Hidden Love

Shot two part two

"I'm telling you Manic," Sonic said and waved his arms to further push his point, and making his twin duck to avoid being hit. "The whole world is split! Like some giant, demented puzzle!"

Manic kept a weary eye on his brother's limbs, after being clocked in the head the first time he was paying more attention now. "Right, sure bro. Ya wanna explain that so I can get what ya mean?"

"I mean the planet is cracked," The blue shaded brother said and reached up to hock his hands under a few clumps of his quills, "I don't know what Robotnik did...or how we're still breathing." He paused and looked over to his left to meet sapphire eyes, "Even you had to have noticed that huge quake bro."

"Well yeah but..." Manic groaned and rubbed his head, avoiding his quills with the expertise only a hedgehog had. "What would be the point of makin' a big crack in the planet?"

"Something about an old power I think." Sonic sighed and looked up at the sky, "And...Gaia..."

"Whooaaa, hold up there bro. Gaia?" Manic's head tilted, a clear sign for Sonic to continue. The green Anthro was beginning to like this less and less.

"Yeah," Sonic nodded as he turned on the ball of one foot and made a motion like he was going to put his hands in pockets, but remembered just in time that he didn't have his leather jacket, "But not like in that mirror planet you and I got dumped in back when...er...you know." He looked down, "Back when we use to have the crowns in our world."

Manic tossed an arm around his brothers shoulders, turning him back around. Time for a change of subject, "So what are WE gonna do about Buttnik?" Had to emphasize that bit. No way was Sonic going solo on this one. "Whatever he's up to we're gonna have to take him down." Manic said, offering a confident grin.

Sonic gave himself a nice, full body shake and seemed his normal alert self again. The slightly elder brother looked at the other and grinned, "Oh, NOW you want to come along. You don't even have a 'team,'" He snickered, remembering the phase almost every one went though for a time. Or still doing if you thought about it, "Heck, even Metal has one." he couldn't help adding

Manic just grinned, striking a pose. "Who needs a team when you're THIS epic?" He gave Sonic a light elbow in the side. "But if you're scared we could always go pick up Sonia." Manic chuckled, half teasing and half serious with the statement. Despite how 'girly' Sonia was, she could be just as and even more so daring then her brothers at times. Plus, she'd probably be mad if she found out they had left her out.

"Aaaaahhh...I think we'd drive her up that one wall we haven't yet." Sonic snickered. "Though it would be fun for us all to be together again...er..."

He paused to look down at his bare feet, and the reminder of what happened to him at night.

"I think I'd give her a heart attack though."

Manic chuckled a little. "Yeah, probably." It would be good though, how long had it been since all three of them were together? "C'mon. We should see about gettin' you some shoes and figuring out what we're actually gonna do about Buttnik." The mad man had split the planet, this was no idle threat here.

"How about the next life threatening, world saving experience we haul her in?" Sonic offer as he draped at arm over Manic's shoulders now, "And we just have some brotherly-twin 'bonding'?"

Manic gave a grin and gave thumbs up, "Works for me bro."

The blue brother was about to say something but was cut off at a yell.

"SOOOONIC!"

Said runner's head jerked back, as if he'd just taken a sniper shot. Now flat on his back, Sonic let out a muffled yelp and flailed before prying the small, almost Anthro like being off his face. "Er...Hi Chip."

"Oh my gosh Sonic! I've been looking everywhere for you! I was lost, and I ran into more of those black monsters and I ran and I couldn't find you!" The new comer rambled at such a fast pace that if the brothers weren't use to the times they were hyper they wouldn't have been able to keep up.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down there little guy." Manic said leaning forward and gently plucking the creature off of Sonic. On ear tipped up as he glanced from the new guy to Sonic. "Who's this dude bro?"

Sonic lifted his feet and swung up right again and looked at the still rambling, "That's Chip...we kinda don't know where he's from." He winced, "I landed on him...hey!"

With a deft move he took a chocolate bar out of the inner pocket of Manic's vest, the green hedgehog had the worst sweet tooth, and waved it in front of Chip's little nose to calm him down.

"Hey!" Manic pouted in protest, but let it go. It seemed to have caught Chip's attention at least.

