7/2/09

Dear Readers,

Welcome to my new story, entitled Forever Yours. A story of regret, pain, jealousy, sorrow, and love, Forever Yours may be the most ambitious project I have ever embarked upon as a member of this website. Chronicling the events immediately following their breakup, Forever Yours is the story of how Fox and Krystal manage to cope with the end of their relationship, whether that be through dwelling upon it, moving on with someone else, or trying to start things anew. There will be some times when you will feel joy; there will be times when you only feel rage (I can only begin to fathom how much hate mail I will be receiving as a result of this chapter). There may be times when you'll laugh; there may be times when you'll feel sad. If there is one thing I can guarantee, though, it's that you're going to be satisfied and entertained by my work here; I promise. I intend to make this the best work I have ever published on here; I won't settle for anything less.

Now that you are a bit more acquainted with the work, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you to review the story, as well; your thoughts, criticisms, interpretations, and so on do matter to me and do have an impact on how the story unfolds. I would also like to state the importance of patience: I realize that some of you may read this chapter and express consternation at how the story has begun. However, I would just like to remind you that this is only the beginning; trust me, the story will end the way you want it to with the people you want to be together ending up together (you'll better understand what I mean if you read the chapter first then come back; I don't want to give anything away in the introduction here). It may take a little time, but trust me, everything will turn out right in the end (to paraphrase the Beatles, more or less).

Since I have nothing else of utmost concern to address, I now bid you all adieu. Please, enjoy this first installation of Forever Yours.

Sincerely Yours,
Dwarves

P.S. On a side note, regarding the format of this story, I intend to represent each side (that is, Fox and Krystal) evenly by alternating chapters: for example, this first chapter is about Krystal, while the next one will be about Fox, and so on.

I: "Walk on the Wild Side"

The tears fell in droves, rushing down my cheeks with the force of a flash flood. My sobs and cries were almost hysterical. Had I found myself in less apathetic surroundings, I would almost certainly have been branded as insane. Yet none of that mattered now; pain far superseded any concern I may have had for my own well-being. Even that was nothing compared to what truly plagued my mind at that moment…Fox McCloud.

Just a week prior, Fox had ended our relationship. He told me that I was to be discharged from the Star Fox Team, effective immediately. I asked him why; he said it was for my safety. I begged and pleaded to stay on, but he refused. He promised me that this would only be temporary, that he would relinquish control of Team Star Fox to Falco soon. He said we'd be together again shortly, that we'd get to live the life that we always wanted, away from all the chaos that being a mercenary entails. I saw through his façade, though; none that was ever going to happen. He didn't fear for my safety; he was tired of me. I could see it in his eyes; he no longer loved me. That, more than anything else, hurt me the most; he promised he'd love me forever, did he not? Now look how things are…ruined. Here I was, sitting in a rundown beer joint on the edge of the Lylat System, alone, unloved, facing the possibility of a singular, solitary, loveless existence. It was all too much to bear; I felt as if I were on the verge of suicide. It was only a matter of moments before I gave up living, waving goodbye to the trials and tribulations of this life. Indeed, only a chance encounter with a hated rival saved me from falling into the abyss that night, an event which proved to be life-altering not only for myself, but for many others as well.

"Well, well, well," a deep, rugged drawl intoned, "look what the cat dragged in." A familiar voice: Wolf O'Donnell. Captain of Star Wolf. Scourge of interplanetary commerce throughout the galaxy. My…no, his arch nemesis. My, how quickly things had changed; in different circumstances Wolf's voice would have aroused feelings of antipathy, hatred and anxiety. Now…it only reminded me of Fox. It wasn't just Wolf's voice, though…everything around me was Fox. He was all I could think about. No matter what direction I glanced, I only saw his face. Regardless of whom I spoke to, I could only hear his voice. Indeed, despite how hard I tried to banish his presence from my mind, Fox remained omnipresent, his image cruelly taunting me at every possible opportunity. Perhaps this inability to get over him was what bothered me the most; at present, this thought was irrelevant.

"Please," another voice I had heard before, that of his capricious, unscrupulous henchman, Leon, played along, "Panther doesn't have the charm or the integrity to woo a woman like her." Annoyed at the literal interpretation of his sarcasm, Wolf responded with a strong backhand to the chameleon's face.

