Archive of Our Own

In most families a calendar was used to keep track of the days. In the Wachowski household it was used to keep track of the nights, and this particular night was circled with a red marker.

Sonic looked at that red circle and sighed. Less than an hour from now he would be a head taller and way hairier. He would become the werehog. At the thought alone his body already felt sore.

Hopefully he would manage to gain control like he did last time when he and Tom went fishing, though he had lost it again at some point, as Tom had seen the werehog wade out into the water and try to catch a fish with its mouth, something Sonic never would do. Tonight, it was especially important he gained and stayed in control since this was the first time Maddie would be the one to join him in the burrow.

So far, he had managed not to hurt Tom again, and he would very much like to keep the track record of not having hurt Maddie clean, but he didn’t know how the werehog would react when it came to and found not Tom, but Maddie besides it. Would it recognise her? Or would it deem her a stranger? Someone dangerous?

“I have readied the backpack,” Maddie said. “Water bottle, granola bars, the heating blanket and a normal one, a towel to clean yourself free of mud in the morning and a plastic bag to put your shoes and gloves in to keep the inside of the backpack clean.”

“Nice. Thanks Maddie.” Sonic hoped his sincere gratitude was enough to hide his anxiety. "You do have the tranquilizer gun, too, right?"

"I do, but you are going to be okay, and so will I. The werehog won’t hurt me – and who knows, maybe you will stay in control this time right after the transformation.”

“Maybe,” he said, not echoing her optimism. As of now he had not managed to do that. The pain always became too much for him to focus on anything other than wanting it to end, and so his mind slipped and the werehog took over.

Maddie put on her raincoat and rubber boots. It had been raining all day, and the gathering clouds warned that it soon would pick up again. Truly just what they needed. As if it wasn’t enough that he had to turn into the werehog. He’d better not catch a cold and have both to recover from that and the transformation tomorrow.

As they walked, he kept on looking to the sky, but it was gloomy and the clouds too thick for him to see the sun or the moon, and so he had no clue as to how close the transformation was.

Absentmindedly he began to scratch at his arm, as his skin began to itch, but it was first when his chest began to tighten that he realised, what was about to happen.

“Maddie, I have to run on ahead,” he said while pulling off his gloves. “It’s already starting.”

Momentarily she starred at him, as the situation caught up to her. “Yeah... Yeah, I got you,” she said and opened the backpack to pull out the plastic bag for his dirty shoes and gloves. Before she had put the gloves in the bag, he was gone.

He managed to almost get to the entrance of the burrow, when the first wave of pain hit. He slid in the mud, glided the rest of the way there, fighting to get up on his knees as his fur turned thicker and coarser, taking on a deeper blue shade as it did.

Through the pain he crawled into the burrow – tumbled forward and landed on his back. The force of the fall made him gasp for air, but the pain from it was nothing compared to the one currently running through his arms, as his hands became bigger and claws sliced through the skin at the tip of his fingers as they replaced his nails.

Through the pain he tried to stay present. If only he stayed present, he would be the one in control when the transformation was over and done and not the werehog. But then his back snapped and like the three previous times he lost all sense of time and place.

Only the pain existed and if it would only just stop please come to an end and let him be he didn’t ask for any of this and just wanted to be home with Tom and Maddie watching Speed for the one hundredth time instead of laying here in the dark where his screams became growls and whines and-

“Sonic!”

Someone was outside the burrow and they had called something familiar to him – his name it was his name! And that was Maddie. She had called it.

His ears had turned bigger and curvier and he could hear her approaching and gasping for air as she sprinted towards him and he wanted to reach out to her and just be hugged but he could feel his mind slipping and that hand wasn’t his it was too big and clawed it was someone else’s and oh Maddie please don’t get hurt please don’t hurt her!

A roar of anguish sounded in the night, as Sonic disappeared and the werehog took over.

***

Pain made him go under and pain brought him back. Growls and whines turned into screams and gasps for air, as his body went from a bulky werehog back into a speedy hedgehog and then it was over. One more full moon done.

Relief washed over him, but then a wave of defeat submerged him. He had not managed to gain back control this time. All his progress gone as if it had been the very first full moon again.

“I’ll do better next time,” he said in an effort to cheer himself up. At least he didn’t feel as drained as the previous times. Maybe it would only take him a day to recover for once. Though, he did feel sleepier than he usually would. Sleepier, like the time he woke up in the dog cage…

The moment he came to that realisation was the same moment he realized that his hands and feet were not deep in a puddle of mud and that he instead was lying on something soft.

He sat up and took in his surroundings. He was in the shed, lying on the blanket they’d packed, now just as dirty as he was; the dirt outlining a shape thrice as big as him. Not far from him lay the backpack. How had he gotten here? Why was he here? His mind gave him no answers, as he couldn’t recall anything of what the werehog had experienced.

He went to grab his gloves and shoes but stopped with a winch when he put pressure on his right foot. He looked down, fearing it had not transformed back right, but it seemed completely fine. He – or the werehog rather – must have sprained it, though, the hairs around his ankle did seem ruffled. Wait, where some of them missing?

If only he could remember last night, but since he couldn’t... Who was it again that had been with him this time? Like thunder the answer came to him. All fatigue and pain were forgotten as he zoomed out, his quills lit up with blue electricity. He was headed for Tom and Maddie’s bedroom, when he almost collided with the former.

“Sonic, you’re back! I was just about to go see you,” Tom said and crouched down to hug him, not minding the dried mud covering his adopted son.

However, Sonic had no time for hugs. “Where’s Maddie? Is she okay?”

“Calm down, bud. You didn’t hurt anyone. Maddie is okay,” Tom reassured him.

Sonic felt himself ease up. His worst fear had thankfully stayed a fear. “Then, why was I in the shed?”

“Because you got hurt.”

“I did?” Sonic looked down at himself. Saw his right foot. Just like that both the fatigue and pain returned. “My ankle…”

“Someone had put up a snare and the werehog got caught in it. Maddie had to use the tranquilizer gun, so you didn’t hurt yourself and allowed us to come close enough to free you.”

Sonic had a hard time processing what Tom just said. He, who worried so much about not hurting someone else as the werehog, had been trapped in a snare? Never had he thought about the opposite happening, that he would be the one to get hurt. It felt like something that couldn’t happen, yet the throbbing in his ankle confirmed that indeed it had. “Who?”

“We don’t know, but hopefully it wasn’t a snare targeted at you, otherwise we are in trouble in terms of having a safe place for you to be the werehog. But let’s worry about that later. Right now, you need a bath, some breakfast and ice for that ankle.”

