"Following their quest, my children continued to learn one lesson: that things are not always what they seem." Aleena said.
"Hang loose, Sonia, it's just a rumor!" Manic said.
"Duh! But what if Mother really is here?" Sonia said.
"She'd better be! I missed the opening of a new chili dog stand for this." Sonic said and walked out onto the island. "This is the dreaded Floating Island? Oooh, I'm scared!"
"Sonic! Remember what the Oracle said. The Floating Island is fraught with danger. Beware the echidna."
"Fraught? What kind of stupid word is that?!"
"Fraught means "filled", as in "filled with danger"."
"What danger? If you're so fraught, I'll check this place out."
"SONIC!"
"Aaarghh!"
Manic and Sonia gasped and saw Sonic in a trap.
"Huh?" they said.
"Just hangin' out, sis?" Manic said.
"Like I said... fraught with danger!" Sonia said.
"Danger? You mean this nifty hammock?" Sonic said.
"We'll call this Echidna 1, Hedgehog 0." Manic said.
Meanwhile.
"Answer me, you fools! Sleet! Dingo!" Robotnik said.
"Mmmm, tuna fish, my favorite!" Dingo said.
"Shut up and eat. Robotnik should be calling soon." Sleet said.
"Sleet! Do you hear me? Answer me or you're bot bait!" Robotnik said.
"Huh? Boy, I must be hungrier than I thought. My stomach is really growling! And it sounds like Robotnik!" Dingo said.
"Oh, you are so stupid!" Sleet said.
"Dunderheads! You have ten seconds to answer me. Ten..." Robotnik said.
"Me? But I just said-" Dingo said and was cut off.
"It is Robotnik, you moron!" Sleet said
"Where?!" Dingo asked and Sleet gasped.
"Oof!"
"Seven... Six..." Robotnik said.
"On the communicator! Hold still, you half-wit."
"Five..."
"Oh." Dingo said.
"Four... Three..."
"Ah..." Sleet said.
"Two..." Robotnik said and Sleet switched on the screen. "One! About time. Where were you?"
"Uh, er..."
"Silence! Apparently the hedgehogs believe the rumors. Intelligence reports they're on the way. You know the plan. Turn the echidna against the hedgehogs and get me the Chaos Emerald."
"And when we take the Emerald, the island will plummet down and crash!"
"And the hedgehogs will fall with it!" Robotnik said and laughed while Sleet snickered.
"Brilliant plan, sir. We are on our way. Sleet out." he said and switched off the screen. "Put that in your backpack and let's go find the echidna."
"Er, what's an echidna?" Dingo asked.
"Not "what", you dolt! "Who". It's who guards this island. His name is Knuckles, and he's in for a big Robotnik surprise. He's tough, and he's especially known for his-" Sleet said and fell into a pit trap. "TRAAAAPS!"
"Whoooaah!"
Later.
"You wolf-faces should have stayed home. Now you get to be dinner!" Knuckles said while Sleet and Dingo also noticed that they're tied together to a rotisserie.
"You- you're gonna eat us?!" Dingo asked.
"No."
"Oh, phew!"
"Good." Sleet said.
Then Knuckles whistled and Chomps appeared from a bush.
"Waarrgh!" Sleet and Dingo yelled.
"But Chomps will." Knuckles said.
"You've got us all wrong, Mr. Knuckles. We are your friends!" Sleet said.
"Of course! All my friends sneak onto my island. I don't think so!"
"No, you don't understand! We're here to stop the real invaders! Three hedgehogs! I can prove it!"
"How?"
Look in my pocket." Sleet said and Knuckles picked up a remote. "Press that button."
"Er, Sleet-" Dongo said feeling the heat.
"Shut up! The red button."
"SLEET!"
"Put a cork in it, Dingface! Check it out."
"Gotta cruise, dudes! We gotta find that Chaos Emerald before that dopey defender Knuckles gets us!" Hologram Sonic said.
"You are not often right, older sister, but on this occasion I agree. Come, Manic!" Hologram Sonia said.
"We are more clever than that dumb Knuckles guy!" Hologram Manic said.
"M-Mr. Knuckles, we're getting a little warm here, if you don't mind, eh..." Sleet said.
"Those hedgehogs want the Emerald, do they? Well, they'll have to get past me! All right, you wolf-faces are free to go - this time. But you must leave the island now!" Knuckles said.
"An amiable deal, my friend. We'll be off the island faster than you can say "Sonic the Hedgehog"."
"Sorry, Chomps. But cheer up! I hear hedgehogs have just come into season..."
"Nice doggy..." Dingo said and Chomps threatened him. "Arrgh!"
"Outta here!" Sleet said.
"Aaargh!"
"We gotta find those Emeralds. Gotta find those Emeralds." Hologram Sonic said.
Meanwhile.
Sonic gasped.
"Oof!" Manic said and she laughed.