"Chill bro," Sonic shook his head, "I know you have like...ten more somewhere. It's okay," he added to Chip.

The fox like creature looked up from taking a bit of the chocolate, "Promise you won't go poof like that again?"

Sonic grinned that grin that could charm most anyone, "I promise."

Chip smiled back, and then seemed to realized at last he was being held, and not by Sonic.

Manic gave a smile, "Hey there. Nice to meet ya Chip, I'm Manic."

Wide blue eyes did the imposable and widen more. Chip stared up at the near mirror image of his one friend. For a moment he looked between the two.

"This is my brother, Manic, that I told you about." Sonic said waving a hand.

"Tellin' people about how awesome I am bro?" Manic chuckled.

"You wish." Sonic shoved his twin and Chip was jarred loose. Not that it bothered him as he hovered in the air with small wings humming.

"Oh wow!" Chip said. "You two are almost the exact same!"

"Whatta ya talking about?" Manic gave a playful grin. "We all know I'm waaaay better looking." He quickly dodged out of Sonic's range. They were brothers, teasing was entirely normal.

"HAH!" Sonic let out a bark of laughter, "I'm the one that got dad's real looks." He said rubbing one hand on the other arm, meaning his tan and blue fur. "Best damn color morph out there!"

Chip looked utterly confused.

"Blue is, like, sooo last season." Manic put a hand on his hip and waved his other hand, a quick impression of one of Sonia's 'fashion rants'.

It took all Sonic had not to fall over, he was sure he broke a rib holding most of his laughter in, "Dude, spray paint your self cherry and that'd be prefect." He snickered and added, "Don't worry Chip, we're always like this."

Chip shrugged and took a bite of his new chocolate bar. There was something that said he was use to Sonic's randomness already. "Where are we going?"

Manic blinked and looked to Sonic. "That's a good question." He was used to his slightly older siblings taking the lead and since Sonic had the most experience with this sort of thing, it just made sense.

Sonic sniffed, rotated his ears in a more wolven fashion, a lay over of some of his foster siblings rather then his current night time self. "Lets head to town," He turned to the right way, "Ask around and see if we can't find this temple thingy that old guy was talking about the other day."

Manic nodded and gave his legs a good stretch. "Wanna race Mr. Manic-needs-to-train-his-lazy-butt?" The green Anthro grinned. Plus, it would be fun.

Emerald eyes snapped over and sharp white rodent teeth flashed in a grin, "Chip!"

The flier gave a childish sequel before latching onto Sonic's back, "GO!"

Manic dropped into a runner's position. "Ready? Set.... GO!" He launched himself forward. There was no doubt Sonic would arrive well before he did, but winning itself wasn't exactly the point. After all, back home they had taken days off their hunt for the Queen to relax and have a little fun.

Sonic was off like a shot, Chip laughing and clinging to the hedgehog's back. "Come one, lets take the scenic rout!" He called as he saw a path up ahead with keen green eyes.

"Hey! You don't need to rub it in!" Manic shouted, already falling a good distance back.

Sonic spun and came back, this time staying even, "Me? Rub it in?" He looked perfectly innocent.

Manic gave a cheeky grin and swatted at his twin. "Not cool dude!"

The blue runner ducked and fled down the path cackling out right, "Slow-footed!"

"I hope you step on a really point rock!" Manic shouted, urging his legs to move quicker in a effort to catch up.

Sonic yelped, up a head as if those words had been a que, "Damn it Manic! Stop that predicting thing!"

"Score…" Manic snickered. "Not my fault!" he called, catching up shortly after.

Sonic looked up from where he was sitting, clearly not believing his twin. "Yeah sure." he pinned his ears, then relaxed to keep Chip from freaking out, He winked at the little guy and pulled something out of his foot. He had no idea he'd lost those all important calluses.

"Yup, first thing we need is to get you some shoes bro." Manic chuckled. By that, he probably meant Sonic should get his own shoes because Manic's methods weren't approved of.

The blue runner made a face, "Nothing too good though." he warned.

Chip snickered, "He tore up the last three when he turned into Mr. Monster!"

"Well just remember to take them off before night fall." Manic shrugged. It was a pretty simple idea to him and that way they wouldn't have to keep getting him shoes.

