Fox McCloud was walking the corridors of some temporary base that the military gave in thanks after Team Starfox destroyed the Aparoids.
'Well done Starfox?' Those were the words of a crippled General Pepper.
And what is it for me?
'The money will be used for the reparations of the Great Fox.' He said another stinging word again.
For me to be used by you as a paid peacemaker. Just because you don't want to stain your hands in blood?
Fox McCloud in the Nine years he had her near him, he was timid, shy…afraid of loosing her. Why?
Because he was powerless, he depended on his teammates and without them…he was nothing more than just a traumatized boy who saw the death of her mother in front of his eyes and felt the death of his father after they reached him. What did he felt?
Cold, sad, alone and powerless.
The red fox went to sleep on his bed, cold as always; with no one to embrace him in this moment of grief as he has discovered that he was actually powerless.
"Fox McCloud." A voice said his name as he turned to see a young version of himself. "Don't deny your power; don't deny the result that war gave you just because of fear to be scorned." The younger version of him said as Fox woke up. He saw the door and saw a ghostly image of his younger self that with some anxiety began to run through the corridors of the house and after hours of walking on the streets. He reached to his house, the house that he wanted to forget; the painful memories that the war caused on him.
His younger self descended to the storage and with his little index finger he indicated and old closet, the commander's shaky hands opened the closet and saw the bodies of both of his parents. There, conserved as if they were still alive. How were they like this, he didn't knew. His younger self embraced him as he responded the embrace as he felt a tug. From his fingers, black threads were formed. The threads of his right hand connected to the body of his father and the threads of his left hand connected to his mother.
Cold-lifeless eyes stared upon the horizon, but somehow their eyes moved to see him…Fox trying to imagine himself as if his parents were still alive, he approached them both and make them to embrace him. Not wanting to let them go; he went to the base and his fears and nightmares were lulled as his parents hugged him. Finally, after many years of trying to be serious he smiled. His fingers twitched making gentle yet fluid movements as his parents started to move their cold limbs, rubbing gently and giving him the love he wanted and he couldn't spill since every time he wanted…they were always tired or had other urgent matters. "Father…mother…I love you." He said as he rest under the embrace of both of his parents.
11 BLW 11 am
"Mom." A seven year old tried to catch the attention of his busy mother that couldn't attend him. "MOM!" He said as the mother walked out of the door and placed her palm on his head. "Later honey." She said as she went on to fathers car and in front of his eyes the inevitable occurred.
BOOM!
Little Fox was never the same after that.
The day arrived and all the members of Star Fox were woken up except one, everyone was even surprised to not find Fox awaken at this time of the day. Peppy smiled, his surrogate son maybe needed some rest after saving the world he supposed. "Okay guy's I'm going to wake up Fox." Peppy said as he got up from his chair. To say that the others were still asleep and trying to get full on their senses was the most logical statement that even ROB made.
Peppy ever so slowly walked through the corridors and then opened the door to Fox's room and what he saw made his heart almost stop; he staid there with his mouth agape. Fox was on the center, his parents were knelt on the bed and both were encircling him on an embrace as they held their hands. The commander of team star fox was knelt too and with his head resting on her mother's chest. Black threads from both hands were connected to each of the bodies.
'James…Vixy. Why?' Unlike what some other people would have thought, the only one who knew Fox McCloud's pain was Peppy, he knew his pain. He had absent parents all his life; he never had a birthday…not even now they have celebrated it due to the constant missions and wars. He saw the death of his mother with his very own eyes, and his fathers corpse was delivered in a ever so gently yet high class priority mail to home. Closing the door to fox's room, he walked down the corridor and went to the kitchen, his ears were down and his eyes shed some tears.
"Yo Peppy; what's up?" Falco asked as he saw the old hare sitting in a chair and trying to regain his composure. "So, is Fox still asleep?" Krystal said as Peppy went out of his musing and paid attention to Krystal. "Oh, oh yeah. He's...he's sleeping rather comfortably by now." He said as Slippy slipped something that was going to change everything. "How strange? Fox would usually wake up in Midnights with bloodshot eyes always saying he needed milk. It's an habit he has always done, didn't you knew Krystal?" Slippy asked as Krystal was rather surprised. "No." She said as Falco sighed. "Yeah; when you arrived we usually had field training and such that he actually didn't had time to have some days. In those days, that's what happens." Falco said seriously while gazing at Peppy.
