AN – Hello ladies and gentleman to another one of my works. I'm sure many of you are disappointed that this isn't an update to 'The Rogue Soul'. But rest assured despite my muse's little detour with this story, I'm STILL writing 'Rogue' so do not fret. Think of this story as an intermission to sate your palates until I finish 'Rogue', as well as to let you know that I'm still alive and kicking...or writing as the case may be.
As far as the creation of this story is concerned...it kinda started off with me just wiki hopping and ending up reading some Star Fox pages. One thing led to another and my muse was soon up in arms about the storyline created for Star Fox: Command. More specifically the beginning with Krystal and Fox, along with endings: 3 (The Angler Emperor) and 4 (Star Wolf Returns).
This mostly came about because in my opinion the situation Fox and Krystal were in was not only something a LOT more complex than what the storyline of Command had NOT given nearly enough justice to. But also because their situation touched me personally...in a way I shall not go into.
However because of these reasons, my muse mutinied and wouldn't let me concentrate until I got some closure on the whole Krystal x Fox situation...and this was the end result. A result that I feel is a reasonably realistic ending (as well as one I'd prefer) to all of the drama surrounding this rather obvious (if adventure and assault are any indication) couple.
Summary: This story takes place six years AFTER command and follows the events of the 4th ending to the game, making Fox 35 and Krystal 28. This is NOT an epic, merely a 1-shot I decided to split to make a short story.
If you don't know the storyline behind the star fox but want to know because you're a fan of my work I suggest you read the wiki pages...specifically for Krystal and Fox...they explain it well enough. Or can look up pages dealing with Star Fox: Command.
Anyway enough notes, here is the first chapter of 'New beginnings: A Tail of Redemption', enjoy.
P.S - Would like to thank Kitty my pseudo beta-reader for assisting me with the title and a few bits of the story (needed a woman's perspective). Oh...and I don't own Star Fox...if I did...Command wouldn't exist.
STAR FOX - normal speech
STAR FOX - thinking
Chapter 1: The Search
"How long had it been since that fateful day in which I made the biggest mistake of my life? A week? A year? A decade? No matter the true time, it felt like eternity to me...for me to feel this pain...this suffering...for my foolish, selfish mistake. I now had no one else to rely on...Slippy my engineer, was happily married living on Aquas with his children and wife Amanda. Falco the ace pilot and my best friend, had made his own mercenary team 'Star Falco' and soared the skies with more popularity than even Star Fox had ever gotten. Peppy...oh Peppy...one of the best pilots and the wisest furry I ever knew, my closest confidant. He had been dead for some time...how I wish he or my parents were here to give me the guidance I so desperately wish to have. But in truth I only have myself to blame for...everything. To blame for losing the most important furry in my life...I missed them all, but none as much as HER."
The hooded figure's melancholy thoughts were brought to a halt when he came to his destination...a bar named THE CLAW on some backwater world called Kew. While normally he'd avoid such low-brow places as this, it was the fact it was low-brow that brought him there. If you needed information, and didn't have the ties to get it under normal circumstances these were the types of places to go. The figure entered the loud, unkempt establishment and went straight for the bar.
"Wha'cha want?" The reptilian bartender questioned roughly.
"Your stiffest drink and some information." The figure's once strong voice, now only scratchy and low answered.
The bartender nodded and began making the drink, as the figure shifted through his cloak before pulling out a warn-out picture...one that was clearly torn in half. He stared at the picture, as if it was a gift from Inari himself. Though the figure would certainly say WHO he was looking at WAS very much a gift from the fox god.
A glass was placed next to him before the bartender spoke. "Here ya go...the claw...named after the bar as you might guess."
The figure made no response to the reptile's words, and simply moved to grab the glass which had a black liquid swishing around in it. He grabbed the glass and immediately downed the drink, coughing soon after making the bartender laugh.
"You must be a robot to have balls of steel to have downed that drink like that." He joked, before leaning over to see what had the figure's undivided attention, before he smirked knowingly. "Heh I should have guessed THAT instead...a broken heart will ALWAYS dull common sense." He stated sagely.