Sonic couldn’t stop worrying about it though. It was hard to do anything but when lying on a sofa recovering not only from a transformation, but also a tranquilizer and a swollen ankle. Finally, his body had gotten so used to this whole ordeal that he no longer needed close to a week of recovery, and then someone just had to put up a snare, so he would have something else to be bedridden by.

Who would even set up a trap at this time of year? It seemed like such an odd time to be hunting, and a snare even! In all his years of living in Green Hills he had never stumbled upon one of those. The most extreme traps had been Crazy Carl’s bear traps, but those had been no problem for him to neutralize before they hurt any animal – or himself for that matter.

So why a snare now? Was it… Was it because of the werehog? If so, then that would be oh so splendid! Even more stuff to worry about. How fun. But no, it couldn’t be. He, Tom and Maddie were careful about nobody else finding out about the werehog. It had to be someone who wanted to hunt or hurt animals and that only made Sonic want to find out even more who had set up that snare and have them promise to never do it again.

He tried to sit up, just as Maddie walked past the living room. She watched him try to put pressure on his foot and inhale sharply when it hurt. “I think it needs to be wrapped up in some bandage that can support it. I have some ointment as well that can aid the healing process.”

“Maybe later. Right now, I need Tom. Where is he?”

“I’m right here,” he said, coming from the hallway. “What’s up?”

“I want to go with you on patrol tomorrow. I want to find out who put that snare up.”

“Are you sure about that? With your foot it’s probably best if you get some rest.”

“Oh, I am sure. One thing is they hurt me, but that snare could have hurt some animal that didn’t know any better. I can’t let that happen.”

“Fine, you can come along then.”

Sonic fisted the air in celebration.

“Not before I have taken a look at that foot, though,” Maddie insisted. “No need to hurt it more than it already is.”

And so, in the following morning, it was with a foot visibly wrapped in bandages Sonic left with Tom. Maddie had done a great job, as he hardly felt it strain whenever he put pressure on it, but long runs were still not an option.

He joined Tom in the car. For some reason it made him weirdly nostalgic, as it took him back to when he and Tom meet and had to flee from Eggman together. It was a good thing the mad doc was the one who had ended up on the Mushroom Planet - and he better stay there.

Most of Green Hills’ inhabitants greeted Sonic and Tom as they passed their way. Some picked up a conversation that at some point always turned to Sonic’s ankle to which Sonic explained what had happened just without mentioning the werehog bit. No one they talked to knew who was responsible for the snare, until Wade came by after a visit at the local café. “Crazy Carl was talking about hunting werewolves, but I said that’s crazy cause werewolves aren’t real. Though… he was right about aliens.”

Sonic felt himself tense up at the word werewolves.

“Well, guess we know where to get lunch now,” Tom said and tried to calm Sonic by laying a hand on his shoulder. “Thanks for the tip, Wade.”

It was rush hour at the café as it was filled with people either on their lunch break or there to grab a snack before going on with their day. Tom ordered for them. He and the cashier began to small talk, but what they talked about Sonic didn’t pay any attention to, as he was scanning the café for Crazy Carl.

“I know there’s a werewolf out there.”

Bingo! Over there in a corner he sat with someone that looked to be a lumberjack and like they wanted to anywhere else than at that table.

“One night ago,” Crazy Carl continued, “I heard howling and barking, and when I went to check my snare, it was clear that it had caught something. Something big and with sharp claws based on the marks in the mud. And look at this.” He fished something up from his pocket. It was pieces of paper. Light caught one of the pieces, just enough to make it translucent and reveal to Sonic that it was a calendar. “Every time I hear howling it’s on the full moon.”

Sonic’s heart was beating loud like a drum.

The lumberjack starred at the calendar before laughing in disbelief. “Carl, you may have been right about Sonic, but werewolves. Really?” They shook their head and took a sip of their coffee. “Speak of the blue devil. Hi, Sonic.”

“H-hey guys,” Sonic prayed they didn’t notice the crack in his voice. For the first time he was happy about his hurt ankle, as it could be used as an excuse to how stiff he was moving, which he immediately had to do when the lumberjack asked about it. “Well, you know me. Running around, free as the wind, when suddenly my foot got caught in a snare.” He gave Crazy Carl a stern look.

“Seems it wasn’t a werewolf you caught, Carl.” The lumberjack said with a short laugh.

“But… the claw marks…” He looked at Sonic’s hands as he said it, and quickly a cross between remorse and embarrassment fell across his face. “I’m so sorry Sonic. It wasn’t meant for you. You see, I am trying to catch a werewolf that’s been running around in the woods.”

As he said this, the lumberjack rolled their eyes and mumbled about werewolves not being real.

“I surely hope it wasn’t meant for me.” Sonic tried to say it with a smirk, but feared it looked more like a grimace. “Don’t put it up again though. You are going to hurt an animal rather than some werewolf, and they don’t deserve to get hurt in your hunt for something that ain’t real.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, and I am really sorry about it,” Crazy Carl said, “but you just can’t be too careful with werewolves. Before you know it, they’ve either killed all livestock or turned someone who was at the wrong place at the wrong time into one of their own, and then we have two to worry about.”

Sonic felt a shiver run down his spine. The werehog had tried to catch a fish, who’s to say it wouldn’t try something bigger? No, it wouldn’t happen. Tom and Maddie would make sure it didn’t in case he couldn’t get control over himself. Wait, he had to say something. It was unlike him not to say something. Oh no, the way Crazy Carl was looking at him. Was he seeing right through him and finding fangs and claws?

“Come on Carl,” the lumberjack thankfully broke the silence. “There are other things to worry about other than werewolves, real things, and if werewolves for some reason are real then Sonic can totally take care of them just like he took care of that mad scientist. Right, Sonic?”

“Y-yeah,” Sonic said and cleared his throat to cover up how much it was shaking. “I can definitely take care of an oversized puppy or two if need be. But there isn’t one, so please, no more snares.”

“No more snares,” Crazy Carl promised.

“Great! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a sandwich that’s waiting for me.” With that he walked as quickly as he possibly could back to Tom. Though, as he did, he couldn’t help but feel Crazy Carl’s eyes follow him. Perceive him.

Tom tried to give him his sandwich and donut, but Sonic asked him to please hold onto his food as he didn’t trust his hands right now. They shook too much. So much that it must be visible because Tom decided that they should eat their lunch in the patrol car instead of in the café. Once in the car he was about to ask Sonic what had happened, but he didn’t even get to open his mouth before Sonic blurted it out.

“Crazy Carl is onto me!”

“So, it wasn’t for fun he was talking about werewolves?”

