A/N: Chapter 3 in da house! Remember, the following chapters will be further down the road in Krystal's training.
Krystal pushed down hard on her thrusters, the sudden kick of force driving her back into her seat.
The enemy had kept on her tail for the last minute and she needed to put some distance between her and them. Her ship soared through the open void of space and once she was finally out of range, she performed a sharp angle turn and cut across, avoiding the large asteroids that floated by endlessly. It seems the other ship was prepared for that as it fired a barrage of high speed lasers at her Arwing. Seeing she wasn't going to make the speed to dodge them, she pulled one thruster back and the other one forward, causing the Arwing to perform a barrel roll. The lasers struck the high velocity of the spinning ship and bounced harmlessly off into nearby smaller asteroids causing them to explode. Krystal couldn't help but smirk.
She had him now.
With a hard yank back on her controls, the Arwing somersaulted mid-way before straightening itself out and right behind the enemy ship only a few yards away. She punched a few buttons on the control panel in front of her and her vid screen centered between the thrusters turned red, signaling that her lock on mode was now online. Krystal followed the enemy ship as it bobbed and weaved its way through the asteroids trying to lose her but she kept on its tail, staying behind it as much as possible.
The ship had finally straightened out and into an open space and Krystal could see the vid screen come alive with a picture of the enemy vessel. It highlighted the ship in bright yellow and flashed a few numbers before a satisfying number of beeps were heard.
"Target locked on." A stale robotic voice spoke in her headset.
Krystal grit her teeth. This was it. She pushed down once more on the thrusters to pick up speed. The closer she was, the better chance of a kill shot. The vixen was so close that she could see the rear tail fins of the enemy ship. Satisfied that this was all the space she needed, Krystal moved a thumb to a button on the side of her thruster and pressed down on it hard, preparing to pull up in order to avoid the explosion.
Only it didn't happen. She pressed on it again and again but the Arwing did not fire.
"Weapons malfunction." She heard the voice in her headset tell her and she cursed silently.
The enemy ship now performed a somersault of its own and was directly behind her. A laser sliced by her canopy, her right wing taking a bit of damage. Beads of sweat ran down her forehead and dripped off her muzzle and the end of her nose as her mind furiously tried to come up with a solution. Another flash lit up her canopy from behind and her ship shook violently from the force of the laser's impact. Warning lights and signals went off telling the blue furred beauty that the Arwing could not take another hit.
Krystal was in deep trouble. She had no weapons and her ship was on its last legs. There was no way that she could survive this.
It was then that she seemed to finally become aware of the fact that they were in the middle of an asteroid field. An idea lit up in her brain like a wildfire and she picked out the closest and largest one, pushing her Arwing to its top speed straight towards it. The enemy ship began to match her speed and chase after her. Krystal could see the giant rock come closer and closer as well as the roar of the engine of the ship behind her.
"Warning. Warning. Enemy has locked on to ship. Warning. Warning." Her headset told her.
She tightened her grip on the handles as the gargantuan rock filled her canopy and with all of her strength pulled back and the Arwing shot upwards, the very tip of the nose scrapping off the asteroid. The other ship however, being blocked by Krystal's Arwing, ran straight into the boulder. A large explosion lit up behind her as her ship climbed higher up into the stars.
"Simulation over. User wins."
Krystal fell back in her seat, letting out a sigh of relief. The canopy popped open and she was greeted by the smiling faces of Fox and Slippy.
"Great job, Krystal!" Slippy croaked, giving her a thumbs up. Fox's smile beamed brightly towards her as he helped her from the Arwing simulation. She stepped out and was a little taken back when her gently grasped her by the waist and helped her down onto her feet.
"You did fantastic, Krystal. That was one of the harder simulations." He told her, smile still on his face. The vixen blushed at his kind words and even kinder smile.
"Thank you." She said meekly.
"I'm serious. That was some major thinking on your feet. Right, Peppy?" Fox said, looking over to the hare. Peppy stood to the side, arms across his chest but a small smile on his face.
"Yes, very impressive. You are doing very well, Krystal."
Krystal gave the older Star Fox member a gentle and sincere smile that caused his to grow a little wider.
"You'll be in your own Arwing in no time. You're getting better and better every time. I'm really proud of you, Krystal." Fox told her softly, his eyes locking onto hers. Krystal could feel her pulse quicken under the vulpine's stare which was becoming a regular occurrence.
"You can let go of me now. I don't think I will fall now that I'm back on solid ground." She said softly with a shy smile.
Fox finally noticed that he was still holding her waist despite the fact she was already down from the simulator. He quickly retreated his hands and gave her an apologetic smile. Krystal felt her own increase as his shy and nervous behavior revealed itself again. Slippy grinned to himself as he looked at them both but it faded slightly when he noticed Peppy. He wore a somewhat worried and pensive expression while observing both Krystal and Fox. In fact, now that he thought about it, he seemed to look that way a lot whenever they were together.
He knew that Peppy wasn't too fond of Krystal being here at first but the old guy seems to have warmed up to her over the last few weeks. And why wouldn't he? She was great to have around and her training was vastly improving every time. But try as he might to ignore it, even Slippy knew the real reason of concern and it was right in front of him with both foxes smiling awkwardly at each other.
