Well, I'm finally back and posting this little conclusion. I doubt it was worth the 2 ½ year wait, but I hope you at least enjoy it.

A special thanks to all those who reviewed this story since I last posted: Starskulls, AkaiMurasaki, and GreyWolfDruid. And a special thanks to all of you (my dear readers) who came on this journey with me. It's been quite a ride!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks, nor "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday.

Epilogue: Sunlight

Fall into your sunlight

Finn watched with his squadron-mates from the deck of the Condor as Cyclonia fell to the wastelands below. The last of the terra's purple crystals faded in its tumbling, like a corrupt shooting star of pointed spires and spikes in the final seconds of its life. The gateway to the Far Side was left floating, a glowing menace in the bloody red sky.

Piper stood, smiling and confident, a few paces ahead of her fellow Storm Hawks. Crystal in hand, she shot a beam of energy to the gate, stretching it wide. Finn was happy to see Piper well again. He'd never admit it, but her bright smile warmed his heart. There was a wonderful feeling of safety in its familiarity.

"Stork, take us through!" Aerrow called.

With a thumbs-up, the merb began to guide to Condor towards a new adventure. The glowing gate grew steadily in Finn's vision. His chest was bursting with excitement. This was so cool!

Yet, something pulled Finn's gaze away from the future, and he took one last glance at the clearing sky behind, where the clouds were opening to the starry sky. He searched for a particular gem, which glimmered dimly as Finn wished Grace a silent farewell. It was difficult for him to hide his sad smile as he turned back to the others. But when his eyes meet Junko's and the wallop returned the same smile, Finn was hit with a sudden realization: his best friend was leaving a lot behind. Sure, Junko's family relations had been a little rocky in the past, but he still had a loving mother, and had just begun to rebuild his connection to his fellow wallops. Junko was choosing the loss that had been forced upon his squadron mates. Of course, he had practically done that when he'd joined the Storm Hawks, but this break felt very final, and the leap very far – their destination wasn't called the Far Side for nothing.

There was no more time for thought as the gate swallowed them with a flash of light. Finn blinked as his vision returned. Before him was a sight both alien and beautiful. The sun was rising over a city of lights that peppered the rocky mountain spikes that curved up around a river, resembling the jaw of a sea monster. In the air flew dragon-like creatures with bat wings and screams, headed towards a central tower. The growing light was chasing away the murky green of the starry sky.

"Dude!" Finn's jaw dropped in amazement – it was as speechless as he got.

Radarr squawked in agreement from Aerrow's shoulder. The sky knight answered his friend with a grin, "This is gonna be fun."

Finn's smile broadened. Aerrow was right.

No matter what, the Storm Hawks always had fun – it was what they did! When it came down to it, they were family, and being with them would always bring a smile to Finn's face (even if Aerrow brooded, and Piper fought with him, and Junko nearly killed them with his cooking, and Radarr stole the last cookie, and Stork was probably planning their demise). Home is where the heart is, after all, along with the joy, the sorrow, the anger, and the happiness. They had come this far together, and they would keep going. They had done some pretty awesome stuff already, but there was still more they had to do.

No matter where Cyclonis is, she's still a threat. And it's the Storm Hawks' sworn duty to go after her.

No matter how long it took, they were going to bring Master Cyclonis to justice and make sure she caused no more suffering. Then, they could return home and make sure that those who sacrificed themselves for a better future were remembered, by making sure that future was a bright one, full of promise.

"I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended."

‑ Nelson Mandela

I know, I know. You're wondering where I disappeared to, right? Well, it turns out that life has an uncanny ability to get in the way of your extracurricular activities. It appears that this is especially true of two graduate degrees! (Who would have thought? Haha). I have always had the intention to finishing this story, and have come back to it multiple times over that last few years to reread sections, watch episodes, make notes . . . the whole works. But getting back into the headspace of this fic, and concluding it in a way that lives up to what I have written so far (which I am not ashamed to say I am quite proud of: having returned to read my own work two years later, I can objectively say this is my best work) has been difficult. I'm not sure if this is "living up," but it does speak to the Mandela quote that I had picked out three years ago to finish this story, so it's at least "ok."

Why did I choose Finn's POV? Well, when I began writing "Hide and Seek," Finn was my least-favourite of the Storm Hawks. While I found him funny in the show, he also came across as annoying, one-dimensional, and a little self-absorbed. Yet, somehow, Finn took over this story. As I continued to explore the background I gave him, his character gained depth, and I began to understand him more. By the final chapters, Finn was practically writing his sections by himself, and I found myself connecting to him with the same ease I do with Aerrow and Piper. So, while my goal was to give all the characters more depth, in the end, Finn had the longest journey to travel, and I wanted to give him the final word. He's a lot more introspective than I originally gave him credit for.

What's in store for me now? I'm not sure. I hope to get back into writing fanfiction again, although in another fandom. I love the Storm Hawks and I have improved significantly while writing fanfiction for them, but I think I have squeezed out all the creativity I currently can offer when it comes to our favourite sky knight squadron. I think I'll be returning to my bread-and-butter style: the oneshot. I know I no longer have enough time in my life to dedicate to creating a multi-chapter story, and I pride myself in finishing all the works I begin, so I'll be keeping my fanfictions a bit shorter in the foreseeable future.

To conclude, I want to thank you all again for reading and reviewing this story. I put a lot a thought and effort into it, and the appreciation you have shown in your reviews has been both motivating and overwhelmingly unexpected. Thank you so much and here's to a wonderful new year for all!