Knuckles was in the Master Emerald chamber, working on tightening a nut. He wiped his brow when finished.
"That should do it." Knuckles said. "All right, everything's tightened up and good to go. You can take off whenever you're ready." he said over the radio.
"Roger!" Tails said.
On the bridge Sonic, Tails, Chris, Amy, Cosmo, and Cream watch the wormhole. Knuckles joined them.
"So way beyond that gravity pull, there's an even deeper part of space called the Intergalactic Cloister?" Amy said.
"I'm no expert, but it sounds pretty accurate to me." Tails said and Cosmo nodded.
Everyone looked around silently.
"Something bothering you?" Chris asked Sonic.
"I've been thinking... Everyone back home must be worrying an awful lot about you these days." Sonic said. "I feel like we oughta think of a way to get you back there, don't you think?"
'I know my family does.' he thought.
"But... how can you say that? You think I could just abandon you to battle those Metarex alone? There's no way!"
There was a moment of consideration. Tails looked concerned, and Chris' eyes shimmered.
"...Yeah, I guess you're right. " Sonic said.
"Sure I am!" Chris said. "And besides, don't forget, I'm eighteen now, which means I get to be your chaperone, which means you won't get into too much trouble."
"Chaperone?"
"That's right!" Chris said and they laughed while the others smiled.
Later Chris was in the engine room with Knuckles as the Master Emerald glowed brightly.
In space the Blue Typhoon flew toward the wormhole.
"Typhoon laser shields, activate!" Tails said and a shield is projected over the entire ship.
On the bridge.
"8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..." Cream said.
In space the ship neared the wormhole.
"Here we go!" she said on the voice cover.
On the bridge the wormhole started to surround them.
"We're gonna make it... aren't we?" Amy said and Chris nodded.
"Mhm." he said.
Then their wormhole started to distort them.
"Freaky..." Amy she said.
Chris looked confused at what was going on.
"I feel really weird..." Tails said.
He gasped in shock and lifted a paper that says "Super Ultra Mega-Wave Motion Propulsive Engine". The entire ship flexes with the motion, but manages to hold together.
"What's going on?" Chris asked and then everyone passed out.
Sonic was the first to wake up. The flexing of the ship had stopped.
"Everybody okay?" he asked.
"Everybody okay?" he asked getting into big brother mode and ready to get his guitar.
Cheese had especially been hit by the effect.
"Cheese, wake up! Wake up!" Cream said.
Amy shook her head to help alleviate her dizziness.
"Where are we?" she said in a giant cave-like area. "It looks so strange."
"Strange isn't the word for it." Tails said.
"We're in the Cloister." Cosmo said.
"We made it!" Chris said.
"Now we gotta get to the other side." Sonic said and smirked.
As the ship flew on, it passed by giant roots. Knuckles joined the others in the bridge.
"This place is more twisted than I thought." he said.
"Twisted is right. That's space debris from surrounding planets left to float around in space." Tails said.
"Looks gross if you ask me." Amy said.
Suddenly the Typhoon slowed to a halt.
"What's the matter, Tails?" Cream asked.
Tails pulled up an overhead map of the Typhoon and scrolls in on one of the engines.
"I think we're trapped." he said.
Outside Cosmo and the Mobians got to work on extricating the Typhoon from the roots that scratched the ship. They used tools such as sickles.
"My sister Galaxina and I used to love gardening. It's great therapy." Cosmo said.
"Yeah, sure. Cutting through unidentified space gunk really does it for me, too." Knuckles said.
"Just shut it and cut it!" Amy said while Tails used a long pole-like object to cut the roots. "What's that you've got?"
"A laser-powered weed whacker. I made it when I used to help Ella with her gardening. Now tacklin' stubborn weeds is a breeze!" Tails said.
"Well, hand it over!" she said and extended her hand out.
"Huh? But I-" Tails started but was cut off.
"We've got a better idea." someone said.
He turned to see Sonic and Chris running toward them. Chris was wearing his space suit.
Sonic leapt into the air. His new shoes project saw blades underneath them, and glided along the ship, cutting apart the roots with ease.
"He's using your power-up shoes to cut the vines." Cosmo said.
Chris nodded.
"Mhm."
Sonic continued to glide along, causing the roots to fall in piles.
