Hello ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, dogs and cats, dragons of all ages. Welcome to yet another Star Fox fanfic. But you don't want to listen to me ramble, so I'll just leave the rest of what I have to say at the bottom of the page. On with the story!
Ch. 1: Storm on the Horizon
On the toxic and uninhabitable planet of Venom, there is a dark cave. Even during the day the cave rarely received so much as a beam of sunlight. Stalagmites and stalactites hung from the ceiling and jutted out of the ground. The dry air of the Venomian desert blew in through the single entrance of the cave as a dark form emerged from the shadows.
He was a young man, six feet tall with pitch black hair, coal black eyes, and skin as pale as bone. He wore all black clothes with a black floor length coat. His very presence made the hot desert air drop to freezing cold temperatures. He had a demeanor that radiated authority and power. A single glance from him would make a normal man tremble in fear.
He walked into the middle of the cave and turned to the shadows at the back of it, as the the night outside of the cave grew ever darker. He had plans that were unfolding, and the side trip to this cave would probably be a waste of his time. Especially since he was on time, and his summoner was late. And he did not like to kept waiting.
"You summoned me here for a purpose. State your business while I give you the time. I've got other matters that need attending." He spoke into the darkness with a commanding voice that sounded slightly demonic.
Then another figure stepped out of the shadows. This time it was older man with silvery grey hair and black eyes. He was also dressed in black and carried a black cane with a blue crystal skull on top of it. Like the younger man he held an air of power and authority, but also a sense of wisdom gained from experience.
"I summoned you here to advise you against your current choice of actions, Blackheart." He spoke in a dead serious tone.
"And why is that? This star system of Lylat is ripe for the picking. When me and my ally unleash our forces, they will all burn. Then we'll move onto other systems."
"I would not trust this ally of your's. His previous attempts have been failures, and you have nothing to make sure that he does not turn on you."
"Unlike you, I don't need people to sell me their souls to get them to do what I want. Besides, once I conquer this pathetic system, I'll have plenty of souls. One will not matter to me. All he asked is that he rule Lylat when we're done. And I agreed, though I never told him how much of it would be left." He said with a devilish grin. "Besides, the Lylatians do not have any weapon that can harm me, or my fellow demons."
"They may not have the power to defeat you, but The Rider does."
Blackheart's grin immediately faded into a grimace. "The Ghost Rider. What can he do? He is still stuck on Earth."
"No. She is on her way here, to Lylat."
"How?"
"She stole away on board of the ship that left Earth to bring representatives here."
Blackheart took a second before smirking. "Well, she may be in Lylat, but I wonder how the Lylatians will react when they see her change? And besides, I know what happens to them when they first become the rider. She won't be looking for me. She'll be too busy running from herself."
"Suit yourself." Said the old man before he tapped his cane on the ground and disappeared. Leaving behind only a few wisps of black smoke.
Fox was standing in front of his closet, scratching his chin as he pondered what he was going to wear for when the humans arrived. He thought about wearing his combat gear, but that might seem a bit too hostile. Then there was a suit, but he hated those things, they itched too much for his liking. He thought about just wearing a shirt and jeans, but that might be too casual and he had a feeling Pepper wouldn't approve. "I guess it'll have to be the suit."
He personally didn't care enough to go in the first place, but General Pepper had personally asked for him to at least be present for the official welcoming that would occur the following night after they arrived. Fox wasn't entirely sure why it had to be the following night, probably to give their guests a day to get used to living in a different galaxy. He decided he would take the suit. At least he could hide his blaster better in that then in a t-shirt and jeans.
"Daddy daddy daddy!"
Fox turned to see his seven year old son, Marcus, run into his and Krystal's bedroom. He smiled as he reached down and scooped his son up in his hands. He gently threw him up in the air and caught him as Marcus let out a giggle of laughter.
"Hey, sport. How was the trip to the park?"
"It was great! Mommy and me played catch with the frisbee, then I played tag on the playground with the other kids, and then mommy let me have ice cream on the way home."
"Haha, sounds like you had a busy day." Fox chuckled as he set his son back down.
"Marcus! I thought I told you to put your shoes and the frisbee away," came his lovely wife's voice from the kitchen.
"Oh, right." Marcus muttered before sprinting back out of the room.
Fox stepped out of the master bedroom of their home. They had decided to go with warm and cozy rather than large and fancy when picking their house. It only had one floor, plus a basement, with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a two car garage. Fox stepped into the kitchen to find Krystal getting things out to start cooking dinner. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waste as he kissed her cheek. She smiled and turned herself around to kiss her charming husband.
"So what are we having tonight?" Fox asked as the kiss came to an end.
"Steak." She replied simply, but lovingly. There weren't words to describe how much she loved him. Their wedding day was the happiest day in her life, followed closely by the day their son Marcus was born. "So, finally decide what to wear?"
