(A/N: Again, I am very sorry for the poor quality of the last chapter. This one is long just because I want to get the boring stuff out of the way.)
Chapter 4
"Well Falco, what kept you? Hope you didn't get carried away while you were down there." Fox said as he passed Fox going out of the kitchen. "Can it McCloud." Falco replied irritably. Falco repeated what he had done at lunch; he grabbed a plate, some food, and returned to the med centre, only this time, the food was for Katt, not himself. He returned to the med centre and walked in.
When he opened the door, he was met with a shock; a tall figure, clad in black, was pointing a blaster straight at Katt, who was still asleep. Falco dropped the plate and charged at the cloaked figure. The assassin, at least that's what Falco assumed he was, turned his blaster away from the sleeping Katt to Falco, and fired. Fortunately, his aim was inaccurate and the shot only grazed Falco's right shoulder. Falco felt the pain, but ignored it. He hit the assassin with his full force, knocking him to the ground, and the blaster clattered to the floor.
Katt awoke in a shock at the sound of the blaster fire, just in time to see the blue avian smash into a mysterious black figure.
Falco and the assassin started wrestling on the floor like a pair of wildcats. Falco managed to get on top of the assassin and started punching him violently. He then proceeded to pick up the assassin and throw him into the wall. The cloaked figure smashed into the wall with a loud thud, and fell to the ground. This gave Falco a much needed breather.
After a moment's reprieve, the assassin got up. Falco saw that he his arm was broken, and he probably had other injuries. He pulled a small bomb out of his cloak. Falco's eyes widened. He ran over to Katt and shielded her with his body, just in time for the bomb to explode.
The assassin was killed instantly. The force of the blast tore his arm from his body, and ripped him to shreds. Falco had his back to the bomb. The explosion had scorched the back of his shirt and burned his back badly. But he achieved his goal; Katt was unharmed. Seeing this, Falco gave a sigh of relief, then fell onto the bed and lay completely motionless.
Katt sat in horror as she saw the injuries Falco had sustained. She pulled the limp Falco closer to her. "Falco? Are you okay? Wake up!" She cried. She held the limp body of Falco in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
Just then, the rest of the team arrived. "What the hell happened here?" Peppy demanded as he walked into the med centre. He and the others had heard the explosion. "Someone tried to kill me, and Falco stopped him. They got into a fight and Falco threw him into the wall. Then the other guy pulled out a bomb and tried to kill us. Falco protected me with his body, and he's hurt real bad!" Katt said through her tears.
As Katt finished her explanation, Fox pulled the body of his friend off the bed and onto the same chrome operating table Katt had been on earlier. Falco was laid on his stomach as Fox began to patch him up.
(After the operation)
Falco awoke in a bed with Katt standing over him. "Oy, how long have I been out?" "It's been about an hour since you saved me from the bomb. Thanks." Katt replied, blushing. A moment of silence passed. "Falco, why did you protect me from that bomb? You could have died." Katt asked.
"Well… I did it because," Falco replied uneasily, "I did it because you're my friend." Falco lied. He saved her because he loved her, because she meant more than to him than anything. "Oh" Katt replied, sounding disappointed.
'That's it? He saved me because I'm his friend? He risked his life for me just because we're FRIENDS? Katt thought. "Well, do you need anything?" Katt asked. "No, I'm good. Looks like you're as good as new as well." Falco said, observing the fact that Katt was no longer bedridden. "Well, then I think I'll head down to the bridge for a moment." Katt said as she turned and exited the med centre.
'Damn it Falco, you're an idiot!' Falco thought to himself after Katt had left. 'Why can't I just tell her I love her? That was the stupidest I've ever sounded in my life! I've missed her for so freakin' long, and now I blow the perfect chance to tell her about my feelings' Falco sank back into his bed and continued to think about his next move.
(On the Bridge of the Great Fox)
Katt entered the bridge to find the members of Star Fox working on different tasks. She walked over to Fox, who was sitting in the large chair in the centre of the bridge, typing on a laptop. "Hey, Fox" Katt said. "Yeah Katt?" Fox replied, turning away from his laptop. "Does Falco still love me?" Katt asked bluntly.
Fox was taken aback for a brief second by her question.
