Chapter Text
Trip's Troubles
H-hello e-everyone! M-my name's T-trip... T-trip the S-sungazer! I-It's s-so nice to t-talk with all of y-you, I-I'm sorry if I-I'm not that i-interesting! M-my husband M-Mighty s-suggested I -I t-try to talk to you a-all about w-what's going on in my life. I-I guess I can do that, though I -I don't think I h-have anything i-interesting to say. Everyone a-always says shouldn't p-put m-myself d-down like that, b-but I'm only t-telling the t-truth. S-so, a-about m-me... I l-like walking -through nature, c-cooking, knitting and c-crocheting, r-reading and romance novels, and r-reading and w-watching c-cartoons and c-comics from Chun-nan... I think they a-are called m-manga? O-oh yes, I also like to eat f-fruits, e-especially apples. And I like to collect sea s-shells. M-maybe I can s-show you my c-collection sometime.
A-anyway, I -I am h-happy to tell you about us. M-mighy and I t-travel the islands, e- exploring the a-ancient ruins and temples t-that dot the L-Landscape. I-it is i-into o-one such t-temple that we went to, l-looking for the d-deep power stones. It w-was on F-flicky i-island. I-I had never been there before, and it is such a pretty place! All those cute little birds, and how they can warp around through those big rings they can make... i-it's all so adorable! I-I love this s-silly little c-creatures!They a-are-
Oh... I-I'm getting off topic, a-aren't I? I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to u-upset you! O-okay, what s-should I t-talk a-about? Oh, w-when Mighty f-first came to my i-island with R-ray, I was s-scared! I m-mean, the l-last people h-here besides A-amy and her friends...h-hurt me. I-I thought M-mighty m-might be h-here to h-hurt me, or t-take the dark d-dragon egg. B-but when I-I fell down a hole, M-mighty r-rescued m-me, just l-like Amy did, a-almost a d-decade a-ago. I -could see he a-and Ray w-were friendly, s-so I sat up a t-tent n-next to t-thiers. I s-showed t-them around the I-island, a-and w-watched t-them t-train. I-I never knew M-mighty w-was so powerful, c-crushing boulders with his bare h-hands! And R-ray could fly, too j-just like tails! W-what amazing new friends I had made!
R-ray was -really nice, b-but M-mighty... M-Mighty was gentle, patient, and k-kind. H-he w-was the t-total o-opposite of Fang's c-cruelty and h-hate. He's been so k-kind and c-caring, carrying me w-when I fall over from my clumsiness, or c-comforting me when I have anxiety or get s-scared. I-I n-never s-spoke to t-them, a-always k-kept my h-helmet on...b-because I-I was still s-scared. I-I knew Mighty a-and R-Ray were g-going to l-leave the i-island, a-and I w-would be a-alone again. A-and I-I so l-loved h-having t-the two of t-them around, a-and I w-was so h-happy they were here. I-I e-even cooked for t-the -two of t-them, l-like my m-mom h-had cooked for me, a-and they loved it, and t-thanked me for it.
Fang n-never did t-that.
T-he night b-before t-they w-were going t-to leave, I-I c-cried m-myself to s-sleep. I k-know Knuckles l-lives a-alone and g-guards his m-master e-emerald, b-but I d-didn't want that for m-me! S-so when M-Mighty c-came to m-me, p-performing my t-tribe's ancient r-ritual of m-marriage, of course I a-accepted! I-I could s-stay w-with them, l-leave the i-island f-for a-awhile a-and see s-some of the w-world. I-I had s-seen the w-world beyond w-with Amy a-and her f-friends many times a-all t-those years a-ago, a-and T-tails had -hooked up l-light and h-heat and p-power on the i-island for me, but I w-wanted t-to get b-back o-out and see the w-world again, I...
W-wait, are you a-asking if I l-love him? I-I'll try n-not to stutter t-through this, okay? W-wait, I'll w-write it down so y-you can r-read it, o-okay?
*takes a deep breath*
I love Mighty the Armadillo more than you could ever comprehend. We Sungazers imprint upon our chosen mates, they become as much a part of us as our own arm, or our leg, or our tail. My tribe's folklore says that husband and wife are joined, two souls as one. Mighty understands my meaning, even when I do not speak... he does not read my thoughts, he reads my heart. For those around us, it sounds like half a conversation- it could be an entirely silent conversation, but words are too important to my armadillo mate. Amy once told me she found out her friend Espio can read peoples emotions with his ninja skills during a murder mystery birthday party she once had on a train. We sungazers cant do that, but we can speak to our s-spouses without words, because the bond between husband and wife is so strong.
I know Mighty- I know his pain and loneliness, his care for Ray, and his fear of being alone. The world has not been kind to my husband, and he has faced rejection and hate from not only strangers who were terrified of his great strength, but he was despised by even those who should have shown him love. When he took me to see his father and sister, they and his village welcomed Ray with open arms. But Mighty had to stay outside the village, in a mangy hovel because they feared the damage he could cause. They pitied me because I was married to such a 'monster' as their relative, and a few of the males even offered to replace him as my mate. Only Matilda, his sister, went out of the village to see him, and showed him the love he deserved. I despised those cowardly fools, and wanted to leave that place with Mighty, but he didn't want to leave his family visit just yet... even though most of them rejected him.
It hurts me so much that my mate is so... angry at the world, and everything around him. He bottles it up, and he and Ray generally keep to themselves, traveling through nature, and only venturing into the cities for short periods of time. He reads his philosophy and history books, trains, helps the people he comes across, and just generally tries to be better to the world, than the world has been to him. I love him for that, and I also love him for loving me. And Ray... Mighty took poor Ray in after he and Sonic escaped from Robotnik's lab with him. He is as much a little brother to me, as he is to Mighty. I feel sorry for the little guy, after all that he has gone through in his life, I don't even mind the comments that come out of his mouth without thinking, because I know that he means well. Besides, taking care of him is good practice for mighty and I's future.
Oh, no! I-I got way, w-way off t-topic! I'm s-so sorry! H-here, I'll let M-mighy t-tell the rest. Anyway, have a w-wonderful d-day!