The sun was going down, and it was getting harder for the little bee to find his hidden chameleon friend. He had looked in the closet again. Though Espio had hided there last time, it was always a good idea to check for a repeat hiding spot – but there was nothing except for a rack of sweaters and coats. The bee stuck his hand in and waved it through the coats and sweaters just to make sure the chameleon wasn't playing dirty with his camouflage ability. The chameleon wasn't there.

Charmy checked his watch as he closed the closet doors. He only had ten seconds left! His heart pounded as he quickly looked around the living room for any more places he may have missed. The couch! He raced over to it, landing down in front of it as he lifted the fabric flap and poked his head underneath, surveying the darkness under the couch.

*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!*

"OOMPH!" The loud beeping of his watch caused him to bang his head on the wood frame of the couch. Oh no! He was out of time, and Espio wasn't hiding here! Since he didn't find his target in time, he was now the one being hunted! He shuffled his small yellow and black body to get himself underneath the couch. He gulped as he heard the heavy footsteps of a running chameleon just outside, and quietly hoped he wasn't caught crawling to his new spot! But his eyes widened as he realized his bare feet were sticking out from underneath the couch, and there was now a pair of purple lizard hands wrapped around his ankles!

Charmy squealed as he was pulled right out from the couch and into the grinning, chuckling grasp of his lizard friend.

"Time's up, buzzbutt! Hehehehehehh…"

"Noooo! Lemme go! There's no way you found me that quickly, the timer just went off and… NOOO!" Charmy cried out as he felt his ankles getting trapped in Espio's arm. They were locked in good; he wiggled his feet around in an attempt to escape, but didn't get anywhere.

The chameleon chuckled again, this time with a bit more of a malicious tone. His victim was right where he wanted him. He studied the black, furry feet caught in his arm as he adjusted his hold to combat the struggling bee in front of him. With his free hand, he dug a claw into the bee's left foot, moving his finger back and forth across the pad.

Charmy squeaked and started squirming around. "Aahahahaa, nooo, why does it have to be the feeheeet?"

"Because they were sticking right out from the couch! Would you rather it be the wings?" Espio said as he moved his finger to the bee's toes, bringing in more claws to tickle in between every toe. He grinned as the bee starting squealing.

"Nonononooooeheheheeee! Gaaahahahahaaah, not the tooooeeheheheheheheheeehs! Stahahahahaaap!" Charmy giggled and squealed as Espio's claws alternated between the toes on his left and right feet. Each set of toes took turns wiggling about as the lizard moved his torturing fingers back and forth, to and from each foot. "Hehehehehheeee, you gotta have camo'd up on me, there's no waaahaahahaahahahaaay you got here that quickleheheheheee!"

Espio laughed as he watched the black furry toes wiggle in front of his claws. "Maaaaybe, or maybe it's just because I'm a master ninja!" He stopped tickling the poor bee and let go of his ankles. The bee remained on the floor, catching his breath.

"Or maybe it's just because you're a master cheat! You agreed not to use your camouflage when we're playing hide and seek!"

"Aww, Charmy, I'm not using it when I'm hiding! Just after the timer goes off! You can still find me, hehheh…" Espio chuckled as he disappeared in stealth, and went off to find a hiding place.

"Hey – aaaaaauughh! That's not fair, you suck… whatever… you have thirty seconds… again!" The bee pulled himself off the living room floor and took flight as he counted to thirty. "One, two, three, four…"

"…twenty-nine, thirty! Ready or not, prepare to DIIIEEEE!" Charmy laughed maniacally as he started his search for the sneaky purple lizard… again. He reset his watch timer to three minutes, just like last time. He was determined to find Espio this time. There was no way he was gonna run out of time again. He was going to find him, and he was going to show no mercy! He began his new search in behind the TV. No lizard there. Underneath the lazyboy? No, he wasn't small enough to fit under there! What about the kitchen…?

As the bee flew into the kitchen, he sniffed the air for the scent of a purple scaled chameleon. Though the sun was setting and it was cooling down a bit, it was still very hot and humid in the house, so Espio (and Charmy as well) was a bit smelly. Nothing too bad or overwhelming, but the scent was definitely there. Definitely… there! In the cupboards underneath the sink! He quickly buzzed over to the sink and opened the cupboard doors… and there was nothing but a bin of smelly compost. Espio might smell a bit today, but he certainly doesn't smell this bad… ughh. He slammed the kitchen cupboards in frustration and groaned at his own stupidity. He flew out of the kitchen and went up the stairs, thinking he may find Espio in either the chameleon's room or his own. Upon entering the chameleon's room, he smelled a faint scent of lizard feet. Just to be sure, he looked around the room to make sure it wasn't another garbage can. He didn't find one, thankfully, though he did find a pile of socks on top of Espio's bed. But the socks were clean and folded up, no stink coming from them... So where was the smell coming from?

The chameleon gulped as he heard the buzzing of his friend just above the bed he was hiding under. His heart raced as he realized there was no way he could escape. The bee was going to find him this time!

