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[] Arc 0 []

Exordium

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Chapter 1

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Two girls shopping in a packed city square. Could it get any more original?

By no means was Naval Bay a tiny city. Well, in comparison to Eterna, Waldron's metropolitan area, and Corneria City, it sure was a tiny city. But in this instance, it's comparing apples to oranges. Naval Bay was a rather dense city of about a couple million residents resting along where a river emptied out into The Great Sea. Divided in half by this river, the city used revolutionary duct lines and bridges to sew the city together. On one side was the business district; identified by the towering structures packed into grid-like streets and surrounded by winding overpasses. On the southern side was more for residents. High-rises forcing thousands together in tight, yet comfortable living spaces. Most living here only had to take one shuttle across the bridge or a metro line underneath the bay itself to get to their day job.

But that wasn't important. It wasn't important that the city was a gateway to the rest of the western continent of Corneria. Nor was it important that only a few thousand miles over The Great Sea separated Naval Bay from the capital of Lylat, Corneria City. No, what was important was that Naval Bay had some damn good fudge.

Sitting across from each other at a small table overlooking the gridlock of traffic and civilians alike, off-duty pilots Fay and Miyu rested comfortably with their mid-day snack shared between the two sitting on the table. The spaniel and the lynx just needed a break from the handful of hours they spent standing on their feet, wandering all over the city. It was a nice off-day after all. Days like this were hard to come by.

Naval Bay's southern city plaza was a hub for tourists, shoppers, and virtually anyone who just wanted to have a fun time wandering around the city. Expensive designer shops, homemade meals, entertainment attractions; basically anything one could think of could be found within three blocks of the hub. The center was marked off with an impressive fountain surrounded by an elaborate stone design, all within a cross-section of some busy downtown streets. A place like this was corporate advertising heaven, hence why almost every available space along the buildings within the square were littered with electronic advertisement boards, bathing the square in lights other than the one straight above. It was a sight to behold at night, but the daytime sunlight lessened the impact of the screens.

Munching on their fudge, Miyu piped up, "Having fun?"

"Duh!" Fay excitedly replied. "Every day is a great day when we're together!"

"Cool," Miyu calmly nodded, adjusting her sunglasses.

"Cool?" Fay giggled. "That's all you have to say? Cool?"

"Y'know, cool," Miyu shrugged. "I think it's cool that you're enjoying yourself because it makes me feel like I'm doing something right."

"If you're breathing you're doing something right," Fay immediately countered with a wide grin.

"Well, sure, but—"

Fay shoved a chunk of fudge into Miyu's mouth. "We're having an awesome vacation day with just the two of us like we always want!" Fay continued exuberantly. "And you're saying it's cool?"

"Wah'else 'm I suh'oss a say?" the lynx mumbled.

"What?"

She finished her forced bite. "What else do you want me to say?"

Fay shrugged. "I don't know, something better than just cool."

"I do think it's cool."

Fay groaned as Miyu just laughed.

"C'mon Fay, just be happy we're here."

"I am," she tried to argue.

"Cool."

"Oh my god Miyu," Fay just started giggling along with the lynx.

"Eat your fudge, girly."

Fay did as she was told and had another bite.

"So," the lynx started. "While we have our weekend off, what say you to a quick visit to some old friends tomorrow?"

Fay swallowed hard. "Fox isn't home yet. He won't be for a few days."

"How'd you know I was gonna say Fox?"

"I know about your little crush on him," Fay said with almost perfect sincerity.

Miyu scoffed. "Anyway, how'd you know?"

"About?"

"About Fox being gone? Even I didn't know."

Fay exhaled sharply. "Star Fox is mainstream. Every little thing they do gets endless media coverage. I've wanted to talk to him forever but he's always busy. Like, I kid you not, he's always busy. He's off on jobs, he's saving the universe, he's taking media dates and sponsorship deals when he's not busy saving the universe, he does everything. What are we doing?"

"Eatin' fudge."

Fay groaned. "I miss Fox. He's such a nice guy and we get along with him so well."

