Follow Your Heart

by flashgunner

All stories begin somewhere, but story's ends are written with actions. What does it take to defy fate and become a symbol of hope? Two Lylatians worlds apart are willing to find out. FoxXKrystal mainly T, but HARSH language in the prologue. Be warned.

4. Following the Footsteps

aye aye aye... these chapters always end up very long, in all honesty i'm not trying to do that, its just the ideas i want to get down in each chapter are taking up much more than ideas in my other stories. But hey, i love it anyway cause I LOVE starfox so much (where's starfox wii? D= )

Anyway, here is the fourth installment of Follow Your Heart.

story

"talking"

Thinking

Telepathy

Emphsis

LOUD

(me talking)

Enjoy!

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Follow Your Heart

Written By: Flashgunner

Ch. 4: Following the Footsteps

*DEET* *DEET* *DEET* *click*

"Urgh…" Fox rolled over and checked his clock. It read 8:00am. "Why the hell did I set my alarm for Sunday morning…?" He groaned. It was Sunday, the day everyone slept in, for there were no exercises or training that day; a day of rest that every cadet looked forward to. Fox hated his bed with a passion, it was springy and uncomfortable. He had a hard enough time falling asleep on it every night, so if he woke up prematurely, falling asleep again was impossible. With no other option, he rolled over and forced himself up in the bed with a sharp, loud yawn and a crack of the neck to both sides. He rose from the bed, scratching his furry head behind his ears as he patted the wall in search of the light switch. When he finally found it, he squinted to adjust as his eyes went to his wristband communicator, the red light was flashing, which meant a message.

It's been about a month and a half since Dad died… He thought as he paced towards his wrist gear. It's still hard to believe he's gone… I know I didn't see him much… but he's the only family I had left… He sniffled once, but shook his head. No… I promised myself I wouldn't mourn it any longer… he wouldn't have… he didn't let Mom's death break him… so I won't let his break me… I need to stay strong… He scooped up his wrist band and pressed a few buttons until a text message appeared on the screen. From Slippy? Fox read over the message carefully.

"Hey Fox, if you get the chance today, come down to the hangar. Thanks."

Huh… He thought as he read the short message again. I wonder if it's about the Arwing… I already transferred a lot of funds to him; I hope he didn't run into any difficulties… Fox pondered over his plans for the Arwing if Slippy were successful. If what I hear is right, Arwings are very powerful in outnumbered situations… I should be able to do this no sweat… He suddenly realized that his plan wasn't very concrete. He froze halfway reaching into his closet as this dawned upon him. You know… I should probably think this over a little more… up to this point all I had on my mind was killing Pigma and whoever else was responsible… He sighed and pulled a dark green t-shirt over his head before reaching for his jeans. Well, let's see what Slippy has going on… maybe this will all fall apart anyway… He finished dressing and left to grab a quick breakfast from the mess hall before heading to the hangar.

He doubted himself. Upon realizing how naïve his original plan was, he wasn't sure where he was going to go with it. Sure he wanted revenge, but he hadn't considered what he might be diving into, he did recall Peppy mentioning the possible mobilization against Corneria, if that were the case, he'd be charging headlong into an army… which wasn't favorable odds, even for the famous Arwings of Starfox.

He continued to contemplate possible scenarios as he made his way to the personal hangar Slippy had rented out, finishing off a banana he swiped from the mess hall. He tossed its peel into the trash beside the hangar entrance, but almost coughed it up when Slippy burst through the door and ran right into Fox's stomach.

"Oh there you are!" Slippy eagerly exclaimed as Fox bent over, coughing and hacking, trying not to choke his breakfast. "Ah, oh sorry about that…" He chuckled as Fox pounded his chest a few times.

"Okay, okay, no worries… now what's going on? You aren't one to send short messages, so this must be important..." Fox joked, because almost every message he or Bill received from Slippy was paragraphs long, when it could have been one sentence.

"Ah! Yes! This way!" Slippy eagerly bounced back into the hangar with Fox in tow, wondering what had the amphibian so giddy. He guided Fox towards something that was concealed by a large tarp. "Here we are…" He went towards the tarp and grabbed hold of it tightly, smiling all the while. Something clicked in Fox's head.

Wait… don't tell me he already… Slippy whisked away the tarp, and there, right before Fox's very eyes, was an honest-to-god Arwing. His jaw dropped as his eyes ran across the sleek silver and blue star fighter, it was identical to the one his father flew, which almost made him tear up. "Slippy… this is amazing! How did you build this so quickly?" He stared incredulously at the content frog.

"Well, I've got a knack for remembering how things are put together after I do it once or twice… so I already knew how everything went after helping my Dad fix Peppy's Arwing… most of it was done in the first three weeks… the G-diffuser alone took me from then till now, the things are complex.

"So… it's all done? Is it flyable?" Fox asked with the enthusiasm of a bouncy little kit with a new toy. Slippy gave him a nod and a thumbs-up.

"She's all fueled and ready for a test flight…" His expression turned serious. "But…"

"But…?" Fox wondered out loud. Slippy walked over to a nearby workbench and grabbed something. As he turned and got closer, Fox noticed he was carrying a large book of some sorts. Slippy made his way back to Fox and reached the book towards him. Fox grabbed it and immediately had to shift his leverage due to its weight. The book was very thick, looking to be at least three hundred pages.

"Um…" Fox stared dumbly at the book and then back to Slippy. "What's this?"

"The instruction manual on how to fly it." The end of Slippy's sentence was followed by the loud thump of the book hitting the floor.

"You're kidding me right?" Fox stared at him blankly.

"Wish I was." Slippy adjusted his hat and bent down to pick up the book. "These aren't anything like normal fighters…"

"Pfft." Fox scoffed as he turned towards the Arwing. "I'm sure it's not that hard Slip, let me take a look here…" He was up the ladder before Slippy could protest and plopped down in the seat, he cracked his knuckles and exhaled in confidence, but as he reached towards the controls he stopped dead, staring straight forward. Suddenly, something he heard Peppy say not too long ago popped into his head.

"…most pilots wouldn't know a thing about flying it if they sat down in the cockpit…"

Fox turned his head to the side to see Slippy at the top of the ladder, leaning over the edge of the cockpit with an "I told-you-so" smile on his face.

"Uh… yeah… this is a bit different…" The interior of the Arwing was quite a jumble of new and unheard of controls… to start; the steering controls were dual stick as opposed to one. There were many screens and button controls in every corner of the interior, the cornerian fighter had one screen and one dashboard, and to finish it off, there were extra levers and even a few peddles here and there along the sides, up above and even below him. "This looks… very complicated…"

"Well, the design for an Arwing is very unique and very complex… so it's only natural that it takes a very complex style of control to maximize its potential… I mean, the G-diffuser doesn't just work by itself… you control its frequencies and shifts with all these levers and peddles… the Arwing was also designed as more than a combat vehicle, it has many devices including scanners and wave emitters, which is what all these extra controls and screens are for…" Fox glanced around as Slippy have him the basic rundown. Even though he didn't know how, he was really itching to fly this thing; it was pulling him by the tail. But alas, he remembered what happened the last time he tried something reckless, so he decided to play it safe and look over the manual (maybe). The two spent the next hour or so looking over the arwing with slippy pointing out design differences and unique characteristics. Fox was enthralled by the whole thing.

"Wow Slip… that's all I can say… wow…" He stood up in the cockpit. "Thanks so much buddy, I owe you big time… for now though, I think I'll read that instruction novel." He joked as the two made it off the ladder. "Oh and by the way… keep this a secret, even from Bill okay?" Slippy nodded as Fox picked up the book and glanced at it momentarily before checking his wristband. "Oh wow, we've been at this for a while… want to get lunch?" He asked Slippy.

"Oooh yes! I'm so hungry!" The frog frantically ran ahead and towards the mess hall. Fox just chuckled as he followed up behind.

…

…

Fox and Slippy sat down at their usual table, which Bill already had occupied for them. Fox eyed his tray as he took his seat with a disgusted expression.

"Peas and dry leftover meat… I swear the mess hall has been gradually trying to kill us… He glanced at Slippy for some kind of response, but the amphibian was too busy stuffing his face to answer. So he glanced at Bill who was putting down his makeshift burger.

"Well you can't blame them this week, half the staff left on the Titan for a diplomatic meeting on Katina…" The Greyhound explained. The Titan was the largest ship in the Cornerian fleet, a Dreadnaught class starship and the pride of the Conrerian military. It was an old ship, reaching up to about fifty years old now, but was constantly upgraded and refit to keep it in top shape. It was known being a key component in many military victories in Cornerian history. "…even if they didn't go though, they aren't making food for the actual soldiers, so they'd probably phone it in anyway." He added on the end with a laugh.

"That's motivation right there if I've ever seen it." Fox sarcastically commented. The two continued to chew the rag until Fox caught sight of a familiar grey hare walking into the mess hall. "Hm? Peppy?" Bill turned around to see who Fox was looking at.

"He's still here?" Bill questioned while dangling a piece of meat from his fork. "I heard his Arwing was completely repaired a few weeks ago… I thought he'd be out by now…" He stopped as Slippy suddenly coughed up some peas while eating too fast.

"Whoa there, you alright?" Fox reached over and placed a hand on the amphibians shoulder.