The figure immediately looked up, causing the bartender to take a step back when a set of cold, almost lifeless emerald eyes glared at him.
"Shut up!" The figure snarled, before shoving the picture in his face. "Have you seen this furry?" His voice holding an edge that told the reptile not to speak his mind again.
The barkeep grabbed the picture and examined it for a minute or two...far longer than the figure wanted...obvious by his fidgeting fingers wanting to gab it back. After he saw the reptile look up, he snatched the picture and waited for an answer.
Had the figure not scared him so much, the bartender might have laughed at his obsessive actions. "I'm sorry to say that I haven't seen who ever that is..." He answered confidently, only to get a look of disbelief from the figure. "...hey, have you looked around lately? This isn't exactly a place that a furry like her would be seen in. A furry as beautiful as that would be hard to forget...even for a vixen." He explained, and got an understanding nod from the figure before he pocketed the picture.
"Can't agree with you more." His voice now back to how it had been when he first entered. "Keep the change." He ordered slamming a few bills on the table.
The reptile swiped the cash, not arguing over the extra money. "Hey!" He called out making the figure stop a moment before he exited the bar. "Good luck finding her, heartbreak...is a terrible thing." He finished trying to support a furry who was plagued by one of the oldest problems known in existence.
The figure nodded slightly before leaving, heading back to his ship to go to the next stop on Kew for information. He strolled slothfully thanks to his heavy heart and dimmed hopes, until his ears twitched at hearing a scream.
"I said you're not gonna get me you bitch!"
Just then a white furred Husky was thrown into the street from a nearby alley. The figure knew this was commonplace for a slum like this, and prepared to leave when something...blue...caught his eye. Out of the same alleyway a furry in a dark maroon and red spacesuit and helmet jumped out, now crouching in front of the dog. As soon as the Husky saw his would-be captor he scrambled to his feet and ran in the opposite direction. The bounty hunter as the figure assumed from the situation, took no time to rush after him. What forced the figure to take even greater interest...so much so he actually gasped, was the puffy tail of the bounty hunter...more specifically the color. It was a dark royal blue...a color that was so rare to furries it immediately made his heart beat twice as fast.
"I...It can't be..." He stuttered, his body moving almost on it's own now running after the pair.
He was nearly hyperventilating at the possibility as he zigzagged around buildings following the chaos the hunter and prey created. He turned another corner, but stopped when the chaos abruptly stopped.
"No...no...please no..." He pleaded while scanning the surrounding area, and as if his pleas were answered, he spotted the remnants of royal blue disappear behind a building a block away.
He never felt himself run as fast as he had just then in his life, he turned the corner hoping to find another clue. However that proved to be a mistake as he skidded to a halt with the barrel of a blaster now pointing right down his shadowed muzzle. He rose his arms in surrender before quickly surveying the scene, the Husky was slumped against the wall of the building knocked out. His gaze turned back to the bounty hunter, now able to get a better view, he realized the hunter was female by the subtle hourglass figure she held that was accentuated by her spacesuit. He had been faced with death before, so this situation wasn't new to him...however never more in his life did he wish to survive an encounter like his. Not for himself though, to live so he could finally find the vixen he so desperately looked for and tell her all the things he NEEDED to say.
"Tell me why you are following us..." A muffled but clearly feminine voice questioned from within the helmet, before the figure's hood was pulled back by the blaster barrel. "...Fox McCloud." The voice addressed as the famous visage of the Star Fox leader now came to light.
The now identified mercenary leader, looked nothing like himself back in the Lylat wars or even Aparoid invasion. His once shining and smooth fur was now disheveled, and dull...with his fur looking more like a muddy brown and light brown hue rather than his natural tan and white respectively. His once kind, and confident eyes now seemed glazed over with depression, and misery. It was clear to anyone who had known him, he had given up ALL but the most basic types of personal hygiene. Obvious by the fact that despite his looks he didn't smell like one would think he might.