It was obvious that Fox liked her. Really liked her. And it was pretty obvious that she liked him too. Even more obvious was that both of them seemed terrified of the other, neither seeming to want to make a move. But Slippy could understand the reasons for holding back and one them was currently leaning against the entrance of the Simulation Room.
Slippy cast a look towards Falco who picked at his teeth with a toothpick and watched everything from his spot. The avian grimaced when Fox gave her another compliment.
"I'm sure in no time you'll beat both Falco and mine's high score."
Falco laughed to himself, causing everyone to turn towards him. Krystal put on another shy smile and said, "I don't think I'll ever be that good. Certainly not better than you or Falco."
She directed her smile to the blue falcon now, implying that it was a friendly compliment and she knew her place among the ranks. Whether or not Falco noticed that was undetermined as he flicked away his toothpick.
"Yeah, she did alright…for simulation." He scoffed, causing her smile to slowly disappear and a frown of Fox's to form.
"It's different out there, honey." He gestured to a porthole with a nod of his head. "Out there you don't get second chances or a gold star for a barrel roll. Out there, if you fuck up, you die. Or one of us dies. So keep practicing. I feel so much better to know that my back's being watched by the high scorer."
With that, he turned and left, the Simulation Room doors hissing open then shutting. It was quiet for a moment then. Peppy narrowed his eyes at the spot where Falco once was, not pleased with what he had just said.
Even if he did have a point.
Slippy rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and looked back to Fox and Krystal. Fox was practically seething with rage and Krystal looked completely crestfallen and embarrassed. Once Fox regained his composure, he turned to Krystal but before he could speak, she interrupted him.
"It's alright, Fox…he's right." She practically whispered.
"No he isn't. Once we get you your own Arwing, everything will be different. We can train out there and you'll be prepared for anything."
Krystal offered him another smile only this one seemed to have lost its charm and the heartwarming effect it caused in him. It wasn't one of her smiles. At least not a real one. Fox could feel his anger starting to rise again when he thought of the reason for her discomfort.
"Excuse me for a second, guys." He said in a low and reserved voice as if he was holding something back. Slippy could see where things were heading and before Fox could even take step to the exit, he cut him off by stepping in front.
"Hey, Fox! Why don't you take Krystal to the kitchen? I'm sure all that training has made her pretty hungry." He pointed out. Fox stared down at him, fully aware of what he was trying to do. Just as he was about to push past him, Krystal's soft voice graced his ears.
"Actually…I am a little hungry."
Fox turned back to her and met her gaze, his anger instantly fading. He looked back to Slippy who gave his leader a sly wink. Fox failed to hold back a chuckle and a shake of his head. He diverted his eyes back to Krystal and jerked his thumb towards the door.
"C'mon then. We're all pretty bad cooks but I can make a mean stack of pancakes."
Krystal laughed at his comment which caused another smile to return to his lips. He would never get tired of that sound. Fox led her out of the Simulation Room, leaving Peppy and Slippy by themselves. When the foxes were finally gone, Peppy flashed a stern and upset look towards the toad.
"What?" Slippy asked, feeling the heat of the rabbit's stare.
"I wish you wouldn't encourage things."
"Encourage? You mean Fox and Krystal? Oh, relax, Peppy!" Slippy laughed with a wave of his plump hand. "So they like each other, big deal. You and Falco seem to think that it's the end of the world that they have this thing going on. Who's it going to hurt?"
Peppy didn't say anything. He simply frowned and made his way to the exit. The door slid open and he cast a sideways glance back to Slippy.
"It's going to hurt Fox, Slippy. It's going to hurt him very much if she ends up getting killed."
With that he left, the door closing and nothing but silence was left to keep the lone Star Fox member company. He scratched the top of head, Peppy's words bouncing around in his brain.
He supposed the old man had a point.
Slippy had not thought much of that possibility as the foreign vixen had done so well so far. He would even go as far to say that she was already a better pilot than him. But they've all had some pretty close calls in the past including himself. Fox took it pretty hard when Slippy had gotten shot down on Titania years ago even though it was the toad's fault for breaking formation. Not to mention the Macbeth incident. The image of something happening to Krystal flashed in his mind and the vulpine's would be reaction. It made him shudder.
Slippy shook his head. He shouldn't think like that. Krystal was strong, intelligent and if anything, fearless. She'd be okay. And if there was any trouble, Fox wouldn't let anything happen to her just like how he wouldn't let anything happen to them.
He shook off his thoughts again and exited the room. Slippy traveled through the Great Fox's many corridors, the Engine Room his main destination. The main fuse pump was acting up again and he had to keep in as good as shape as possible before the new one could arrive. On the way there, he could see the light from the ship's kitchen peeking from underneath the door. Faint voices could be heard from behind and Slippy, naturally curious as he was, stopped just outside the door.
"They should be ready in a few more minutes."
"Thank you, Fox. They smell delicious."
"Well, you would be the first to say that and probably mean it."
"…"
"Krystal? Are you okay?"
