Okay; I know I promised you a one-shot but... its running longer than I anticipated and i think it would benefit from being split up. So next chapter will most likely be the last; this will definatley not exceed three chapters however. I hope you enjoy the prequel as much as you did the original... And if you are reading this first; well... critique me please! I love it, even bad critiques.
James McCloud narrating: "When Billie first decided it was time to distance herself from me, the day was bright and warm: not really ideal for such a sad state of affairs. But the fact of the matter is, if I had known then what I know now… the sunny mood would have been just right. But it can be hard to maintain hope, if you don't know the outcome of the story…
"Now keep in mind, most stories throughout Lylat; and whatever system the people who see this testament are from have a basic formula. A beginning, middle and an end… Well, this is not one of those stories. This is one, which has many tied little threads that go beyond what most people… even those involved know.
"Every now and then, things can get tossed out of balance by the selfishness of an individual… Like Andross, and even like Billie's old headmistress… This causes a ripple that can have effect on a great number of people; even almost a century down the line. For those of you that thought the story of my son Fox began on the day he was born, well you would be wrong. Fact of the matter is; his story really began the day General Pepper decided to banish Andross to Venom.
"And as for those of you who may have thought the story of my good friend Billie began nearly 100 years ago the day she was born… or even the day she was sitting in that bar trying to drink away her problems, get some fast cash and her gruff future walked into the bar for information. Again you would be mistaken. Nahh, Billie and Wolf's stories both began at the same time, the first time they met… Not surprised they don't remember though; Wolf was such a little tike then. And Billie… well she had more important things to focus on. But I'm getting ahead of myself… strap yourselves in my friends; this is quite a tale…
"You see Billie had been called out by a reliable connection that there was quite a fat payday on its way to Corneria. As for the mood here, well the weather was acting a bit more in place as the rain pounded down on those cold streets…"
Billie walked on through the night in a long black hooded coat; it draped her body, covering her from view, and created a veil of shadow over her face that also helped to keep off the rain. She trudged along the streets at around 2:00 a.m.; the only time her contact would dare to show himself, her breath rose up into the air visible for just a few moments in the slight cold the deluge had brought with itself.
She came to a stop in front of what used to be one of her favorite places: the Cornerian Flight Academy. Back on better looking days she would often wait for him at the gate as to exchange their daily lessons with one another. But that had been short lived when people became curious as to who James was going to meet every day. The rain pounded down on the building, and the yellow glow of the street lights gave everything an eerie shine in the darkness. She looked at the basic Arwing models, glowing with the wet cold like everything else… allowing the racing thoughts that plagued her so to settle on fondness for a moment, but only for a moment at a time could she ever find relief from them.
She let out a long sigh… the kind of sigh that came from a hard life, a hard life that had no friends or family to alleviate the stress for very long. Sometimes she felt as though the Shadow Legions she had left behind on that horrid moon were laughing at her; laughing at the great array of misfortunes that she had brought upon herself in leaving.
She returned her gaze to the wet sidewalk and picked up a steady stride forward. She made her way through the alley ways that the faint of heart would never travel to; the ones that you could just tell led to a bad neighborhood. She walked on through the outskirts of the bad neighborhood which were never as bad as what lied deeper within… She didn't even bat an eye as she strode on past a dismal looking orphanage: as if there was any other kind.
"Now what Billie didn't know, was at that very moment, on the second floor, in his sleep there was a young, violet eyed lupine; clutching a golden pendant tight to his chest… After all, this was the closest thing that the kid had to any manner of family. And Billie, well she carried her emblem in her coat pocket at that time, I'm sure you are familiar with her strange antique comb… but I digress."
After leaving the slumped looking building behind she continued her way in; eventually making it to a warehouse district that was not in use anymore… At least not by anyone there to make an honest living. She stopped at the one labeled 14 B; this was the place, she tried the door… locked, but made of inferior wood at least. She took a step back and kicked it in. It fell into the room with a clatter to the floor, and she let herself in.
"I was beginning to think you weren't coming." Said a hushed voice from within.
