After another half hour of flying on the carpet, the aerokinetic landed at the Sand Oasis again. Taking the west route instead of the east, Sonic ran in the direction of the nearest ocean. After several minutes the duo reached a set of mountains and an extremely long wooden bridge acting as some kind of switchback trail leading around and through the rock face. After more high-speed treading on the bridge, Shahra was becoming curious about the people he seemed to have some kind of connection with so far.

"Master, if I might trouble you for a moment…"

"Sure thing, Shahra. But first, the whole 'Master' thing has got to stop."

"But you are the 'legendary blue hedgehog'. You are the wearer of the ring and thus my master."

"I don't believe in 'masters'," Sonic replied flatly. "Everyone should be as free as the wind and as free as me. I'll do the formalities of wish-making, but I'm not your master. I'm your friend."

The genie smiled. "I understand. Thank you, Mast—…um, Sonic."

Sonic returned the smile as the wooden walkway ended, leading to an actual trail of solid ground. "Don't sweat it. Now what were you going to ask?"

"I was curious how you seem to know so many people who already exist in this world. Did you read ahead?"

"Oh! That! No, it's something else…"

"But you seemed to recognize Ali Baba. The two of you got along as if you'd always known each other."

Sonic picked the pace up. "Ali Baba seems like a cool kid. Remember my buddy Miles Prower I told you about back home?"

"Yes."

"Ali reminds me a lot of him. Back home Miles Prower is like a brother to me. He's super-smart and follows me on pretty much every adventure I go on. I think it was Ali Baba's youth and confidence that made me think of my friend… Well, that and the twin rotors strapped to his back, which is how Miles got his code name of 'Tails'."

"I see." Shahra paused for a moment. "And what of the mighty sailor, Sinbad? The two of you clashed almost instantly."

Sonic laughed. "Yeah, chalk that up to me thinking of my friend Thomas back home. Thomas Banner was the one I told you about who was given the code name 'Knuckles the Echidna', named for the twin metal spikes that come out of his fists. He guards a place called 'Angel Island' – a whole island floating in the sky. I guess he sails the skies like Sinbad sails the oceans. They're both stubborn and gruff, which is always fun to tease."

Shahra's face lit up in wonder. "An entire island in the sky? It sounds like something magical enough to exist here."

The speedster snickered. "Come to think of it, Sinbad strikes me as a bit smarter than Knux, but that's not saying much."

The switchback trail ended as the duo entered a tunnel going through the last mountain.

"And what about the Sultan?" Shahra continued. "You didn't seem pleased at all to see King Shahryar."

Sonic's smile faded. "Yeah, I feel kind of bad for roughing him up the little that I did. You see, the king looks almost identical to Dr. Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik, my enemy."

"You have enemies?"

"Not too many, but he's chief among 'em. The guy's a genius, but all he does with that brain power is try to conquer the world with his machines. I wouldn't say he's as nasty as Erazor, but he isn't any better either…"

The duo burst out of the tunnel and along a rocky ledge overlooking an ocean.

Shahra absorbed the information given her. "He sounds like a terrible man."

The blue streak chuckled. "Yeah, but he's good for a laugh, though. I've run into a few jerks on the way… Fang the Sniper, Shadow the Hedgehog…" Noting that he was in a Middle-Eastern world, he was reminded of a group of sky pirates whose origins could be traced back to an ancient Arabian city. "You know, the Babylon Rogues might even fit in around here," he muttered, going off on another tangent.

Shahra noticed a slime djinn ahead: a blue-colored spirit with gold details and large jaws and teeth. A single horn was atop the creature's eyeless, cymbal-shaped head.

"Sonic! One of Erazor's minions!" she pointed.

"Oh, so it is." Spin-dashing the djinn to Arabic text, the blue blur returned to his original train of thought. "But mostly, I've got tons of friends back home. Besides Tails and Knux, there's the Chaotix, a girl named Blaze, technically Amy Rose…"

"It must be wonderful to have so many people to interact with…"

Sonic slowed to a stop. A look of concern washed over him. "What do you mean? You sound so… sad…"

Shahra let her own two feet rest on the ground as she too stopped moving. "I suppose I am… As the Genie of the Ring, I usually interact with only my masters. Even then, it is only when the stories dictate I am to be found…"

Sonic stared at the ring on his finger. She was like a kind of prisoner, shackled to her ring for all eternity, no way of escaping whatsoever.

Sonic's face bore sadness and sympathy as Shahra continued on. "I do not have any friends, or even companions, outside of my masters. I think I would even like to have an enemy just to have someone to be passionate about."