"Yeah, *cough* I'm fine…" He pounded his chest and held up his index finger. "One sec…" He took a deep breath and sighed. "Sorry, I know why Peppy is still around…" Fox and Bill ceased eating for a moment to listen up. "I heard from my dad that Peppy is trying to gain the favor of the Cornerian government. He wants to overrule General Sarkley's decision to not mobilize for a possible attack on Corneria…" Fox wasn't surprised, but this was the first Bill had heard of anything of the sort.

"Wait, what? Attack? Mobilization?" He set down his fork and leaned towards Slippy. Fox chuckled.

"Slip, I think that's supposed to be confidential… the only reason I know was because it involved my father, but how did you find out?" He glanced at Bill who looked a little spooked. "And settle down Bill, we don't want to cause a panic in the mess hall." Bill grunted and sat back into his seat.

"Well, I kinda eavesdropped on my dad when he was talking to General Pepper…" Slippy explained, but Bill was still unsatisfied, which Fox noted.

"This was all part of the Starfox betrayal in the news Bill, the one who paid off Pigma to kill my father and Peppy could possibly have other plans, Peppy is just being cautious…" Bill nodded and noticed Fox looked a little down.

"Ah… sorry for making you think about it…" He quickly added, thinking of how Fox must feel about the whole situation. The vulpine just shook his head.

"No worries… I've already come to terms with it… I'm not just going to forget about it, but I'm not gonna curl up and cry like a baby…" He perked up as he saw Peppy again. The hare was reading something on his electronic wristband with a serious expression. His head snapped up and he dashed out of the hall. "What was that all about?" Fox said to himself. His attention shifted as Falco stormed by with his trey. The avian looked pissed about something. "Someone's got their tail feathers in a bunch…" Fox said a little louder than normal, as if purposely trying to get the avian's attention. It was a failure as was usual. It had been a while since any of them had seen Falco, the training sessions had been broken up recently, splitting the cadets into two groups for a morning and night session. Fox and Bill were in group A and Falco in B. They had all heard that Falco was acing every test, leaving his teammates in the dust every time, but it was a little unfair because most of the better pilots were in group A, leaving Falco to brush aside those who were not as promising.

"Falco just being himself huh?" Bill commented as soon as the falcon was a good distance away. However, before either of them got a chance to speak again, a loud, shrill alarm claxon filled the room. Fox and Bill along with the rest of the cadets present all stood up immediately and glanced around in surprise, save for Slippy who began coughing on his own food again.

"What the hell?" Fox said as a few high ranking officers burst into the room. A bulldog stepped forward.

"All cadets report to the training hangar immediately! This is not a drill!" All the cadets glanced among one another, confused. "WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST SAY! MOVE IT!" Without second thought the cadets all made a break for the exit, following behind the officers. As they piled out of the mess hall a red streak of light suddenly plunged to the ground causing an explosion beside the entrance. Fox and Bill were lucky to be near the back of the group because some near the front were sent flying by the blast.

"WHAT THE SHIT?" Bill yelled as stepped back from the door. A husky officer ran past them.

"DON'T STOP CADETS! WE NEED TO GET TO THE HANGAR! MOVE AND KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN!" Fox and Bill swallowed their fear and followed the husky into the fray. Fox glanced up in horror as multiple silver triangular ships with blue and orange designs cluttered the sky above, firing upon the Cornerian base. Another volley of laser fire rained down upon the courtyard, tossing Fox and Bill aside from a blast near them. Two cadets behind them were hit directly, disappearing in a ball of fire with screams of agony.

"AAAAAHHHH!" FOX yelled out as he kept charging forward with Bill right behind. A large gust of wind knocked him down face first into the grass, he glanced up again as he rose to spot Cornerian fighters whisking by overhead to meet the invasion. Bill grabbed Fox by the back of the shirt and hoisted him up as they continued through the cacophony to the hangar. They burst through the main door, as did many other recruits and filed in. The officers in charge in the hangar tried to keep them orderly as they frantically took positions to be addressed.

A familiar Husky, Xavier Gunner stepped up. "Okay, listen up cadets! We've got ourselves quite a shitstorm here! We are under attack by some unknown force, but are short handed due to over half our pilots being away with the Titan! We have no choice but to fight back with what we have! I'm going to read off a list of names! If you're name is read, report to the main section of the hangar for a Cornerian fighter and prepare to launch and assist our pilots out there!" The cadets began to converse amongst themselves in surprise, but were cut off as another explosion rang out from outside. "PAY ATTENTION! I'M ONLY GOING THROUGH THIS ONCE!" Xavier regained their focus.

What? They can't be serious! Are there really that many away with the Titan? We're just cadets! This is suicide! Fox thought to himself, but quickly brushed it out of his head. NO! Stay calm Fox… this is what you've been training for… you're one of the best pilots in the academy, it's time to…

"BILL GREY!" Xavier's voice rang out.

Bill… that figures… hold on buddy I'll be out there to help you… Then something struck him as Xavier continued. A few names later, he skipped Falco. Wait a minute… what? I know he's an ass and doesn't follow orders but…

"BRUCE MALLIANO… SAM MCCALLY… WILSON MORRIS…" Fox's ears perked up and he replayed the last three names in his head.

Wait a minute… His jaw dropped. He… skipped me? Fox couldn't believe it. How could they skip him? Falco he could understand, but him? There's gotta be some mistake… He gritted his teeth and waited for Xavier to finish.

"Everyone else report to the lower levels of the base for safety! MOVE!" Fox stepped forward as the crowd began to disperse.

"Sir!" Fox addressed Xavier.

"Well, if it ain't Outlaw, this better be important punk!"

"Sir, there's got to be a mistake! Did you miss my name? Sir!" Fox addressed with perfect respect. Xavier spat on the ground beside him.

"Last time I checked I could read punk! If command wanted you and your reckless ass out there to fly a piloted missile into a single enemy then they'd have put you on the list! I might not mind if you get yourself killed, but they sure do for some god damn reason! Now get out of my face and get below!" The words were harsh and cut right through him. All this time, after all the high marks he received and high scores, he was deemed too reckless? "DO I NEED TO REPEAT MYSELF YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Xavier was right in his face. For the first time, Fox forgot the respect required towards superior officers.

"No. I hear you loud and clear…" He said with a slight growl in his voice. Before Xavier could lose his head, Fox turned his back to him swiftly and stormed towards the hangar lobby.

This is bullshit… this is COMPLETE bullshit… I bust my ass for three years and they don't consider me in a situation like this. His mind was in a fit of rage as he was led down the hallways along with the rest of the cadets through the hallways of the hangar's connecting building. Then his ears caught a familiar noise, the noise of an engine that was not the same as a Cornerian fighter's. He glanced out the window just in time to see a silver and blue fighter streak past the window and break off towards the dogfight outside. He stopped and stared out the window.

That was… and Arwing… Peppy is out there too… suddenly his mind was struck with an idea.

*…as long as you never give up, and trust your instincts, you can do anything… but most of all… Always remember to follow your heart…*

His ears and tail pointed up and his fur stood on end. Wait... That's… that's it!

"Keep moving cadet!" A buck officer grabbed him by the shoulder and tried to push him along. A smirk crawled onto Fox's lips.

"Sorry… but I can't do that…" He grabbed the officer's hand and yanked it forwards, twisting his own body around so that he would throw off the deer's balance. The officer tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground. Fox made a break back down the hallway and through the incoming flow of cadets. They all stared, confused as Fox weaved his way through them in the wrong direction. Officers began yelling at him to stop and started chasing after him, but Fox was too quick, and eventually made it to the front doors, as he did, a familiar Lynx turned the corner.

"Foxy?" Miyu said in surprise, and a surprise it was for Fox to see her taking something seriously instead of jumping at him at first sight. She saw him with his hand on the doors leading outside. "Where are you going? It's dangerous out there!" Fox tried finding the words to say, but instead a thought crossed his mind. He wouldn't be able to prep a launch by himself so he reached for her and grabbed her by the arm. "F-FOXY?"

"Follow me, don't ask questions, and whatever you do don't stop running!" With that he threw the door open and dragged her out into the courtyard, which had been pulverized and torn up by impacting laser fire and downed ships. More explosions shook the ground as Fox and his reluctant tag along sprinted into the cross fire.

"OH MY GOD!" Miyu shrieked and tried to crouch down, but she was yanked along by Fox.

"KEEP WITH ME!" He barked back at her and she got to her feet, following behind him with tears of fear in her eyes. Fox made a break towards the mechanic center, specifically for Slippy's hangar, but there was still much distance to cover. As they came near, a Cornerian fighter, engulfed in flames, passed right over them, careening straight into the strategy classroom building before exploding. Fox dove to the ground, pulling Miyu down with him to avoid being thrown by the blast. Fox quickly got to his feet and forced Miyu to do the same, which he was glad he did, because the building capsized and collapsed, sending a massive cloud of dust into the air. Fox refused to stand around, and pushed through the cloud to the entrance of the mechanic hangars. As they burst through the door, several of the mechanic cadets were sprinting here and there, trying to find some sort of safety or cover.

Wait… I didn't even think about Slippy! I wonder where he is… He quickly shifted his thoughts. No, he's fine… he's quick to hide and good at doing so… I need to focus here… His arm was suddenly squeezed tightly. He glanced to see Miyu, attached to his arm, sweating and hyperventilating.