When he was done he landed and dusts his gloves.
"Well, that wasn't too hard." he said.
"They might not be so easy!" Cream said.
Suddenly, giant stalagmites rose in the path in front of them.
"Perfect. Their ship cannot leave now. As of this moment, those fools are conveniently stranded inside the Cloister. What fun!" Dark Oak said and laughed.
His generals were with him.
"I employ, Master. Send me." Pale Bayleaf said.
"No. Grant me the honor, O Mighty One." Black Narcissus said.
Dark Oak looked up at Yellow Zelkova, who was eating spicy curry.
There was an effect of fire breath from his "mouth". Then he rushed forward and destroyed some machinery before lifting others into the air.
"This task requires strength. It is I who should go! Yellow Zelkova! Yellow Zelkova said.
"Zelkova, enough of this foolishness! I will indeed send you to dispose of those meddling fools, but I warn you: I want that hedgehog destroyed!" Dark Oak said.
"I shall not betray your trust, Master!" he said and threw down the machinery and happily ran out of the room.
Dark Oak's chair descended into the floor.
"How could the master choose that buffoon Zelkova?" Black Narcissus asked.
"It is not for us to decide, Narcissus. We must wait and see." Pale Bayleaf said.
On the Galaxy Corridor everyone was stumped by the sudden growth of stalagmites.
"They just came out of nowhere." Amy said.
"Another dirty Metarex trick!" Sonic said.
"Looks like we're not going anywhere. Great." Chris said.
"Chris is right, you guys. I don't see a way out of this. Wait a minute! We can't give up that easy! We just gotta put our heads together!" Tails said.
"Yeah!" Cosmo said.
Knuckles let his fist fly at one of the stalagmites. However, upon contact, a shock flew through his entire body, and his punch did nothing. He fell to the ground.
Tails looked down, depressed that Knuckles failed to clear the blockade. Knuckles shook his hand.
"Uh... That worked well..." Knuckles said sarcastically and looked up as a few pillars started falling.
"Chris! Something's coming!" Cream said.
"Yeah. Something big." Chris said.
More pillars fall. It is revealed that this is the work of Yellow Zelkova.
"We have to be ready!" Amy said.
"Yeah." Sonic said.
One last pillar fell in front of the group as Zelkova stepped in and laughed.
"What's so funny, big guy?" Knuckles asked.
"You will find out soon enough, my friend." Zelkova said and laughed.
Zelkova stood several times larger than the group, who stood ready for a fight, especially Sonic.
One last pillar fell in front of the group as Zelkova steps in.
"Well, let's hear it, tough guy!" Knuckles said.
"My name is Yellow Zelkova. My mighty ruler Dark Oak has sent me to destroy the hedgehog. Nothing will stand in the way of my task! Sonic and all who stand with him are doomed!" he said then lifted one of the giant rock pillars into the air, whereas Knuckles hadn't even been able to punch it.
"Whoa!"
"Crush!" Zelkova said and threw the pillar to the ground in front of them and it broke.
"Quick! Get back inside the Typhoon!" Sonic said.
"Come on, guys!" Tails said.
He, Chris, and Cream ran back to the Typhoon and Amy readied her hammer.
"Amy, you too!" Sonic said.
"But why?" Amy asked.
"This isn't just Eggman we're dealin' with. Now get inside!"
"If you say so, Sonic." she said and put away her hammer and ran back to the Typhoon.
"This oughta be fun..." he said.
Zelkova was hoisting another pillar.
"Looks like we're gonna need some ammunition." Knuckles said and strained to lift a small chunk of a broken pillar.
Zelkova laughed.
"You weakling!"
Struggling a little, Zelkova lifted a second pillar into the air.
"Whoa. He's not foolin' around." Knuckles said as Zelkova threw one of the pillars like a spear at them.
It missed and hit the Typhoon, scaring its occupants. Zelkova twirled the other pillar above his head.
"Ready when you are." Knuckles said.
"Then let's do this!" Sonic said. "Just like the day we saved the Master Emerald the third time we came."
They nodded and raced toward Zelkova, who threw the other pillar but dodged. Knuckles pulled out his Shovel Claws and slashed Zelkova with them, but was completely unharmed.
"Perhaps I should show you how it is done!" Zelkova said.
