Sonic is seen relaxing under the shade of a tree in Knothole Village, taking a nap as she snore softly. However, the soft, yet demanding, voice of Sally Acorn stirs her out of her slumber. After a quick stretch, the hedgehog heads into the Freedom Fighter HQ in order to see what was up.

Sonic: "Yo, Sal. You called me?"

Sally: "I did indeed, Sonic. Look."

Sonic raises an eyebrow before turning to the security monitor, seeing Knuckles the Echidna on the screen.

Sonic: "Is the security monitor stuck on the dummy channel? Have you tried turning it off and on again?"

Sally: "Hardy har har. Sonic, Knuckles was spotted just outside of the Great Forest, heading… right here."

Sally pulls out a map, pointing out to a familiar location. Thinking back, Sonic recognizes the location to be the same one where one half of that one Chaos Emerald landed. Where she fought Nack the Weasel all that time ago.

Sonic: "Huh. I wonder why Knuckles is heading out that part of town. I'm gonna go ask him."

Sally: "I'm really not sure that's a good idea, given your track record with Knuckles."

Sonic: "What? Just because me and Knux get into a spat every so often doesn't mean we hate each other."

Sally raises an eyebrow as she crosses her arms.

Sally: "So you two like each other?"

Sonic: "Absolutely not! Not in this lifetime or any other!"

Sally just sighs before placing her hands on her hips, looking seriously at the hedgehog.

Sally: "Just promise me you'll talk to him. No fighting, miss."

Sonic: "Don't worry. It'll be fine."

Sonic's Thoughts: "Assuming I'm not the one swinging first."

With that, Sonic speeds out towards the strange lake where she fought Nack at.

At what Sonic dubs the 'Polluted Swamplands', which looked even more polluted than the last time she came by, she finds her target, slowing to a stop as she tries to see what she can find out from the echidna from a distance.

Knuckles: "Tch. Figures… Robotnik has this entire area polluted in waste… It's enough to make even the most vile of creatures wretch… And that's not including the eyesore of a city."

Sonic: "Takes an eyesore to know an eyesore, huh, Knucklehead?"

Knuckles jumps a bit at the sound of Sonic's voice before turning to face the hedgehog herself, leaning against the lone tree next to the lake.

Sonic: "Sup, Knuckles?"

Knuckles: "Sonic the Hedgehog. What the heck are you doing here?"

Sonic: "Oh you know. Just on the lookout for random passersby who tread just a little too close to Robotropolis for my liking. Not to say that you wouldn't go to ol' Robuttnik for anything, but given the fact you've been duped several times now…"

Knuckles: "Keep talking, hedgehog. Give me a reason to knock your teeth in."

Sonic just shrugs as she gets off the tree, walking up to the echidna.

Sonic: "Fine. Then answer me this… Why are you off your island? Don't you have some green emerald to guard and said island to protect?"

Knuckles: "That… IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!"

Knuckles slams a fist right onto Sonic's cheek, leaving a very nasty bruise on her face as she was sent flying back from the force.

Knuckles: "Now leave me alone."

Sonic stands back up, rubbing her mouth before spitting to the ground.

Sonic: "Sorry, Sal. We tried it the diplomatic way… But looks like diplomacy is overrated."

She then rushes at Knuckles and slams a kick right to the back of his head, knocking him forward to the mud. When he tries to prop himself back up, Sonic slams her foot right on his back to keep him down.

Sonic: "Okay, tough guy. You want to play rough, I don't mind that. 'Course, you could just tell me why you're here."

Knuckles: "Why don't you just… mind your business!?"

Knuckles grabs Sonic's leg before quickly slamming her into the mud. He then got up, standing in a fighting stance as Sonic rubs her head.

Sonic: "Great… It's going to take me hours to wash mud out of my quills…"

Knuckles: "The mud suits you, lady!"

Sonic: "Yeah? I hear it's good for your skin!"

