It’s official—at least for now—you and Sonic the Hedgehog were parents. Not to a Mobian, of course, but to the most fragile, wide-eyed little creature either of you had ever held. A Chao.

It had all started so innocently. You and Sonic had been enjoying a walk through the forest trails, laughing and teasing each other the way you always did. One sarcastic remark turned into a challenge. That challenge turned into a race. And a race? Well, with Sonic, that meant he had to go all out.

You had warned him not to get carried away, but the blue speedster was too busy showing off, zipping across trees and pulling risky stunts. One misstep later, he came crashing—literally—into a Chao garden, startling the residents and unfortunately clipping one poor little Chao in the chaos.

Both of your hearts sank when you saw the tiny creature whimper. Guilt flooded you instantly, and Sonic, though he tried to brush it off with a sheepish grin, looked absolutely wrecked inside. Without a word, you both took responsibility.

You were the one who carefully bandaged the Chao’s tiny arm, whispering reassurances. Sonic, unusually quiet, sat cross-legged nearby, his ears down as if the weight of the whole accident pressed on his shoulders.

“You’re gonna be okay, buddy,” you had said softly, stroking the Chao’s head. “We’ll take care of you.”

And so, just like that, you and Sonic became caretakers.

Fetching fruit from nearby trees gave you a little break—until you returned to find possibly the funniest, most ridiculous scene you had ever seen.

Sonic was lying face-down in the shallow pond, soaked to the quills. The injured Chao, perfectly comfortable, was perched on his back like it was the safest throne in the world.

You couldn’t stop yourself from laughing. “Sonic… what on Mobius are you doing?”

The hedgehog lifted his head with the most exaggerated deadpan glare. Water dripped down his muzzle and nose, his quills plastered to his face.

“Took you long enough,” he groaned, his voice muffled but heavy with sarcasm. “This kid can’t stay still for one second!”

The Chao, as if on cue, chirped happily, patting Sonic’s head like he was its personal mount.

“Guess he likes you,” you teased, hands on your hips.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up.” Sonic pushed himself up, scooping the Chao carefully into his arms. His frown melted into something softer, his grin twitching at the corners. “He’s a handful, but… he’s tougher than he looks.”

You stepped closer, brushing some pondweed off his shoulder with a small smile. “Sound familiar?”

Sonic shot you a look, mock offense clear in his eyes. “Hey! I’m way less trouble than this little guy.”

“Sure you are,” you replied dryly, but your eyes warmed as you leaned in to check on the Chao, who was already dozing in Sonic’s arms.