They arrived to the city and split up. Sonic and Chip to go get needed supplies and Manic to ask around about Robotnik.

"And this Gaia temple thingy!" Sonic called as he turned to the sidewalk booths, fully intending to use his 'famous-ness' to get what he could. Despite how he acted, Sonic rarely took advantage of this. "Ack! Chip! You can't eat that with out paying for it!" he said and ran after the small fox-line Anthro.

____________________________

One more good tug and Sonic tied the laces to his right shoe. Red, but not as strong or as thick soled as he liked, but it would do. Giggling from behind made him turned and watch as Chip played in the water of the fountain at the top of the stairs he was sitting on.

Sonic shook his head and grinned before turning back around to keep an eye out for his brother.

Catching sight of his brother already at the meeting point, Manic crammed the rest of the swiped peach into his mouth as he approached. What could he say? Old habits died hard and putting his adoptive 'old mans' lessons to work was nostalgic.

"Yo bro! Over here!" he called, waving an arm to catch Sonic and Chip's attention.

Sonic lifted and arm in a way before pointing at a foot, "I'd say...it'll last three days before I kill the soles." he grinned.

"We got food!" chip put it from where he was floating in the fountain.

"I'd say less knowing you." Manic chuckled. He took a seat on the edge of the fountain. "Got some info 'bout where we can find that temple."

"Oh?" Sonic pricked his hears up, "We saw that creepy old guy again, but lost him."

The green hedgehog nodded and pulled one of his chocolate bars from his pocket, cracking open the packaging and taking a bite. "So, what's the plan? Hang around here and look for that old dude, or head to that temple place?"

Sonic glanced at the more or less oblivious Chip, "Let go for that temple." he said after a moment, there was something inside of him that pulled more at that idea. He hadn't lived this long with all his stunts by ignoring his instincts.

Manic reached high and stretched. This was gonna be a good long walk/run. "Man, I kinda miss that old van..." It was fun to drive as well as convenient.

"Blah...." Sonic stopped from saying anything more. Even he would admit the van was nice with it's heater at times. He threw a plum and Manic and ate one himself, "Come on, we're waiting day light!" he posed.

Sonic also ignored the fact that that saying was truer then ever for him

"I'm up, I'm up." Manic said, hopping to his feet and downing the plum quickly. He'd defiantly need the energy.

"Yo, Chip!" Sonic called as he started off down the stairs, taking them two at a time, "Come on Manic, you're leading."

"I wonder what's in the temple." Chip said as he latched onto Manic's back, hanging onto his vest.

"Guess we just gotta wait and see." Manic replied, hopping on the railing and sliding down it opposed to actually walking down the stairs.

"Which way?" Sonic asked and amazingly was staying still rather then picking a random road and coming back if it was wrong.

"That-a way." Manic pointed as he started heading in a south-east direction. "Dude said it was pretty far from here."

"So a jog away," Sonic grinned, it was clear he was determined to get to this temple before dark.

Manic gave a dramatic roll of his eyes before jumping at Sonic expecting his brother to either catch him, or end up on the ground with Manic on top of him. "Carry me away brother!" he announced.

Sonic yelped, rolled and came up slightly less gracefully then he was use to. Above Chip laughed as he watched the brothers dissolve into a mock fight for a few minutes as if they were young boys insured of being twenty one.

In the end, Sonic had Manic on his back and Chip clinging to the top of his quills.

"You suck bro."

Manic grinned and ruffled his brothers quills playfully. "Ahh, we both know you'd start complaining about how sloooow I am. Now, giddy-up bro." he snickered.

Sonic hitched his right shoulder, before spotting something he loved more the chilly-dogs. His emerald eyes widened, "GRINDING RAILS!" He yelled and took off, heals hitting the rail not a minute later.

Manic gripped tighter, carefully not to pull too much on his brother's quills. He laughed. "Dude! This rocks!"

Something about Sonic's energy....shifted. The energy he projected always changed with his mode. The way it did now was just in that way his siblings, and close friends had learned very quickly to look out for and fear.

This kind of energy either showed up when Sonic was about to do something that would kill 50 other people just by watching...or he was about to do something to who ever was with him.

