A HEROS CHOICE

By vipervet18

A/N: I thought this up while listening to the song "Tribute" from the Halo 3 soundtrack. Its kind of my take on a different ending for SF: Command seeing how there were multiple endings (Thanks Nintendo). This story will probably only be 2-3 chapters so let me know what you guys think! Constructive criticism is welcome.

A light drum of a thousand claps rose from the air in the tattered remains of downtown Cornirea City. The survivors of the Angilars devastating attacks flooded the streets between tall skyscrapers, all cheering and waving with delight. The War was finally over.

A large parade of vehicles and Cornerian Soldiers marched triumphantly down the large street that leads to the center of the city. All around them was a crowd full of energetic animals welcoming back their great heroes. Some of them began throwing their hats in the air in celebration of their great nation's success. As the parade grew closer to the center of the city the formation of troops were overtaken by friends and family, some old and some young. Soon the formation stopped in front of a large white building with pillars holding its structure strong despite the damage of the rest of the city. Confetti and ticker tape started raining from above as the crowd encircled the group of soldiers in front of the white building. A few kids ran up to the soldiers and begged to be a part of the excitement only to be lifted up on the shoulders of their heroes.

Everyone focused their attentions to the central government hall that lay in the middle of all the mess as the boom of a microphone echoed over their loud cheers. Animals gathered before the steps with their faces filled with positive feelings. They looked up to see a group of people standing in front of a podium, some dressed in military uniforms others dressed in suits and ties. The Cornerian Prime Minister stood at the podium with General Peppy Hair beside him. Among this group of important figureheads was none other than the notorious Star Wolf Mercenary group who unlike the others were loosely standing off to the side of the stage. They stood and listened as the Prime Minister spoke of all the good deeds Star Wolf had done for them and that their previous charges against them were being exterminated in exchange for their actions.

"Furthermore, I would like to present the Cornarian Medal of Honor to each member of Star Wolf! For their selfless devotion to the safety to all the Lylat system has brought peace to us all once again!"

A year ago Star Wolf would have been ruthlessly arrested and thrown into jail for their dealings with Andross but today was a different day. The group that everyone once hated was now being praised for their selfless actions during the Angilar Blitz. To the people of Corneria they were the new faces of heroism, the leaders of their success against the once mighty Angilar Empire. They alone had flown into the enemy fortress to defeat the Angilar leader once and for all. Everyone seemed grateful for what they had done, but General Peppy still held a saddened look on his face. He stood silently behind the Prime Minister holding the box of Medals ready to present them.

As the Prime Minister began placing the medals around their necks General Hair noticed one member of Star Wolf was not present. "Where is Krystal" He discretely stated without a hint of question in his voice to the leader of Star Wolf.

Wolf glanced at him a little irritated with Peppys speculation on the whereabouts of his team. "She said she couldn't be here, what's it too ya old-timer?"

"Don't get snappy with me wolf, I've read the after battle briefing." Wolfs eyes narrowed. He wasn't sure where the old-timer was going with his scolding "I know what really happen, you and your gang of thugs were just in the right place at the right time." This made Wolf smile openly as he looked Peppy dead in the eyes. There wasn't a doubt in his mind he knew his team was lucky to be up on this stage but he didn't care. Giving a slight shrug he spoke lightly to Peppy. "Well old-timer, maybe being in the right place at the right time just shows who really deserves the credit." He fiddled with the medal a little as Peppy only watched in disgust. The older hair upheld his composure silently as he and the Prime Minister continued passing out the medals down the line.

When the medals were all passed out the Prime Minister returned to the podium grinning from ear to ear. He gestured one hand over to star wolf on his right still holding his fake political smile.

"Let's hear it for Lylat's new Heroes! Team Star Wolf!"

The crowded streets below erupted into applause. The yelling and whistles could be heard for miles as the thousands of Cornerians clapped and cheered as loud as you could imagine. The echoes carried far from the city center and bounced all throughout the rest of the city. The sight from a distance looked spectacular as it seemed everyone on the planet was cheering. But far from the ceremony, sitting on a distant tall building something stood out of the ordinary.

