Alrighty! So here is the final chapter of this story! It's pretty short, but I'm going with my gut here and keeping it short, sweet, and simple. I want to thank y'all so much for the continuous support, reviews, and overall viewership! You all made writing my first story worth every hour of work I put into it. So again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading! And here we are, the Epilogue if you will. Please enjoy!

In the Darkest Night

In the quiet darkness of Knothole, Tails' eyes fluttered open as he stirred awake. The wooden ceiling of the infirmary held his gaze for several long minutes and he simply listened to the slow and shallow breathing of the other wounded freedom fighters that flanked either side of his cot. He gently picked at the sling that his arm rested in as his thoughts began to set in.

The terrifying scenarios that he'd experienced played in his head over and over. Despite his unsettled nerves, he drew comfort from the mere presence of the other freedom fighters laying only feet from him.

There was a sense of shame that had gnawed at the back of his mind, however. One that he couldn't seem to alleviate. How many other freedom fighters had been injured or even killed for his sake? How much needless suffering had the others endured because of him?

Before long, a slight sniffle escaped from the young fox and he found himself sitting up in his makeshift bed with his knees pulled tightly into his chest. Tails believed and knew that he was somehow responsible the events of the past 24 hours.

If it wasn't for him, nobody would've been injured, Antoine's sword would still be in pristine condition, and Knothole would still be in tact. Tails' emotional descent slowly grew in volume as he was tormented by his own accusing thoughts.

A wet tap of a tear drop hit his leg and like a waterfall they washed over his cheeks. Tails felt even more pathetic and weak than he had prior as he was unable to abstain from crying or keep his weeping silent. "It's all my fault," he quietly whispered to himself. Nick, Knothole nearly being destroyed, all of the sustained injuries and trauma that had been brought upon the villagers, all of it had been a direct result of his very existence.

In his fit of self-loathing, Tails had blocked out the outside world and was somewhat startled by the gentle hand that crawled through his head fur in a comforting manner. Simply by the gentle touch, he knew exactly who it was, but he couldn't bring himself to meet Sally's gaze.

How could she still show him the least amount of affection after all of the trouble he'd caused? How could anybody on the face of mobius even look favorably upon him? How could anyone feel anything but disdain when looking at him or his two tails?

"Shh," Sally gently shushed the child and slowly wrapped her arms around the fox as she sat down. "It's okay, honey. It's okay."

Tails silently shook his head in response and his eyes screwed shut as if her words were of deafening volume. "Everything that's happened has been because of me," he whispered back. "Everybody's hurt because of me, Aunt Sally."

"That's not true," the princess responded firmly.

"Yes, it is," Tails hissed through his tears. "If I hadn't gotten captured, none of this would've happened. I don't belong here, Aunt Sally. I… just don't. I led Robotnik to Knothole. I'm the reason Nick got turned into a robot. I'm the reason everyone's hurt."

Sally's posture sharply shifted and her arm retracted from around his shoulder. Assuming that he'd finally articulated his point, his body prepared itself for a harsh reprimand, but instead her hand gently cupped his chin.

"Now you listen to me, Miles," Sally said sternly. She was now kneeling before him and her hand moved up to cradle his cheek, "none of this is your fault. It was all Robotnik's doing, not anybody else's. Do you understand me?" Tails remained silent, but his eyes locked with Sally's before dropping down. "I'm not mad at you, sweetie."

Upon hearing those words another errand sniffle escaped the young fox and his blue irises shone like sapphires glimmering in the moonlight. He searched Sally's expression, but found not the slightest tinge of anger, resentment, or hatred. Being as upset as he was, he failed to keep from asking, "Promise?"

Sally let fourth a giggle and her lips curled upwards in a small smile. "Cross my heart," she confirmed by drawing a line across her chest.

What she had said was true. Her little freedom fighter had saved not only her life, but the lives of Antoine, Bunnie, and every other resident of Knothole. Much like a certain blue hedgehog, he had faced down danger that would've frozen nearly anyone else in their tracks.

