It was high noon, and beams were raining down, almost unendingly.
These were not the calm, warming beams of Solar, as much as he would have liked that; nor were they those emanating from a smile, of which none could be found. They were beams of energy, beams that were aggressively emitted from blasters, canons, and rifles. Beams that intended to end his life as they had so many others.
His crew was right there with him, facing the same danger, struggling to stay alive, struggling to save those around them.
Their cover was failing; the enemy was coming slowly closer. It was time to act.
He freed himself from cover, bravely taking down foe after foe as he rolled through unceasing fire. One after another they fell.
His team shouted after him, concerned for their Captain's safety, pleading with him to return to the safety of cover.
He couldn't. He couldn't let this chance go. Their numbers were dwindling. Just a few more and he could break their ranks. A few quick, well placed blasts and their mission would be complete.
He aimed, steady despite the pressure, calm despite the chaos, and continued to lower their numbers.
A shot cut across his leg, but he continued.
His ear singed with pain as another hot burst of energy skimmed past, but still he continued.
A shot pierced through his green flight jacket and bore deep into his arm.
He finally sputtered.
Grabbing his arm, he dropped to the ground and howled with pain.
His team yelled his name, but he couldn't hear them.
Bringing a shaking hand to his face, he could see the blood soaking his fur. Looking down, he could see the blood on the ground, slowly leaking from his arm, his leg...
He turned his head back to his team, each of whom now stood and fired with the same fervor he had shown just moments before.
It suddenly became very cold...
Then it suddenly became very dark...
-Fox McCloud: Initiate Command-
"Mission Report: 'Macbeth Conflict'. Download now?"
After a long, cumbersome yawn, he slowly reached across the desk and retrieved a blank data disk, inserting it into the mainframe with ease shortly after.
In the ensuing silence, his two furry arms clumsily formed a cradle against the back of his head as he turned towards the one window in the room. It was small, but it gave him a perfect view of the black, star-filled vacuum that sat just outside.
He glanced back at the computer, then back into the void of space. Leaning forward in his chair with a heavy sigh, he turned up his sleeve to reveal a long, deep gash that had just recently been stitched. A blaster wound, the worst of several he had received on Star Fox's last mission. He focused on the wound for several seconds, letting his fingers trace the sensitive skin around the injury before he looked once more outside the window.
Between the constant risk of injury and death, the harsh and lonely nature of space, and the tedium of constant and unrelenting work, Fox couldn't help but wonder...
How much longer can I keep this up?
"All finished, Fox?" A voice rang out suddenly from behind, causing the vulpine to turn in his chair rather abruptly.
He gave off a slightly embarrassed smile as he quickly identified the intruder, "Yeah Peppy, just waiting for this file to download."
The vulpine motioned towards the disk as it slowly ejected from the mainframe before picking it up and holding it up in front of him. "How's the crew?"
The old rabbit shook his head, "Couldn't tell ya. I haven't seen them since we left the Great Fox." He paused for a second as he allowed Fox to gingerly rise from his chair, gaining complete stability only after having secured a pair of crutches under his arms, "And don't ask me to find em', this space station's a bit too big for my old bones."
Fox gave off a slight laugh and he slowly hopped forward, "Don't worry, I won't." He somewhat awkwardly pocketed the data disk as he continued forward with his attention straying into the nearby hallway, "I wouldn't mind some exploring though. Take care, Peppy."
The old hare chuckled softly, "I might be fighting against my age, but you've got some serious injuries there. You should be more concerned about yourself, Fox."
"If you can survive an exploding Great Fox covered with Aparoids, I'm pretty sure I can take a few blaster wounds," Fox said with a smirk, "But thanks, I'll be careful."
Peppy shook his head with a smile before turning his attention elsewhere, allowing Fox to slip into the station's clean, metallic white hallways.
A few uniformed animals milled about the large, wide corridor, but besides that, there was little of outstanding interest.
For a while, the vulpine merely hobbled forth with no intention of finding anything. He simply let his mind wander as he did the same. It was a welcome change of pace.