"Took the long way…" Billie said with her falling out with James still fresh on her brain.
"At this point in time, she no longer kept up with me; had no idea I had a son… a son that would become a classmate of the very same lupine asleep in that dingy orphanage."
"Well I can't afford to be here much longer!" Said the shadowed figure in a hushed scream.
"If Dexter finds out I'm here he's going to put me on the chopping block. Just take this…" The figure said handing her a memory chip that would become out dated in about ten more years.
"This has every loose end we discussed on it?" Billie asked taking it, and then the figure backed up towards the exit opposite the one she came in through.
"Yes. Every bit. Do not try to contact me again; we have never met bounty hunter, got it?" The figure said in a hushed whisper.
"As promised, I will over look your bounty in the future." Billie nodded. Then she turned back out into the rain and left as quickly as she had come.
"Hey Wolf get up!" said a small child's voice.
Wolf felt a pillow smack him in the face, and blinked his blurred eyes open.
"Come on, if you don't get up Charlie is gonna have a fit." Said the little raccoon looking up at his fellow orphan.
"Yeah okay…" Wolf said in a small but still gruff voice rubbing his eyes.
Charlie, her full name Charlotte Miller was the large black bear who ran the orphanage; she wasn't mean, quite the contrary. Most of the kids loved her, however if kids weren't up and chores weren't done on time she could get a little testy. Wolf tucked his pendant into his baggy hand me down shirt and made his bed along with the other boys in the room.
"Let's go get food!" Said the small raccoon to Wolf.
"Wait up Ralph!" Wolf called after him; Ralph was the youngest boy there, only like seven years old. So all of the other boys were nice to him, and Wolf went out of his way to keep an eye on him.
After the boys had stuffed themselves with the tasteless food, they walked off to the public elementary school five blocks away. Wolf stuck close to Ralph as usual.
"Now you boys be careful!" Charlie called in her booming voice; the voices of bears really did carry a ways. They walked away from the slumped looking building that had 'Mrs. Miller's home for boys' painted in calligraphy over the double doorway.
"You know you are starting to sound like Charlie." Ralph laughed to Wolf as they walked across the sidewalks with the other boys.
"What do yah mean?" Wolf asked in a sort of developing accent, which would eventually be the way he always spoke.
"Like that!" Ralph said pointing at him. "Yah tawk like thiiis." Ralph continued.
"Yeah, he's right!" Said an avian boy about Wolf's age.
"That's only because Wolf has been here longer than anyone else." Said a tall tree frog boy.
"Oh what the fuck ever." Wolf said getting aggravated.
"OOOOOOOH" All the boys stopped and said.
"Wolf said a swear!" Ralph laughed.
"When are yah gonna grow up guys." Wolf said, wanting his time in that orphanage to come to an end.
"We will when we get adopted!" Said some sort of chestnut canine boy as they turned a corner.
"Awww!" Wolf stopped in his tracks and looked at the flight academy gates. "Now that's the life!" He said grabbing Ralph's hand and running up to the gates to get a look at the Arwings.
"You always say that though… you should be a pilot!" Ralph said.
"I am going to be a pilot…" Wolf said gazing on at the students in the academy with determined violet eyes. "And I'll fly way away from Corneria… and this stupid place." He said clenching his fists.
"Ouch you're squishing my hand." Ralph said.
"Sorry!" Wolf said and let go.
"Hey you guys! You can't be late!" Called the tree frog across the street.
"I know damnit! Come on." Wolf said and snatched Ralphs hand back up tugging him along so they wouldn't get separated.
When they finally arrived at the school the boys all ran off to their various classes. Wolf walked on with Ralph for one reason…
"Hey skuz buckets!" Said a tall hyena boy.
Ralph hid behind Wolf; who had begun walking Ralph to his class every morning after this kid had beat him up.
"Oh look, you still have your body guard. No worries he's just as poor as you. And with a stupid name like Wolf; gosh he's begging for it even harder." He sneered.
"Ralph, go to class." Wolf ordered.
