Sorry to keep you waiting for so long! Here at last is the continuation to SA3! If you're confused, check back to the story "Sonic Adventure 3: The Return" for details on events which already happened. Just search the boards for that title.
Enjoy!
The metiyas of the army looked at him with a mixture of disbelief, anger, and relief. Slowly, reluctantly, they put down their weapons. Hashlar's army quickly gathered them up and had the metiyas at spear- and sword-point.
Five minutes later a trumpet blew, and the gates opened once again. But this time, no army poured out, but an entourage. Armed humans surrounded a thin man as they marched out of the fortress. The man wore ornate robes and had an awful smirk on his face, like one who knows he has triumphed easily. Sonic and Gabriel realized this must be Hashlar.
Behind Hashlar, guarded by heavily armed metiyas, were the raiding parties, along with Retio and Saermore. All looked defeated, but were staring murderously at something behind Hashlar.
The group stopped at the edge of the battlefield. The guards before Hashlar parted, and Sonic and Gabriel slowly stepped forward.
Hashlar stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Gabriel. I never thought you'd be the leader of a revolution. I didn't know you had the gall to do such a thing. Fortunately my loyal servant informed me in time of your plans."
Gabriel stiffened, resisting the urge to respond the Hashlar's taunts.
Hashlar looked slightly disappointed when Gabriel said nothing, but continued almost gleefully.
"My loyal servant is someone you know."
Sonic looked up as Hashlar stepped aside.
There behind him was Tails.
Sonic felt his heart drop out.
"No..."
But there it was.
Many of the metiyas shouted in anger. A few made violent gestures toward the traitor.
Hashlar looked infinitely pleased with himself.
"So you do know him? That is good. Blame him all you wish. He did it of his own will. Right Tails?"
Tails nodded.
"There you have it. Now, were there any other leaders here? Answer me now!"
Sonic stepped forward.
Hashlar studied him. "Ah... yes, Sonic the hedgehog... what a surprise... taking after your father in suicidal missions, I expect."
Sonic flushed a deep red.
"Sorry to say this. At least you have been honest with me. But for participating in this uprising, all of you... must die."
There was complete and utter silence at this pronouncement.
But the silence was broken...
There was a horn call not too far away. Then there came the sound of many, many feet running.
"Freeeeeeeeedommmmmmmm!" came the call. And over the hill behind Hashlar's army came thousands of metiyas, all shouting and waving weapons as they ran or flew.
In the front of the army, running the fastest, were Knuckles and Chaos Zero!
"Freeeeeeeeedommmmmmmmm!" came the call again, and the new army surrounded Hashlar's army.
"Surrender!" shouted Knuckles. The call was echoed by thousands of voices.
The captured metiyas, taking advantage of the complete confusion, snatched their weapons back, further encouraging Hashlar's army to surrender.
Seeing that they were outnumbered, Hashlar's army slowly put down their weapons and raised their hands in defeat. A loud cheer rose from the other metiyas, and they shook their weapons in triumph.
Hashlar himself looked utterly astonished at the sudden turn of events. Around him, his guards surrendered and the groups he had captured now ran free, all except Tails. He stood still and silent, as if not sure what to do.
Something within Hashlar snapped. His plan had been working beautifully up until now, this one thing that his servant had failed to inform him of!
He screamed with rage, drew his sword, and leapt forward - mostly. He turned to see Tails holding onto his arm, dragging him back. Furiously he stabbed him, and Tails fell away, bleeding badly. Then Hashlar gave another scream of madness, and charged.
For Sonic, time seemed to slow. He could see Hashlar running straight toward him. One swipe of that sword sent him down with a deep gash in his back. He hit the ground hard.
But that was not Hashlar's true intention.
His course sent him straight into Gabriel. With one last cry of rage, he thrust his bloody sword straight into Gabriel's heart.
"NO!" cried Sonic, as Gabriel crumpled to the ground like tissue paper. Resisting the pain, Sonic forced himself up. Filled with deep anger, Sonic ran directly at Hashlar. With all his strength, he brought his fists down on Hashlar's head.
Hashlar stood there for a second, and then slowly, very slowly, toppled over backwards. He was out like a light.
Sonic stood there for a minute, panting, then staggered over to his father's side.
"Dad... Gabriel... don't worry... everything's going to be fine..."
Gabriel smiled weakly. "Don't try... to tell me that..." He coughed up blood.
Sonic's eyes filled with tears.
"I guess... it's the end... of the road... for me..." He paused, gasping.
"Don't," said Sonic. "We'll get you back to the base... you'll be okay!"
"You won't make it in time... I just want to tell you... I'm glad I lived long enough... to have known... you."
He stopped and closed his eyes. Then he opened them again and whispered, "Never... forget..."
Then he sighed and lay still.
