(10 days ago...)

Dr. Fukurokov heaved a sigh as he sat back in his chair and steeped his talons together. It had been one headache after another since his plans had gone awry and the Battle Moon had fallen. Morale was low because Speedy had abandoned them, and the Great Battle Kukku had sustained catastrophic injuries following his showdown with Miles Prower. He'd been left on the verge of death after the space station had crashed and the remains of the Grand Kukku Mobile Suit had collapsed atop him, but luckily, the medical facility was one of the few areas that the then super-powered fox hadn't demolished during his rampage. As such, the Emperor had been saved, but only just, having to be outfitted with cybernetic parts to survive. Although the operation had been completed successfully, a day had gone by, and the Kukku leader hadn't yet regained consciousness. There weren't any clear signs of when he would, either, leaving his subjects anxiously awaiting his return.

The current situation had left the owl in charge, and frankly, he wished the GBK was the one managing things. It was hard to intimidate the troops into respecting him when he was barely any larger than most of them, not to mention significantly older. Trying to run all of the day-to-day affairs on top of monitoring his superior's health, not to mention formulating new designs for their forces, was supremely taxing. Much as he disliked the former prince, he also would have preferred that he was still around to assist with everything.

And yet, there had been an interesting development when the doctor had examined the Emerald Radar that had been constructed along with the station. Two signals had been detected somewhere east of their position that matched the gems' energy, but he didn't believe that they could be Chaos Emeralds. All seven of those stones were presumably still in the fox's hands, as their readings were far off to the southwest, albeit very weak compared to when they were in his hands. Still, they were a curiosity in themselves, these new blips on their Radar. One of them had been stationary since he started observing it, while the other had occasionally moved around, but never too far away from the first. It warranted an investigation, but there were hardly any hands free that could assist him in this endeavor, what with all that needed to be done.

"Doctor, urgent report from local scouting!" came the voice of a grunt as one of the monitors around his work station lit up.

The owl let out a startled hoot and nearly fell from his chair, placing a hand against his chest to calm his heart. "Spare no details on your findings, soldier."

"Sir, the lake region appears to be surrounded on all sides by extensive forest and tall mountains," the combatant dutifully told him, "from atop a local peak, we've determined there to be multiple distinct geographic features across an area larger than West Side Island. In addition, we've found a number of Critter species, but have only identified two Animals that are of...questionable civility."

That was curious. Wherever they had ended up, it seemed like it was even more isolated than that little clod of dirt that Prower came from. He cleared his throat, prompting the underling to continue with his debriefing.

"One of the Animals is a striped purple cat with yellow and black eyes that is very, very large," he went on, "more so than most humans, even. He appears to be solely concerned with finding a good fishing spot around the island, from what we can confirm. The second is a red, spiny mammal with purple eyes and a white crescent mark on his chest. His features don't match those of either hedgehogs or porcupines, so we're not sure what he is, doctor."

The old engineer relaxed his hands on the armrests of his chair and stared more intently at the other bird. "And have you determined his motives and activities?"

"Ah, well," the combatant answered hesitantly, "he was headed towards your position, last we saw him, sir."

Dr. Fukurokov almost bolted out of his seat at that news. He swiveled his chair over to more monitors around his space, checking each of the immediate areas around the Battle Moon's exterior. After scanning a couple of them, the owl spotted the Animal that the grunt had mentioned, lingering close to the edge of the woods and gazing up at the fallen space station. He certainly had a nasty set of spikes on the knuckles of his mitts, from what the picture was showing. Even so, the birds that served the Empire were supposed to be made of sterner stuff, not to mention obligated to protect their base! His feathers ruffled up, the old bird whirled around at the reporting Kukku.

"Why didn't you try and apprehend him before now!?" the doctor demanded of him.

It was the trooper's turn to look indignant, though unlike his superior, he couldn't afford to snap. He simply rubbed the back of his helmet and let out a breath.