“I wish! He’s the one who put up the snare specifically to target me! He has been hearing the werehog howling and kept track of it and already realised it only happens on full moons. That’s why he thinks there’s a werewolf – which he is totally right about but no one will believe him because it’s just Crazy Carl saying Crazy Carl stuff, but how long before they think otherwise? I’m screwed!”

“Hey, hey. Nothing’s going to happen to you. I’ll speak to Carl and make sure he doesn’t put up any more snares.”

“I already made sure of that. But what’ll be next? He won’t just stop believing that there’s a werewolf, especially when he hears howling again on the next full moon. What if he goes out to investigate and finds me when I am not in control? What will the werehog do then? If only I could control myself, then none of this would be happening.”

“Don’t blame yourself. None of this is your fault and whatever you are thinking right now is only your anxiety speaking. Crazy Carl won’t hurt you, and you or the werehog won’t hurt him. You have managed to avoid that so far. I don’t see why that should change now.”

“I know! But the werehog hasn’t faced any real threat, and who knows what it will do, if it ever does. This would be so much easier if nobody else but us got involved in this whole werehog business.”

“I can only agree with you on that. It was however probably only a matter of time before someone else got involved. Green Hills is a small town after all. The good thing is that it is Crazy Carl, cause just like you said, nobody believes him until he is proven right, and we’ll just keep on proving him wrong.”

***

As days turned to weeks it didn’t seem they needed to prove Crazy Carl wrong, as none of the Wachowskis found any snares or new traps in the forest after that day in the café. Either Crazy Carl had given up on the whole werewolf thing or was simply quiet about it. The unsureness unnerved Sonic, and it didn’t help that the full moon was less than a week away. He was struggling enough with never-ending hunger, unstoppable restlessness and sudden irritation that could explode into anger, along with his senses being heightened. At least he could run again, and running helped keeping all those things at bay.

It was on such a run he caught an unusual smell in the forest, one of garlic, and heard multiple voices. He followed them and found five people around the burrow, three woman and two men. They were all clad in black with long jackets that looked almost like cloaks. One of them had their jacket opened, and Sonic saw a belt lined with knives and pistols, but also garlic gloves and stakes. They were like monster hunters taken straight out of a movie, but more ordinary looking, as if they were cosplayers. Yet Sonic had a feeling those rifles were not for show.

“It seems that post online wasn’t kidding,” the hunter with red hair said. She was holding a flashlight and shinning it into the burrow. “Look at those claw marks. You can tell whatever caused them has thumbs.”

“Holy cow!” a man, who must be the youngest of the group, squealed. “We… we might actually get to prove that werewolves are real!”

“Maybe…” another woman said, who seemed to be the oldest of the bunch, “and if it is then it is a miracle nobody has gotten hurt by those claws yet.”

“Then it’s good we are here,” said the women with the flashlight, “so that we can make sure it never gets the chance.”

It was strange to hear someone talk about wanting to kill him again. So strange that it took him some time to even realise that it was him they were talking about. As soon as realisation struck, he ran home.

Maddie and Tom were in the kitchen preparing dinner together. They didn’t react to the sudden gush of wind, having gotten more than used to it, but they did turn around once Sonic exclaimed: “Someone is out to kill me!”

“Kill you?” Maddie said in shock. “But… I thought you'd already talked with Crazy Carl.”

“It’s not Crazy Carl! It’s some weird people dressed like Van Helsing that smell of garlic, and they all had weapons on them and are clearly after the werehog cause they want to prove werewolves are real and-”

“Okay, let’s calm down bud. Deep breaths,” Tom said. “Good. Where did you find these people?”

“At the burrow. They were checking it out.” A sudden anger bobbled up inside of him. The burrow was his place. They could not do with his safe place as they pleased. If they did anything to his painting of Green Hills and Longclaw, he would make sure they would regret it.

Unaware of it himself, a rumble akin to a growl emitted from his throat.

“Hey, they are not going to do anything to your burrow,” Maddie said with that firm yet calm tone she had mastered after years of being a veterinarian. A tone that managed to pierce through Sonic’s anger and make him realize, what he was doing. He could not let that primal anger control him, or he could end up doing something irrational and potentially bring harm upon himself. Those people were looking to prove werewolves were real. Who knew what they would do if they learned their werewolf was an alien, too.

“I say we make some chamomile tea to calm down and figure out what to do from here,” Maddie continued. “Cause either we figure out how to make those people leave the forest, or we find some other place for you to transform.”

Sonic felt the anger stir at that cause no way should some stupid hunters force him to transform anywhere else than in his safe place, but then it got replaced with worry once Tom took a glance outside and asked: “How did you say those people looked again?”

In a blink Sonic was at the window to check and away from it again. “Yup, that’s them.”

“I’ll talk with them,” Tom said. “You two stay here in the kitchen.”

Sonic went to hide behind the counter, while Maddie resumed preparing dinner to look natural and not like there was an alien kid hiding close by her.

Tom went to open the door, and there stood the five hunters. The woman with red hair had her hand up, formed into a fist ready to knock. She turned it into a wave. “Hello sir. Me and my comrades have come to ask some questions with grave importance to your safety. May we come in?”

“No, me and my wife are just about to have dinner, so if you would kindly leave our property-“

“We can also do the questions here,” she insisted. “As I said, it’s a matter of you and your wife’s safety. Have you or anyone you know recently experienced any strange phenomena out in the forest? Something unexplainable even?”

“No, neither me, my wife or someone we know have. So now if you would-“

“No howling? No large paw prints or scratch marks? No carcasses lying about?”

“No, no and no. And such things are not strange. Carnivores exist.”

Tom’s voice had taken an edge, as the hunters' refusal to leave was getting on his nerves. Sonic shared this sentiment. Couldn’t these people leave him and his family alone? They had already intruded upon his burrow. Wasn't that enough?

“So, unlike your neighbour you have not seen or experienced anything strange that always seems to happen on a full moon?” Sonic was beginning to suspect that the red-haired woman was the leader, as she was the one who kept on asking questions, while the others just stood by, one of them writing something down in a book. Probably notes of importance from this conversation according to them.

“None of the sort,” Tom said, “and I assume it’s Carl you’ve spoken with? We call him Crazy Carl, and we do that for a reason. I am sorry if he made you believe there’s a werewolf here, but we don’t even have wolves in this area. Will you please leave now?”

“We never mentioned anything about a werewolf.” There was a sudden glee in her voice.

Sonic began to growl again.

A hand pulled on his arm. He snapped his head around but came to his senses once he saw Maddie. She had been pulling his arm to warn him about not letting the werehog instincts rear their head and make this situation even worse than it'd just gotten.

Tom was slow to answer as he thought of a way to get out of his fumble. “You said stuff about the full moon and howling. That tends to be what werewolves do. At least according to the myths – which is all that they are.”