"If I was making the amount of money he does for what he does, I wouldn't answer my messages either," Miyu remarked.

Fay sighed. "Still, he's our friend. Everyone on his team are our friends. I'm sad that we haven't gotten to catch up since… well, since before the Aparoids, and that was a while ago… It's been so long."

"I'm sure it'll be okay," Miyu assured her.

Fay smiled weakly. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"When am I not?"

Fay raised a brow. "You want me to answer that?"

"I'd rather you not."

They shared a laugh and finished up their snack.

Fay slipped out of her seat and stood behind Miyu. "So, where to—"

A deafening screech blew through the dual avenues, silencing anyone in its path and disturbing anything not totally bolted to the ground. Everyone within eyesight cupped their ears and ducked on pure instinct. Weak glass panes cracked.

Resulting from that detonation of sound was a dull, incessant static sound that kept everyone from talking to each other. In the mass confusion, a booming voice exploded:

"Do I have everybody's attention now?"

Everyone within those few city blocks stopped and looked at the advertisement screens suspended all around them. None of them displayed those flashy promotional videos and paid advertisements like everyone had grown accustomed to. All that the hundreds of screens showed off were either full of static from the boards resisting the takeover, or nothing but blackness to signify their loss to the omnipresent voice echoing over the plaza.

"Deception in this world is a common occurrence," the voice continued, seemingly reverberating with itself to give it an eerie echo. No other voice in the history of voices could even compare to the sound the frozen civilians were hearing. It didn't seem natural. It didn't seem real. It couldn't be real.

While the voice spoke, the screens began to pixelate and argue with its commands. Segments of newspaper articles, TV stations, and stories online flashed over each other, one after another, seemingly emptying a lifetime's worth of information in the span of a few short seconds. The speakers in the clips presented were drowned out except for a few choice words. The CDF. Corneria. The government. Lies. Deceit. Failure. Misleading. They all seemed to echo over one another as the screens warped, blurred, and argue̴d̶ w̶i̵t̸h̷ e̶x̴p̴u̷l̶s̷i̶o̴n̶s̴ o̷f̵ d̴i̵s̸c̷o̶n̶n̷e̴c̴t̵e̶d̴ c̸o̶l̷o̶r̶s̴ a̸n̸d̷ s̶t̷a̵t̸i̷c̷.

"Miyu…" Fay squeaked.

"I am one of those affected," the voice explained, words rolling through the plaza with an eerie, seemingly self-satisfactory drawl that could make military veterans' skin crawl. "We were. Cast aside and ignored. Overshadowed. Lied to. Years have gone by without a mere mention of our struggles. We were deceived."

The giant screeñ̸̢s̸̲̀ b̸̪͝e̵̬̿g̵̩̏ȁ̶̩n̴͙̈́ t̵̯̉ȍ̵̘ w̷̭̕ĥ̵̺ị̶͘n̸̟͐ē̶̤ w̶̠̓ȉ̴̧ṯ̵̽h̵̛̤ d̷̝͝u̶̼̇ļ̷̏l̴̺̕ f̴̩̍e̸̓ͅedback. The static and̸ w̸a̴r̸p̵e̶d̷ c̶o̶l̷o̷r̴s̶ b̶e̸gan to intensify. The stunned and silenced in attendance could only watch.

"They try to cover it up and make it appear as though we have gotten what we needed. It's funny. Your powers-that-be tried to bend over backwards to give us everything we've ever wanted to get us to shut up… when all I've really wanted… was this. A platform. A voice to speak with. You see, this voice… m̴y̵ v̵o̷i̷c̵e̸…̴ i̴s̷ p̵o̸w̶e̵r̶.̵ S̴i̷l̸e̷n̴cing a voice might as well just send someone to the depths of purgatory. We refuse to be silenced."

An eerie silence ensued, followed by an odd gust of wind. No, it couldn't be wind. Wind doesn't blow upwards like this seemed to do.