The click of the blaster made him refocus on the problem at hand. "I...apologize for following you..." He started, before his shoulders slumped now realizing the furry before him wasn't who he was looking for. "...you, just reminded me of someone...someone I'm looking for. I thought you might have been her because you two look similar." He explained.
The helmet tilted to the side in question. "Who?"
As slowly as the female would allow him, Fox shifted in his cloak and took out the photo.
He handed it to the female to look at it. "Her name is Krystal McCloud..." He explained before a sad chuckle escaped his throat making the bounty hunter's entire body stiffen slightly, though he failed to see it. "...or that's what I wish I could say...her true name is simply Krystal" He sadly corrected.
The hunter gave the picture back. "And why are you looking for her?"
Despite himself, Fox's expression hardened, showing that beneath all of his changes he was still a dangerous warrior. "That is a personal matter." He growled out.
The hunter merely chuckled. "My blaster says otherwise." She countered, emphasizing the point by pressing the barrel tip between his eyes.
Had this been during the the Apariods or prior, Fox's pride would have taken over with fists or lasers already flying. However at this point in his life pride was a useless idea, one that he didn't want nor need.
He held his tongue, before calming down to speak. "I'm looking for her to rectify a terrible mistake I had made, and to uphold a promise that I selfishly broke." He explained, the melancholy in his voice hinting at the truth behind his words.
Silence reigned for a minute, as the hunter stared at Fox, while Fox was lost in his own thoughts. Suddenly the blaster was back in the female's holster, with Fox's green eyes dilating in recognition of the movement, and put his hands down.
"By the way I wanted to ask...how did you know who I was?" He was a bit surprised that the hunter recognized him so quickly.
The hunter laughed at his question while she tied her prey up. "Who doesn't know the great Fox McCloud...leader of the famous Star Fox team...savior of Lylat?" She answered, an undercurrent of venom in her voice.
Fox actually blushed at the compliment...something he hadn't done in a very long time. Back then he never thought so highly of himself, he was simply doing the job his employer asked him to. Though as he heard them now...they stung his heart...because he would have thrown all that praise to the way side if he could have what he truly wanted instead.
"I...suppose...that's true..." He uncomfortably agreed, before changing the subject. "...who is he?"
Considering there were only three furries around, it was obvious who he was asking about. "Just a bounty that I'm going to collect on...his name is unimportant now." She answered monotonously...her attention clearly on making sure the Husky was restrained properly.
Nodding to herself at the job, she began pulling the dog up. "Would you like some help getting him to your ship?" She heard Fox offer.
The helmet turned to him. "And why are you trying to help me?" She countered suspiciously.
Fox was taken aback by the question...in truth he didn't have a reason, it was simply his nature to try and help his fellow furries. Though he would admit help of this non-mercenary nature he tended to only offer to females. As he thought about why he had asked, nothing really came to mind, until he once again saw the hunter's blue tail.
"I...was hoping maybe I could ask you if in your travels you may have seen Krystal...or know someone who might have...or better yet know where she currently is."
The female stared at him for a moment considering the offer, before moving down to the dog's tied feet.
"Grab the other end...my ship is only a few blocks in spaceport X1" She ordered.
Fox was a bit surprised she had accepted it, but didn't look a gift horse in the mouth, and hefted up the dog's upper body before the pair were off. After several minutes of traveling in silence Fox finally broke it.
"So...I never got your name." The hunter turned to look at him for a moment before turning back, Fox easily got the hint. "Ok...so then..."
"Kursed" Her voice cut him off, startling him a bit at her belated answer.
"Right...so...uh...Kursed, do you remember ever seeing Krystal or knowing someone who may know where she might be?"
Right after he asked, they turned the last corner of a building to reach the spaceport, where Kursed's ship lay in wait.
"No" She answered, moving closer and closer to her ship.
Fox slumped at the news, his ear's lying flat showing his sadness. "I see...thank you anyway." He whispered.