"Shut up, Leon," he snapped. Fearing reprisal, Leon whimpered and cowered in fear. "Of course, Wolf," he meekly obeyed, slinking to a black, dank corner of the room. Apparently, Wolf had expected me to retaliate with a sarcastic rejoinder of my own, as he allowed a short period of time to elapse before he made his next move. Sensing that no such remark was to be made, he muttered something underneath his breath and proceeded to take a seat directly adjacent to my own.

"I've got to hand it to you, Blue," he grunted, "you got a lot of courage coming in here by yourself. I can't help but wonder what your little lover boy, Fox, would have to say about this."

"He probably wouldn't give a shit, seeing as how he dumped me," I cried, slamming my fist down on the bar. Seemingly doubting my honesty, Wolf simply responded with his characteristic laugh.

"Fox dumped you? That's rich," he chuckled. Finally recognizing that I was telling the truth, he attempted to put on an air of compassion and understanding (of course, it is rather difficult to be sympathetic when you, yourself, have never felt that emotion before).

"Sorry about that," he apologized. "Didn't realize you weren't lying there." I lifted my head and stared at him directly, a mixture of sorrow and anger glazed upon my face.

"Does this look I'm lying to you?" I angrily asked. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Not really. You never know, though." Frustrated and completely disinterested in semantics (one of Wolf's favorite pastimes), I took a large drink and resumed moping upon the countertop. In a what appeared (to me) to be a completely spontaneous (and previously unseen) gesture of kindness on his part, Wolf then proceeded to lean in towards me as if he were attempting to gain insight into my current condition.

"You wanna talk about it?" he asked. An even more unexpected move; I found myself mystified by his proposal. Was I not talking to Wolf O'Donnell, the most notorious criminal in the entire Lylat System? Was I not talking to the same Wolf who possessed a legendary (or perhaps infamous) reputation of cold indifference? Was I not talking to the same Wolf who had reputedly never demonstrated empathy, care or love at any given point in his life? Was I not talking to the same Wolf whose hatred of me was exceeded only by his hatred of Fox? In no universe would this scenario make sense, yet here it was, rapidly unfolding before my very eyes. Skeptical of his motives, I rebuffed his proposal as a false semblance of concern.

"Since when would you know anything about love?" I countered. He coughed slightly, taking a drink to clear his throat.

"Well, I suppose I don't know a whole lot about love," he resumed, unwavering in his resolve, "but I think I know a thing or two about relationships." Noticing that I was more or less ignoring him, he increased his efforts substantially. "Look, Blue, I know we've had our differences before—"

"I'll say," I sarcastically intervened. Acknowledging my cynicism, he chuckled slightly.

"Good one," he complimented. "Anyway, I just wanted to try offering my support to you, seeing as you're probably going through a pretty rough patch right about now." I couldn't help but burst out in laughter; how could Wolf be making such an absurd proposition? He knows I hate him just as much as he hates me; what could possibly possess him to think that I would change my mind anytime soon?

"And why would I turn to you?" I inquired. "You know I can barely stand to be within ten feet of you." Apparently enjoying my lackluster enthusiasm, he laughed once again.

"Why not?" he reasoned. "What's the worst that could happen? Go ahead; take a walk on the wild side. You never know; you might feel a lot better." Failing to persuade me, even in the slightest, I shook my head.

"I think I'll pass," I denied, "but thank you for the offer." Feeling that there was little left to fight for, he sighed and dropped his shoulders

"Well, I guess your mind's pretty much set, huh?" he assumed. "Guess there's no point in going on, then." Pushing himself away from the bar, he proceeded to head towards the door. For no apparent reason, he halted himself after travelling about halfway. At this point, he turned himself in the opposite direction and headed towards me once again, resuming the same seat that he had recently vacated.

"Blue?" he said.

"Yes?" I acknowledged. I just told you no; what else could you possibly want?

