Author's Note: Well well well! Here we are after how many years? Too many, I say! I've been mulling over this story for a good long while, and I'm really excited to get it rolling. For those of you who don't know, this is a remake of my entirely-too-old fanfic "The Last Dragon". You can find it in my profile if you want a reference, but it's not necessary. There are a few similarities, but this has been seriously revamped since then. I won't yammer on anymore, just enjoy the first chapter! :D

-Spunky

Disclaimer: I do not own Starfox. Any related characters, settings, etc. belong to Nintendo. I only own the OCs I've put in this story.

Awakening

It started with darkness, endless, enveloping, silent and somehow comforting. The world centered on the slow and steady beat of her heart, and it was something she could rely on always. Every beat was the same and came at the same time, a simple rhythm she could always keep time with. Her endless dreaming was interrupted by a new voice, one that leaked in through whatever crevice existed in the barrier of her mind. Softer than a frail whispering, it murmured incoherently. It became a low din, persistent but tucked away in the corners of her mind. The beat of her heart was slowly drowned out by the sound, and with her faithful metronome falling away from hearing, she began to stir.

Slowly she became more aware of herself. Her body was waking faster than she was, and it was a disorientating sensation. She could feel her core, her heart pulsating with vigor as it pumped life into her from her center all the way to her fingertips, toes and tail. She felt as though she was being smothered with cold fire, her whole frame wracked with an unnerving tingling. Her world began to spiral out of control, the noise growing louder and increasingly difficult to ignore. Her heart raced, and a thin line of light split the darkness and peeled it away to open up a new world beyond her protective walls.

When she came to, the noise had died down slightly to a steady hum, and her heart calmed slightly. It felt strange to actually be aware of her body like this. She felt weighed down by her own flesh, helplessly limp as she fought to regain control over limbs she hadn't used for as long as she could remember. Her vision slowly cleared, the new light almost painful at first, and her new surroundings only baffled her more.

She felt the urge to get up, her curiosity of this new place overpowering. It took her a moment to sit up, her head spinning. Carefully, she stooped over and slowly staggered to her feet, stumbling here and there until she could finally regain her stability. The world tilted back and forth for a while as she tried to grasp at her bearings.

The chamber was domed and enclosed in damp, moss-covered stone save for a thin crevice that allowed in light and air directly above her. Beyond were a few crudely carved steps that led down to a walkway narrowly bordered by a series of columns that extended high above to the curved ceiling. The walkway stopped at the far end, a carved archway outlining a massive collection of rock implying there used to be an entrance. Aside from that, it was a damp, musty and empty room.

The persistent humming from before became choppy and ragged, and the walls echoed the rumbling growl of something eating away at the stone. The racket was ear-splitting, and she covered them in fear of what could be making that sound to begin with. The stone-blocked doorway crumbled away and left behind a small opening that poured forth dust and smoke. Strange silhouettes appeared in the veil, all of them yammering on in a tongue she didn't plan to even begin trying to comprehend. When the smoke and dust cleared, they revealed themselves to be reptilian beings. Their ugly snouts blunted and rimmed with snaggleteeth that poke through scarred lips. Their amber eyes glowed in the dim of the room, and their thick armor glinted dully in the low light.

When the first one saw her, it gave a surprised hiss, shouting more unintelligible words. The others quickly joined in, all appearing surprised and even confused, a look she could only mirror in response. Who were these scaly creatures? One approached her slowly, mumbling more to itself it seemed, and looked her over curiously. It jabbed a clawed finger into her shoulder, speaking again in a suspicious tone. The feel of that sharp claw poke into her flesh made her shriek in surprise. The lizard only laughed out loud at this, his breath foul as his fanged maw snapped open with each guffaw. The others joined in, rallying around him. Another one spoke in a teasing manner, poking at her with a blunt club.

Her heart raced again as the air around her grew close and stagnant with the rank stench of their breath as they whooped in amusement, one finally grabbed her arm in a sudden act of aggression, making her jump in terror. A strange voice she could understand flooded her ears.

These people are dangerous. You have to get away from them.

Instinct told her to listen to the small still whisper in her head. She couldn't understand these reptiles, and their actions only served to frighten her. This voice was unearthly, but she understood its words clearly, and they echoed her thoughts. In a fit of strength, she yanked herself free of his grip and staggered away with a small howl of protest. They appeared displeased, snarling as the one who had grabbed her barked a command of some sort. The others closed in menacingly.

Run.

Without another thought, she bolted away blindly, running to one side of the room. The reptiles followed clumsily, their limbs not built well enough to sprint as quickly as she did. What they lacked in speed, they made up for in teamwork, and after a bout of her evading them and attempting to reach the new exit, they had managed to trap her again.

You'll have to try harder than that.

She frantically looked around, the scaly bodies closing in on her, and in a blind burst of fear, she bolted straight for the exit. To her panic, she was caught rather easily by the arm and pulled back into a tight hold. She thrashed frantically in those cold arms, trying to get away. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see one approaching her with the club from before, a sinister smirk curling its gnarled lips.

Something new in her clicked, a switch that activated a new instinct. Fear was quickly replaced with anger, and her thrashing grew more violent, loud growls rumbling deep in her throat. Her heart pounded, urging her on, and the reptile's smirk faded into shock, the club falling out of his scaly hand. It took her a moment to realize the unearthly hissing she was hearing was coming from her, but by then, her blood was roaring in her ears so loudly that any concern was drowned away in the noise of her own survival instinct.

Do it. You know you can.

Fueled by an uncontrollable urge to fight back and survive, she sank her teeth into the thick hide of one holding her and tearing into his arm as best as she could to free herself. The salty tang of blood touched her tongue, and all else faded away.

The last thing any of the SharpClaw workers would see was the strange but terrifying sight of a young white she-wolf, beautiful at first with her vivid blue-green eyes, cascade of soft brown hair and foreign tattered clothes, turned so suddenly into a spitting craze, hissing and roaring with a voice that could not have possibly belonged to her. Most of all, they would fall to the sight of those striking eyes flickering unnaturally and drowning of all color, the blind gray eyes of their death peering into their souls and sucking away what life it could take for itself.

Author's Note: And it begins! It's a little on the short side, yes, but all my fanfics seem to start out like that. It'll lengthen up in the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed the small twist (unless you guessed it early on, which is fine too). Send a review my way, if you have time; I read and appreciate every bit of feedback I get! Check in for the next chapter, coming soon!