"…I̵ r̷e̷f̴u̸s̸e̵ t̵o be silenced," the voice growled, the odd wind gusting at times. "I've g̷o̶t̷t̷e̴n̸ i̶n̷t̸o̸ h̷o̵t̵ w̸a̷t̷e̵r̴ b̸e̶f̵o̵r̷e̷.̷ I̵ w̸as silenced because of a few things I said... I didn't just get in trouble for leaking classified information…"

As the voice said this, the stat̷̹͋i̵͍̐c̶͉̆-̸̥̿f̴̳͛ì̵̗l̴̼̊l̸̖̇ě̶̡ḍ̷̋ s̵̫̒c̸̰͂r̴̰̽e̵̜̐ě̵ͅǹ̶̞s̸̨̚ b̷̘͌e̴̟͒g̸̘͑a̴̗͋ǹ̶̜ ṱ̷̈ò̸̟ f̵͇̒l̴͒ͅâ̶̠s̴̘͌ḥ̶͛ ä̶̡́ŕ̶̤t̶̼̅i̸̮͂c̶̓͜les and stories again, but brighter and fas̴t̷e̶r̴ t̵h̶a̷n̷ b̸e̴f̵ore. The screens seemed to follow the voice as it continued on its tirade.

"I didn't just get in trouble for trying to state my grievances with this world and the people who run it…"

Wor̴d̷s̸ f̷l̷a̸s̸hed on the screens. Ţ̵̝͛͊y̷̥̤̠̒̀͠͝ř̶̳̯͚̭̈́̈̈̏ä̶̝̝́͌̀͑̚n̵̺͙̒t̵͈̒͌.̷̺̌̅ Ḋ̴̙̺̦̤̺̓̃͠i̷̱͘c̷̨̹̳͋́t̴̪̜̯̀̔̊͘ḁ̸̧̻̺̄̀͒̓t̵̺̱̺̺͂͗̏̃ỏ̶͕̯͚͒́͜r̵̨͛͊̅̕͝.̴͍̯̺̰͛ Ṣ̷͎̾̃́o̸̼̫͝ç̴̣̓͝i̶̼͘͝o̷̘̺̥̻̯͋̓͒̚p̴̱̤̯̒͌ă̴̻͇̞͉t̸̙̗̏̓̑̆̕͜ḣ̷͉͋̀̕͘.̸͖̠͕̌̅̏̆͝ The wind grew stronger.

"I didn't just get in trouble because of my attitude. Oh no. That would just be too easy."

A̴̢͈̯̻̥͆̈́ṷ̸̫̻͊t̸͎͎̓͐́ò̶̝̞̯̚c̵̲̙̄ŕ̸̤͍̂̈́͋á̸͙̖͚̽̽t̶̢͈̗̀͛͋͝.̴͔̈́̾ S̸̬̓͆̑̈̔ĩ̷̬́l̴̜̗̍̐̐͘e̶̪̙̭͇͌̓́͘n̴̡̩̜͓̆̑̈́̓̋ͅc̵̨̪̲̟͙̓̽̽ȇ̵̩͓͓͖͔̇̃͝d̶͔͑̾̏̈́̕.̶̻͓̱̀ Newspapers, trash, and light objects started floating into the sky.

"I got in trouble because… I jų̵̄s̶͕̈́t̵̨͋ h̷̳̚ad the idea to s̵a̷y̵ s̶o̷m̴e̵t̸h̴i̷n̵g̷ t̸h̴a̴t̶ n̷o̶b̴o̵d̵y̸ e̶l̵s̸e̸ w̴i̷l̷l̶ s̷a̴y̶ o̵u̶t̷ l̵o̶u̷d̴."

C̶̺̾̈́e̴̩͌͌n̵͓͐̐s̶͓͐o̸̩̯̍ŕ̴͎̎ͅe̷͕͌̽d̵̟̤̉̀.̴̗̏̓ S̷͇̯̎h̵̨͆u̵͙͐t̴̢͖͊ d̷̗̣̑ȍ̵͖̗w̸̲͝ǹ̵̼.̵̢͕̂͘ I̴͔̬̎̿ğ̷͔ṋ̷̃ò̷͇̏ř̸͜ͅȩ̴̔̓d̵̫̃̍.̵̡͒͠ The ground below seemed a bit lighter than it was five minutes ago.