"I know we've had our differences in the past, but I just want to let you know that I'm willing to put those aside for a while. I know all about your history, you know: I know your home planet got blown to smithereens and that you don't have any family. I know you don't have too many friends outside of the Great Fox, and it's obvious you can't show your face around there anytime soon. I know you don't have anyone close to turn to. You're all alone; McCloud was the closest thing you had to someone who loved and cared about you, and he had to go take that away from you like the asshole he is…I can't even begin to imagine how you must feel. I'm sure you're just about to burst inside with all of the pain and heartache you're feeling right now. Believe me, I know what it's like to feel alone and unloved; I know how terrible it is. I know how it feels to spend days upon end in agony, wondering if you're going to find somebody, desperately begging for someone to love, only to be disappointed when each coming morning neglects to deliver your savior. It's horrible…I don't know if that does anything for you at all, but I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone, Blue, and if you ever decide to open up your heart…I'm willing to lend an ear and give you a shoulder to lean on."

If I had found myself dumbstruck before, I was in absolute awe by this point. How could a scoundrel such as Wolf be capable of such compassion and understanding? How could he have spoken such powerful, potent words? How could he have uttered such profound, bewitching thoughts? Certainly, I must have been dreaming; surely, this was too flattering sweet to be substantial. Struggling to comprehend the meaning of his speech, I did not give an answer. Assuming my silence to be a rejection, he sighed and turned away.

"Catch you later, Blue," he bade farewell.

"It's Krystal," I corrected him. He seemed just as confused by my response as I had been by his initial speech; turning around, he shot me a most quizzical glance.

"Huh?" he asked. After taking another drink, I turned towards him, looking him straight in the eyes.

"My name is Krystal," I reminded him. Pleased that I was responsive to his appeal, an amused smirk formed on his face.

"I'll try to keep that in mind," he lightheartedly stated. "Mind if I buy you another drink?"

"Not at all," I agreed. I had no idea what had come over Wolf; I would never have guessed that, given the opportunity, he could be such a gentleman. Regardless, I remained unconvinced of his sincerity and thus made sure to not let my guard down significantly. Signaling to the barkeep, I found myself enjoying a cool, refreshing beverage in a matter of seconds. Gesturing to a booth by the door, I followed suit and took the seat opposite from him. After adjusting his posture, he leaned forward on the table and looked directly at me.

"So, what exactly happened with you and Fox, huh?" he queried. "What made him get rid of you like that and leave you…well, where you are right now?" The very mention of Fox's name instilled great pain and misery in my heart; tears began to roll down my cheeks once again.

"Take your time," he offered. "I know this is a pretty difficult thing to talk about." Brushing my tears away and repressing any urge I had to resume them, I smiled at him.

"You're very kind, Wolf," I sniffled. "I really appreciate what you're doing for me right now."

"Anything for you, Blu—Krystal," he assured. It was beyond all comprehension: not only was Wolf actually being a courteous, decent person now, he actually remembered my name. "You think you're ready to talk about it?" Stifling any remaining tears, I lifted my head up and mustered up what self-esteem I had.

"It was about a week ago…we had just returned from a mission on Venom when Fox said he wanted to talk to me about something. Not knowing any better, I agreed to talk to him before we went to bed that night (Fox and I shared a room by this point). Truth be told, I was actually rather excited; whenever Fox told me he wanted to talk to me about something, it usually meant that he wanted to discuss our relationship…you know, talk about 'taking it to the next level.' He did the same thing the first time he asked me out, he did it again when he asked me to go steady with him, and he did it once more before we started living together. Honestly, I thought he was going to propose to me." Once again, emotion overwhelmed me; the tears came once again with as much power and force as they had before. "If only I had known what was going to happen next." Slightly embarrassed, I attempted to apologize for my woe. "I'm so sorry, Wolf. It's just…it's just so very hard for me to discuss this."

"Don't worry about it," Wolf attempted to comfort. "Just take your time." Taking him up on his offer, I took a few minutes to regain my composure. Putting myself together, I continued my story.

"It was about midnight…he told me to sit down next to him. I asked him what the matter was. He just sighed and took a deep breath. He told me how much he loved me…he told me how he would never do anything to hurt me. He told me how beautiful I was. Needless to say, I was puzzled; what could possibly have brought about all of this? I tried asking him what was wrong, but he just ignored me and kept going on and on. Finally, I stopped him and told him to tell me what he wanted to say. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and—" I paused once again, bracing myself for the pain I was about to be exposed to "—he told me that he was dismissing me from the team." Although I wasn't sure whether it was out of genuine interest or simple pity, Wolf appeared enthralled by my account.