"Yes…I'm fine. The simulation took a little more out of me than I thought."
"It's about what Falco said isn't it?"
"…No. I just…"
"Krystal, please don't take anything he said personal. He's still not use to the idea of having someone new around here. He'll come around."
"Fox…I do not wish to be a nuisance to anyone. I cannot come between you and your friends."
"You are not a nuisance, Krystal. Do you understand? You are a part of this team and Falco needs to get that through his thick skull. I don't ever want you to think something like that again, okay?"
"…Okay, Fox."
Slippy could hear the insecurity in her voice and he felt a wave of sympathy for the vixen. He knew that Falco could be difficult but he didn't realize just how far he went out of his way to make Krystal feel unwelcome. As if on cue, the brash pilot appeared, coming around the bend of the opposite corridor. He stopped at the kitchen door and sneered.
"Let me know when they're done humping in there so I can make some lunch." He said as he brushed past his smaller greener team mate.
Slippy could hear his boots clang against the metal floor as he continued down the hall. Feeling a surge of anger rise in his veins, Slippy spun around and followed the falcon. He caught up with him and he reached into his tool belt and pulled out a screwdriver. With a fast whip of his hand, he sent the tool flying towards Falco, barely missing his head and bouncing loudly off the wall. Falco whipped around, hand on his blaster and eyes wide in surprise. When he saw Slippy standing in the hall, he frowned and released his grip on his weapon.
"Did you just throw a screwdriver at me!?" He yelled, ire now overcoming his shock.
"Why do you need to be such an asshole all the time?" Slippy shot back, eyes narrowed at him.
"What the hell are you talking about!?" Falco demanded to know.
"Like you have to ask. Why are you such a prick to Krystal? She's been nothing but nice to you!" Slippy shouted, pointing a finger at him.
"Oh, fuck off, Slippy! She's not a mercenary! You know that!"
"No I don't and neither do you! She's proving herself with every training session but you just shit all over things and disrespect her!"
"Hey, I respect her! I respect her so much that I don't want to see her get killed or worse, one of us! So if me being an asshole gets that through her head and everyone else's, then so be it! Besides, we all know the real reason she's here. How in the hell can you not see that it's a bad idea!?"
"So you just would have left her on that planet with nowhere to go? No home, no idea how to answer the question of why Cerinia was destroyed?" Slippy asked, hands on his hips.
"Yeah, I would have. She would have been safe there. It sucks to know that her entire planet is gone but we both know that had barely anything to do with why Fox asked her to join." Falco growled.
"Yeah, okay. Fox likes her. I'll admit that had something to do with why she's here but I trust Fox. He wouldn't just ask her to join if he didn't see any potential or if she had someplace to go." Slippy argued.
"I trust Fox but not when he's thinking with his dick. You need to open your eyes, Slippy. She can't cut it here and sooner than later you and Fox are going to see that. It might be a little harder for him as I'm sure he'll be busy stuffing her like a turkey."
Slippy said nothing but made a face of disgust at Falco's crudeness and shook his head. He turned back around and headed towards his original goal. But he stopped and threw a disapproving look at Falco.
"Krystal is part of our team whether you like it or not. And if you're so concerned with safety, then maybe you should try helping her get better instead of insulting her." He said and left before Falco could respond.
Falco stood where he was, irritation itching throughout his body at the toad's words. Were he and Peppy the only sane ones around here? He waved off Slippy's lingering presence and headed back to his quarters. Peppy's stern advice from weeks ago when this all started rolled through his head and he fought back a sneer. Peppy be damned. One of these nights, he and Fox were going to need to have a serious discussion.
That is if he could pry him away from the sapphire vixen for more than ten minutes.
Peppy scratched his chin as he perused through another book in the ship's library.
His eyes scrolled through the text behind his glasses then narrowed in frustration when he could not find what he was searching for. With a grunt, he closed the book and slid it back into its resting place among others on the shelf.
"Maybe I should look at those maps again…" He mumbled to himself.
Working his tired body around the desk in front of him, Peppy opened a cabinet full of maps from different sectors of the Lylat System. He had already searched them over but perhaps he missed something. He was getting old after all, not that he wanted to admit it. With an armful of papers, he sat back down and spread them out on the desk. He started with Sector Y this time and studied the nearby planets and astral bodies when he heard a faint rap on the wall. Peppy looked up to see Krystal standing in the doorway shyly.
"Hello, Peppy. I hope I'm not disrupting you." She said.
Peppy offered her a smile and shook his head. "Not at all, Krystal. What can I do for you?"
"Well…I was just wondering if I could sit with you for a while?" She asked timidly. Peppy was taken aback by that request.
"Oh…If you like. I don't mind at all. Are you sure you wouldn't rather do something else though? Slippy has more video games than most fifteen year olds."
"Yes, he has introduced me to these games with great vigor." She replied with amusement. "But I would like to spend some time with you. I feel we have not associated enough as I have with others."
"Well, if you don't mind hanging around an old man for a bit, I would very much like to change that as well." He told her earnestly.