Peppy sighed; he knew the looks of the three. Falco stood up and so did Peppy. "Falco. What are you talking about?" Peppy said as the ace pilot was honest. "Something is happening with fox pops and you don't want to say anything." Falco said and Krystal got up. "What's happening Peppy?" Krystal asked as Peppy was silent and gazed at the table. Falco walked to the corridor with Krystal behind him, peppy even following them when Peppy stood up. "Please." Peppy said aloud, his voice sounded sad. As if someone pinched the heart of the hare, on a very delicate place. "Sorry pops but we have to know this too." Falco said as he opened the door and the cold dead eyes of James McCloud and Vixy Renard stared upon them…Fox was still asleep.
"Holy shit!" Falco said as Krystal saw and was strange. Who were those two people? "Who are those two?" Krystal said until they turned to see Peppy with a slight angry face but also emotional. "Krystal please, close the door. Come to the kitchen. I'll tell you a story, that none of you knew." He said as the three members of Star Fox followed him to the kitchen. They all took seat and their eyes were fixated on Peppy Hare.
"Fox has a very dark past, for a kid like him to actually cope with it and stay sane is actually a feat. The story stars when he was born, his mother Vixy Renard was a disinherited vixen, whose family abandoned her after they knew she was going to have James McCloud's son."
"Vixy, please think about it. You can't bear that man's son. If you do it you'll disgrace your life in such a level that you'll be known as a common whore that took the decision to lay with a public figure than an honorable, wealthy and healthy man that can give you the time in the world." Vixy Renard's father, Shinji Renard was known as 'The Tycoon of Banks' his wealth and fortune some say that had at least a million zeros on a thousand different accounts all going by different names.
"I love him father." Vixy Renard protested as Shinji got serious and sighed. "Then you're disinherited, the fortune of the Renard family will all go to the Charity." Shinji exclaimed furiously to his first and only born as he walked away. "AND DON'T EVER RETURN!"
"Shinji Renard died a month ago of a cardiac arrest." Falco that was actually on the conversation placed a paper on the section of deceased and the name appeared. "After they married when Vixy was pregnant with Fox, James picked the military instead of being present on Vixy's pregnancy." Peppy said as he remembered that moment.
"James, are you sure? You've a wife and you must be with her on the pregnancy." Peppy said as James looked at him and spat out. "Peppy I'm a member of the Cornerian Army. My allegiances go first than nay personal interests. And, Vixy can take care of herself." James said as he signed the paper and gave it to the one in charge and walked away. Peppy sighed and went to the library ignoring James and his tantrums.
"Vixy noticed his husband's absence and after the pregnancy was over; she would assign a robot to give him special baby milk. She never took care to breastfeed him and instead, tried to search a work." Peppy said as he looked at the roof, trying not to cry.
Peppy was the only one that was with Vixy on her pregnancy since James was on his training. When he arrived home first thing in the morning he saw that James was already away.
To his surprise he saw a robot preparing some special baby milk to give it to little Fox while Vixy was dressed and had her bag with her. "Vixy; where are you going?" Peppy asked as Vixy was rather urgent. "I have an interview for someone of importance." She said that and walked away from home.
"The news reached to me that she was working for Andross…and both were being infatuated. This infuriated James slightly but eventually he let it go. It was years later, when fox was seven. That Andross tried to kill James by planting a bomb on his car. James walked away leaving her his car keys and when a young Fox McCloud went to the door to say his goodbyes, she entered the car. And the bomb blew. A piece of metal, pierced through Fox's chest."
Peppy was crying, he already got on in an argument with James for not caring. This would actually cost him his wife and almost the life of his son. Waiting impatiently outside the emergency corridor, the doctor got out as he cleaned out the sweat from his brows.
"The boy almost died. We had chance of recovering him, but it will leave a scar." The doctor said as he walked away and in a hospital bed, they took Fox to his hospital room.