They reached her ship, and placed her prisoner on board. As they were preparing to part ways, Fox stood at the base of the platform entrance of her ship, while Kursed stood at the top. They stared at one another, though for Fox it was because at that moment his mind's eye placed a translucent form of Krystal atop Kursed, their forms and curves matching almost perfectly.
"Was that all the business you had with me McCloud? I wish to get my money as soon as I can." Kursed's slightly annoyed voice pulled him back to reality.
Fox shook his head, though was still disturbed by his hallucination. "Y...Yes." He affirmed, and saw her hand raise to close the platform. "W...Wait!" He shouted suddenly, causing her hand to stop as it gripped the lever. "I...I have a request."
Had her helmet been off, Fox would have seen Kursed raise an eyebrow at his last statement.
"What is it?"
Fox fidgeted nervously before he spoke. "M...May I...see your face?"
Kursed herself was taken aback...out of all the things she could think of that he'd ask of her...THAT didn't cross her mind for a moment.
"Why?" Her voice was several degrees colder, with a hint of defensiveness.
Fox smiled a hollow smile, and his gaze seemed to have become wistful. "Because..." He closed his eyes, holding back the tears that Kursed could already see forming at the corners of his eyes. "...at the rate I'm going, I don't think I'll ever find her before I can't search anymore. And of all the furries I've met on all of the planets I've searched...you're the only one that has come so close to looking like her it actually scares me. But in that same vine, I know that if I see your face...the face of someone who looks so much like her, it'll give me the strength my heart is slowly losing to keep the search up...but more importantly...my hope to find her." He explained, opening his eyes and looking directly into the helmet's visor. "Please...Kursed...will you show me?" He asked again, his voice full of sorrow, it sounded like the begging of a furry at the end of their rope.
Once again they shared a long look, Fox waiting with baited breath of her decision, as Kursed herself weighed her choices. Suddenly her free hand rose up and gripped the bottom of her helmet and slowly pulled it off. As fox watched on his expression grew more and more shocked, his eyes growing wider, his jaw falling farther and farther down. Kursed's violet hair, wrapped in a ponytail, fell down to her shoulder blades when the helmet was completely off.
"B...Beautiful" He stuttered...thinking out loud as he took in the full form of the now identified vixen before him.
Kursed's cheek fur turn a slight shade darker thanks to the blush that forced it's way onto her face. She hated this...hated him, how after so long he still had this 'power' over her...proven just now by her response to his singular word.
Fox on the other hand...felt as if he was once again looking at Krystal...or at least a more serious twin if she had one. She felt so familiar to him...his body trembled at what his eyes saw...he wanted to embrace this vixen and never let go. But he knew...knew by her own admission, 'unique' name, cold, even hostile personality, and her fur color despite the similar base color...that this wasn't the vixen he searched for...yearned for with every fiber of his soul.
"If that was all then..." Kursed's voice brought him back, and he finally locked eyes with her for the first time...his mind was swirling so fast he failed to notice them until now, which made him even more shocked. "...goodbye...Fox." She concluded, pulling the lever making the platform rise.
He knew it...knew it now without a doubt in his mind despite what he had thought only moments before, Kursed...WAS Krystal. Her outer appearance may have changed through the years, even her personality may have grown colder thanks to what he had done to her and her new profession. But there were things you could NEVER change, nor fake...one of them were the eyes. It is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and at this moment it proved to be true to Fox with out a doubt.
He saw Kursed's aqua green eyes...that same beautiful shade he fell in love with. But no matter how cold and neutral Kursed had wanted them to seem to him...he saw past her defenses in those few seconds of eye contact. He could see the hurt...anger...hatred...shame and loneliness that Krystal hid behind her new persona. And if that weren't enough to convince him, than the fact that when she spoke his name for the last time, her tongue must have slipped because he distinctly heard her unique and native Cerinian accent escape her lips. It was an accent that she said only her people had, and was verified by ROB's language database after she joined Star Fox. Combine that with the fact Krystal was Cerinia's lone survivor...it only proved to him more that Kursed truly was Krystal. The blaring of Kursed's engines pulled Fox back from his coma-like shock.