While Peppy was still not convinced that her being here was a good idea, he could not deny that she was a very lovely girl that reminded him of his own daughter. She had a delightful attitude and Peppy found her impossible to dislike despite the circumstances. Krystal smiled and joined him at the table. She looked over his maps and asked him,
"What are these?"
"These are my maps." He told her, fixing his glasses so he could read the small print of text. "I'm the team's navigator and adviser so it's up to me to plan out the best course to take when assigned mission."
"I see. Were you not a pilot as well?"
"Years ago. But it seems time is staring to catch up with me. My reflexes aren't what they used to be." He chuckled. Krystal smiled and shook her head softly.
"You are not that old, Peppy. I'm sure you could fly circles around us."
"You're very sweet to say that but believe me; my time in an Arwing is over." Peppy stated, twisting the map around to look at it better. Krystal looked at it too but in all honesty had no idea what she was looking for.
"Fox told me you were a Star Fox member before he was. He said your flying skills surpassed his own." She remarked, cobalt eyes roaming the map.
"Fox is too modest." Peppy smiled. "Back then I could barrel roll with the best of 'em. But Fox is something else entirely in an Arwing. Just like his dad."
Krystal looked up at the rabbit. She furrowed her brow in question before readjusting herself in her chair.
"You knew Fox's father?" She asked. Peppy stood up from his seat and grabbed another book off the shelf.
"Sure did. We were in the original Star Fox. James and I got into a lot of trouble back then." He snickered, sitting back down.
"You must have been close."
"Like brothers. James was always there for me. I could count on him for almost anything. Except telling me when to stop when we've had too many drinks at the pub."
Peppy's face seemed to reflect that his mind had gone back in time. While he smiled at the event, he also held a somber gaze upon the book in his hands. Krystal toyed with the edge of the map before Peppy looked back to her asking, "Has Fox told you about his father?"
"Very little. But I have deduced that Fox's father is no longer alive. Is this correct?"
Peppy nodded.
"You miss him greatly." She said, meeting his vision with sympathetic eyes. Peppy sighed before leaning back in his chair. "Not a day goes by that I don't think about what happened."
"May…May I ask what happened?"
Peppy took off his glasses and wiped away some dust. He set them back onto the bridge of his muzzle before folding his hands across his stomach.
"I think that's something best left for Fox to tell you. I'm surprised he hasn't already but he must have a reason and I wouldn't feel right treading into something like that. I've learned to respect his privacy when it comes to his folks." The elder hare told her.
Krystal nodded and offered him another one of her kind smiles. "I understand. You love Fox very much don't you?"
Peppy felt his eyebrows rise up. He hadn't been expecting that. But he returned her smile and stared down at his boots.
"I've watched him grow up since the day his father died. To see him become the man he is just…I have a daughter but no son and Fox has always been…"
Peppy trailed off, feeling slightly embarrassed. The vixen to his right smiled even wider at his display which caused both of them to start snickering. "Well, I'm sure it's not hard to see." He admitted.
"No, but I think Fox feels the same. He admires you very much." Krystal said. Peppy just smiled and nodded his head, feeling his chest warm at the thought. Krystal looked back to his maps and her eyes darted from various texts to diagrams.
"Do you have a mission, Peppy? Is this why you are looking at these maps?" She inquired. Peppy cleared his throat and leaned forward to look at it with her. "No missions just yet. I was actually looking to see if we…um…had any information on Cerinia." He confessed somewhat sheepishly.
"Cerinia?" Krystal repeated in surprise.
"Yes." Peppy replied. "Things have been quiet here and I've got time on my hands since I'm not flying anymore and…well…I just thought that I would see if I could find any information. I want to know why Andross had an interest in it, if it was really him that destroyed it. I…I suppose it's none of my business but I also didn't want you to think you were alone in trying to find the answers."
It was the truth. Peppy had his doubts about her, yes, but he could not be so cruel to deny this kind and gentle hearted woman the aid that she needed. To gain closure and be free of such a painful burden. Krystal stared at him and he suddenly suspected that maybe he offended her by poking his nose into something he should not have. But he felt her hand squeeze his wrist tightly and she appeared to be trying to hold back tears.
"You are doing this for me?" She asked meekly.
"Oh, um…Yes…At least I'm trying to but these books are out of date and I'm not even sure if Cerinia was part of the Lylat System. I'm afraid I don't have any answers as of right now."
Krystal smiled at him, perhaps the biggest he's seen from her. When she wasn't around Fox that is. She blinked away any potential tears and leaned forward, kissing the rabbit on the cheek.
"Thank you, Peppy. You are so very kind." She whispered.
Peppy blushed but failed in holding back a grin. Their moment was interrupted as a loud beeping noise came from Krystal's wrist communicator. She gave him an apologetic smile and pressed a button.
"Yes?" She spoke into it.
"You're supposed to identify yourself first, Krystal!" Came a familiar high pitched voice.
"Oh, sorry, Slippy. Krystal here."
"That's okay. You'll get used to it soon! Fox wants to see you. He wants to run some more simulations."