The woman didn’t seem to hear him, as her eyes landed on the scar on his arm. The exact one Sonic had caused. “What a nasty scratch you’ve gotten. What have caused that since you have no wolves here?”

“Are you seriously alluding to me being a werewolf or getting hurt by one? I’ll let you know that I am the sheriff of this town and if you don’t leave my property right now I will-“

“No need to threaten us. We have seen enough here. But be warned: do be careful on the full moon.”

With that they finally left, but no one in the Wachowski family felt any relief or joy at their departure, as they were well aware that their troubles had only just begun.

“Those lunatics,” Maddie said, starring daggers in the direction they had left. “We need to do something about them!”

“Yes, but as long as they haven’t done anything illegal, I can’t arrest them or make them leave Green Hills,” Tom grumbled. “Even though we do know they want to hurt Sonic.”

“I just don’t understand,” Sonic said. “I’ve tried so hard not to hurt anyone, and yet those people are here. Why?”

“Maybe Crazy Carl has something to do with it,” Tom pondered. "They did mention him, and they have to have learned about a potential werewolf in Green Hills from somewhere.”

“They mentioned something about a post at the burrow,” Sonic said. “But does Crazy Carl even know about the internet?”

“I don’t see who else in Green Hills would make a post about werewolves,” Maddie offered. “To think though that some people would believe it enough to travel all the way here to hunt Sonic down.” She shook her head in disbelief.

“We have to ask Crazy Carl about it,” Tom said, “and if he is responsible for the post and therefore also for those hunters being here, then we have to ask him to make them leave.”

e

“Maybe… Maybe we need to tell him about the werehog as well?” Maddie suggested.

“No!” Sonic shouted. “Nobody but you two should know!”

“I know you don’t want anyone else to know Sonic, but if Crazy Carl is the one who made that post, who’s to say he won’t make more? And he may have promised to not put up anymore snares, but how long before he feels it’s too unsafe not to do so?”

Silence settled as Sonic took her words in. “Maybe after we have gotten those hunters to leave, we can tell him,” he said, coming to the conclusion that Maddie was right.

“Then we’ll do that,” Tom said. “And until they leave we are going to do everything in our power to make sure they don’t hurt you.”

That managed to get a small smile from Sonic. Though, when he later on tried to go to bed, it was not due to the coming transformation he had a hard time falling asleep, but instead the dark, endless pit in his stomach.

***

Like the Wachowskis Crazy Carl lived out in the woods, though in a small cabin and further away from Green Hills than they did. He was in the middle of chopping wood when Tom and Sonic approached him. “Hey Carl,” Tom greeted. “Do you have time for a talk?”

“If it’s about the snare I have apologised and it won’t happen again,” he said after a quick glance at Sonic.

“It’s not about that. Yesterday we got a visit by some people that asked about a post someone here in Green Hills had made about werewolves. Do you know anything about it?”

“Yes,” Crazy Carl answered carefully, “about a month ago I began to blog about a werewolf being here in Green Hills, and these people reached out to see what evidence I got. Do you want to see as well?”

“You do know how to use the internet!” Sonic blurted out.

“Of course I do. Us who know there are supernatural creatures out there need to stick together. I have not told them about you though after learning you were real and getting to know you.”

Sonic was so caught up in worrying about the whole werehog ordeal he had not even thought about Crazy Carl making posts about an alien hedgehog in Green Hills. “You need to stop doing that!” Sonic said. He almost snarled, which made him the receiver of a warning glance from Tom. With more control over himself Sonic continued. “You are putting me at risk by speaking with people online, and now there are hunters here looking for a werewolf.”

“That’s good though! It’s good that someone is taking me serious about the danger we are in when the rest of town doesn’t. Including you. It’s almost like you are trying to protect it.” The same perceiving look he had had at the café returned, and Sonic felt exposed under his gaze.

“It’s not good Carl,” Tom countered. “Those guys are making the forest an unsafe place to be with their weapons. You need to make them go home. Tell them that all you’ve said and shown online isn’t true but a hoax.”

“But it isn’t a hoax. There’s a werewolf, and it’s only a matter of time before it hurts someone, and they are going to prevent that.”

“We already told you once werewolves aren’t real,” Sonic said, yet again with a hint of a snarl, “but you know who is real? Me! And have you thought about what they’ll do, if they see me?”

It seemed to dawn on Crazy Carl just then, as he looked the blue hedgehog up and down. “Oh.”

“Oh indeed. You know, being hunted twice by you and Eggman was more than enough. I do not need a third time!”

“Sonic,” Tom said loaded with what was his second warning for the hedgehog to keep that anger in check. When it seemed to be kept under wraps, he continued. “So do you now understand, why we not just want them to leave, but need them to?”

“I do,” Crazy Carl said. “I’ll try and see what I can do.”

***

“Good that he will do something about it,” Maddie said. She had just gotten home from the vet clinic and been filled in on the conversation Sonic and Tom had had with Crazy Carl. “But are we sure he can make them leave? They did seem intent on getting a werewolf pelt.”

“We have to hope he is successful. The forest truly isn’t safe for anyone with them around,” Tom said, touching his scar as he did. “Everyone is a potential werewolf according to them.”

“But what if he isn’t successful?” Maddie pressed on. “We can't let them hurt Sonic, and so we need to prepare for the worst case scenario, and in that scenario the burrow isn't safe, as that is the first place they'll check during the full moon."

Sonic froze, already knowing what Maddie was getting at. “I am not transforming anywhere else than the burrow. That place is mine, and it’s what the werehog knows. There’s no saying how it will react to transforming anywhere else.”

“I know and I agree,” Maddie said. “But it’s not safe and we need an alternative. I think it’s safer for you to transform and stay here on the full moon.”

“No. The werehog cannot be in the house! What if I end up hurting any of you or Ozzy? No, the burrow is still the best option we have.”

“Sonic, Maddie is right,” Tom said. “The burrow isn’t safe with those guys knowing about it. We could find somewhere else than the house. Maybe one of your portal rings can take us to some other place you find safe?”

“I don’t need another place!” he almost shouted. “Who knows what the werehog would do, if I transform somewhere else. What I need is… I need…” He needed peace and quiet and his forest all to himself with no hunters in it or even near it. That was what he needed since getting rid of the werehog wasn’t an option.

This was becoming too much. All of it. He wanted to run. To get away. But where to? And what good would it even do. The full moon would catch up to him sooner or later. There was no escaping what he was. If only Crazy Carl hadn’t made that post.

