The next morning, Shadow stared out his kitchen window longingly with his arms firmly tucked behind his back. After a few moments, he turned his head slightly to the left to look at someone over his shoulder. "Forget your animosity towards Silver and myself," he began. "Instead, join us against she who truly deserves your ire, our mother," he finished, turning around to stare at Mighty still chained by the magical handcuffs. The brooding warlock sat at the kitchen table as Silver sat on the other side, shooting Mighty a malignant stare while Shadow gave him their pitch. Mighty, on the other hand, continued to hold his tongue, refusing to show any emotion as his brother continued his tangent. "Do this, and we will welcome you with open arms."

Mighty eyed the donuts laid out on the table as he considered the offer. "Well," he began, reaching for the tasty pastries lying out in front of him.

Silver quickly moved them out of his reach, dragging them closer in his direction. "—If you continue to oppose us, a denial of pastries will be the least of your concerns," Silver spoke seriously.

"Denying me food, that's all you have?" Mighty chuckled in pity.

"Well, this was Shadow's doing," Silver quickly defended. "My recommendation was to remove your limbs one by one until you comply," he said in a serious tone.

Seeing the tone had shifted in an unwanted direction, Shadow patted Silver on the back. "He's kidding. We have no desire to torture you, provided you vow to stand beside us as brothers," Shadow assured.

"Brothers?" Mighty repeated in amusement. "Does that word even apply to us after all these centuries of betrayal? Is loyalty to you ever really rewarded," he challenged.

"Yes, it is," Silver defended.

Mighty shook his head in pity at their naivety. "You two are fools. Mother was trying to make you mortal again, but you both refused her," he reiterated as he leaned back in his chair. "This only proves how far you've fallen."

"You say this as if anyone would be foolish enough to fall for our mother's promise," Silver frowned, crossing his arms across his chest.

Mighty smirked knowingly. "Well, I do. After talking to the lovely Amy Rose last night, I think she is the perfect candidate for testing our mother's promise. You see, unlike the two of you, she clings to her humanity."

Shadow furrowed his brows. "Amy is off limits. You pursue her and you will suffer," he threatened.

"Mother is quite determined, I imagine it's only a matter of time before she's completely convinced Amy that her option is the only way," he smiled darkly before turning his eyes to Silver. Silver felt his fingers twitch as he stared at him—anger growing more by the second. "Who knows, maybe she'll even have Blaze on her side, too."

Feeling like he had heard enough, Silver stood and reached across the table, grabbed Mighty by the collar, and yanked him over the table, spilling glasses, silverware, plates, and food. Mighty hollered as he was held down. Silver bared his fangs and dug them into the side of his neck.

Intervening quickly, Shadow pried his brother off of Mephiles and slammed him up against the hallway wall just outside the kitchen. Silver thrashed in his brother's grasp for a moment, while Shadow tried to regain control over his animalistic instincts. "Silver, Silver, calm down!" he urged.

After a few moments, Silver obeyed and panted as he tried to catch his breath. "Why won't you let me just kill him already?"

"I enjoy a bloodletting as much as anyone, but our brother has power, as well as knowledge of our Mother's plans. I wish to kill him just as badly as you do. He was the one that killed Amy and made her a vampire in the first place, and he went after my daughter. If I can have self-control in this moment, you should be able to as well," he said releasing his hold on him. "Please, we need him alive," he stressed.

Silver glared, still not in approval of his current methods. Softening slightly, Shadow handed him a napkin to wipe away the blood smeared around his lips. Silver accepted it begrudgingly. "Can you imagine what they would do to Amy, to Blaze, even to Faith?"

He watched as Silver cleaned up his face with the tissue. "I realize your concerns, but you need to focus on the task at hand," Shadow reminded, before peeking into the kitchen, hoping Mephiles hadn't overheard them. The warlock was currently on the floor cleaning up his own appearance as he held a napkin up to his bloody neck. "We need to persuade him," he spoke quietly.

"I'm through with persuasion." Silver tried to brush past Shadow, but the ebony hedgehog grabbed him by the arm, stopping him.

Shadow kept a firm hand on his brother's shoulder and stared into his amber eyes. "Has the Earth shifted on its axis? Why do you suddenly need so much restraint from me?"

Silver removed Shadow's hand from his shoulder, swiping it away like mere dust. "I've changed, Shadow," he growled quietly.