Either way, it didn't bode well.

"Bro... Sonic... Don't you dare-" Manic started, wild quills instinctively flaring more then usual and his grip increasing.

Sonic just cackled as he dove, rolled and twisted free until he was behind manic partly. He grabbed Manic's shoulder and forced his brother into the proper pose, having to use his foot to kick Manic's in the right place, "Too late!"

"Whaa-!" Manic let out a yelp, arms flailing in wide arcs to maintain some sort of balance. It wasn't the first time he'd grinded on rails... this was, however, his first time without his hover-board beneath him.

"Chill bro!" Sonic laugh, "One arm forwards. You've done this before." Sonic was also right behind his brother.

The flailing slowed until Manic gained his balance. "Coulda given me some warning ya were gonna do that dude." Manic said, glancing over his shoulder to give his brother a look.

The blue hedgehog grinned widened, "Where's the fun in that?"

Manic shrugged and gave a grin. "Yeeaah…you're right." He would have done the same thing.

You know you're a twin to Sonic when....

With a deft move, Sonic was off from supporting Manic the moment he felt his brother had his balance and was grinding beside him on the next rail. "You remember how to speed up?" he asked.

"You bet." Manic grinned, with a thumbs up. Despite the fact they looked similar, the two defiantly shared a mischievous and thrill-seeking trait. Both of which the two had gotten from their father's (insane) side.

Sonic twisted in that certainty way that, for some reason, built up momentum. "Come on then! I want to see---SPIKES!"

Sonic jumped ship just in time. He landed behind Manic, over balanced and after a moment he was clinging up side down to the rail with both arms and legs looking very un-amused as Chip came back.

"Are you okay?!"

"Yeah...peachy."

"Smooth move bro!" Manic laughed after, of course, he'd made sure Sonic was okay. He would have gone back to help, but doing a 180 and switching directions was a little difficult.

"Thanks for waiting!" Sonic yelled as he caught up by running on the rain, jumped to the left of Manic this time and hit the rail grinding. "Who /puts/ those kinds of things on rails anyways, these are suppose to be for cargo carriers!"

"Same people who put those springs around?" Chip offered with a shrug, strangely keeping up with the two in the air.

"Eh, probably best not to question and just roll with it." Manic shrugged. He squinted a bit to see further up ahead. "Looks like we're just about at the end of the line dudes."

"I hope there's some of those springs or booster rings." Sonic said and let out a yell of pleasure as he was air born.

Yep. Booster rings.

Sonic elegantly did a body flop in one that shot him off, cackling all the way.

Manic let out a cheer. Not as neatly soaring as his brother, but enjoyable all the same. The wild spinning would probably make most people blow chunks.

But the two came from of line of half insane hedgehogs that were bred to take things others could not. This was just at a 'playing' level of things for Sonic and Manic. They were relaxed, accustomed to rapid reflexes and little to no time for thinking.

The sun had already clipped the edge of the horizon by the time the rails ended. They would make it to the temple, but just barely.

Manic ran a hand through his wind-mussed quills in weak effort to tidy them. He was grinning like a loon though, the hedgehog brand of 'fun' certainly was exhilarating.

"Wee!" Sonic curled into his bladed for to brake his fall, having decided he wanted a better look at the island and tilted one of the booster rings straight up, and dug into the ground out of sight. After a moment his head poked back out.

"Dude!" he said, and it would be clear to Manic at least he was slightly reverting back to his younger speech when highly excided. "This place is huge!"

Meaning…less water to worry about.

"Wicked," Manic grinned. "Think you can find a good spot to rest up tonight?" He asked. Sonic had woken him far too early then Manic would have liked.

Sonic lat out a laugh that was almost bitter, "Yeah, rest..."

"We haven't been able to sleep for most of the night for a long while." Chip said grasping his paw like toes and rocking in the air.

Manic fidgeted and rubbed his head, unsure of what to really say to that. "Oh... right.. uh.."

"Come on," Sonic gave his twin a mock punch, "Let's see what's in this temple place." he flicked his ears, eyed the dimming sky and starting off one a path in an easy trot that looked like it led to some structure they could just make out.

