Disclaimer- You know the frickin' drill...

A/U- Here it is, folks! The third chapter! Now we shall see Snively's fate...

'Mother... I'm sorry! Please forgive me... for having taken your life... and for all that I have done- for what I have become.'

"You little bastard! You've killed your own mother! If it hadn't have been for your wretched birth, she would still be here... she would still be in my life... and *you* would never have even existed, in the first place! Why the hell couldn't it have been you, you little fucker? Why the hell couldn't God have taken *you*? It wouldn't have any loss; He would have done me a huge favor... I knew it from the very minute I ever laid eyes on you! DAMNIT, IT ISN'T FAIR!!! WHY SHOULD SHE HAVE TO BE THE ONE TO PAY? AND ALL FOR WHAT?! YOU'RE NOT WORTH IT, YOU LITTLE FUCKER! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU! I WISH TO GOD IT HAD'VE BEEN YOU!!!"

The boy cried out in despair, desparately pleading for his father cease the merciless beating... that he was sorry, so very sorry... that it wasn't his fault. But deep in his heart, he knew that his father was right. If it hadn't have been for that fateful day of his birth, his mother would still be here. Why did cruel Fate choose to claim her, instead of him? Her death had been in vain. His entire sorry, miserable life had been a waste, anyway; his very existence was futile. (The only reason Colin had never abandoned him was because it was his wife's final wish for him to raise and care for their only son, until he was happily married off to Miss Sabrina- the daughter of the Kintobor's oldest and closest friends, whom young Colin had been engaged to be wed to from birth.)

"It's all because of me... it's my fault- just as everything is," the young boy mentally sobbed, as he felt himself start to black out from the beating. As he passed into sweet unconsciousness, he wished- just as he always did, during these periods- that the bittersweet Hands of Death would have mercy upon him, and just claim him right then and there... as they had his poor, innocent mother.

* * *

"It's my fault... it's because of me... Father... oh, Mother... forgive me, please; I implore you..." Snively murmered, half-conscious.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, a few minutes later. "Wha- where am I?" he asked, slowly sitting up.

"Hey, Needlenose! We were wondering when you were going to wake up!" the familiarly-annoying, high-pitched voice of his mechanical colleage.

"Yeah, you've been out for a while now! We heard you talking in your sleep, and everything!" a deeper, equally-annoying voice piped up.

Snively blinked at the robotic chicken and mole in confusion, rubbing his eyes. "Scratch? Grounder? What are you two doing here? How- how did I get outside?" he wearily inquired.

"We brought you out here, ya doofus!" Scratch laughed, helping him to his feet. "We sure risked our necks for you, Sniv! Had to sneak you outta the Control Room when the Big, Round Guy and Packbreath weren't looking, while you were still out of it!"

"We smuggled you all the way out here in a sack," Grounder added. "We had to pass by a ton of guards on the way. Lots of 'em asked where we were going, and what was inside the bag... so we just told them it was just some of Robotnik's dirty laundry we were taking to be washed!"

Snively actually chuckled, despite himself.

"We had to sneak the rest of the way outside through an air-duct," Scratch said. "Good thing none of the SWATbots heard or saw us, once we actually got outside!" He turned to Grounder. "Especially with all that squeaking! Geeze, don't you ever oil those joints? Any could have heard that a mile away!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, who got us lost in the air-ducts three times in a row, Mr. Big-shot Navigator?" Grounder defended.

Snively couldn't help but smile at their bickering... whereas, in the past, it had only irritated him to no end. But this time, he was actually... glad for their prescence. "You know, guys," he began, "I've never said this before... but- but the two of you tin-heads... are the closest I've ever had to any real, true friends. I've never admitted this in the past, but... I always have considered you guys my friends. You, along with Coconuts and Crabmeat. You may constantly drive me up the wall with your childish antics, particularly when I'm trying to work... but on the other hand, I've always considered it music to my ears, especially when I'm having a difficult day. You don't know how much the innocent sounds of laughter and amusment mean to me... such sounds are virtually non-existant, even forbidden here in this desolate hell-hole of a city... and besides, such sounds and feelings of of any sort of happiness are nearly foreign to me, given my wretched past and present. It's something I've never been really surrounded by... much less actually experienced for myself." There were tears in his sky-blue eyes as he spoke. "I- don't know how to say this... but... what I'm trying to say is... you guys are all I have. Without you, I would be completely alone. You make me smile... you make me laugh inside. I'm- I'm ENVIOUS of your naive sense of innocence. Perhaps it's true what they say... perhaps ignorance really is bliss. And you guys have risked your lives to save me, even after how cruel I've always been to you." He paused then, forced to turn away. "But when I ask myself if I would've done the same for you... and I know what my answer would most likely be..."

