AN: Hey guys, school is about to start for me as a teacher, so updates may be a bit slower. I want to thank, Nebula the Hedgehog, risingzero1984, Rachhect, aliciathewolf45, MissMJS, Captain, Janttun3n, sad little demon, and Destinyxo! Once again, I'm noticing people seem very confused with who some of the characters. I saw a few people asking, "Who is this Gala-Na character?"

So, here is a cheat sheet to help you remember:

• Ivy is possessing Gala-Na's body.

• Mephiles is inhabiting Mighty Armadillo's body.

•~•

A gold, female Tenrec in a white dress ran through a darkened hallway. With her heart racing, she panted as she tried to desperately outrun her enemy. Reluctantly, she looked over her shoulder as she ran down the narrow hall, only to regret what she saw behind her. In close pursuit was Silver the Hedgehog with blood covered around his mouth and chest. His expression was void as he chased after her, looking determined to catch up. "Oh no!" she cried.

Suddenly, she came to a screeching halt as she stopped at a red door. She tried to open it but found the door was locked shut. Seeing that Silver was getting closer, she banged frantically on the door, hoping someone would open it for her to escape. "Please, somebody, help me!" she cried.

Unfortunately, no one came to her aid as Silver finally caught up with her. Terrified, she backed up, but the white hedgehog reached out and grabbed her by the back of the neck drawing her in towards him. She tried to pry herself out of his hold, but his strength was relentless. He angled her so her neck was exposed and opened his mouth, revealing his vampire fangs before sinking them into her neck. Her cry of agony echoed through the halls before everything went black.

•~•

In reality, Silver's eyes shot open after enduring the terrible nightmare. He looked around his surroundings and began to pull at the chains that held him in place. With every pull, the chains did not give heed, continuing to hold him in place and denying him his freedom. He growled in frustration by the chain's strength.

"Have you forgotten where you are?" a familiar voice taunted. Silver looked over to the entryway where he spotted Gala-Na casually sipping some tea. "Save your strength, my chains don't break so easily."

His eyebrows pulled down together as he glared in her direction. "Go away, mother."

She ignored him and took a few steps closer. "Were you having a sweet dream or nightmare?"

He tried to lunge towards her, but the chains prevented him, stopping him just inches in front of her. "Get out of my head!" he barked.

She smiled sweetly, unfazed by his anger. "I'm not in your head, but you were screaming. Go ahead though—get your bearings. We have much to discuss."

"Like what?"

"Who were you dreaming of ripping apart?" she asked curiously. "Was it your little girlfriend, Blaze, or was it someone else?" she spoke almost knowingly. Silver clenched his teeth together and pulled at his chains again; desperately wishing he could kill his mother with her goading words. "Stop fighting, Silver. I brought you here to listen and you're not going anywhere until I've said my piece."

He watched her intently as she took another long sip of her tea. "So speak."

"I want you to rejoin our family, but as a witch this time," she began. "I want you to leave behind the grotesque savageness vampirism has made of you. Take the body of a mortal, and we can all be happy again," she finished.

"You do realize you're entirely demented, don't you?" he droned.

She chuckled at his comment and tone. "Am I?" She walked over to a table and laid her teacup down. "I'm not the one who pulls the wings off every beautiful butterfly that he finds," she noted. "You know, like the female that flits across the edge of your nightmare."

"Release me," he demanded sternly.

She sighed, becoming disappointed in seeing his rage take hold. "How quickly you slip back into your more savage self. The moral son I've raised is now but a mask worn to hide ancient demons."

His eyes looked away in disgust. "You know nothing."

"See, that's where you're wrong," she corrected. "I know more about the secrets you carry than you do. Shall I list them?"

Silver scoffed. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Really? I can begin with the first little butterfly you destroyed: the sweet, young, widow from our village who caught your eye when you were still a mortal." She watched as Silver swallowed the lump in his throat and looked away again. "You remember Gold. Of course, how could you forget the first girl to steal your heart?"

"I did nothing but love that girl till the day you took her life," he defended.

She began to pace around him, like a shark waiting to strike its prey. "I know that's what you believe, which is precisely why you're here." She stopped just in front of him again. "I need to show you the monster you really are. When I do, you will beg for salvation and happily, I shall provide it."

"I doubt that," he scoffed.