"Clearly, I can see that, but as much as you want to kill Mephiles, we need allies against our mother. We need to turn him to our side. Without his help, we're in trouble."

"If you're so insistent on your plan, then handle him yourself," Silver snapped. Shadow watched as Silver walked towards the staircase, before disappearing upstairs.

•~•

After the conference, Shadow wandered upstairs and headed into the nursery only to find Amy putting a yellow onesie on Faith. Amy smiled sweetly down at her daughter and scooped her up into her arms. Shadow smiled at the sight and pushed the door open further. "Hey."

Amy turned, holding Faith in her arms. "Hey, there. I couldn't help but overhear a lot of commotion going on downstairs. Is everything alright?"

Shadow sighed. "Silver and I are not seeing eye to eye on how to deal with Mephiles," he explained. "He's been acting differently since he woke up."

Amy frowned and approached him while she carried Faith. "I'm sorry to hear that, but Silver did go through something rather traumatic. I mean, we still don't know exactly what your mother did to him, but it had to be pretty bad for her to keep him so long."

"That's what worries me. I've never seen him display this type of personality before."

"He's probably still in a lot of shock," Amy theorized.

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest. "Perhaps…"

"On another note, I don't know what your plans are for the day, but there's some stuff happening with the wolves out in the Mystic Ruins. Caleb wanted me to come down and help him sort some stuff out, but I talked to Sonic about it and he volunteered to go in my place," she smiled.

Shadow smiled at her before leaning over and giving her a peck on the cheek. "You've really helped me out in the last couple of weeks, you know," he commended.

Amy blushed by his sincere compliment. "I want to help where I can. I'm trying to hang up my role as the ole' damsel in distress," she laughed light-heartedly.

•~•

In the Mystic Ruins, Sonic and Sally got out of their parked car and began their trek towards the campsite. "This is where your werewolf friend lives?" she questioned with scrutiny. There had to be at least two-dozen trailers, and other various tents set up. It wasn't the nicest place for someone to have to live, especially since it was near a swamp and far away from civilization.

"I wouldn't class him as a friend, but more of an acquaintance," he corrected. "This guy doesn't really like me much. Like I said during the drive, I'm doing this as a favor to Amy," he chuckled lightly.

Sally moved in closer and grabbed a hold of his hand as they walked together. "And why exactly are we doing this for her?"

"Like I've been telling you, I want to redeem some of the awful things I did with my humanity shut off. I figured the best place to start was with the pack that I did damage to. Amy told me they're having issues with division, so I wanted to step in and help where I could," he explained.

"Sounds like something we shouldn't be getting involved in if I'm honest, but if this is something that will help you spiritually, I won't complain or try to stop you."

He smiled at her appreciatively. "Thanks, Sal." They stopped at the entrance, where they spotted other werewolves going about their day.

"So, where's this alpha, then?" Sally inquired.

"—Sally?" a male voice said from behind the two.

The couple turned, only to see Caleb standing a few yards away from them, staring at the two like he had seen a ghost. Sally's mouth dropped slightly in surprise as she recognized the male dingo immediately. She pulled her hand away from Sonic, making him confused by her sudden gesture. "Caleb…"

Sonic looked between the two, realizing that they both clearly knew each other. "Uh, you two have met before?"

Caleb barred his teeth in the corner of his mouth. "She's my ex-fiancé. We were betrothed to each at birth by our packs."

Sonic gulped nervously. "Oh boy…"

•~•

Two minutes later, Sonic pulled Sally off to the side to speak more about her past relationship with Caleb. The two stood behind one of the trailers to discuss the matter more in private. "You lied to me?" Sonic questioned, taken aback.

Sally twirled a lock of her hair around her finger nervously. "I didn't lie to you. I-I just didn't give you all the fine details. Did I not tell you after we met that I had run away from my old pack?"

He thought back, remembering when they had first told each other of their pasts. "Yeah, you did."

"And did I not tell you that I was with someone who I did not love?" she reminded.

"Well, yes, but…"

She rested her right hand on her cocked left hip. "Either way, you knew about the key facts. I just didn't give you the specifics, like names."

"You didn't tell me that you were basically the princess of a werewolf pack," he noted. "Why did that little fact slip your mind?" he interrogated softly.

