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Sonic and Sonia, who was disguised as a human girl with pink hair and amber eyes, stepped through the golden ring shaped portal. Both of them were oblivious to Manic.

Manic slid the gem into his pocket.

“Okay, disguise on.” Sonic said, pressing a button on his watch. The watch created a hologram over Sonic, making him appear as a human boy with spiky blue hair and green eyes.

“A little late for that, dear brother.” Sonia muttered.

Sonic rolled his eyes. “Okay… the emerald should be right here.” He said, motioning ahead.

Sonic and Sonia looked up to see Manic.

Manic grinned nervously. “Uh… no need for those disguises.” He said. “I’m no threat.”

Sonic and Sonia shut off the holograms.

“Hey, have you seen an emerald?” Sonia asked. “It’s important.”

“They’re not like regular emeralds.” Sonic added. He started counting it on his fingers. “Only one is green. There’s a blue one, a cyan one, and a purple one. Uh… a yellow one, red one, and… the last one is either gray or pearl white. We’ve argued over that before.”

Manic shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “It’s gotta be worth a lot of money.” He thought. “Money I desperately need, but they probably know I have it and maybe it’s as important to them as my drum set was important to me.”

Manic pulled the emerald out of his pocket and handed it over to Sonic. “Here ya go.”

“Thanks.” Sonic said, sticking the emerald into his backpack.

“Just like that?” Sonia asked. “I’m impressed. I’d figure you’d hold it hostage or lie to us and sell it.”

“I’m impressed too.” Sonic replied. “You look like you could use some money. Sorry, but we don’t exactly have anything to give you.”

Manic slowly nodded. “Yeah….” He said. He cleared his throat. “Good luck on your search.”

Manic walked away, running his hand through his spines.

*

Sonia bit her lip as she watched Manic walk away. “Couldn’t we do something for him?” She asked. “You said it yourself that he looks poor.”

“All we can give him is a chance to live and make some money.” Sonic replied. “Alright, we have work to do. We’ll split up and meet back here in an hour.”

Sonic raced off as Sonia breathed a sigh of relief.

“Good, now I can follow him.” Sonia said, walking down the trail.



*

After several minutes of walking around town, Sonia found Manic, carrying a box of groceries, walking down the street.

Manic stopped to look at a sign taped to a store window, then walked away.

Sonia looked at the sign. “A music competition?” She asked. She took a picture of the poster with her phone, then hurried to catch up to Manic.

She followed Manic, making herself invisible with her hooded cape, to an abandoned house outside of town.

She stepped over to the open window and peeked through since she didn’t want to completely intrude. She sighed as she saw three little hedgehog-tenrec hybrids (two boys and a girl) and a female tenrec close to Manic’s age, all of them were lime green like Manic, sitting on the floor of the unfurnished house.

“He has a family?” Sonia whispered.

The kids ran over to Manic and hugged him.

“Daddy, did you bring us dinner?” The girl asked.

“Did you get a job, Cute stuff?” The tenrec asked.

Manic set the box on the floor. “It’s not much and it’ll only last us for… uh… two meals.”

The kids nodded.

“Get everything out for us, okay, kiddos?” Manic asked. “I gotta talk to your Ma.”

Manic walked the tenrec away as the kids pulled the food out of the box. He stopped at the window. “I couldn’t get a job anywhere, Surge.” He said in a low tone. “Something about not having experience or being overly qualified. They don’t even care that we have kids and one of them may report us to social services. I’m sorry, I was desperate and I thought mentioning them and that we were homeless would help my chances.”

Surge glanced at the kids. “I hate saying this, but they may be better off without us.”

Manic wiped his eyes. “Why do I keep thinking it’ll ever be different?”

Surge hugged Manic tightly. “You’re trying, Manic.” She replied. “We’ll figure out something.”

Sonia tried her best to hold back tears. She eased herself to sit on the ground. “I have to help the poor guy.” She said softly. She headed back to town, looking at the contest details on her phone as she walked along.



*

Sonia sat on the ground under Manic’s window after she got back from entering Manic into the contest. She made plans on how she and her adoptive brothers could help Manic and find the Chaos emeralds.

Manic came outside and sat down on the ground by his door. He glanced in Sonia’s direction and gasped.

“I’m sorry.” Sonia said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“What the heck are you doing here?” Manic asked.

“I… I felt bad that you didn’t get a reward.” Sonia replied. “So… I kinda followed you as I searched for the other emeralds. I’m sorry, I guess it’s weird.”

Manic shrugged. “Eh, it’s fine. I need something valuable.”

“I know; I overheard everything.” Sonia said. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s all you have to say?” Manic asked. “I’m homeless; lost my job, my dad, and my lifelong dream. I may lose my babies. Apologizing to me won’t help me keep my family together.”