"Why… the HELL… did we do that!" She spat out between gasps for air.

"Thanks for reminding me why I'm here!" Fox responded as he began dragging her again. As he did, they passed a white poodle who stopped and watched them go by. After glancing towards the path to safety and then back towards the two, she turned around and followed them.

"Here!" Fox forced Miyu off of his arm and dashed towards the tarp covered project of Slippy's. Miyu staggered up behind him, but as Fox threw the tarp off the ship, her eyes widened.

"An… An Arwing?" She gasped at the sight. "But… I thought Peppy Hare was already out there!"

"He is!" Fox yelled as he climbed up the ladder. "I had Slippy build this one for me! Now help me prep it!" He ordered. Miyu blinked a few times and then saw where he was going with this.

"You're not thinking of flying out there in this thing are you? We've only been trained with Cornerian fighters!" She was beginning to irritate him.

"I KNOW THAT! DIDN'T I SAY DON'T ASK QUESTIONS! HELP ME!" He yelled at her. She was taken aback by the sudden outburst, but reluctantly nodded and ran to the base of the ship. She began removing the docking locks as Fox surveyed the dashboard for the ignition switch. "Come on… come on… where is it?" His eyes landed on a large green switch below the main radar screen with a button cap over it. "Let's try that." He flipped the cap open and pressed the button. A loud click followed by a small shriek rang out below the fighter. "Oops…" Miyu had fallen over to avoid a scanning scope that had popped out from underneath the Arwing. "Sorry!" He yelled and pushed the button again to retract it. "….there!" He had to have it right now. He pressed a large red switch on the overhead control panel. A soft hum filled the cockpit and the displays sprang to life. "Yes! She lives!" Fox yelled out. He hadn't a clue what half the screens were for, but the one in front was a display for his shields and hull. The two beside him on the left were the radar and G-diffuser display. The one on his right remained blank. "Okay, I need to hover now… which one…"

"Foxy! I can't get the hangar doors open!" Fox glanced down to his left to see Miyu fussing over the control panel for the hangar itself.

"Why not! Hurry!" She stomped her foot on the ground.

"It's password protected! I can't!" She hissed back. Fox growled and slammed his hand against the dashboard.

"Dammit! Now what?" He yelled to himself.

"Um…" The two snapped their heads to the hangar entrance and a white poodle stood in the door. "I…I can get it open…" Fox and Miyu glanced at each other, unsure of what to say, but the poodle didn't wait for a response, she trotted right over to the control panel and took over for Miyu. A minute later she had cracked Slippy's pass code and the doors of the hangar slowly began to open. Fox's eyes widened in amazement and he flashed a smile towards the poodle.

"Thank you! I owe you one…uh… what's your name?" He clumsily asked.

"M-me…? I'm Fay…" She meekly replied.

"You're a lifesaver Fay, I'll pay you back somehow!" With that Fox plopped back down into the seat as Miyu pulled the ladder away from the Arwing. "Okay… hover… hover…"

"It's the blue one beside the ignition!" Fox's ears caught Fay's voice again. He glanced down and saw her with Slippy's ridiculous manual in her hands. He smiled and flashed her a thumbs-up before hitting the designated switch. The Awring lifted off the ground much more gently than the Cornerian fighter and seemed to sit still directly in place with little wobbling. He found the switch to lower the cockpit shield and reached behind him to pull the four point restraints over his head, buckling them into place before glancing at all the levers strewn about.

Great… which one's the throttle… His eyes landed on a simple lever with a color coded speed gauge beside it. Well, at least that's one thing I can figure out... He rested his hand on the throttle and faced straight forward out the hangar doors. It was a warzone out there, this time his life was really in danger, and it wasn't because he was trying to win a bet with Falco. Okay Fox… this isn't a training exercise… this is real combat… and you're about to dive right in… while flying the same kind of fighter your old man did… which you know nothing of… and have no experience with… not to mention you don't know a thing about how it works… He scrunched his face together momentarily, but then chuckled to himself. "Sounds like fun." He said as he eased the throttle forward. The engine began to hiss, but he didn't move. "Hm?" He pushed it further forward, but still no movement, just louder hissing. "Why isn't it…" and for a second he remembered how the Arwings launched right before the super fighter's engine fired and shot itself out into the fray. Fox didn't feel as much as a tiny pull of G-forces due to the G-diffusers but that didn't mean the sonic blast-off didn't almost make him soil himself. He was approaching the dogfight much faster than he would have liked due to his slight anxiety towards this whole idea, but he seized the dual stick controls and charged headlong in.

…

…

"DAMN!" The old hare cursed as his cabin jostled from a direct hit to the nose of his ship. He grabbed the lever by his left knee and shifted it down. His Arwing pitched right and he made an almost instant full turn, firing on and destroying his attacker. His eyes shifted to his radar. The number of blue dots signifying the Cornerian forces was dwindling, but the number of red dots signifying enemies was still extremely large. He grabbed the lever by his right knee and pitched upward, u-turning to head toward more incoming enemies. "There's just too many!" He did his best to peg as many enemy ships as he could, but he was alone. The Cornerian fighters were not making their marks, more often than not becoming marks of the ground from being shot down. Pretty soon, Peppy watched his radar as the remaining friendly fighters neared the single digits. "This is not good… I need backup… God dammit James… I could use you right about now!" He said to himself as he tried to lose about fifteen enemies tailing him.

His eyes grow wide as he spots something flying right towards him. Green laser fire shoots past his ship erratically, mostly missing the fighters behind him, but taking out three or four of the unsuspecting villains. Peppy stares in shock as the fighter passes right over his. Was that… AN ARWING! Alarms were going off in his mind. Without a second thought, Peppy put his fighter into a u-turn and followed the ship, he watched as the Arwing took a very wide turn to come back towards him, he shifted around a few levers and turned with it to fly side by side, glancing into the cockpit. His eyes widened when noticed vulpine in the seat. J-JAMES? He frantically linked a communication channel to the fighter beside him and the screen to his right came to life.

Fox jumps in surprise as the screen on his right suddenly activates. Peppy's face appeared on the screen. The hare blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes, before his expression turned hard and incredulous.

"WHAT? FOX?" He yelled over the channel. Fox smiled and gave him a casual wave.

"Hey Peppy! Need a hand?" He was hoping the hare would downright accept, but Peppy looked furious.

"Fox McCloud! How in highflying holy angels did you get an Arwing?"

"Er… long story…" Fox suddenly felt a little worried. Before Peppy could bark at him again though, Fox's radar began beeping and multiple enemy dots appeared on it.

"We'll talk later." Peppy said flatly as his face disappeared from the screen. Fox watched as Peppy's Arwing did a complete turnaround within about a five foot radius and sped off towards the incoming targets. Fox was not about to be left out, and veered hard to the left on the dual stick controls, but the Arwing only pitched slightly to the left and proceeded to take the longest, widest turn Fox had ever seen a fighter take. By the time he had turned around, all seven enemy dots on the radar were gone and Peppy's fighter flew by him again.

How the hell did he turn around so fast? Come to think of it, why are the controls so stiff? I thought Arwings were supposed to be super maneuverable… a Cornerian fighter is more nimble than this! Fox began pondering why nothing seemed to be working like he had thought, and was hoping that it wasn't a design flaw on Slippy's part, but that was next to impossible, Slippy never messed up anything. Fox glanced from side to side at the two blue blades that held the G-diffusers. Are these things not working? I don't get it! Fox suddenly broke from his thoughts as red lights streaked over his windshield. Enemies were tailing and firing on him. He was so busy wondering what was wrong that he didn't notice his radar flashing. Naturally, he pushed the throttle full force thinking to shake them with pure speed as he always did in the simulators and training flights, but with the low mobility of the Arwing, he found he could only accelerate and make his enemies chase him. "Shit! What am I doing wrong!" He complained to himself. The screen to his right sprang to life again and Peppy appeared.

"Fox do you have any idea how to actually pilot an Arwing!" The hare fumed over the comm.

"Well… not really…" He began as he tried desperately to escape the enemies on his tail. "But it can't be that much different from the Cornerian fighter! They were both built by Beltino right?" He frantically tried to explain himself.

"God damn kids these days!" Peppy growled as his face left the screen. Fox was taken by surprise as Peppy's Arwing sped past him at incredible speed. Fox glanced back and forth from the throttle to Peppy's Arwing.

But… I'm going full speed! How is he going that fast? In one fluid motion, Peppy's ship twisted left and spun around, stopping with his ship completely tilted to one side, then executed a 180 degree turn within three feet of its starting point and flew right over fox blasting all of the ships behind him one by one. Fox watched in awe as Peppy pulled off the impossible maneuver, only to appear right beside him again in a matter of seconds. That… was awesome… but how?

