edge of hostility in his voice.

Mephiles smirked. "I'm not the only one here Shadow." With these words, another hedgehog, this one a bright lime green. This hedgehog also bore that strangely annoying smirk on his features, so wide that his fangs were very much visible.

"Shadow! So very strange that you aren't dead. You know, I actually thought we'd finished you off. Looks like I was wrong.

"Scourge." Shadow gave him a sardonic smirk. "Do you do that thinking thing often? I'm surprised." Scourge growled. Unexpectedly, another voice sounded. Shadow heard Sonic gasp.

"Sonic?" the voice asked.

"Silver? Is that you?" An argentum hedgehog stepped out of the shadows. Recognition flashed through Sonic's eyes. "Silver! It is you! I thought you were dead!" Silver looked down on him.

"Well, I don't seem very dead to myself you know. You look...different," he said his eyes fixed onto the azure hedgehog beneath him. Sonic looked at him strangely, before pointing to a spot on his neck. There were two puncture scars on the spot at which he pointed.

"Well. How about that," Silver said, swiping off some of his chest fur to reveal two scars, identical to that of Sonic's on the base of his neck. Sonic stared at the scars on Silver's neck.

"But how? Who-" he broke off as Mephiles went over to Silver and gently brushed his fangs over the neck of the other, before sliding his fangs into the side of Silver's neck. Silver groaned, and almost fell, but Mephiles caught him, and continued to draw blood from him.

Sonic stared at the two, shocked. Shadow stared at the two, shocked.

"Mephiles?" Shadow finally asked after a few moments. "I know the requirements for transforming. Are you...?" Shadow broke off, as Mephiles turned to glare at him.

"Yes. I know exactly what I did. And for that I got cast out," Mephiles snapped. Silver still lay on Mephiles's arms groaning softly. "Although I might have borrowed a bit too much from him. I never knew it was this difficult to hunt outside of our territory."

"And what about Scourge?" asked Shadow. Scourge cocked his head to one side as he replied.

"Well, ol' queenie there did say that whoever was with him could go with him. So..."

"So you were stupid enough to go along with this demon?" Shadow spat.

"H-h-he's n-n-not a d-d-demon..." Silver murmured weakly. Sonic's head snapped up in anger.

"You;re just going to let him starve like this? I don't know what you guys are saying about requirements for transformation, but you can't just let him suffer!" Mephiles shot his annoying smirk in Sonic's direction.

"I'm not letting him suffer. He's allowing me to do this to him, willingly. I would stop if he told me to," Mephiles stated. Silver opened his mouth to speak.

"H-h-he isn't l-l-lying S-s-sonic. P-p-please d-d-don't do anything to him..." Silver shivered. Shadow stood there staring unbelievingly.

"Mephiles, why don't you explain to Sonic the 'requirements for transformation'?"

"Why don't you?" Shadow rolled his eyes and turned to Sonic.

"Sonic, you see, for a vampire to transform another being into a vampire, there are a few conditions that must be met. For one thing, you must love the one you transformed, which is almost impossible, because vampires aren't capable of emotion. For another, they must love you too. Do you understand what this means?"

Sonic turned to Mephiles and Silver. "Silver! Y-y-you..." he stammered. Silver smiled weakly at Sonic before reaching upwards to stroke Mephiles's cheek.

"Yes Sonic," he began, his voice slowly getting stronger. "I love him." Sonic mouth opened and closed repeatedly, but he never said a word. Silver looked at him. "And who, may I ask, did it to you?"

Sonic smiled as he turned to Shadow. He wordlessly walked over to Shadow, and pressed their lips together in a kiss. When they finally broke apart, he turned back to Silver, his hands resting on Shadow's chest fur.

"Does that answer your question?" he said happily. Shadow still looked slightly traumatized by the events.

"Mephiles, does this mean that you l-" Mephiles interrupted him.

"Yes. Do you have a problem with it? He snapped. Shadow looked at him expressionlessly, before replying.

"I thought I was the only one capable of emotion here."

"Apparently not," was the satirical reply.

They stood there in awkward silence. The sun was setting. Sonic was the first to break the silence.

"Since we're all apparent outcasts, why don't we band together for the time being?" They all stared at him like he had sprouted a pair of wings on his head.

"Us? Together? Where did you get your brains blue?" asked Scourge mockingly. Sonic flared.

"Not where you got yours for sure!" Silvers voice broke in.

"I think it's a good idea. Until we can find an ideal refuge, I suggest we stay together." Mephiles bared his fangs warningly, but Silver stood his ground. "No Mephiles. I'm of no use if you have to carry me everywhere!" Mephiles sighed.

"Fine. For now." His eyes met Shadow's. He spat on his hand and held it out to Shadow. Shadow grimaced in distaste.

"No chance I'm shaking hands with you! But if Sonic insists on it, then fine."

Two pairs of eyes smiled falsely at each other. One pair acid green, the other bloodred. 'For now, doesn't mean always,' were the words that rang through two minds.

"Wow you two shouldn't be so obvious! You look ready to backstab each other the first moment you get!" Scourge broke in. They both turned to glare at him.

"Shut up Scourge," snapped Shadow. Mephiles nodded.

"Normally I wouldn't agree with him, but for once he's right. Shut up."

Sonic had run over to Silver while the three were arguing. He held his wrist up. Silver stared at his wrist incredulously.

"Please drink," Sonic said. "You need it." Silver looked up at Sonic, from his position on the ground.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Now drink!" Sonic said. Silver bent so he could drink. Sonic felt weaker by every second that the argentum hegehog was taking. He realized how much blood he had lost in the past few days, and that he didn't even get a drink since then.

Silver pulled his fangs out of Sonic as the cerulean hedgehog collapsed, unconscious.

"Sonic!"

Kayz. Done. So we now know who the three are. We still haven't figured out everything though. Did I make a bad character choice? If I did who cares! I love those three! (although not as much as I love Shadow) Please review and give me your feedback on this chapter.