The Floating Island, a beautiful land filled with lush forests and endless fields of tropical plants and wildlife. A forbidden paradise, with icy mountain tops, fiery volcanoes, and crystal clear springs. I can remember my first visit there as if it were yesterday. It was such a quiet and peaceful time back then. I didn't have a single care in the world, so long as I was by his side. It was so wonderful...

But now, as I grow ever nearer to my target destination, I wish with all my heart that I could be anyplace but here. As the island finally comes into view, it is not the majestic world of beauty and wonder that I see in my dreams, but an endless wasteland of concrete and steel. It has been transformed into a great technological city that spans the entirety of its surface. What was once lively and serene, is now dull and noisy.

Despite the welcoming glow from the sea of lights below, I can't help but frown as I gaze upon this lost utopia. Nonetheless, despite all the damage to the natural environment its creation has caused, this land is still a place of hope. It is the last, the only, remaining safe haven on Mobius from the terrors of the demon known as Ibliss. It has become mankind's last stand, the newly dubbed "Hope Island."

I have done my best to survive on my own out on the mainlands, even though living outside the city means living in constant fear of attack by Ibliss and the wretched spawn of its wicked design. I have my reasons for risking life and limb to avoid the relative safety of the city. It just doesn't feel right being there, especially knowing what the cost of its coming into existence had been.

After being away for so long, I was actually surprised by the sudden blast of sound from my onboard radio. The city's air traffic control was asking for my identification, which I was more than happy to give in exchange for clearance to land. I can't explain how comforting it was just to hear the voice of another person for the first time in so long. However, that comfort soon washed away as soon as the landing procedures were complete and I departed from the pilot's seat of my Tornado. I quickly remembered the reason I had come here and the help I so desperately needed.

The young attendants that came to greet me on the empty airstrip were kind and treated me with a level of great respect, which I was rather unused to. I did my best to smile and present myself with an air of cheerfulness. It was the least I could do to repay them for allowing me this opportunity. Soon I found myself seated in a private limousine, being whisked across the bustling city streets towards my unwilling destination. The closer we came, the worse I began to feel. Somehow I knew, in the back of my mind, that this day would not end well.

It was nearing nightfall when we finally arrived on the far side of the island, at an eerily desolate spot in the middle of nowhere, the site of Hope Island's only prison and home to its only prisoner. I couldn't help but appear nervous as we approached the entrance. Every step I took towards the looming steel doors was a pained one. I simply couldn't bear the thought of the sight that would soon greet me.

The nice attendants the president had sent to chaperone my visit left me at the door as I entered, from there on my only accompaniment would be that of the four mean looking armed guards that would guide me to the prison's single holding cell. As the final door opened and the dim lights shone into the darkened room, my eyes fell upon a horrifying scene. The prisoner, dangling in midair, suspended above the ground by massive chains hung from the ceiling above. A second set of shackles fastened tightly from his seemingly lifeless legs to the ground below. I couldn't help but utter a cry.

"Nuh-Knuckles!"

I struggled to hold back my tears as I gazed upon the once proud echidna, hanging broken and defeated in front of me. The red furred creature stirred weakly in response to the sudden noise, opening his eyes to peer curiously at the one who had called out his name. A muffled response greeted me from within the poorly lit room, bringing me to realize that my old friend had been muzzled to stifle out his fits of rage. I cast an angry glare upon the nearest guard and demanded the device be removed, to which he begrudgingly obliged.

I stepped further into the room, not wanting Knuckles to have to speak loudly to be heard. I only wished there was more I could do to make him more comfortable, but for now, having the muzzle removed was the best I could offer. I silently begged that he would listen to what I had to say.

"Mm... mmf... m-miles..." he slowly made out the words. There was no telling how long it had been since he had last tried to speak. "He-ehh... you... ca-ame to see... me... it's... been... a while."

"Y-yes..." I managed to reply, struggling even harder than before to keep myself from bursting into tears at the sight of my friend in such obvious pain. "I'm sorry I couldn't have come sooner, but... y-you know how things are..."

Knuckles seemed to chuckle at my words. Perhaps some tiny piece of his former self remained after all for him to be able to laugh at a time like this. "Nngh... so I do, young one... so I do..." He shifted uncomfortably in place and tilted his head to the side a bit, a more serious expression slowly coming over his face. "Mmf... so then... what brings you here? Surely it's more... than just a friendly visit..." he smirked, a gleam of elderly wisdom shining in his eyes. "...what is it... that you need from me?"

I nodded gently and mustered up my earlier resolve as I began to speak my piece. "I desperately need your assistance. I've done my best with what little resources I have, including the Chaos Emerald you were kind enough to give me before..." I uneasily paused, glancing again at our desolate surroundings, "...before... all of this..."

