Authors Note: This chapter is a much slower pace and I kind of felt that I just couldn't get it exactly how I wanted it to come out. Any advice here is much appreciated. The Chaotix are back in the next chapter so things pick up the pace again really soon.

Side Note: All characters in this story are owned by Sega.

Chapter 3: Decision

"Your kidding right?" The red echidna lowered his head in quiet thought. After a moment or two his violet eyes wandered back to the familiar blue hedgehog and orange kitsune that now stood before him.

Their surroundings were that of a vast sky of cerulean. Grass and rubble layered the wondrous ruin where they now resided known as Angel Island. Never again would it resemble the peace and tranquility once made obvious by its title so long ago. For now and all eternity it would remain a weathered floating island of slumbering sanctity, forever guarded by the one who was born to bare such a burden.

"Knuckles,"

"Huh?" His eyes went back to Tails, who had torn him from his thoughts.

He quickly realized that his young friend was now giving him a sweet friendly smile and a thumbs up, "If we work together it shouldn't take us too long to find that treasure! You are a master treasure hunter after all."

"Tsh, if you think I'm gonna go hunting for some stupid gold doubloons with you guys then you must be crazy."

Sonic crossed his arms and smirked as he pointed to Tails, "Yep, he's crazy alright, crazy like a-"

"-Sonic! This is no time to joke," Tails shouted as he rolled his eyes, "...Besides... I'm a kitsune. And this isn't some pirate treasure Knuckles!"

The Echidna stood to his feet and scoffed as he climbed the steps behind him towards the M.E. His head once again dropped in a bit of shame. "Look, I've finally got some peace and quiet after all of those other crazy adventures you guys have dragged me on. I just can't leave the Master Emerald again." He was just about to make his way up to the over-sized emerald when something grabbed his arm. "Huh," He turned to see Sonic.

"Hey, let go'uh me!" Knuckles struggled for a few seconds until his friend finally spoke.

"No way. Sorry buddy, but you're helping us whether ya want to or not."

"Listen," Knuckles yanked his arm out of Sonic's grip, "I can help you guys when you really need it, but this sounds more like a stupid game of cat and mouse to me. And anyway, if you guys think that finding some spooky buried treasure is seriously gonna help Eggman destroy the world then you need to stick to collecting the Chaos Emeralds and stop reading those lame old fairytale stories."

Sonic and Tails shared a glance then both shrugged.

The blue hedgehog sighed, "Are ya done with your little speech now?"

"No, I also think-"

"-Eh, don't do that, you'll hurt your head. ...So you'll help us then?" His cocky words seemed to only anger the echidna more, not surprisingly.

"Didn't you hear a word I just said?" He finally gave a frustrated shout. "...And besides, you guys have taken him on without me before. So instead of using me as a metal detector just let him find whatever gold your looking for then beat it outta him."

Tails frowned, "Knuckles, I told you this isn't just any old treasure. From what my sources indicate- if Eggman even just gets his hands on this, whatever exactly it is, for a second before we do then he could destroy the world! ...Again."

Sonic rubbed his nose lightly, "Ya mean again again... But this time we might not be able to stop him once he does." Without warning his tone had switched from serious to somewhat playful. "But hey, we don't really need you Knuckle head. We just think that you're help might speed things up a bit."

"I'm not a stupid treasure hunter. Go ask Rouge to help you."

"Why do you always have to be so stubborn?" Sonic asked with an air of causality to his voice. He then turned around and headed back to the Tornado, "Come on Tails."

"But Sonic,"

"I said come on, we're leaving. Knuckles is right, we should go ask Rouge to help us, after all, she is a much better treasure hunter than Knuckles."

Tails' eyes widened a bit with realization at his friends reverse psychology ploy, "Uh, yeah. I forgot how much more skilled she is at hunting than Knuckles is." The kitsune began to walk over to his blue best friend.

Knuckles groaned as his eyes scanned the the vast sky before him, "I know what you guys are trying to do."

"Huh?" Sonic gave a fake expression of surprise, "Wha'daya mean?" He crossed his arms and stood in place.

The echidna rolled his eyes then looked from Sonic to Tails then back again to Sonic and sighed, "I guess it has been a while since we've put Eggman in his place."

"Yeah," Tails smiled, "It's been almost a whole two years." He lifted his fingers to a peace sign to make his point. Though his words seemed to do the trick. Hearing how many years had passed seemed to catch Knuckles attention.

Sonic nodded then continued for his friend, "Come on Knux, I know you're not that gullible anymore. You know as well as we do that Egghead has got to be up to something big to keep quiet for so long." He gave a slight tap of his foot against the fresh green grass.

With one final look to the Master Emerald then back to what only he would say was a begging look in his friends' eyes, he gave them a nod then followed them to their bi-plane.