"We did, doctor," the soldier continued, "I'm the only member of the squad still conscious and able to make this report to you, as a result."

That gave the owl serious pause. Did this mean there was yet another being that possessed ridiculous agility and physical prowess like that two-tailed fox? First, it had been him, and then there had been that blasted flying squirrel and armadillo during that one time. Now, there was also that hedgehog, that trio of two reptiles and an insect, the twin wolves, and...whatever this fellow was. It seemed that no matter where he went in the world, he just couldn't get away from these types. He really didn't want to have to deal with another problem child.

But when he stopped to glance over at the stranger, Dr. Fukurokov saw that he hadn't moved from his position. He was still glaring at the Battle Moon with a mix of trepidation and anxiety, which intrigued the acting commander. Was there something about it that gave this odd fellow a fright aside from the obvious? Or was this merely the gawking of some simpleton shocked to see the majesty of his genius work? Whatever the case, he felt the need to get to the bottom of what this guy wanted, even if that meant going out there and confronting him. He just prayed that diplomacy was an option, if the threat truly was as great as the scout made it out to be.

Utilizing a personal hoverpod, the owl made his way through the winding passages of the Battle Moon and gathered up a few Buzzer Badniks as an escort. The group traveled down an auxiliary shaft, coming out from near one of the imperial insignia's eyes on the front of the station and moving around the circumference to their target. Once they'd turned the corner, the doctor spotted the odd Animal, now with his attention focused on the group. He made no move to close the distance, but did raise his fists, taking up a defensive stance in response to the newcomers. Fukurokov ordered his robots to stay as he dismounted his hoverpod, though he kept a respectable stone's throw away from what he now perceived to be a clearly bigger animal.

"Greetings!" he called out to the unknown mammal, raising his hands to show he was no threat, "can you understand me?"

The other male narrowed his eyes. "Well enough." His voice was a light, yet powerful bass, one that went well with his well-toned body. He lowered both of his arms, though kept one fist leveled and pointed at the owl. "I am wary of you, though, owl. You are no native to my land, and I have found you near the Dragon's Egg. What business could you possibly have with it?"

Dr. Fukurokov blinked. Did he just hear this stranger correctly? He honestly believed that the Battle Moon was the apocalyptic object from the legend of the Floating Island? The same tale that also told of the Stone of Power, which had been proclaimed to be so great that the gods themselves sent it to the heavens on that same section of earth?

'Do I dare hope?' Dr. Fukurokov thought, 'could this island be that same one? The stories about the Chaos Emeralds turned out true, so what if...yes, I could use this confusion to my advantage.'

"Well, my boy, stories about it and the Floating Island have been passed down for generations among many peoples," he explained to the red guy, which was technically true, "and there were many that saw it fall from the sky!" Now to sprinkle in some fibs. "I've spent most of my life studying such tales about it, though I'd never dreamed of seeing it before my time in this world was over."

This appeared to get the gruff mammal to ease up a bit and stop being so threatening. Thankful that he seemingly found someone gullible enough to take the bait, the old bird put on a sympathetic look as he held a hand over his chest.

"And now that it is here, I fear there isn't enough time to complete my work," he pretended to lament, "if only it could be done, then perhaps the prophecy about the end of the world could be denied!"

That seemed to catch the other's attention, his body shifting to more closely regard the owl. Although his steely gaze showed that he wasn't entirely convinced, he was at least more willing to listen now.

"You claim it is possible to prevent the Dragon from hatching?" he questioned, "and yet, already the Egg has fallen and forced the island to the surface." He briefly shut his eyes, humming concernedly. "I can feel the residue of negative Chaos Energy emanating from it; raw emotion like that of a beast, but twisted by rage, hatred, and sorrow."