"Because I didn't think it was necessary. That was all behind me and I never thought I'd return," she argued as she turned her back on him. Sonic watched as she wrapped her arms around herself, looking troubled. "Are you mad at me, Sonic?"

He walked closer and placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "Not mad, not even disappointed, just shocked that we live in such a small world. I mean, who would have thought you had originally been wed to Caleb, the guy that now hates my guts," he cracked lightly, making her smile slightly.

"I guess that is kind of weird how this all turned out," she agreed, turning around to face him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, inching her face closer to his. "So, we're okay then?"

"We're more than okay, babe," he grinned, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in closer. "Just don't be afraid to talk to me. I'm a great listener and I happen to be pretty open-minded."

She leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I love you, Sonic."

"Heh, I love you too, Sal," he winked playfully. The two inched in for another kiss, but a voice pulled them away.

"Ahem." They looked to their left, where they spotted Caleb waiting off to the side and staring at the ground to his right. "Mind if I have a moment alone with Sally?" he asked not looking at them.

The couple broke from their romantic embrace and Sally nodded, confirming it'd be all right. "Sure."

Sonic walked off in the other direction to give them privacy. "I'll be by the campfire if you need me."

Once they were alone, Sally awkwardly, tucked her arms behind her back and approached the dingo. "So…what did you want to talk about?"

"Uh, I don't know," he replied passively, "How about finding out why you left me—left your pack?"

She looked away briefly, hearing the venom in his tone. "I didn't love you and I wanted to be able to find someone who I truly loved," she answered. "We've never really clicked if I'm honest…"

"Was that really the only reason?" he probed, still skeptical of her answer.

She shook her head. "No, I also never really felt like a rightful leader to our pack. I know that I was destined to become your wife and queen, but I didn't see that in my future," she answered. "I wanted to travel and find myself. When I was living here, I was always forced to be this type of person I never truly was."

He frowned at her response but stepped closer. "Do you know how long I searched for you, believing you were hurt or worse?"

"I can only imagine," she surmised. "I'm sorry I made you worry for my wellbeing, but I've been able to manage on my own."

He shook his head in disappointment. "I was in love with you, you know…and now you're with him—a murderer."

"I'm well aware of Sonic's past, but the Sonic I know now is a better person than who he was several months ago," she defended.

Caleb mulled over her answer before looking away again. "I may have moved on from loving you, but I still care about you, Sally."

She smiled. "I would like to start over if you'll let me?"

He smiled weakly. "Of course, but can I get a hug first?"

Instead of answering, Sally walked over and embraced him, allowing him to return one. The two hugged it out for a couple of moments until they were interrupted once more.

Andrew stood nearby, and cleared his throat, breaking their touching moment. "We need to talk."

•~•

Now all together, Andrew paced anxiously in front of Caleb, Sonic, and Sally after picking up some troubling news. "My wolves are freaking out. They know it must be an insider who took Mighty down last night, seeing as no one could've been near him. They still don't know that I've flipped."

"So there's no way anybody suspects it was you?" Caleb questioned.

Andrew stopped his pacing and shook his head. "Not yet, but they're gonna figure out sooner or later. They ain't dumb."

"Why don't you call up a meeting for the whole pack tonight?" Sally advised. "If they're scared, now is the time to convince them they need to part ways with the witches."

"About that…" Andrew held up his hand adorning his moonlight ring. "Mighty and Gala-Na gave us these moonlight rings to keep us in their alliance."

"Yeah, but those rings make you their slaves," Sonic pointed.

"—No, they make us powerful," he argued lowering his hand. "Werewolves were exiled before, now we run the city with an iron fist. Vampires are scared of us," he smiled proudly. "No one, including me, is gonna walk away from that-"

"—Set the damn meeting," Caleb spoke cutting him off. Sonic and Sally stared at the dingo, surprised that he had agreed with him.

Andrew bowed his head respectively. "Alright." Caleb watched as Andrew walked off before exiting himself.

Standing there awkwardly for a moment, Sally watched as Sonic followed after the dingo. The blue hedgehog frowned when he found him rustling into an ice cooler and cracking open a beer. "So, are you going to work on rousing a speech or just get day-drunk?"

Caleb finished taking a swig of his beer, trying to block out Sonic's nagging. "A little bit of both," he said flatly.

