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Darkness was slowly, but surely, falling upon Green Hills. The stars were beginning to appear, none of them hidden as the indigo-coloured sky was clear of clouds. Soon that indigo would become a dark blue and then a deep, endless black adorned with a bright, fat moon.
Normally such a night would be beautiful to witness, but when Tom looked up, he only felt dread. He turned his gaze downwards, deciding not to focus on the inevitable but the here and now which was him and Sonic making their way towards the burrow that the hedgehog once had called home.
It had almost been a year since Tom last had been there. It had been with Maddie to move all of Sonic's belongings up on their loft, transforming the storage space into a proper bedroom for Sonic to live in instead of a literal hole in the ground. Never had he thought that Sonic would need to return to that place, but exactly one month ago that had all changed.
Tom bit down hard on the inside of his check. Just like that his focus on the now had drifted back to what was to come. But it was hard not to. So damn hard. And it didn't make it any easier as he looked at Sonic. His normal energetic walk had been swapped out with one that was dull and sluggish. His head hanging and his ears lying low.
If Tom's heart hadn't already broken into multiple tiny pieces, it would have done so right then and there. Seeing the kid like that was awful, and he wished he could do something to get him back to his usual self. He would do anything for it! But there was nothing he could do other than be there for Sonic and do so as best as he possibly could. Therefore, he tried to think of something to say that could cheer up his mood or simply get Sonic talking. It would be nice to hear his voice since he had hardly said a word during the whole day, nor had he done any of his usual hijinks. Even Tom's offer of playing some baseball together had been turned down. So, Tom said the first thing that came to mind. "I think we should have waffles for breakfast. It's been a long time since we've had those, don't you think?"
He eagerly awaited a joyful yes, but Sonic simply shrugged his shoulders and without looking back at Tom answered: "Maybe".
Only then did Tom realise that a question about the coming morning wasn't such a good idea. Before they got to that point in time, Sonic would first have to get through this night, and the kid didn't even know what kind of morning he would wake up to. Neither did Tom for that matter. None of them had last month either. The very first time. To think this would only be Sonic's second out of who knew how many.
Tom's hands turned into fists all on their own, his anger directed at the unfairness of it all. He begged that the slim chance of nothing happening tonight would be the outcome, but they had all seen the signs in the last few days. Sonic's growing hunger as his body needed fuel to prepare. The row of restless nights as he couldn't sleep, no matter how tired he was. The sudden ferocious growl he had made when he got a GAME OVER in the video game he had been playing.
There was no avoiding it. It would happen, and it would happen soon.
If Tom remembered the path to the burrow correctly then it wouldn't be long before they got there. It wouldn't be long either before the moon showed its face. This he noted when he glanced up at the sky. It had already gone from indigo to a dark blue and was now steadily turning black.
If Sonic was aware of this, Tom didn't know, as the hedgehog stayed silent and kept his gaze upon the path ahead, but then he stopped. "We're here," he said, and only because there wasn't any wind was Tom able to hear him.
"That's... That's good..." Tom said, as he spotted the entrance to the burrow, barely visible among the underbrush that had grown wildly after not being disturbed by a blue hedgehog moving at supersonic speeds in almost a year. Though, from now on, once a month, it would be disturbed by something else.
"You're sure you don't want me here for when it happens?"
"I'm sure," came the monotone reply. Simultaneous he grabbed his arm, rubbing it as if there was an irritating itch deep beneath his skin.
Tom couldn't stop himself from wondering if Sonic could feel the change coming upon him. The answer was probably, and sadly, yes, for he remembered Sonic doing the same thing last full moon after sunset. He had been complaining about itching all over, and not so long after he had begun to talk about having trouble breathing and feeling an uncomfortable, strong pressure on his chest. Tom and Maddie had worried that something was dangerously wrong with his heart, to the point they had been discussing what hospital to go to with the use of a portal ring, and what their course of action should be to keep the personnel from calling the authorities on them. It was during that conversation Sonic had collapsed on the living room floor. Screaming.
It was not due to the cold then that Tom shivered.
"You have to go back now," Sonic said. His voice was shaking and so, so tiny.
"Sonic you don't have to do this alone," Tom said. "I will stay if you want me to." He hoped he would take him up on his offer, as he did not want the kid to go through this all on his own. He had been alone enough in his life.
