Knuckles knows every corner of his island and every secret it holds...or so he thought.
On a lone, rainy day, Knuckles the Echidna stands guard before the Master Emerald at the Altar of Emerald. Although confident in his ability to fulfill his duty, he continues to ponder the secrets of the Master Emerald and the reason why he was given this task, wondering if the sins of his ancestors are to blame. Seeking answers, Knuckles heads to Sky Sanctuary to investigate.
While exploring the zone, Knuckles happens upon a Chao struggling to retrieve a stone medallion from underneath thick rubble. After destroying the rubble and sending the Chao on its way, Knuckles notices something else hidden inside: a strange, gear-shaped object, and even stranger still, a stone monolith appearing even older than the ruins themselves. His curiosity piqued, Knuckles places the gear inside a matching cavity within the monolith, activating it and causing him to vanish.
Knuckles soon finds himself standing atop a floating island overlooking a bizarre, darkened landscape. He initially assumes that he is caught up in another one of Eggman's schemes, but his thoughts are cut short by the appearance of multiple unfamiliar enemies. Knuckles confidently and quickly dispatches them, only to be beset by a titanic beast and a mysterious girl before blacking out.
When Knuckles awakens, he discovers that his digitized body is trapped inside a metallic prison, stranded on an island covered in desert as far as the eye can see. Helpless in his predicament, Knuckles screams into the sky. As the short ends, Knuckles narrates that he can solve problems on his own and that he doesn't need anyone's help. He then admits that sometimes, he can't do everything all by himself and that he will need someone to aid him. And right now... Even though he won't admit it, Knuckles needs someone to help him today.