"Tragedy hit James and he started hating Andross for what happened to her wife. While Fox slept on the bed, he talked to him, telling him…almost ordering him to hate Andross for the death of his mother. A day before Fox would wake up and get out of the hospital; James told me that he had enough. That he needed to live his life and be independent, not having bonds with no one and is loyal only to Corneria, that night he tried to kill fox and…I stopped him." Peppy said thought the last thing was a lie; he knew what really happened and won't say it.
"I'm tired." James said as he got up and walked away. "Tired of what James?" Peppy asked and James turned to him with bloodshot eyes. "I don't need bonds, if I want to defend Corneria; I have to be alone and have no one behind me to care." James walked away and Peppy started walking around the hospital. When he reached Fox room later at night, he saw James entering the room, the hare started to run as if his life depended on it.
There, with a kitchen knife was James, ready to stab his son. Fox had his eyes opened during the event; just to see that from the very own shadows of the room, a spike pierced through his father's chest…missing the heart yet causing a terrible wound.
Krystal being the only one to know the truth asides from peppy due to her Empathic powers, she gasped and stayed silent, she was crying silent tears for the one that she loved, although he may not know it, or maybe he feels it but he's shy.
"After that day, James abandoned the home and left Fox alone on the house, never to see him again. Jams McCloud died being betrayed by Pigma Dengar, I ever knew how he got both bodies." Peppy said as they felt a presence known. "I received them through mail." Fox said as he took a seat and sighed. "They came with a letter from Andross Bowman." When Peppy heard this he gasped, so did Slippy. Falco was surprised although. "He renewed the bodies…to make them look, in excellent conditions." He said as he took the milk gallon; when he was going to grab it he was hugged by Krystal that was crying on his chest. "F-f-fox I-I'm s-sorry." Krystal said while crying as the red fox patted the vixen to calm her. "You don't have to be sorry about anything. I've finally reacquainted with that part of my past that I tried to shut away but…it's a part of me nonetheless." Fox said with a true smile, as he turned to the guys. "Hey guys; you can have the day off…I have to take a visit to see what happed with my mother's inheritance and to give those big zeros to the charity." Fox McCloud turned to the vixen that was calmed down. "So; how does that sound Krys? Want to go with me?" Fox asked as he felt her nod. "Okay then, if you excuse me; I've to get to my room." He said as Krystal followed him. "I'll go with you." Krystal said as Fox continued and stopped on his door. "Krystal…why did you came?" He asked a little bit timid and with a hint of fear. Krystal knew all too well what he felt, he believed she would be scared of hat he did to his parents and the comfort he needed from them or anyone…he badly needed someone, he desired it.
He felt used; he felt alone…leading to nothing.
He deeply covets the attention of someone, someone warm to embrace him and his shadows…someone that will acknowledge his now depressed yet surviving-to-be-happy will.
"Fox…I just want you to know that you don't need to be alone anymore. I'm with you…I love you and I won't ever leave you." She said and walked forward, both of their bodies were close. "How do I know you won't leave me broken…" He asked and Krystal bit her lower lip, fear was evident. Her senses then felt something cold on her feet; what seemed to be black tentacles were on the ground and grasped her ankles so she couldn't leave where she was. Krystal isn't this bold but, since she couldn't move she did only one thing. She grabbed Fox's hands and approached him to her, she hugged him. "I won't abandon you Fox…for my life, I promise." She said as both were now in a hug. Slowly the tentacles encircled the two and constricted them, making the hug a little tighter.
"You're warm..." Fox's voiced expressed with surprise, he seemed to love the feeling of a tight warm embrace. Sure, Fo McCloud had many embraces on his life, but...when the ghost of his childhood hugged him and he acknoweledged it as a part of his life, he changed. His childhood self didn't knew what a loving embrace was and sure did Fox didn't also. This was verily new to him.
For Krystal actually this was adorable but, the black tentacles were constricting too tightly, almost wanting to squeeze out the loving war she was giving to Fox. "Um...Fox. It's...tight." She said as he smiled, the tentacles dissipated into nothingness and both smiled.
Peppy looked from his chair with a smile. Finally things looked up, since fox was never part of the military, he could do whatever he desired so with his life. And so could the team.
It's 1:20 AM and I've ended this guys…I threw this so you could say what you think!
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