"No, it's safer if you go!" Sonic said. For the first time the hedgehog turned towards Tom. Their eyes only meet for a fleeting moment, but it was enough for him to see the pure fear in Sonic's. "I wasn't myself when I was... you know, and I will probably be like that this time, too, and if you stay, I will just end up hurting you. Again."
Tom had expected that exact answer, yet it hurt to hear Sonic say it, and it hurt even more when Sonic glanced at the part of his arm that was now aligned with four parallel scars.
"I know bud, but that wasn't your fault." This Tom said not only to cheer him up, but also because it was the truth. He had been the one who had made the mistake of walking up on Sonic from behind and scaring him that night.
Sonic didn't voice any agreement, but nor did he deny it.
This Tom took as a sign that Sonic was taking a step in the right direction of forgiving himself. That glimpse of victory was short-lived however, as Sonic began to rub at his chest. They were running out of time. "Do you want the backpack for your shoes and gloves?" It was a simple question, but as soon as he asked it, the whole situation went from surreal to very real. Sonic was really about to go through this...
It seemed that it also became horrifyingly real to Sonic, as his eyes took on a hollow appearance. "Yeah... I would like that..."
Tom handed him the backpack, which already contained a blanket and a bottle of water for when morning came, and seeing Sonic with it was the most absurd and heart wrenching sight he had ever witnessed. It shouldn't be like this. But it was, and he could do nothing to change it.
"I guess I'll see you in the morning then after I..."
"Yes, we will," Tom assured him, but also himself as he felt his throat tightening up. He bent his knees to be at eyelevel with him. "And when we do," he continued, "I'll give you the biggest hug you've ever gotten. Just like this one."
He wrapped his arms around Sonic, and Sonic wrapped his around him.
For a moment there was no worry. Time was frozen, and the sky wasn't getting darker but instead lighter, about to take on beautiful warm colours as the sun rose after a completely uneventful night. But then the forest lit up in a white glow and Sonic's breathing became laboured. The full moon had shown its face. Before Tom even had time to blink, Sonic was gone in a blur.
Dumbfounded and with an aching heart he watched the entrance, watched the foliage around it settle down. Once again, he damned the unfairness of it all. Of Sonic having to go through this. He could still recall the screams of pain and agony from last time. Of seeing him withering on the floor, hugging himself tight only to be forced out of the hug as the lower part of his back broke with a brutal crack.
No.
No way could he leave him to face this alone!
And it was as he came to that conclusion the first scream sounded. And it was just as horrible as the very first time he had heard one of its kind.
"Sonic!" he shouted, as he threw himself at the entrance. Only a small amount of moonlight made its way into the burrow, the rest was in total darkness. Tom could see nothing, as his eyes had yet to adjust. Then, one green eye shinning with an animal gleam - the other shut due to pain.
"Tom?" A hand reached out toward him, making its way into the moonlight. Tom knew it to be Sonic's but had a hard time recognising it as such. His blue fur had already gotten darker and thicker, and as he watched the hand, it began to grow, and the fingers curled up as nails morphed into sharp claws.
That was the moment Tom decided to slide down to him.
"N-no! Stay... Stay away!" Sonic cried out with huge effort, as he tried to push himself away, but became unable to do so when his back broke with a violent snap, breaking as if it was nothing more than a thin twig. Another snap sounded followed by even more and cries of pain, as his spine reformed into one better suited for quadruple rather than bipedal walking.
"I'm not going anywhere,"Tom said.
His declaration was not met by any form of protest, but rather with whimpers that were not only due to pain but also relief. Sonic dragged himself towards him, searching for comfort which Tom granted by lifting him onto his lap and wrapping his arms around him. Immediately he felt his shirt get drenched with both sweat and tears. Through his clothes he could feel Sonic's claws. They dug deeper, as the bones in his chest began to reform, and Tom could feel it. How every rib broke, as his chest expanded. Felt and heard how Sonic gasped for air as his lungs grew and made him unable to breath.
It was nauseating, but he kept his nausea at bay, for in this moment nothing was more important than to be there for Sonic. What he felt in this moment could wait till later to be dealt with.
It was not only Sonic's body, but his voice, too, that changed. Gradually it became rougher and darker. His screams and words turning into growls, whimpers and whines.