Dr. Fukurokov felt his breath catch in his throat at that description. His mind brought up that horrific visage that the fox had taken when he used the Chaos Emeralds. Those pure, glowing white eyes that had struck true fear into his superior for the first time, and that wispy black aura that rose off of his midnight blue-indigo fur like smoke were both going to haunt him for the rest of his days. And that display of power that Prower had shown...it had been nothing short of incredible. He had savagely torn the GKMS apart, and then blasted through the layers of the Battle Moon like they were made of paper. It was like he had been made into the incarnation of those negative emotions he'd been feeling in those moments.

That was when the engineer struck upon what he considered a most brilliant idea.

'I don't even have to lie to this buffoon about how utterly terrifying that monstrous state was that the fox was in!' he reasoned, a sly grin forming on his beak, 'well, perhaps a little more fibbing couldn't hurt. I could even set the two against one another, and see how that troublesome teenager likes having more than one headache to deal with!'

"You were fortunate you did not witness the source of it," the owl said with a genuine shudder, "I was not so lucky." He paused for dramatic effect, eyeing his one-man audience to make sure he was invested. "For the first time in recent history, the Chaos Emeralds were gathered together, and indeed, the one who used them did so in a most destructive way! And who's to say his lust for power will stop there?" A look of stark realization crossed the younger Animal's face, and the doctor knew then he had him hooked. "If this truly is the Floating Island of legend, and if the Dragon's Egg is real, too...may I assume that the Stone of Power is as well?"

The stranger grunted and glared at the doctor. At first, Fukurokov believed that he'd made a misstep, and that this fellow was going to get physical. But instead, he simply tore his gaze away to briefly stare off in the same direction as the energy the Radar had detected before. That seemed to confirm that it was still working properly, at any rate.

"Its true name is the Master Emerald," the Animal replied after a moment, facing him once again, "and I am its Guardian: Knuckles the Echidna."

Dr. Fukurokov's eyes just about bulged out of their sockets at that news. Not only was the Stone of Power real, but with a name like that, it had to be linked to the Chaos Emeralds! And on top of all that, there was a real live echidna right in front of his face. Were he more of a historian or an anthropologist, his heart would probably be soaring right now.

"I'm shocked!" the owl exclaimed honestly, though he did exaggerate his reaction just a bit for show, "it's been long assumed and supported by many the world over that echidnas went extinct centuries ago!" He waddled up closer to Knuckles, who nervously took a step back. "Are there more like you?"

The echidna crossed his arms and slowly shook his head. "I have been the sole echidna on Angel Island for as long as I can remember." He quirked his brow. "And you are?"

"Dr. Dmitri Fukurokov, at your service," the old bird replied as he bowed to the other Animal, "just 'doctor' will do. And if you'll allow me, I can enlighten you on who it is that threatens the Master Emerald."

Knuckles stood there for several lengthy moments, eyes closed and making the occasional grunt of contemplation. Eventually, he opened his eyes again and nodded to the owl, who smiled maliciously.

"His name is Miles Prower, and he's the most troublesome kind of fox," Dr. Fukurokov growled, though he kept calm to prevent himself from getting too lost in his hatred for his foe, "he was raised by wolves, he keeps ruffians as companions, and he misuses his gifted intelligence for nefarious ends. But fear not, as you'd never miss him in a crowd, not with that amber fur and those two tails!"

To his delight, the echidna actually gasped. "Two tails? Then the prophecy is true and soon to be realized..."

"A prophecy, you say?" the old bird inquired, intrigued and amused at the idea of Prower being involved in some sort of prognostication, "I do not believe I've heard of any that involve that fox."

Knuckles hummed and stepped forward with one hand raised, causing the owl to take a few back in turn. The smaller Animal flinched when he saw the echidna extend his glove, covering his eyes in expectation of a solid hit. After a few seconds of no injury, however, he peered through his talons and saw that the hand was presented for a shake instead.

"If you truly wish to prevent the disasters foretold by my ancestors," Knuckles said solemnly, a slight smile on his muzzle, "then you will need to know more, doctor. Allow me to show you the mural that depicts the fox with two tails."

Dr. Fukurokov suppressed a hoot of laughter as he took the glove and politely shook it, a broad grin on his beak. "Lead the way, my friend."


