Chapter 9

No Secret Can Hide From Friends

Sonic arrived back in Knothole in no time. There was smoke coming off of his body once more. He went to his hut, opened the door and was greeted by Sally, Antoine, Bunnie, Rotor, Tails and Dulcy being inside. He stared at them in fear, but then shook it off to show confusion.

Sonic felt the sun's glow radiating onto his blue fur and it was burning him. He quickly stepped inside his hut and closed the door behind him. "Guys, what's up? Why are you all in my hut?" Sonic asked, quite confused.

Sally looked at Sonic with a stern and concerned expression on her face, "We got a message from Sir Charles saying that you had something you had to tell us."

Sonic flinched at what Sally said and stared in shock into space. Uncle Chuck had written to them that he had to tell them about his vampirism, but he didn't want to. He wanted to wait until he felt comfortable to. Sonic sighed and looked at them while getting out of his staring into space. He guessed he had to tell them now … to make sure he didn't kill, injure or worse … turn any of them. Sonic bowed his head in shame and nodded. Sally frowned at him and motioned for him to tell them, but Sonic's black eyes went to Tails in fear. Tails was the youngest of the Freedom Fighter group and not even a teenager yet. He was only ten years old and Sonic figured that if Tails heard what Sonic was … he would no longer trust him.

Sonic walked up to Tails, bent down to his eye level and put a hand on his shoulder. "Bro, you're gonna hafta go outside," Sonic told him.

Tails' own black eyes widened in shock at what Sonic told him and replied with, "Wh…What? Why?"

Sonic looked into Tails' eyes, the young fox's eyes had confusion and shock in them while Sonic's had fear and sadness in them. "I don't want you to hear any of this."

Tails tilted his head to add a little more to his confusion, "Sonic…" Sonic shook his head, went behind Tails and pushed him outside. Tails tried to wiggle out of Sonic's grip, but he was too strong which … confused Tails as he knew Bunnie was stronger than Sonic and Sonic can never really hold anyone for that long.

Once they reached the hut door, Sonic opened it back up and pushed Tails outside, very carefully. "Sorry, bud," and Sonic closed the door to his hut and locked it so Tails couldn't get back in. Sonic looked back to his friends, who were all staring at him in confusion. They were wondering what would be upsetting the hedgehog so much that he didn't even want to tell his adopted little brother.

Sally walked over to Sonic and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Sonic, what did Sir Charles want you to tell us?"

Sonic sighed again and looked at her in the eyes, "I'll tell you. It's connected to what Robo-Butt did to me."

Sally continued looking at Sonic in concern and worry. Bunnie walked over to Sonic with the same expression on her own face. "What did Robahtnik do tah ya, Sugah-hog?" she asked him, concern piercing her voice as she asked.

Sonic wrapped his arms around his chest and looked down at the floor. "I'm a…a…a vampire now," he said, shivering as he said the word. He could feel through his gloves that his skin felt nearly as cold as ice and that's what made him shiver. His gaze moved from the floor to his peach coloured arms and chest or … what used to be peach was nearly a dull cream colour and he guessed his muzzle was the same colour.

Bunnie and Rotor gasped, Sally covered her mouth in shock and Antoine screamed in fear and hid behind Rotor. Sonic looked back up to his friends and his ears bent backwards. He hid his face from them in shame, turning around to make his back face them.

Sally regained her composure and grabbed Sonic's chin. She made him turn his head to her and his eyes locked with hers in confusion. "Sonic, how did this happen?"

Sonic sighed once more, "Sal, you remember when that guy attacked you the day before the 'Coup?"

Sally nodded her head at him, "Yes, I do. Why? Is he connected to this?"

"He was a vampire. The venom he sent into me was blocked by my blood because of the blood moon making my blood stronger than the venom. Unc explained this to me and … that's what Robotnik did. He made the venom flow freely through my body, so now … I'm officially a bloodsucker," Sonic explained to them while his eyes went back to floor once more.

Sally looked at Sonic with worried eyes and slowly wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head on his chest. She was giving him a comforting hug. Bunnie and Dulcy soon joined Sally and Sonic looked at them with appreciation.

"Sonic, why didn't you tell us before? After we finished the mission I mean," Sally asked him.

Sonic looked at her as her head lifted up to look at him. "I guess … I was still denying it then, Sal. Thanks, guys," he told them.

The girls let go of Sonic as he looked at them, grateful.

"No problem, Sonic. Just don't think that any of us will ever abandon you," Dulcy told the blue hedgehog.

Sonic smiled at them and Rotor stepped forward with a thoughtful look on his face as well as looking at Sonic, "You do look pretty pale, Sonic. Do you need any blood for your cravings or bloodlust thing?" he asked Sonic.

Sonic's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. Sally looked at him with a look of concern in her eyes, "Are you sure? You don't look too good."

"I don't wanna give you guys any trouble for getting me blood! It's uncool! I don't want any blood! It's disgusting!" Sonic exclaimed.

Sally put a hand on Sonic's shoulder with a frown on her face, "But you will need it many times before we'll be able to find a cure."

Sonic gulped and nodded his head at her statement. Antoine looked at Sonic from where he stood behind Rotor. "M…M…Maybe he already h…h..ha…had heez lunchies," Antoine stuttered.

Sonic and everyone else turned to Antoine to glare at him, but Sonic nodded his head at Antoine with a sigh as soon as he was done. "Ant's right. I did have someone. Robotnik brought in another mobian while I was in bloodlust mode. He left and I was let go to drink it and kill it and … I enjoyed it." Sonic grabbed his quills and pulled them in fear.

Sally sighed, turned around and looked at the other Freedom Fighters with a stern expression spreading across her face. "We're going to start a blood giving program. Tell Dr Quack that everyone in Knothole from ages fifteen to fifty-five will have to give blood once every three to four months for the wounded, but half is going to be for Sonic," Sally explained to them all.

Everyone nodded their heads and left Sonic's hut. Sonic looked at Sally in shock and fear. "Sal, you don't need them to do that for me."

Sally turned back to Sonic and looked into his eyes. "Sonic, you may die from not getting your right amount of blood," Sally told the blue hedgehog hero.

Sally grabbed Sonic hands and he looked away from her in shame. He took his hands out of her grasp and folded them across his chest. "I know, Sal, but … I don't want you or anyone else in Knothole to get harmed by me."

Sally put a hand on Sonic's cheek and smiled at him, "Don't worry, Sonic. You don't have to have a lot. Just enough so you don't lose control and attack someone, okay."

Sonic sighed and nodded his head at her, shakily, as Sally hugged him again. Sonic smiled as he hugged her back. He, then, realised that his friends will be there for him all the way through, but the only thing that they had to do now … was figure out Robotnik's plan for why he made the vampire venom in Sonic unleash.