There were seldom quiet days after the invasion of the Aparoids. With General Pepper's health in critical condition after the assault on the Cornerian capital, the military was in shambles, and the Star Fox team had decided to step in with the rebuilding efforts. Peppy had been named the acting General on the order of Cornelius Pepper himself, and though that had ruffled more feathers than the hare would have liked to admit, Fox thought he took to the job rather naturally. The General position of the Cornerian Army had taken place of the Prime Minister position when the Cornerian Civil War had been won after a military coup d'état. Thus, the position was new, and if Fox was correct, General Pepper had not yet named a successor, nor had the council directly beneath him come up with a policy for deciding who became the next Cornerian leader.
Rumors had begun to circulate that Pepper would not recover from the momentary possession of the Aparoids and Fox's confidence was beginning to wither down into his bones. Peppy was a likely choice to replace Cornelius Pepper—they were wingmates in the War, after all, but even Peppy was beginning to wear thin. His last-ditch effort to shatter the force field about the Aparoid Homeworld had left him with a nasty limp in his left leg, and so he walked supported by a cane.
But the other rumor had reached Fox's ears that afternoon, that Pepper's chosen candidate was "the son of James McCloud". It had left a bitter taste in the vulpine's mouth and so he found himself walking under the scorching rays of Lylat, in a district of Corneria City that had been thankful to not see the Aparoid's atrocities. Hands shoved into his pockets, he passed by the petite cafes, feeling the eyes of the locals crawl over him. His fur tingled, and a flush on his cheeks marked his unease. If people really believed the "hero of Lylat" would come to lead them in their time of mourning and recovery… well, they were sorely mistaken. He was content with his job and the politics that came with the General's seat made him want to vomit.
But would they see it that way? Fox studied the ground, letting himself get lost in the pattern of bricks. He did not notice Krystal until she took him by the arm, her warmth an aura of familiarity, strength, and protection.
"Let's go," she said with the softest smile to him, and he let her take him away from the sunny street, the beeping of hovercars, and the prying eyes. There was a bit of a hop in her step as she moved, childish and free. Even her breathing seemed clear, precise—his mouth and lungs seemed to light on fire with every breath. He watched her with wonderment as she walked, their pathway becoming all too familiar.
The park had been a place his father had taken him several times during their stay in Corneria City. A much younger Fox McCloud had frolicked among the toys and the trees, chased by a hopping Slippy Toad and an ever-giggling Lucy Hare. The sunlight stroked his face and he smiled with thought, letting the nostalgia overcome him. Krystal did not release him but dragged him into the grass.
In the shade of the trees, he could see her better—the blouse she had worn was sleeveless, cut to fit her snugly with ruffles at the collar, trickling down to her stomach. A skirt had been selected—short but with a sway that reminded him of an ocean's waves. His eyes never left her—tracing over her face. Her eyes—the image of hope, the image of defiance. She was a mystery and he was enamored by her.
The vixen led him to the grass, the soothing chortle of a nearby fountain adding into the natural sound of wind through the leaves. Her jewelry jingled along with the melody as she sat down, tucking her feet beneath her and letting her tail curl around her. She gave a gentle pat on the grass with a hand, and Fox ungracefully squatted into a sit next to her.
She did not mention his stress, but there was a light in her teal eyes and a curl in her smile that made it evident that she had read his emotions. Even if she did not use her powers, she was an intuitive woman. He felt blessed in that moment, watching her tuck strands of her blue hair back so that they did not interrupt her vision.
"What are we doing here?" Fox inquired.
"Absolutely nothing," Krystal said enigmatically and Fox nearly laughed aloud with disbelief.
Nothing? We don't have time for this…
She must have sensed he was about to stand up because she grabbed his arm and Fox paused. There was a silent plea in her face and he rethought about his decision to leave, settling with the trunk against his back. Krystal leaned against him and her touch gave life into his breath. It gave a sensation from where her fur intermingled with his that trickled into his heart, his mind. Since watching the Great Fox slam into the Aparoid Homeworld, he had not known peace. There was only "the next step"… and then the step after that.
"When this is done, let's go to Zoness," she whispered to him. "That's the name of the place, right? The one where the Cornerians like to go on vacation?"
"Yeah," Fox replied with a smile. "That would be nice."
"Let's rent a house by the beach," Krystal added. "And turn off our communication devices."
"Whoa, that's getting a bit dramatic," Fox began but grinned all the same. "But I agree. We need a vacation." But was there really any rest for heroes? When would the next round of impending doom occur? When would the Lylat System need him next…? He did not want to shut it out, but his mind was a garbled mess and his thoughts were so erratic that he could not focus. With another deep breath, he smelled her perfume—luscious lavender mixed with vanilla. She helped him keep his focus when the world was falling apart, and he knew she was right. He knew he had to take some time for himself… as hard as that was to admit.
The silence that followed was soft, a gentle soothing massage to his shoulders as they released their tension and he allowed himself to expel the air that he had not realized he had been holding in his lungs. He permitted his eyes to wander the sunlit park, where children were playing on a slide and where couples were walking with their arms intertwined. In another reality, the buildings around them were shattered, rubble smoldering on the ground and the children warped by the Aparoid virus. Mechanical-organic hybrids, their past lives forgotten under the reign of the Queen—it was something that made him value the sun more and made him appreciate the way the grass felt in his palms.
Some days I wonder what it's all for. But then I remember.
A glance at the blue vixen from the corner of his eye, and he felt himself smile.
"Fox?" she questioned softly. "What are you thinking?"
She was asking him, not prying into his mind and for that, he was grateful.
"Oh, I was just thinking…" Fox began, his eyes lifting upward, to where a patrol of CDF fighters zipped on by, fleetly dodging the skyscapers. Lylat burned ever bright, hung in their sky like a beacon. Children laughing, the sound of idle chit-chat between adults near the fountain of Cornerian soldiers erecting a flag. The breeze across his fur, her warmth, her presence like a radiate stream of stars. "… About how I fall in love with you more and more every day."
Thank you for reminding me.