"Okay, Slippy. Thank you. Krystal out." She replied. Krystal offered the old rabbit another smile before standing up. Peppy stood up as well and Krystal was impressed by his politeness. Perhaps it had rubbed off on Fox as the two shared so many similar qualities.
"I'm afraid I must cut our session short, Peppy."
"That's quite alright." Peppy nodded. "The more training, the better."
"I hope we may continue this at more convenient time." Krystal said.
"I have no doubt we will." Peppy affirmed with a smirk.
The vixen turned to leave but paused in the doorway. Peppy watched her stand there and his brow wrinkled in question. Krystal's shoulders rose and dropped as she took a deep breath. She turned around and met Peppy's gaze with serious and troubled eyes.
"Peppy," She started softly. "You are a very kind man and I am touched by your sincerity and compassion. But I must ask you something and I can trust that you will be honest with me, yes?"
"Of course." Peppy responded.
"I am aware that my presence here has been in question and that perhaps I do not belong among you. Fox and Slippy seem to deny this but I must ask you; do I belong here?"
A heavy and tense silence bounced between the two. Peppy could see the anxiety in her eyes and with a loud sigh, he leaned against the table, crossing his arms. He broke eye contact to look at the floor but only for a moment as he looked back up at her with a tired and regrettable visage.
"No." He said firmly. Krystal remained unchanged in her expression but Peppy saw a look of hurt and disappointment flash within her sapphire eyes.
"You've been doing exceptionally well and with impressive speed. Most cadets in the Cornerian Military don't learn that fast. But simulations and training are very different from the real thing. You're going to see that soon and when you do…I don't know if you'll be able to handle it and that puts not only you but all of us in danger."
"I see." Krystal said quietly. "Thank you for your honesty."
She turned to leave but was halted by Peppy's voice.
"But," He said, a small smile returning to his lips. "You've proven to be full of surprises and seeing the kind of person you are…well…I get the feeling you wouldn't let us down."
The truth in those words surprised even him. He believed firmly in his previous statement but this woman in front of him was nothing short of amazing. Her skill was undeniable and she only seemed to improve more and more each time. Peppy felt as if she really was a member of Star Fox and he could feel a surge of trust when he looked at her like he did with the others.
And he couldn't deny what she has done for Fox.
He still didn't like it. Peppy felt it was just asking for tragedy and as cruel as it sounded, he hoped that it would fizzle out on its own. But there had been a change in the vulpine. The previous years rolled through his mind and what Fox McCloud was like in those times. Times that Peppy did not want to remember at this moment.
The rabbit suddenly realized who was he to say she didn't belong? What right did he have to assume that she would fail? She had survived the destruction of her planet and spent who knows how long by herself traveling from system to system. That couldn't have been easy or safe at many times. Krystal had made it this far so why couldn't she make it with them?
Krystal returned his smile, sensing that perhaps this old timer really did believe she could be a member to this team. That she was welcomed here.
"I don't plan to." She said with a shake of her head.
Krystal left and Peppy let his head fall back to look at the ceiling, grin still remaining. He believed her. With a cough to clear his throat, he returned to his seat and his maps. Peppy was beginning to see the potential in this girl but she still had a long way to go and his lingering doubts would not be erased so easily but he supposed it was a start.
He just hoped that Falco wouldn't make things harder for her.
Falco sat in the break room, slouched back into the corner of the couch. The television was replaying the news from Corneria though Falco had little interest in zoning issues or tax hikes. He stretched his neck with a loud pop and rubbed his eyes.
Christ, was he bored.
In past times he would usually play a video game with Slippy or engage in target practice with Fox. Slippy was still busy tinkering away down in the lower deck of the ship with that fuse pump, not that Falco particularly wanted to see him. Their discussion earlier in the day still irritated him and the fact that he had nothing to do only made it worse.
As far as Fox was concerned, there was no doubt as to where he was. Falco grimaced at the thought and stood up from the couch. He turned off the television and walked out into the hall. He needed a smoke.
The halls were empty thankfully as he was sure to get an earful from anyone seeing him lighting up on the ship. Falco pulled out a pack of smokes and a lighter from inside his flight jacket. Smoking was a habit he had picked up over the years during his freelance work. He had cut back quite a bit recently and reserved his tobacco for moments when he needed to unwind.
This was as good as a time as any he thought.
Plopping a stick into his beak, Falco lit the end and took a deep inhale. A cloud of grey siphoned out from his nostrils with a loud and relieving exhale.
"What are you doing?"
Falco rolled his eyes at the stern voice that addressed him. The falcon turned and took the cigarette from his mouth, tapping some ash onto the floor. "Just freshening up the lungs. Menthol is all the rage these days, Fox." He replied.
Fox watched the ashes fall and his frown deepened. "You know there's no smoking on the Great Fox."
"Oh, please. One cigarette isn't going to hurt anybody."
"One cigarette or not, it's the rule. Now put it out." Fox ordered. Falco narrowed his eyes at him and Fox held his stone set expression. Falco was tempted to tell him to shove it up his ass but something inside him held back. An idea suddenly came to his mind and he cracked a smile instead of a frown.