Manic quickly caught up. He smiled and nudged Sonic. "Hey, don't think we'll run into any more ancient ancestors?" Manic mused, recalling the last time they'd entered a temple together. Needless to say running into a ancient version of Sonic and getting worshipped by a bunch of mummies was pretty cool.

".....I really hope not. That was...really freaky." Sonic said, it had been cool at the time, but if you really stopped to think about it...it made Sonic avoid that whole desert from then on.

Manic laughed and settled into a semi-silence. Alright not really, he hummed and tapped his fingers against his leg to a random beat in his head. Some things never died as Sonic hummed along with his brother. The band may have drifted apart after they came to this world, but the triplets never really gave up their music.

Sonic blinked up at Chip, who was trying to humm in tune but couldn't quite get that right pitch. "Hey Manic..."

"Huh?" Manic glanced over and grin spread across his face as he took notice of Chip. He really liked the little guy, Manic always had a soft spot for kids.

"Think we'll ever get our medallions back?" The other hedgehog asked, putting his hands up under a few clumps of quills behind his head. "Little lower Chip," he added, "Like this."

Manic's hand automatically lifted to the spot on his chest where the medallion used to hang. "Sure hope so..." He smiled. "There ya go Chip."

Chip beamed, missing or just dismissing what he didn't understand what the two were talking about, "That's pretty cool, the way you two can do that."

"That's nothing." Sonic winked, "Maybe we'll sing later on for you." It had been a while since Sonic himself sang for something other then a tree but it wasn't something you forgot.

Manic grinned. "Could probably make some make-shift instruments too." he mused. Back home he'd turned any sort of solid object into a drum set. He pulled a set up drumsticks from his pouch and flashed Sonic a smile.

"Habit." he offered as an explanation, twirling them around his fingers.

Sonic laughed and mimed playing in the air.

Something roared ahead and both Chip and Sonic froze. Chip darted behind Sonic who blinked a few times before looking at Manic with an almost sheepish look, "Err...I think I forgot to mention the monsters... heheh...."

"Monsters?" Manic blinked, gripping his sticks, "Ya, defiantly forgot to mention that one bro."

"I didn't!" Chip said from where he was managing to hide in Sonic's quills on his back.

Sonic twitched an ear, "Oops?"

Manic's ears swiveled, searching for a fix on the creatures. "So, anything else I should know about 'em?" he asked.

"Yeah. Don't get bit!" Sonic said rattling his quills, "The raptor like ones lock their jaws...use Homing or a Spin-dash." he added rapidly.

Manic gave a nod. A rustle caught his attention and he tensed. What he wouldn't give for his drum set right about now.

"INCOMING!" Sonic yelled and charged, his bladed for cutting into the ferns and the through a raptor looking thing that had relatively stubby legs, but an over sized head.

"Whoa dude." Manic twitched a little. Robots were one thing, but these were actual monsters. He leapt and performed a neat homing dash on another one as it burst into their relatively tiny clearing.

"They're energy based!" Sonic said sliding to a stop only to pick up his feet again in ground based spin-dash.

"So that means?" Manic prompted, narrowly avoiding getting blind-sided from behind.

"It means-" Sonic rolled, and burrowed rapidly to avoid a 'bubble' of black energy. After it passed he popped back up, "Don't get hit by those things! It' hurts!"

"Anyone ever-" Manic did a neat little run up a tree trunk and flipped behind a creature, catching it with a spin dash to the back. "-tell you, you have the BEST luck bro?"

"Chip did," Sonic looked over his shoulder and turned around trying to see said little guy, at the same time wondering how he could hide in his diamond hard, and razor sharp quills. Chaos, even young hedgies 'sat' in the dip between the clumps on the back, "The other day." He rolled to his side.

"Wonderful. Yo bro, duck!" Manic called, taking aim with a drum stick twirling in hand.

Sonic flicked an ear, catching the sound he'd almost forgotten about and flattened himself on the ground. He had no idea when the last time Manic had done this...trick.

It made contact with the intended target, but Manic still snapped his fingers. "Man, I am outta practice." It wasn't exactly on target.