"Didn't you hear me say before that there's a REASON only a select few fly these things? If they were that simple to control, the whole damn Cornerian army would be using them!" It suddenly struck Fox that this could possibly be the most reckless decision he had ever made in his life. He was out in his first real dogfight, against the wishes of his superiors, and to top it off he was flying a fighter that he hadn't a clue how to control properly. His chances of living through this seemed less than jumping off a cliff with no parachute. His radar sprang to life and red dots began appearing not too far away. Peppy immediately sped towards the signals. Out of instinct, and once again without thinking much, Fox pushed the throttle full and followed behind Peppy. The hare noticed a green dot moving up behind him and growled before angrily activating his comm. channel with Fox again. "Fox…Back off NOW! I'd rather not explain to General Pepper how the McCloud Legacy died in an act of pure idiocy!" At that point something gave way within Fox's head.

"Shut up!" Fox yelled directly at the screen, earning wide eyes and raised eyebrows from Peppy. "I don't CARE if I don't know how to pilot this thing! They held me back from protecting the academy so this was the only damn option I had! There was no way I was gonna just sit there with my tail between my legs and let these assholes blow the place apart!" There was a brief and awkward silence. Peppy looked shocked, but Fox could have sworn he saw a small smile appear on the hare's face.

Like father like son… Peppy let out a large sigh and shook his head. "I can't believe I'm about to do this…" He looked up and directly into Fox's eyes. "Listen up, we only have a few seconds so I'll give you the short version and let you figure it out!" Foxes ears stood up in surprise. Peppy was going to teach him the controls? "First of all you don't even have the damn wings open! There should be a switch beside the hover controls, flip it on!" Fox eyed the overhead board, found the switch and flipped it. A soft hum played through his ears and he glanced out to see the wings of the fighter shifting. "This will help with general maneuverability, now it should handle just like a Cornerian fighter. Now pay attention because this part is important!" Fox listened carefully, determined not to miss a single detail. "There are four levers, one below the steering controls, one to your left and right by your knees, and one that should be by your right arm! These each control a different axis of the G-diffuser system output. In order to use an Arwing properly you need to be quick and make crafty use of these! The left lever by your knee controls the X- axis and right controls the Y… use these to exaggerate the horizontal and vertical movements of the Arwing, using the very force bubble created by the G-diffusers to push the fighter in an extremely tight radius. The one beside your arm disengages the gravity lock allowing intense and precise maneuvers such as quick and sudden turns, and the one below the controls is the most important…" He was cut off as red bolts of laser fire began zipping past them Peppy quickly broke contact and engaged the enemy. Fox eyes the lever next to his left foot.

Hmm… he said it was important… He looked back forward. But I haven't a clue what it does… He glanced down past his legs. He didn't explain the peddles either… oh well, at least I have a little bit of an idea now, let's just see what this baby can really do! As he reached for the throttle a laser bolt struck the nose of his ship, he was shaken up by the impact and his right foot smacked against the right peddle. The Awring's engines suddenly fired violently and the fighter sped forward at an incredible speed. Peppy had to react quickly, veering left as he saw Fox's radar blip surge towards him. Fox seized the controls as the engine died down and immediately noticed that he was in the fray. A few green laser bolts flew over his windshield, taking out the two enemies in front of him before Peppy sped by and broke off to continue his attack. Fox's first instinct was to break right, but he stopped himself, remembering the short rundown on the controls. He reached for the left lever beside his knee and shifted it up before forcing the dual stick right. As he had hoped, the Arwing made an incredibly sharp turn to the right. Yes! I think I got this! Now I just need to figure out the targeting… The targeting HUD wasn't much different than the Cornerian fighter's, but the sensitivity and dual stick were proving to be quite different in terms of keeping the reticles on a target. Despite this minor setback, Fox held his thumbs down upon the buttons that topped the dual sticks, spewing laser fire from the nose tip laser cannon everywhere due to the sheer number of enemies remained. His screen came to life with Peppy's face.

"Careful Fox! There are still some Cornerian fighters out here!" Fox instantly removed his thumbs from the fire buttons. As he did, bogeys appeared behind him. He quickly grabbed the lever by his right arm and pulling it back, the Awring controls suddenly loosened. Fox gripped the lever by his left knee and pulled it down while he pulled back hard on the main controls, causing the Arwing to tilt up violently and loop around completely until he was directly behind the enemies that were chasing him. With a few well placed and somewhat lucky shots, Fox took down the incredulous enemies, with a glance at the radar, Fox noticed that the remaining number of foes was dwindling and smiled in success as he broke off to find more targets. Peppy saw the entire maneuver from a little ways away and was very impressed.

A somersault? I never thought of that one… he must've combined lever functions… damn he catches on quick! However, Peppy's awe was replaced by fear as he watched almost every enemy ship on the radar head towards Fox. The hare quickly turned about and used the levers to U-turn vertically, slamming his foot to the right peddle to boost towards Fox, but it was too late. Fox was surrounded by about twenty or more fighters and they were ready to fire. Fox was wary of his situation and was frantically thinking about what combination of levers could get him out of this one. He thought about kicking the peddle that he figured was the boost, but the ships were so tightly packed together that he would risk a collision. He knew he only had seconds before they fired upon him, but nothing came to mind. Then his eyes fell upon the lever below the controls, the one that Peppy didn't have time to explain, then back at the fighters, and then back to the lever.

"SCREW IT!" He yelled as he reached for the lever. It had a rectangular handle so he just grabbed hold and yanked it towards him. The ship shook slightly as if something unlocked and the control became very unstable. Fox was surprised and moved his hand out to steady himself as Peppy's face appeared on the screen. The ships around Fox all fired at the same time as Peppy frantically yelled,

"FOX! DO A B…" Before he could finish, the arm Fox moved to brace himself inadvertently hit the X-axis lever and at the same time his leaning pulled the controls left. The Awring suddenly twisted violently and out of control.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Fox yelled to himself as everything became on giant blur. The laser fire connected with the spinning ship, but was deflected; every bolt bounced right off the twisting Arwing and flew in a random direction, taking down more than half of the fighters that surrounded Fox. With their numbers now dangerously low, the enemy ships retreated and sped off towards the sky. Fox struggled to grab the lever he recklessly pulled and shoved it back down into place. The Arwing stopped spinning, but he was upside down. He panted heavily, trying to figure out what had just happened, but when he noticed that the enemies were all gone; he breathed a sigh of relief and eased the throttle down. Peppy's arwing flew by his slowly and back towards Beltino's hangar. Fox was surprised when Peppy didn't acknowledge him at all, but then he remembered that he had just broken about every rule and regulation in the book. Ah jeez… this is not gonna be good… but… they'll thank me for the help right…? He tried to convince himself, but he was sure he was in deep shit either way. Reluctantly, he worked the X Axis lever to put himself back upright and slowly flew back to Slippy's hangar.

Fox gulped as he neared the open hangar doors, and cringed slightly when he saw multiple figures standing there waiting for him. He gently set the Arwing down and killed the engine. Here goes everything… He thought as he released his seatbelts and raised the cockpit shield. He finally took in who was all waiting for him. Peppy, Beltino holding a very frightened Slippy by the collar, Miyu looking very pale, worst of all, General Pepper. The three grownups looked livid. Fox didn't make eye contact with a single one of them as he descended the ladder and walked up before them. He stopped and stood perfectly still with his shoulders hunched and his head down, but then realized that General Pepper was present so he quickly stood attention.

"Oh, so now you respect your superiors?" The words from the general cut deep. "I can't begin to tell you how furious I am Fox McCloud… Ignoring direct orders… Assaulting a superior officer… forcing other cadets to partake in your little schemes… and to top it off putting other cadets in unnecessary danger!" Fox remembered how harsh a raised voice felt from the kind General. Peppy suddenly cut in.

"Fox, I'll admit that you did help me out there… but this… this is too much. I commend your bravery, but you'll get yourself killed if you keep pulling reckless stunts…" He turned his head to the Arwing. "I'll be completely honest with you by saying you've gone way too far…"

"That's another thing!" Beltino cut in, making Slippy yelp. "The Arwing is a very complicated and private design… you do realize that the plans you and my son used are copyrighted material, that's borderline burglary!" Fox held the attention despite the verbal battery he was being issued. General Pepper stepped forward and got right up to Fox's face to make himself crystal clear.

"Fox… you've really managed to aggravate everyone at higher command… They've decided to suspend your activity at the academy until they decide what to do with you… you are to be confined to the barracks and mess hall." He turned and began moving away. "Beltino, I'll leave your son to you… and Miss Link…" Miyu nearly shrieked when he said her name. "You are free to go; you were dragged into this against your will." She only nodded and turned her back to everyone as she left hastily. "Fox…" The general called his name without turning around. "With all the violations you've managed to rack up you'd be lucky if all they do is discharge you… I pray for your future… because right now, it looks bleak... They all turned away and proceeded to the exit. Fox relaxed his body and sighed heavily. He turned around and looked at the Arwing carefully.

Father… I followed my heart… but what has it gotten me into…?

…

…

If there was one thing that bothered Fox the most about the situation, it was the fact that the only thing any of the higher ranking officers could think of was the bad side of his recent actions. Not a single one thought to thank him for practically, albeit accidentally saving the compound. Fox was clearly a factor in that, the ships may have been few by the time he launched, but nearly all of the Cornerian fighters had been shot down or retreated and he wasn't sure if Peppy could have done it alone. Even with the few ships the enemy had they could have easily peppered the base with laser fire till nothing had remained.

Fox grumbled all these ideas to himself as he lay shirtless in bed on his left side.