He grunted softly as I spoke and motioned for me to continue. "...but it is all for naught. I lack the power to truly defeat Ibliss. In fact, as time goes by it would seem my attacks are becoming less and less effective with each battle. My allies are few and decreasing in number as the ruined environment and constant stream of conflicts chip away at what little strength they have left."

"It is my hope, that with your great strength and vast knowledge of the Chaos Emeralds, that we might finally turn the tides of this ceaseless war. I've already explained my plans to the president and he is willing to set you free from here in exchange for your aid in fighting against the demon." I explained quietly, trying not to sound too excited about the deal. I stepped forward once more and laid my hands upon the echidna's shoulders as I stared hopefully into his eyes. "Do you understand? I can make all of this go away. You just have to agree to help us."

Knuckles stared back at me with widened eyes, sparked with heavy interest, thoughts of freedom surely spinning through his mind. "I see... so the humans are asking for my help are they?" he asked, the expression on his face oddly twisting into one of sadistic amusement. "Alright Miles, then you can tell them... you can tell them that they can all come kiss my furry red ass!"

The shock of his words hit me like a brick and I stumbled backwards, paws dropping limply at my sides as I tried to comprehend what was being said. "But- but Knuckles! They're going to commute your sentence! You'll be free from this place forever! The only thing you need to do is-

"Enough!!" his voice came through much louder and clearer than before, cutting me off in mid-sentence. "Don't you think for a second that I would ever consider doing anything that would benefit those murderous bastards! Have you forgotten already what they have done to this place?! What they did to our friends!? Their own allies!!"

A silent nod was the best response I could offer. I knew the cold facts all too well. Five years ago, shortly after the arrival of Ibliss, the humans came to the Floating Island in droves seeking refuge from the terror that scorched the mainlands. They were not aware that the island was considered to be a sacred ground and when the Guardian stepped forth to lay down the law, they resisted. The humans would not so easily give up the only ground left untouched by Ibliss' fiery hand and though the weapons symbolic of their military might may not have worked against the demon, they were more than enough to stave off a single echidna and his few furry companions.

Though Knuckles did his best to perform his duties as Guardian and protect his homeland from human invaders, his efforts were in vain. He could do nothing more than watch as his friends fell in battle and the island was reduced to a lifeless wasteland, stripped of it's beauty and every vital resource that could be pulled from its soil. Even the Master Emerald was stolen away by the newly founded government of Hope Island and used as the sole power source to fuel their concrete city. In time, the strain upon the massive gem would grow too much to maintain the island's float and power the city as well. And so a compromise was made to return the island to the sea, its trademark wonder lost in exchange for unlimited power. Not that the humans cared, so long as the island still rested miles above the ocean floor and far from Ibliss reach.

And now, here he lay bound, branded a traitor to all mankind and imprisoned for life in this horrible place without even the ability to move about as he may. What fate had befallen the island was nothing in comparison to this. It was a fact I knew all too well, but I hoped beyond hope that I might somehow change his mind. If only he would listen to reason!

"Knuckles... please..." I tired again, "If we can only defeat Ibliss once and for all, then the humans will have no reason to stay here. They can finally return to the mainlands and we can return the island to its former glory."

He sighed heavily at my attempt to persuade him, shaking his head in refusal. "Ahh, Tails... always so naive... You know it is far too late for that. The island has been ravaged by the humans, the forests have been burned away, the ice caps melted for fresh water, the volcanoes sealed to protect their 'fair' city. Even the very earth you stand upon has been rotted away by their corruption. No life shall ever return to my once beautiful home. Even as we speak, this land is dying."

"But- we have technology that- that could fix it!" I pleaded with him, "I'm sure that with a little luck we would be able to grow new-

"You Fool!!" Knuckles cried out suddenly, cutting me off once again and drawing tears from my eyes. "Have you forgotten that it was that very technology that brought us into this mess to begin with?! Were it not for the humans and their insatiable lust for power, men like Dr. Eggman would have never come into existence and your disgusting technology would have never spawned a monster like Ibliss!!"

"You would ask me to help these wretched creatures who seek nothing but disaster?!" he continued, growing angrier with every venomous word, "Let them cower in fear within his false barrier of protection which they have crafted out of iron and steel. They have wrought their own destruction and I shall take no part in righting their mistakes! Their fate is sealed and I welcome the sight of their end!"

There was nothing more to hope for. Knuckles had made himself painfully clear. My knees shook beneath me as I realized my own failure in preventing all of this. With what little strength I had left, I managed to utter my thoughts through my falling tears. "But Knuckles... if-if you don't... then... then... they're going to- to have you executed... this... this is... your only chance!"

