Knuckles finally has some time to relax. The Master Emerald is back in the Emerald Chamber, and with all the Emeralds powered up, a shield can be maintained around the Floating Island. The Echidna pays a visit to the Mushroom Hill Zone, ensuring that the Emerald Hill folk are settling in, and checks out a crater caused by a blast from the Death Egg. Around the crater, he comes across a large stone ring, covered in ancient writing about a dream country. Without warning, the ring glows, and Knuckles is sucked into it. He arrives in the Special Zone, where he realises he misread the ancient writing, his people always referring to the Zone as the Nightmare Country. Suddenly, he is confronted by the Omni-Viewer, who knows of Knuckles' brief alliance with Dr Robotnik and summons Chaotix, the gua