(Present day...)

The sun was about halfway above the horizon when Miles sat down for breakfast with his siblings, Sonic, and Fuchsia. They had been surprised when the teen had shown up the night before, looking restless and lost. Not in the sense that he didn't know where he was, but more that he wasn't sure what to make of what was on his mind. They hadn't needed to hear his reasoning; it was clear he'd come for their comfort and support, and that was enough to bring him in. For the first time in a long time, he'd spent the night with them, and even offered to camp out on the sofa. There had been no need, though, as the guest room had more than one bed. It had still taken some time for him to drift off, but with his companion by his side, and his family nearby, it helped to calm his nerves.

The fox skewered a small sausage and bit into it as his eyes scanned around the table. Sonic had gone through his food so quickly, everyone else still had more than half of theirs left, and he was stuck sitting there to wait on them. Gizmo was distracted from her plate as she occasionally messed around with her comm, leaving Miles to wonder what she was doing. Gadget was prevented from enjoying his meal every so often by something Fuchsia was doing to mess with him, though what exactly, no one else could see from their place at the table. Well, the teal wolf probably could, but she was preoccupied between eating and working away at whatever was on her device. It was nice to see them at ease, as though the events of a week and a half ago were a much more distant memory.

But, unfortunately, Miles couldn't put matters behind him just as readily. Not since he learned that the Battle Moon hadn't been entirely destroyed, but rather, had crash landed into a newly discovered island. Said island was believed to be the one from the myth of the Stone of Power according to his newly made acquaintance, J. P. Cross. And then there was the bombshell regarding the cross fox's connection to other things the teen had been meaning to do research about. The last of those concerns could be addressed after the others were dealt with, but it would be stuck in the back of his mind. To help get his attention away from that, Miles thought about something that needed to be decided before he left.

"So, I don't need to ask if you're coming along, partner," he said to Sonic with a wink, getting a thumbs-up in return, "but what about you, Gad? Giselle?"

The former stopped a laugh he'd been sharing with the cat just as the latter halted her work. In sync, they looked at one another, then back at the fox, one enthusiastic while the other appeared hesitant.

"Someone has to watch the Tornado while you're traipsing about in new territory," Gizmo answered with a smirk.

Gadget poked a bit at his food. "I want to be there to help in case you need it, but I don't want to get in the way. Maybe I should hang back this time."

"Ooh, then can I come?" Fuchsia asked excitedly, the tip of her tail twitching from side to side, "after hearing about what you and Gizzy did, I want in on the action!"

Sonic smiled at the go-getter attitude. "Sure. It'd be fun to have someone else along for the ride!"

"Hold your Cloppies there, kid," the fox told him in a chiding tone, "you're not the only one who gets a say in this." He turned to the feline female. "To be honest, Fu, I'm not sure if you should come. Unlike the rest of us, you've never been in real combat, or any kind of danger, really."

The vermilion wolf nodded in agreement, not wanting to see his significant other in danger. The purplish-red cat, however, crossed her arms and pouted at Miles' words. She didn't appear to be willing to take no for an answer.

"Aww, foxy," she whined, giving him the "sad kitten" eyes, "are you sure you don't have anything I could use to defend myself or help out? If not, I can just stick by the plane." She glanced at the teal wolf expectantly, whose demeanor showed she was a little bewildered and annoyed by the proposal. "Come on, Gizzy, I promise I won't be a bother."

The verdigris twin shrugged. "I don't have a problem with it, as long as you don't cause any trouble."

"Seriously?" Gadget protested, sitting up straighter in his seat as he regarded his brother, "Miles, please don't. I don't want to think about what could happen if the Kukkus decided to pull something like Speedy did to Sis to and I."

The fox did agree that the other wolf had a point. But with the way things were, if he went along with him and opposed Fuchsia coming along, the decision would be deadlocked. He briefly considered his options, and soon came to the conclusion that it would be easier to go along with just allowing the cat to accompany them. It was less work to try and convince his older brother than either his sister or the hedgehog, anyway.