Despite the immense amount of worry and fear his actions had generated, Sally couldn't fault the fox for what he'd done. She didn't know what had motivated the kit to rise in the face of danger, but she was filled with nothing but gratitude and pride for his reckless behavior.

"Now can I get a smile?" Sally asked gently. When his mouth refused to budge, her own smile grew and she leaned forward and planted a kiss on his right cheek, then his left cheek, and finally his nose. Finally, a small giggle emanated from the fox and her ears twitched in delight at the precious sound.

"There's my little freedom fighter," The princess said and reclaimed her seat next to the fox and once more gently wrapped her arm around his shoulder. He heart swelled with affection when Tails leaned over and nuzzled into her side. The two simply sat still and listened to the ambience of the forest that seeped through the walls of the infirmary.

Sally had nearly forgotten how serene the forest could be at night, she'd always been so wrapped up in her duties as a leader that she seldom took time to simply be still. A few minutes later, Tails' mouth stretched wide open in a long and drawn out yawn, but the chipmunk could still sense the child's internal tension.

Tails remained leaning against Sally and he continued to listen to her heartbeat, even as another round of thoughts penetrated his psyche. His desperate pleas for his mother had planted a question in his mind. A question that only one mobian could ever truly answer.

"Aunt Sally?" Tails asked with a nervous and choked voice.

"Yes, honey?" Sally asked with a newly concerned tone and looked down at the child.

A long and silent pause filled the air. Tails' own apprehension had clamped his mouth shut and once again he found it nearly impossible to meet Sally's gaze. A moment later, the chipmunk's silky and affectionate voice dripped into the kit's ears. "It's okay, Tails. You can ask me."

The child released a wavering sigh and his chest expended with a large intake of air. "Why… Why did she leave me?" His question was barely more than a whisper and was filled with an empty sadness that threatened to bring another round of tears. "Is… Is my mom ever gonna come back?"

Sally could tell exactly what the child was longing to hear by the very timbre of his voice. Just as any other child, he craved the feeling of belonging to a family, but more than that he wanted to belong to and be loved by someone.

She once again found herself at a crossroad in her relationship with Tails. It was a familiar experience, yet it was no less agonizing. She could tell Tails to hold fast to the hope that one day, his biological parents would return but what irreversible damage would that cause to the fox's fragile little heart?

Suddenly her mind traveled back to her emotional reunion with the fox and those four drowsy words he'd whispered. The emotional memory triggered several other interactions she'd had with the child and she couldn't picture anyone else filling the role she played. So with a soft smile and a gentle squeeze, Sally whispered her response as if it were a secret, "I think you know, I've always been your momma."

Tails let forth a tiny gasp at Sally's statement as her words worked their way through his mind and into his heart. A warmth stretched across his body and he couldn't resist snuggling just a little bit closer to the chipmunk. In that moment, even with his home nearly destroyed, his world seemed complete; he had all he needed right in that very room.

Sleep soon found Tails as he rested in the warm and secure grasp of the Princess. He was sure everything would be okay; so long as he had his family, he knew it would be. The spark of hope that burned in Tails had lit a roaring fire of optimism in the kit and the warmth radiated into Sally.

She wasn't sure how they'd recover, but the Knothole Freedom Fighters were a resilient lot. They'd find a way. For they had a light; a shining beacon that would guide the way in the darkest nights. A light that would bring hope in the most trying times; a light that would never burn out.

A/N Well, there it was! I'd like to give a shout out to some specific reviewers... LeoDragon678, Wingwolfy, Autumn, Tales from the crypt keeper. Thank y'all extra awesome peeps for the continuous reviews, feedback, or simply staying with the story even after if was overhauled.

Next, I want to give a huge shoutout to Rinpoo, please do check out "Taking Up the Mantle" if you haven't already.

Now I know some of y'all might be a bit disappointed by the shortness of this chapter or that it's rather open ended, but fear not! There is a sequel in the works! Also, as some of you have figured out... My other story, "Family Ties" is in fact a successor to this story, meaning it takes place in the same timeline/universe.

Apologies for the extra long author's notes, but there was a lot to get out there. Anyway, thank you so much for reading! I love y'all and as always, Rock on and God Bless!