Charmy sprouted an evil grin as he realized exactly where the smell was coming from. He landed on the carpet floor and dug his head underneath the bed. Right in front of him was a pair of purple – and somewhat smelly – lizard feet! He let out an evil chuckle as he grabbed onto them just like what the lizard had done to him earlier, and pulled his prize right out from underneath the bed. "Goooootchhaaa!"

Espio yelped as he was yanked out from underneath his bed. He was greeted with a wildly grinning black and yellow bee, who was wiggling his fingers on his free hand while he pulled the chameleon's ankle towards him with the other.

"No, AAAH!" Espio cried, "how did you find me?! You couldn't find me last time-EEEEEHEHEHEEEP!" he squealed as the bee's wiggling fingers danced along his scaly, purple feet.

"Your feet stink, that's how!" Charmy giggled as he traced all four fingers of his free hand across the lizard's now squirming toes. "When I came into your room I could smell stinky feet, and I knew it wasn't that pile of socks on your bed, because they're clean! So that meant it could only be one other thing… actual stinky feet! And it is! And they're ticklish!" The bee giggled again as he gave Espio's foot a big, wet lick. "And yucky… eww…!"

The chameleon let out a loud "MEEEEHEEEEEP!" along with a laugh and groan of slight disgust. "Eww Charmy, dohon't do THAHAAAT!"

"What, you mean… thiiiiiiis?" Charmy teased as he gave the captured foot another lick, greatly enjoying the reaction he was getting from the lizard but slightly grossed out at the damp, sweaty taste of the lizard's purple feet. "Eehehehee, they taste like grape!" They really didn't.

"GAAAHAHAHAHEHEAHAAA! NOOHOHOOO! EEEEEEP!" Espio squealed, "Stahahap it, you gross little bee!"

Surprisingly, the bee did stop. He let go of the chameleon's now wet foot and took flight towards the doorway, holding his hand up to his ear. "I think I heard someone come in the door. I think it's Vector."

"Good, so he can watch you while you die laughing, you little twerp! You're gonna pay for licking my feet!" Espio jumped up off the carpet and dived toward the hovering bee. He grabbed onto Charmy's sides and pounced him to the floor, scribbling his purple fingers all over the bee's rib cage and sides.

"NOOOHOHOHEHEHEHEHEE, AAHAHAHAHAA, NOOOO, I'M SORRHEHEHEEEHEHEEEE!" Charmy squealed and laughed, trying to pull himself out and away from the lizard's grasp. He wiggled his body back and forth, moving one side away from the evil tickling claws, only to have his other side run into the other set of claws, to be tickled by them.

"Sorry? You better be sorry! No one licks my feet and lives to tell the tale! Now you're gonna pay!"

"NOHOHOHOOOO, I'M SORRY, I REALLY AM! VEEEEHEHEHEEECTOOOOORRRRHEHEHEE! HEHEHEEEEEHEEEELP! HEEEHEHEHEEEELPPP!"

Espio just laughed as his friend laughed and squirmed and giggled for help. He was enjoying torturing the poor bee so much, that he didn't realize there was a large green crocodile standing in the doorway, right behind him.

"BOO!" The crocodile boomed, sending the lizard flying forward and the bee flying into the croc's chest, into safety.

Charmy cheered and giggled happily, hugging the crocodile. "Yaaay, you saved me! I was about to be eaten by the evil purple dragon!"

"He was licking my feet…!" Espio protested, "he's the evil dragon!"

Vector chuckled and scooped up a hugging Charmy. "I leave the house for one hour, and you're already torturing the hell out of the poor bee!"
"HE WAS LICKING MY FEET!" Espio said again. "LICKING THEM!"

"You two are so ridiculous… and cute."

Espio blushed. "I am not cute…! And did you even hear what I said?" He crossed his arms and pouted with a quiet 'Hmph!', his cheeks still flushed.

"Oh, I did," Vector said, holding out the bee he had scooped up. "And you have every right to get him back for it!"

Charmy's eyes widened, and his heart skipped a beat. "W-wait, what?! No, Vector, what are you doing?!"
The crocodile chuckled. "I'm feeding you to the evil purple dragon! You ran away before he was finished with you! It's not fair to let him go with his meal!"

Espio, the evil purple dragon chameleon, spouted a huge smile as his fellow reptilian friend held on to the bee he was tickling to death just moments ago. "You're evil, Vec, and I love it. Heheheheh, Raaaawwrr!" he let out a playful roar and started wiggling his fingers, approaching the poor, captive bee.

Charmy squirmed and thrashed about in the croc's grip, but it didn't help one bit. "Nooooo! C'mon Vec, no fair no fair! Lemme gooooo! Noooo, stay back Espio! Aaaah, not the feet again, not the feeheehehehheeeeheheeet! HehehehheHEHEHEHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAAHHHHH! NOOOOOHOHOHOOOO, NOOOOOOHOHOHOOOOHEHEHHEHEHEHEEEEE! NOOOHOHOHOHOOOO!"

Charmy's pleas and laughter echoed throughout the house. The sun had set in Station Square, and lights from the many buildings and houses lit up the city. But there was one house in particular where the lights were still off, and all that could be heard from inside of it were the squeals and laughs of a little bee, and the giggling of his two best friends who were tickling him.

"Mmmm, they taste like honey!"