"Tell ya what. I'll put it out if you got the balls to go a few rounds with the target dummies. I heard you didn't get to use your blaster on Dinosaur Planet. I wanna see if you've gotten rusty."
Fox looked surprised by his request but his previous state returned and he shook his head.
"Can't. I need to see where Slippy is with that fuse pump."
"Alright, so after that. C'mon, Fox. It'll be fun. Or are you just worried I'll show you up like usual?" Falco teased in good nature. Fox snorted in response though he bore an amused smirk.
"That nicotine must be going to your head if you think you ever showed me up."
"Prove it then, hotshot." Falco replied, a similar grin displayed on his beak. Fox's smile suddenly faded and he shook his head again.
"Some other time. I need to go over some more command prompts with Krystal on the bridge after I'm done with Slippy."
Falco felt his own smile disappear and a soft scowl replaced it. He took another inhale despite Fox being in front of him still and leaned against the corridor wall.
"Alright. Whatever." He mumbled. Fox watched him in disapproval for a minute, knowing exactly what he was thinking but continued past him. Fox stopped a few feet away and craned his head back towards the bird.
"By the way," He said. "I don't want to hear that shit coming out of your mouth when Krystal's training. Things have been hard enough for her lately and she doesn't need you being a dick to boot. She's part of the team now so deal with it. And put out that cigarette. Now."
Falco sneered but threw down the smoke and rubbed it out with his boot. He held his hands up at his leader and said, "There. Happy?"
Fox ignored him and walked away, disappearing behind a sliding door. Falco offered the space he had once occupied the middle finger and pulled out another cigarette. He lit this one in anger and kicked the wall in frustration. As if on cue, the reason for Falco's aggravation entered through the doors on the opposite side of the corridor. He let out a disgusted sigh when he saw Krystal making her way towards him.
"Hello, Falco. How are you?" She greeted with a warm and friendly smile. Despite the ugliness that occurred after her simulation, she was determined to prove herself to him most of all and being aggressive with him would not help in any sense. Besides, even she couldn't argue the reason in his disapproval.
Falco answered by blowing out a cloud of smoke. Krystal felt it tickle her nose and when she inhaled it, she started to cough lightly. Falco stifled an amused chuckle at that. Krystal waved away the lingering smoke before clearing her throat to speak.
"Have you seen Fox? I tried to reach him on my commlink but there seems to be some of this interference Slippy had told me to expect sometimes. He wished to go over something with me on the bridge later. I was wondering if he was free now."
The brash pilot shook his head, taking another drag. Krystal was able to take the hint that he did not want to be bothered and merely nodded to him. "I see. I will check with Peppy then. Enjoy your evening."
Falco watched the sapphire vixen descend down the hall but she stopped and turned back to him. Krystal toyed with an idea in her mind and she was unsure of the right course of action. Things were already tense enough but perhaps this would show him that she took her training very seriously.
"Falco," She said, causing him to give her attention through bored half lidded eyes. "I was running though the Aquas simulation today and found that it was exceptionally tricky when maneuvering through the power station. I was wondering if you had any pointers. Peppy told me you had the best run on the course."
Falco stared at her with a monotone expression, cigarette dangling from his beak. With a sharp exhale through his nostrils, he tapped away a few more ashes before scratching his forehead tiredly.
"You want pointers? Sure. I've got one that'll get you through any mess you run into on that thing. You got a pen and paper?"
"Um…No I-"
"That's okay, it's easy to remember. You ready? Quit." He said as if she should have known that. "It's the best advice I can give."
Krystal let herself frown at him and her hands clenched into fists. She tried to keep her temper but the bird's attitude was proving that to be very difficult. She understood his rational as to why she would be a concern and did not wish to make things anymore strained between him and Fox but could he not see she was trying? Surely he was no better when he started.
"I will not quit simply because you tell me to." She told him with a trace of her anger. "I do not take being a member of this team lightly. You may try and persuade me all you want but quitting is not an option."
Falco's eyebrows rose and he nodded in what looked to be appreciation.
"You got some fight. That's good." He said and Krystal was tempted to smile as perhaps that was all he needed to see. "But spirit makes a lick of difference to me and to the enemy. Believe me when I tell you this; you don't know what you're getting into. Fox makes it seem like a story book where good always wins and no one dies but I'm here to tell you that's rarely the case."
"Cerinians are no strangers to violence."
"Yeah. I'm sure you're all real badass with your magic wands and dream catchers. What happens in the Lylat is different from whatever your hippie community considers war."
"Lylat System or not, war is always the same." Krystal retorted. Fox had told her that. Falco laughed with a shake of his head as if he had expected her to say that.
"Fox told you that didn't he? Well, I guess he would know. He's not exactly the white knight you think he is where he gives the bad guy a moral lecture and lets him walk away. Fox has killed people. A lot of people. That's what happens in war. Kill or be killed."
"I know what happens in war. I am not afraid." She stated firmly.
"You got guts, babe, I'll give you that. But when I look at you, I don't see that instinct the rest of us carry."
Krystal did not respond but Falco saw a look of uncertainty flash across her face if only for a second. His eyes narrowed at her before saying, "You've never taken a life before have you?"