But invariably, as it so often did when he allowed himself to slip into his thoughts, they quickly circled around to their team's newest member.
It's hard to believe it's been close to two years since then. She's come such a long way since joining. Learning all these technologies, how to man all our on-board vehicles, and her telekinesis, wow. We've got out of a lot of bad situations just because of her ability to read animals. She's...pretty amazing. We're all really lucky we found her. And...I'm really lucky just to know her. I gotta make sure not to mess up tonight. Who knows how many chances I'll have at...
"Hey, you're not thinking about Krystal again, are you gimpy?"
Fox quickly snapped out of his thoughts as he heard this voice.
The voice let out an antagonistic laugh through his smug-looking beak, "Ha, put him face to face with the greatest evils in the galaxy and he'll stare em' down without blinking. But females? Just give it up, Fox."
Fox hesitated only momentarily before cumbersomely circling around to face and answer back to his blue-feathered crew mate, "I've got a date with her tonight."
"That's what I've heard," Falco began, his arrogant smirk still clinging strong to his face, "And it only took two years to gather to courage...impressive. Just a tip though, going over the next mission and discussing specs for the next Landmaster model isn't a date. We're on a maintenance station, Fox. What could you possibly do with her?"
"I was going to take her down to the planet, I heard it's nice." Fox began, shifting slightly in his crutches, "It's really primitive, no towns or roads, just nature. I think she'll really appreciate that coming from..."
"Alright, I don't need to hear the details," Falco interrupted, "But good luck to ya, I know it's your first one in a while...or ever." The avian finished with a wry smile.
Fox just shook his head.
"But enough about you, I've got my own plans with a lady tonight. And before you ask, no, I didn't pay for her."
Fox couldn't help but laugh along to this, "As if that's what I was going to say. Who is she?"
"An old friend, you know her from the Academy. Katt. Katt Monroe. She helped us out in the Lylat Wars."
The vulpine nodded, but with a confused expression on his face, "Katt? Why is she here?"
Falco crossed his arms and shrugged, "Apparently she's on some freelance mission for Corneria. I wasn't really paying attention when I talked to her earlier."
"Any plans?" Fox asked.
"Bar." Falco said simply.
Setting his crutches aside, the vulpine slowly sat down on his bed aboard the Great Fox before slowly and painfully reaching down to his leg. He held up the syringe once more, double checking the fluid levels before inserting the needle into his calf muscle, gradually injecting the serum into his leg with a slight grimace.
Removing the syringe from his leg, he lingered in that hunched over position, letting the liquid course through his veins before sitting up once again, setting the needle onto the nightstand next to his bed. With a sigh, he slowly stretched his injured leg straight out a few times, adjusting to the pain. Pain that would be much greater without the stimulants he was now on.
He looked over to his crutches, but quickly decided against using them, choosing instead to stand under his own strength. With a painful expression he stood, taking a few painful steps before slowly falling back into the safety of his bed.
And for several minutes, he laid in that position. Face up, eyes closed, full of frustration.
He hated his crutches, he hated not being able to sleep because of the pain, he hated the stims, and he hated this weak, helpless feeling.
Bringing his hands to his eyes and rubbing them deeply, he reminded himself it was for the team, for Corneria...for the good of the entire universe.
But what about...me?
A gentle ringing sound suddenly echoed throughout the Captain's Quarters, followed by a soothing computerized voice, "Transmission for Fox McCloud, Code 72-4."
The vulpine stood up as quickly as he could, limping the short distance to the computer terminal at his desk. Sitting down in front of it, he pressed a small, blinking green button, allowing an image onto the screen in front of him.
"Hi Fox."
"Krystal," He began with a genuine smile, "Hi…how are you doing?"
The blue furred vixen shook her head with a chuckle, "I believe I'm the one who should be asking that question, Fox."
The vulpine hung his head with a smirk, "You don't know how much I enjoy hearing that every single minute of my life lately."
