Painful Memories

(A/N: Last installment of the Final Battle Saga. To be followed by last chapter.)

The Final Battle: The Tides Have Turned

The Teams fought like never before against the bots attacking them. Shadow's Chaos Blast had weakened them significantly. As the emerald's powers were growing weaker in the bots, they were growing stronger for the others. Silver used all of his skills to wipe out as many as he could. Blaze used only the most violent of her attacks against their enemies. Tikal herself had thrown all thoughts of peace away and focused her energy's on the battle. They had divided the robots amongst themselves subconsciously, so that for every one of them, there were six or seven robots to be defeated. Slowly but surely the E-series was losing! Already thirty were gone! They could hardly dare to believe it!

Joy, however, was short lived when suddenly the remaining robots seemed to collect themselves. They began ganging up and fighting harder. Gradually but assuredly the heroes felt themselves being forced back! "No, no, no, no, no!" Jet exclaimed frantically as they, little by little, lost ground.

"What are we gonna do mates!" Marine exclaimed in fear.

"Say our goodbyes," Shade grimly replied.

Suddenly, though, a voice spoke over the speakers ordering, "E-series stand down!" All at once the bots froze.

The group gasped in disbelief. "Is that Sleet?" Espio asked in shock.

Shadow smirked, silently grateful and relieved for his temporary ally's rescue, saying, "Betrayal doesn't sit well with him."

"But to make him turn hero for a day?" Wave asked in surprise.

"Even Eggman has teamed up with us before. The enemy of my enemy is my friend or my enemy," Shadow simply said, quoting the wolf's favorite saying. They looked at each other then nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, sure, but I'll bet he doesn't expect us to break down Eggman's shields and destroy his bosses computer," Vector said with a twinkle. "Omega, go to it!"

"With pleasure," the robot replied. He instantly tapped into the shield and went to work hacking into it. In moments it was down. Tails raced to the controls and began working his magic; Wave, Espio, and Omega watching him closely and offering help as they had once before.

"Got it!" Tails suddenly exclaimed. "As soon as this computer blows, this place is going down!" They raced back to the others in the middle victoriously. Suddenly an explosion was heard! The first minor computer had been destroyed!

Aleena and her children ran desperately, Sonic holding both Sonia and Manic's hands, Sonia and Manic in turn holding their mother's hands. "In here!" Sonic suddenly said, making a sharp turn. He stopped then raced back and shut the door. Suddenly they heard an explosion. It was followed by another, then another, and five more in sequence, shaking the whole fortress and causing them to lose their balance then fall. The emergency red light started blinking, the alarm sounding, indicating that the fortress was in deep trouble. The roof began to crumble with another explosion, the roar of yet another falling fortress sounding around them.

This chamber, though, soon became slightly more stable. They managed to stand up once more. "Wow, this is a big room!" Sonia exclaimed looking around the almost empty area where Shadow, Sonic, and Silver had fought Eggman once.

"Why here bro? We're sitting ducks if Metal Sonic catches us," Manic asked.

"Escape pods," Aleena answered for Sonic, pointing ahead at them.

"Hopefully Sleet can hold him back long enough," Sonic said. "Wow, did I just put my life in Sleet's hands?" he asked in disbelief.

"I can't believe Sleet helped us!" Manic exclaimed. "Why did he do it?"

"Manic, there's no time to think on it, just run!" Sonia said. "The sooner we're gone the better."

"Right, hold on sibs," Sonic said. He grabbed their hands again. Sonia and Manic once more took their mother's, then Sonic ran full speed towards the pods. Suddenly, though, from the roof dropped Metal Sonic!

He landed right between Aleena and her children throwing them apart! Sonia and Manic lost hold of their mother's hands. The triplets screamed in fear as they were broken apart and sent flying in three different directions! Queen Aleena simply fell then backed fearfully from the robot.

Manic ended up closest to the escape pods, Sonia flew to the right and Sonic to the left. They shook if off then gasped as they looked back to their mother who was now separated from them by Metal Sonic Class Two!

"Mom!" Sonic cried. "Hold on!"

Aleena, however, knew that there was only moments left. The roof of this room was weakening, the red light flashing more than ever, the sirens blaring louder as the whole ship quaked. Calmly she looked at all her children. Deliberately she drew her sword. Firmly she called, "Children, get into the escape pod! I'll join you soon!"

