Welcome to my newest fic, Star Fox: Last Lap! This will be a fic set in an AU, in a High School in Upper Corneria City. The school's location and students will play a role on how the story pans out, so keep each student's home life in mind while reading; how much money do they have, what's their relationship with their family like, etc.

I don't want to spoil much, only that this fic has no bearing on my previous fics since it's in it's own separate universe, and that this fic takes place during Fox's senior year of High School, hence the name.

Reviews are greatly appreciated, as I do use fan fiction as a way to improve my writing, and constructive criticism is very handy. Follows and favorites are always appreciated as well. But for reviewing, instead of saying, "I like it.", I just ask that maybe you could tell me what you like, since that's more useful to me.

Thank you, and enjoy!

-ThatWinchieGuy

Ever since he was a child, Fox had dreaded the first day of school. That fear always came back every year on that early September morning, when the schedule shifted from sleeping all day to getting up and traveling off to mandatory education. He'd always been told that this education would be necessary by everyone; his late parents, his teachers, his friends' parents. Fox never complained or protested, but deep in his mind sat the stinging feeling of knowing that all of this wouldn't even be considered after he graduated.

Today, however, the fear had been replaced by exhaustion. After nearly 14 years of the same thing, every year, Fox was ready to be done with school today and get on with his life. He groaned as he got up out of bed, his head once again slamming into the low ceiling of his room. Fox didn't care to impress anybody today, so he threw on whatever clothes were nearest to him and began the walk down the stairs.

"One more year, Fox…one more…" Fox sighed to himself, his voice inaudible underneath the creaking of the wooden stairs. Fox ducked his head down to avoid the small overhang, which dropped just over the entrance to the stairway. Peppy and Lucy were already up.

Fox had moved in with Peppy after his father had passed away about 6 years ago. Fox still thought about James McCloud often. Sometimes, he would dream about the same memory, over and over again; the memory of his father teaching him the controls of an Arwing. This dream often reoccurred more than once a week. Sometimes, the monotony was cut up by various new, re-surfacing memories which Fox thought he had forgotten. By now, Fox could easily remember what his father had been like via his dreams.

Fox couldn't say he loved living in the Hare residence, but it was better this than to be alone in some orphanage somewhere.

"Morning…" Fox mumbled, and squeezed himself down into a chair by the tiny table in the kitchen. Everything in the house was built just slightly too small for Fox. Being of a different species than Peppy and Lucy meant that anything you could think of-books, chairs, ceilings, rooms, tables, coffee pots, phones- was designed to be used by hares. Fox was not a hare, and that meant that being large became a daily annoyance for Fox.

"You driving?" Peppy asked, bringing food over to Fox and Lucy. Fox liked to be more independent than most, but he knew Peppy meant well and didn't seem visibly upset.

"Yeah… You want me to drive Lucy?" Fox offered as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Could you? She's a bit excited, by the way." Peppy said, motioning towards his daughter.

"Fox, what's high school like?" Lucy asked, bouncing around in her chair and eating excitedly. Lucy would be a freshman in Fox's high school this year. Fox remembered his own excitement and then utter disappointment on this exact day, three years ago. He debated quickly in his head whether or not to be truthful.

"Well…what do you want to know?" Fox replied.

"Everything!" Lucy exclaimed. Now he was in trouble. Fox never really thought of himself as an influence on Lucy's life, but he knew he was, and that this answer was important. He remembered how happy she'd been to finally have a "big brother" when Fox moved in, ears pressed firmly against his head in depression.

"I think it's something you should experience for yourself." Fox said, not wanting to hurt her feelings by telling her the truth, but also not wanted to lie to her. After he said, this, he focused on his food and Lucy left him alone.

Fox didn't really want to explain high school because it was…well…bland. Fox hated it. At this point, he finally understood why people always had to start fights over petty matters in school; because school would be boring without that "unnecessary," necessary drama. And, even going into senior year- the undisputed easiest year of high school- Fox still felt like he had ages to go before he could slap on that graduation cap and meander up to the podium, pretending that he'd miss all of it. He wouldn't.

Eventually, he'd head into the Cornerian Flight Academy and, most likely, graduate early with his prior knowledge and practical mastery of the Arwing. Then the real world would begin….

Star Fox…

He could see himself sitting in the commander's chair of the Great Fox when he closed his eyes for a short moment.

And then he opened them and he was back in his cramped home. The time came for Fox and Lucy to leave, so Fox stood up- knees bent- and walked out the door to his car. The high school was a few miles down a winding road, which lead to a suburban area just outside the city's limits. Fox liked driving; he liked all forms of transportation, really. Trains, buses, trucks, planes, starships, boats, cars, bikes, motorcycles…he could use all of them, and efficiently. Everything just seemed to click when Fox sat down in a driver's seat.

Fox pulled into the school's parking lot, noticing that Lucy's excitement had been replaced by wide eyes and silence.

"Nervous?" Fox asked.

"Me? No, not at all…" Lucy lied. Along with his affinity to vehicles, Fox had always been able to tell how people were feeling just by looking at them. He supposed he just had a knack for that.

"You sure?"

"What do I do first?" Lucy asked, ignoring Fox's question after realizing her lie had been noticed.

"Just find your friends; they go to this school, right?" Fox asked.

"Yeah…"

"So just go… and have fun. School'd be hell without it." Fox said, clasping his hand onto her shoulder. He felt almost like a dad to Lucy sometimes, even though they weren't related by blood.

"Okay…thanks, Fox." Lucy said, and stepped out of the car.

Fox watched Lucy head inside, and then left to go look for Falco.