The silver and blue aircraft was parked on top of the building, its glass canopy shinning in the sunset. From a far it looked to be in perfect shape, but much closer the visible damage was much more haunting. Scared and dirtied from years of trial and battle covered the craft. Yet the Arwing still held its intimidating prescience as it once did many years ago. Like the many battles it had been though, the Arwing was not alone on top of the building. A figure of what looked to be the pilot stood next to the craft in almost the same condition, tired and war-torn. The figure stood on the edge of the building overlooking the crowded streets of the city center. With his large collar propped upright around his neck, a dark brown coat draped over his shoulders and flight suit, falling to just above knee height. This wasn't the usual attire he typically wore but things had changed for the orange furred vulpine.

He stood there in thought, wondering about the one battle that had changed him the most. His team had fought through fleets of battleships, fended off thousands of fighter aircraft and killed hundreds of lives. To them it was second nature, kill or be killed. But it was the soul of their system that guided them to fight such insurmountable odds. They were protectors, guardians, heroes of Lylat, but after just one battle it all changed. When you are forced to choose between your brothers and sister in arms, and the very cause you are fighting for. It will never leave you the same.

flashback

Slippys voice cheered "That's it! We've broken though!"

"All Angilar ships blocking the stronghold are gone, let's get in there!" Falco shouted.

Fox grinned at the progress they were making; they had been though the toughest fight of their lives. "Everyone form up on me! We're going to take out that bastard leader of theirs!"

Suddenly Katts picture popped up, "Fox someone is locked on to me!"

The vulpine watched in horror as a charged laser blast was hurtled from out of nowhere making a direct hit on her Arwing. "Katt!" Falco screamed over the com. Her ship flouted freely in space completely out of power, "Katt? KATT ARE YOU THERE?!"

Falco hit his boosters trying to get to her ship faster when another green glowing orb was sent sailing into his ship. The two Arwings were without power drifting closer to each other. Slippy yelled in distress "Falco!" trying to see whether he was alright as well.

Before Fox could even think he noticed another laser charge flying towards him. At the last second he yanked the flight stick into a roll deflecting the charge away from his ship. When he got his bearing back four red wolfens glided past the front of his canopy in an elegant formation.

"We'll take it from here Foxy." His com radioed in his ears. "Wolf!" Before Fox could whip his Arwing around to open fire someone else's voice echoed in his ears this time it was sweet and angelic but cut through his life like a knife.

"Fox, help your team. They need you..."

It was Krystal.

He stopped in his tracks frozen in shock watching the four red fighters slowly grow distant from his cross hairs. No will in the galaxy could ever get him to pull the trigger after hearing her voice. The formation of wolfens flew away into the stronghold of the Angilar Empire leaving Fox and his team broken, shattered and betrayed. But for Fox this defeat was more than just a mission failure, he sat at the controls unsure of what to do next. He sat there in silence as his heart slowly began to break.

All that was left was Slippys voice echoing in his head

"Fox!?"

"Fox come in!"

"Fox!"

"Fox"

Fox...

end flashback

"Fox..."

This time the echoes of his flashback seemed real. Fox realized that his guard had been down; someone else had joined him on top of the building while he was day dreaming. Immediately he knew who's voice it belonged to, he could smell her scent but he lacked the stomach to turn and face her. Standing behind him was a very sad looking blue vixen. She had on a pair of cargo pants and boots with a black tank top and vest, something he was not used to seeing her in before she was kicked off the team. She stood there holding her arms waiting for him to reply, a shameful look on her face.

"Fox, answer me..." She was choked up now. This only made the feeling in his stomach worsen. "Shouldn't you be at the ceremony Krystal," His voice was dark and serious.

"Listen, Fox I know what it looks like, but I..." Her voice trailed off as he finally turned to look at her. His eyes were not watery like hers, they were filled with sadness. The pain Fox felt was unbearable, she could feel it radiating all around him. But he showed no such feelings on the outside, only the battle harden face of a has been hero.

"Why are you here krys?" He asked in a calmer voice, less serious and dark. It was in no way demeaning or hateful but rather a concerning question.

Krystal let out a few quiet sobs before tears began falling down her face. Her fur began to dampen from the tears flowing down her cheeks. The sincerity in his question was a shock to her but was only confirmed when she felt it radiate from his mind. She had expected him to be mad at her so her mind was not ready at all for this. Instead he was still the same concerned leader trying to look after who he cared about that she remembered. She lowered her head hopping that her blue strains of hair would help hide her tears.

