Author's Note: I wouldn't call this a triumphant return. For the time being let's just call it a ghostly reappearance. I haven'tactually consistently worked on anything here for many years, and I prefer not to count my one-shot from last year, seeing as that was purely the product of hype following the announcement of Star Fox Zero. That being said, I can't guarantee if this is actually an endeavor I'll pursue (being a senior in college and being in the process of cutting ties with your piece of shit family really takes its toll). For the time beng, though, let's just hop on this roller coaster and see where it takes us, eh? If you'd like to see more, you know where the review button is. -MP

-Day of Remembrance-

With holographic billboards lining the sides of skylanes every couple hundred meters with statements emblazoned across them like 'REMEMBER CORNERIA CITY' accompanied by so-called moving images of the smoking wreckage that was once Corneria City, it became pretty easy to understand why the citizens were slightly more than irked.

"It's all a load of propaganda," the Macbeth Prime Minister, Remus Kerns, had scoffed on the second annual Day of Remembrance. "It's a huge pile of horseshit. The people of Lylat need to move on, not have their government memorialize something that destroyed the lives of billions of people. They need-!"

The broadcast had been terminated after that, cutting back to a confused and distressed-looking anchor.

Much of it was true, though. Much of the Lylatian public despised the Day of Remembrance. What was meant to be a solemn day full of moments of silence in honor of the lives lost in the Aparoid Conflict was now the joke of Lylat. Instead of moments of silence, the steps of the Capitol Palace in Corneria City were full of loud-and particularly riotous-protestors demanding that something be done about their lost homes and jobs instead of watching Corneria pour their money into more and more defense spending.

Well, protestors were there every day of the year; it just got particularly bad on the Day of Remembrance.

Fox McCloud smirked, snickering to himself as his Atlassian M-3000 hard-top convertible drove past a billboard that read in bold, blue letters: 'FUCK CORNERIA.'

"That's a first," said Fox half to himself.

In the passenger seat, Falco Lombardi's icy blue eyes followed Fox's gaze until they fell on the billboard, having just enough time to read the message before it was behind them. "Damn protestors gettin' more and more gutsy every week," he noted.

"Sounds a lot like someone we know," Slippy Toad quipped from the back seat.

"Fuck off, Slippy."

Fox had to bring up a hand to cover the smile he failed to suppress.

"You too, Fox."

Fox shook his head and wiped the smile off his muzzle. Clearing his throat, he glanced into the rear view mirror. "Krystal?"

The blue vixen's strong cyan eyes found his in the mirror. "Yes?"

"You've been quiet. Everything okay?"

"Oh, yes," she replied as Fox broke the eye contact to focus on the skylane before him. "Just... wondering what it'll be like to see Peppy again."

Peppy Hare, or General Peppy Hare, had been promoted from Lieutenant Commander of the Star Fox team to the General of the Cornerian Armed Forces shortly after the resolution of the Aparoid Conflict. Despite maintaining regular contact with his old teammates, there was something thicker in the air whenever they spoke. Whether it was a sudden lack of common interest or the fact that Peppy was doing it out of moral obligation, their conversations had grown shorter and were often full of awkward silences.

Fox wondered if Peppy missed him as much as he missed Peppy.

"I'm sure it'll be great," said Slippy in the most consoling tone he could manage. Krystal didn't look convinced as Fox pulled the car up to the parking structure outside of the Capitol Palace. After setting the car down on the landing pad, Fox shut off the engine and swung himself out of the driver's seat, the rest of Team Star Fox following his lead. When he waved off Falco and Slippy, telling them to start heading towards the palace, Krystal stayed behind with him.

"Do you feel it, too?" asked Krystal, her bushy blue tail swishing slowly behind her.

"Feel what?" asked Fox as he punched a few buttons into the kiosk and grabbing the two slips of paper it spit out. He set one on the dashboard and placed the other in his pocket. He turned to face Krystal, ignoring the giant mechanical arm that gently grabbed the car and lifted it to a higher level of the parking structure.

"Something wrong," said Krystal.

Fox probed, "You're going to have to be more specific than that."

Shaking her head, Krystal brushed a lock of hair away from her face. "It's something I've never felt before," she explained.

"Is it the mission?" Fox beckoned for Krystal to walk with him.

"Possibly," she admitted after a beat. "This is a government-sanctioned assignment. Those are supposed to be a big deal, and I can't help but feel like they're hiding something from us."

Nodding, Fox looked at the Capitol Palace as they neared it. "If they are keeping anything from us, they should let us know during the briefing. If you're still not sure afterwards, let me know and we can talk about it does that sound okay?"

After nibbling on her lower lip for a moment, Krystal nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," said Fox as they approached the throngs of beings gathered on the steps of the Capitol Palace.