Chase of the Master Emerald Compass

*"Surrender the compass! You are no match for me. I've been training for this my entire life."
"And I had no training at all, yet here I am ahead of you. That's gotta be embarrassing."*
―Knuckles the Echidna and Sonic the Hedgehog[src]
The **Chase of the Master Emerald Compass** was Sonic the Hedgehog and Tails' struggle to maintain the compass that helps unveil the location of the Master Emerald while pursued by Doctor Eggman and Knuckles the Echidna down the snowy mountains of Siberia.

Eggman managed to acquire the compass, shooting down Tails mid-air afterwards. After unleashing an avalanche on Sonic, who takes care of his friend while simultaneously escaping, Knuckles begins to doubt his ally's motives.

## Background

*"According to the map, the first clue is in Siberia. It's a compass that'll lead to the emerald."
"And with Knuckles already here, it's a race."*
―Sonic the Hedgehog and Tails[src]
Evading Doctor Eggman and Knuckles the Echidna's attack, Sonic the Hedgehog and Tails sought refuge in deputy sheriff Wade Whipple's residence while the former forms a deal with each other: Eggman bringing Knuckles to the fabled Master Emerald as long as he helps destroy Eggman's nemesis.

Sonic and Tails, reading a map that shows an image of the emerald, are met by a hologram of Sonic's late caretaker Longclaw, who alters the map to one that leads to the Master Emerald Compass in Siberia. Sonic, entrusted with the protection of the emerald, opts to bring along a hesitant Tails in his quest, declaring their partnership with a fist bump.

The duo enters Siberia through a ring portal, facing a raging snow storm until Sonic sees shelter up ahead. In disguises they've collected outside the building, Sonic and Tails enter a bar inhabited by intimidating patrons. While Eggman and Knuckles leave Stone upon locating Sonic through agent Stone's aid in the Mean Bean Coffee Café, Tails discusses how his array of inventions helped him locate Sonic, trying to warn him of Knuckles' coming while also searching for him because of his adoration for him. Using one of his inventions, a translator, to mistakenly offend their waitress, Sonic starts to reason with the surrounding patrons, whom promptly remove them of their disguises. About to throw them into a nearby furnace due to their appearances, Tails panics as he tries to scan Siberian customs, shouting "Pivonka" before being thrown in. They are let go and are confronted by the dancing champion of the tavern, ensuing a dance battle that the duo are failing while losing the map, saddening Tails. Sonic helps him by changing the current song to one they can dance to easier, which was proven effective.

Tails later reminisces about how only Sonic could win such an "epic" dance battle, to which Sonic responds that he best stick with him, as Sonic knows a lot about Earth, though it can be a scary place. Sonic referring to Tails as his "pal" provokes a hug from him, as Tails had never had friends before. He goes on to tell Sonic that his oddities that made him legendary inspired him to leave his village and help Sonic in his mission. Both stating that they're grateful for each other's presence, Tails goes to sleep on the floor, with Sonic covering him with a blanket, and Tails covering him with his two tails.

## Chase

*"Let's split up. You go high, I go low."
"Right."*
―Sonic the Hedgehog and Tails[src]
Awaking the next morning, Sonic and Tails visit the location of the compass, entering a mountain's cave where they are met by a giant door resembling an Owl. Through the door, the duo find the story of the War for the Master Emerald engraved within the walls, telling the tale of an ancient tribe of Echidnas who had forged the seven mystical Chaos Emeralds into one powerful Master Emerald which they used to inflict perilous amounts of chaos on their enemies, only for it to be taken away by a brave group of Owl warriors, who have hidden the emerald on Earth as a means to protect it from evil. Sonic and Tails move on to a giant Owl statue with four slots beneath it. Sonic forms a pattern resembling the text on the map, unveiling the compass, only to be subsequently halted by Eggman and Knuckles. Reflecting a missile that was shot at him, hitting it against the statue, Sonic and Tails mount the statue to escape. Because of the mountain's steepness, Sonic decides to take the lower area as Tails flies up high, Sonic using a broken piece of a Flying Egg Badnik as a snowboard.

After thwarting multiple Buzz Bombers, Knuckles follows Sonic using his same tactic. Tails tries to help Sonic, but is pursued by Eggman and his rockets. Sonic continues to mock Knuckles, who demands him to surrender the compass, exclaiming that he is ironically superior to Knuckles as he has had no training whatsoever unlike Knuckles.

## Aftermath

*"He chose helping the fox over pursuing the compass."
"Of course he did. New friend, same pathetic weakness."*
―Knuckles the Echidna and Doctor Eggman[src]
Sonic, finally bested by Knuckles, loses his rings while hanging off a cliff, climbing it as soon as Knuckles comes to a halt and quipping once more. Knuckles Knuckles then affirms that Sonic knows nothing about him, Sonic countering with the fact that Echidnas were prone to showing up uninvited and ruining his life. Baffled, Knuckles insists that he lost everything because of him, recounting how his tribe, including his father, has found the last of the Owls warriors, Longclaw, excited as to what Master Emerald-related secrets may be revealed. Knuckles had never seen them again afterwards. Sonic, sharing the same melancholy emotions, becomes shocked as Knuckles is suddenly tied down by one of Tails' gadgets. He however throws to compass towards Tails, unable to catch it as Eggman snags it first. He fires another array of missiles that explode nearby Tails, who falls into the snow while unconscious. While Knuckles ponders why Sonic had run after Tails instead of the compass, an avalanche races down the mountain, motivating Sonic's rush to descend the mountain and to call Tom Wachowski, who deploys a ring that sends Sonic to Hawaii while Knuckles and Eggman find an underwater Labyrinth, the location of the Master Emerald.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 *Sonic the Hedgehog 2*
2. ↑ *Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-Quill*