"M̶y̶ v̶o̴i̶c̶e̶ i̵s̷ p̵o̷w̵e̴r̸.̵ T̵h̴e̷ k̸n̷o̷w̶ l̶̶̴e̵̷̵d̸̷̵g̸̷̶e̷̷̶ I̵̶̵ h̵̵̶a̵̵̷v̴̷̷e̸̶̷ i̸̸̷s̷̸̶ p̸̷̴o̴̴̶w̸̸̶e̴̸̴r̶̵̴.̵̷̶ I̶̸̷ a̶̴̴m̷̷̵ t̵̴̸h̷̷̶e̴̷̵ v̸̴̷o̶̸̴i̶̶̶c̵̶̸e̷̷̸ f̷̸̴o̵̸̷r̶̴̶ t̴̶̸h̸̸̶e̶̴̷ v̸̶̴o̸̷̶i̴̸̸c̷̵̷e̸̷̵l̷̶̶e̵̴̷s̷̷̷s̶̴̸.̴̶̸ Y̶̵̷o̴̴̵u̸̵̶ m̸̴̵a̸̵̴y̶̵̵ n̶̸̸o̶̵̷t̶̶̸ k̷̴̵n̷̸̴o̷̶̵w̶̸̸ m̴̷̵e̵̶̷ b̵̶̵y̷̶̸ n̴̴̸a̷̸̵m̴̷̴e̵̶̵,̴̷̴ w̴̴̸h̵̶̴a̴̵̵t̸̷̶ I̴̵̶ l̷̴̷o̴̴̶o̷k̸ l̶i̸k̵e̴,̵ o̷r̵ w̵h̴o̵ i̸t̶ i̴s̸ I̴ t̸r̸u̶l̸y̶ b̴e̷l̶i̷e̸v̴e̵ i̶n̷."

Y̶̮͛o̷̼̓͠ṵ̷͉̄ w̸̙̭͛i̵̲̭͋l̶̘̰̚͠l̶̖̿ l̴̠͉͌̒ì̶͕s̶̪̃̚t̷͚͋e̸̯̊ń̴̜͖.̴͕̮̀

"B̸u̵t̷ o̵n̵e̷ t̵h̴i̷n̸g̷ i̷s̶ f̴o̴r̵ s̸u̵r̷e̶.̸ F̵o̴r̸ t̷h̸o̷ s̴͕͐ḙ̶͛ ẁ̴͕ḣ̸̨o̷̖̕ w̷̬̾ḁ̶̃ǹ̶͕t̸͍͌ t̶̬̔o̶̡̍ ḷ̷͂ī̵ͅs̶̙̎t̸̬̉e̴͈̎n̴͎͌ ú̴̺p̷̫̂ t̶͙̾h̶͗ͅe̸̖̕r̵͖͗e̵̼͝…̵̠̑ Ī̶̡ w̶̨̿à̸̩n̷̹̓ẗ̷͉ a̸͚͝ñ̴͓ a̴̭͝p̶̧̈́ö̶͖l̵̘͛ő̶͓g̷͠ͅy̷̮̌ f̴̹̈́õ̴̻ṙ̶̜ t̶̥͑h̶̟͘e̵͓͗ h̷̢̉ĕ̸̦ḻ̴̂ĺ̵̺ y̶͓͘o̵̻̿ũ̷̖ ḥ̵̓ã̷͜v̴͇̚ḙ̶̈́ p̷͔̀ǘ̵͈t̷̠͂ ṵ̶̌s̵̠̀ t̸̥͒ḧ̷͙r̷̫͊ő̶̮u̷͍͑g̷͉̏h̷̰͊,̷͕̄ I̴̤̐ ẃ̷̬ă̴͔ṇ̸̅t̸̟͛ a̵̻̚ v̴̧̓ö̸͍́i̶͈͂c̷̖͗e̷̹̓ t̶̜̅o̷̝̓ u̴͌ͅs̶̀ͅe̶,̴ a̷n̵d̶ I̷ w̷a̸n̴t̶ a̸ l̴i̵f̷e̴ t̵o̸ l̵i̸v̵e̸.̵ I̶ w̸a̷n̴t̴ t̵h̵i̴s̵ c̵o̵r̵r̶u̷p̵t̵i̴o̷n̸ t̸o̷ e̵n̵d̵,̶ a̵n̴d̷ u̶n̴t̵i̷l̷ t̴h̵a̵t̷ h̶a̷p̸p̶e̴n̵s̷…̷"