"Jackasses… I save their skins and they berate me… seriously…" He turned over and looked at his clock. He was bored out of his mind, and it was only 11:00 AM. Lunch wouldn't be served for another hour. He sat up and glanced out his window, there was a commotion outside. At first Fox felt no need to even care, but with nothing else to do he grabbed the window sill and shoved it open. There was a chilly breeze, which was made apparent as it passed by his uncovered upper body, but he did not even so much as shiver. He had better things to think about than being cold. He was lucky that Xavier was gathering the cadets together because there was no place in the base you couldn't hear the loud Husky.

Xavier had all the cadet's lined up, which unfortunately was less due to tragic casualties during the attack the previous week, and had them standing in an area of grass that was moderately still intact.

"Listen up cadets! The word from higher command has just reached us! Mobilization for war against an unknown threat has begun! And due to the unknown status of our enemy, command has issued that we have the largest available force possible! Which brings me to my next point!" Fox leaned closer to the window, as if it would make a difference, he was just really hoping he wouldn't hear what he was about to hear. "We have given command a list of Cadet's that we deem battle ready! The list will be posted in the cadet lounge within the hour! If your name is on the list, report to the main tower briefing room by 1400 hours! That is all!"

Fox's mouth hung open. Again with the cadet's. Most of them were probably scared shitless already by last week's attack. Fox sat there on his window sill for another moment as the cadets dispersed. He was pondering his chances of being on the list. What am I saying… there's no way I'd be on there… not after all the shit I've gotten myself into… He swallowed and looked away at the door to his room. But then again… someone had to see the sense in my actions right…? I mean come on, even if it was sloppy I was a key factor in the victory… With his mind split he growled in discomfort. This is too much to think about… I'll just go look… With that he grabbed his favorite green t-shirt and trudged out of his room while pulling it over his head.

He arrived at the lounge before the list was posted, but wasted no time in claiming and plopping down in the couch in the corner near the entrance. Other cadets began filing in, all waiting anxiously for the list to be posted. Most of them eyed Fox on the way in, mumbling things about him as they entered. He was already well known before by the compound, but now he had earned himself quite a reputation as a trouble maker. At this point he was even giving Falco a run for his money. Fox scanned the crowd as they entered. He saw neither Bill nor Falco, but assumed they would just come in later. His attention was diverted to the door as an officer walked in with a few papers in his hand; a commotion started as the Bulldog weaved through the crowd to the side wall and taped all the papers to it. Fox forced himself up and towards the sheets as many mixed reactions sprang from the crowd. Some were sighing in relief that they were not picked while others were angered by it. Some were happy to be picked and some dreaded the choice. When Fox finally managed to get within viewing distance he quickly scanned the sheets for M. He got to the fifth sheet he found the M's and read through them.

Shit… He thought to himself as he passed the Mc's. What the hell was I even thinking… there was no chance… But before he pulled himself away he decided to look up some other names. He scanned for the G's and spotted Bill's name. Doesn't surprise me… He's pretty much me but without the attached screw ups… Thinking of whom else he could find he went to the S's. Ah… Samson made it… The big lug always had higher stuff coming to him… Out of pure curiosity he looked at the L's. When he found them he scanned through, stopped, and scanned through again. Wait… they're keeping Falco out? He was surprised to say the least, despite being real stubborn and disrespectful; Falco had done nothing anywhere near as bad as him… at least nothing he knew of. Well at least I won't get lonely… His own thoughts were being sarcastic. He made his way back up a few floors and to his room. Is there really nothing I can do…? He moved across his room and back to his window. What would you do Father? He stared out the window as his thoughts endlessly swirled around in his head. Then his eyes fell on someone walking down the torn up pathway of the courtyard. Normally it would be hard to tell who anyone was from the distance, but Fox knew those big ears anywhere. Peppy…? He's still here? Well I guess he's got nothing better to… Fox's mind literally stopped and he could have sworn something hit him in the face because it sure felt like that. My Father… he would… he would probably do something… unorthodox… A smile curled to onto his face. "Oh yes… he would… he totally would…" Fox chuckled to himself and quickly ran out of his room, not even bothering to close the door behind him.

Despite have been given strict orders to not leave the premises of the Barracks or Mess Hall, Fox dashed right through the doors and into the courtyard.

"Peppy!" He called out. One of the hare's ears stood up, catching his name.

"Hm?" He turned towards the voice, and furrowed his brow at what he saw. Fox ran all the way through the tattered courtyard and right up to the old Starfox pilot. "Fox… You know you aren't supposed to be out here…" He said with a slight hint of anger in his voice.

"Okay, okay, nice to see you too Peppy, but boy I'm glad I saw you… you gave me a brilliant idea…" the words made Peppy both interested and worried.

"Whatever it is, I hope it's not something that will get you in more trouble than you already are…" He paused and glanced around to make sure there were no officers around. "But if it's that important, let's go back to the barracks so you don't get caught out here…" Fox was extremely eager to share his newest revelation with Peppy, but he agreed in order to stave off any unwanted predicament. Fox led Peppy back to his room, which he cursed at upon seeing that he left his door wide open. The two made their way in and Fox closed the door behind him. "Alright, what is it…" Peppy fell into Fox's desk chair and reached his leg up to rest his ankle on his opposite knee sitting back as far as the chair would lean.

"Okay…" Fox took a deep breath and faced Peppy. "Peppy… what do you say we… reform Starfox?" Peppy suddenly fell back, pushing the chair too far and toppled over onto the floor with a yelp. He groaned and rolled over, picking himself up slowly.

"Please tell me I didn't just hear that…" He said as he picked up the chair and placed it back upright. "Fox you've gone way above and beyond ridiculous this time…"

"Peppy… I'm serious…" Peppy stopped, hearing the iron willed tone in Fox's voice. He flattened his expression and stared him right in the eyes.

"Well…" He began as he carefully sat back down in the chair. "You do seem serious… so I'll give you a straight answer… no." Fox lowered his eyebrows.

"Peppy… this is the only way I can join the fighting… will you take away a chance to avenge my father?"

"And how do you expect to do that Fox… by charging headlong at Andross swinging your fists? With the way you jump into the worst situations possible I seriously wouldn't put it past you…" Fox slammed his fist on the wall.

"Dammit Peppy I know I've made mistakes but that doesn't mean I'll make them twice!"

"Doesn't mean you won't though… you've given me no reason to believe that this is a good idea… did you even consider that there'd be only two of us? The Arwing may be a powerful fighter… but even the Arwing is vulnerable alone… Even with the two of us our odds would be next to nothing in our favor.

"Did that ever stop my father?" Fox's tone had become hushed, but that was exactly what those words needed. A long silence worked its way in between the two.

"James… James was different Fox…" Fox spun around with his back turned to Peppy and threw his arms up into the air.

"But I'm his son!" He turned back around and almost got in the old Hare's face. "He may be gone…" Fox pounded his fist into his chest."…but I'm still here! We can reform the Starfox team! We can let his legacy live on! I'd rather be rash if that's what it took for me to live out his dream as my own! It would be better than sitting here and rotting in my damn room while the system falls into a bloody war!" Peppy replayed the words carefully. The tone, the effort, the confidence, and the heart. The words Fox just said to him held all the weight and all the factors that made James unique as a person, a pilot, and a friend. Peppy almost wasn't sure who he was talking to, if not for the difference in the voice, he probably would have mistaken him for James. The hare closed his eyes and sighed while mumbling to himself.

"Okay Fox… I'll play this little game of yours… but…" He held his index finger in the air. "There are things that need to be done… if we don't take care of these things… then you're better off "rotting" in your room."

"Lay it on Peppy, I'll do anything to get this in motion." Fox could hardly believe he got Peppy to comply; the excitement was almost making him shiver.

"One." The hare began. "We need another Pilot… Arwings are strong fighters indeed, but their invincible nature comes from working in a group of at least three… if we can get that together, the bulk of that statement will become apparent to you in time… which brings me to two." He held up two fingers. "If we find another pilot, I will have Beltino make a simulator for an Arwing… I will not allow you to fly another Arwing until I've drilled into you every detail in operating one… and three…" He held up three fingers. "…we need a base of operations… this part I will take care of personally… I have something in mind, but I hope Beltino still has it… Got all of that?"

"So in reality… I just need to find another pilot…" Fox felt it was simpler than Peppy made it out to be.

"You better hope you can… because until you do, none of the other things can happen… I'll give you a day to find someone… I will meet with you at this time tomorrow right here in your room… if you don't have someone by then, I'm scrapping the idea and flying with the Cornerian forces… understand?"

"Y… yes…" Fox gulped, the pressure suddenly came down upon him. He had to find a pilot as soon as he could or else all his troubles would have been for naught.

…

…

Fox cursed his luck as the time to meet Peppy drew near the next day. The only person he could think of asking had eluded him.

"Where the hell are you Bill? I hope you haven't been transferred to the main barracks yet…" Fox said to himself as he walked up and down the halls of the barracks. Bill wasn't in his room and the mess hall would only be open for half an hour until he had to meet Peppy. If Bill said no, he was sunk. Unfortunately the Barracks were deserted, so Fox decided to place all his money on the mess hall.

He waited impatiently outside as one by one cadets began to make their way into the lunch room. Fox was worried Bill would enter with the mass lunch rush, because finding him then would be unlikely. But his prayers were answered as Bill was the eighth person to walk in.