Sonic leapt up, looking at the smaller, less dangerous black monsters and flicked his ears. Chip peeked over his shoulder before Sonic half spun, kicking out and then, for no other reason then it would be totally unexpected:

"Open your eyes to the darkness around you…!" Sonic's voice lifted in a lyrical tone of an internal beat that matched his heart.

Manic couldn't help it. It was akin to flicking a switch in his brain. His voice raising to a pitch that easily complimented his brother's with an 'Oooohh' back-up vocal. Manic gave a neat little dance-like sway as he flipped into a spin dash.

"Ah man we should have gotten Sonia!" Sonic said, but he voice didn't quite loose the singing quality to it and he turned and bladed through three of the lesser monsters and bounce back up. With a deft move he and Manic were back to back.

"And listen though another 'Society Girl' special?" Manic smiled, unable to bring himself to ditch the beat. Despite the fact they were fighting monsters, he had to admit he was enjoying the feeling of adventuring with his sibling again.

"Oh god no, can't have-" Sonic cried out, gloveless hands clutching the sides of his head as his back arched with the last of the sun dipping below the horizon. His emerald eyes widened, then narrowed to slits of dark forest green.

Chip took to the air and glomped onto Manic, "Oh no!"

"Sonic!" The musical quality died instantly. His attention harshly splitting between the remaining couple monsters, and Manic's concern for his brother's well-being.

Sonic dropped to his knees and he dropped on hand. There were visible tremors going down his body, and he was...growing. Expanding in size and the shape shifting slightly. Canines lengthened with his claws that dug into the earth. His fur darkened and his quills became thicker, heaver.

Manic shifted his attention to the monsters, two well placed drumsticks and a spin dash removed the remaining threat. The green hedgehog immediately dropped to his knees and reach a hand out, seeking to give his brother any sort of comfort he could provide.

Sonic jerked his head away, trying to and failing to get away from the pain. He even slammed his head down twice before the transformation settled It took no more then a minute in real time, but felt more like an hour.

The werehog panted, eyes closed and nose half in the dirt.

Manic gently lifted Sonic's head off the ground and onto his lap, petting his brother behind the ears. "Hey bro, just relax. I'm gonna take care of ya tonight alright?"

Sonic took a deep breath and let it out in a huff that had a hint of a whine in it before he opened his eyes to look up.

"You're going to be okay." Chip added, sitting on the werehog's head and patting an ear.

Manic wiggled out from under Sonic and stood up. He shrugged off his vest and folded it, putting it down for Sonic to use as a pillow. "Take a nap 'kay?" he smiled and went about collecting branches to construct a small shelter.

One cropped ear twitched and Sonic crossed his forepaws, then shifted to rest his now larger head at the vest. Chip was still rubbing his ear and he hadn't giving any hint of how tired he'd been in the day...but now.

Sonic sighed. A nap really did sound good.

Manic smiled to himself when he noticed his brother pretty much passed out. Once the shelter was built and made to blend with it's surroundings, Manic settled himself against his larger brother's side. He wouldn't allow himself to go to sleep, too much risk for that, instead bobbing his head to a beat and scribbling some music notes into the dirt.

Sonic's sides lifted and fell in a steady rhythm for about an hour. Then Sonic shifted so he could partly curl up around his brother and peer at what was written. A moment later he let out a deep rumble from somewhere in his chest.

Manic gave a soft chuckle. "We really should drop by Sonia's after this is over. Go on some totally awesome Reunion tour." he mused.

The werehog let out what was, for Sonic right now, a chuckle. He eyed the notes again and gave another rumble, this time trying to alter his growl but failed.

"We can jam in the morning. Sleep. You're brother commands." Manic said in a teasing tone, giving Sonic a light tap on the muzzle.

Sonic snorted and 'lightly' thumped his head against the side of Manic's. He was the oldest after all and had to get his two cents in one way or another.

Chip huffed and peeked out from where he was half hiding, half sleeing on Sonic's back.

Manic yawned. "Well if you're not, I am." he announced, snuggling up and enjoying the warmth of his sibling.

Sonic rolled his eyes, but resigned to being tonight's pillow for the two. He yawned, trying not to let manic or Chip see before putting his head back down on his twin's vest. His now longer fur was more then enough to keep them warm even after the fire died.