Sonic shouts as she rushes at Knuckles with a mud fist, slamming it on his face. Knuckles grabs Sonic's fist before pulling her close for a hard punch to the gut.

Knuckles: "I don't know about you, but you could lose the weight, chubby!"

Sonic: "Gh…!"

Sonic gasped as she held her gut, taking a step back. Knuckles pauses, thinking he proved his point, but then Sonic turns and curls up. She then starts spinning on the mud, starting to fling mud right at Knuckles, covering him in it and blinding him. She then jumped back before charging up a Super Peel-Out.

Sonic: "Call me fat… And prepare to see what an angry hedgehog looks like!"

Sonic shouts as she runs at Knuckles full on, punching him hard enough with the Super Peel-Out to send him crashing into the nearest tree. As Sonic looks at Knuckles, she sighs.

Sonic: "How's that, Knucklehead? You want to talk or do you want another serving of my Super Peel-Out?"

Knuckles: "Didn't your parents tell you not to count your chickens before they hatch!?"

Knuckles shouts as he grips onto the tree and rips it off the ground, swinging it at Sonic to send her flying back.

Knuckles: "Want some more? I can play ball all day!"

Sonic glares at Knuckles before quickly shredding through the uprooted tree and slamming a fist right on Knuckles' snout, knocking back from the force of the punch. The two stood at a distance, looking dirty, sweaty, and pretty heated. They charged at each other, ready to use everything they had… until a splash bomb hits them, covering them in water and cooling them off. They turn to whoever hit them with that splash bomb and see Sally, holding another one as well as her slingshot.

Sally: "Looks like I was right after all."

Sonic: "...Hi, Sally…"

After cooling off and separating them for a minute, Sally talks with Knuckles while Sonic is seen cleaning out her ears after her little mud fight with the echidna.

Sally: "So since Sonic egged on that entire fight-"

Sonic: "DID NOT!"

Sally: "Quiet in the time-out corner! Princess's orders!"

Sonic just pouts as she sits down, angry at being treated like a child. Sally just face palms before continuing.

Sally: "Aaaanyway… Maybe you'll respond better to someone more neutral?"

Knuckles: "Sorry, but my reasons for coming here are my own only. I have no interest in telling you either."

Sally: "...Boy, you are stubborn… Well, will you at least tell me what you're looking for here?"

Knuckles looks between her and Sonic for a second before sighing.

Knuckles: "Are you familiar with the Lake of Rings?"

Sonic: "From the Book of Myths? Yeah, it produces Power Rings every twenty four hours. Why?"

Knuckles: "I'm looking for a special Lake of Rings that is said to contain a Zone full of Chaos Emeralds and Power Rings."

Sonic: "Not to burst your bubble, red, but that sounds like pure fiction."

Sally ignores Sonic as she pulls out NICOLE and starts to scan for any abnormal readings.

Knuckles: "So what? You saying I'm wasting my time?"

Sonic: "Better yours than mine, hothead."

Knuckles: "You are just asking to leave with a black eye, aren't you!?"

Sonic: "I dare you to try!"

Sally: "Cool it, lovebirds! NICOLE's is picking up something."

This catches the duo's attention as they see Sally stand next to the tree Knuckles ripped out of the ground earlier. They approach and peer inside, seeing a completely different zone that was much like how Knuckles described. Power Rings and Chaos Emeralds everywhere, with spikes and traps set to keep unwanted guests from taking such items.

Sonic: "No way… I've been collecting Power Rings all my life, but I had no idea this place ever existed."

Knuckles: "Perfect! Time to get a Chaos Emerald!"

Knuckles jumps into the zone first.

Sonic: "Wow, that doesn't sound weird at all… Come back here!"

Sonic jumps in after Knuckles, leaving Sally as she shouts for the hedgehog to stop.

Sally: "Ugh… I swear those two…"

Meanwhile, at Robotropolis, the evil Robotnik was trying to create his next big plan to destroy Sonic the Hedgehog when Snively enters his office carrying a recent report.

