Hey everyone. I'm back….and not as hyper at the moment….well, if you still want to read this, let me warn you that the story probably gets worse and worse from here…which means most likely I have lost my talent or something…..but anyway!

Thanks to aliceamyrose again for reviewing **sob** you've stuck with the story through and through and reviewed a heck of a lot and…..**sob** ….oh yeah, and I forgot to thank babyslayer last time around. Anyways….

Notice how I end almost every one of my thoughts with some form of the word "anyway?"

Stuff: Nothing really new in this chapter. I said this in Chapter 1, but Twilight the Fox belongs to me and Wind the Hedgehog belongs to my cousin (whose idea it was to include them in my little tale). This chapter and the next contain a very odd sort of concept which I shall explain within. The concept is once again partially mine, partially my cousin's, as it was formed in the same way as the director. Also note that this chapter may be a bit odd because not only does it include the previously described concept and/or characters, I did some rather sloppy editing right as I was about to post….. TIME TO ACTUALLY READ THE STORY!!!

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Back on the track, Knuckles stopped his own kart and climbed out. Two familiar figures were standing in front of Eggman's kart, holding it from going any further. But they were not using physical strength.

Wind the Hedgehog and Twilight the Fox had come to the gang's aid. Having no special powers of his own, Knuckles ran up and helped them out by pushing against the racing kart directly.

"Hey, Wind, Twilight, how's it going?" he asked, still pushing against the machine.

"Oh, you know," said Twilight.

"Same old stuff," said Wind.

"How about you?" they both asked at the same time. They didn't often speak in coordination like that, but with their mind reading abilities they could if they wanted two.

"Just the usual," said Knuckles. The conversation was very out-of-picture. Wind and Twilight were fighting to keep Eggman's kart from moving around from a few feet away, and Knuckles was using all his strength (that's a lot) to keep his own hold.

"Listen, Knuckles," said Wind urgently, "you need to go and stop anyone from firing that cannon."

"This time we're positive you can stop it," added Twilight, "we did our research."

"There's still time for you to win!!!!" said Wind. "Just go! We'll run out of energy if you stall any longer!!!!!"

"All right. If you guys are running low, just get out or you'll get run over," said Knuckles.

"Meet you at the cannon!" said Twilight.

"Got it!" said Knuckles. He let go of Eggman's kart. Wind and Twilight had to increase the amount of energy they put into holding it there. Eggman was emitting strange beeping noises that were actually censors for certain words he was using (if you get my drift). Knuckles drove off. Rouge the Bat was just behind him, not even taking notice of Eggman's racing kart being held up by a gray hedgehog and a purple fox.

Sonic was in a state of shock. He was looking at Tails Prower. Next to him was Shadow the Hedgehog. "Y-you guys....how did you get here?" he asked.

"Actually, it's quite simple," said Shadow. "I may have even gone here myself, but I needed Miles here to lend me something first," Tails glared at Shadow (who knew that he hated his real name), but didn't say anything.

"This is actually a spaceship," Shadow went on to explain. "There's a portal that leads here in that long glass tunnel. That, Sonic, is how I survived that last fall. Hmmph. I suppose I got lucky…." Sonic was astonished.

"Good to see you, Sonic," interrupted Tails.

"You too," said Sonic. "So Shadow..." he added, "why did you leave? Better question, why did you come back?"

"It's a long story," said Shadow, which wasn't the real reason as it was not a long story.

"Tell me a shortened version, then!" said Sonic.

"Well, all right. I left because I couldn't stay....because I was......maybe....afraid," he finally said. "I didn't know at first. I came to find Tails when I figured out that I was being stupid. Afraid of my own memories....some ultimate life form I am..."

"Don't worry about it, Shad," said Sonic, "you saved me there..."

"No problem, Sonic," said Shadow, lightening his tone a great deal.

"But....who's gonna keep Eggman from firing that cannon if I'm stuck down here!?!? Zoom can win...but you don't expect him to actually stop him!?!?!" Sonic asked in a panic.

"Don't worry about it," said Tails confidently. "I already have someone working on it."

"Who?" Shadow asked curiously.

"Maybe you shouldn't meet them, Shadow...something might mess up," said Tails.

"Mess up?"

"Let's just say you know them from someplace else..." Tails told him mischievously.

(Author's note: Now I take the time to explain this rather odd concept which is entirely made up so don't use it as a general rule with anyone but….well, me. You see, all the Sonic stories, games, etc take place in a huge, mega thing called the Chaos Dimension. Within the dimension are universes, after which it is pretty self-explanatory. Twilight and Wind live in a separate universe than this particular story happens to take place in. Shadow and Sonic do not tend to travel between universes (at least not with me), in fact the easiest way to determine which of my various universes a story takes place in is what happens to Shadow at the end of SA2. Although I am pretty sure at the moment that this universe's Sonic met Wind and Twilight at one point or another during their escapades…. Got me so far? Oh well. But Tails and Knuckles tend to travel a lot and know several different universes. Should I decide to post another Sonic story, you can be sure that this concept will pop up again. Of course by now anyone reading is confused out of it……… Now prepare for mind-talking and bad grammar.)

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Back on the track, trouble was hanging overhead like a space colony orbiting earth - going around in circles until one day (with just a dash of Chaos) it falls. Well, it hadn't exactly crashed yet, but...oh.....you get my point already.

I'm losing energy!!!! mind-talked Twilight.