"But…" Ralph argued since the last time Wolf fought the bully he lost, badly.
"I said go." Wolf said snappishly. Ralph turned and ran to his classroom while looking over his shoulder.
"You know something… I really hate people like you." Wolf said.
"OOOOOH tough guy." Said the bully with a hyenas laugh.
"Yeah, people who think just because they have a physical advantage they can just do whatever they want to smaller kids! I'm gonna kick your ass!" Wolf said running at him.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!" All of the students gathered around the two chanting.
The hyena ran right at Wolf in turn, and they started throwing fists. Wolf slammed his fist into the bullies' head and sent him back a little, but hurt Wolf's fist as well. He dodged the bully's right hook, but took his left to the face. He fell back a ways, and then with a the rush of adrenaline that he would one day learn to savor like a drug; he tackled the bully down to the ground, they tumbled around until Wolf was on top. Wolf laid a barrage of punches into his face.
"Leave" punch "Ralph" punch "alone" punch "jackass!" But before he could land his last punch, a teacher grabbed him under the arms and pulled him off of the bully.
"That is enough!" Said the white feline teacher holding the enraged Wolf back from the bully with the bloody nose.
"Call Mrs. Miller!" She called to another teacher over the mass of scattering students who didn't want to get in trouble.
"Billie?" She heard a feminine voice calling.
She looked around at the blackness she was engulfed in and saw a strange figure moving in it.
"Wake up!" She heard the voice call as a chill spread through her bones.
Billie's head shot off of her pillow; her hair bunched up and tangled every which way and she looked over at the big pair of green eyes looking down on her.
"You know Billie if you are going to sleep all day you should at least sleep in your ship so I don't have to tip-toe around you…" Said a pretty blue peacock through a sleek black avian smile that tugged up at the edges of her mouth.
"Sorry Grace; it was pouring last night and... wait, I don't have to explain myself to you!" Billie said tossing her pillow at the blue bird that had turned around to snoop through a desk drawer.
Grace let it hit her in the shoulder without even flinching.
"And why are you digging through my crap?" Billie said tossing herself back onto the bed.
Grace didn't answer; Billie just stared on in aggravation. Now it is important to note that in the world of avians, the males were always colored more brightly; and with more distinguishing feathers. Particularly with peacocks the males were always so vibrantly blue with those intense green feathered tails. Grace, had a blue face that made her green eyes stand out well, however past her shoulders and chest her feathers became a coco brown color, and although her tail was considerably smaller and less vibrant than that of a males, her hair was a rather luscious brown with two of those trademark peacock eye feathers trailing off to the left side of her face.
Grace always wore blue; to try and make up for the lack of it over her body. Her tail was a deep black that matched her ashen black avian legs which Billie always thought were her best feature. In combat Grace would rely mainly on martial arts involving kicks, which is why she had to cover her long lovely legs all the time with her steel-toed combat boots.
Billie let out a long sigh and shot up, she needed a shower anyways. On the way out of the room she gave grace a slap on the back of the head for not answering her.
Grace had bumped into Billie on the job… they were both after the same bounty; while the guy tried to get away during their argument they both beat the shit out of him and really hit it off. Billie had been wanting to move her main base of operations so I would have no way of locating her… after our little spat her nightmares had returned worse than ever; I suppose that was what unnerved her more than anything. Billie always had to run from her troubles; ever since she was a child. But that is neither here nor there. She had been running back and forth from her old base moving her things; and she was edgy because she was hoping that I wouldn't show up there one day looking for her… well, the little argument we had; was not the last time we spoke. Not to mention trying to take Grace the much younger less skilled bounty hunter under her wing was another task in itself.
"Grace I've told you; if we are going to be living under one roof you are gonna have to stop rifling through my shit!" Billie said snatching her comb up and dragging it through her wet locks.
"But you said you would show me your tech!" She said through hopeful emerald eyes.
"And you never even told me if about how the rendezvous with your man on the inside went. Was the info good?" Grace said still looking for the chip.
"It's in my ship if you are still looking for it there; and I have to go get more of my stuff…" Billie concluded walking out of the room.