He began to sob. "I just... can't let go of my bitter, hateful ways... I've always let it rob me of what little good might possibly be burried deep down inside of me. It's virtually become who I am... and I feel trapped- like there's no escape. Not a night goes by that I don't wish myself rid of these horrible emotions... longing for a better life."

"That's what we rescued you for, Sniv!" Scratch said. "We were playing around in the airducts, nearby the Control Room- before you passed out- and... we kinda happened to overhear everything... ever since you got back from the Infirmary."

"Yeah, you know how nosy Scratch is," Grounder quickly piped up.

"Hey, shut up! I didn't hear you protest about us staying and eavesdropping!"

Snively slowly looked up at his friends. "Oh... that- that you would actually do this for me... that you would help me like this..." He broke down sobbing again, this time tears of sheer gratitude. "You don't know what this means to me, my friends... I'll never forget this. Oh, thank you... so much... you truly are my friends." With a shameful sigh, he added, "I truly am not worthy of such friendship. I don't deserve it... you just don't know. Why, a part of me almost wishes that you had have just left me back there to die..."

"Aw, quit feeling sorry for yourself, Needlenose!" Scratch said. "That shit's history! You've got a bright new future to look forward to, now!"

"Yeah- it's the future that counts, not the past! You've gotta learn to let go, Sniv! Get over it!"

Snively smiled. "Since when did you tin-heads become so philisophical?"

The robots blinked. "Philly-whazza?"

* * *

"You there! Step aside!" Snively ordered the SWATBot standing guard in front of the hovercraft.

"Request explanation for clearance, sir," the SWAT droned.

Snively exhaled impatiently. "Alpha-One Priority mission, by order of Dr. Robotnik; party of one; request clearance for immediate transport. Now, out of my way before I have your bloody metal hide scrapped!" he snapped.

The SWATbot stepped aside. "Compliance. Verification acknowledged."

Snively turned to Scratch and Grounder. "Well, guys, I suppose this is it," he said.

"Guess so," Scratch was saying glumly.

Grounder burst into tears. "I hate goodbyes!" he cried.

Snively smiled. "Well, my friends... the time has come for me to rendezvouz with my future... and hopefully, my destiny as well," he added, after confidently exhaling. "Only time will tell exactly what Fate has planned for me, from now on." He paused. "You know... I'm really going to miss you guys. Listen, would you be sure to fill in Crabmeat and Coconuts for me?"

"No problem, Sniv," Scratch said, over the increasing volume of his mole-counterpart's wails. "We're really going to miss you, too. It just won't be the same without you around here, you know?"

At that moment, one Robotnik's SpyEyes came hovering past. With a squak, Scratch quickly shoved Snively inside the hovercraft. Then he and Grounder began to perform a rediculous tap-dance number in front of the floating orb, with canes and flat-rimmed hats.

"Oh, for God's sake," Packbell rolled his eyes at the monitors, from the Control Room. "I'll see see what else is on."

As the SpyEye floated away from sight, Scratch and Grounder released sighs of relief. "Wow, talk about your close calls," Scratch was saying. He motioned to Snively that the coast was clear, through the hovercraft's front window. With a grateful smile, which contained a hint of sadness in it, Snively nodded goodbye for the last time.

He switched the hovercraft to Auto-Pilot. "Destination?" the computer inquired.

"Set course for the Overlander Regions," Snively replied, before releasing a deep sigh and closing his eyes.

The hovercraft took to the air, and blasted in the opposite direction of Robotropolis. The young man did not even bother to glance out the window at what had been his home for so long. With a resolute shake of his head, he refused the temptation of looking back... reminding himself that he had the future to look forward to.

THE END... until Chapter 4!

I know I said that this would be the last chapter, but lazziness really got the better of me. Yes, I realize that sucked. Stay tuned for the forth and final chapter... the next one really will be the last. PLEASE REVIEW! (And yes, I lied again; Sabrina should appear in the next chapter.)