“What was your dream?” Sonia asked.

“I always wanted to be a rock star, even when I was a little kid.” Manic said, pulling his knees to his chest. “I always loved music, drumming. I sang all the time, but I didn’t have access to drums while in foster care except at the music store.”

Sonia nodded.

“Aged out six years ago, then moved in with my last foster dad and lived with him until he died a few months ago.” Manic said. “Four years ago, I got a slot in a local band that was kinda getting attention and I married Surge. She got pregnant right after our wedding.”

“So you gave up the band to be there for them?” Sonia asked.

“Sorta.” Manic said. “I worked my day job, played shows at night before they were born because we needed the extra money. Then I messed up my voice by overusing and straining it while I was sick. I could still play drums, but they needed a back up singer and they weren’t happy with me after I ruined their set. I had to sell my drums to buy food and try to keep the house, which we lost anyway. My drums were my babies before I actually had any kids. Dad bought them for me the day I met Surge.”

“I’m sorry.” Sonia replied.

“My kids are worth it.” Manic said. He sighed. “I’m gonna lose them all because I can’t get a job. I was a locksmith, but I accidentally let my certification lapse and the company fired me when they found out I had been uncertified for months. I’m having trouble finding a job anywhere. We can’t move in with my friend Shadow because he’s in GUN and my other friends don’t have room for all of us. We don’t have family except for Surge’s brother Kit, but he doesn’t have room either.”

“I think we can help you keep your kids and become a rock star.” Sonia replied.

Manic shook his head. “Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not.” Sonia said.

Sonic showed up. “Sonia, what the heck?”

“Excuse us for a minute.” Sonia said. She walked Sonic aside. “He needs help, Sonic.”

“That’s not our problem.” Sonic replied.

“We owe him.” Sonia said. “He lost his job and can’t get another one. He lost his house. He may lose his kids.”

Sonic glanced at the house. “He lives here and he’s got kids?” He asked. “He has some messed up priorities if he has kids he can’t support.”

“He fell on hard times, Sonic.” Sonia said, crossing her arms. “He’s not an irresponsible deadbeat like you’re thinking he is. He sold his drum set to feed his family. They were his prized possession.”

Sonic looked at Manic. “How many kids does he have?”

“He has triplets.” Sonia replied. “He’s trying his best to keep them together and it’s not good enough. He could’ve sold that emerald and he didn’t. I couldn’t blame him if he had.”

Sonic sighed. “Alright, maybe this won’t interfere with our mission.” He said. “What do we have to do?”

“Help him be a rock star.” Sonia replied.

“That’s his dream?” Sonic asked. “He gave that up for his kids?”

“Sorta, he messed up his voice because he was trying to do shows for extra money while sick.” Sonia replied.

“Alright, let’s help him.” Sonic said. “We gotta make this quick. Saving the world is more important than helping just one guy.”

Sonia and Sonic walked over to Manic. “Okay, let’s get started.”

Manic glanced at the house. “Just keep it down, the kids are sleeping.”

“We’ll come by tomorrow then.” Sonic said. “Oh, I’m-”

“Yeah, I overheard you, so I know your names.” Manic replied.

Sonia gave Sonic a dirty look.

Manic got up. “I’m Manic and I don’t appreciate you acting like I’m some irresponsible idiot.” He replied. “Things haven’t been going well in my life lately and it wasn’t because I wasn’t trying to be a good husband and dad.”

“I’m sorry.” Sonic said.

“Come by tomorrow around seven.” Manic replied. “We’re usually up by then.”

“See you later.” Sonia said, walking Sonic away.

*

“What’s the matter with you?” Sonia asked. “Do you honestly not realize that someone could fall into hard times?”

“Yeah, but that guy probably just partied away his money.” Sonic replied. “Now, he’s got kids because of his messed up priorities and now you expect me to feel sorry for him.”

“That is not what happened.” Sonia snapped. “He worked two jobs to support his family and messed up his voice trying to sing while sick. He lost his job because his locksmith certification lapsed and his dad died.”

Sonic bit his lip. “Okay… so maybe I’m wrong about him.” He said. “But we still have a mission to do. I can’t let everyone else get hurt or killed because we’re helping this guy.”

“I’m hoping this will be quick.” Sonia replied. “We can help in shifts. One of us looks for the emeralds while the other helps him.”

“Sounds good.” Sonic said as Tails walked in.

“What sounds good?” Tails asked.

“I’ll explain later.” Sonia replied. “I’m exhausted and we have to get up early.”

Sonia headed to her room in Tails’ workshop.

Tails looked at Sonic. “What’s going on?”

“She’s locked us into a side quest.” Sonic said, rolling his eyes. “I don’t have the energy to explain it.”

Sonic settled into his bed.

Tails sighed and checked his watch. “May as well go to bed too.”