A/N- All of Nintendo's characters/places are Nintendo's.
With the release of SF Assault, this story became Alternate Universe, but I like it too much to quit. Yes, I did start this story two years ago and I am still working on it. It has evolved and taken a bit of a life of its own, and it's still a work in progress, but I will finish it eventually.
Enjoy!
Perfect Circle
Chapter 1
There was something enchanting about a brilliantly colored planet back-dropped by deep darkness and twinkling stars, Krystal of Cerenia thought. She had been standing at the view port for nearly an hour. Her legs, while quite well-toned, were beginning to protest the long stand. The blue fox squatted in front of the screen, eyes still focused on the many colors of the approaching planet.
Well, rather as they approached the planet, and they being furs in the Great Fox, the mother ship of Star Fox.
Soft footsteps sounded from behind Krystal, and she turned to see Fox McCloud walking toward her, paws stuffed in his pockets. She rose to greet him.
"Thank you for coming back with me, Fox," she said.
He shook his head, "It was no trouble. After all, you did stand up against General Scales without your staff."
Krystal smiled softly. It was probably one of the more foolhardy things she had done in a while, but she had heard much about the evil General and seeing him harass that poor Cloudrunner had sent her over the edge.
Fox moved to sit next to her, and soon both were staring out the view port at the bright planet.
"So you really think there is more to Dinosaur Planet than you first thought?" Fox asked.
"I do," Krystal answered, "There are so many questions I have. So much left unexplained."
Fox knew what she referred to. It seemed as though the buildings had been designed by, or at least for, small creatures with opposable thumbs. He had been curious, but had remembered learning in school about the planet's discovery. He had blamed the convenient ladders and doorways on those first explorers.
Krystal, however, had different ideas. Her first language, Cerenian, was very similar to the Dinosaur language. It was an uncanny parallel that fueled most of her curiosity. That and the Star Plants, which powered her staff and that she had considered native to her home, flourished on the lush planet. The more she heard of Fox's exploration of the planet, the more convinced she became that there were some answers to be had from the planet.
Maybe even a clue as to where her own planet had gone.
Loud footsteps echoed through the control room and Slippy's whistling was heard. He tapped on the juke box with his wrench and it started a heavy rock song.
"The transport is all ready to go," he said as he relaxed into a chair and picked up an old PDA to fix.
Fox gave the toad a scowl for ruining a quiet moment with the beautiful vixen, but Krystal did not seem perturbed. Instead, she rose and straitened her loin cloth. The two walked down the winding corridors of the Great Fox, and soon arrived at the docking bay.
The hold sheltered two ships; the team's small transport ship, and Krystal's stolen Sharpclaw craft. Peppy Hare emerged from the ship and waved his arm toward the entrance.
"She's all ready. I packed some food and maps, just in case you get lost. That way you won't have to collect all those scarabs again."
Fox smiled, "Thanks Peppy, but I really don't think I'll forget my way around. Well, at least in Thorntail Hollow."
He didn't have the heart to tell the old hare that Slippy had programmed the entire planetary map system into his PDA.
"Thank you Peppy, your company has been most enjoyable," Krystal said politely.
Peppy bowed low to the vixen, "The pleasure was mine. I hope you find what it is you search for."
Fox remained as Krystal boarded the ship, "We'll be back in a few days. I'll contact you if something else comes up."
The old hare nodded absently, and then looked directly at Fox, "I have a feeling Krystal will discover something very profound on this trip. Make sure you take her to the Warp Stone."
It was all Fox could get out of the enigmatic hare. Fox watched as Peppy walked back into the main hall.
'He's getting a little nutty in his old age,' he thought.
Shrugging it off, Fox boarded and the two set off from the Great Fox to Walled City, where the King and Queen Earthwalker and Prince Tricky awaited their arrival.
Fox landed the transport on the landing pad by the Earthwalker Temple. Tricky nearly tackled Fox as he descended from the ship's ramp. The gentle laughing of his parents sounded, and Fox and Krystal turned to greet the monarchs of the Earthwalker Tribe.