Sonic rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably feeling the tension rise. "Heh, hate to break it to yah pal, but it's only 10 A.M."

"You think I don't realize that?" he spat, shooting him an annoyed glare. "I'm stressed out and need something to help me mellow out. Now buzz off."

"—You don't need to be so snappy towards him. He's just trying to help," Sally scolded, coming up behind the two.

"I don't care, I may have made up with you, but I don't like the guy," he snapped before walking off.

Sonic blinked in surprise as he watched the dingo saunter over to the lake, where he plopped down into a lawn chair with his beer in hand. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Sonic walked over and stood by his side. "Like Amy said earlier, you don't have to like me, but she sent me over here to help you guys out. I want to help wherever I can so-"

"—I don't need your help, especially from you," he spoke in disgust.

Sonic's brows furrowed. "Listen bud, I know you're still mad at me for killing your friend, but I'm trying to redeem myself here. You may not want my help, but Amy is my friend and I intend to help her out."

Caleb groaned in defeat. "Fine, you wanna help so badly?" He leaned over and picked up a notebook from the small side table next to his lawn chair. "I've been trying to study up more about the history of our people. I was up all night, looking through this journal, trying to find something—anything that'll help me figure out how to get our people back together."

"Let me guess—no such luck?" Sonic deduced.

He handed him the notebook. "Nothing viable. So forgive me if I need a beer, cause I need all the help I can get. I just don't particularly want it from you," he mumbled under his breath.

"Well, you're going to get nothing but the best," he pledged. Sonic looked down at the old and worn book with determination. "I'll get you an answer today. I promise."

•~•

Back at the estate, Silver laid in bed with his arms tucked behind the back of his head as he stared up at the ceiling. While he idly stared at nothing, more flashbacks from his past popped into his mind. Images of him slaughtering past victims appeared in brutal fashion. He heard the screams of his victims, saw the gore of his murders, and could even vaguely feel the pain and suffering of those who witnessed it. Closing his eyes and trying to block out the pain, Silver felt his heart race as he desperately tried to shut off his frantic mind. "…Silver?"

Hearing his name called, he opened his eyes and spotted Blaze coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her wet form.

He sat up, trying to act composed. "Yes?"

She slowly approached him, keeping the towel tightly secured around her frame. "Are you okay? You looked like you were shaking."

"I'm fine," he lied, swinging his legs off the side of the bed. "I'm just tired."

Blaze took a seat on the edge of the bed by his side. "I thought maybe you and I could spend the day together and get your mind off some things," she proposed.

"What about Mephiles?" he inquired.

She placed a hand on his back and rubbed it up and down soothingly. "Shadow told me he'll deal with him."

His eyes looked away with uncertainty. "I don't know, Blaze…"

"Come on," she begged. "We can spend the day doing all the things we love, like exploring the city, eating out, shopping," she listed as she scooted closer. "And then when we get back, we can always make love?" she purred playfully as she leaned in for a kiss, but he quickly leaned back, terrified of her come on.

Blaze shot him another baffled look. "What's wrong now?"

He quickly stood and pretended to dust himself off. "Sorry, I'm just not in the mood for that at the moment." Blaze watched as he walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. It was clear Silver was still quite shaken from his encounter with his mother, and seeing him so unsettled only made Blaze determined to help him find himself again.

•~•

After getting dressed, Blaze walked down the hall and knocked on Amy and Shadow's cracked bedroom door. Hearing the soft knock, Amy looked up from her reading and smiled as she saw Blaze looking through the crack. "You can come in."

Smiling in return, Blaze entered the bedroom and closed the door behind her. "I was hoping I could ask a favor?"

Amy marked her page and placed her book down, giving the cat her full attention. "Of course, what do you need?"

Blaze rubbed her left arm awkwardly. "It's nothing too much, but I was wondering if I could possibly take Faith out with Silver and I this afternoon? You see, Silver still hasn't completely gotten back to his old self and I thought maybe spending some time with Faith like we'd done before, might trigger Silver back to his old self," she explained.

"Anything you think might help Silver's recovery, I'm up for. Besides, I know Faith adores her uncle and I don't think spending some extra time with him will hurt," she laughed light-heartedly.

"Oh, thank you, Amy. I promise to take good care of her as always."

Amy giggled. "I have no doubt you will."