"If you're that worried about her, Gad, then just come along with us," Miles commented, a knowing grin crossing his lips, "I'm sure she'd feel safer if you were around."

He was amused when, just to drive the point home, the cat leaned in from the side and hugged the older male lovingly. Gadget was about to gently nudge Fuchsia off of him, when she let out a soft giggle and planted a kiss on the side of his muzzle. He seized up from the smooch, his peachy cheeks and inner ears soon matching his fur color. After a moment, his fiery orange eyes lit with a spark and he fluffed up his chest, looking more determined than Miles had seen in a while.

"Okay, I'll do it!" he decided, getting a small "yay" from Fuchsia, to which he gave her a one-armed hug, "just stick close to Sis and I, okay? I know you're a grown lady, but going off alone in an unfamiliar place can be dangerous for anyone."

She nodded and purred, nuzzling up under his chin and making him let out a loud puff through his nose. Gizmo rolled her eyes and snickered, polishing off the rest of her food and then heading into the kitchen with her and Sonic's dishes. The fox did the same with his own a couple of minutes later, followed by his brother and their friend. While their bellies were sated, the group wasn't certain how long they would be staying at the island, and so planned accordingly. If things dragged out, then Miles figured they would also need some extra firepower.

Once they'd prepared a week's worth of rations, as well as a stockpile of bombs, ammunition, and spare parts for maintenance that could fit the Tornado's cargo, they were ready to go. They bid farewell to Gob and Guen for the time being, then set out to the dock near Miles' cabin. Since she wasn't accustomed to wing riding like the rest of them, and she wanted to be close to her boyfriend, Fuchsia squeezed in the back seat and tucked her head beneath Gadget's chin, settling in his lap. Gizmo decided to forgo her usual spot on the plane as well, allowing Sonic to use her hips as a makeshift booster seat as they climbed into the cockpit. That left Miles to take up his position in the top center of the wings, where he set his shades on the bridge of his muzzle and flashed an eager smirk.

"Welcome aboard Adventure Airlines," the hedgehog announced in his best commercial pilot's drawl, "this is your captain, Sonic the Hedgehog, along with local hero, Tails the Fox."

Miles moved so that he was partly facing the rest of them, playing along with the hoglet's gig. "You may experience some turbulence during flight, but we expect to reach our destination without issue."

"Be sure to stay strapped in at all times until the plane comes to a complete stop," Sonic advised them as he started up the engine, "alright, I think we're good on safety. Here we go!"

The Tornado coasted over the shallows for a little bit until the plane built up the momentum it needed to lift into the air. Once Cocoa Island was a speck in the distance behind them, Sonic activated the rocket attachment on the underside. A loud boom went off behind them as they broke through the sound barrier, pushing all the passengers firmly back into the seats. Miles hunched forward and used one hand as well as his tails to brace himself on the wings, his other glove keeping his sunglasses from flying off. After a moment, he adjusted to the velocity and stood tall once more, though he kept himself anchored with his rear limbs just in case.

Even at the speed they were going, the Pacific was a truly vast stretch of water that was only occasionally broken up by land here and there. They followed the signals from the Emerald Radar north-northeast, and though there weren't any notable places to stop on the way, the view was still nice. After a good couple of hours, Miles spotted their destination as it appeared on the horizon. It had been one thing to view the island from satellite images, but it was another entirely to see the real thing more up close and personal. There were mountains that put the Hill Top Peaks to shame, some of them even sporting thick layers of snow despite the season and latitude. He saw vast jungles and rolling green plains, as well as a forest of mushrooms, and a sprawling desert just beyond that. There were structural ruins in both the sandy area as well as the wooded one, though the latter remains were more hidden by the hills and the dense greenery around there.