“I think it’s about time you overcome your fear,” Maddie said. “The werehog hasn’t hurt anyone, neither have you, and I truly believe it’s more than safe for you to stay here. It’s definitely safer than the burrow with those people around. If you are scared for Ozzy, we’ll keep him and you separate until you gain control or turn back.”

Sonic heard the logic loud and clear. How they both made it sound so easy. But then he looked at the part of the floor in the living room where that very first transformation had taken place, and he was transported back to that disorienting pain. To be and not to be in his body as he saw claws that couldn’t possibly be his sprout. Someone or something touching his back and that instinct that told him to hurt it before it hurt him and turning around to do just that and leaving Tom with a scar on his arm forever.

And then he imagined transforming in the burrow. The hunters lurking in the forest near it, just waiting for the first scream before striking. What pain would they cause him, and what pain would he cause them?

They really had to find somewhere else. Somewhere that would contain the werehog but also make it not feel alarmed or scared and where potential damage would be kept to a minimum should it trash about. An idea came to mind. “What if we clean out the shed? Then I could transform in there.”

“If that’s what you are comfortable with,” Maddie said.

“Let’s clean out the shed now then. We do only have so much time,” Tom said and went to grab his jacket.

His words made Sonic look at the moon calendar. Three nights and then it was the full moon. Those hunters had to be gone before then.

In the following days that seemed to actually be the case. Crazy Carl confirmed he had spoken to the hunters and since then nobody in Green Hills had seen them. Sonic, Tom and Maddie kept on preparing the shed though, as they chose to be on the safe side. Everything inside it they feared would break got put in the garage, and everything else got pushed into the corners. On the floor they rolled out the blanket the werehog had lain on last time, Maddie believing that the werehog being able to smell itself would help it keep calm.

Then it was the last night before the full moon.

Sonic watched that red circle with worry.

Tomorrow.

He began to feel phantom pains in his chest. Fingertips. Teeth. Before Maddie or Tom could notice he fled to his room, as he felt all of his frustration from these last few days catch up on him like a freight train. His poor bean bag was the receiver of a kick at full force as he just needed the anger, the worry, the fear, all of it out.

If only Crazy Carl wasn’t that observant and so gullible when it came to anything supernatural then none of this would be happening. Then those stupid hunters would not have been here and force him into transforming in the shed and put Tom and Maddie at risk by having them in an enclosed space with the werehog.

Those hunters should praise themselves lucky that they weren’t going to hunt the werehog cause if the werehog found them, it would surely make them regret it.

Just like that all the anger vaporized, replaced by pure horror at what he had thought.

It was the stress. That must be it. He could never make himself hurt anyone, not even the hunters. Never. His powers should never be used to hurt anyone, only to protect, and whether he liked it or not, his powers included the werehog as much as his speed.

He just had to hope the transformation in the shed would be a one-time occurrence, and that the werehog could handle being in such a small, enclosed space rather than out and about in the forest.

Moonlight poured in from his round, skylight window. He looked up at the close to complete full moon and felt a weird sensation built in his chest. A sensation he could only describe as a pull. A need to howl.

He forced it down, not wanting to be more wolf than hedgehog, especially when he would get more than his fill of that tomorrow night. Instead, he went to his bedside table. Opened the drawer. And there it lay, his pouch with all his portal rings and right beneath it the map Longclaw had given him. He folded it out and caught her feather just before it floated down to the ground. The feather seemed to glow white in the moonlight.

“Did you know?”

There was only silence.

He packed the feather and everything else away, yet that hollow feeling and pull lingered.

He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep. Not only did his body need it, but it would mean escape. No worries. No fears. Just nothing for a couple of hours. But sleep never seemed to come. All he got instead were horrible images of him getting hurt or hurting others as the werehog and then it was suddenly morning. The day of the full moon.

And he was just as scared as he had been on the day of his second transformation if not more so.

He stayed in bed, as if staying right there would make time stand still, but his room got lighter and lighter as the sun outside rose. And that hunger gnawed at him. Wanted him to prepare, and he needed to prepare, otherwise both the transformation and the recovery after would be worse than usual.

So, he went downstairs. A large breakfast sat waiting for him, as they all knew his body needed all the fuel it could get. He ate alone as neither Tom nor Maddie were home, both having left for work, but both would be home before sunset. Both joining him in the shed.

He tried not to think about that too much. Instead, he occupied himself with various activities out in Green Hills, until evening neared and rain began to fall. From then on he stayed at home in the living room watching everything and anything that could numb his mind, including the rain that only worsened. Maybe the shed would be good for one thing.

Maddie was the first to get home. Together with Sonic she made dinner, which should be ready just in time for when Tom got home. He didn’t get home when expected though. “Maybe he is out doing an errand for someone?” Maddie suggested, something that wasn’t uncommon, and so they began to eat. But more time passed, and Tom had yet to get home, and the sun was about to set and neither Sonic nor Maddie could hide their worry, when he didn’t pick up his phone.

“Sonic could you-“ She didn’t have to say more, as Sonic was already out the door, running down the road Tom always drove when getting to and from work. He hoped to meet him on the way, instead he found his patrol car parked on the side of the road with no Tom in sight. Sonic couldn’t understand what would make Tom leave his car here, especially when he had promised to be home before sunset and with rain pouring down.

Then he picked up the faint smell of garlic.

In no time Sonic was back at the house to tell Maddie everything.

“The scar,” she mumbled, recalling the conversation that had passed between Tom and the leader of the hunters. “Sonic, they must be at the burrow, but…” She glanced out at the darkening world.

“I’ll be quick. I promise.”

“Just be careful,” Maddie said, and in that one sentence it was clear she was not only worried about Tom, but him as well.

Sonic promised he would, and then he was off. On the way towards the burrow he picked up the smell of garlic, and it only grew stronger the closer he got. He began to pick up voices.

“Just admit it already! You are the werewolf. We have all the evidence to prove it!”

“There’s nothing to admit when I’m not,” came Tom’s reply. His voice was hoarse. Strained.

Sonic’s anger was growing rapidly, and it was burning once he was at the entrance to the burrow. All five hunters were surrounding Tom, whose arms and legs had been bound with rope, and judging by Tom’s face they had not done so kindly.

“Why do you keep on denying it when we have the proof, and you are going to transform soon?” the oldest hunter asked, but she never got her answer. Or not the one she was expecting as suddenly a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog stood between them and Tom.

“Let him go!” Sonic said, lightning trailing down his quills.

“What in the world is that?” one of the hunters exclaimed.

“Sonic you shouldn’t be here,” Tom said, entering parent mode immediately as he was aware of what was approaching.

Sonic didn’t care. He took in the sight of the hunters. Of their weapons. In that moment it was as if he already had sharp teeth and claws, ready to be used against the people who had hurt the person who meant most to him.