Instantly they sensed something was off. "What, no way! We won't leave you mom!" Manic replied.

"Manic do as I say! Program the pod for Earth! Sonia, you have to break the restraints! They must be malfunctioning since they won't open! Sonic… run," she dictated.

"No!" the three cried.

"I love you my darling children!" she assured. "I'll be there soon!"

"Subject Sonic is not permitted to leave," Metal Sonic rattled. With that he blindly fired backwards at them. Sonic gasped and ran out of the way. Aleena did not wait for it to go any farther. She raised her sword then ran at Metal Sonic with a vicious battle cry!

As her blade connected with Metal Sonic's desperate shield, she ordered, "Sonic, get your siblings and go! I'll be fine!"

"No…" Sonic began.

A piece of roof fell suddenly, and Manic barely moved in time, exclaiming, "Whoa!"

Sonia ran towards him, but suddenly she heard another piece falling. She gasped, looking up as she ran, and knew she couldn't make it. "Sonic!" she screamed.

Sonic gasped on seeing her predicament and Manic, dodging falling debris as he ran for the pod. They needed him. He couldn't lose them again. "Hold on Sonia!" Sonic cried as he ran for her. He scooped his running sister into his arms, barely getting her out of the way. "Manic, I'm coming bro!" he called. He came up beside his brother. Sonia reached out grabbing Manic's arm. The three saw the roof by the pod collapsing!

Sonic surged ahead as fast as he could. Sonia barely had time to tear off the restraints before they were forced to dive inside. They turned with gasps as the entrance was blocked. Their mother wouldn't be able to make it! "Mom!" the three screamed. The debris, though, blocked them in. Sonia tried to move it, but despite her strength she couldn't!

Aleena desperately fought against Metal Sonic, distracting him from her children as well as she could. As she continuously blocked the robots blows and bullets and blasts, she ordered, "Manic, program it to take off now!"

"Not without you! Please not without you!" Manic begged through the tears in his eyes, the tears threatening his siblings' eyes as well.

"Sweethearts, I'll be fine, go!" she cried through lingering tears of her own. She sliced at the robot, but his shields went up. He then violently struck her, sending her stumbling away.

"Manic, at least program the pod to fly away! As soon as she's in we can go with the press of a button!" Sonia declared. Manic hesitated a moment then nodded. Sonia turned to Sonic who was desperately trying to move the rock. He'd never felt so helpless in his life. She tried to help, but it was apparent it wouldn't be moved. "Do you think she'll make it Sonic?" she fearfully asked her brother, in a way begging for assurance.

He could offer none. "I don't know," he meekly replied.

"I hope the others are faring better than us," Manic worriedly said. "Got it! It's set to go as soon as mom's with us." He then turned to help his siblings try and move the debris as they watched their mother battling impossible odds, completely unable to help her. She was alone.

Aleena flew at Metal Sonic, blade poised to kill. With strength born of desperation she slashed and stabbed, but Metal Sonic was far too quick. He was there one moment then gone the next. She spun determinedly towards the escape pod only to see Metal Sonic right there in front of her! The bot chuckled. She gasped. Before she could think, Metal Sonic had charged up his gun and fired!

Instinctively Queen Aleena threw herself to the side trying to avoid it, but the shock wave caught her. It sent her flying back with a cry of pain! She rolled, losing her sword, then lay meekly on her stomach upon the ground gasping, eyes closed. "Mother!" her children screamed, forgetting the block and reaching for her though it was useless; but she could go no more. She was exhausted, too tired, too weak. She had lost, this she knew, but at least her babies would escape. A mother murdered in front of her children, she bitterly, disgustedly, thought. She forced herself to tune out their pleading voices.

She heard the Metal footsteps clanking towards her, the robotic chuckle, again. Her eyes fluttered open only to see the bot aiming at her head. Meekly she tried to rise one last time, eyes shut tightly in pain. This was it. Suddenly, though, she heard running. She heard Metal Sonic shoot, she heard a slide, a leap and land, then she heard the sound of missile hitting shield! Could it be? No! Impossible! Her eyes flew open, and to her shock, there in front of her, actually protecting her, was Sleet!

"You!" she gasped.

He shoved Metal Sonic back with a vicious cry. Now standing he looked back at her answering, "You were expecting someone else?" He drew his sword and attacked Metal Sonic with both blade and skill! He finally shoved Metal Sonic down then ordered, "Metal Sonic, cease attack sequence!"

