This might look somewhat familiar to one or two of you, though I've rewritten this story almost entirely so...

000

It had been the worst decision of his life.

Every day since then had been a living hell like none other. Waking up with a sick pit in his stomach, thinking about her constantly, dreaming about her every night...reliving a nightmare that he'd brought upon himself because of his own stupidity. Everything went to shit after she'd left. The missions stopped coming in, mainly because he'd stopped caring to accept them. His teammates...his friends...abandoned him, though for good reason. Slippy, Falco, Katt...together they'd have drained the ship of it's food, fuel, and power within weeks. But if he was there, alone, that wouldn't be the case.

"We'll drop by and check on you every week or so. If you need anything just radio us down on Corneria, alright?"

Katt Monroe's words still echoed in the back of his mind as the vulpine stared at the floor. He blinked the memory away and finally just closed his eyes, bowing his head even further and bringing his paws up to rest his forehead within them.

Everything was his fault.

Kicking her off the team. Breaking her heart. Crushing the vixen in the worst of ways...and for what? To protect her? To keep her safe? He'd told himself that so many times, and even still he couldn't convince himself that it was the truth. If he'd just been honest with her...if he'd just told her that he loved her, that he didn't want to see her get hurt...

Even that wouldn't have sufficed.

It didn't matter now. She was gone. StarWolf had a new member in the sapphire vixen, and StarFox was no more. The leader of the once famous band of mercenary pilots had been reduced to a mute, suicidal, depressed pile of fur and booze..and he had no one to blame but himself. And yet...he was still Fox McCloud. His legacy would forever live on in the hearts and souls of all who lived within the Lylat system...and because of that, he knew he owed himself one last chance. One final opportunity to fix everything he'd broken.

Whatever it took, regardless of the stakes, he'd find a way to tell her how he felt. And so the vulpine finally opened his eyes and sat up, rising to his feet and clenching his fists. He'd already formed the plan in his mind, all that remained now was carrying it out. Reduced to a one-man team, his ship in disarray, his supplies running painfully low...he'd give himself one last chance to fix everything he'd so royally fucked up in his life, and in the end he knew he'd wind up one of two ways.

With her.

Or dead.

000

A warm Saurian breeze ran across the vulpine's face, bringing with it memories of his past adventures. He looked out across the valley before him, remembering the sharpclaw warriors he'd fought, all he'd done to help Tricky protect his clan, collecting the Krazoa spirits, and finally, saving Krystal. It all seemed so long ago. The Aparoid invasion had come and gone since then. He'd been happy then. Happy because she'd still been with him. She'd fought by his side and been there for him when he needed her the most.

He hadn't told her he loved her, but he should have. Oh, how he should have. None of this would have happened had he muscled up the courage to speak those three words. His team wouldn't have left him, his ship wouldn't be on the brink of falling apart, and his life wouldn't be reduced to a mere depressing blur of booze and heartache, all because of her. The objective had been to keep her safe, that was all. But now he realized how stupid a reason that had been.

Look at me now.

The deep scent of dirt and forestry was swept up from the small canyon below him and he took a sharp inhale, desperate to calm the nervous feeling building up within his stomach. Part of him still couldn't believe what he was going to do.

"Krystal."

He spoke her name softly as four ships went soaring overhead, too far away to notice the vulpine standing along the valley, his Arwing hidden about a mile or so back behind an array of trees. He knew which one was hers. He could tell by the way she slightly tilted her wings as she circled around and kept in formation with the rest of StarWolf as they prepared to land. She'd flown the same way with his team. It was just something else about her he could never forget.

Letting out a shaky sigh of anxiousness he stepped back into the treeline before kneeling down and looking out ahead, watching as the Wolfens drew closer to the vulpine. For the next second or so he felt the pit in his stomach grow, fearing they'd continue in his direction and eventually see him. But Peppy's intelligence had been spot on and, just as he'd told the vulpine earlier in his message, the four fighters came to a slow drift before setting down in the valley below him.