She did not answer him again which only brought forth a slow laugh of disbelief from the avian. He shook his head and tried to stifle the chuckles, throwing down his cigarette. When he regained his composure, Falco straightened himself and faced her more directly.
"That's rich." He sighed with a dying laugh. "You've never killed anyone and you think that you can become a mercenary just like that? Shit…"
"Why does taking a life define one as a mercenary?" Krystal asked, her frustration and pride making her voice break. "Saving others does not always require another's death."
"That's exactly what I'm talking about." Falco snapped, pointing an aggressive finger at her. "You haven't the slightest clue as to what's waiting for you out there. I do. You're going to find yourself surrounded by death at one point. People you know and don't know littering the ground screaming and begging for help. They'll look up at you with pleading eyes and nine times out ten, you won't be able to do a damn thing because you'll be too busy trying to stay alive. Do you have any idea what that's like?" He asked harshly, his temper getting the best of him.
Once the words left his mouth, Falco realized the folly of his words. The brave face Krystal had been wearing in front of him was no longer present. Her eyes were watery and she made no attempt to clear away the tear that slid down her cheek. Falco's expression softened slightly as he held her stare.
"Yes." She whispered. "I very much know what that is like."
The Cerinian mumbled something to excuse herself and hurriedly left back the way she came. Her hand covered her mouth as not to let him hear her emotions. She disappeared through the doors and Falco rested his eyes on where she gone. He felt something gnaw at his stomach and instantly recognized it as guilt. He hadn't meant to do that.
Being an asshole was one thing but being an insensitive asshole was another. He didn't want her here but never had any intention as to throw the destruction of her planet in her face. With a loud sigh Falco retreated back into the break room. The brief idea of apologizing came to mind but he shook it off immediately. Unintentional or not, that dick headed move might make her hate his guts enough to leave which reduced any feelings of remorse.
He was sure he was going to have to face Fox's wrath about this later but right now Falco couldn't have cared less. Let him scream and yell idle threats. All he'll be doing is setting himself up for an even bigger fall when she fails.
He just hoped he'd be alive to say 'I told you so'.
"So it looks good?" Fox asked his amphibious friend as the rode the elevator back up to the living quarters.
"Yup. We'll need that new one eventually but we're in no danger as of now." Slippy responded with a yawn.
Fox smiled and slapped him on the back. "Where would we be without you, Slip?"
"Aimlessly floating around Fichina and starving to death I'm sure." Slippy answered with a grin.
"Most likely." Fox chuckled.
The elevator came to a halt and the doors slid open, both pilots exiting. They made idle chit chat as they traversed down the hall eventually coming to the series of doors that represented each member's room. Slippy stretched his tired limbs and took off his hat lazily.
"Well, I'm bushed. I'm gonna hit the hay unless you need anything else, Fox?" He asked.
"Nah. I think we're set for now. Get your beauty sleep. You really need it." Fox teased.
Slippy rolled his eyes but smiled all the same. "Har-har."
"Good night, Slip. See you in the morning."
"G'night, bud."
The toad disappeared behind his doors and Fox was left alone in the corridor. Stretching his neck, Fox made his way to his own room. He wanted to change before meeting Krystal at the bridge. On his journey, he passed Falco's and stopped. He stared at the door for a moment before shaking his head and continuing. He had no idea why he was being the way he was and right now Fox was too tired to ponder it. He was looking forward to seeing Krystal and being away from all the drama if only for a brief time.
As he reached his door, his ears swiveled as he picked up a faint sound. Fox frowned and looked around but found nothing within his sight making any noise. The vulpine turned his head towards the door just a few feet away from his own. With careful footsteps, he crept over to the door and pressed his ear against it. The sound was louder now and he recognized it at once as sobbing.
He also recognized that this was Krystal's room.
Fox stood back and raised his hand to knock. It hesitated for a moment as his brain struggled with the decision to bother her or not. She may want to be alone. But when he heard another muffled cry, his heart nearly broke and Fox rapped lightly on the metal door.
"Krystal? It's Fox. Are…you okay?"
"O-Oh, yes." Came a shaky reply. "I'm fine."
"…Can I come in?"
There was no answer and his concern increased. Footsteps eventually leaked out from behind the door as it sounded like she was doing something. The door suddenly slid open and Fox poked his head inside. Krystal had her back to him, wiping her face quickly as to hide what he already knew. Fox stepped into her room and punched the button to close the door. This seemed like a moment best spent in private.
"I'm sorry." Krystal apologized with a faint laugh. "My space is a mess. Please excuse my disorganization."
Fox looked around her room to find that it was the exact opposite of a mess. Everything was neat and tidy. The bed was made to perfection and there wasn't a speck on the floor. Her staff rested on her dresser and the shirt he had given her weeks ago sat folded neatly on her desk chair. The only thing that looked to be messy was the few pieces of tissue paper crumpled into wads on her desk.
He looked back to the vixen to find her facing him now. Her eyes were red and slightly puffy from crying for how long he had no idea. The smooth beautiful face he was so excited to see every day was ragged and tired looking, her fur roughed on her cheeks. Even her shoulders sagged as if there was some unseen and unimaginable weight upon them. Fox had no doubt that there was.