"I'm just concerned, I want you to get better, Fox."
He nodded, "I know, I know, thanks. I do appreciate it...really. I'm feeling a little better every day."
Krystal grinned coyly in response, "That's wonderful to hear. And to answer your question..." She paused slightly as her expression softened, "I'm doing well, and am very much looking forward to seeing you later. I hear the planet is a beautiful place."
Fox gazed into the monitor for a few seconds before answering back, "That might be true, but it probably won't hold a candle to my beautiful date."
She looked away slightly with a flattered smile, "You've been rehearsing that, haven't you?"
Fox laughed, "All night, actually. Talking to myself in the mirror for hours on end paid off I guess."
Krystal could only laugh along with Fox at these words.
"I'll see you in the docking bay in two hours, alright? I'll try out some of my other lines when we meet up." Fox continued.
With a nod, the vixen replied in a solicitous tone of voice, "I cannot wait Fox. I'll be waiting for you."
A quick wave and the monitor returned to black.
Fox hesitated, still looking at the empty screen, before falling back in his chair.
God she's perfect...
"I don't know Fox, our main canons still don't work." A voice spoke out, echoing slightly in the large, empty hallways, "Me and ROB have been working on it, we just can't find the problem."
Fox rubbed the back of his neck as he heard these words from his wrist communicator. The vulpine quickly stopped, leaning up against a wall and bracing himself with one of his crutches as he raised his other arm to speak, "We'll need those canons before we head to Macbeth. How much more time do you need?"
"Probably a day or two, there's a lot of other things I need to work on too." The voice paused slightly, "The Great Fox took a lot of damage that last mission..."
Fox shook his head, not particularly excited to quickly replay the memories from that mission, but managed to answer back in a calm voice, "It's alright Slippy, just do what you can. We need to leave for Macbeth as soon as possible though."
"Got it, Fox!" The toad dutifully replied, "Slippy out."
The vulpine lowered his arm slowly, taking in a deep breath as he absorbed this information.
He didn't linger on it for long, however. He had more pressing issues on his mind; Krystal was waiting for him.
Pushing himself off of the wall, he regained the balance of his two crutches and began to make his way down the unimpressive halls. There were no windows, no decorations; no attempt had been made at all to make this a comfortable living environment. It was obvious this was strictly a maintenance facility, but Fox would have openly accepted some kind of distraction. Instead he could only focus on the pain he was experiencing, the frustration. Anything to keep his mind off of that was welcome, so when Fox finally did pass a large observational window, it wasn't surprising that he suddenly slowed his already meager pace to gaze outside.
It was a small outcropping of the otherwise empty hallway, a space filled with nothing more than a small seating area, a moderately sized vid screen, and several small tables.
And sitting among all of that was a single animal. The first he had seen in his walk of several minutes. She was pink; her ears, perky. And she was looking right at him.
"Foxy boy, long time no see."
Fox looked back at her with a hint of confusion in his expression, "Katt? Is that you?"
She let off a chuckle as she stood from the couch, "Of course it's me."
The vulpine let off a tentative smile, "Sorry, it's been a while. I didn't really expect to see you here."
The feline deftly vaulted over the couch and approached Fox as she answered back, "Nice surprise isn't it? I heard you guys would be docking here, and I'm in-between missions. So...ya know, I figured I'd stop by and say hi." She paused for a moment as she looked Fox over quickly, "Besides, I have this get well card I needed to deliver to you."
Fox failed to restrain a chuckle as she sarcastically searched her vest for the card.
"Are you waiting here for Falco?"
"Was," She began rather nonchalantly, "But he's almost an hour late."
The vulpine unintentionally smiled at this, "Well, it's good to know he's like that with everyone, not just me and the rest of Star Fox."
"Can't say I haven't come to expect it, that bird has always done this to me."
"It's a little early to head to the bar anyway, isn't it?"
Katt looked up at Fox, "Is that what we were going to do? How charming," she finished, shaking her head. "But anyway, enough about my spectacular dating life; how are you doing lately, Fox? Besides the crippling injuries, of course."