"BILL!" Fox nearly yelled in the greyhound's ear. Bill yelled out in surprised, but calmed down when he saw Fox.

"Fox? Where the hell have you been? I haven't seen you in days…" Fox grabbed him by the arm and tugged him away from the door to a secluded corner of the mess hall.

"Look Bill, I need to be real quick… I have a favor to ask of you." Confused, yet interested Bill nodded.

"Okay, shoot."

"Well…" Fox glanced around to make sure nobody was within earshot. "It's a long story as to why I've not been around, but I talked to Peppy recently… He and I are going to get out of here and reform the Starfox team…"

"WHAT?" Bill reacted loudly, but was quickly hushed by Fox. "Oh… yeah sorry."

"But there's a problem… we need one more pilot…" He paused to see if this affected Bill at all. The Greyhound's eyes had widened slightly. "You're the best chance I've got… what do you say… do you want to be part of the Starfox team?" He put a brief smile on as if to appear welcoming, but the surprised expression on Bill's face faded quickly and he sighed. Fox bit his lip, but the response was not what he wanted to hear.

"Fox… I… I wish I could… but… I've got a nice thing going here you know? I've got some of the highest marks in the entire cadet compound… and well they called me back to fight in the war, not only that but they're giving me command of an advanced cadet squadron and possession of the Green Hawk…" Fox's ears drooped. Bill patted him on the shoulder. "I appreciate that you thought of me as an option… but I've got a bright future here that I'm not willing to let go of… sorry man…" They stood in silence for a few moment, but Bill eventually stepped past Fox and left him there without another word.

Well, shit… Fox thought. Dammit… DAMMIT! He kicked the wall. There goes my chance… god… damn it all… It was lunch time, but he was in no mood for food, so he made his way out as quickly as he could to avoid the incoming lunch rush. The time for meeting Peppy was drawing near, but Fox had given up, he moved towards the stairs with the intention of meeting with him and telling him the plan was off. As he turned the first corner of the stairs though, he ran directly into someone, who squawked loudly as Fox accidentally stepped on his foot.

"OW! SHIT! Hey watch where the hell you're going man!" Fox backed off and saw the familiar scowl of his "old buddy" avian. "Oh no wonder, you've always had a thing for running into shit…" Falco stepped aside and began moving past him, but as he did a thought crossed Fox's mind.

Oh no… oh no no no no no no no no… stop thinking that… STOP… That would NOT work AT ALL… He glanced over his shoulder at Falco. Oh my god, I must be going crazy… I can't believe I'm about to do this…

"Falco." The Avian stopped and turned his head slightly. Fox turned around, causing the Avian to do so as well and look face to face.

"What do you want pussy?" His name-calling actually made Fox chuckle.

"Still as crass as ever I see…" Fox smiled cockily. Falco looked to be annoyed.

"You trying to start something?" He clenched his fist. "I'd gladly knock you out if that's what you want…"

"I don't think you could… but let's save that for another time… I've got a question for you." Surprised, Falco raised an eyebrow and let his hand relax.

"Make it quick, I got things to do."

"Tell me Falco, do you like it here?" Fox had managed to confuse Falco, and he obviously wasn't likening it.

"What the hell are you getting at?"

"Just answer the question." Fox pressed. Falco crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"I hate it."

"How so?"

"I answered your damn question now beat it." Falco snapped. Fox rolled his eyes.

"Don't be such an asshole, just humor me."

"Hrgh…" Falco grunted angrily. "They hold me down… keep me from doing what I want. All I wanna do is fly, but I gotta go through all this military bullshit… to top it off they don't let me do my thing when the real fighting starts… I can't stand this uptight stuff…" He explained while making annoyed gestures with his hands. Fox smiled.

"That's exactly what I thought you'd say…" He continued to chuckle to himself.

"What are you doing, taking a damn survey or something? Stop being creepy… now if you'll excuse me." He turned to leave again

"Hold it Lombardi…" Fox stopped him after one step by grabbing him by the shoulder.

"I swear to god McCloud, I'm going to rip your lungs out…" He spun around. "WHAT?"

"I find it funny that you don't even ask exactly why I'm questioning you." He knew that struck Falco. The avian couldn't deny the curiosity. "Well, even if you don't care I'll tell you anyway… I've got an offer you might be interested in…" Falco's full attention was now on Fox.

"Oh…? Try me…" He returned to the wall and folded his arms over his chest.

"I've been talking with the Peppy Hare since my father was killed… and we've decided to reform the Starfox team… but we need a third pilot." Fox couldn't help but smile when he saw the avian's eyes light up slightly. "Bill decided his military life would be better for him… so that brought me to you… Despite being a douche you can fly, trust me everyone knows that… but that's exactly what we need, I don't care if you hate me, I need a good pilot, and that's what you are. Now put this into perspective…" He turned his back to Falco and held his arms out with his palms spread out, facing away from him. "You will get to fly and master an Arwing…" He emphasized the name of the fighter. "One of the most dangerous and feared star fighters in the system… You like to fly… you said it yourself… so why not fly the best there is to offer?" Falco was silent for a moment, but soon a wide smirk appeared on his face.

"McCloud I never thought I'd see the day I'd respect you a little… I mean, you get into so much shit for being a complete dumbass, but you're still willing to pull off ridiculous stunts like this…" He gave Fox a soft punch on the shoulder. "Sounds like fun… I've had it with this place… you can count me in you crazy fucker!" Fox lightly punched him back in response.

"I hope what you were about to do wasn't that important… cause I need to take you to Peppy right now… he's in my room." Fox pointed up the stairs.

"Screw lunch, it probably sucks anyway… lead the way." Falco waved. For the first time Fox felt as though he was getting along with Falco, and with this the gears were all placed and hopefully the new era of Starfox could start turning.

…

…

…

…

"Is she still in there?" Rayner asked as he placed his plateful of food on the stone table. "Guile, did you fall asleep again?" Still no response. The weasel sighed and walked towards the cloth door that led out behind his hut. He stopped above a snoring weasel, sleeping while propped up against the dried bark wall. "Hey!" He yelled while nudging the lazy weasel.

"*Snort* huuuuuh?" Guile woke up and smacked his lips. "Do I smell food?"

"Yes, my food. You touch it, I'll fight you. Now answer my question is she still in there?"

"Oh…" Guile turned and put a hand on the curtain. "Let me look…" Rayner's hand shot out and grabbed it before he could.

"Hey! Watch it! Did you forget she's a girl? Just listen, I know you're not that deaf." Rayner berated him.

"Okay! Okay! You're such a grump!" He let go and put his ear to the tarp. "Oh yeah, she's still in there…"

They were referring to their stone bath built behind the hut. It was circular with about a three foot radius and was covered by a leather canopy that draped down on all sides for privacy. It was held up by fixed inch thick branches. It was dark out, but the small area was illuminated by two torches that burned on both sides of the bath. Krystal's Cerinian essentials were draped over a small wooden branch beside a thick woven cloth that she would use to dry off when she was done.

She sighed as she finished dunking her head in the warm water and leaned her back against the ledge as the water dripped down her face and out of her hair. She was recounting everything that had happened since the fateful day…

…

…

With nowhere else to turn, Krystal followed the two weasels just as they had offered. She was still hand in hand with the brown weasel wearing the green tunic, Rayner he said his name was. He was a foot taller than her, as was his friend, but he was walked at her pace and stayed by her side, being courteous and not forcing her along through the densely blue jungle. His partner, the grey weasel in red, seemed to be a bit impatient.

"Why are you walking so slow Rayner?" He asked as he turned to walk backwards.

"I don't want to pull her along you know… I'm trying to be polite…" He scrunched his eyebrows at Guiles lack of tact.

"We're taking so long though… we'd be there by now if we ran…" He kept talking without noticing where he was going.

"Guile watch out for that…" Rayner tried to warn him as the grey weasel fell back first down a small yet steep decline, tumbling into a nearby tree. "…hill…" Rayner chuckled as Guile groaned in discomfort.

"That was unpleasant…" He complained as he picked himself off the ground and reclaimed all the arrows that fell out of his quiver.

"I don't think I should let you run if you can't even walk without taking a spill." He laughed as Guile scowled at him. "Just relax Guile… we'll be back soon enough…" Rayner assured him as his partner continued to grumble and moved on further ahead. Rayner turned to Krystal, who still had traces of tears in her eyes. "Don't worry about him… he's a good person at heart, just gets irritated easily… um…" He stopped for a moment, catching Krystal's attention. "I'm sorry, I feel stupid for not having asked you this, but what is your name? Krystal realized she hadn't told them and sniffled once as she built up the will to speak.

"K-Krystal…" She choked out. Rayner smiled and patted her on the head.

"I'm sorry about your home Krystal… and I don't expect you to just forget about it, but you have nothing to fear… Rishia is a peaceful planet... covered in jungles and wildlife. Our people have lived hand in hand for centuries so I'm told, we live in villages littered all about the planet all within walking distance of at least three other towns… We're heading to our village right now, Shauren, it's not much farther…" He paused and saw Guile way ahead of them now. "Guile! Come on now, don't stray too far from us!"

"You're slow!" Guile yelled back, earning a shake of the head from Rayner.

