Had they ran who knows where we would be now

I thank God it's something I don't have to think about

Instead my thoughts are on the ones who laid it on the line

KIA gave their lives to let freedom shine

-Pillar, "Indivisible"

The Price We Pay

Tails stood on the bridge in Knothole, trying to hold back the tears. It was his birthday today, but for him it held no joy. It was just a day to remember that he had no mother or father to share it with him. Despite his best efforts, a tear rolled down his cheek and into the river.

Uncle Chuck's metallic voice rang out behind him. "The River of Tears."

Tails turned his head to face him. "What?"

Chuck joined him on the railing. "That's what it used to be called. They said it was made up of the tears of the widows of the soldiers who died in this forest, protecting Mobotropolis."

"Is this where my father died?" Tails asked sadly.

"By no means." Chuck looked shocked. "Have I never told you this story?" Tails shook his head. "Well forgive an old man for letting it slip his mind. It all started one day in my workshop." Suddenly Chuck's eyes converted into projectors, revealing an image of Chuck in his lab. "Well would you look at that! I guess you can just sit back and enjoy the show."

Chuck was working busily at a table in Castle Acorn's main lab. He jerked his gaze to the door as it was thrown open. Two soldiers, including a one-eyed fox, rushed in. "What's all this about!"

The fox replied in a grave voice. "I'm sorry sir, but a coup is under way. You have to-"

"Wait, a coup?"

"Yes sir, we need to get you out of here now. Robotnik is trying to take control of Mobius, and intelligence discovered that he stole a large part of your research. Your safety is now a matter of national security."

"I understand." He followed the fox out of the castle and into a waiting cargo plane. As the plane took off, Chuck thought it a good idea to engage in conversation, keep his stress level low. "What's your name, soldier."

"Lieutenant Amadeus Prower."

"You got any family in the city?"

"Sure do. My wife Rosemary and my son Miles."

"Mmm…Not to pry, but if you could, would you rather be trying to get them out?"

"Not much use in saving them if Robotnik takes over, is there?"

"I guess not."

"How about you? You got any family in Mobotropolis?"

"Just my nephew, but I wouldn't worry about Sonic. He may be reckless and arrogant…and annoying, but he can handle himself."

After a few minutes of silent flight, Amadeus stood and picked up a pair of parachutes. He handed one to Chuck, who gave him a questioning glance. "The pilot knows you're on the plane. What he doesn't know is that you're jumping off. The less people who know where you are, the better. Two of my men will follow us." With that, he opened a door on the side of the plane. He had to yell now in order to be heard above the wind noise. "All you gotta do is jump, count to three, and pull the cord! Don't worry about navigating; I'll follow you!"

Chuck jumped out, counted out the three seconds, and pulled on his ripcord. His body jerked as the parachute opened. He looked to his left just as Prower's parachute opened. Before the other two soldiers could follow suit, however, a missile roared just past Chuck and collided with the plane. As Amadeus and Chuck landed on a hill, the burning wreckage crashed down in the Great Forest. "How many men were still on the plane?"

"Five."

"My God! That's terrible!"

"It's the price we pay. It's a small one to pay to ensure the safety of our families. C'mon, we've gotta head down to Knothole. It's a secret training facility for jungle operations. You should be safe there." Chuck slowly turned his eyes away from the burning ruins and followed Amadeus into the forest. A few hours later, Amadeus stopped. "You hear that?"

"I think so." It was a high-pitched whizzing sound, like a weed hacker. "What is it?"

"It's a speeder. Either Robotnik's SWATbots saw us jump off the plane, or someone's sending an escort back to Mobotropolis and the coup was thwarted. Hide. I'll handle it." Sure enough, it was a SWATbot, and it must have been tracking their heat signatures, because it headed straight for Chuck's hiding spot. He was about to make a break for it when the bot's head was blown off by a shotgun blast, courtesy of Amadeus.

Chuck crawled out and looked down grimly at the SWATbot. "Well, I guess this marks the end of Mobius. God help us."

"No!" shouted Amadeus defiantly. "This is just a remission. Our job is to bring Mobius back. We'll start by keeping you alive." He handed Chuck a digital compass. "Knothole is 5 miles south of us. You head out and stay there until the situation blows over. And Sir Charles, when you can get back, find my family." He said this with a pleading look in his eyes, making clear his intentions.

"You can count on me." With that, Chuck started out toward Knothole. But he stopped and turned toward Amadeus with one final question. "Any regrets?"

"Not one. The safety of my family, the safety of Mobius; it's worth all I can give and more."

"After that, I went on to Knothole, eventually going back to Mobotropolis. First thing I did was to go off and find you. Your mother was already gone, and I couldn't risk taking the time to find her. Then I gathered up Sonic, Sally, and the others and sent you down to Knothole." The projection faded away slowly. "I never saw your father again."

"Thanks Chuck" Tails whispered with tears in his eyes.

"You know, it's strange to think about what you're father did that day. His actions practically led to the creation of the Knothole Freedom Fighters, and here we are today, on the verge of bringing back Mobius. You should be proud."

Tails wiped the tears away. "I am. More than you know. Growing up without my parents, in the middle of this war has been hard. I guess it's the price I pay for a free Mobius. Thanks to my dad, I'll live to see the payoff. That's worth all I've lost and more."

AN: To you who serve in America's armed forces, protecting our great nation, and to your families. Your sacrifices do not go unnoticed. God bless you, every one!