Sonic could not say a word. For a long time Sonic sat and was silent. The other metiyas said nothing and let him be. The bombs in Hashlar's fortress were in the meantime ready to blow now that there was no one to stop them. Hashlar was bound and gagged (a little more securely than was necessary, perhaps) and put none too kindly in the back of a wagon the metiyas had used for carrying supplies. Tails no one seemed to want to talk to, but they bound his wounds and left him near the supply wagon. He looked completely miserable.
Finally Knuckles tapped Sonic on the shoulder.
"Sonic... you need to move. We're going to blow up the fortress, and then we'll... bury..." His voice trailed off. Sonic said nothing, but got up. Knuckles assigned a few other animals to carry Gabriel's body off the field with honor.
Soon all the detonators were in place and Saermore set them all off. As everyone stood well away from the fortress, it exploded spectacularly. Millions of pieces blew sky-high with the force of the bomb. The air turned fiery red for a few moments, and the smell of burning rocks filled the air.
No one cheered. It was like a tribute instead, a salute to Gabriel and all those who had died fighting.
Many others, humans and metiyas alike, saw this explosion from afar, and they wondered what would come of it. Eventually this day came to mean two things. The metiyas called it "The Day of Freedom." Humans called it "The Burning Day."
When the destruction was over, the victorious but sad army returned to the base. Alene went over to Sonic.
"Sonic, now that Gabriel's dead, we have no leader. Many of the metiyas wish you to fill that position. Most will have no other."
Sonic looked at her.
"I'll have to think about it," said Sonic finally. Alene nodded and left him alone. He retreated to his room and lay down on his cot.
That was how Tails found him fifteen minutes later.
"Sonic?" he asked, in a very small voice.
Sonic rolled over. When he saw Tails, he wasn't sure what to think. He knew that Tails had betrayed them and allowed Hashlar to kill many metiyas, but somehow he didn't think it had been Tails. He remembered dimly that Hashlar has stumbled before killing Gabriel... because Tails had held him back...
Sonic sat up. "What?"
Tails, plainly relieved that there was someone still speaking to him, was about to say something when the door opened again.
It was Knuckles and Chaos Zero, and Knuckles was holding one of the Chaos Emeralds.
"Hey there, Sonic. Tails, we need to speak with you."
Tails looked at him almost fearfully. It was obvious he thought he was going to get some kind of lecture, or worse.
Knuckles saw it too. "Hey, don't worry. We just need to check something out." He motioned Tails to sit down on the floor. Knuckles and Chaos Zero also sat.
"Chaos Zero told me he thought we might be able to do something about your strange behavior. He knows, and I know that you would never have betrayed us by yourself. So we were just wondering if we could look inside you with the powers of the Chaos Emerald. It's not gonna hurt."
Tails considered.
"All right," said Tails apprehensively. Chaos Zero laid his hands on Tails' head, and Knuckles began to chant in a different language.
"Thi ne ka... thi ne ka..." Chaos Zero joined in the chanting. A bright aura of light began to grow around the three. Soon it was too bright for Sonic to see.
Then abruptly the chanting and light stopped as Knuckles and Chaos Zero were thrown against the wall.
"Ahhh..." Knuckles gasped. "It's evil!"
Tails, stood up, eyes now blazing red. Knuckles leapt at him and held him down.
"Quickly, Chaos Zero! Do the severing rites!" he yelled. "Sonic, help me hold him down! Whatever's controlling him is gonna resist!"
Sonic immediately joined in the struggle. It was lucky he did, for Knuckles would not have been able to hold him down. Chaos Zero's deep, steady voice boomed out through the mess, and the Chaos Emerald glowed brightly. Tails started thrashing about and cried out in a voice that was not his own.
"Ahhhhh! You will not... do this to... a Master of the..." he shouted. Then he stopped and lay still. Chaos Zero had ended the chant.
Sonic thought he saw a thin black cord attached to Tails snap. It writhed on the floor for a few seconds and then disappeared.
Knuckles let go and sat up. "Oh man, I didn't think we were gonna make it there... but Tails had a kind of controlling curse on him. Very rare, and hard to sever. The only reason we figured it out was because Chaos Zero could sense the Chaos power radiating from the link." He wiped sweat off his forehead. Tails lay unconscious on the floor.
"Who was it?" asked Sonic.
"Kerrigan, without a doubt," replied Knuckles, still breathing heavily. "But I wonder where he got the power to do that? It takes all seven Chaos Emeralds to make a bond like that, and I had one with me all this time, so there's no way he could have done it... yet he did."
"At least Tails is okay, isn't he?"
"Yeah, he'll be okay." At these words, Tails stirred.
"Uhhhh... where am I?" he asked uncertainly. "The last thing I remember is getting knocked on the head after being dragged into an alley..."
Sonic, Knuckles, and Chaos Zero looked at each other. Then they burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?" asked Tails, confused.
"Ah, Tails," said Sonic through his laughter. "It's good to see you back."