"Anyway, we'll take you to our village elders… the two of them will be happy to offer you home; it's against our laws to not accept someone into a village…" Despite the state she was in, Krystal had to admit the system the Rishians lived in sounded interesting. Rayner went on to explain how everything worked. The weasels refrained from creating a large city to prevent creating a center where everything was revolved around. The small towns allowed for people to always be on the move and never having to worry about being stuck in the wild. It was a Rishian law to be welcoming to anyone from outside a village, offering them food and shelter if they were without.

The most interesting piece of information however, had to be their companion system. From the day they are born, every Rishian is paired up with another of the same sex within the age range of one year. From that day on the two do everything together, learn to work together, learn to trust one another and use their bond to better themselves, and their community. Every Rishian has a partner in life, including the Elders of each town, who work together to ensure to quality of life and quality of the village. When the time came to start a family, the two would seek out two others of the opposite sex who they felt compatible with. This was the only flaw of the system, because in order to be compatible, both members of the pairs had to be content with one from the other pair, meaning if a male felt he could bond with a female, yet his partner and her partner could not stand each other, it wouldn't work. However, even with that one small flaw (as Krystal saw it) the planet seemed to be a very well organized peace driven society. For Krystal, it was nice to know that she'd be well taken care of… in a way it reminded her of Cerinia.

"Ah… here we are…" Rayner said as he pushed aside a large blue leaf that hung low from the jungle canopy. Krystal took in the full view at the large clearing in the jungle. The village was fairly small, looking to have no more than sixteen huts scattered about and one larger building in the back. The huts were made with what seemed to be white tree bark held together with thick ropes. They were cylinders, about twenty feet from end to end with coned shape roofs made of what looked like stretched leather held down by the same ropes with an opening at the top. Some of the huts had smoke rising from them, signifying the openings were a way to allow smoke from fire to escape instead of linger within the hut. A few of the huts seemed to have little add-ons like extra canopy's or small fences behind or beside them. The large building in back was constructed with similar materials, but it was a longhouse with a flat bark rooftop.

"Finally!" Guile stretched out and yawned. "I could use a good meal and a bath…"

"Hold on now Guile…" Rayner caught him by the shoulder before he could take off.

"We should take her to our elders first…" Guile sighed.

"Darn… you're right though I forgot about that." Guile agreed despite his previous desire to hurry. They led Krystal through the village, passing by other Rishians as they walked. The women and children of the village wore similar cloth tunics that her escorts wore. They acknowledged Guile and Rayner, but mostly took fascination to Krystal. She couldn't blame them. Up until earlier that day, she never could have dreamed there existed other kinds of intelligent creatures besides Cerinian vulpine. First it was the strange creatures from the black shapes in the sky, and then she met these people who referred to themselves as "weasels". She had no doubt the Rishian's felt the same way, so her presence was startling. Rayner politely turned down any questions about Krystal that were thrown his way, assuring them that he had to speak to the elders. Krystal remembered how on Cerinia she was given similar attention due to her status as the "prophesized guardian" but here she felt like muddy stain on a white cloth, standing out as something that didn't belong.

"Okay, here we are…" Rayner spoke to her; she looked up to find they were in front of the longhouse. "No need to worry… the elders are very friendly. Don't worry about being formal, it's a tradition to be straight forward to all Rishians as if you are family… are you ready?" Krystal felt slightly relieved. The concept of an Elder on Cerinia was a position of high power and respect. This would take some getting used to, but she nodded. Guile pulled the tarp open to let them in and followed behind.

The interior was simple, but a little less decorated than Cerinian huts. The room they were in was a perfect square with a door on both sides. There was a table opposite of the entrance with four chairs, two on each side. The walls beside the entrance had short thick sticks driven into them with brown cloths hanging off them and shelves that held wooden cups and pitchers. Behind the table on the back wall was a pile of stones placed up against the back with a pile of ashes in a small pit. Guile walked right past them and grabbed some small logs from a pile in the right hand corner, placing them in the ash pile.

"Wait right here." Rayner patted the top of her hand before letting go. Krystal almost squeezed his hand in protest, not ready to be left alone anywhere, but Rayner only moved towards the left hand door and pushed the cloak aside. She began to hear conversation inside, but couldn't make out any words. Her attention went back to Guile, who had positioned the logs in a pyramid shape against one another, a method Krystal had never seen before. Curious, she moved to the right so she could see clearly around the table and watch. Guile pulled two black stones out of his hand and held them close to the logs before proceeding to strike them together. Krystal continued to observe, wondering why he wasn't using the stick friction method with the logs. When sparks began spitting from the stones surface as he struck them, she realized there was a difference in fire building knowledge.

"Um…" Krystal managed to say. Guile stopped and looked to her.

"Oh? You're speaking… that's a good sign; you've been silent almost the whole way." Krystal wasn't sure if he was being observant or slightly rude, but she had seen enough of this weasel to know his thought process.

"I was… just wondering what you were doing…" She meekly asked.

"Well…" He began as he struck the stones together again. "I'm trying to use these flint stones to start this fire… but…" He struck them again, but as with all the other times the sparks failed to start any fire. "I think I need new stones… these aren't working too well." Krystal put the pieces together. Striking the stones to cause sparks… it was clever. "Rgh… come on…" Guile complained as he kept failing. Krystal felt she should help, but she didn't know if the Cerinian method would work. For all she knew the very bark that made up all the blue leave tree's could be just as different to her as she was different to the Rishians, but then a thought came to her mind. She eyed her staff dangling from her waist. It wasn't an easy thing to look at, nor was it easy to remember what it stood for and how she was unable to fulfill that standing, but right now it would be useful.

"Here… let me…" She unlatched the staff from her waist cloth. Guile looked at her confusingly, then slightly yelped in surprise as her staff fully extended. "Don't worry…" He watched in wonder as Krystal pointed the staff at the pile of logs and a small orb of blue fire left the end of the staff. It collided with the logs and they immediately heated to the point where the burst into an orange and yellow flame. Guile's mouth hung open.

"Um…" Was all he could say before another voice cut him off.

"My, my… that is fascinating…" Krystal spun around and saw Rayner standing beside two older grey weasels. They both wore brown robes with a green and red zigzag line patter traveling horizontally across the chest, but one of them was a head shorter than the other. Krystal immediately retracted her staff and held it behind her back while looking towards the ground shyly. She heard one of the old weasels chuckle.

"Now, now there… no need to be timid." She felt a hand rest on her shoulder. "Rayner filled us in on how they found you… why don't you come sit down with us…" Krystal looked up sheepishly and saw the tall, old weasel beckoning her towards one of the chairs. She slowly shuffled over and sat down. The two elders did the same in the chairs across from her.

"This is more comfortable… don't you agree?" The shorter one chimed in. Krystal only nodded again. She knew Rayner told her to be loose and upfront, but she had been taught her whole life to look upon elders with the upmost respect, so she couldn't help but feel nervous. The two elders looked at each other and shrugged slightly. It was clear to them that where ever Krystal had come from, her cultural ethics were different, so they just continued. "Why don't we introduce ourselves… I am Zaric." He placed a hand on his chest.

"And you may call me Larsh." Said the taller one. "Rayner informed us that your name is Krystal, correct?" Krystal nodded quickly, but continued to stare down at the table. They both smiled. "Now I understand there are possibly some unfortunate circumstances that led you to be here on Rishia… would you mind telling us?" Krystal didn't move at all as she heard this. Normally she would be happy to oblige the request of an elder, but the subject was still as clear in her mind as reality itself. Thinking about it made tears well up in her eyes. "Ah…" Larsh immediately notices his mistake and looked to Zaric.

"Forgive us…" Zaric stepped in for his partner. "We are curious, but we should think of your feelings first… it was obviously tragic and very recent… so we won't push you for answers right now…" Krystal sniffled and a single tear ran down her cheek.

"It was not my place to request such an explanation so soon… forget I asked about it for now… clearly what you need at the moment is place to rest and heal your wounded spirit…" Larsh turned to Guile and Rayner. "You two… would you be so kind as to take care of her for a while?"

"I would be happy too…" Rayner nodded.

"If it's what she needs, then we can provide." Guile added.

"Thank you." Larsh acknowledged them and turned back to Krystal. "Again I apologize… we won't force you to talk, and you don't even have to if you don't want to in the end… we are only curious… Guile and Rayner will take good care of you… you can count on that." He smiled at her even though she had yet to really look them in the eye and the two rose from the table, nodding to Guile and Rayner as they left the room. Rayner walked forward and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, you look like you could use some rest." Rayner offered her his hand again and she took it as they led her out of the long house. "You seemed pretty nervous in there…" Rayner spoke as they walked.

"I'm… sorry…" She found it was hard to look at them now too. "On Cerinia, elders were figures of peace and power… always to be respected greatly… I just wasn't used to this…"

"No need to fret…" Guile walked on the other side of her. "You'll get used to it… but come now…" They stopped in front of one of the many huts. "Let's get things put together for you…"

…

…

It was scary how she had gotten used to living in Rishia within only a month, but a few things still pulled at her, Cerinia to put it broadly, but to put it specifically: Her failure to protect her loved ones, her failure to protect the planet, but most of all, having to watch as she was slowly pulled further and further away from the loving arms of her parents and then watch the planet explode before her very eyes. She picked her hands out of the bath and stared at them as the steamy bath water slipped off her palms. She felt all her efforts were for naught and her life slipped out of her hands as easily as the bath water just had. All the images would plague her forever no matter what she did. It made her cry every time she thought of it.