"Not even other spirits, like the one I just bopped? And what about Erazor?"

"The spirits you see have been created by the words stolen by Erazor himself. They only exist from his malice and to do his will," she responded in sadness. "As for Erazor, well…"

The speedster started running again. "Cheer up, Shahra! Like I told you before, I'm your friend. I'm sure Ali Baba and Sinbad would be your friends, too. Any friend of mine will be a friend of yours." Sonic winked at her while giving her a thumb up on the run.

A smile finally came on the genie's face. "Sonic… Thank you."

"Tell you what, once we kick Erazor's ethereal butt, let's go adventuring! You and me can travel this fantasy world and have some fun!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Sonic. I… I want to stop Erazor's ambition as well…" She pointed to the flame steadily burning in the blue blur's torso. "…but we also need to find a way of undoing the curse on you."

Sonic skidded to a stop once more. "Oh. Right. The whole judgment thing in my chest…" He recollected the events of when they first met. "It was after you brought me into the Lost Prologue. Erazor tried to shoot you with a flaming arrow, but I was too quick and caught the magic arrowhead in my chest…"

Shahra's feet touched the ground again, a wave of guilt washing over her. "And now its flame is burning away your life-force. I ask you to help and then I doom you…"

Sonic waved an arm to the side. "Don't sweat it. I've been through worse."

"I doubt that… Why did you save me, then?"

Sonic gently took hold of her hand. "Because I'm your friend. I swear I'm going to get that idea into your head."

"But–but we'd only just met…"

"Your point…? I'm here to help everyone who can't help themselves. You asked for a hand in saving your world. I don't regret coming here for a second."

"Thank you, Sonic…"

"So, never mind that little bit of flame. I'll be fine."

In an old-fashioned gesture of courtesy and kindness, Sonic raised Shahra's hand up to his lips, kissing it. This was one of the few things he remembered of his parents: them teaching him this simple act of courtesy toward womenfolk, originating in the Spanish courts of the 17th century.

The courteous, loving gesture caused Shahra to blush slightly as a small smile formed on her face.

Releasing the blushing genie's hand, Sonic resumed his pursuit of the pirates who had stolen Sinbad's Water Blue Ring. "We're off to find the remaining World Rings! We'll get the stolen words back from that Erazor Jerk, and we'll have a good time while we're at it!"

The blue streak looked up. Storm clouds brewed overhead as it started to rain. The wind began picking up speed in addition to the increasing torrents of water drops.

Shahra took point, flying overhead.

"So where to next, Shahra?" Sonic asked.

"I believe the next World Ring should be over the next ridge!" She pointed to a rocky incline two miles west. "Captain Bemoth is the one who has the Water Blue Ring, according to Sinbad!"

"Okay! Let's go!"

The two soon arrived at a rocky cliff overlooking a stormy ocean. A ship armed to the teeth with cannons was floating in the sea as the howling wind and pouring rain pounded its sails and everything around it. The skies were filled with dark clouds as lightning flashed across the horizon. Despite the wind and rain beating in his face, Sonic could clearly identify the ship through the tempest.

"There they are!" he shouted to Shahra through the noise of the thunder and monsoon.

"They are the ones that must have the ring that lets them control the power of storms," she confirmed. "That has to be Bemoth."

The speedster glanced up at the thundering clouds and rain. "That explains the 'Pirate Storm'."

The genie focused on the ship. "Yet another appropriate name for this place, Sonic."

Sonic laughed. "What can I say? It's what I do."

In the distance, the water-thieves aimed their cannons at the cliff face where the heroes stood.

Several shells landed near the aerokinetic and his friend.

Sonic crouched, attempting to avoid the volley of heavy artillery fire. "Shoot first and ask questions later, huh? That's pirates for you…"

"Come on," Shahra urged. "Let's just hurry."

"Alright, fine. Let's do it!"

Jumping back upright, the speedster took off down the winding dirt road leading to the pier nearby. More cannon fire launched at them, missing the two thanks to Sonic's speed.

The pirate ship had just pulled alongside the pier when the duo of speed and magic arrived at the docks.

Looking up at the vessel, Sonic saw that this "captain" was no more than a pirate spirit. The commander was surrounded by several slime djinns who apparently were his crew.

Suddenly, Captain Bemoth fused with all of his crew members, mutating into a hideous leech-like creature with massive arms and a bearded face. Four horns stuck out from the base of his hat, each in a cardinal direction.

"Aha! Someone's looking for a duel!" the speedster pointed.

"Um, Sonic, I don't know if this is a good idea…"

"Oh, come on! Let's have some fun with this guy." Sonic crouched again as he prepared to face his enemy.