Snively: "Doctor Robotnik. Scanners of the local area have detected an unusual spike of energy just within our polluted range, sir."

Robotnik: "An unusual spike of energy? Is it a Chaos Emerald?"

Snively: "We aren't sure. We just know that it isn't too far from Robotropolis."

Robotnik smiles a bit at this before pushing his whiteboard away. He then walks to the elevator exit of his office with Snively joining him.

Robotnik: "This might be just what I need, Snively… A potential power source that I can use to destroy that pesky hedgehog with…"

Robotnik's grin only grows more sinister as his excitement grew.

Within the Special Zone, Knuckles is seen flying around to various parts of the zone, finding a Chaos Emerald that he was looking for. But as he approached it, Sonic quickly snatches it away from him much to his shock.

Knuckles: "Hey! Give that back!"

Sonic: "No chance, Knuckles. Not until you tell me why you're after a Chaos Emerald."

Knuckles: "I refuse to tell you anything, Sonic! Just that it's important!"

Sonic: "Hmph. Fine…"

Sonic jumps over Knuckles as he tries to fly into her, bouncing to a higher part of the zone before she begins to collect more Chaos Emeralds and Power Rings. Knuckles looks at her curiously before realizing just what she was up to, which prompts him to do the same quickly.

Sonic: "Seven Chaos Emeralds, plus Fifty Rings equals…"

Sonic jumps into the air before her collected items begin to circle around her. With the absorption of power, Knuckles is met by bright glow of light before his eyes widened at the sight of…

Super Sonic: "Super Sonic!"

Super Sonic flew down to confront Knuckles, who had most of what he needed, just short one Emerald. The floor cracked under the golden hedgehog's power as she smiled.

Super Sonic: "Feel like talking now, tough guy? No amount of punching is going to beat me, so don't even try it."

Knuckles: "Ulp… That's pretty unfair, hedgehog. Having to rely on that kind of transformation just to beat me?"

Super Sonic: "I don't need it. It just makes things easier."

Knuckles darts his eyes to his right; just below him was a final Chaos Emerald. If he was quick enough, he could reach it and achieve his own Super form.

Super Sonic: "Come on, Knux. Just put the Power Rings and Chaos Emeralds down and let's talk, yeah?"

Knuckles just glares at Sonic before quickly jumping down, much to Sonic's shock. She flew down to try and beat him to the last Chaos Emerald, but Knuckles was just barely able to catch it before the faster hedgehog.

Knuckles: "Alright, Sonic! Two can play at that game!"

Super Sonic: "What!?"

Sonic was blinded by a bright light, the same one she emitted earlier; when the light vanished, Sonic was met by a pink furred Knuckles, glowing with the same sparkles her own Super form was known for, floating in the air with power radiating out of him.

Knuckles: "Ready for Round Two, Stupid Sonic!? It's CRUNCH TIME with Hyper Knuckles!"

Super Sonic's confidence took a hit upon seeing Knuckles capable of transforming. She wasn't too sure if he could, but she really didn't want to take that chance. Now facing off against another Super-powered mobian, this only seemed to complicate the matter even more.

Super Sonic: "Huh. So you can go Super too? Well, that does make things a bit more complicated. But you know… Since I've been meaning to settle the score for a while… I think it's only fitting we do it at our best!"

Hyper Knuckles: "Took the words right out of my mouth, gold girl! Just bring it on!"

And Super Sonic did indeed bring it. She flew at Hyper Knuckles with a hard kick, knocking the echidna back before vanishing - or rather moving so fast that it seemed like she teleported - over to the echidna for a follow up attack. Hyper Knuckles turns to her with a quick recovery before meeting her strike with his punch, the clash creating an incredible shock wave that shook the entire area.

Sally: "Wh-Whoa! Such enormous power!"

NICOLE: "Warning! Warning! Power surges like that could put you in danger, princess. It is advised to take shelter!"