Me too....this is bad.... replied Wind.

We've gotta get out of the road! Twilight.

I know...but Eggman'll get away! Wind.

I can't do this much longer, Wind! Twilight.

I think it may be safe to let go....look out!!!! Wind jumped aside, but couldn't send his message on time. Twilight had almost managed to get out of the way on time....but not quite. The gray kart, going at a vicious speed, ran right over her ankle. Her sock got caught and she was dragged along, only for it to rip a few painful feet away. Twilight refused to scream aloud, but she was shouting in her thoughts. Wind could hear them; Ugggh......my ankle.....I think it's broken or something....uggh...

"Just....go!" she shouted over to him.

"Not a chance, Twilight!" said Wind. He ran over to his fallen friend.

Suddenly from behind them a loud horn sounded. Behind the bright headlights that followed, Wind saw a horribly pink car (Twilight had squinted her eyes closed). Great, he thought, the very last living being that we need now. Amy Rose.

Amy's car stopped. She poked her head out the window. "Need any help?"

"Not from you," said Wind.

"Don't worry. I'm pretty sane in this story."

Wind looked at Amy. Then he looked at Twilight. Then he looked at Amy again. He had no choice.

"All right."

"So you're saying Eggman ran your friend over?" Amy asked. She was still driving.

"Yeah..." said Wind.

"And now her ankle is broken?"

"I don't know."

"Owwwwwwww," said Twilight.

"Stop moaning! I thought you were trying to be dignified!" snapped Wind.

"You're right..." said Twilight. She stiffened her resolve and shut up.

"I'm afraid we can't do much until we get to the finish. I don't have anything in here to help you out, and even if I did, none of us know what we're doing, as far as I know," said Amy.

"Nope," said Wind. "I've got no medical training whatsoever."

"I'll hold out," said Twilight.

"You didn't seem so confident just a minute ago," said Wind.

"Shut up," said Twilight.

* * *

Zoom was the first to reach the cannon. He stood there for a minute and looked at the controls. There was something he had to do, something he had to get to before it was too late...Disarm the cannon! That was what Tails had told him to do. Disarm...what did disarm mean? What was a cannon? Disarm......Zoom liked his arms! He used them to climb walls in Chao Races. Cannon? Canna Soup? Canna Vegetables? Cans....with arms? But wait….maybe when Tails said that, he meant armor, like the kind in that story Tails used to tell him, the legend of Sir Buildalot! Armor! That could mean a weapon! So disarm must mean to get rid of the weapon! Was this a cannon? How was Zoom supposed to get rid of it? Well, at least he could stop anyone from using it.

But Zoom's thoughts were interrupted when none other than Eggman appeared. Immediately, Zoom flew up to the control panel.

"Try to stop me all you want, Chao, but know that your attempts are feeble!" Eggman roared.

Zoom made Chao noises at Eggman. Whatever he was trying to do, Zoom wasn't about to let him do it.

"Didn't you hear me, Chao? YOU CANNOT STOP ME!!!!!! MWA-HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!" Eggman roared.

Zoom stayed calm and made more Chao noises, which are exceedingly difficult to put into words and far more difficult to translate.

Eggman got tired of talk, pulling out a laser beam and aiming carefully at Zoom.

"One more move, Chao! JUST ONE!" he shouted.

This was enough for Zoom. Immediately he leapt upon Eggman, blocking his eyes, punching and kicking with the strength of a hundred red Chao Drives. Eggman would try to knock him off, but Zoom was strong and steadfast and determined. He could not be moved. Still he punched and hit and just tried to make sure Eggman couldn't get at the controls to the cannon until someone could get there to help him. But alas! Eggman had knocked him off and too the ground! But Zoom could not give up! He got up immediately when any other Chao would have sat on the ground dazed for several minutes. The world would come to an end if Eggman fired that cannon!

It was not something that Tails or Sonic or anyone else Zoom knew ever told him. It was something that Zoom just knew. Perhaps it was a Chao instinct, perhaps it was just a feeling, I myself don't even know. But Zoom never once thought about it before he reincarnated (after doing which all his memories would be erased). It was frighteningly simple.

If Eggman fired that cannon, all would be destroyed.

With that in mind, Zoom flew.

He flew for Sonic and Shadow and Knuckles, who would have given anything to stop Eggman right as he was getting the chance to do so.

He flew for Tails, who had always accompanied him whether in the air, in the water, or on the road. Tails who took care of him and told him stories and raced and laughed and just had fun in general with him.

But most of all, he flew for the planet in general. For his beautiful Chao Garden. For the vast desert, the open sea, the bright cities. For all in between. For the swirling clouds and soft snow and sunny days. For music! For racing, for the feel of the wind in front of him when he raced with the little car bubble down, for the thrill of speed!

And there was Eggman, lunging for the cannon like a child over a freshly broken piñata. He couldn't get to the cannon! He just couldn't! Zoom wouldn't let it happen! Still Eggman drew nearer and nearer to the big red "fire" button---

WHAM!!!!

The blow struck most likely was not as loud as it seemed, but it was all Zoom heard as he unleashed a flying kick onto Eggman's balding head and started attacking it again.

There was good news and bad news.

The bad news………was that Eggman had only been hindered for a couple seconds and very soon was almost at the cannon.

The good news was that it was enough time.

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And so a rather badly written ending….well, review if you read the whole way through, please review…bye…man, why am I so depressed right now? Oh well….see ya!