Fox responded with a bit of a grimace as he hopped to reposition himself, "I've been doing good, just been standing for a little too long is all."
The pink feline laughed, "The Savior of Lylat, complaining about having to bother himself to stand. This is a sight." She grabbed him by the shoulder and motioned around the couch, "Just take a seat then, Foxy. You've got some time, right?"
"Actually, not really. I have to meet someone in a little bit."
Katt snickered, "I'm sure General Pepper or whatever other politician you have to talk to can wait for just a few minutes."
Fox shook his head, "No, actually...it's a date."
"Oh...a date, huh?" Katt winked at him playfully, "Only a real animal could get a date with one good leg and half an ear. Well done, Foxy. I'm impressed."
The vulpine chuckled back nervously in response.
"Well listen, since I'm here for a little while longer, why don't we exchange comm codes?" She said before pulling a small device from the inside of her vest, "We can finish this talk some other time, alright?"
"Alright, it's a deal," he responded as he gingerly pressed a few buttons on his wrist communicator. "I'll see you around, Katt.""
The dexterous feline vaulted back over the couch and sat down once again, looking back at him with warm eyes as she gave a slight wave, "Looking forward to next time, Foxy."
He hesitated for a moment, noticing the look she gave him, but quickly dismissed it as he turned to hobble away.
As he did, he could hear voices speaking behind him.
"I'm here! You ready to..."
"You're late."
"Yeah, well I..."
"And the bar? Really?"
"Wait, how did you..."
"See you later, Falco."
"...What the hell!"
"Fox, you made it." She spoke excitedly as he came into view.
"Of course, I wouldn't miss this for anything," He retaliated with a charming smile, "Are you ready to go?"
"I've only been waiting for this all day. I'm so excited, Fox."
"Me too."
Krystal helped the injured Fox McCloud into a small transport, and after signaling the pilot, they began towards the planet below.
The ride was short and pleasant. Very little was said between the two, nerves getting the best of them. This date was the culmination of two entire years of buildup being teammates and close friends, neither wanted to do anything to ruin it. For now, they were content staring out into space, anticipating what the day had in store for them.
The transport landed with a subtle thud, and the hatch doors slowly opened, revealing a lush, green world. Stepping outside, they could see snow-capped mountains in the distance, an idyllic lake sitting nearby, and mighty, tall trees lining the grassy landscape as far as they could see.
Krystal stood in awe of the sights, almost as if she was unable to speak.
Fox looked at her with a smile, "I didn't imagine it would be this perfect. What do you think, Krystal?"
She shook her head, "It's...it reminds me so much of Sauria. It's absolutely wonderful."
The vulpine laughed, "Sure, except this time we have the entire planet to ourselves. No enemies, no evil dinosaurs, no floating crystal prisons..."
Krystal gave him a playful shove, "I certainly hope there are none of those. I've had my life's fill, thank you."
Fox managed to keep his balance with his crutches, raising his hands playfully after doing so, "Either way, you know I'm here for you."
The vixen smiled coyly, "That's sweet of you, Fox."
With no hands free, he stretched his tail to the side while asking with a smile, "Ready?"
She graciously took his tail in her own, "Ready, my Captain."
"Transmission for Fox McCloud, Code 92-7."
The gentle but sudden ring of Fox's computer terminal woke him with a jolt; a jolt that sent spikes of pain through his injured arm and leg. With a moan, he quickly sat up, gently rubbing his eyes. He looked over at the clock.
23:00? Who would call me this late?
Gathering up the strength, he managed to swing his legs over the side of his bed.
"Transmission for Fox McCloud, Code 92-7."
Bracing against his bed, he stood clumsily before stumbling over to the desk, bracing his body with one hand on his desk while the other allowed the transmission.
When the picture came through, he was greeted unexpectedly, once again, by a familiar pink feline.
"Evening, Foxy. You look like hell."
Fox quickly found his seat, "Katt? Why...are you calling me?"