"Shhh! I'm getting a feeling, like there's something close by." Sonia said.
"Oh, big whoop! We're following your feelings around? Boy, it just doesn't get any better than this!" Sonic said.
"Hey guys! Look at this! A sacred pool. I've read about these!"
"Huh?" Sonic said and Sonia gasped. "Whoa, we're talkin' some serious special effects!"
"I can't believe it really exists!" Sonia said and Manic tried to touch it. "Manic, don't!"
"What?" Manic asked.
"I see something forming."
"Mom!"
"She's here! I knew it!"
"Wow, looks like you were right, Sonia!" Sonic said.
"You're saying I'm right? Manic, you're a witness."
They gasped as the ground cracked open and they screamed.
"Huh?" they said and Knuckles burst out. "Aaarrgh!"
"What's happening? Whoa, dude! You nailed that landing. I give it a 10!" Manic said.
"Hedgehog thieves!" Knuckles said and Sonic coughed.
"Not exactly the welcome mat we expected." Sonic said and Sonia coughed.
"Look at this! You'd better have a real good dry-cleaners on this rock!" Sonia said.
"You came here to steal the Emerald, but I'll stop you!" Knuckles said.
"Chill, fella, we're not thieves!" Sonic said and looked at Manic. "Well, mostly we're not. Anyway..." she said and he growled. "Huh?" she said and fell back. "Oof! Nice to meet you, too!"
"I hate thieves!"
"Sonic! Are you all right?" Sonia asked.
"Boy, that guy's good!" Manic said.
"What are you, nuts? 'Cos if you're thinking of starting a fan club, Manic... here comes your hero!" Sonic said.
Manic and Sonia gasped.
"Okay, knuckle-boy. If that's the way you wanna play it, let's get basic!"
"Sonic, wait! Maybe we can reason with him." Sonia said.
"Good idea, sis... NOT! Here's a taste of the Super Sonic Triple Spin, pal!" Sonic said and Sonia gasped.
"Whoooaa!" Knuckles said.
"Whoaa!"
"Ugh!"
"You guys can jump in here any time, y'know."
"Ah, we knew you had it covered." Manic said.
"This time, we're gonna reason with him! Where'd he go?" Sonia said.
"Guess Super Spin was a little too much for him." Sonic said.
"Huh?" they said.
"I would bet... not!" Manic said.
"Listen, echidna guy! We aren't here to steal anything! We're here to find Queen Aleena!" Sonia said.
"Whoa, maybe that worked!"
"Hey sis, what are your feelings telling you now?" Sonic asked.
"Er... that we'd better LEAVE!" Sonia said.
"Huh?"
"Huh?" Manic said.
"You're lying!" Knuckles said.
"I'll handle this." Sonic said.
"Sure! Why not? You've done such a superb job so far!" Sonia said.
Then Manic and Sonia both screamed.
Knuckles gasped and Sonic spun him round.
"Whooaa! Aaaagh!" he said.
"One more time!" Sonic said and he burrowed into the ground. "Come back and fight, knuckle-butt!"
"Lying hedgehogs! Thieves!"
"Huh?"
"Okay. I've had enough." Sonia said.
"Heh!" Knuckles yelled then cut a support rope and Manic and Sonia both screamed.
"Hang on, guys! Here I-" Sonic said and fell into a trap. "Whooaaa!" she said and grabbed the edge. "Yes!" she said then Knuckles arrived to drop her in. "No!" she said strained then fell and screamed
"Goodbye, hedgehogs!" Knuckles said.
"Ooh, ah, ooh! Ah..." she said, landed and was stuck. "Huh?" she said strained. Hah! That's it. You're toast, knuckle-head! Outta here!"
Meanwhile.
"That echidna is even dumber than you, Dingo." Sleet said.
"Thank you!" Dingo said.
"Then again, maybe not. I bet those hedgehogs are history by now!" Sleet said, cackled and found a river. "Come on! We have to go down the river to get to the Emerald."
"In what?" Dingo asked and Sleet morphed him into a rowboat "I had to ask..."
Meanwhile.
"This doesn't look promising." Sonia said.
"Guess we'll have to wait for Sonic." Manic said.
"Guess again!"
Meanwhile.
"This is the place!" Sonic said and looked into the pit. "Whoa. Hellooooo? Here goes nothin'..."
"Hedgehog?" Knuckles said.
"That's gotta hurt." she said and he charged at her. "Whoa, take a chill pill, dude! You're way too excited."
"Heearrrgh!"
"Obviously you haven't heard about the famous hedgehog's speed. All right, take your best shot!"
Meanwhile.
"That should do it!" Sonia said
"Crashin'!" Manic said.
Meanwhile.
"Now you're mine, hedgehog!" Knuckles said.