"It's good to see you again, King Earthwalker, Queen Earthwalker," Fox said politely, "I would like you to meet Krystal. She came here just before me, and helped fight General Scales."
Krystal bowed low to the regal dinosaurs and spoke in Dino language, "It is a pleasure to meet you."
The two nodded once in acknowledgment, but looked at the blue-furred vixen curiously. Her Dino was broken and accented, but still understandable. The King and Queen exchanged a glance, and then turned back to the two furs.
"Please," the King said, "Stay a while and let us have a pleasant moment instead of one of urgency."
"Oh yeah, please Fox," Tricky was practically jumping into Fox's arms, "Stay a while. Only you can throw my ball the furthest."
As Tricky ran off to find his ball, the four adults crossed the bridge to the pyramid structure centered in the valley.
Fox smiled sheepishly to the Earthwalkers, "He really missed me, didn't he?"
"He hasn't stopped talking about you," the Queen said, "And he's always wearing those wings you gave him. I'm glad he is enjoying himself now, for it won't be easy when he is of age to rule."
"I'm sure he'll be fine, he has great parents," Fox said, "If you don't mind, I would like to show Krystal around the valley. Tell Tricky to join us."
The Queen Earthwalker nodded her crested head and smiled.
"We'll be having a dinner tonight," the King said as Fox and Krystal turned, "Join us just before sundown."
"Will do," Fox said.
Walking side-by-side, Fox and Krystal began near the mouth of the river encircling the pyramid. Krystal breathed in deeply and sighed happily.
"This planet reminds me so much of my own home. It was in a valley surrounded by trees. Each spring, the air was fresh with the new plants and fruit tree blossoms. Spring is such a happy time," she finished softly.
"All this pollen makes me sneeze," Fox said with a laugh, "Nature is nice, but I prefer steel and concrete."
Krystal laughed lightly, "I must admit I am afraid of your great Corneria City. I fear there is too much city for me to handle."
"You would get used to it," Fox was quick to suggest, "Plus, there are lots of parks and places to get back to nature. Granted that none of the rivers on the planet are safe to drink or swim in, but the trees are still nice."
The vixen stopped and looked at the rushing stream in the deep gorge, "It is not that I could not adapt, because I know I could, I simply do not wish to live in such a place. I would rather live here, in all this simple beauty, for the rest of my life than stay a year in a city. You understand in the opposite way, Fox."
He nodded slowly and opened his mouth to speak, but a red ball bounced off of his head. The two turned to find Tricky rolling on the ground laughing.
"Oh, I got you good Fox. What a shot that was!"
Krystal touched his shoulder, "Play with Tricky a while. I can explore on my own. I will stay out of any buildings."
Fox squeezed the ball between his paws, "Sure, if you want. I'll look for you after a while and show you around inside."
Krystal continued walking along the river until she came to a wooden bridge, where she paused for a while. A soft breeze rustled the tree leaves and for one moment, Krystal was back on Cerenia. Laughing children chased each other, fish jumped and were caught by spear-wielding fishers in the river, and older children were experimenting with their first staff. The vixen smiled and closed her eyes and lived the memory.
A loud dinosaur snort interrupted the moment and Krystal's eyes snapped open. An Earthwalker guard stood looking at her curiously.
"Pardon, but I must pass this bridge and I did not wish to accidentally knock into you," he said apologetically.
She nodded solemnly, "Thank you."
After crossing the stone bridge, Krystal came to an open field where a small stream wove its way to the river. There, she removed her shoes and strolled across the grass, enjoying the feeling between her toes. She could hear Tricky's playful laughter as he chased the ball. When Fox waved, she smiled and waved back.
In the distance, Krystal noticed a path winding up a hill. Curious, she followed it to the top, where a small building stood. What caught her attention most of all, however, was the view from the top. She walked slowly to the edge and sat down, taking in the serenity of Walled City. In the field below, Fox threw the ball for Tricky, who retrieved it for another round.