Two nights of sleep...this was heave.

_______________________________

Manic gave a light yelp as he was awoken, pillow/bed vanishing from beneath him and he colliding with the ground. He winced, rolling over and sat up, rubbing his head. Blue eyes quickly scanned for Sonic and Chip.

"Ow..." Sonic muttered where he was face down and sprawled out where he stopped flailing.

Chip landed in Manic's lap, blinking in a confused manor and rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Dawn..." Sonic didn't sound impressed

Manic lifted his vest, gave it a quick shake to rid some of the dirt and slid it over his shoulders. "What I'd give for a decent breakfast." he mumbled.

"Hmm...food." Chip licked his lips, not seeing the alarmed look Sonic was giving him.

At that moment Sonic's stomach proclaimed it too was on empty.

After a quick search through his pockets, Manic produced a couple snack bars. Not much of a meal for three very hungry boys, but it would have to do unless they could find some fruit or such.

"Where's termites when you need them." Sonic said pushing himself up to his knees.

"Ew!" Chip wrinkled his nose, making the blue runner laugh.

"Don't knock 'em until you try 'em!"

"No way!"

"Termites are delicious." Manic chuckled, "'Specially when there's chocolate to dip them in."

"You and Chip both with the chocolate!" Sonic threw up his hands and sighed at that he was back to being barefoot.

Manic just offered a smile and shrug as they started their trek to the base of the temple. "Wonder what kind of booby traps a place like this has got... Temples always got booby traps." Well known fact this.

"I don't know," Sonic muttered as he scented the air, looking for the smell of termites in a vain hope. "This place doesn't have the same vib as the, er, tomb."

Something caught Manic's attention and he slipped through a bush, disappearing for a moment. "Check it!" Manic called a moment later. Wild strawberries - not exactly termites, but they'd do.

Between the three the whole patch was gone in ten minutes.

"Sonia wound have a fit." Sonic said, regarding their manors (or lack there of) after the fact "Amy too."

"Amy?" Manic questioned, raising an eyebrow and swallowing his last mouthful of breakfast.

"Yeah...." Sonic flattened an ear, "Cute girl really, but is...scary."

"Aahh." Manic left it at that. It would be wise to get moving. They didn't know what was inside the temple and couldn't exactly monitor the daylight when inside.

"You'll meet her." Sonic almost, almost giggled but he managed to save his male dignity. "I'm surprised you haven't." he added.

"We'll we haven't quite kept in touch as much as we should." Manic admitted. Something he was defiantly going to fix. "I can't know ALL your friends."

"I heard about that belly dancer." Sonic said suddenly, and slyly, reaching up to steady chip on his head as the little guy happily eat the last of his berries. If the brothers had been side be side Manic would have gotten an elbow to the ribs.

Manic's face flushed bright red. "Dunno what you're talkin' 'bout..." he said, head tipping up and whistling absently.

"Oh no you don't!" Sonic trotted after, "I want to know about this 'green hero of the sands'!"

"It's nothing really - Hey look! We're here!" Manic said, trying to change the topic. Not that he wouldn't like to brag about his accomplishments, but then a certain female hedgehog would no doubt be brought up and well... even thinking about her was making his cheeks warm.

Sonic wasn't giving up, he could smell something good as a sibling could. "Yeah, yeah." He waved at the large and impressive temple as if it were no more then a common house, "Spill Manic!"

"So I MIGHT have done some cool heroic stuff when I was doing some traveling and I MIGHT have teamed up with one of the locals..." Manic let slip. His sibs could be quite stubborn.

Sonic grinned he was about to ask, or demand, more when Chip piped up.

"Hey, did you mean it about singing last night?"

Sonic blinked, effectively de-railed off the subject as he flicked his ears.

A grin crossed his twin's face. "You like the tunes little dude?" Of course, anyone who didn't like music was clearly insane according to Manic.

Chip nodded, "Yeah...hey did you know when Sonic's running, he humms?"

"I do?" Sonic blinked, he had thought he stopped doing that after... "Huh."

"Can't stop the beat." Manic smiled, well aware of his own subconscious habits when it came to music. After all, it had been one of the major points in his life since he was born.