Gala-Na placed her hand on his forehead, closed her eyes and chanted a spell, allowing her to tap into his memory bank.

~Flashback~

Back in their home village, Silver, now twenty-three, watched as a beautiful gold Tennrec danced around a bonfire with the other villagers. As he watched enchanted, she gracefully bounced and danced to the folk music. But once she realized she had a spectator, she stopped momentarily. Realizing that she had caught onto his long glance, he smiled sheepishly, making her giggle from a far.

"All females envied her," Gala-Na words reverberated in his mind. "All males wanted her, but she only had eyes for one."

Suddenly, Silver watched as Gold wandered over towards his twenty-year-old brother, Shadow. She leaned up and gave him a small peck on the cheek, while she linked arms with him. Shadow didn't seem too interested and even looked a little bothered by her clinginess. It was obvious that she was more into him than he was into her.

Watching the sight made Silver's stomach sink. Why couldn't that be him that she clung to hopelessly wanting affection? Feeling it was unbearable to watch any longer, Silver left the festivities and wandered over to the pigpens to distract himself. Gold and Shadow were arranged to wed, and knowing he'd have no shot felt earth shattering. Silver knelt down by the pen and began to pet one of the pigs.

"Do not tell me you came to save Henry from his fate?" a soft voice said from behind.

Recognizing the voice instantly, Silver stood upright and turned only to see the girl he pined for. Gold smiled up at him making his heart flutter in that moment.

"Uh, no, I-I'm afraid Henry's fate is to be food, sadly. Just as you are fated to love another…"

Her expression softened by his words. "And you? Fated to watch from the shadows, a noble martyr?"

He tilted his head to the side, intrigued by her statement. "What are you saying?"

She blushed lightly. "Fate does not dictate my heart, Silver. I was fated to throw myself on a pyre after my husband died in battle, but I did not. I chose to live and I chose to give my heart once more—to someone strong, protective, fierce, gentle, and yet noble," she listed. It was then that Silver realized how close she was as she reached out and held his face in her hands. He felt a shiver run down his spine by her touch. "I choose you, Silver," she smiled.

"What about my brother? You don't have feelings for him?" Silver probed.

"There's no chemistry between Shadow and I. Ever since the engagement, I've always felt such distance between us. Truthfully, I've always been more interested in you," she blushed.

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that," he smiled leaning in to kiss her, but she pulled back and giggled, only confusing him further.

"You chose to have our first kiss where your mother slaughters the pigs?"

He laughed at her observation. "Oh, I guess you're right."

"Not very roman-" He closed the gap between them, silencing her with a kiss. When he pulled back, both of them felt sparks. Gold stared up at him feeling butterflies in her stomach. Silver laughed at her dazed look. "Perhaps we should set Henry free. It seems one's fate can change after all," he said before diving in for another kiss.

~End Flashback~

Silver came back into reality after hearing his mother snap her fingers. He shook his head, reeling from the memories she forced him to relive. "That was just the beginning," Gala-Na smiled. "A brief moment of happiness, that is how it always begins. A butterfly lands upon your finger unaware that it will lead to her tragic end."

"Her 'tragic end' came when you entered the picture," he reminded. "You couldn't bear to see me happy. You wanted to see her with Shadow!"

"Actually, Silver, your memory doesn't serve you well at all. You just don't realize it yet." She reached out and cupped him by the chin, forcing him to look her in the eye. "But by the time we are done here…you will."

•~•

Miles away from home, Coal and Amy walked into a crowded bar together after a lengthy car ride. Inside, TVs blared sports programs while mortal patrons scattered the room and chatted over the loud volume. The older hedgehog held Amy firmly by the upper arm as he navigated her past customers, trying to look inconspicuous. "If you're trying to remain low-key with me as a hostage, gripping my arm this tightly isn't going to help," Amy muttered as he ushered her by his side.

He sucked in a frustrated breath before abruptly stopping and staring her hard in the eyes. "Do not try to correct me, you despicable little flower," he growled lowly through clenched teeth. "The only reason why we're even here is for you to use the facilities while allowing me to take a breather from your incessant questions."

Amy shot him a deadpan expression, refusing to let him intimidate her. "Can you let go of me now?"