How dared they threaten to take Tom away from him, just like the Echidna warriors had taken Longclaw?

A growl emitted from his throat.

All the hunters backed away from him, except the woman with red hair. “You.”

She glared at him, and he glared right back.

“Is that thing the werewolf?” the youngster asked, looking to his leader for confirmation.

“Gosh, it is,” one of the other women said, their leader’s starring competition apparently confirming it.

“Load your weapons!” the oldest of the men said.

“Sonic, you need to go, now!” Tom said. “Go!”

Something in Tom’s voice snapped Sonic out of his rage. In an instant he realised what danger he was putting everyone in by being here. Including Tom and no less himself. He needed to get away and make the hunters follow him, and he had to do it now before the full moon began to have its effect on him.

To the astonishment of the hunters, he was out of the burrow in an instant. He had no destination in mind, just the need to get as much distance between him and them as possible in just the right amount of speed that made it clear to them that he was incredible fast, but not so fast that they would give up on the chase and all stay with Tom. He had only just begun running when the itching began and barely a mile before that pain in his chest announced its arrival. And then it spread.

He fell, skittered across the ground and left an obvious trail in the mud. He tried to get up, to get further away, but he felt so heavy with the mud clinging to his fur and quills and the rain pouring down with each raindrop hitting like an arrow and then it was too late.

His body began to hurt all over as his fur grew denser and took on a deeper blue shade. He cried out and realized only after that he should try to stay as quiet as possible, something he almost failed at as the bones in his hands snapped and reformed. He managed to smother the scream into a hiss, as claws tore through his gloves.

“Someone there?”

Sonic, who had had his eyes clamed shut, pried them open. Through rain and a haze of pain he noted that he was at a cabin, and that a man was coming towards him. He seemed familiar, but before he could realize how come his spine began to break and mend.

He gritted his teeth, snarled as the pain kept on coming. He dug his now claws into the dirt, demanding of himself to stay in control. He needed to. His life and others depended on it.

“Sonic, is that you?”

Someone sat down in front of him. A hand came towards him, and he felt the instinct to lash out. The very same instinct that had made him hurt Tom. “Stay… back!” he gasped, his voice already different as it had gotten deeper and more growly.

“Where is that werewolf!” a hunter shouted from the direction he had come from.

“It has to be this way. Look at the trail,” another hunter responded.

“Sonic, you need to come with me inside.”

“I…” What he wanted to say was cut off, as he felt the transformation take place in his feet. His shoes. He hadn’t taken his shoes off! He tried to pry them off before any damage could be done, not wanting to lose his precious gift from Jojo.

The man grabbed him underneath his arms and began to drag him towards the cabin. The instinct to lash out grew stronger, but Sonic defied it as getting his shoes off was too important. He managed to push them off near the entrance to the cabin, and just in time before claws ripped through his socks.

Inside the cabin an overwhelming number of smells hit him, all strange and strong, yet one familiar. Even though he could not recall ever having smelt it before as a werehog, he recognized it as the odour of Crazy Carl.

He was at Crazy Carl’s place. Crazy Carl was trying to help him.

Crazy Carl pulled him towards something warm and laid him down on something soft. “Stay here, and… and please don’t ruin anything.”

Sonic couldn’t promise him anything, as the transformation had now taken away his voice and was in the process of giving him a brand-new face. He felt his ears twitch, his face broadening and then that awful part where it felt as if he was getting his snout ripped off as it turned into a muzzle, razor sharp teeth slicing out through his gums.

Then it was done.

And he was so tired. He felt the lure of the darkness. The one that told him he could sleep through the night while the werehog roamed, but this night he couldn’t let that happen. He had to stay awake and aware. He had to save Tom and keep them from hurting Maddie, too, and so, even though he wanted nothing more than to just disappear, he clung on to consciousness.

Gradually, the pull of the darkness disappeared, and with it the presence of the werehog faded into the background. Lingering. Aware.

He sighed, something that presented itself in his new body as a huff. He stretched his body just like Ozzy would, trying to get that soreness away or at least lessen it.

As pain no longer wrecked his world, Sonic was able to take in his surroundings. He was lying on a carpet in front of a fireplace, and over the fire hung a pot from which a delicious smell of meat stew came. Next to him was a table with three mismatching chairs, and from the ceiling hung a variety of dried herbs.

Sonic used one of the chairs to stand up, more than ready to get out of here, when Crazy Carl came back from having retrieved Sonic’s shoes outside. He stopped, taking in the sight of Sonic’s new form. However, it only lasted for a moment as time was of the essence. “You need to hide. One of them is coming. Go inside the closet!” Crazy Carl said, while already in the process of hiding Sonic’s shoes in a cupboard.

Sonic went into what was Crazy Carl’s bedroom, which happened on wobbly hindlegs and in a tempo way too slow for his liking. He couldn’t stop himself from snarling either, as he fumbled with the handle to the closet, but in he got to what was a tight fit that had him longing for the woods.

A knock was heard on the door, and for a brief moment Sonic thought it was the door to the closet with how loud it sounded, but it was only due to his heighten senses. Whenever he came to there was always a moment of getting accustomed to this form, and how it sucked for that moment to still be ongoing while hunters were after him.

“You were right,” a woman hunter said, and Sonic heard it as clear, as if she was standing right in front of him. “There’s a werewolf, but it is not just a werewolf. It’s some sort of blue alien that can run unbelievable fast.”

“Oh wow. That’s... That's something,” Crazy Carl said, trying to put on an act of surprise.

“It seems to have transformed near your house. There is a trail from it stumbling leading down towards you – probably due to the transformation taking place as evident by the claw marks and pieces of cloth. Did you see or hear anything?”

“It did sound like someone was screaming, but once I went to look, they were gone.”

“Darn it. It could be anywhere now then. Who knows if it's still as fast once transformed." The woman cursed. “You need to come help us.”

“I'd rather not right now. My stew is just about to be ready, and I have not had dinner yet. I’ll join afterwards.”

“Good cause we need to stop it before it hurts anyone.” With that she left.

Sonic had to fight the werehog’s urge to get out of the closet right away. It was better to stay put just to be certain that the hunter was completely gone and didn’t catch a glimpse of him through a window.

“You can come out now. She’s gone,” sounded Crazy Carl’s voice.

He more fell than stepped out the closet, as he still had to adapt to these new limbs that belonged to a body that preferred being on all fours rather than standing up.

“So,” said Crazy Carl, feeling the awkward tension settle between them, “you are not just an alien, but also a werewolf?”

Sonic crossed his arms. Obviously, he was.