"Yeah, I'm afraid that the suit is the one that was the winner," he answered reluctantly. Krystal was perfectly aware of Fox's hatred for suits. Had their wedding day been anyone else's, he would have worn khaki pants and t-shirt. In fact he had seriously considered wearing those to his own wedding had she not talked him out of it.
"Well, it'll only be for a few hours. While Marcus was playing on the playground, I called Slippy and he said he would watch Marcus while we were gone."
"I'm slightly scared of what those two will do while we're gone." He said with a hint of nervousness in his voice.
"Oh it won't be anything too bad. Last time they only installed a spy ejector seat in your car."
"Yeah, and it nearly killed me the first time. Not to mention made the car rear-end another one."
"That was your fault for pressing the button without asking what it did. And admit it, you loved it."
"Did not."
"Then why didn't you have Slippy un-install it?" She had him there, and she knew it. Of course being a telepath came with those kind of privileges. She read his mind right then and found him searching for a reason to counter her's. When his search of his own mind proved fruitless, he decided to just give in. He almost always lost these kind of arguments with Krystal anyway. "Fine, you win."
"Good, now if you don't mind I still need to get dinner started, or we'll never get to eat."
"Okay," he said softly before lightly kissing her again. He wondered why he had taken so long to ask her to marry him, or to even ask her out for their first date. There was no other person he wanted to spend his life with than her and he would never let her go, never. "I'll go make sure Marcus put his stuff away."
"And have him clean up his room while he's at it. I was in there earlier and the place is a disaster zone." She called out to him as he walked down the hall.
Later that day several thoughts swam their way through Fox's mind. All of them about the humans who would be coming. After the Aparoids, Lylat was in a state of peace for eight years. Now, they learned that they weren't the only intelligent race in the universe. It was in fact the humans that had found them. A month ago a deep-space ship had warped into the outer edge of Lylat. It took them some time to establish a solution to the language barrier, but everything went fairly smoothly after that. It was a bit odd though, apparently Lylatians were "humanoid" versions of animals commonly found on their planet, Earth.
The humans hadn't attacked them when they first came into contact with them, which was a good thing. The humans were wanting peace between their two systems as were the Lylatians, but something was amiss in Fox's gut. He always got this feeling when something big was about to happen. He got it right before Andross attacked and he got it right before the Aparoids as well. He wasn't sure if the humans were involved, but something bad was coming. There was a storm on the horizon.
Jennifer Kale was not your average eighteen year old girl. Unlike most girls her age in the year 2058 she liked doing things with her hands. Wether it was sports, building with LEGO's, or working on her Harley-Davidson 720; she liked having the hands-on experience. Other girls would call this weird, since they did everything on their computer-glasses. The designer models instead of the bland old stock brands of course.
She was five foot six with golden blonde hair that was tied back into a pony tail with her bangs covering the left of her two ice blue eyes. She had rosy pink lips and her skin held a slight tan from playing sports and working on her bike in the sun. She had an athletic figure with a thin but well toned body.
Right now she watching from a distance as her former boyfriend prepared to leave for the spaceport. He had tried to get back with her but she had been extremely distant for the past month and their only contact had been school or an occasional text. Both of which she fervently tried to avoid. She never answered his calls, because she knew he could get her to spill her secrets to him if they spoke long enough. She still loved him, but she knew their relationship would never work.
Her ex-boyfriend, Jason Rogers, had been chosen to be one of several human representatives who would be sent to the newly discovered Lylat system. His ship left tonight and she had no idea when she would see him again. She had to speak to him, even if it was just to say goodbye. She couldn't have him leave on the cold shoulder she had given him. He deserved better than that.
She kick-started her bike and drove down the hill. She pulled up to his house and stopped right behind his Harley 720. Their bikes were identical in every way except for their respective names had been painted onto the side. Their parents had bought them for their seventeenth birthdays. They had blue flake paint with leather seats, and black leather saddlebags. Jason's had a suitcase strapped to the back of it.
Jason himself was crouched next to his bike organizing whatever stuff he had in one of the saddlebags. He had auburn hair that was was messy and naturaly curved over to his left. He had almond brown eyes that could either give off a glow of warmth, or a burn of anger. His skin held a faint tan like hers did. He was wearing a red short sleeved t-shirt, blue jeans, and black boots. His blue leather jacket with red and white detailing and a silver star on the back, was lain across the seat of his bike. Jennifer knew that if he had been standing up he would have been six foot three with a muscular build. She even caught herself staring at his muscular arms that were bare from his shirt. He was more than just a good looking guy though. He was an honorable, gentle, courageous, and caring person. You wouldn't want to have him as an enemy though. He was more than capable in a fight, and wouldn't back down from one if challenged.