She smiled, "I didn't wake you up, did I?"
The vulpine ruffled the hair on his head with his good arm, messing up the fur that sat upon it half out of frustration, half out of good humor, "What do you think?"
Katt laughed, "That's a good look on you. Say, mind letting me in?"
Immediately after she said these words, there was a knock at his door.
He looked over as he heard this, but quickly returned his attention to the screen, "You're here? How did you get in?"
"Is that a yes or a no?"
Fox hesitated for a moment, but quickly after commanded the console to unlock the door. Spinning around in his chair, he watched as Katt entered and flicked on the lights, which temporarily blinded the already vulnerable Star Fox captain.
"Sorry to bother you. Slippy let me in, blame him."
Fox took an inaudible sigh before electing to speak in a monotone voice, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to talk, Fox."
The vulpine shifted in his chair slightly, "I know you want to talk, but can it wait till morning? I've been really behind on my..."
"Actually, no," the feline suddenly cut him off in a strangely serious voice, "I need to talk to you, Fox."
Immediately picking up on her earnestness, Fox gave her a questioning look, "Oh...alright. What do you need to talk about?"
"First of all, I just wanna say sorry if I seemed pushy earlier..." Katt looked at him, and then looked away, her focus instead out of a large window that sat parallel to Fox's bed. She began in its direction as she spoke, "There's...just really no one else I can trust anymore."
The vulpine spun in his seat to follow her as she walked, responding confusedly, "What do you mean by that?"
Leaning against the window with her hand, she let her head fall to her chest, "I just don't know if I can take it much longer." Her head turned up slightly, "The killing, the hatred, the danger, the uncertainty...just...everything."
Fox sat attentively and listened as her tone softened and became more somber, "I just don't know how long I want to keep going...or if I want to at all." Looking back at Fox, she finished, "Do you ever feel like that? Do you ever feel like...like you'll never see the end?"
The vulpine looked into his lap, then to the side.
"What about my needs? What about the things I wanna do?"
For a moment, there was only silence.
"...Why are you talking to me about this?" Fox managed, albeit awkwardly.
"Because Fox," she began somewhat frantically before immediately calming herself, "...Because you're the only one I CAN talk to." She paused for a moment, sighing deeply, "It's not a huge secret that I'm a loner...I don't have many friends, no family...and out of everyone I do still know, you're...you're the one I respect the most."
Fox was stunned to hear those words.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up like this. But I need some kind of answer, something to clear my head."
"Katt..."
She laughed to herself, "I should never have brought this up..." She turned from the window and quickly made her way towards the door, "I'm sorry, Fox, I..."
She stopped dead as a hand tugged at her arm.
Surprised, she looked back to see Fox standing, several feet from his chair, holding fast onto her.
He winced and let out a faint yelp as a surge of pain coursed through his body, but he managed to look up at her, speaking in a strong voice, "Stop, I want to talk."
"Come on Fox, you need to sit back dow..."
The vulpine cut her off just as his weak legs gave out beneath him, "I...want to talk to you about the same thing..."
In what seemed like seconds, the feeling of the floor beneath him was replaced by familiar warmth. The spiking pain had returned to its normal levels, thanks in part to the soft surface that he now laid upon. Sitting up slowly, he opened his eyes, the scene of his room playing out before him. Ahead sat the door that led to the halls of the Great Fox, before that was his computer desk, it's chair, and then the foot of his bed; just in front of that, however, sat something that seemed completely out of place, something that took him by complete surprise.
"Just lay back down, Fox. You should know better than to pull stunts like that."
Her eyes were full of concern, a look he would not often associate with her character. Her voice even conveyed hints of empathy, despite her attempts to veil it. For a moment, he just looked up into her pink face, confused, before slowly falling back onto his pillow. "What happened?"
Katt shook her head, "Don't worry about it, you just passed out for a minute." She motioned her head slightly back to the spot of the incident, "I figured your bed would be a better place to leave you, rather than on your lovely metal floor."