"How'd you react?" he posed the question.

"I-I-I," I stuttered. "I pretty much lost it. I asked him why; he said it was for my safety. He said it wasn't going to be forever; he promised that he would quit soon and that we'd be together again. For my safety…bullshit it was for my safety. I didn't buy it for one minute. He wanted me gone and I knew it. I started screaming and crying. He told me to calm down; he tried to clarify himself, tell me that I was taking this the wrong way…let me tell you, Wolf, if any one was in the wrong then, it was him and not me." What little control I had over my emotions was gone by now; from that moment forth, I poured out my heart and soul. "How could he do this to me, Wolf? I thought he loved me. He told me he did. He promised me we'd be together forever. He said nothing would tear us apart. He swore he'd love me for all eternity. He told me we were going to have a family together; he told me he'd give me everything that I ever wanted. What did I do wrong, Wolf? What did I do to make him stop loving me? Why did this have to happen, Wolf? Why? Why? Why!?!?" Enraged and filled with woe, I slammed my head down on the table and cried harder than I ever had before. At that very instant, I wanted to die; to me, a life without Fox was no life at all. I couldn't stand it.

"Krystal," a surprisingly warm and encouraging voice entreated, "please stop crying." It was Wolf; once again, his actions did not cease to amaze me. Still, my depression overcame my gratitude; I refused to acknowledge his comforting presence. Taking a deep breath, he proceeded to make what was easily the most unexpected move of that night; he moved over to my side of the booth, taking a seat next to me and wrapping his arms around me.

"You're really beautiful, you know that?" he whispered in my ear. I lifted my head and looked at him; his face must have been no farther than six inches from my own.

"Excuse me?" I whimpered. He smiled.

"You're really beautiful," he continued in a soft voice. "I guess I never really realized that until now…look, Krystal, don't beat yourself up over this. It's not your fault; it's Fox's for being a complete dumbass and letting you go like that. What an uncaring, inconsiderate jerk…you trusted him with everything, and look what he did to you. He left you standing all alone in a cold, dark world. What kind of person would do that to somebody they care about? Forget about him, Krystal: you can do so much better than him. You're a beautiful, intelligent, caring woman and someday you'll find somebody who will treat you with the love and respect you deserve. I promise." I must admit that, by this point, any prior feelings of disgust I had felt towards Wolf had yielded to feelings of deep affection; now, I found myself increasingly infatuated with him. I didn't know why, either, but he was right; I did deserve better than Fox. I deserve someone who will treat me properly; I deserve someone who will love me, care for me, and cherish me more than anything else. I deserve someone truly wonderful; I deserve someone great.

Maybe…I deserve someone like Wolf.

"You're very kind, Wolf," I thanked him. He nodded his head.

"Don't mention it. You got a place to stay tonight?" Normally, I would've found such a question to be very unusual, but, considering my loneliness at that moment, I was willing to do anything to be close to someone.

"Just my ship," I informed him. He shook his head.

"I'm not gonna let you be alone tonight," he interjected. "You're gonna come back to the Master Wolf with me. Okay?" With no hesitation, I agreed.

"You wanna leave right now?" he offered. Once more, without the slightest feeling of reluctance, I followed him. Allowing me to leave first, he stood up and escorted me to the door, holding it open for me as well. Feeling somewhat sheepish at how much he was doing for me (and embarrassed at how little I was doing for him), I smiled and looked at him directly in an effort to express my thankfulness.

"Wolf?" I stated.

"Yeah?" he responded.

"I'd just like to say that I am sorry for any reticence or hostility I may have displayed towards you before," I apologized. "I know I may have…insulted you and disrespected you many times in the past, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm done thinking that way about you…you're a really wonderful person, Wolf. Really wonderful." I meant every word I said. I realized that all my prior thoughts, fears, and feelings about him were wrong; I realized that Wolf O'Donnell is truly an amazing person.

"I know; there's much more to me than meets the eye," he grinned.