It was rare, for the child to be defiant to their only friend by this point. Their savior, more accurately. The uncanny movements that they should be adjusted to by now frightened them with their fur standing on end, a grim reminder that they truly don't quite know their 'friend' as well as they figured, if they even figured at all.
Fear riddled Echo's being, standing stiff still at Mephiles' touch of their chin as if the slightest movement would allow the crystal-esque claws to stab the flesh underneath the fur. Their attention is forced to look up at the looming figure before them, shades of crimson and green piercing through their soul. A situation far too familiar to them by now, yet still doesn't quite understand why someone who's supposed to be their friend, someone that they trust, someone who saved their life would do this. Hurt them like this.
Little do they realize that these fogged-up feelings originated from memories of a dark hedgehog, seemingly repressed outside of their control. Dying as quickly as they attempted to force themselves from the grave and into the forefront of their mind.
That life didn't exist anymore. If that hedgehog was someone to trust, they wouldn't have died, right? That's what Mephilies said. And he knows what's best for them, after all, and Echo was simply being ungrateful, disrespecting their best friend, and being selfish. He's only reacting appropriately.
Echo's will crumbles as fast as it arrived through the earlier bout of defiance, a shaky inhale and sigh,
"M'sorry...", Echo impulsively apologizes, glancing away with that pitiful look in their eyes.
They close their eyes to allow their senses to prioritize their sense of smell. Their nose twitches to locate the emerald again.
"It's... over there.", Echo weakly points to the general direction of where the Chaos Energy is coming from, their hand moving up not too unfimilar to a puppets limb being pulled up by a string.
"The emerald's with someone.", they added, noting the other scent alongside it, "That's all I can get. Sorry..." They hesitate to speak further, "Can you let me go now please?"