He still didn't know how he'd managed to get it out of the old hare. It might have been pity, or maybe he'd just given the vulpine what he'd wanted so he didn't have to put up with him any longer than he had to. Either way he'd gotten the information he'd needed. StarWolf was assigned for a reconnaissance mission on Sauria that day, nothing too important really, just mere house cleaning for the military. It was a job, he realized, that probably would have been given to his own team had he been on top of things.

Regardless, he'd thrown on his flight attire, checked the ship's controls, fueled up his Arwing what little he could, and taken off immediately. Yeah, it was abrupt, but he didn't care anymore. Thinking about it too much would be a bad thing. He just needed to do what his heart was screaming at him nonstop, day in and day out, awake or asleep. And that was to get her back. Get Krystal back.

No matter what.

They were a few hundred yards out but he could easily hear voices echoing off the canyons walls, their tones blurry and undecipherable, but numerous. He stood and stretched his legs, doing his best to ignore the feeling of nausea in his stomach that made him want to puke. He'd never felt so nervous about anything in his life. Missions that involved infiltrating heavily armed bases and space stations, fighting evil overlords and monsters, none of that had been half this bad. He'd fought death countless times without batting an eye or thinking twice.

So why was this so much worse?

You've got to get her back this time.

I can't believe I'm doing this. What's going to happen if it works? What will I do-

Don't worry about that now! Just focus on getting her back!

He clenched his fists and shook his head, struggling to ignore those thoughts as he took off in a jog towards the far left side of the canyon. Right now he didn't need to worry about anything but the task at hand, no matter how stupid or crazy it seemed. He still wasn't sure if he was thinking sanely...or if he was just obsessed with the vixen, but either way he couldn't stop now. He refused to. This was his last chance. If he failed this time, if he didn't get one more chance to fix things with her, then wouldn't be able to go on.

As he reached the edge of the clearing he couldn't help but inhale in surprise before stopping in his tracks and doing an about face, immediately ducking behind the nearest tree. He'd been so caught up in his thoughts he hadn't been paying attention to what was ahead. Footsteps trudged his way, rocks being displaced and left to roll down the sloped side of the valley as they made their way closer to him.

That was way too close! Pay attention damnit! What are you going to do if someone sees you?

Timidly he poked his head around the trunk of the tree, narrowing his gaze against the bright sunlight and watching as two forms came into view. The first caused his body to tense up in anger as Panther Caroso's sleek, smug form came into view. But no sooner had that feeling arrived was it replaced with one of immediate heartache and longing, and even more jealousy, as Krystal herself appeared before the vulpine as well, her paw intertwined with the cat's.

His hand found it's way to his side, slipping inside his coat pocket and closing around the metal tubes he'd brought along with him. He could do it now. Just slide the safety off, push the timer, count to three, then throw it. Within seconds the gas would take effect and knock them both out cold...and Krystal would be his for the taking. Easy as that. But he refrained. They were too close to Wolf and Leon right now and if he tried something, if either of them noticed him, they'd retaliate, mercilessly.

But at the same time he couldn't let Panther or Krystal head in the direction of his Arwing. That was the key to this whole operation. Even if he did manage to steal the vixen away from them it wouldn't matter if they knew where she was being taken. So if any of them were able to make out his ship as he escaped, well...he knew he'd have to expect one hell of a fight if he planned to keep her.

It's like I'm the bad guy here.

No. You're protecting her remember? This is to keep her safe.

That's...that's why I made her leave the team to begin with...

He knew he was contradicting himself now, months after all of it had went down, but he didn't care. Things weren't ever supposed to get this bad.

He continued to hold his breath. Gaze narrowed as he watched the couple make their way across the clearing, neither of them bothering to pay much attention to their surroundings, not that he was surprised. Sauria was under control now, he'd made sure of that. This little endeavor was just a time killer to get a few credits thrown their way, nothing else. Apparently the only real purpose this was serving, at least from the looks of it, was giving Panther another golden opportunity to spend quality time with the vixen.