“Oh, you can’t speak like that. Well… You probably have some hunters to take care of. Or you could stay here and hide. It’s the least I can do after putting you in this situation.”

Sonic shook his head. He didn’t have time to hide. He had to get back to Tom and save him.

Crazy Carl stepped aside, so he could pass by. “Sonic, before you go,” he said, right as the transformed hedgehog was about to go outside, “I just want you to know that I am terrible sorry about all of this. If I had known you were the werewolf, I would never have posted anything about it online. I know you would never hurt any of us.”

There were a lot of things Sonic wanted to say such as that his apology was accepted as long as he didn’t do it again and kept quiet about his hairy secret, but since he couldn’t speak, he had to settle for a simple thumbs up. Then he was off.

Even though he had gotten more used to this body and how it functioned, he still found it strange having to run on all fours and how natural it felt. It truly made him feel like something else, something other, but if he wanted to get to Tom fast, then he had to run like a wolf. How he regretted having run that far away from the burrow now and in this terrible rain, too.

A strong scent of garlic hit his nostrils.

A riffle shot sounded. Then another. Followed by a roar that scared all of the birds in the area.

Sonic grabbed his shoulder. Just in time he had thrown himself down to avoid the shots from hitting their target, but not fast enough to avoid the first one gracing him.

“I have you now, beast.” The red-haired woman stepped out the shadows.

He growled at her. Tried to warn her, as he felt the darkness pull, luring him in with the promise that the werehog would take care of it if he just let go. But he could not let that happen. He tried too hard not to be a monster for that to be ruined on a singular night.

“You won’t hurt anyone. Not on my watch,” she said while in the process of reloading her riffle.

His shoulder was throbbing, and for every throb he felt the werehog come closer to the front of his mind. His eyes were on the rifle, as what he had feared most was about to become a reality.

Just the rifle, he begged. We just need to destroy the rifle.

With that his control slipped.

The growl coming from Sonic was no longer one of warning, but one of promise. The change was so sudden that the hunter stopped in the middle of her reloading.

Before she could gather herself and finish preparing her riffle, the werehog jumped on her. She screamed and cursed, as the werehog bit into the rifle and yanked it out of her grasp. He threw the riffle aside, leaving her right open.

The woman stared up at him. Her eyes globes as the hunter had become the prey.

The werehog leaned back, as if ready to bite down with all his might. She covered her face with her arms, just as the werehog lunched forward.

A roar of pure fury reverberated through the woods, as he bellowed it out in her face.

Heavy sighs sounded, as she slowly lowered her arms. Right into two glowing green orbs she looked, and they made her know she was not welcome in his forest. To emphasize his point, he snapped his teeth at her before going over to the rifle. He picked it up with his good arm and crushed it into two pieces. He tossed them to the hunter, who stared at the pieces in pure fear.

“I am sorry!” she said. “Please, don’t hurt me. Please!”

The werehog simply huffed at her. He was done here. What he needed was to … find that human. The one who smelled faintly just like these woods, carried the same smell as the blankets he always got to rest upon and something very sweet he didn’t know the name of. That is what that other part of him had been doing, the one who got to experience the sun. He had been rushing to save that human… Tom, a faint voice told him. Donut lord.

The werehog sniffed the air and caught Tom’s scent. He prepared to run, but felt a sharp pain through his arm connected to the shoulder that had been graced by the bullet. He would endure the pain. The safety of that human was all that mattered. He followed the scent, noted that Tom was not alone but joined by two others. They were unfamiliar, but the red-haired woman’s scent lingered on them, which could only mean they weren’t friendly.

He lay low, nearing the entrance of the burrow like how he would sneak up on prey. He saw Tom, the good human, kept in a corner with rope around his wrists and ankles. His hands seemed bruised, and his one eye had taken on a dark blue colour. They had hurt him.

Another human came into view. An older man with a weapon like the one the woman had had.

The man had his back to the werehog. A better opportunity to strike couldn’t be asked for.

With a snarl the werehog leapt. The man collapsed under his weight, passing out from his head slamming into the ground. The werehog took the weapon he had been holding and crushed it, just like the first one, before throwing it at the other bad human in the burrow, who was too shocked to react. The butt of the riffle hit her in the head, and she, too, was knocked out cold by the force of it.

The werehog howled in triumph.

“Sonic!” Tom exclaimed, a word the werehog didn’t understand, but he recognized the excitement and relief with which it had been said. He reciprocated these feelings with a wagging tail and by pressing his head up against Tom’s chest. He stopped though, as soon as he hit a place that had him winching.

“Sorry, it’s not your fault. They are responsible for it,” Tom said. His eyes then landed on the dried blood on the werehog’s shoulder. His smile dropping. “It seems they got you, too, bud.”

“Tom! Sonic! Are you down there!”

The werehog took in the smell of the human approaching. She smelled just like the good human, but instead of a hint of something extremely sweet she carried the scents of other animals. There was also someone else with her. Someone who smelled of sweat and rubber.

“Maddie, we are down here!”

A woman appeared at the entrance. The werehog recognised her from last time the moon summoned it. Maddie that faint voice whispered again. She was good, just like the man tied with rope, which she was in the process of freeing him from.

“I got the handcuffs ready!” The person following along her said, a man who the werehog had no recollection of. He showed his teeth, daring him to get any closer.

“It’s okay Sonic. Wade’s a good guy,” Tom said, his hands now free. They travelled through the werehog’s fur, trying to calm him down as the other guy slowly entered the burrow.

“You weren’t kidding when you said he would look different,” the guy – Wade? – said to the woman, who was now opening the backpack she had brought along to pull some stuff out it. “Is he still himself like that?”

“Sometimes, but not right now. He's not dangerous though, just... running on instincts. Speaking of, Tom I need you be prepared in case the werehog snaps out at me. I don’t think he’ll bite and just give me a warning since cleaning his wound is going to hurt. But just to be safe.”

“I got ya.”

The woman’s hands were in his fur. Around the wound. He trusted her, but he was wary of her every move. She hit a sore spot, and he yelped.

“Sorry,” she said, as she let go. “I think a bullet has graced him.”

“At least it was only that. Those gun shots really had me thinking the worst.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” The woman put some liquid that smelled strong and sharp on a piece of cotton. She pressed it against the wound, and the werehog yelped once again, and as the pain continued and became too much it snapped out. But not biting her, just like she had said.

“You are doing great,” she said and petted him. “Just one last thing.” She began to wrap something white tightly around his shoulder. It stung a bit, but the werehog knew these people wouldn’t hurt him intentionally, and so he simply snarled a bit at the uncomfortableness the wrapping caused.