The voice just laughed.

P̶̧̨͚̣͙̤͕̝̖̱̫̳̟̞̩̰̤͇̝̮̖͕̦͕͕̠̎̆̋̅̈́͗̌̊͜͜ͅͅą̵̡̡̖̪͍̣̣͖̭͖̦͆̏̀͑̌̌́̒̑̅͆͑̇̌́͛̏̈̓̋͐͂͘ý̷͔̺͐͋̿̋́̑̽̓͑́̈̒̏̃̂̽̅͋̏ͅḅ̵̧̧̢̝̙̰̫̯͍͇̣͖̩̣͚̺͑͂̿̄̊͌̀̅͒̐̾̅̽̑̊̑̔̀͌̓́͗̄̍̕͝ã̴̧̡̧̛̛̳͚̞̖̱̲̪̹͖̟͓̰̖̹̙͖͓̖̱̰̬̮̣̼̙͈̭̟̑̀̈̉̓̑̆̑͑͌͆̅̌̓̓̎̔́͜͠͠ͅc̷̨̛̞̬̩̟̻̪͎̭̖̙̥͇̖̮̼̠̯̻̺̗̺̝̭͗̌̌̔̈́̓̀̈̎̽̎̃̉̎̀͘͠ͅk̸̟̗̤͇̦̣̃́̂͛̄̑̓̃͆.̶̨̧͕̲̖̩̗̣͚̣̪͎̩̘͇̻̟̘̫̭̥̫̤̝̌͊̌͌͑̃̿̈́̆̃́̔̓̑̀̉͒͋̄̄͂̾̂̀̈́̉̏́͜͝͠ͅ

"̷͖̐T̴̟̄h̷͕͆e̷͂͜n̵̟͛ j̷̬̚ṳ̶͒s̵̜̈́t̵̳̀ k̷̯͐ë̷̩́ẽ̸̗p̷̼̋ s̴̋ͅa̴͚͘ÿ̴̧́i̴̹̊n̷͚͘g̴͈͐ g̸͔̉ȏ̷͕ǫ̷̆d̸̝͝ b̶̰̍y̷͇̅ê̴͉.̵͔̏"̵͉̔

The screens died out in a flurry of sparks and static. Almost as soon as the voice went offline, the world itself seemed to get turned upside down. Everything within sight, no matter how big, how small, how meaningless, or how important they were, lifted into the air. Gravity completely reversed. Everyone was just too baffled to let out screams and cries for help as the sky tried to swallow everyone whole. Miyu and Fay both seemed to float up into the sky as Naval Bay itself seemed to fall into the abyss of the sun's rays.

Then just like that, slammed back down.

The wind got knocked out of both girls as gravity decided to be normal again. What followed was a sonic boom of millions of panes of glass, cars, large objects, and thousands of people all feeling the reestablished effects of gravity all at once. A bomb sounded as glass from every building within two blocks shattered and unleashed an avalanche upon every single fallen Cornerian. Then people regained their senses and started to scream. The combined sound was purely deafening.

Dazed, Miyu climbed to her feet first and started helping others up. Sirens began to blare. The city square became engulfed in the flashing lights of law enforcement checking out the surreal incident.

It didn't seem real.

Miyu met back up with Fay and gave her a tight hug. The canine started crying.

"Yeah, time to call Fox."