He clenched his jaw as they kept walking along the side of the valley, his sight locking onto the vixen's face and admiring the beauty of the sight. She looked uninterested in whatever it was Panther was saying, her expression reflecting only faint care for his words as she continued on by his side, causing the vulpine to grin slightly. No matter what happened between them now, then, or in the future, she was still the most beautiful thing he'd ever had the pleasure of seeing.

All the more reason to get her back.

Once they were just about out of view he rose to a crouch and started following them, keeping a great distance just in case the wind shifted or something else gave away his position. It went on for a good five minutes and towards the end of that time he couldn't help but realize how out of shape he'd gotten over the course of the past few months. His stamina wasn't anywhere near as great as it had once been, most likely due to the lack of exercising and working out since she'd left, and he found himself panting for breath as they finally came to a stop at the edge of a river.

Wolf and Leon went the other way, so...should I do it now?

He looked on as Panther led her over to the water's edge, still holding her paw in his own as he sat down and pulled her with him. The vixen complied, though whether it was without struggle he wasn't sure. Either way, seconds later the black cat had propped himself up on his left arm, while wrapping the other around Krystal's waist, pulling her close and staring ahead into the water. At first the sight made him want to lash out at the feline, just so he could tear him apart for touching her like that. But that anger was soon replaced with sickness as he saw the vixen's head slowly fall over onto his shoulder.

Enough! This is the best chance you're going to have. Do it!

He reached into his pocked and pulled out the silver tube, it's size almost matching the length and width of his forefinger, but weighing a surprising amount more. It was then that he realized he was still too far away to make an accurate toss...and he sure as hell couldn't rely on luck to help him out. No. This time there was no room for mistakes. He had to be perfect.

Waiting a few seconds more he finally felt the wind shift, blowing from the direction of Panther and Krystal and bringing with it their scents, while erasing his own. Immediately he took off, still crouching but running from tree to tree, hardly taking the time to check and see if they'd noticed him before moving from one to the next. Soon it was forty feet, then thirty, and finally twenty, putting him behind the last available bit of cover and easily within throwing distance.

He reached into his pocket once more and pulled out one of the tubes, admiring its cold, promising touch and looking over the green liquid that was sloshing around within in. It was beyond him how it worked. All he knew was that Peppy had issued the team a few of them for their last mission...and that they worked flawlessly. He placed his thumb on the red safety switch, firmly pressing it up until it clicked out of place, issuing a 'beep' in response. Afterward he bit his lip in fear, quickly poking his head out around the tree and checking to see if either Panther or Krystal had heard it.

Fortunately, nothing had changed concerning the couple other than the position of Panther's arm which now rested even further down the vixen's backside. The vulpine couldn't help but sneer at the sight before looking back down at the vial in his hand, his thumb now resting over the black switch that, when pressed, allowed the chemicals inside to mix together and form their time-bomb of an attack.

What are you waiting for?

He took a deep breath and pressed the switch, silently counting out the seconds in his head as he readied to everything he had left on the line. Upon murmuring 'three' he stepped out around the trunk and tossed the metal tube the short distance across the clearing, instantly jumping back behind the tree and watching as it made its journey. At first he feared he hadn't thrown it hard enough, which was actually true, but those fears were almost immediately dashed. He felt his heart skip a beat in relief as he watched the vial hit the ground on it's tip, forcing it to bounce forward another few feet before landing right behind the couple.

Everything seemed to come to a stop then, working in slow motion as he watched the tube slowly roll onward. Three feet...two...one...until it finally rolled up against Krystal's paw. The vixen's head turned back towards him, glancing at the ground and looking over the cylindrical item for the few seconds it allowed her before the chemical reaction finally went off.

