Back again! If you haven't noticed already, I like cliffhangers. ;) Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story. R&R plz

Chapter 3

My Brother Almost Feeds Me Dog Food

I finally found enough strength to stand up. Looking around, I remembered what great night vision I had in this form. I sniffed. Good sense of smell, too. I whipped around. I had smelled Shadow, and he was standing in the shade of the trees. He had obviously seen the whole transformation. I said what was supposed to come out as "What are you doing here?" but came out as "Grrrrooooowwwwlll." I quickly covered my mouth. That was new. I could talk last time I had this form. Shadow smirked.

"Impressive, Sonic. Sonia sent me to see how you were faring." he grinned.

"Grrrrroooowlgrrr." I'm fine. I said. "Snaaarrrlll." You better not tell anybody about this.

Shadow smirked again. "I can't understand you. Is there something in your throat?" he teased. I had about had it with this guy. I ran on all fours up to his face and roared. He didn't even flinch. "Watch your temper, Sonic." he reprimanded. I didn't know why I was being like this. I hadn't been so quick to anger last time. I tried to slow my heavy breathing, glaring at Shadow. "I take it you don't want me tell anyone about this?" he asked. I nodded and snorted. "And if I do tell?" he continued. I grabbed a nearby tree trunk and broke it over my knee.

"Grrrroooaaa." You tell and you're dead. I threatened. Shadow obviously got the message and nodded.

"Fair enough, Sonic. But despite your concerns, I do not see how telling of your… night appearance would benefit myself. Therefore, you have my solemn word that my lips are sealed." he said. I nodded approval. Shadow nodded back and sped back to Sonia and Amy. I turned and trudged off into the woods. I was hungry again, despite all I had eaten for supper. I sniffed the air, smelling prey. I ran towards the scent on all fours, the thrill of the hunt coursing through my veins. There, ahead of me, was my prey, my target, my… brother? I skidded to a halt. Manic was standing in front of me, looking straight at me. Some voice inside me told me to keep going, attack my prey, rip it limb from limb, but I ignored it. I wasn't going to hurt Manic. He looked like he was out for a stroll, or had arranged to meet one of his buddies and give them cash. Manic has still stuck by his friends on the streets, and he's got a huge heart.

"Hey, lil' dude. Ya lost?" he asked, looking in my direction. I turned around. Finding no one there, I concluded he had been talking to me. Just my luck he didn't recognize me in this form. He came over and started rubbing me behind the ears, calming me down, and my tail started wagging for some reason. "That's a good boy." he smiled. Manic has a thing for wild animals and little kids. "Wonder how much it would take to get Ma to let me keep ya." he wondered. That was a little much. I was his brother, not his dog. I gave a low growl. Manic stopped petting me and I growled louder. He pulled his hand away and I growled even louder. A dark animal instinct inside me told me to bite his hand off because he dared touch me, and I was finding the notion hard to ignore.

"Chill, man. Ya want me to scratch behind your ears again?" Manic asked. I growled again and turned my back to him. Manic shrugged and started to walk off. After he was a fair distance, I couldn't resist the urge to follow him. I tried to be stealthy, but it's hard when you're not used to traveling on all fours. Whenever Manic stopped, I stopped too, trying to hide the noise I was making. After Manic stopped the fourth time, he called, "Followin' me?" without turning around. I could hear the smirk in his voice. I walked up slowly to him and bumped him in the back with my nose. He turned around and scratched me behind the ears again, and my tail wagged.

"Sonic! Where are you?" I perked my ears. It sounded like-

"Sonia? What are you doing here?" Manic asked as Sonia burst through the bushes.

"Looking for our brother. I hope he's happy that my hair's messed up, my boots have mud on them and I smell like the woods because I was trying to save his blue tail!" she yelled. She then seemed to notice me and screamed. "EEEEEKKKK! What is THAT?" she exclaimed at the top of her lungs.

"This is the new family pet. You like 'im?" Manic asked. I pinned my ears back on my head.

"BARK BARK! GRRRRUF!" I'm not your pet, I'm your brother! I barked.

"No. No, I don't like it! It's loud, it's mean, it's ugly, and it smells like rotten meat!" Sonia complained. I was about to pounce her, but then Amy and Shadow came running up behind Sonia.

"We heard you scream…" Amy said, and then gasped. "Sonic!" she ran up to me and wrapped her arms around my neck. She had seen my Werehog form before, back when I had been collecting the Chaos Emeralds to stop Dark Gaia.

Shadow said nothing, only looked at me, as if to say "I didn't tell. Are you happy?"

"That's not Sonic. Even Sonic smells better than that thing." Sonia said, but Amy ignored her.

"What'd you do to yourself, Sonic? You haven't been like this for ages!" she cried.

"Growlowowowl." I'm fine, Amy. I said as she started petting my fur.

"Well, if he is Sonic, that'd explain why he likes gettin' scratched behind the ears." Manic shrugged.

Sonia came up to me so our noses were almost touching. "Okay, then prove you're Sonic." she stated.

I looked at Shadow as if to say "Tell them," but he just shook his head and smirked. I rolled my eyes.

"Ask 'im somethin' only Sonic would know." Manic said.

"Good idea. What made Manic throw up at my last birthday party?" Sonia challenged.

I scratched out the words "the revolting fruit punch" in the dirt with my claw. I hadn't much liked that drink, either.

"Hey! I chose that punch myself!" Sonia yelled.

"Well, that settles it. He's Sonic." Manic smirked then turned to me. "Dude, we've gotta get ya back home. Ma will wanna see this." he said. I nodded.

"We're coming too!" Amy said. Shadow said nothing but nodded once. I licked Amy's face in gratitude and she smiled, stroking my head as we all walked back to the palace.

After we got there, we walked into the great hall. Stairs run up the side walls, and the doors to our bedrooms are located on the circular balcony above the hall. We all went up to Mom's room. I always feel sorry for her at night. Dad died in Robotnik's takeover, and she's all alone in a bed that could easily fit the whole family, plus all our friends. But tonight I felt kind of indifferent. I didn't really care.

Sonia knocked lightly on one of Mom's large double doors. "Mother?" she called.

"Come in." came the Queen's gentle voice. We all filed in as Mom sat up. Of course, being Mom, she recognized me at once. "Oh, Sonic…" she gasped, getting out of bed and slowly walking towards me. She placed her hand on my head, instantly calming me. Mom has a way with magic.

"How did this happen, Sonic?"

I almost jumped. I had heard her voice in my head! I replied, "I don't really know. It happened before, but I thought it was gone." Then I yawned. I was getting tired.

"I'll consult the Oracle tomorrow. He can help you." Mom continued.

Suddenly I got snappy. "I don't need help! I can handle this fine on my own!" I growled.

"Sonic, please, you need attention…" Mom said, but I wouldn't hear of it.

"I'm FINE! You hear me? FINE!" I barked. My day side had gotten exhausted, tired of resisting the dark within.

Mom looked at me with saddened eyes. "I'm sorry, Sonic, but you can't hurt anybody." she sighed, her hand still on my head. Suddenly I felt energy, or lack of it, pulse through my body from her hand. I howled, but soon collapsed, writhing on the floor. Mom quickly stepped back, but Manic walked up to me calmly.

"C'mon bro, just calm down, man…" he soothed, placing a hand on my head. I roared and swung my claws at him. I heard him yell and felt my claws rip through flesh, but the negative energy Mom and sent through me was taking its toll. Everything was spinning in circles, I felt exhausted, someone was screaming, someone was rushing to my brother's side, someone was standing over me and trying to lift me. The last thing I heard before the world fell into black was someone saying they needed help carrying me back to my room.