Chapter Eleven – Sacrifice

The battle of Mobotropolis had taken no fatalities, the Mutant Movement was that professional, but the city itself had taken quite a beating. Sally was extremely glad that the Mutant Movement had heeded Sonic's warnings of Robotnik's return, otherwise the battle would have gone very differently. For most of it, Sally was powerless to help and was forced to leave it to entirely to the Mutant Movement. She had no choice. She and her people, had no means to fight, and had to watch her precious city get ripped to pieces. Damaged beyond repair.

Could it be rescued? Sally thought not. A combination of an extremely harsh Winter, Rogue Squadron and the battle had brought Mobotropolis to it's knees. She had no choice but to abandon it. To return to the Floating Cities with the rest of the Mutant Movement. At least there, her people would be safe. It the end, as a Queen, that was the most important thing. But she cried as she left Mobotropolis for the last time, in one of the battleships heading for home, in pursuit of Sonic who had gone way ahead. The battle was over. All of Robotnik's battleships had been destroyed. There was no reason to stay unless Sally had one. They all waited for her word. Looking down at the wasteland of a city, there was literally nothing left. Even the Palace hadn't survived, now a large hole in the ground.

With tears down her face, she gave it, and they left.

As they turned away, she wondered what happened to Geoffrey St. John. He wasn't among the rescued members of Rogue Squadron who were struggling to survive in the city. Apparently, according to the Mutant Movement, he had fled when he'd heard that Robotnik's armada was approaching Mobotropolis. Nobody saw him leave, as they had been distracted at the time with Robotnik taking over Sonic's body, and when they went to look for him, they never found him.

Geoffrey St. John was never seen again. Nobody knows what happened to him. Did he survive the battle? Did he get out in time? Where did he go? Sally signed and thought. The chances of Geoffrey St. John still being alive, was remote. If he had fled out of Mobotropolis, the surrounding area was now wasteland and desert, for miles in all directions. It was hot, dry and contained no food and little water. Only an expert could survive in those conditions, and Geoffrey St. John definitely was not. Sally got word a few years later, of a body being found about twenty miles from Mobotropolis, but it had been so badly mutilated by the local wildlife meant that identification was impossible. If it was Geoffrey St. John, then she mourned him. To die in that fashion was incredibly unpleasant, if for him. No matter who he was and what he did, even he didn't deserve that.

But then Sally thoughts were broken by the radio going bonkers, extremely loudly. Something was seriously wrong. Then all of a sudden, the battleship began travelling at full speed, back to the Floating Cities. There had just been cheering on board, as news over the radio had come through that Sonic had successfully destroyed Robotnik's final battleship which has been threatening their home, but now there was a major problem. He wasn't pulling out of his successfully dive. According to Sky Patrol, down the radio, he seemed to be falling, fast and now completely unconscious. What happened?

The race was on, to catch him before he it the ground.

Too late!

By the time Sally got there, Sonic was out cold on the ground, looking extremely pale. He was inside a crater, which meant that he'd hit the ground hard. Everyone feared the worse, but amazingly, he was still breathing. They had said he was indestructible. Now she believed it, but Sonic still wasn't waking up and something appeared to be sticking out the back of his head. Immediately, he was rushed to Uncle Chuck's workshop at Tower City. Sally went with him. She had to help, somehow. Up to now, she had felt so helpless, relying on powers stronger then her, to get the job done, and she hated it. But as she watched Uncle Chuck and Nicole work around Sonic in their workshop, she just couldn't leave him. She loved him too much. Yes, now she did. That beast of a blue Dragon-Hedgehog hybrid now completely had her love, as she saw her old Sonic inside of him.

He'd always been there, but now she believe it.

But something was seriously wrong. Sonic being unconscious meant that his mind was on the R.I.N. Sally didn't think too much of this, she'd understood that tended to be the case nowadays, though nobody was sure how he got on the R.I.N. while still in flight. But the problem was, that Uncle Chuck couldn't contact Sonic on the R.I.N. or pull him out. He'd been locked out. This caused absolute panic. They had to get Sonic out. His life depended on it. His body may have been indestructible, but his mind, was not. If he was permanently locked onto the R.I.N., he could die. They franticly worked around the mighty Sapphire Dragon until after what left like an age, he awoke in excruciating pain.

Sally ran to his side, and immediately found herself looking into the eyes of a monster. His eyes were almost red and burning like fire, the Power Rock was completely corrupting. Sally desperately like to comfort Sonic, but she was violently thrown aside. Her interventions did nothing, but she wasn't going to just give up on him.

"Come on, Sonic." She said desperately. "You can fight this. I know your still in there." She cried. "I love you!" She added, tears falling down here face. It seems those final three words struck a cord with Sonic, because he immediately stopped raging and looked directly at her, on his knees. Sally saw for a split second an emerald green flash across his eyes, as a horse growl on his voice.

"If you want this body, Robotnik!" He paused, heaving. "Then take it!" He spat. Then to everyone's horror, Sonic elongated his claws out of his hands and dug them into his chest, just at the point he completely lost control. His claws were long, metallic and separate to his knives. He had never shown them before now. He'd never needed too. They were Dragon claws designed for climbing, but perfectly sharp enough for the job here. He eyes turned completely red, as his claws sliced into his chest and pulled out the Power Rock, now crimson red and dripping in blood. He screamed in agony, also pulling out the Direct-Neuro Interface painfully out of the back of his head. The Power Rock falling to the ground, Sonic collapsing to the floor. With his red eyes, flaring, the mighty Sapphire Dragon seemed to be fight to cling on to life as his body was quickly failing him. Looking like he didn't mean to do what he just did.

Sally panicked and tried to aid him, desperately wanting to help.

"Sally!" A calm voice came from behind her. She immediately stopped and turned around, extremely confused. Sonic was behind her, looking extremely somber. He was in his holographic self, his mind separated from his body. He sighed.

"I'm not in there, Sal." He shrugged. "Robotnik is!" He added. They all stared. Robotnik inside of Sonic's body was fighting with every ounce of strength to stay alive, but with the Power Rock gone, he was failing. This body was dying and was taking him with it. He was trapped, it couldn't get out. His link to the R.I.N. had been severed. He looked at Sonic's hologram. He'd been beaten. By exceptional speed and timing at it's absolute best. Robotnik expected nothing less. He'd mistakenly gave Sonic an inch and the Hedgehog took a mile. He lay on the floor, struggling to breath, until finally became still, the red glow vanishing from Sonic's now cold eyes.

Robotnik was gone. Sonic's body dead.

Silence filled the room, and Sonic's hologram wanted wondered towards the open door of Uncle Chucks workshop. He looked out onto the beautiful sky, tears running down his face. In order to save his people, he'd sacrificed himself. A true hero that made him, but looking back at Sally, at what cost?

She loved him, now as much as he'd truly loved her. Despite everything, including all the changes. He couldn't have asked for more. But now Sonic is left trapped like Uncle Chuck, but incredibly grateful to be alive and able to see her again. But he just didn't want to talk to her, or anyone at that moment, the emotion was just too raw. Professional soldier or otherwise, he was to much to bare, and as she approached him, he fled to the safety of the R.I.N.