"Uh-oh..." Knuckles said.
Zelkova swung another pillar with all his might, sending Knuckles flying into the air.
"Knuckles, no!" Sonic said.
Zelkova threw the pillar at Sonic, hitting him. The pillar slammed into the Typhoon, pinning the him between a rock and a hard place.
The Typhoon shook from the impact on the bridge. Tails, Chris, Amy, Cosmo, and Cream watched in horror.
"Knuckles, no!" Amy said.
On the Galaxy Corridor Sonic was winded from the attack, sweating. Zelkova charged at him with a pillar.
"There's no way we can beat him. He's too strong for us!" Knuckles said.
"Big boy may be strong, but there's one thing he's not: speedy." Sonic said.
Zelkova slammed the pillar down at Sonic's location, but he wasn't found underneath.
"He has vanished!" Zelkova said and looked up to see Sonic standing on the other end of the pillar smirking.
"You gotta be quicker with that if you wanna keep up with me!" Sonic said still smirking.
Zelkova shook the pillar in an attempt to rid the him.
"I'll show you, hedgehog! You come down from there!" he said.
His attempts were vain. He tried to slam the pillar against the Typhoon.
On the Blue Typhoon bridge.
"We've got to do something! That awful monster's gonna smash him!" Cream said.
"Chao-chao chao!" Cheese said.
On the Galaxy Corridor Sonic finally fell off the pillar and collapsed on the ground. Zelkova tried to slam it on him, but Knuckles caught it and lifted his end up.
"So, just because you think I'm little I'm no match for you, is that it?" he said.
The struggle was on.
"I should think that should be obvious, my friend." Zelkova said.
"Well, you're wrong... my friend!" Knuckles said.
"We shall see how wrong I am after I have pulverized you and the rest of your tiny team. Give up! You cannot win!"
"Okay! That about does it! Take that, Meta-dope!"
With all his might, he threw the pillar, and Zelkova with it.
On the bridge.
"Did he really just do that?" Chris shocked.
"Oh my." Cosmo said.
On the Galaxy Corridor Zelkova landed on the ground, and the pillar pushed him farther down. Knuckles approached.
"That's done." he said.
Then Zelkova pushed the pillar out of the ground and climbed out of the hole.
"Not quite, my friend!" he said.
"What... But that can't be...!"
"We will see who will destroy who!" he said and rammed into Knuckles, causing him to slide backward along the ground.
On the bridge.
"Knuckles!" Chris said.
"Is he okay?" Cream asked.
On the Galaxy Corridor Knuckles slowly stood up, injured by Zelkova's attack.
He was unaware that Zelkova was charging at him again.
"Prepare for your doom!" Zelkova said and laughed.
Sonic scooped him out of the way just in time.
"Right on time!" Knuckles said.
'As usual.' he thought.
Zelkova didn't stop in time. He ran into a pillar, which fell and the next pillar, which hit the next, and so on. Sonic landed on a plateau as the pillars kept falling.
"This is gonna take some fancy footwork." Sonic said. "Now you go over there, and I'll..." Sonic whispered in Knuckles' ear. "You got it?" he asked normal.
Knuckles chuckled.
"Got it."
They nodded to each other. Zelkova searched for them.
"Where are they? How can I destroy them when they move so quickly?" Zelkova asked.
"What's the matter, buddy? I thought you said it was big bad demolition time!" Sonic said and leapt over Zelkova landing on the other side of the giant Metarex general and taunted him.
"You asked for it!" Zelkova said and dove toward him but he leapt out of the way, and Zelkova collided with the Typhoon.
His bulk caused it to budge and shake violently. Then he stood up
"Show yourself, hedgehog!"
"Hey, over here!" Knuckles said and he turned to see him.
Then Knuckles taunted him.
"Are you toying with me?" Zelkova asked and charges at him, but he dodged, causing the general to strike and move the Typhoon again.
Its occupants cried out in fear.
"Let's do this, Knuckles!" Sonic said.
They exchanged a nod. Zelkova looked down at Sonic.
"Hey, what are you waitin' for, big fella?" Sonic asked.
"I think he's chicken!" Knuckles said. "Just like Dingo."
"Come on, chicken boy! We're ready for ya!"