There was a, very, brief exclamation from her which was soon replaced with coughing as a green gas cloud filled the air around them. He clenched the sides of the tree as he watched the two of them break apart, each coughing in surprise as they tried to escape the expanding vapor, all the while still gasping out and then inhaling even more of the fumes. From between them he could see that the vial had stopped emitting it's numbing gases only a few seconds later, having done its job extraordinarily well. Much like on Venom, the gas set in almost immediately and was more than effective. Perfect for a snatch and grab. Such was made evident as now, on each side of the small tube, now lay two motionless bodies...both of which easily knocked out for the next few hours.

Still though, he waited. The vulpine watched for a few seconds longer, allowing the remaining traces of the gas to float away before finally stepping around the tree and jogging over to the pair. He approached Krystal first, kneeling down beside the vixen and looking her over. Even now he found himself admiring her delicate and beautiful form for all it was worth...and fuck, it was worth more than all of Lylat.

Why did I make her leave? What was I thinking?

He shook his head and looked to his left over at Panther, sneering at the cat who, even now, looked smug and satisfied. He rose from his crouch and made his way over to the feline, reaching down and grabbing his arm before dragging him back towards the clearing. Just keeping him somewhat hidden from Leon and Wolf would buy him an excessive amount of time, and he'd need every second he could get now. The gas was supposed to keep them knocked out for five hours, but neither Panther nor Krystal were the average target, so he gave himself some leeway.

Great Fox is two hours away. I couldn't risk flying it to Sauria and having Wolf notice it. Which means I've got to get Krystal back home in that time.

He didn't want to imagine what it would be like if the vixen were to wake up on the flight back, especially in such a confined space. She'd probably kill him out of anger, not just for kidnapping her, but simply for hurting her as much as he had over the past few months. And he'd deserve it. But if he could manage to get back to Great Fox first, and make the changes he needed to make, then he might have a chance.

A chance to fix things.

After dragging Panther a few feet past the tree he'd been hiding behind the vulpine noticed a large hedge resting between two large oaks. Figuring that to be as good a place as any he went that way, allowing a smirk to come over him as he drew closer and noticed the large thorns and nettles that were growing within the bush.

"Yeah," he muttered, putting forth all the strength he could muster as he lifted the cat up and tossed him into the overgrowth, "That's perfect for you."

Taking a second to rearrange the feline's legs so they didn't stick out too badly, he was finally content with his hiding place. Once again he grinned in satisfaction at the act, grateful that he was able to find something to smile about for once. Not wanting to waste much time though, he turned back towards the clearing. His gaze rested on the blue lump of fur on the ground that represented the vixen he was doing all of this for.

Soon he was at her side once again and, after looking her over and allowing the love and heartache to fill his insides, he reached beneath her and lifted her up. He wasn't sure if it was the size difference, or just because of who it was, but either way he had no trouble carrying her in his arms, as opposed to Panther. With her it was like holding a flower. A beautiful, timid, rose that he had to treasure and take care of no matter what.

He stood up and looked around, perking his ears back in the direction they'd came from and searching for any voices, only to hear nothing. Only Sauria itself was audible at this point, its trees blowing in the wind and the river by his side gurgling happily as it ran downstream. Once he was out of sight there would be absolutely no sign of anything going down here. At least, there wouldn't have been if he'd picked up the vial that had triggered it all.

But at this point, with the vixen in his arms and time being of the essence, he didn't think about that. Instead, he turned back towards the forest behind him and took off in a jog with an unconscious Krystal in his arms, steadily making his way back to his Arwing and never once thinking about the sole piece of evidence he'd left behind. All that mattered to him now was getting her back home where she belonged. Back on Great Fox with him, like it was supposed to be.

How she'd react to it all, he didn't know. It would be bad at first, but he expected that. But at the same time he didn't care. It was either this or killing himself. Maybe he really was obsessed with her. Maybe he was the bad guy here and not Panther or StarWolf. He honestly couldn't tell anymore. In truth, the only thing that Fox McCloud was really sure of at this point was that he loved her more than life itself...and he'd not rest until she knew it.

000

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