Chapter 1:
Apple:
6 Years Forward

"ACK!" A male voice cried out, with a THUD! "Watch where you swing that thing, you're gonna chop somebody in half one of these days."

"Huh?" I had to think for a second. I was no longer in the Hidden Lands. I was in my new home in the Knothole Kingdom, ruled by King Acorn, and I was no longer acting to be 10. I was 16, or so everybody who knew me thought. I looked up and saw a young orange fox with two tails, getting up off the floor as if he had fallen. I looked at what I was holding. The sword, which never left my side, had been in my hand when I awoke, startled. I must have startled my friend…

"Oh, sorry Miles." I apologized. "I guess I should be more careful, huh? A little closer, and you could have lost your head."

"It's okay," He responded. "And call me Tails, everyone else does. I have a message for you."

"M'k," I replied, still a bit tired. I saw the clock and knew why. "It better be good. It's 5:30, on a Saturday," I continued, irritated.

"I think it may be very important. The King sent me. He wants you at the castle immediat–" I was already gone before Tails could finish.

Much had happened in 6 short years. I had become a Guardian of the Emeralds. I had lost one of my three tails in battle. Tails had secretly made me a robotic replacement, in which I hid the Emerald I had been 'given' 6 years ago. I had also become the leader of a small group of Freedom Fighters, known as the Cyclone Freedom Fighters. And, despite my hate for robots, I could tolerate two: Sonic the Hedgehog's permanently robotized father, and D.O.G. a dog-like robot I built to keep me company. Most importantly, I had become the King's most valued 'spy', helping him on secret missions.

I was used to King Acorn's secret missions. But none of them were urgent enough for a 5:30 wake-up call on a Saturday morning. I wonder if they found…

I stopped. No, they didn't, I can't keep getting my hopes up…they aren't going to find him. I started to run again.

Before I knew it I was at the castle, and in the chamber where he would tell me of my next mission.

"I seem to need your help with another matter."

"I knew that before I got here…" I muttered under my breath.

"This time you'll need to go to Angel Island. Act as if you are there visiting Knuckles, and the Chaotix. Since you and Knuckles are both Guardians of the Emeralds, no one will question you."

"That much is easy, but why am I going?"

"We heard of an old book containing legends about the Emeralds. It may have information about the other Emeralds, besides the Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald, and what we are supposed to do when they all come together."

"And you think this old fairy-tale book is in some library on Floating Island?"

"It certainly makes sense, considering what the island guards. Although we think it will be on that island, my spies can't seem to locate it."

"So you want me to go and steal it from wherever it is? Shouldn't we just ask for it?" I asked, confused.

"Usually we would, but then the Chaotix would get involved, the Dark Legion might hear about it," I growled quietly at the mention of that name; I hated the Dark Legion. "And…well, we just don't want it falling into the wrong hands. You're the only one we can trust with this kind of mission. Can you handle it?"

"Can I handle it?" I remarked, shocked at his question. "I'll get this ancient book, bring it to ya, solve its writings and figure out what to do next, all without raising any suspicion. No one will ever realize something happened. Just say when, and consider it done!"

"I knew I could count on you," replied King Acorn. "You leave now, you know where your bi-plane is."

"Yes sir!" And before he had time to wish me luck, I was out the door, out at the landing pad where I kept the FreeCyclone, in it, and in the air. I was off to the Floating Island!