"You mock the great Zelkova?!" Zelkova said and charged at Sonic, then Knuckles.
The Typhoon was moved in two different directions.
On the bridge the crew were less terrified of the shaking.
"Hey! What are those two doing? Are they gonna battle that thing or aren't they?" Amy asked.
On the Galaxy Corridor grinning, Sonic and Knuckles stood idle as Sonic and Zelkova charged them yet again.
"Be a man and stop running away! Fight me!" Zelkova said.
"Yeah, whatever!" they said and leapt out of the way as Zelkova struck their ship, moving it again. "Your foolishness grows more wearisome by the minute. Will you fight me or not?"
"Sure. We'll fight ya." Sonic said and looked up to see him and Knuckles standing at the front of the Typhoon, directly above him.
"Then come down here."
"I think we've kept him waiting long enough. What do you say?" Knuckles asked Sonic.
"It's show time." Sonic said smirking.
Zelkova cocked his head.
"I've had enough of your games. Your pathetic attempts at victory are at an end." he said and laughed.
"Get ready, Tails!" Knuckles said.
"Time for Sonic Power Cannon!" Sonic said.
On the Blue Typhoon bridge Tails looked up in realization.
On the Galaxy Corridor Zelkova looked confused.
"Huh? Sonic what?" Zelkova said.
"Later." Knuckles said.
Now Zelkova panicked.
"What are you doing? You think you have fooled Zelkova?" he asked.
On the Blue Typhoon bridge.
"Prepare the main cannon! Activate energy link!" Tails said.
On the Galaxy Corridor Sonic Driver appeared.
In the Blue Typhoon Engine room Knuckles pulled a lever, and the Master Emerald started glowing.
"This is gonna be fun!" he said smirking.
On the Galaxy Corridor Sonic ran down the barrel of the Sonic Driver.
"Increase pressure in main detonator! Power level set! Okay, Sonic, get in position!" Tails said and he landed on the spin platform.
"Here goes!" Sonic said and started his spin, charging the cannon with energy.
On the bridge Tails typed on a keypad.
"Deactivate safety trigger! Target locked on B for bullseye!" he said.
The targeting computers locked on to the still confused Zelkova.
On the Galaxy Corridor.
"Launch Sonic Power Cannon noooww!" Tails said.
The Sonic Driver charges with energy and shoots Sonic at Zelkova.
"What is happening? The light! It's too bright! I cannot see! Where are you, Sonic? I thought you were brave. Show yourself! I command you!" Zelkova said and Sonic pushed him through the pillars.
On the Blue Typhoon bridge.
"Direct hit! Now to break down those rocks! Knuckles, ready?" Tails asked.
In the engine room.
"Yup! ... Let's charge up. ... Master Emerald, can you hear me?" Knuckles said and out his hands to the Master Emerald, and it started to power the engines. "Give us... all your power!"
Then the Yellow Zelkova was smashed against a rock as the pillars kept falling.
"No! The barriers! They mustn't!" Zelkova said.
After finishing clearing a path, Sonic landed on a plateau, his energy having worn off.
"Start the engine, Tails!" he said.
The path was cleared, and Typhoon was able to freely advance. Zelkova watched the Typhoon passed him.
"You will not get far. The great master Dark Oak has more in store for you! Mark my words, we will destroy you yet!" he said.
In the Blue Typhoon engine room.
"Sure. You bring it on, Meta-loser, and we'll be waiting for you!" Knuckles said. "And give the boss man our regards, huh?"
On the Galaxy Corridor Sonic stood up, seeing the Blue Typhoon approach and Amy standing outside.
"Sonic!" Amy said.
Sonic landed next to her, and she hugged him.
"You're okay!" she said.
The Typhoon flew onward through the Galaxy Corridor, moving up and down.
On the Blue Typhoon bridge.
"Thanks to Sonic and Knuckles, we made it through that Cloister without hardly a scratch!" Cream said.
"Chao chao!" Cheese said.
Eventually the Typhoon reached the other side of the Galaxy Corridor, which was also a wormhole.
"Good goin', gang!" Sonic said tired.
"Yeah, we made it this far... but who knows what'll happen when we get out there?" Chris said to himself.
Cosmo braced herself for what's to come as the Blue Typhoon left the Galaxy Corridor.