Krystal sighed. Fox was a good fur, she could tell that from their first meeting, but she wasn't sure what she wanted anymore. Since she had become one of the last of her people, she had been busy trying to find out what had become of them. On the subject of time, she wasn't even sure how long she would stay in the Lylat system if her hunch on Dinosaur Planet was wrong.
Calming her mind, the vixen dropped into meditation. Her mind relaxed and rested. There, in meditation, a Cerenian occasionally had visions. Not visions of the future, but visions of who they were, and what they truly felt and knew.
It started as an image. Krystal saw the towering pyramid of Walled City. At its apex, a blue glow came forth, growing brighter and brighter until the image was nearly impossible to make out. A Krazoa Spirit burst forth suddenly and slammed into Krystal.
"Krystal..." A whisper echoed all around her, "Krystal... Krazoa Palace... Krystal..."
"Krystal," a deeper voice called from behind her, "Hey Krystal. It's almost sunset. Hey, are you okay?"
Her eyes snapped open and she took deep breaths to calm herself.
'So real... so real,' she thought over and over again as she tried to appear as if nothing had happened.
"Sorry Fox, I lost track of time. Let us go eat," she said shakily.
Fox gave her a concerned look, but asked nothing else as the two descended down the hill and to the temple.
After the dinner with several Earthwalkers, Fox and Krystal sat on an upper level of the temple and watched the stars. They had decided to camp there and had spread out sleeping bags.
It wasn't long before Fox got bored, "So I thought I could take you to Thorntail Hollow tomorrow. We could fly there, but the King Earthwalker told me of a passage through the mountain valleys that takes about two hours to hike."
"That sounds fine, Fox," she hesitated then, trying to decide whether or not she should tell Fox of her strange vision earlier.
Gazing back up at the stars, Fox tried to pick out constellations in the unfamiliar sky, but was unable to. Instead, he pointed at a bright blue speck.
"That's Aquas, a planet nearby to Corneria," he said.
"Oh, it is pretty," Krystal murmured.
A palpable silence fell between the two then. Krystal contemplated her vision, and in the end, decided to hint at a trip to Krazoa Palace.
"After Thorntail Hollow, where do you wish to travel," she asked.
Relieved at the broken silence, Fox answered, "Maybe the beach, or Snowhorn Wastes. I'm not sure of a walking path to the Cloudrunner Fortress, but we could always fly there. We should only stay a few days. I think some of the dinosaurs here are a bit uncomfortable having us around."
"Really," Krystal said, surprised at the revelation, "I was not aware of such… animosity?"
Fox nodded, "I can see it in their eyes, the way they'll stiffen up when we come near. They watch us warily. It's not a big deal. If you go to the wrong place in Corneria City, you get stared at just the same."
Krystal frowned. She supposed it was similar in her small Cerenian villages, where everyone knew everyone. But it seemed unfair for Fox to be looked at as an intruder when he had been the one to save the planet.
Shrugging, Krystal spoke, "Do you think they would mind us visiting Krazoa Palace?"
Fox audibly sucked in a breath, "I could ask the King or Queen Earthwalker, but I don't know if they would want us around their most sacred place on the Planet, especially after what just happened with Scales."
Seeing her saddened look, Fox added, "I'll ask tomorrow morning. Maybe if Tricky comes, they'll let us in without too much protest."
"Thank you, Fox," the vixen smiled.
The two gazed at the stars a while longer before sliding into their sleeping bags for the balmy night.
Morning came with the sunrise and the Walled City was alive with chirping and bird calls. A light breeze had started by the time Fox woke. Krystal, an early riser, had already packed up her sleeping bag and had disappeared from Fox's direct view.
The fox found Krystal on the lower levels, sitting calmly and watching young Earthwalkers at play. One of those youngsters was Tricky, who came bounding over to Fox as he joined the blue-furred vixen.