What caught his and everyone else's eyes, though, was the Battle Moon. It was currently situated on the northern shore of an immense lake whose forested valley was itself encircled by mountains. And to the group's collective dismay, it was apparent that repairs had been well under way on the station. It didn't appear ready to head back into space, but much of the significant damage Miles remembered inflicting had already been mended. And though the fox wanted to fly right in there, he couldn't go it alone, and that aside, there was no place for them to land close by. The best they would be able to manage, from what he could piece together, was to bring the Tornado down on the western shore and then approach on foot through the jungle and other terrain.

Sonic cut the rocket and flew around in the air to help decrease their speed before activating the water gear. He brought out the wheels once they approached the sand, and soon, the propeller ceased its spinning as they rolled to a stop. The fox hopped off the wings and reached into one of the pouches that he'd brought along, fishing out the second iteration of his multitool, the Miles Electric. Having grown attached to the last design, he'd made this one physically identical, although it was functionally superior. With the improved Emerald Radar, which could now overlay satellite imaging onto the grid, he was able to pinpoint the location of the two errant Chaos Energy signals he'd discovered a few days ago. One of them was situated in the middle of the mountains in the center north, while the other was on the opposite side of the island from him. One or both of those things would hopefully be able to help him solve the dilemma with the Chaos Emeralds.

Sonic jumped down beside him, slinging a pack over his shoulders that contained all the gems except for the cyan one, which the fox preferred to carry on him. The others soon followed, with Fuchsia taking an interested gander at their surroundings while the twins began making camp. Miles found himself copying the cat, peering at the lush and healthy plant life that awaited them just past the beach. It reminded him of the jungle on Guririn Island, though the trees here towered over the ones back near his home, and the vines were so large and strong, they looked like they could easily support his weight and allow him to swing around. There was a lot of uneven brown rock beneath the grass and moss growing, and when he perked up his ears, he could detect the sound of flowing water, both that of a running river and those of crashing falls.

But, as he listened intently, he picked up a different sort of commotion. Something was rapidly moving through the brush, something that was far too fast to be a typical Animal or Critter. The direction they were coming from suggested they weren't headed straight for him, but at least towards their general vicinity. Miles tilted his head to try and discern where exactly whatever it was would spring out from, stopping when he spotted Fuchsia poking around closer to the edge of the jungle than she had been a moment ago. His body started moving before his mind put two and two together, his tails spinning to give himself a boost and get over to her quickly. The fox swept her off her feet and flew away from the ground just as the approaching creature crashed through the nearby bushes. Everyone was startled when a spiny Animal with red fur, purple eyes, and a white crescent mark on his chest punched into the ground with a glove that had spiked knuckles. The impact created a crater that was a few meters across and at least one deep, despite the fact the guy's fist had slammed into solid rock!

Miles set Fuchsia down, where Gadget stepped in front of her protectively with his lightning baton drawn, the energy currently in its blade form. Gizmo pulled out her blaster pistol, but kept it aimed at the ground, as she didn't know how hostile his intentions were just yet. When the fox came to land in front of him, the purple-eyed Animal withdrew his hand from the dirt and stood up straight, coming to roughly a head shorter than him. He briefly dusted his glove off, then scowled at Miles.

"So you have finally arrived, two-tailed fox," he proclaimed, taking a combat stance with both fists at the ready, "prepare yourself for battle, you who would misuse the Emeralds and bring ruin to this place!"

As he allowed himself to get a better appraisal of what the Animal was, the fox's mind went back to the time he and Sonic had been deep within the mountains on West Side Island. The pictographs and images of the last Great Civilization, their discovery of the Chaos Emeralds, and the creation of the Floating Island all had Animals in them that looked just like this fellow. But, that would mean...

'He's an echidna!' Miles thought as he shifted into position to counter the other male, 'normally, I'd be a lot more excited about this kind of discovery. But, why would he be expecting me at all? How would he know about the Chaos Emeralds going dark, or that I used them? And what does he mean about me bringing ruin?'

It seemed that if he wanted answers to anything, he would have to contend with this unexpected new adversary.