Let's Play Sonic 3 A.I.R Part 2 [CNZ-MHZ]
Channel: Sonic Sez
Date: 12/07/2022

Part 2 of Sonic 3 A.I.R!
Story/Plot:
Following immediately after the events of the West Side Island incident, Dr. Robotnik's damaged Death Egg is on a collision course towards the planet like a giant fireball. Lying in its path towards the surface of the planet however, is a floating landmass with towering mountains and spread out forests: the legendary Floating Island.[7] There, Knuckles the Echidna, the guardian of the Floating Island, is patrolling the island's altar as he usually does, his duty being to protect the seven Chaos Emeralds that control the power of the "Pillar" that sleeps in the depths of the island and keeps the island and its Animals safe. As Knuckles tries to make sure that there is nothing strange going on with any of the Chaos Emeralds however, the Emeralds begin shining with a momentary flash of light, and before he can react to it, they begin vibrating abnormally, leaving Knuckles bewildered by this unknown phenomenon. As the Chaos Emeralds' vibrations grow more intense, a bright flash erupts before Knuckles as the vibrations reach their climax, knocking him out.[8] It is in this moment that the Death Egg collides with the Floating Island. This tremendous impact destroys mountains and forests on the island and makes the Floating Island fall into the ocean and create a giant tsunami upon hitting the sea's surface. Fortunately, the island does not sink to the bottom of the ocean, instead staying slightly above the sea as if nothing has happened.[7]

Having escaped the fallen Death Egg, Dr. Robotnik picks up the signal from a seemingly giant Chaos Emerald from a crack in the island created by the Death Egg's impact. Realizing that harnessing the power of that Emerald would allow him to re-launch the Death Egg, Robotnik quickly builds a base on the Floating Island in order to locate the Chaos Emeralds. In addition, he starts turning the local Animals into Badniks and remodeling the Floating Island's nature into a more severe one with an environment-changing machine.[7]

In the meantime, Knuckles regains consciousness and discovers his body has been thrown out of the altar. Discovering the altar in a partially destroyed state, Knuckles hurries back to the altar, only to discover that the Chaos Emeralds have vanished without a trace. Leaving the altar dumbfounded, Knuckles soon noticed the Death Egg in a lake nearby. This sight makes Knuckles deduce that the Death Egg is a legendary dragon described in the Chaos Emerald's altar, which states that it will bring disaster to the island.[8]

Knuckles spends the next few days patrolling the seven Chaos Emeralds' altar, but cannot find any traces of the Chaos Emeralds. Refusing to give up though, Knuckles begins searching every nook and cranny of the Floating Island until he encounters Dr. Robotnik in a forest. Upon learning that Knuckles is the guardian of the Chaos Emeralds, the doctor tells him lies that he is a kind scientist who has come to investigate the Death Egg. He also "warns" him that he is being followed by an evil hedgehog named Sonic who is disrupting his research and has stolen the island's Chaos Emeralds. Believing Robotnik's lies, Knuckles teams up with him to foil Sonic when he arrives.