"Hey! Billie that's not fair we are supposed to do everything 50/50, remember?" Grace called after her with feathers ruffled in aggravation.
"I said 70\30…" Billie called from the bathroom.
"Well we agreed on 60\40!" Grace banged on the door in a huff.
"Who the hell said 50\50 then?" Billie asked with a giggle.
"Radical Billie my ass…" Grace mumbled crossing her feathered arms.
"Oh, I'm sorry; what nickname did they give you?" Billie said emerging from the bathroom fully dressed.
"Gee… I can't remember ANYTHING." Billie said with her finger on her chin, her ears bent back and her eyes looking up in sarcastic thought.
"Uck!" Grace said as her plumage popped up in annoyance.
Bounty hunters never could get along very well… Grace mostly put up with Billie because she was a damn gold mine at the time. Plus; back in those days every bounty hunter on Corneria would give an arm and a leg to be trained by the famous bounty hunter who came from somewhere outside of Lylat; that was the only truth to any of the rumors that swarmed about her.
The bounty hunter in question had not changed her fashion sense in the least for about 50 years. In her black buckled combat boots and matching black and white casuist she made her way out to her baby. She grabbed a tattered black hood that wrapped around her neck like a scarf and slung it over her ears as she made her slow stride; the hood cast a decent enough shadow over her face that she could completely black it out with shadow lace if she needed to not be recognized.
"Awww did you miss me? I missed you too baby…" She said listening to engine roaring to life.
Every time Devin's old engine came to life she could feel her own energy pulsating through the machine giving it her own breath of life; it truly was her baby.
"So what am I supposed to do while you're gone?" Grace said looping her hair around one feathered finger looking rather bored.
"I don't care; as long as it doesn't involve going through my stuff…" Billie said as her canopy came to a close.
"Wolf I'm happy that you decided to walk your little friend to class; but this can't continue…" Said the principal; a white Scottie in a bad plaid suit.
"He started it!" Wolf cried in his defense.
The white cat standing next to the principals desk looked at him and as she spoke;
"It's true; my student Ralph told me all about it-"
"Yeah, and you guys didn't do nuthin' about that asshole!" Wolf spat crossing his arms.
"WOLF O'DONNELL!" He heard a loud angry voice say.
He turned around with wide eyes and saw Charlie standing in the doorway.
"Boy how many time have I told yah not to be usin' language like that?!" She said marching up to him and giving him a little slap on the back of the head.
"Sorry Charlie…" He gruffed rubbing his head.
"Sit down Miss Miller…" The principal said getting up and gesturing with his arm.
"Now Wolf is right, nothing was done before because Ralph refused to talk about what he saw-"
"Because he's scared!" Wolf argued getting angrier.
"Calm down…" Said the feline teacher in a soothing way placing a hand on Wolf's shoulder.
"However…" The principal continued clearing his throat. "In light of recent events, we are going to be suspending the other student involved; and we have told his parents about his behavior. But that doesn't change the fact that you were involved therefore you will be going home early today…"
Charlie let out a sigh of relief, and the white cat pointed to her watch looking at the Scottie and clicked on her very high heels out of the room.
"Now Mr. O'Donnell; while it's a good thing you were trying to help Ralph I must ask you… not to get yourself sent to my office again. Understand?"
Wolf just slumped down in his chair feeling the unfairness of it all sink in.
"Mr. O'Donnell?" The principal pressed.
"Got it…" Wolf said flatly.
Charlie walked with Wolf down the blocks back to the house.
"Boy; you sure do attract alota trouble." She said with a boisterous laugh.
"I had to do something!" Wolf said looking up to his guardian.
"Ralph still won't talk to the other kids… and they keep picking on him for it."
"So what are you gonna to do boy? Fight all of his battles for him?" She said realistically.
"No! But yah can't rely on adults for help! I'm trying to teach him to stick up for himself."
"By fighting all of his battles for him?"
Wolf stopped in his tracks realizing how stupid it sounded.