Sonic felt his fingers twitch with the memory of a guitar, but didn't have anything to play, "No you can't...it's like your heart. Wasn't that what mom said?" he paused to frown.

"Yeah." Manic nodded, mind drifting. Maybe... "You think we just mighta... let ourselves drift too much?"

"Huh?" Sonic blinked snapping out of it and looking up. "What do you mean?"

"Remember way back when we were training to use our medallions?" Manic asked. "We couldn't when we weren't in sync with each other, so maybe we just sorta... forgot about the harmonies."

The blue runner crossed his arms and shifted onto one foot. His ears folded back and he gave that a good thought. Quick as lightning he darted forwards and linked arms with Manic twisting around behind them in the start of an advanced battle move the two had spent months perfecting.

Manic hadn't been expecting it, but quickly shifted into position. By now he was used to Sonic's sudden moves.

"Hehehe..." Sonic grinned, but didn't finish. A partly flailing spiky, half ball of quills wasn't something you set loose on the world for no reason. "Not so out of sync."

"We're twins after all bro." Manic grinned. Siblings was one thing, triplets was a bond not easily severed.

In one of Sonic's odd, but not overly often seen shows of affection he pressed he head against Manic's, "We are bro."

Manic relaxed, giving his brother an affectionate nudge with his head in return. He broke apart from his brother, yet still remained closer then two normal people standing beside each other would be - especially boys with their 'I am not gay!' worries.

"Well, temple here we come. Let's do it to it." Manic grinned, snickering at the use of one of their old favorite phrases.

"Wow, that's a line I haven't used in ever." Sonic laughed, He paused and looked over his shoulder, "Hey! Chip, get out of there!" Sonic stepped away to give himself a nice full body shake and then turned in a cercal. Trying to grab the little giggling, Anthro-like being out from where he was hiding in his quills again.

"Hold still bro." Manic said, reaching over to try and help. "C'mon lil guy."

Chip laughed and glomped onto Manic, his small arms wrapping around the hedgehog's neck. Then yelped as Sonic tickled him.

"You are a pain." Sonic laughed as he said that.

"Says Mr. Solo Missions." Manic teased, ducking away from Sonic and thus bringing Chip with him.

"At least I'm still being a hero," He paused and green eyes shifted back to Manic, "I still want to hear about that desert Zone." Sonic said as he broke out into an easy jog.

Manic rubbed his head. "Alright, alright, but I got an even better idea. I'll take you to meet 'em!" he suggested. Plus, he hadn't seen a certain belly dancer in a while...

"I'll take both please." Sonic flashed his teeth in that grin of his that was well known, "And-oo shiny." His head whipped around and Sonic skidded to a stop, making Manic have to do the same in order not to loose the blue twin.

"Shiney?" Manic repeated, ears perked up and eyes scanning. He was usually the one to spot these things.

Sonic reached into some bushes and pulled out was looked like a bronze dinner plate. He tipped his ears up and looked at both sides, that had a stylized sun on it. "This is weird...wonder what it is." Sonic turned and offered it to Manic to take a look at.

Chip's little ears pricked up as he saw the disk.

Manic flicked it around in his hands. "Not a clue bro. Could probably pawn it off for a good price to this great dealer I know though..."

Sonic reached other and smacked his brother, "That still your first or second thought when you find something?"

Chip let go of Manic and reached out to put his hands on the disk when it stilled. His eyes widen as he caught a faint glow in the bottom of his vision. "S..Sonic?"

The blue runner glanced down, then did a double take as the gem on Chip's neck was glowing a little. "What?"

Nursing the spot where his brother hit him, the green hedgehog blinked several times. "Whoa, what's with the mini light show?" Manic asked, eyes flicking between the two light sources.

Chip reached up to put his hands on his gem, something he couldn't see as well as the gold ring around his neck, "I don't know...but I think I've seen this before."

Sonic tipped his ears up again and flicked one before taking the bronze disk back. He looked over both sides again before lodging it up in the quills on his back, "Think we should hang onto it then."

"Way weird." Manic stated, scratching at his head before shrugging it off. Weird, trouble, and danger were all synonymous with hedgehog as it was.

"Come on, race you Manic!" Sonic said starting backwards up the path again.