While she had been taking care of the wound, the stranger – who the werehog deemed to be a good person – had been putting the two unconscious humans in handcuffs. “So… how do we get them out of here?”

“I can help you carry-“

“No, Tom. You and Sonic need to rest and recover. I can help you instead Wade. We’ll just have to carry them one at a time.”

They made their way out of the burrow, and waiting for them was the red-haired woman. She didn’t say a word, just simply held out her hands to be put in handcuffs like the two others. “If you are coming willingly, you can help us carry your pal down there,” said Tom. She ended up doing just that, with the werehog watching her every move.

They got the bad humans into a car, except for the two still out in the woods. Maybe they would be found, maybe they would get away. The werehog didn’t care as long as they stayed far away.

They watched Wade drive away with the three hunters.

Afterwards, to the werehog’s surprise, they did not return to the burrow, but instead went to a house, and it realised that this was where the smell the blankets and these humans carried originated from. This was their home.

“I’ll go in and get Ozzy into a room,” Maddie said.

“What about the shed? We did prepare it.”

“He is not going to sleep out there when he has a wound like that. It’s cleaner inside the house, so that’s where he is going to stay. I’ll also get a towel ready so we can get the worst of the mud off him.” With that she ventured inside.

The werehog and Tom waited outside for her return, under the roof to get shelter from the still pouring rain. Tom was yawning, as the adrenaline was in the process of leaving his body. The werehog could feel the same sore- and tiredness settle in his own body, but he forced himself to stay alert. Nothing was allowed to cause more harm to this human. Not on his watch.

Finally, Maddie came back with towels, and those Tom and her used to clean the werehog of the worst of it, before they let him inside to a strange bright place with limited space filled with furniture. The lights were straining his eyes and humming electricity surrounded him. It was overwhelming, and to top it off he could smell a dog. It smelled familiar. It had to be a friend as well.

Ozzy. He’s called Ozzy the faint voice told him.

The werehog stayed close to Tom, who moved through the house slowly, as he was careful not to make moves that would cause sudden pain. When he went to the bathroom upstairs, the werehog sat right outside the door, sitting so it could have eyes on both Tom and the hallway.

There was a staircase leading up to a room right under the roof, and for some reason it brought forth the exact same feelings as the burrow. Feelings of ownership and safety. Was that the place where the other him spent his days and nights? A curiosity to check it out took root in him, but then Tom came out of the bathroom and making sure he was protected and well took priority, and so he followed him.

Tom went to lay down in a bed, and the werehog jumped up next to him. Maddie walked in, took in the sight of the two laying there. Tom already half asleep with the werehog nuzzled up against him. “Guess I’ll take the sofa,” she said with a laugh. “Night you two.”

Multiple clicks were heard throughout the house, and for each one it got a little bit darker, until it was just as dark inside as it was outside.

The werehog sighed in content.

***

Sonic woke up to the pain of transforming back.

His first thought was that he was alive. The second was to check if blood covered any part of his body, particular his hands and mouth. He found none of that, but instead a bandage that was gliding off his shoulder, revealing a nasty gash. He winced at the sight of it, remembering the hunter and her bullet that had graced him before he lost control. However, it was followed by a sigh of relief as it seemed nothing bad had happened after the werehog took over.

“Hey, bud,” said a very tired Tom who looked like he had been through a boxing match – and losing. “Good to have you back.”

Sonic couldn’t compute, why Tom was right here besides him. Was he inside the house? “What happened last night?”

“That’s quite the story, but first I need to call Maddie, so she can come check your wound again and wrap some new bandages on.”

It ended up being Sonic who went to Maddie, since Tom fell asleep almost immediately after calling her. The werehog had probably woken him up when transforming back into his usual speedy self. Sonic felt a pang of guilt at that.

He found Maddie in the living room, who had all the necessary supplies lined up and ready. As she checked and cleaned his wound, she told him about everything that had happened.

“So not only Crazy Carl knows about the werehog now, but also Wade? So much for keeping it hidden from everyone.”

“Yeah, but maybe it will also make it easier for us with having more people to rely on.”

“Maybe… At least the werehog didn’t hurt anyone, except for those people it knocked unconscious.”

“It only did the amount of damage that was necessary to keep everyone safe, just like you would have done it. You should have seen it afterwards. It would not leave Tom’s side for a moment.”

“That does sound like what I would do… Maybe the werehog and I aren’t so different after all?”

“I don’t think it ever has been. It is a part of you after all,” Maddie said while beginning the process of rolling bandage around his arm. “It protects, just as much as you do.”

They didn’t speak as Maddie continued to wrap the bandage around his arm, and in the quiet Sonic thought about the night’s events. The week leading up to it and all the other full moons before this recent one.

All this time he had thought of the werehog as nothing more than a monster, as something that needed to be contained, but tonight had shown him that outward appearance did not determine what was or wasn't a monster. That the movies and series had been wrong about the werehog. That he had been wrong about it and what it was. What he himself was.

“Maddie, I think you are right about the werehog being nothing more than a big wolfish dog.”

The smile on Maddie’s face was big and bright.

The doorbell rang. It was Carl. “Is Sonic here? I got his shoes,” he asked Maddie, who had opened the door.

Sonic zipped over to them. “Right here and thank you for handing those back. You cleaned them as well!”

“Yeah, they were quite muddy – along with my entire house, but I guess I deserve that after what I made you go through. I am really sorry about that. I didn’t mean for it to get this far, or actually I did, but if I had known it was you, I would never have done what I did. Just know I wanted to protect everyone. That’s all I wanted.”

“Carl, no need to apologise anymore. I have already accepted your apology. As you said, had you known it was me you wouldn’t have posted anything about a werewolf in Green Hills – or werehog now that you know. Had we told you about it after the snare incident all of this could have been avoided.”

“It doesn’t change the fact though that those guys almost got you due to me, and I understand why you wouldn’t tell me or anyone else in Green Hills about it. I at least assume nobody else but you three know.”

“It’s only us yeah,” Maddie answered, “and now you and Wade, too.”

“I promise that your werehog secret is safe me,” Crazy Carl said, a hand placed upon his heart, “and I’ll do my part in making sure this forest stays safe. Also, if you need a place to hide again, you can always do so in my hut.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Sonic said. “See ya Carl!”

After he left Sonic went to mark the calendar for the next full moon. Normally this was something that always put a damper on his mood. Reminding him that after one full moon another would soon follow. This time, however, no such thing happened. There was no dread when he drew the red circle. Not for himself nor for the people he loved. The werehog had more than proven itself. There might still be lot to learn about it, but if there was one thing Sonic now was sure of, it was that it wanted the exact same things as he: to run free and protect those who meant the most to it, and who was he to disagree with that.