He released his grip on her arm, giving her the freedom she craved. She rubbed at the spot where he had been holding tightly. "Now, you have five minutes to go and empty that diminutive bladder of yours. If I don't see you after that, I will personally extract you myself," he warned. "In the meantime, I'll be at the bar getting a drink. If you dare attempt escaping, you best be prepared for a righteous beating."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Chill out, do you think I'm that stupid?"

"Stupid enough to give it a go," he hissed.

"I'd never be able to get far enough before you caught up with me. Just go get your lousy drink, and I'll be in and out of the bathroom in no time," she dismissed before heading inside the restroom.

Coal eyed her for a moment before she was out of sight and headed straight for the bar.

Once inside the bathroom, Amy sat in one of the stalls as she tried to come up with a plan of escape. It was true that there was no point in trying to outrun the hunter since he would always catch her, but she needed to think of something. Her ears twitched as she overheard numerous girls come in and out of the bathroom and go in and out of the stalls around her. At that moment, a thought came to mind. She walked out of her stall and approached a pretty, brown, cougar applying some lipstick in front of the sink.

"Um, excuse me?" Amy beckoned politely. The girl turned to look at Amy, giving her the perfect opportunity. Amy placed a hand on her shoulder, startling the girl, but once they both had eye contact, Amy's eyes dilated. "I want you to give me your cell phone," she compelled calmly.

Without another word, the cougar compliantly stuck her hand into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. Amy smiled seeing her compulsion had worked flawlessly. "Thank you, now go," she ordered. The cougar obliged and walked out of the bathroom in a daze.

Now that she was alone, Amy dialed Shadow's number into the phone and put it up to her ear. The dial tone hummed into her ear, as she anxiously waited for her boyfriend to pick up. "C'mon, C'mon…"

After what felt like an eternity, the line picked up, and that smooth, alluring voice she had come to know and love finally answered. "Hello?"

She closed her eyes in relief. "Oh, thank god. Listen, Shadow, I need your help. Your father kidnapped me."

There was a small pause as Shadow processed that on the other end. He hadn't expected to get such a call at this time. "Christ, Rose, where are you right now?"

"Right now we're at-"

CLICK.

Baffled by the lack of sound, Amy looked down at the phone after hearing complete silence. The phone had died. "No, damn it!" She chucked the phone forcing it to break into a million pieces as it hit the wall. Amy looked at her watch, noticing the one-minute she had left before Coal would come in and forcefully yank her out.

Sighing in defeat, Amy retreated out of the bathroom and headed over to the bar where her kidnapper waited. She prayed that now that Shadow knew she'd been kidnapped, he'd somehow be able to catch up and rescue her.

Heading over towards the bar, Amy dejectedly approached Coal just as he finished necking the rest of his alcoholic beverage. She stood behind him with submissive ears. "I'm back…"

The mature hedgehog turned on his stool, looking semi-impressed. "So, you aren't as daft as I thought."

Amy sighed. "Can we just get this over with?"

Coal hopped off his stool, resuming his position. His hand grabbed her upper arm and began to lead her out of the bar. Unbeknownst to them, a pair of green eyes spotted the pair make their retreat from the back of the bar with intrigue. A blue hedgehog leaned out of his booth to get a better look. "…Ames?" he mumbled.

A hand in the booth beside him touched his right shoulder, regaining his focus. "Sonic, what's up?"

Sonic turned to look at the pretty female chipmunk sitting by his side. "I'm not sure yet, Sal," he replied as he slid out of the booth. "But I'll explain on the way." Seeing that he was serious, she grabbed his hand and kept up his pace as he led her out of the restaurant.

•~•

Outside, Coal led Amy to the parking lot where their vehicle was parked. "You won't succeed with this," Amy warned, trying to stall for time.

He chuckled lowly, imagining her expression once he proved her wrong. "You haven't seen me in action yet." But before Amy could say another word, Coal released his hold on her and spun around only to catch a wooden stake inches away from hitting him between the eyes.

Amy gasped in surprise when she spotted the one who had thrown the weapon. Standing at the other end of the parking lot was Sonic along with an unfamiliar female chipmunk. "Suh-Sonic?"

The blue hedgehog looked bold and heroic as he stared at the hunter. Coal, on the other hand, looked quite irritated by the wannabe hero coming to her aid. "What's this now?" he spat as he broke the stake in two with his hand.

"I don't know who the hell you are, but I know you're bad news," Sonic spoke as he slowly made his way towards them. "You let her go or you're dead."