Metal Sonic rose then metallically clanked, "Subject Sleet the Wolf; rank General to Dr. Ivo Eggman Robotnick; status traitor, refuses to kill subject Aleena, subject Sonic Underground; conclusion, destroy."

"Oh no you don't! You are under my orders! You will obey me! Metal Sonic, stand down!" Sleet retorted. He gasped as Metal Sonic shot at him. He barely managed to bring up his shield in time. "Hmm, I see what Eggman meant when he mentioned betrayal," Sleet remarked. "Fine, let's do this the hard way." With that he ran at the bot with his sword, attacking viciously!

They exchanged strikes and blocks. Aleena watched in surprise, but soon she felt adrenaline shoot through her on watching how he battled. Longing to fight for her children she instantly seized her own sword from the ground then leapt up to join the bounty hunter in the attack! He glanced at her, vaguely surprised, then smirked coldly and said, "Aleena, it's been awhile since we last fought together."

"So it has," she replied icily yet gratefully. Metal Sonic was slowly losing ground to the duo. Suddenly Sleet, finally catching an opening, checked him into a wall brutally! The bots eyes dimmed, but they sensed it was only temporary, at least he did. He rushed to the bot and took the two emeralds. He seized Aleena's hand dragging her towards the escape pod and the outstretched arms of her children. Sonia, Sonic, and Manic turned their attention back to the blockage trying to move it once more. With Sleet and Queen Aleena helping, this time they managed. They were about to race out when Sleet thrust their mother inside with them!

Sonic knelt on her right side holding her tightly. He couldn't believe how close they'd come to losing her so soon after finding her again! Manic too was on her right and clinging to her desperately, fully grasping the idea that she was really there, she was all right. Sonia was on her left cuddling her and silently crying in relief. Just like when they were babies, she realized, tears coming to her own eyes. She herself couldn't believe how close she'd come to losing them again. The triplets looked fearfully at Sleet as if they were children about to be scolded, and the now out of commission Metal Sonic. They were in a state of shock. Why had he done this for them? He would just go back to trying to kill them anyway.

"Oh how cute, the happy royal family back together again," Sleet sarcastically said. The whole fortress suddenly shook violently making him fall. Just then the biggest explosion they had heard yet rang out. The fortress began to tilt, a tumbling motion becoming apparent. Sleet looked back in fear. He knew instantly what it had been. He knew that sparing the other heroes was a bad idea. The fear was only intensified when Metal Sonic began to rise as well! He clambered to his feet and faced the royal family ordering, "Go!"

"What!" the triplets asked in shock.

"What about you?" Sonia asked.

"And, why should you care again? My getaway is close enough," Sleet replied.

"Sleet, you'll never make it!" Manic exclaimed.

"Nack and Dingo were, uh, kind of forcibly launched off," Sonic said.

"Of course, why am I not surprised? Then I guess that's too bad for me," Sleet growled.

"Come with us!" Aleena suddenly begged.

He was taken off guard by the sudden outburst, but quickly he fought back the rush of emotions and self-preservation, answering, "No time now to exchange our sweet, sweet nothings Aleena. You think I'd go only to be arrested, tried for treason, and then executed? No… Not this time your majesty. Besides, being cramped in a little ball surrounded by hedgehogs does not appeal to me," Sleet answered. With that he tossed them the last two emeralds, sealed the escape pod, and launched it before the family could react!

They saw him turn to face Metal Sonic. They saw the robot race right across from him and blast him without a moment's hesitation. Sleet cried out in pain, in terror, and flew backwards and over the edge out of sight into a seemingly endless drop! "No!" Aleena screamed, her children looking shocked and mortified. Metal Sonic, seemingly satisfied that the pesky wolf was gone, looked after them and decided it wasn't worth it. He then flew away.

The fortress continued its plunge towards the Earth. It began to blaze with fire like a meteor. She pulled her children to her, shielding their eyes from the object. The pod continued quickly towards Earth, far from the danger of the soon to be decimated ship.

It was as the timer on the main computer read five seconds that the rest of the teams had looked around nervously at the dying Flying Egg Fortress. "Time to go," Shadow had declared. He took the Chaos Emeralds then said, "Chaos Control!" With that the group was transported away.