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The Journey of Gerald Robotnik - Chapter 1: Discovery

"Look, Maria. Look at what I've found!"

Ten tiny fingers clamped around a dusty old scroll. The young girl shot a curious look at the strange writing on parchment.

"Why is the writing so funny, Grandpa?" the young girl asked.

"Ah, that is an excellent question, Maria. You see; this scroll belonged to the princess of an ancient tribe of echidnas!"

Maria gave the parchment a hard look, "What's so great about a diary?" she asked.

"You see, Maria, this, "diary," as you put it, can tell us a lot about the times in which the writer lived. While you read it, it's almost as if you're transported to another world . . ." Gerald's eyes began to look distant, as they often did when he discussed things of this nature.

"Grandpa?" Gerald snapped out of his daydream and looked at his Granddaughter.

"Yes, Maria?"

"How are we supposed to read it if it's written in a different language?" Gerald was taken aback by the question, not that it was a difficult question, it's just that the answer was so simple. He had to remind himself that she was only five.

"Well, my dear, we find someone who can read that language, and ask him to translate it for us."

"Oh . . ." Maria silently scolded her self for asking such an obvious question. She didn't want her grandfather to think her stupid. Maria thought of another question, she hoped this one wouldn't be so obvious, "Grandpa?"

"Yes?"

"How are we supposed to find someone who can read that language?"

"Well, Maria. Who better to read the language of the Echidna, than an Echidna?"

"But, Grandpa, aren't Echidna's ecstict, Estink, Es-"

"Extinct?"

"Yeah! That's the word!" Maria chirped happily.

"Not quite, it's not common knowledge, but there are a few living on a floating island . . ."

Maria's eyes widened, "A . . . Floating island?" She couldn't believe such a thing existed, it went against everything her grandfather had (tried) to teach her.

"Yes, a floating island . . ." Gerald's eyes once again took on a distant quality. "I didn't believe it at first either. Until I saw it. And it was, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing I have ever saw."

Maria's eyes somehow widened even more, "Wow . . . Can we go there?"

Gerald paused for a minute, "I don't know . . ." he teased, "You might be to young . . ."

"Oh, come on, grandpa! Please."

"I still don't know . . ."

Maria suddenly dropped to her hands a knees and began to grovel, "Please, grandpa! Please please please please please please-" she chortled.

"All right, all right, you can go." Gerald chuckled, but his expression quickly changed to a stern one. "But, you must promise me that you will not over exert yourself!"

Maria was suddenly disheartened. She had been looking forward to running through the emerald green fields of the floating island (or, at least she hoped there would be emerald green fields) "But grandpa . . . " She whined, "Why can't I run around when we get to the floating island?"

"Do you promise?" Gerald asked sternly.

"Fine . . ." She said sadly. Maria knew it was useless to argue with Gerald once his mind was made up. "But, grandpa . . . You never answered my question! Why can't I play outside like the other kids? Why do I have to live on this space colony?" Maria had asked this question many times, but had always gotten the same answer . . .

"I'll tell you when you're older."

"That's what you always say . . ."

There was an awkward silence between the two.

Gerald suddenly looked at the clock, as if he were looking for an excuse to leave Maria.

"Wow. Is it that late already? Well, we should be getting to bed, good night, Maria." Gerald left the room in a rush, leaving Maria to wonder about the floating island, her argument with Gerald, already forgotten.

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Morning came far to soon for Gerald. He had been up all night trying to find where the floating island currently was. His efforts had been futile. If the Echidna's on the island did not want to be found, there was little hope to locate them. A knock at the door interrupted Gerald's thoughts.

"Grandpa? Are you in there?" A small, excited voice asked.

"Yes, Maria, come on in."Came the tired response. The door was suddenly forced open and the young girl rushed in and began jumping up-and-down in excitement.

"Today's the day! Today we get to go to the floating island!"

Gerald chuckled.

"Clam down Maria." He gently responded, but, his soft face soon changed to one of disappointment. "I'm sorry, but, I was unable to locate the floating island . . ."

Maria's face became etched in an unmistakable emotion, sadness.

"Oh. Well, could you look again?"

"I'm sorry, Maria, but it's useless, if the Echidna's don't want to be found, we won't find

them . . ."

"But, Grandpa, one more look couldn't hurt . . ."

"I'm sorry, but it's useless . . ."

"Come on! Just one more look!"

Gerald sighed, he decided to look one more time, just to appease his granddaughter.

"All right, Maria. I'll look one more time." Gerald got out of his seat, and walked over to his telescope (which looked out of one of the ARK's "eyes"), "Okay, let's see here . . . Where is the floating island . . ." Gerald began to scan all of the earth he could see, but saw no sign of the floating island.

"I'm sorry, Maria, but I still can't find . . . Wait! I think I've found it!" A cloud cover was dissipating over what appeared to be an island in the sky. Soon, the full mass was visible, you could see the floating island, in all it's glory. "I've done it!." Gerald cheered, "We can go to the floating island!" Maria erupted in cheers.

Maria and Gerald Robotnik, were going to the floating island, home of the last surviving members of the Echidna race.

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I hope you enjoyed chapter 1. Please leave a review.