"Morning Fox," he called excitedly, "Hey guys, remember Fox? Here he is. Star Fox, yeah!"
The younger dinosaurs crowded around and jumped and called out "Star Fox!" much to the amusement of the two furs present. The group suddenly calmed as the King Earthwalker approached.
The group exchanged morning pleasantries before Fox asked about Krazoa Palace.
"If you don't mind, Krystal and I would like to take a look around Krazoa Palace. She didn't get a very good look at it... er, for obvious reasons," Fox finished lamely.
The King was unreadable for a long moment, and Krystal feared that she would not be able to explore her vision, but after a few tense minutes, the King nodded once.
"You may. But only if Prince Tricky may join you," he stated with a tone of reluctance.
"Of course, that would be fine," Fox said, "We'll only be there for a short while. Not even a day."
The King nodded again, "Very well. You said today you will visit Thorntail Hollow and Cape Claw? The next day then, take your look around Krazoa Palace, and then come back to Walled City."
Fox and Krystal thanked the King Earthwalker before getting ready for their day hike to Thorntail Hollow and Cape Claw. Tricky begged and begged until his parents gave in and let him go with the pair.
The three set off then, following Tricky, who knew the way very well. The beginning of the path was well manicured and trimmed, but about halfway through, it became wild and uneven. It was in this place that Krystal truly felt at home. If it weren't for Fox and Tricky, she could have sworn she was back on the jungle paths through Cerenia. She became quiet until Fox noticed her melancholy.
Fox let Tricky go a little ahead as he slowed Krystal's side, "You okay?"
Looking at Fox oddly, she answered with a question, "What is okay?"
Rephrasing, he replied, "Are you alright? I noticed you became quiet."
"Oh," Krystal laughed lightly, "I understand. You have strange slang. This place is so like Cerenia. It is almost like Cerenia and Dinosaur Planet were twins of the same parent."
Stopping to pick a Star Gem, Krystal fed her staff, "The gems are the most curious thing. I must know why, this alikeness. You understand my silence now?"
Fox nodded. He couldn't imagine losing everything he ever knew. It would be like leaving Lylat on a strange ship, never to return. Even when he lost his parents, he still had the Great Fox and Peppy, and many school friends. He still had a home.
Fox pounded his right fist into his left palm, "Don't you worry Krystal, we'll find your answers."
"We?" Krystal said hesitantly, "You mean you will help me?"
"Of course," Fox said, putting his paw on his shoulder, "You're a friend, and I help friends. That's just how I am."
Throwing herself into his arms and hugging him, Krystal smiled, "Oh thank you Fox! You do not know how long it has been since I have had a true friend. Thank you."
Fox blushed under his fur. He madly blushed, but returned the hug as nonchalantly as possible, "N-no problem, Krystal. Now, let's catch up to Tricky."
The group arrived at Thorntail Hollow a little before noon. Many of the Thorntails remembered Fox and greeted him with happiness. Krystal was introduced as well, and the dinosaurs were pleased at her knowledge of their language.
Little had changed in the Hollow; the biggest difference was the boarded up entrance to the store. A crude Dino Language sign was scrawled, 'Moved to Cape Claw.'
"So he finally did it," Fox laughed.
"What is up there?" Krystal asked, pointing at the waterfall, "Is that a cave under the waterfall?"
"The Warp Stone is up there," Fox answered, "And yes, that is a cave, but there's nothing in it."
"The Warp Stone," she repeated, "Oh, the rock that sent you to Krazoa Palace."
"Yeah, I hope he doesn't want a present like last time," he muttered.
"If he does, I'll just bring one later," Tricky said.
The three walked up the hill and around to face the sentient rock. The Warp Stone came awake and spread his arms wide in greeting.
"Well well well, if it isn't Fox McCloud and the Prince Tricky," he stopped suddenly and looked closely at Krystal, "I'll be mashed into powder and blown away by the wind... if it isn't a Keeper."