"Good instincts, I must commend," he clapped facetiously. "It's just a shame you're dense enough to give it a go against someone as ancient as I am."

Sonic continued his stride towards the two. "All the better then," he smirked confidently.

Sally hustled over and gripped Sonic's arm, stopping him momentarily as more uncertainty arose staring at their competition. "Babe, I don't know if this is a good idea," she whispered.

Coal shot him a bewildered look. "Listen to the girl, boy. Clearly, you do not fully grasp the rules of Vampirism. The older the vampire, the stronger they are."

Sonic pried his arm out of Sally's grasp and kept walking towards him. "I realize that but I'm not your ordinary vampire," Sonic boasted.

"Sonic, don't!" Sally pleaded.

Coal reached inside his jacket pocket, pulling out a simple wooden dagger he had carved into a fine point. "All the more intriguing then," he grinned as he got into a defensive position. "Let's see what you're made of."

Sonic gestured for him to make the first move and Coal obliged. Coal made a running start for Sonic to strike, but Sonic quickly dodged his oncoming attack and instead came up from behind him and bit him hard in the forearm.

Coal cried out, feeling Sonic's sharp teeth penetrate his flesh. Sonic eventually released his bite and leaped backward landing on his feet and looking satisfied with his attack. Shaking slightly, Coal looked down at his wound, suddenly noticing he wasn't healing like normal. His eyes looked back over to Sonic who now looked quite arrogant and cocky as he rubbed under his nose with his index finger. "You're a hybrid…"

Sonic got back into his fighting stance. "That's right!" he gloated. In the meantime, Amy had been slowly backing away, trying to find her right moment of escape.

Unfortunately, Coal caught onto her attempt and glared back at her, holding his wounded arm. "And where do you think you're heading off to?" Sonic crashed into him while he wasn't looking, sending him flying and smashing into the side of a car, setting off the alarm. The blue blur landed by Amy and gave her a nod of approval. "Ames, get the hell out of here. I'll hold him off for ya."

"—But."

Recovering from the assault, Coal began pushing himself out of the dent he had created. Sonic looked at her anxiously, seeing she was losing her opportunity. "GO!"

Amy zipped out of the parking lot in an instant. Coal watched in fury as his leverage slipped through his fingers. "You fool!"

"Come on, old man. Keep your focus on me!" he goaded. Coal used his own speed and zipped over and initiated a series of hand-to-hand combat. Sonic quickly blocked most of his shots but began to feel the hunter's true strength come into play. Coal punched Sonic a few times in the face, doing an upper cut, and finally snapped his neck.

Sonic's body fell to the floor completely unconscious. "Sonic!" Sally screamed, rushing towards his fallen figure.

Coal glared coldly down at the fallen werewolf. "You're lucky I don't have enough time to end your pathetic existence," he grumbled before zipping off in search for Amy.

•~•

Back at the cemetery, Silver felt his stomach growl loudly. He had no idea how long he had been chained up, but by the sound of his stomach, he knew it must have been awhile. "You're hungry, aren't you?" Gala-Na observed. "What an awful thing, to feed upon the blood of others. For this, I blame myself and your father."

"Finally, you admit to one of your many mistakes."

"We tried to make you children strong, but instead we cursed you all. Remember what happened after Shadow turned on his first full moon?"

"Of course I remember," he sighed. "It happened on the same night that you turned us all into vampires. He killed someone for the first time, triggering his curse."

She nodded. "Yes, but something else happened that next morning…"

~Flashback~

That early morning, Silver found Shadow alone in the woods, sitting on a fallen tree by a horribly dismembered male body. He stared at his brother, nude, bloody and shivering as he sat alone and unhinged from what had happened the night before. Shadow stared at the blood on his hands and chest and turned as Silver approached him with a blanket and new set of clothes. "Brother?" Shadow muttered weakly. Silver draped the blanket around his nude form, allowing Shadow to clutch it around him for warmth. "How many did I-"

"—Six," he answered solemnly. Shadow cupped a hand over his mouth, horrified at his sinful deed. He shuddered, feeling guilty and monstrous at the thought of tearing and mutilating six innocent lives. "You slaughtered six villagers, brother. You tore them apart, as though they were nothing at all," Silver recounted.

Shadow shut his eyes and bowed his head in shame. "What am I?"

