Painful Memories

(A/N: Well it's a day or two late but it's here. Another chapter looked over by my helper. He did a good job revising parts of it. I hope you enjoy it. Reviews are always welcome. The rest of this story may very well be put up today. Have fun.)

The Final Battle: Council of Four vs. Ultra Metal Sonic

Hello my babies… Her words resounded through their minds over and over and over. All at once it dawned on them, this moment, this significance, and on realizing it… That was it, the floodgates broke. All at once the triplets were in tears, sobbing uncontrollably. They launched themselves into her desperately, held her in death grips as if they would never let go again! She could take it no more. She screamed with all her long suppressed emotions and gathered her beloved children in her arms holding them like if she let go they would disappear! She wept hysterically, clutching them, fingers digging into their fur painfully. They didn't even notice the hurt.

They couldn't stop. This was their mother, their mother! This was the woman who had been forced to give them up to save their lives and their home. This was the woman they had vowed by anything and everything that they would find! This was her, their parent, their protector, their… their lives! She was the one who loved them more than anything! More than life, more than Mobius or Mobodoon, more than the universe! This was the love they had so desperately searched for! This was… what was it? It was everything to them! This moment in time, they never wanted it to stop! They never wanted her to let them go, to stop comforting them, stroking their hair as she had ached to do for so long! They never wanted her to stop showering them with her loving kisses, her words of comfort and promises that everything was all right now, her vows she would never leave them again.

"Sonia, Sonic, Manic!" she said over and over and over through her weeping, apologies, and vows! They never wanted her to stop saying their names, how sorry she was, how long she had pined for them. There was no way they could describe this feeling of unbridled love. No words they could use…

However, it was then that they heard the sound of something coming, the sound of the only thing that could tear them apart now. Sonic was first. His eyes opened wide, his choking breaths catching then sounding fearful, denying that this was what would tear him from his mother's arms. "No…" he gasped. To him this was the sound of death itself! Violently he tore himself from her arms and whirled exclaiming again, "No!"

His family gasped at his reaction. "Sonic, darling what is it?" Aleena instantly questioned as her hands rested on his shoulders and spun him to face her, fear in her eyes. All at once she had her answer. Through the door burst Metal Sonic in all his power! Sonic whirled. Aleena screamed and drew her children back into her. They themselves looked terrified, even Sonic, for never had he seen Metal like this.

Aleena backed away with her children. Metal scanned them quickly then said, "The Council of Four has met. Must destroy." It began to fly into the air. It focused on Sonic's hateful gaze, the alarm of his siblings, the desperate fearful protection in the mother, then said, "It is time for you to die."

"Oh yeah? Take this!" Manic shot as he summoned his drums. He instantly tossed the symbols at the bot. They soared across the room, edges harder than diamonds, and sharper than surgical steel. Metal just stood there, and watched. Had he been able to show facial expressions, they would have sworn he was smirking. Two direct hits, one to his neck, the other to his body. Little could describe the looks of fear on the family's faces as they helplessly bounced off, not even so much as scratching the paint. The third symbol, however, had missed by a mile. With reactions and speed superior to sonic himself, it caught the symbol and threw it back with all his strength! It flew across the room at a speed invisible to all but Sonic. It was heading right at him! He could hardly try and dart to the side before it was there. He wasn't fast enough. The symbol slashed his arm deeply. He cried out in pain and clutched it.

"Sonic!" his family exclaimed.

Sonia scowled at the robot saying, "Oh that's it, you're going down!" She touched her medallion, hoping it would work once more. Sure enough it sprang to life. Fire burning in her eyes, she war screamed, as she let out a barrage of fire. When the smoke hid the robots figure, she assumed it destroyed and ceased fire. She recalled her weapon. Panting, "That was easy."

"That's what you think," Sonic hollowly said, watching the smoke expectantly. After but a moment, the robot emerged, laughing hysterically. A cold, evil, metallic laugh that sent chills down the royal's spins.

"Must destroy Council of Four," the robot rattled.

"All right tin head, let's roll," Sonic defiantly replied.

"Rock and roll that is," Manic joked as he began to drum furiously. The room began to quake, causing Metal Sonic to lose his balance. He seemed confused at first, but all at once he seemed to gain his footing. The roof began to collapse. Off to the side chunks of floor were levitating. Manic insured they flew at the robot all at once. Metal Sonic just stood there and watched, waiting for the opportune moment. He charged up his guns and fired! The rocks and roof chunks were obliterated in seconds. If the royal family weren't worried before, then they certainly were now.