"I am right here, Sonic." This he said after a whine that was noticeable louder than the previous ones sounded, as Sonic's feet began to take on a more pawlike shape. His big toes travelling up along his feet as they turned into dewclaws.
"I am right here," he repeated, as he sensed how his arms were forced further apart, due to Sonic's chest getting even bigger and the width of his shoulders broader. His arms thicker and more muscular, too. Shortly after he felt something soft brush up against his leg. He assumed it to be Sonic's tail, now no longer short but long and like that of a wolf's.
At that moment Tom felt his heart grow in a weird way both lighter and heavier because so far, the transformation seemed to have followed the same pattern as the first one, which meant that it would soon be over as only one part was left untransformed, but it was the part he remembered with most horror.
Sonic had a hard time sitting still as his head began to reshape, both elongating and broadening. His ears were taking on a curvier shape, and he clawed at them as they did so, nearly scratching Tom in the face. Then suddenly, with his head pressed up against Tom's chest, he went still, as if immobilized, unable to do anything but growl as the full moon forced him through the very last bit of the transformation. Turning his mouth into a muzzle aligned with long and razor-sharp teeth.
And then it was over.
Tom sat completely still as Sonic - now more wolf than hedgehog and way heavier than before - leaned up against him while taking harsh and heavy breaths while the pain subsided. He couldn't decide if he should move his arms away or keep them supporting Sonic, as he didn't know what the best course of action would be to avoid getting scratched - or worse.
He felt his mouth go dry, as he first then realised, what kind of situation he had gotten himself into, a situation he had not given any thought when he had decided to enter the burrow.
He sensed how Sonic now carried most of his own weight, and so he slowly lowered his arms.
And Sonic tensed up.
He pushed himself away from Tom - which shockingly did not result in any scratches or ripped clothing from his sharp claws. Two emerald green eyes gleamed in the dark, and there was no recognition in them as they took in the sight of Tom. Instead, there was the wariness of a wild animal, unsure of what to do in the presence of a human.
"Hey bud," Tom said with a quiver in his voice, which he loathed. To think he was speaking to Sonic in such a way. But right now, Sonic wasn't himself, and the last thing he wanted to do, was to do something that provoked this wild version to do something the version he knew and loved would never forgive himself for. "That was rough, huh?"
Sonic came nearer, careful with every step he took that closed the gap between them. He took in the smells Tom carried, which ended with him snorting.
"Do I really smell that bad?" he asked with a nervous laugh.
Of course, Sonic didn't reply. One being that his voice was gone, and two being that his brain functioned in a different way than it had only minutes ago. However, if Tom wasn't mistaken, it seemed that Sonic's demeanour had gotten softer, as if he no longer saw him as a threat.
"Sonic?" He lifted his hand, his palm facing him.
What he wanted to accomplish with the gesture, he honestly wasn't sure about, but it definitely wasn't to make Sonic snarl at him, but there he was, flashing his teeth and raising his fur and nearing him one gruelling step at a time.
He prepared himself for what was about to happen, but Sonic never lashed out. Instead he stopped dead in his track, and this time the snarl was not directed at Tom but something else. What that something was Tom didn't get to wonder much about, as Sonic grabbed onto his own head with ferocious force, whimpering and growling as he on his hind legs stumbled back to the other end of the burrow. He shook his head, howls of anguish reverberating through the dark as he dug his claws into his skin, and Tom could do nothing but shout out his name in panic.
Then it stopped and Sonic lowered his arms.
High pitched breathing sounded, and two green eyes were round with fright. It reminded Tom of being awoken in the middle of the night and starring into the two same eyes, their owner telling him that he had had a nightmare.
They locked eyes, and this time Sonic's were filled with recognition - and so much despair.
"Oh bud," Tom said. And that was when Sonic bolted out of the burrow.
It wasn't in his usual blur, but it was still gosh darn fast, and Tom had to hurry just in hope of catching up to him. He had already accepted that by the time he got out Sonic would be long gone, however, to his surprise, that was not the case. And then to his disheartenment.
Only a short distance away was Sonic, struggling with standing up on two legs as he was unfamiliar with every part of his new body that furthermore fought against him, as it rather wanted him down on all fours. Meanwhile, he switched between covering his ears and nose and kept his eyes shut to keep his heighten senses from completely overwhelming him.