The anger that had flooded the echidna's face suddenly washed away, replaced by an expression of shock upon hearing this, but that too soon faded. His expression became mournful, though not so much with sadness, but rather something more along the lines of disappointment. Yet still his resolve was unshaken as he uttered his reply. "I understand... so be it."

With that, I fell to my knees and collapsed upon the floor, sobbing openly for all to see. I simply couldn't hold it back anymore. It was too much for me to handle. But I would not be given the privilege of continuing to morn what was to come, as it would arrive much sooner than expected. From above me came the sounds of rattling chains shaking violently. I cast my gaze up upon a startling sight.

"But if I am to die, then let us not waste any more precious time!" Knuckles called out to the guards standing not far behind me, "I accept my death with open arms!" A familiar battlecry washed over my ears as I watched the shackles that bound him shatter as he tore free from his bindings in a single violent, adrenaline fueled motion. No sooner had his feet struck the floor did the echidna rush past me, his mighty fists raised to pummel his oppressors into oblivion, but they would not get the chance. Before I could even begin to utter the word 'Stop,' the gunfire rang out in the cell, the piercing blasts echoing deafeningly in my ears.

As the racket ceased, I found myself crawling ever so slowly towards the fallen hero that lay before me, resting in a pool of crimson. My face could not express the horror that I felt towards the actions I had witnessed. My voice came at only a whisper, despite the force with which I spoke the words. "He's dead... Dead! You killed him, you murdering bastards! He was the last of his kind and you killed him!!"

Nothing, not even the terror of Ibliss itself, could have prepared them for what would happen next. The earth began to shake violently all around us, eliciting shouts from the guards for us to evacuate the building, but I could not bring myself to leave his side. The pain was too much for me to bear and my body simply refused to move.

The guards escaped without me, leaving me to my own fate as the walls collapsed all around me. It could have only been by some miracle that I wasn't crushed by the falling ceiling. I gazed across the barren terrain to find the earthquake was affecting the entire island. Buildings were crumbling, people were running for their lives, and a general state of madness began to consume the land.

A faint sound met my recovering ears and began to grow louder, drawing my curiosity to the small pouch I kept strapped to my waist. I reached into the satchel and drew out the green Chaos Emerald which Knuckles had presented me with those five long years ago. It vibrated unsteadily in my hands and seemed to be emanating a sullen noise. "You're... crying?" I spoke aloud, in a mix of awe and disbelief. "You're crying for him."

My attention was once again drawn away as a series of explosions went off in the distance. The city was falling apart and from the center of it all the Master Emerald was morning its loss. This was the last straw to be broken under its watch and the conscious entity which resided within it would stand for no more. This, mankind's final transgression, would not go unpunished.

The waters surrounding the island began to whip about, causing crushing waves to bash against the shores as the very ocean itself began to rise into the sky. The waters came to life, twisting and shaping in the air, slowly taking form as they rose ever higher into the beastly dragon once known as Chaos. The deadly serpent of the sea swept over the island devouring everything in its path. The entire city and the people who dwelled within were whisked away by the torrential waters that flooded the earth. Within a mere five minutes, the entire island had been drug into the sea, carrying its secrets and all those who had dared to desecrate its sacred ground along with it. All that remained was the Master Emerald, acting as the brain of the immense sea monster which had brought mankind's folly to its ultimate end.

I found myself, drenched and half drowned, lying alone atop a tattered piece of driftwood left floating about upon the oceans surface. Just above my head hovered the gaping mouth of the water god, seemingly eager to devour me. I clenched my eyes tightly shut and awaited the crushing jaws of Chaos to consume me and snuff out my pathetic existence. I waited silently for what seemed like an eternity, only to finally open my eyes and find myself unaccompanied. The dragon had gone, vanished into the sea as quickly as it had appeared. Why it had chosen to spare me, I may never know. All I know for certain is that I am alive.

I would awaken some time later to the touch of the lapping tides washing gently over my bare feet. It seemed impossible that I could have drifted safely to shore already, yet here I sat upon the sandy beaches of the mainland. The makeshift raft I had fallen asleep upon was nowhere to be found and were it not for a single discarded shred of tanned fabric I discovered laying next to me, then I might have never figured out just how I had made it back to dry land.

As the sun rose above the distant horizon, I stood in silent recollection for the prior days events. Though my resolved was shaken by the tragedy of the Floating Island, a strong glimmer of hope still resided in the recesses of my mind. Shadow the Hedgehog was still out there somewhere and the piece of cloth I now clenched tightly in my paw proved that he was silently watching over me. In time, I know I'll be able to prove myself to him and perhaps then he will finally decide join us in the battle against Ibliss. So until the day when true peace and harmony can be restored to our world, I shall continue to push myself to the limit and fight against all odds to ensure that day will come.

Besides, I know that is what He would have wanted me to do...