"Sonia, Sonic, Manic, attack all together!" their mother ordered. She pulled out a pistol and tossed it to Sonia, knowing the medallion wouldn't work a second time. Aleena drew her sword and it lit up, glowing with energy. All at once the Council of Four attacked, Sonia and Manic shooting from afar, Queen Aleena and Sonic charging into close combat. Sonic could swear he saw Metal smirk again. He felt his blood boil with rage. Furiously he leapt up and spin dashed from above! Aleena, at the same time, ducked low and slashed the bots legs. Bullets from Sonia's pistol bounced off her target like they were rubber. Rocks crumbled over Metal's head like clumps of dirt! Only the sword had any effect on the robot. Metal hissed in pain on contact. Instantly the Ultra Metal knew it was the energy that radiated from the sword, though, rather than the blade itself, that affected him. Thinking quickly, he violently lashed out striking the queen, sending her soaring back to Sonia and Manic with a cry of pain.

"Mom!" Sonic exclaimed, looking back. He noticed movement in the corner of his eye, turning just in time to see Metal preparing a sneak attack. Had he been a millisecond slower, all would have been over for the Blue Blur. He attempted a counter attack but was met with a powerful shield, sending him flying back with a jolt of electricity! He cried out in pain and slid next to his mother.

"Enough with the halfway measures, let's go super spin on him!" Sonia exclaimed, beginning to twirl.

"Right on sis," Sonic agreed as he too began to spin into a tornado. The two joined together as Manic stored his drums. He instantly dove into the twister. Even Aleena began to spin and joined in. The attack was large, powerful, and intimidating. Metal subconsciously took half a step back as he braced for impact. All at once the twister shot towards him, hurling him viciously into the air! The robot beeped in warning, trying to process what was happening. All at once they slammed him into the ground. Mettle cried out in pain. The royals stopped and faced him with victorious smiles. Before they could celebrate, however, the robot staggered to its feet. They gasped in shock on seeing it. Barely even a dent!

"Must destroy hedgehogs," the robot rattled.

"Try this on for size!" Manic shot. The royal family raced at the bot, randomly delivering blows and attacks from all directions, and all angles.

Moving at lightning speeds, Metal Sonic blocked them all without even raising a shield! Only Queen Aleena realized what it was doing. She became terrified suddenly, as the bot met her eyes. It knew she knew. It chuckled. "Children, retreat! He's only toying with us!" Aleena screamed desperately, on seeing the robots glint.

Too late. The robot suddenly seized Sonia and viciously slammed her into the ground. She screamed in pain. Before she fully knew what was happening, she was pinned against the wall, her family, far behind, looking on in terror. Sonic was in action racing at his metal counterpart. The bot simply side stepped, as sonic rammed into the wall, unable to stop in time. Mettle threw Sonia on the ground and began to violently beat her. She desperately tried to block, but soon realized if she kept defending herself like this, her arms would be broken, and then what use would she be? Things were darkening. She could hear blood in her head. Metal Sonic dragging her everywhere, as he continued to beat her, dodging her family's vague attempts to save her. After several failed attempts to rescue her, the robot became over confident and began to under estimate his victim's family. As he turned to avoid a blow from Sonic, Aleena seemly came out of nowhere and tackled him! Sonia fell to the ground barely conscious.

The robot recovered swiftly, before the queen could react, and ran at Manic. Manic desperately attempted to block his attacks, backing away, but Ultra Metal Sonic showed no mercy. In less than a second, he darted around the boy and kicked him violently from behind. Sonic desperately tried to save his brother, blindly charging at Metal full speed. Unfortunately, Sonic was again too slow, the robot just side stepped, sending Sonic into another wall. Ultra Metal Sonic dragged Manic up by the quills and swung him around. Brutally he threw the green hedgehog into the wall making him cry out in pain before slumping to the ground! Manic blinked, and the robot had him once more. This time he threw Manic back towards his family. He ran at the boy, hoping to finish the job, but was stopped by a very ticked off Sonic.

Sonic, enraged, angrily charged at his metallic doppelganger, attacking at speeds only comprehensible to the Ultra robot. Metal Sonic made displeased sounds as he felt himself giving ground to Sonic. All at once, though, that changed. He seized Sonic's arm as Sonic lunged, then spun him around in a twister and sent him flying yet again into a wall! Sonic looked up, though, only to see some of the emeralds in the robot looking as if they were about to fall out. The compartments! They weren't shut! One more strong kick from behind and at least five of the fourteen emeralds would fall out of the metal hedgehog! He'd go from Ultra to Hyper. Maybe then they'd have a chance… However, before Sonic could even fully process the idea, Metal Sonic picked Sonic up and began beating him as he had done with Sonia. Sonic felt his power leaving. He was losing his will to fight! Metal Sonic was going to win!

All at once the robot was tackled from the side, dropping Sonic. Sonic weakly looked up only to see the emeralds loosening more. Seven at least would fall, hopefully. Wait… mom! Metal Sonic had turned on the queen and leapt up. He had seized her throat and now held her up off the ground then sent a violent shock throughout her whole being. She screamed in agony! "No! Mom!" Sonic exclaimed as he tried to run for her. Metal Sonic, though, charged up his gun, and before Sonic could gasp he was sent flying back!