Trouble Lurking
"How long is this gonna go on?"
A bruised, battered hedge- er, werehog, was slowly lumbering along the streets of Apotos, along with a flying Chihuahua of some sort. He had just finished fighting one of Dark Gaia's largest monsters and was currently trying his best not to snap at any moment.
The flying Chihuahua wasn't making things any easier on his sanity, however.
"C'mon, Sonic! You can't give up now! We're closer to the next Gaia temple! All we gotta do is put the Chaos Emerald in the thingy, make it glow, and then head off to the next one! Just because you're a bit of a monster now doesn't mean you're -"
Sonic grunted and stared at the Chihuahua, who immediately shut his mouth and looked at him curiously. He clenched his fist, but soon unclenched it with an exasperated sigh.
"Chip… do you really think I'm a monster?"
Chip fluttered in place for a second, then shook his head and moved close to Sonic's face.
"Oh, no, I didn't mean it! I just meant cause of Dark Gaia's energy! I mean, you're a great person! You've helped so many people! Like your friend Tails, and that Amy girl, and the guy with the delicious ice cream, and -"
Sonic rubbed his head with a paw, then blinked. Looking up at the moon, his sharp teeth glistened in the subtle moonlight.
"If it wasn't for Eggman, I never would have met you, right?"
Chip blinked, then nodded and settled on Sonic's shoulder.
"I don't think you're really a monster, Sonic. I think maybe you're putting too much pressure on yourself to make sure you're not becoming one."
With that, the cry of another Dark Gaia monster rang out through the night, alongside a familiar cackling. Sonic wiped his eyes on the back of his furry arm and shook the feeling away.
"No time for a pity party now; we've got an Eggman to crack!"
"I never saw the trouble until it was right under my nose."