"Ah, ah, uh, ooh, uh, ah! Come on. You can do better than that, knuckle-brain! We're not done yet, pal. You're takin' me to Sonia and Manic!" Sonic said.
Meanwhile.
"Rippin' glow!" Manic said.
"Are you kidding? This light does nothing for my complexion." Sonia said and saw the river. "Oh, how beautiful!"
"Yeah..."
Then they gasped.
"What's that noise?" Sonia asked.
"Huh?" they said.
"We gotta find that Chaos Emerald before that dopey defender Knuckles gets us!" Hologram Sonic said.
"Now there's something you don't see every day!" Sonia said.
Meanwhile.
"Hmm, that first step's a real trip." Sonic said.
"Hey, hedgehog! Can you fly?" Knuckles asked.
"Huh?" she said and he cracked the bridge. "Bummer majores..."
"Only one chance!" she said and jumped across. "Uhh! Eyah! Spin and win time!"
"No!"
"That wasn't very nice."
"Ah, ahh...!"
"Hmm, need a hand? Ah... just a little joke there!"
"Wah, wah..." he said and fell off the island. "Whooaa! Whooaaa!"
"Uh!"
"Why'd ya save me?"
"Let's talk, bud."
Meanwhile.
"There there, we'll fix it!" Sonia said
"I guess. Here goes nothin'!" Manic said.
"Huh?" she said and Chomps coughed up the remote and they gasped.
"Yuck! Thanks. Ugh..."
"A holo-projector? This reeks of Robotnik!"
"No, I think it's his breath!"
"Très drôle. So, big guy, where'd you get this?"
"Not gonna work like that, sis. Let me try."
"Fine!"
"Okay, pal. One snap means "yes", two snaps means "no". Got it?" he said and Chomps snapped once.
"Oh, get over yourself!"
"So, did ya get that thing from a big round guy with a mustache?" he asked and Chomps snapped twice. "Ah... what about a big ugly dog kinda guy with a little sleazeball?" he asked and Chomps snapped once.
Sonia: "Sleet and Dingo. Nice work, bro! Can you take us to them?" she asked and Chomps snapped once.
Meanwhile.
"Aha!" Sleet said.
"Ouch!" Dingo said and Sleet morphed him back.
Then he spits, saw the Emerald and gasped.
"Is that it?" he asked.
"It's fantastic!"
Meanwhile.
"Then the wolf-faces left the Floating Island." Knuckles said.
"Left? Seems hard to believe, Knuck. They're always after something." Sonic said.
"THE EMERALD!" he said and saw Sleet and Dingo in the Sacred Pool with the Emerald. "Nooooo!" he said and they gasped
"Whoa! Why am I floating?!"
"You're not floating, the island is falling!"
"Oof!" they said.
Meanwhile.
"Take this. We have to get out of here." Sleet said.
"Not so fast, Sleet!" Sonia said.
"Aww, Sonia!" Dingo said.
"How convenient!" Sleet said and escaped through the hole. "Hurry, Dingo!"
"Whoa, oof!" Sonic and Knuckle said.
"Man, we'd better get that Emerald back, or we're gonna splatter like bugs when we hit!" Sonic said.
"Sonic!" Sonia said.
"Huh?" Sonic and Knuckles said.
"Up there! Sleet and Dingo!" she said and Sonic gasped.
Sleet chuckled.
"Almost there! Hurry, Dingo!" he said.
"Look! Ah, it's Sonia again!" Dingo said and stubbed his toe. "Oww!" he said and dropped the Emerald. Uh-oh."
"Dingo, let's go!" Sleet said and saw the Emerald rolling away. "Argh, you idiot!" he said and pushed a button. "SWATbots, move out. Retrieve the Emerald."
"They're getting away!" Sonia said.
"But not with the Emerald! Look! Let's do it to it!" Sonic said.
["Not Always What They Seem"]
"Sonia? Manic?" Sonic said.
"Hey!" Sonia said.
"We did it!" Manic said.
"Whoa!" Sonia and Manic said.
"Sonic! The Emerald!" Knuckles said.
Meanwhile.
"Sleet! Dingo! You'd better have the Emerald. If you don't, I'm going to have you roboticized piece by piece! Where are you?! ANSWER ME!" Robotnik said.
"Sleet, did you ever hear a little voice, like, talkin' to ya?" Dingo asked.
Later.
"This is krupnik, an echidnan delicacy. It's good! Go ahead, eat up!" Knuckles said and Sonic sniffed.
"Ahh, thanks Knux!" she said.
"So, why did you come to Floating Island?"
"To find our Mom, Queen Aleena." Manic said.
"Queen Aleena is your Mom? Why didn't you say so? I knew her! She was here when I was just a kid!" Knuckles said. "She left this for you."
"In the final days of Robotnik's tyranny..." Sonia said.
"...allies will unite with my children. First among them will be Knuckles, guardian of the Chaos Emerald." Aleena said.