"Hey there." She spoke up. Jason froze upon hearing her voice. He closed his saddlebag and looked at the source of the all too familiar voice. Sure enough, there was his former girlfriend. She was sitting on her bike staring at him with the one crystal ice blue eye that was visible. She was wearing the same attire that she always wore these days. Black. Black leather boots, black jeans with studded knee pads, black fingerless leather gloves with little dull studs on the back of the hand and fingers, and a black t-shirt. The t-shirt was worn under a black leather jacket with steel spiked shoulder pads, and sewn in elbow pads. Not to mention the silver steel biker chain wrapped over her left shoulder and across her chest.
He remembered the days before she wore those clothes. She used to wear the exact opposite colors. She originally kept her bangs out of her eyes as well. She used to wear white sneakers, white jeans, and white leather jacket over a light blue shirt that complemented her eyes perfectly. In his eyes she looked like an angel. The way her golden hair would sway as she walked. The sparkle that was ever present in her blue eyes. She was soft and loving, but had a tough and determined nature underneath.
Then that day came, the day that everything changed. For Jason, it started out as a normal day. Until he saw her that is. He was waiting to meet up with her in the hallway of school like he always did. Then everyone seemed to part to either side of the hallway, and it soon became obvious why. Jason had to take a second glance, but sure enough it was Jennifer. She was dressed in all black and had her bangs covering her left eye. Her normally cheerful nature that radiated sunshine, had changed into a dark and foreboding one that cast shadows everywhere she went.
Jason couldn't help it as his eyes travelled up and down her figure out of a mixture of shock and amazement. He couldn't deny it, she was hot. Yes, she looked that way before, but this was just...different. She walked up to him and he didn't even notice that his mouth had fallen open. He just stood there, staring at her and gaping like a fish out of water.
"J-Jennifer...w-wha..." She just glanced down at her feet before taking a deep breath and looking straight into his eyes before stating coldly. "It's over."
"W-what's over?"
"We are."
"W-what?" He asked in unbelief. This couldn't be happening. Why was this happening? He'd just bought a ring yesterday so he could propose to her.
"I'm dumping you alright!" She yelled, tears starting to form in her eyes. "Our relationship isn't going to work, so I'm ending it alright!"
She then turned and stormed off down the hall, leaving Jason in a state of greater shock than before. He chased after her, but no matter what, she just gave him the cold shoulder. That night he just sat in his room, staring at the engagement ring he held in his hand. A life with Jennifer had been his dream, and it had just been shattered.
Jason brought himself back to real time, staring at the love of his life. They just stayed that way, staring at each other until Jason broke the silence.
"So...one month of the cold shoulder and now just before I leave the galaxy you start to warm back up." He couldn't help the annoyance that was laced into his voice.
"Look, Jason." She started dejectedly. "I know I ended things rather abruptly. And that I've been rejecting you this past month. But, I just wanted to end this on a better note than we did. I don't want you leaving the solar system and hating me."
"I don't hate you. I just feel like I deserve a bit more explanation than 'We're not working goodbye.'" He said waving his hand to emphasize the ending.
"I know. It's just...it's complicated."
"Jenn, whatever it is I will understand." He told her desperately. If things could be fixed, than he wanted to fix them.
"No you won't." She said firmly. "I just thought you deserved for me to tell you goodbye before you left and I never see you again."
"I deserve to know just why our relationship failed! And what do you mean 'never see me again?' I'm coming back in a year, but you say it like I'm not coming back at all."
"It's not that I don't think you'll be coming back. It's just...goodbye Jason. I hope you have a good time in Lylat. Be safe." He thought he heard her mutter something, but she revved up her bike and drove off. So, now with more questions that he had before, he went back to packing for his trip.
Jennifer rode along the empty highways for hours, lost in thought. The highway was usually filled but the launch of earth's representatives to Lylat had everyone at home watching it on TV. She thought back to how her final conversation with Jason. She wished that it could have gone better. But sometimes there is no good way to have those conversations. She hoped he hadn't heard the final words she whispered to him. She hadn't intended to say them, but they just slipped out.
"I love you."
Those words echoed through her mind as she drove down the highway at twice the posted speed limit. The air rushed past her face and blew through her hair. She didn't mind, she was suffering too much from her hurting heart to care. Breaking up with Jason had been the hardest thing she had ever done. Everyday her heart yearned and pleaded with her to go running into his arms and kiss him.
But she knew it would never work out. Not since she learned what she was one month ago. The curse would never allow them to have a life together. She was tempted to try, but she was too scared that he would reject her once he learned what she was. She would rather walk willingly into the shadows and know that he still had feelings for her, rather than be cast out, unloved, into the darkness.
She pulled off of the highway and into the industrial area. She drove past several warehouses and factories before stopping in front of an abandoned warehouse where they used to build trucks. She looked at the sky and noted that the sun had almost set. She dreaded what would be coming next, when darkness finally set upon the world. It had been a month, but it never got any easier, or less painful.