Sally looked at her computer before heeding NICOLE's advice and taking shelter somewhere else. The two super-powered mobians continued their fight, vanishing and reappearing for a clash, each one more fierce and more powerful than the last. As a seventh clash occurred, Hyper Knuckles followed up with a second attack, slamming a fist right into Super Sonic's gut. The super hedgehog felt this - and it hurt. Never before has anything, machine or otherwise, ever got through her transformation's defenses. But this feeling left her as she slammed her head against Hyper Knuckles', causing him to reel back. She gets in front of him before beginning a rapid kick combo, beating the echidna into a defensive stance before slamming a hard roundhouse kick that sent Hyper Knuckles right into a wall from across the area.

Super Sonic: "That all you got, bozo!? This is hardly a warm up for me!"

Hyper Knuckles: "Keep talking then! I'll knock that smug attitude right out of you!"

Hyper Knuckles charges power into his fist as he pulled it back. He then punched forward, sending a huge wave of power at Super Sonic, forcing her cover herself as the wave almost blows her back. As she is left guarding her front, Hyper Knuckles sneaks in behind her and slams her hard in the back with another charged fist, causing her to cringe in pain before the force of the punch catches up and sends her flying through several levels of ground in the zone before she finally stops at the bottom.

Hyper Knuckles: "Huff… How's that, huh!? How's the floor taste!?"

As Hyper Knuckles seems to gloat over his victory, he sees a sonic boom ignite from the bottom before he is hit by a speeding golden bullet to his gut. He practically choked on his own spit as the flying Spin Dash knocked all the wind out of him, sending him hitting the ceiling above before he bounces off and hits the ground below. Super Sonic lands a fair distance away, looking quite tired now as she started to sweat. Hyper Knuckles picks himself back up, not looking any better himself. The two glared at each other, practically reading the other's mind. There wasn't any need for words now… Super Sonic begins to charge up a Spin Dash, gathering energy into her body; Hyper Knuckles charges energy into his fists, preparing for an all out strike. Once both were ready, they gave one final glare. Super Sonic came rushing with a Super Sonic Peel-Out, creating another sonic boom behind her; Hyper Knuckles charged in with his fists at the ready. The two closed in, jumping into the air before they swung their best attacks at each other, clashing once again with their full might. The ensuing shockwave could be felt all across Mobius this time, causing such force and panic as people questioned what was going on. The explosion of energy engulfed both combatants and the entire zone, leaving the result of their fight a complete mystery…

Sonic: "Ugh…"

Sally: "Sonic! Are you okay!? Wake up!"

Sonic opens her eyes as she heard Sally's worried voice. Her vision was blurred at first, but it focused as she saw Sally over her. She felt very tired and sore all over as she tried to stand back up.

Sonic: "Whoa… What kind of party did we have last night?"

Sally: "Apparently one that shook the entire planet. Sonic, you and Knuckles both destroyed the Special Zone!"

Sonic: "We did…?"

Sally points at the hole, which had been turned into a dirt patch. The Special Zone was indeed gone.

Sonic: "Holee… I didn't think me and Knuckles went that far… No wonder I feel so disoriented too…"

Sally: "Come on… We're heading back to Knothole pronto. I think we've caused enough damage today… Especially you, Miss 'I Want To Fight A Guardian'."

Sonic: "Ugh… Fine… I'll cool it with that… …but he did start it…"

After Sonic and Sally had left, Robotnik and Snively show up to the lake, with Snively scanning the area with a device in his hands.

Snively: "That's very odd, sir. The readings have ceased. Something - maybe that shockwave from earlier - must have destroyed whatever was generating that energy."

Robotnik: "A pity… I was hoping to find a worthy source of energy for my next-"

As Robotnik looked into the water, a sparkle catches his eye. He dips his hand in the water and pulls out… a Power Ring. And dipping his hand in again reveals a very pleasing sight to him as he pulled out more Power Rings…

Robotnik: "An infinite reservoir of Power Rings? Oh ho ho, Snively… It seems… fortune is smiling down at us."

He says as a devilish grin forms on his face…