Fox snickered lightly at her words, his tired eyes delving into the ceiling above.
"I don't know how you can still be so strong with all you went through..." The feline said through a sigh.
"It's not easy."
She laughed, "Yeah? You make it seem like it is."
The vulpine propped himself up slightly, allowing himself a reasonable view of the feline in front of him, speaking in a voice that seemed to cut through Katt's lighthearted comment, "It's not. I'm starting to..." He paused for a moment, not really sure if he wanted to continue, "Just, it's kind of..."
"Impossible? Frustrating?" Katt began, cutting him off, "Maybe even a little scary?"
The vulpine hesitated for a moment after apparently having his mind read, responding only with a subtle nod as he averted her gaze.
Katt hesitated as well, her next words coming out sounding somewhat forced, "I...I never figured you'd think that way. You've always seemed so...I don't know, invincible, I guess."
"Maybe at the beginning," Fox began, "Maybe when it was all...fresh and new, and I had no idea about what kind of things could be waiting for me." He looked up at Katt, shifting slightly in his bed, "But now...I've seen things I never thought I'd see. Things I had no idea existed. The universe is really a dangerous place..."
"You're in the wrong line of work for a peaceful life, I'll tell you that much." The feline amusedly chimed in, clearly uncomfortable and unfamiliar with the seriousness of the conversation.
Those words quickly sank into Fox's ears, and just as quickly, he was lost to his thoughts.
"This day was absolutely wonderful, Fox. I'm so glad we decided to come here."
Her cheerful, soothing voice was slightly stifled by the calm breeze as it wafted through the green, untouched field that they sat within.
Smiling back, Fox nodded, leaning back and taking in his surroundings, "Me too, this was a great day." He turned his head in her direction, "Especially with you here."
"You really have been rehearsing well, I'm impressed." Krystal lauded.
The vulpine laughed, "Glad to hear my work paid off."
With a beaming grin on her face, she slowly laid her head upon the vulpine's stomach, speaking devoutly after getting comfortable, "I always want to be here, Fox...by your side."
Fox placed a hand atop her soft, blue-furred head, scratching it lightly as he spoke, "Then I'll do everything I can to keep you safe."
Krystal buried her head deeper into Fox's stomach, "You promise?"
A frustrated sigh broke his train of thought, "No...sorry, I'm not trying to joke around. It's just..."
The vulpine quickly and subtlety shook his head as he emerged from thought, having temporarily forgotten where he was. His memory returned immediately, however, as he looked up at the unexplained distress in Katt's face. "My next mission…well, it's…"
She looked back at him, her eyes heavy and squinting, as if she were about to cry. The feline held his glance for a while, displaying emotion Fox had no idea she possessed, before looking down to the sheets she sat upon, her voice unsteady.
"I'm...I'm going to die tomorrow, Fox."
Those words echoed within the small confines of the Captain's Quarters before they gave way to complete silence.
"Wh-What?" Fox managed, unable to fully comprehend the words Katt had spoken.
"I don't know if I'm ready to accept it or not but…I think I want this."
She drew in a deep breath.
"I've been out here doing this my whole life…dodging blaster fire, barrel-rolling through asteroid fields, barely surviving on my own for almost ten years now. And this is the first time…in all that time…that I've even..."
She paused, taking in another heavy breath.
"…That I'd even thought that ending it would be the best thing…"
She raised a hand to her eyes, shielding a tear from view.
"…I mean, just look at you, Fox; the strongest and most capable animal in all of Lylat, barely coming out of your last mission alive …What chance do I…"
Fox reached out slowly and grabbed the pink feline by the hand.
Her eyes snapped to his as she felt his warm touch.
He spoke simply.
"Katt...enough."
The air in the room became very still.
Still, until the feline gradually fell into the body of Fox McCloud, her head in his chest as her arms gently enveloping his injured body.
It was there that she cried. For the first time in as long as anyone could remember, Katt Monroe cried.