"You should be the one down there reviving the recognition," She managed to get out, "Not me."

Fox crossed his arms looking down as well. "But you're with Star Wolf now." He really didn't care for the awards, the celebrity status, or the attention. Despite all of that taken from him it was not what had him so low.

"I'm sorry Fox," she spoke lifting her head. "I'm sorry for betraying you. I never thought Wolf would try to hurt anyone." She drifted off into more tears as Fox looked up at her, pain still present in his eyes. But he was unsettled with what she just said as he firmly replied "No."

Krystal looked back up to him only to lock eyes with his. The tough aurora that filled his outside expression lowered to one of shame like hers. "No," he repeated once more. "You can't say you're sorry to me. I don't deserve anything like that from you."

The young vixen felt her head grow dizzy as anger and sadness filled her mind. She dropped her arms to her side clenching her fists. She quickly walked over to him and slapped him clean across the face. "Damn it Fox! You can't control me like this! I'm not yours anymore like before and I never will! You may be a nice guy but you have no right to control what I do!" Fox just stood there in silence holding his cheek. "Panther never tried to control me!"

The statement was colder than the slap to Fox. He lowered his hand from his face and stared back down to the ceremony below. Suddenly Krystal could feel how hurt he really was by that last statement. She began to regret saying it and tried to calm herself down. No matter how much she hated him trying to control her she couldn't stand seeing him this sad. She still loved him even after everything he did to destroy her life, their life. Gently she put her hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him but he didn't even react to her touch. "Fox you've lost almost everything and I'm sorry that I played a part in some of it. Things will probably never be the same between us but I wanted you to know I didn't want to betray you... I don't hated you. I still care about you..."

"I have lost everything," he said with an emotionless stare. "But I would do it all over again if it means that everything important to me in life is safe." Krystal was taken back from what he just said. "It doesn't matter to me if I get the fame and fortune; it's not why I do it. It's the people I care about, the people that I want to protect. And fighting for them is all I know how to keep them safe."

He pointed down at the crowds below, "look how happy they are. Look at all the mothers and fathers I helped bring back to their sons and daughters. I don't need them to recognize me as the good guy, the hero. All I want for them is to be safe. So they don't have to lose their family like I did." Krystal tightened her grip on his shoulder making him turn to look her in the eye. She was moved at the humbleness and nobility his character possessed. Her tears started to slow as the feeling of being so close to him started to come back. "Krystal, you played a part in helping save Lylat. I'm thankful for this. But I don't want you to apologies to me for Wolf taking all the glory. I'm the one that should be sorry. I kicked you off my team. Every day of my life I wish I knew a better way for me to keep you safe like I keep the billions of people in Lylat safe. But I don't, I'm sorry. I'm no Panther, I'm Fox McCloud. I'm trying the best I can to make sure you can live a life you deserve. That's all I have ever wanted," he turned back to the view of city center, "and I will see to it until the day I die."

It was Krystal's turn to be shocked now. She had no idea this was how he felt for her. She stood behind him not knowing what to say or think. Slowly Fox put his hand over hers and lifted it off his shoulder. He turned and walked towards his battle torn Arwing only stooping half way to say one last thing.

"If I couldn't stop you from getting hurt, I don't think I could live with myself anymore. You were everything I was fighting for Krystal. I'm sorry it has to be like this." Fox's emotions slowly started to break though the tough outer wall he had put up. She noticed a few tears fall from his cheeks as he pressed his communicator to open the Arwings canopy. He gracefully hopped in the pilot's seat and began the startup sequence. "I love you," was the last thing he said to her before the Arwings canopy closed.

Krystal's heart was screaming for her to stop him but her mind was still unsure of what to say. She could only shield her eyes as the bright glow of the Arwings thruster's ignited. In a matter of seconds Fox's Arwing was hovering off into the distance. Krystal rubbed her eyes as Fox's Arwing flew off into space until she could no longer see him anymore. She now knew why he kicked her off the team. It was the day she had waited for ever since she met the vulpine, but now he was flying away. She had to find a way to fix this before it was too late.

A/N: Drop a review if you have the time!