She put on a forced smile which made his brow knit in a look of sympathy.
"I was just…meditating and got lost in things." She told him. "You see, where I…come from, we meditate to connect with things around us and sometimes if we…lose concentration, we can lose control of emotions and…"
Fox listened to her prattle on with this made up excuse and could not help be baffled. She didn't have to hide it from him. She didn't have to hide anything from him. As she continued to weave her story, Fox walked up to her and gripped her hand. Krystal froze in her speech and locked sad and weathered eyes with him.
"You're a terrible liar." He said softly with smile.
She held eye contact for a moment longer before closing them tightly and choking out a sob. Fox wrapped his arms around her and Krystal pressed her face into his chest, muffled cries reverberating off him. It made him feel ill. Fox felt her legs go out from underneath her and together they sank down to the floor. He cradled her as she continued to weep, quietly and affectionately rubbing her back. Her fingers dug into his jacket so tightly that he could see a blemish of white appear on her knuckles underneath the cerulean fur.
"I'm sorry…" She mumbled into his chest.
"Don't be. You need to get this out."
"It's unfair for me to do this to you." Krystal sniffed. Fox shook his head. "This isn't about what's fair. It's about letting go of all that baggage."
He gripped her shoulders tightly and she stared up him through glassy eyes. Fox brushed away some stray hairs that clung to her wet face and offered another smile.
"You don't have to carry it alone anymore." He told her. The vixen could only stare at him then appeared to break down even harder.
Krystal could not shut out the memories that haunted her mind. Every grisly detail, every soul shattering cry was burned into her memory. The horror's she witnessed replayed behind her eyes whenever they closed like some bad dream that never ended. She choked out another sob and shook her head, the jeweled tiara that rested on her brow bouncing with the movement.
"I can still hear them…the children screaming and…the fires on the mountain…I can't get it out of my head."
"I don't doubt it." Fox sighed. "No one should have to live with those memories. Especially someone as kind and wonderful as you."
"No." Krystal croaked, a sense of shame clinging to her voice. "I have to live with it. I…I wanted to help them but I couldn't…I let them all die."
"Don't say that. You couldn't have saved an entire planet by yourself."
"You did…"
"Maybe so but…that's what I'm trained to do. Also, I had friends to help me. You were all by yourself. You can't blame yourself." Fox said gently. Krystal covered her face with her hand as to stifle her sobs but it only made her tears increase. Fox held her tighter.
"I know what it's like." He whispered.
Before Krystal could respond, he cut her off. "You feel you could've done something. That you could have prevented it. That you could have saved them." Fox tenderly removed her hand so that she could look at him again. Krystal looked away but he cupped her chin to bring her back to him.
"I felt that way for so long when my dad was killed. He was shot down by a member of his own team and I thought I could have stopped it. I carried the guilt even though there was nothing I could have done. I was just a kid. It took a long time but I realized that in the end, I had to stop blaming myself. Bad things happen, Krystal. You can't explain it, you can't predict it. Telling yourself it was your fault won't bring them back and it won't help you get over it. I had to tell myself that over and over after my dad and that girl on Macbeth."
Fox stood up, bringing the sapphire fox to her feet with him. He still held her with no intentions of letting go.
"It still hurts when I think about them. It's always going to hurt. But you can't live your life in the past. You need to stop looking back and see what you have ahead of you."
"What?" She breathed quietly. "What do I have?"
"Us." Fox told her, his face soft and caring. "We're your family now. No matter how hard things get, no matter the risk; we'll always be there with you. And…And you have me." He said, unable to resist a small blush.
Krystal could only stare at him, her broken heart starting to piece itself back together. She swallowed hard and tried to hold back her tears again but found that more had fallen upon hearing the mercenary's words. She wanted to speak with confidence but it came out tired and broken.
"Even after everything you've all done for me…to know that I'm not alone in this…it still feels…every day I…I miss them so much." She wept into his chest.
Fox held her even tighter to him, affectionately stroking her hair. Tears dampened his uniform and each sob felt like a dagger in his heart. Fox leaned his head down close to her and whispered in her ear.
"You're right. You're not alone. You'll never be alone again. I promise."
Krystal felt him take the side of her face in his hand and she met his gaze, tears sliding down her cheeks. His face was soft and affectionate, an understanding shimmer from behind those emerald eyes. The vulpine's thumb gently wiped away a tear that was replaced by another.
"It's okay to miss them." He spoke softly. "It's okay to be sad. And it's okay to tell me how much it hurts."
Krystal could only stare into his eyes and she saw Fox's own tragedies replay within them. She saw a kindred spirit in those eyes. That whatever pain she was feeling, Fox really had experienced this pain more than she truly knew. She closed her eyes and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. When she opened them, Krystal saw that Fox was still there, patience and compassion etched across his features. The blue vixen released a breath heavy with burden and said,
"I think I'm ready to talk now."
A/N: Just so people know, I'm not making Falco a dick for no reason. I love Falco but I got the feeling something's going on with him. Find out as the story continues!