"Wolf, you're still the only person he speaks to; not the other boys, not even to me. And when people come looking to adopt; they don't want to choose Ralph because of that. If you really want to help him, show him how to start speaking to others…how to be more open to the world around himself." Charlie said putting a hand on Wolf's back and pushing him along.
"I'll… try…" Wolf said realizing how right Charlie was.
"But as my own personal form of punishment… You are going to be doing chores until the other boys get home." She said with a big grin.
But Wolf was distracted by a whizzing sound; he looked up overhead and saw a weird ship flying overhead. It was black and white and didn't look like an Arwing at all, it didn't even sound like an Arwing. Then it zoomed on into the distance and was gone.
"You listenin' boy?" Charlie said pulling him out of the thought.
"Yeah…" He said wondering where that ship had come from. It was not Cornerian standard issue at all.
"I wunna be a pilot…" He whispered to himself looking at where it had vanished over the flight academy.
Charlie shook her head looking at the small lupine dream gazing; she never did understand how he had so much trouble getting adopted after all this time. He was a smart kid.
Overhead in the very ship he had admired Billie zoomed forward until the city had turned into jungle below. When the city was small out in the distance, rain began with a drizzle. She hated piloting in the rain, it made it difficult to see and created turbulence; after all, the vehicle she was in really was designed for space.
The rain started to pick up; to thunder down over the jungle in large round drops creating varieties of soothing noises. And after some slight aggravation of piloting through it she came upon her old hidden base and touched down to the soft mud.
Not wanting to get drenched she made a dash from her ship to the side door of the place, and flicked on the lights once she was in. Pulling her hood down with a sigh, she whipped the water off of her tail then looked up. She nearly fell backwards with a yelp of surprise. Clutching the door behind her and her own chest she looked at the figure sitting on her packing boxes and put on an angry; but funny face.
"What are you doing here James?! I didn't see your ship outside? WHY ARE YOU SNEAKING UP ON PEOPLE; WHAT, WHAT, WHAT?" she yelped repeatedly in a fluster.
"If my just sitting here surprised you than I think you've lost a few steps since we last spoke two months ago…"
"Well shit!" Billie said recomposing herself. "I didn't see your Arwing outside."
For a minute they sat and stood as the rain and thunder filled the silence of the room.
"So what are you doing here?" Billie said shooing him off of a packing box.
"Well, I came here a few days ago hoping to patch things up and… saw the moving supplies; you weren't here. I'm embarrassed to say I waited around all day. And as for the reason you didn't see my ship was because I followed you here; I saw you flying over the city and knew that model anywhere."
"Oh…" She said tossing some tools into a metal box.
"So, you have moved some place to get away from me huh?" James said sounding disappointed.
"Not you in particular…" She said honestly; but still trying to be vague.
"Look Billie…" James sighed.
"I'm not joining your band of… whatever you're going to call it." She said quickly.
"It's not about that."
"Oh? Then why are you here?" She said folding up the top of a box full of crap.
Now let me pause it right here… At this point; I knew there was nothing I could do or say to change Billie's mind about moving on. What I didn't tell her was that I had looked into some old records while work was being done on the Great Fox… there had been a bounty hunter by the name of Billie Shade in the Lylat system a few years before… how many years before? Try 30. So at this point I knew there was something strange going on. And frankly, I knew she was going to keep moving and I merely wished to give her a Bon Voyage… Heh… I never was real good with goodbyes though…
"Billie, I just know that…" James looked for the next words; choosing each one carefully as he tried to be vague in his knowledge of her.
"You have managed to get along great all of this time so… wherever you wind up next; I wish you all the luck in the world old friend."
Billie's hands stopped at those words… this really was goodbye for the last time. She turned to say something; but James was already making his way to the front door. And when she opened her mouth to speak, he filled the silence in her stead:
"Just remember; to always follow your instincts. And don't stop moving."
And then James walked out into the rain and out of Radical Billie's life for the very final time. She stood there looking at the door for an amount of time that felt long but she didn't keep track of. She was alone in this world; yet again.
And yet again: it was her own doing.