She unlatched the gate to the iron chain link fence that surrounded the grounds and pushed it open. She got back on her bike and drove onto the warehouse grounds. The warehouse doors were open and she drove straight inside before stopping in the center of the warehouse. She looked around and the place was abandoned as always. Chains hanging from the ceiling lifts. Several sheets of metal forsaken to rust. An old truck engine laying in the corner of the giant steel building.
Jennifer tried to dismount her bike, but she couldn't. She tried to let go of the handle bars but her hands were stuck to them like they had been welded to there. Suddenly, her bike's engine revved on its own. There was only enough time before what happened next for Jennifer to think one thing.
"Oh no. Not again."
There was a loud high pitched SCREECH that echoed through out the warehouse as the back tire of her bike spun out of control. Tire smoke billowed out from the back of the bike as the aroma of burnt rubber filled the air. Her bike's brakes automatically released and she shot off and out of the warehouse. Her bike was under its own control as it drove out of the grounds and back onto the highway. Her bike pulled itself up into a wheelie as the tires burst into flame. Her entire environment turned into one large blurred image as her bike accelerated to insane speeds and left a trail of fire in its wake.
She didn't even realize she was being driven to the spaceport until it was too late. Her bike slowed down enough for to make out the shape of the representatives transport on the runway and read the words Stark Industries on the side. She noticed light coming from the back of it, as the crew finished loading the cargo bay. Her bike pulled her around till she was stopped fifty yards away from the back of the open cargo hold.
Her bike revved its engine in anticipation, like it was daring the ship in front of it to make a move. The cargo hatch started to lift up and close. Seeing exactly what it was waiting for, Jennifer's bike accelerated a towards the ship. At this speed Jennifer would crash into the transport and be vaporized. Her bike then sharply turned itself sideways and went from two-hundred to zero in point-five seconds flat. At the same time it released its magnetic hold on Jennifer, launching her off of the bike, through the air sideways, and into the cargo hold.
Her body made contact with the steel floor and momentum kept her rolling. She was stopped as her stomach made contact with the rear wheel of Jason's bike, which had been strapped down tight. She lay there for a few moments to catch her breath and regain her bearings. She then got up just as the cargo hold's doors finished closing.
Had this been another time, she would have wondered how her bike had gotten her past security. Or why it didn't come along with her. Or why and how her bike had a mind of its own in the first place. But she had stopped asking those kinds of questions a few weeks ago.
She looked around at her surroundings. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all solid steel. Cargo netting was draped on the walls and from the ceiling, holding several suitcases, bags, and small crates. Right behind her was Jason's bike, and to the left of that was a cherry red 1962 Corvette convertible. In front of the two before mentioned vehicles was a navy blue SUV. To the right of the room were several large crates.
Jennifer had to steady herself as the floor beneath her shook. They must have been preparing for takeoff. Looking around for someplace to go, she spotted a hiding spot in the cargo netting hanging from the roof. It was up in the corner, and had several spare cargo nets for her to hide herself in. She then put her athletic background to work as she quickly hustled to scale the side netting and reach the ceiling. The cargo netting proved troublesome at times, but only for a second. She reached the top and pulled herself into the roof netting.
She could feel things move around a bit more as the ship prepared to leave the atmosphere. She strapped, or rather tangled, herself in as best she could. She felt the ship sharply curve up and the entire room started shaking. She could sense rather than feel the g-forces being exerted. G-forces had literally no effect on her since whatever speed this ship could go up to and no matter how sharp of turns it could make; her bike had driven ten times as fast and made even sharper turns.
After several minutes of shaking and the rattling of her brains, it all stopped. Jennifer could feel the weightlessness that meant they were in space. She partly untangled herself from the netting, but still had her legs weaved into the netting so she wouldn't just drift off. She "leaned back" and relaxed as the ship would undoubtedly be making its warp jump to Lylat.
"Well, at least I get to go a night without Rider coming out."
So there's chapter one. What do you guys think so far? The inspiration for this came from fellow writer Order and Chaos' one-shot, Kurse of the Erinyes. I read it and wrote a review for it, then O&C replied to it and mentioned that Erinyes was a Greek spirit of vengeance. Which in turn got the gears of my head turning and voila. I can't say how frequent updates will be yet, I'll have to see how updating this as well as one of my other stories at the same time works out.
Also, for those loyal readers whom are reading my other SF fanfic, SF:WWII, and are wondering why I'm writing this instead of updating that. SF:WWII was experiencing some technical difficulties that just got fixed last night, so the next chapter should be updated soon...ish. I'll include a more detailed description for why the delay when I update it.
So, remember to feel free to write a review. They are appreciated. :) Until next time.
Wolffury out.