Silver helped lift him to his feet as he sympathized with him. "You seem like the wolves at the village, cursed to turn when the moon is full," he remarked. Shadow began to shake at the thought of being like one of them. Seeing him so distressed, Silver placed his hands on his shoulders to ease him. "Listen to me, Shadow. Father is beside himself with rage. It seems this affliction can only be passed by a certain kind of, conception," he worded carefully.

Shadow's ruby eyes met Silver's amber ones. "And do you or Mephiles share this affliction, too?"

Silver shook his head sadly. "No, we do not."

"He is not my father…is he?" Shadow pieced together, referring to Coal.

Instead of answering, Silver embraced him. "You listen to me," he whispered. "This changes nothing. We are here for you as we shall always be," he pledged. Just at that moment, Silver heard a sound and looked to his right, spotting an uninvited guest. Standing behind some trees was none other than Gold herself. She spotted one of the murdered victims on the ground and gasped before running off, realizing she had seen too much.

"Oh, no…" Silver felt his heart race. Shadow watched as Silver darted off. "Gold, Gold, come back!" he called as he chased after her.

~End Flashback~

"I fail to see your point here," Silver critiqued. "I compelled Gold to forget what she saw and she did."

"You'd only been a vampire for a few days," Gala-Na reminded. "You hadn't yet learned or mastered compulsion."

Silver shook his head in disbelief, seeing where she was going with her argument. "No, no, no, I remember that day clearly."

"…Do you?" she speculated with a brow raised. "You still thought there were lines you wouldn't cross—people you wouldn't hurt, things you wouldn't do. You were wrong and that is what I'm here to show you. Now, let us continue and watch."

~Continued Flashback~

"Gold, Gold, wait!" Silver called as he chased after her.

Gold continued to run, desperately trying to escape, but as she continued her flee, she failed to see a rock and tripped, sending her hurtling towards the ground. She stuck her hands out to catch her fall but scraped her right hand against some rough terrain.

Because of her stumble, Silver managed to catch up with her. "Gold, let me explain," he panted.

She pushed herself off the ground while she remained guarded. "Stay away from me," she screamed.

Silver put his arms up, showing no harm. "I'm not here to hurt you, Gold."

"What have you become?" she questioned as she trembled.

"I am what I've always been. I'm the one who loves you," he spoke, cautiously taking steps closer.

~End Flashback~

"You knew how special she was! I always thought you would protect her. That she would be your wife, that one day I might call her daughter," Gala-Na berated.

"I didn't hurt her," Silver argued.

She shook her head in pity at his ignorance. "You've taught yourself to hide from who and what you are for a thousand years."

He tugged at his chains again, growing angrier at her allegations. "For the last time, I did not hurt Gold. I could not!"

"But you did!" she shouted.

~Continued Flashback~

Gold stared at her boyfriend in utter fear. "You're a monster, Silver."

"I am not a monst-" he paused when he suddenly got the whiff of something delightful. His eyes lowered to her right hand, where he saw her palm bleeding fresh blood. It was then he could feel his bloodlust, raging within him, begging him to lunge. Silver gulped as he tried to hold back his hunger. "Gold…"

Gold backed away, only making him step closer. She wasn't about to go down without a fight and slapped him hard in the face, making his face snap to the side. "Get away from me!"

Silver staggered back as he bent down, resting his hands on his knees. "I said I wouldn't hurt you. I-I don't want to." He stood upright, feeling he could no longer hold off the ravenous animal that was consuming him. He stared her in the eyes with desperation. "Run," he begged, knowing it would be any moment before he'd lose control.

Gold followed his demands and ran for her life, but it was only a matter of moments before he caught up to her. He grabbed and pinned her to a tree. "No, no!"

He opened his mouth revealing his fangs and dug them into the side of her neck, feeding on her. Gold cried and squirmed as she tried to escape his hold, but slowly began to feel her life slip away.

~End Flashback~

Gala-Na held Silver's face in her hands as she stared him in the eyes. "My poor beautiful boy. She became your prey that day."

Silver jerked away from her hold after reliving the supposed memory. He looked at her with utter disdain. "This was you. You murdered her, not me." He took a step back, not even wanting to look at her for a second longer. "I won't hear any more of this."

Gala-Na cupped her hands together. "You don't have to, son. All you have to do is remember."