Tom couldn't imagine how it must be to both have your body and the way you experienced the world change in only a matter of moments after going through harrowing pain, but he knew he had to help him in some way. To get him somewhere that wasn't an attack on his senses and where he could lay down and relax. And the burrow may just be the right place for that.
"Sonic," he said carefully, then a bit louder when he didn't get his attention the first time.
With a jolt the transformed hedgehog stopped what he was doing and zeroed in on him. On his hind legs he was a head taller than what he had been before, but in this moment, as he ducked his head, he had never seemed smaller.
Tom was afraid that he had ended up sounding aggressive with the last shout, but then he saw Sonic shuffle a bit with his left foot. "Don't run away," he begged right at the same as Sonic tried but failed to do just that. He fell, his chin slamming into the ground.
Tom rushed over to him, wanted to reach him before he got up and managed to sprint off. "Are you hurt?" he asked, just as Sonic got up on all fours. He checked to see if his chin was okay but didn't get a good look before Sonic yanked his head out of his hands, turning it to the side, so Tom couldn't see his face, which only got more obscured as Sonic once again covered his nose with one of his now big hands.
"Sorry if I scarred you or sounded angry there," Tom said. "I didn't mean to. In fact, I wanted to help you get a handle on things, and I think getting back in the burrow could be a beginning to lessen the smells and such. Come, I'll roll the blanket out, so you can have something soft to lay on."
Sonic shook his head and made a sound that was unmistakably like that of a scared puppy.
It was then Tom realised, what it truly was that Sonic struggled with the most. "Sonic, I am not afraid you," he said. "I know you would never hurt me. Never on purpose. What happened last time was not your fault. Nor was it this time."
Sonic's ears lay low, and he turned his body so that more of his back was facing Tom.
This only assured Tom in the importance of what he had to say. "What's happening to you is something you were not prepared for. None of us were. You can't be blamed, nor can you blame yourself, for not having a handle on this from the very start cause how could you possibly have that, when all you knew was that you were in pain, but not why you were. And yet, who's in control right now? You are. Not whatever it was that scratched me and almost did so again. You are the one in control, Sonic. You. Are."
During his little speech Sonic's ears had begun to raise upward, and after it was done, he had turned to face him fully.
Tom felt then, what he had the first time he had seen Sonic's transformed self: the disbelief that this massive form with sharp teeth and claws was the same kid he and Maddie had taken under their roof. But back then those eyes had only been like Sonic's in colour. Now all Tom could see in them was Sonic, and he was afraid. Uncertain of himself. But for how long? They seemed to be asking.
"I don't know, how it is inside your head currently," Tom said, "if you feel like you do have control over this, or if that wild part is trying to gain it back, but I do believe that you being in control right now is a huge feat, especially when this is only your second time like this. I have no doubt that with time, you don't have to fear losing it, not in the slightest, or gain it by hurting yourself. But until then, you are in control for as long, as you possible can be, and no matter what I'll be there for you, and I can promise you that so will Maddie."
This time, when Tom saw all of Sonic's teeth, it was not a snarl, but a smile.
Tom scratched him on the head between the ears. "Now, shall we roll that blanket out in the burrow?"
This he did, while Sonic got to know his new body better by walking around, both on two and fours legs. He also tried to pick up stuff and let out a howl of delight, when he discovered that he could throw a stone the size of basketball like it was nothing. Delight was what Tom felt, too, during the whole ordeal. Sonic trying to get the best out of this whole situation was the best possible outcome he could have hoped for.
With the blanket ready Sonic came into the burrow and lay down on it in the same manner as Ozzy would. If Sonic was aware of this behaviour, Tom didn't know, but it was a nice sight to finally see him relax. "So," he said with a perky tone, "do you still want me to leave, or..."
Sonic barked, which Tom decided to interpret as a stay, and so he lay down next to him, Sonic's tail wagging as he did so.
Shortly after Tom was yawning. All the adrenaline from tonight's event was leaving his body. It wouldn't be long before he fell asleep. Knowing this he texted Maddie. Telling her that it did happen again, but better than last time, and that she could go to bed without any worry, as he stayed here to keep Sonic company. When he hit send, it was with an immense amount of pride, all stemming from how Sonic had managed to turn this situation around to the extent he had. There would be many full moons and transformations ahead, but no matter how Sonic looked, no matter how he acted, he would always be their kid.