Chapter Five:

Angel Island

Rob and myself soon boarded the plane. We sat back in our chairs and enjoyed the ride. We were soon in the air and could see the great city of Mobotropolis getting smaller beneath us. Although it wasn't long before we were out of sight of the city. I soon turned my mind to other things.

I couldn't wait to get to Echidnapolis. I soon found myself wondering what it would be like. Was it in a jungle? Or maybe it was on a mountain. I was so anxious to know, I decided to ask Rob.

"So Rob, where exactly is Echidnapolis?" I asked.

"It's not far from here. We'll be there shortly." he said.

"But what kind of region is it on?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you? It's on a huge island."

An island, I thought. Who would've thought that a huge city might be on some spit of land surrounded by the sea. But I was probably thinking about it the wrong way. It might be quite beautiful to live by the seashore.

I decided to take a little nap while we were waiting. While I slept, I kept seeing Aurora in my dreams. She never said anything to me, but I could hear what she had said to me in my head.

A stranger has come forth. We shall see what becomes of him.

I was nudged out of my sleep by Rob. It took me a few minutes to get awake. When I Iooked out the window, I saw something so amazing that I could've sworn that I was still asleep.

Outside the window, I saw a huge island with a beautiful city on it. Many planes and hovercars could be seen in the air in front of a tall mountain in the middle of the island.

But the thing that surprised me the most, was that the island was floating among the clouds in the sky.

I couldn't believe it. How could an island float in midair? Rob saw my surprise and began to explain.

"That is Angel Island." he said. "It floats in the air because of an object of great power. The Master Emerald. It contains high amounts of power from the chaos force where Aurora comes from. That's what keeps the island floating. If it were taken or destroyed, the entire island would collapse to the planet floor below. It's happened before, but thankfully no one's ever been killed by a descend of the island before."

"But how do they protect the emerald?" I asked.

"That's what the guardian is for. They protect the emerald from those who would steal it. It is also known that they can tap into the power of the emerald and use its energy."

"And Knuckles is the guardian?"

"He's only one of them. His entire family is made up of all the guardians and their spouses. The newest guardian is his daughter, Lara-su."

"But why do they call it Angel Island?"

"It's named after Angel-La, the mother of Edmund, the first guardian."

"And let me get this straight. I'm going to be living on this floating island?"

"Yes."

I couldn't contain my joy. What other human from my time would have the honor of living in such a fantastic place. It was like a fantasy world of old. I spent the rest of the flight wondering what else there might be on Mobius. Surely, if there was such a thing as a floating island, who knows what else I might discover here.There's no telling with this place. After a few minutes, we made our landing into the city. It looked much like Mobotropolis. Although, here I saw more echidnas than any other mobian.

Rob escorted me to the exit and we sat on a nearby bench. He told me to wait while he made a phone call. But he was soon back next to me.

"Well, I called Harry for you and he should be here soon with a cab. Don't worry. He and the guardian have a history of helping each other. As for me, I have to get in line for the next plane home." he said.

I was sad to see him go. He and his wife were the first mobians I met.

"But Rob, will I never see you again?" I asked.

"Don't worry." he said. "We'll see each other again. I'd hate to lose a friend. Now, when the cab comes, tell him you want to go to Vector's place."

"Who's Vector?" I asked.

"He runs a small inn not far from here. He's also the guardian's best friend. That's where you'll be staying."

I was hoping I'd get to stay at a apartment building, but then again, inns can be quite nice too. I told him I follow his orders and direct Harry to Vector. We gave each other a quick hug and said goodbye. But I knew I wouldn't have to worry. We'd see each other again.

And now, I wait for Harry with my cab, imagining what will happen next.

End of Chapter Five