Without another thought he ran up to the hull of her ship. "KRYSTAL!" He screamed, bashing his fists against the hull. "KRYSTAL! WAIT!" He yelled again, his fists smashing even harder against the plating. "KRYSTAL! INARI...PLEASE STOP HER! KRYSTAL!" He howled as loud as he could with fearful tears already staining his fur, his fists now bleeding...but he didn't care, and continued on.
Kursed's engines roared once again, signaling her take off, making Fox choke back a sob and smash his fists against the ship as hard as he could not caring that at least two of his fingers were already broken. The landing gear suddenly lifted a few inches from the ground, making Fox try even harder, though deep down he knew she couldn't possibly hear him now.
"KRYSTAL! PLEASE STOP!" He roared, only to choke with his voice having just given out.
He continued to slam his fists against the hull until the ship began to turn for it's final preparations to ascend into the sky. As much as he would have gladly taken the pain...Fox was forced to jump back as the heat of the engines grew too hot. As he skidded to a stop...all he could do was watch as the vixen he loved more than anything in the universe fly away from him. His knees buckled under the weight of the reality and he dropped to his knees, his emerald orbs watching the ship cut through the clouds. When the ship was out of sight, his upper body fell, his head hitting the ground, his arms hugging his cranium.
"Damn." He cursed lowly. "Damn!" He repeated only louder, panting as he did so. "...damn...Damn...DAmn...DAMn...DAMN!" He now roared despite his hoarse voice, punching the ground, feeling some slight relief from the pain he felt course through his arms. "DAMNIT!" He howled towards the heaven's with all his might.
"Fox" A robotic voice suddenly called out of the communicator on his wrist.
Fox's trembling body suddenly froze at the voice...and almost as if Inari himself had came down and touched Fox giving him his blessing, he came to an epiphany. Without thought Fox scrambled to his feet and pressed his communicator.
"ROB! I WANT YOU TO TRACK ANY HUNTER-CLASS SHIPS THAT HAVE LEFT KEW SPACE IN THE LAST TEN MINUTES. AND I WANT THE TRACKING LIST FIVE MINUTES AGO!" He roared...his voice full of fear, sorrow, desperation and for the first time in a long time...hope.
It was the most excruciating thirty seconds of silence of Fox's life he could remember. His thoughts flew a mile a minute, as he waited and prayed for ROB's scan to finish.
To Fox's happiness he once again heard the robot's voice. "I have completed the scan...fifteen hunter-class ships have left Kew space within ten minutes of your request."
Glee could be seen running through Fox's eyes now. "Ok, tell me are any of them registered to a bounty hunter named Kursed?"
Several seconds passed. "No" The robot answered.
"Figured...she would be too smart for that." Fox thought with both pride and frustration.
He shook his head of the negative thoughts...he had finally found her and that's all that mattered now.
"Ok ROB...I'm coming back to the ship, meanwhile I want you to find which warp-gates those fifteen ships used to determine their destinations."
"Affirmative"
The communication was cut, as Fox just stood there...all of his emotions bubbling within him at once.
"Its so surreal..." He said to himself, as he looked up towards the sky...and for the first time in several years smiled...a true honest smile. "...I've finally found you Krystal. I swear, I won't let you go again." He promised to the wind, before he dashed off to the spaceport where his Arwing was parked.
AN – Well there you have it, the first chapter to my short story, I hope you enjoyed it.
Review if you like.
P.S – If you want a visual as to what Kursed looks like the closest (good) picture I could find (the link is on my author's page) was a picture by *Protator (which CLEARLY means all copyrights to the drawing itself go to him...NOT me). Just imagine her fur being royal blue and her hair being down to her shoulder blades. The DARK blue of her suit is maroon, and the lighter blue is red. As far as the helmet...just imagine 'Master Chief's helmet from Halo in maroon with the gold/yellow visor.
P.P.S – If you want one for Fox...its him in his Star Fox: Assault outfit (with a cloak covering him at the moment obviously), and he just looks like he had a shower but never dried off (bad hair day)...and looking sleep depraved.