Be it out of pity, be it out of kindness, or more likely than anything, out of pure respect and empathy, Fox laid a friendly hand upon her furry head, rubbing it slightly back and forth as the tears continued to flow.
This was a side of Katt that Fox had never seen or heard of. She was vulnerable, she was weak, she was doubtful, and she was allowing him to see it all. It was with silent understanding that the vulpine acknowledged just how much trust and respect she must actually have had for him to open up like this. It brought him a strange sense of clarity, of confidence, almost entirely erasing any prior doubt he may have been experiencing.
And it was here, with this newfound assurance, that Fox came to a sudden realization; one that, mere moments ago, would never have come close to crossing his mind.
If Katt is so broken up about living the life of a mercenary after all her experience, how long will it be…before Krystal starts thinking the same things? Can I really stand by and put her in all this constant danger? Maybe…maybe it would be better, for everyone, if…
Shelving the thought of what might have to come later, the vulpine quickly returned his attention to the now motionless feline that was draped over him.
"…What am I supposed to do, Fox?" Katt spoke, her words muffled by both the blanket and clothing that Fox wore.
He raised his hands and placed them on her shoulders, gently motioning for her to rise off his chest to his eye level. When her reddened eyes settled on him, he spoke to her in a solid voice.
"Never give up."
Her heavy eyes conveyed a mixture of confusion and awe as he spoke those words.
"You might be scared, the odds might be against you, but never give up. You might not think so, but all of Corneria is behind you…my team is behind you…I'm behind you."
Fox grabbed her softly by the chin; focusing her eyes into his to be sure the point was conveyed, and continued.
"Don't let us down, ok? Just do what you know is right, what's best for everyone. We want you to live, Katt. No one wants you to quit. We'll always be there when you need us."
What's best…for everyone…
The feline did not speak, having lost herself momentarily in Fox's firm, unwavering, and reassuring demeanor, but when she did come around, she delicately took her face out of his hand and instead replaced it with her own; wrapping it slowly, but firmly as she nodded with a slight sniffle.
"Alright…I won't, Fox. I won't. …I promise. I'm sorry."
"Don't be."
She pulled both their hands against her chest and quickly leaned down into his muzzle, planting a tender, emotional kiss on his lips.
In that moment, a kiss shared between the two friends seemed so unusually right, so justified. Fox did not attempt to resist.
Their lips held this position for several seconds before Katt pulled back very gradually, blinking slowly but never breaking eye contact. She smiled at him for a moment, a smile as sincere as any he had ever seen, and then slowly stood from his bed.
"Thanks Fox, I'll never forget this."
"Anytime…If you need help…" Fox stopped and smirked, "You have my number."
Katt smiled, "Get better, Foxy. See ya around."
The door slowly closed behind her, and the vulpine sunk back into his bed.
His thoughts lingered for several minutes on what had just transpired. It was all so sudden, so spontaneous, but for whatever reason, it had also come at the perfect time. Just when he himself had doubts about life as a mercenary, someone came along to make him realize just how important all of this was to him, to his very life and well-being; despite the politics, despite the fighting, despite the danger…
And now I know…for sure, what I have to do...What's best for everyone…
"Fox, are you…are you sure about this?"
"I just can't risk you being out there with me, Krystal. It's too dangerous; I don't want you to get hurt."
"But…"
"I'm sorry, but I'd feel better if you stayed on Corneria where it's safe. Even if it means you can't fly with our team anymore. Even if…"
"We can't be together anymore?"
"…"
"Fox…do you really think…"
"I've given this a lot of thought; this is for the best, as much as we might not like it."
"I don't want you to leave without me, I don't want to be here alone…to be alone again…after all these years, after all this time we've spent together…you're willing to let it all go to waste?"
"…If it means you're safe…that you're safe and can live, then yes."
"Fox…"
"Sorry, Krystal, but it's time for you to go."
"But…I love you, Fox."
"…"
"…Fox?"
"…I love you too, Krystal…be safe."
"Wait…don't go…"
"Fox! Stop!"
"Fox…"