On the other hand, she managed to be more active. After a few days in, her body had the urge to move about and explore as she had on Cerinia, so one morning, on her own she just left the hut and spent the day in the azure wilderness of the planet, it was so strange to her because Cerinia's nature was predominantly green. Every trace of vegetation on this planet was a pure sky blue. She almost completely camouflaged with the surrounding, giving her an unexpected feeling of connection, as if she herself melded with the nature. The environment and exercise helped to clear her mind and focus her thoughts, leaving the recollections of the recent past out of her mind if only for a few moments.

Upon returning that night she was met with two very worried weasels, who she apologized to and explained that she just wanted to explore. Feeling better, she felt she could talk about the tragic incident and met with the elders again. This time she felt more confident and was able to tell the entire story of what happened, including her life before hand, and about her staff and its mysterious power. It felt good to get it all off her chest, but she was unable to finish without tearing up once or twice.

Now, a month later, she was living a comfortable life, or as comfortably as she could without the familiar guidance of her father or the loving arms of her mother. She was still young and would never live the many experiences a young Cerinian was meant to have, but her life moved on. As the last of her kind, she wasn't sure how things would go or how her life would turn out, but she had only one hope. Hope that Rishia would never have to face a similar fate to Cerinia.

I wouldn't be so easy going about that…

Krystal nearly jumped out of the bath in surprise, quickly lowering herself into the water to cover up her exposed body.

Did I startle you?

She glanced around, there was nowhere nearby, was the voice in her head? She hadn't used her telepathy since Cerinia was destroyed, so it was quite unexpected.

Who… who are you? Where are you?

Look behind you.Krystal turned completely around and nearly shrieked in surprise.

"Wha? Krystal what's wrong?" She averted her eyes towards the silhouette of Guile behind the hut's back door curtain.

"Um… nothing! I just slipped." She gritted her teeth hoping he'd take that for an answer. She saw the silhouette shrug and move away from the door. She sighed in relief and turned her attention back to what had startled her.

Her staff was floating, hovering in place right in front of her with a strange green glow around it. Krystal had only seen the staff emit blue light, never green.

My staff… are… you in the staff? She spoke through her thoughts.

That's right my child, I have been in the staff all along.

But… who are you? She repeated herself. The staff floated around her, orbiting her head twice before stopping directly in front of her face.

I am the guardian spirit of Cerinia.Krystal's eyes grew wide. Unfortunately the only remaining spirit of Cerinia… When the planet met its unnatural end, the magical energy within the planet was scattered, destroying all traces of the eternal power within it. The other spirits knew the day was coming and understood there was nothing that could stop it… But then you appeared.

Krystal, while startled, found the voice to be relaxing and warming. Even if she wasn't sure to trust this self claimed spirit, everything about it reminded her of Cerinia, as if the green glow from the staff was leftover magical energy from the planet. The hesitation faded due to the familiarity of the magical energy, she leaned back in a more comfortable position to listen.

I sense you trust me… I'm surprised you so easily do after your first reaction. The voice pointed out.

Everything about your energy makes me feel at home. I can feel it in my body, it is the energy Cerinia.

You are truly as wonderful as the spirits said young Krystal… Now where was I…? Ah yes… your appearance was a blessing from beyond our comprehension… We knew from the moment your destiny was realized that Cerinia had a chance to live on even after its death… the staff you hold is the last spiritual artifact of Cerinia lore, and it is also a separate vessel that I am allowed to exist in… I have one task I must complete before I am allowed to rest… and that is to help you become what you are truly meant to be…

It stopped there. Krystal had respectfully listened to the small speech, but the look on her face was one of obvious discomfort.

Meant to be? I'm a failure… if I'm meant to be a guardian or hero, then how could I not save my family, my friends, or everything I had ever known? The staff slowly began to orbit around her head. What would it be worth to teach me any more?

Krystal… there was absolutely nothing that could've stopped the destruction of Cerinia.The words cut through her. You may have grown strong… you may possess one of the most powerful magical tools ever crafted… but Cerinia had no means of protecting itself from the onslaught and power of the malicious attackers…She hung her head, now confused. She was told she was a guardian, she was told she'd save the planet… was it all a lie?

However… Your destiny did not end with Cerinia… it began with it… Krystal snapped her head up.

What? What do you mean?

You need to prove to yourself and prove to the sky and the stars that you can protect not only those within reach, but that you can answer a call for help even from across planets. Krystal… your destiny was never to be the protector of Cerinia… just the be the future of Cerinia as a guardian of the Lylat System… The Lylat system. A group of words that Krystal never believed to actually exist. Cerinia had fables and fairytales of planets and stars far far away from the planet, but she never once believed they actually existed.

L…Lylat system?

That is right… there are many different planets all among the stars Krystal… Rishia is but one planet that you knew of through seeing it in the sky every day back at home, but there are others, some that extend farther than you can imagine… but with this staff…The staff spun in a circle. You can travel between the planets, just as you did to survive Cerinia's demise.

This was all a lot to take in, but Krystal at least half-understood. So she was still a guardian, but on a much broader scale.

But… how can I protect a planet if they are attacked by those who destroyed Cerinia? How can I possibly protect others from that? The spirit remained silent as if in thought for a few moments.

You needn't worry Krystal…She folded her ears back. How could this spirit be so sure? There is another… Her sudden annoyance with the spirit faded as she listened carefully. There is another warrior with a great destiny ahead of him that will bring down the monsters you faced on Cerinia… but that will not be for quite some time... Krystal tilted her head back. Now there was even more to take in. So she wasn't in danger or was she? She was beyond confused. But you cannot back down Krystal… Rishia may very well be invaded by the same force… however I do not foresee the destruction of the planet… so to prove to yourself and to every single Cerinian that lived to the bitter end… You must fight, you must be brave, and you must be the one who any living thing can trust to be there in times of need… Her roll seemed to clear up. She was to be a shield for those who cannot protect themselves. It was an easy concept to grasp, Krystal's mind was just being overloaded.

Now Krystal… you must be alert and ready… for Rishia will surely be ravaged if you do not act.Krystal's ears shot up straight and she forced all the hair out of her eyes to focus of the staff.

But… I couldn't stop Cerinia from being destroyed… She began to quiver. She couldn't stand the thought of watching another planet die.

Pay attention Krystal… I know Cerinia's demise ails you… but Rishia is in no danger of being destroyed… it is in danger of being enslaved… Krystal's heart settled down upon hearing this, but it was about to pick back up. And if you do not act, horrible things will happen… Krystal was half relieved and half afraid. If the same creatures were to attack, she'd be able to fight with no worries, at least of the planet being destroyed. I must warn you… I foresee unfavorable circumstances… and no chance of victory… Krystal's ears drooped down

What…? That's very motivational… are you telling me it's a lost cause?

No… Krystal, I am challenging you to change that vision.She wasn't expecting that. Part of your destiny requires that you overcome fate and succeed against unimaginable odds. You need to oppose the truth, if it seems impossible, MAKE it possible… only then will you have truly found yourself…

Krystal looked unsure; it was written all over her face. But… I don't know if I can… The staff suddenly spun around and whacked her on the head. "Ow!"

"Krystal?" Rayner's voice this time. "You okay in there?"

"Yes! Sorry! Slipped again!" She quickly blurted out. What was that for?

For not believing… Krystal belief in yourself is not only essential for you to succeed, but it is also essential to your life… if you cannot believe in yourself then you're digging your own grave… helping you achieve your true potential is the only purpose I have left… I will not allow it to end because you simply did not believe in yourself… Krystal sighed and stood up in the bath, but quickly dropped back in.

Um… you can't physically see me can you? She suddenly asked.

Hm…? No, I can only communicate with the staff and with you telepathically, I have no other physical senses. Why do you ask?

No reason… She sighed contently as she stepped out, and snatched the cloth off the rack to dry herself. The staff sat still in mid air silently as she reached for her essentials and fastened them to her body. She turned to the staff and reached out, pulling it towards her with the green glow still shining from it.

I will try… I have to for the sake of everyone on this planet… and for the sake of my home…

Thank you… The staff finished as the glow disappeared. With a new path in her hand she felt as though she could grasp her life once more. It wouldn't matter what was coming for her, she would use all of her power to fight back. Krystal fastened the staff to her loin cloth and followed the scent of Rishian delicacies into the hut.

-To Be Continued-

---

Well, looks like there's only one more chapter to go in the first part of the story "Walking the Path". AFter the next chapter we will be diving into the much MUCH more detailed story of the Lylat wars. (Expect new plot twists, character interactions and storyline changes within the bulk of Starfox 64.)

As usual i will be going back to my other stories for a bit before continuing on this. The other two i'm currently more devoted to are both past their halfway point so things are on their way, if everything goes as planned i should have this story on the way working side by side with my actual fantasy novel through my senior year of college next year... man time flies.

Anyway, as i always say, thank you so much to any and all who read and/or review my work. I greatly appreciate everything you guys have done thus far. Thank you.

Please read and review!

Flashgunner over and out!