The answer was obvious. "Of course he does, Katt. He's nuts about you. Didn't you see him during the battle? Oh wait, you were out cold. Anyway, your ship was going down, and you were about to crash into the Great Fox. Well, Falco pulled this insane move in his Arwing; he pulled his ship under yours and lifted it up. After Peppy turned the Great Fox, he slid into the hangar with your ship on top of his, kicked out the glass, picked you out of the cockpit, and raced to the med centre. After all that, I can tell he really loves you. Why?" Fox replied. "Oh, no reason." Katt said. Fox eyed hear curiously as she departed.
Katt entered the med centre to see Falco staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. He broke from his thoughts to see Katt entering and smiled. Katt walked over and sat on one side of the bed and looked at Falco.
"Falco, I want to ask you something, and no matter what, I want you to answer truthfully." Katt said in a serious tone. "Sure Katt, what is it?" Falco replied. "Falco, do you still love me? Fox told me what you did after I was hit by the force bolt, and I want to know for real why you did that." Katt asked, looking intently at the blue avian in the bed.
Falco sat up and looked straight back. "Katt, I know that we went through a nasty breakup, and I was a real jerk to you, but I realized afterward that you are the most important person in my life, and I love you. I know you probably hate me, but I'm sorry." Falco said. Katt's eyes were watering, but with tears of joy. "Falco, I love you. Sure, you did make me angry, but that's in the past." Falco looked at her with surprise in his eyes.
"Let's just forget it happened." She said. As Katt finished saying this, she embraced Falco and kissed him. Falco returned the kiss and wrapped his wings around the pink feline. Falco lay back onto the bed, with Katt on top of him. Both the avian and the feline enjoyed the moment of passion, their first in eight years.
(Meanwhile, on the bridge of the Great Fox)
"Where are Katt and Falco? They've been gone for a long time." Krystal asked in a slightly concerned town of voice. "I think that they're fine." Fox replied. After Katt had left, Fox had quickly realized why she asked him the question that she did. Katt still loved Falco, but she didn't know if he felt the same way.
Fox looked over at the clock. It read 6:30 PM. "Well, anyone want dinner?" Fox asked his crew. "I thought you'd never ask." Slippy said as he eagerly turned away from the control panel on which he was working. "Well then let's go to the kitchen." Fox replied.
Fox made a large dinner for everyone. "ROB, take two plates to the med centre." "Roger" ROB replied in his monotone voice.
A moment, later ROB returned, "Task Compromised. The med centre door is locked and Star Fox Member Falco Lombardi and Guest Katt Monroe are-"Fox cut him off. "We don't need to hear the rest, ROB. Thanks." Krystal giggled after hearing ROB's response. "Looks like Falco missed Katt more than we thought." Peppy muttered to himself.
The meal passed without much conversation. Afterwards, the team disposed of their dishes and relaxed around the Great Fox.
At about 10:00 PM, Krystal approached Fox. "Fox I'm tired and I think I'll go to bed." "Okay Krystal, good night." Fox replied, smiling at her. "Um, Fox, I don't remember the way back to my room. Can you show me the way?" Krystal asked, a little embarrassed. "Sure Krystal." Fox replied eagerly. Fox got up from his chair and walked out the door, with Krystal close at his heels.
Fox lead Krystal through the halls of the Great Fox, until finally; he reached the room that was Krystal's. When Fox opened the door, he saw that ROB had only succeeded in removing the thick layer of dust that coated the floor and bed. The bed was worn and threadbare; not nearly good enough for Krystal to sleep in. "Well, looks like ROB didn't finish the cleaning. Here, you can have my bed and I'll take the couch." Fox said to Krystal. "Well, if you really don't mind." Krystal replied.
(About 10 minutes after Fox and Krystal retired for the night)
Krystal found Fox's bed to seem quite comfortable. It was soft, but not to soft. And yet, Krystal could not get to sleep. She rolled over and looked at Fox, who was sleeping on the couch in his room, his legs propped up on the armrest. Krystal smiled upon seeing him in such a peaceful state. It helped to relax her and she fell asleep herself.
(In the middle of the night)
Fox was awoken by a loud groan and then a whimper. He got up to see what was happening, and he saw that Krystal was still asleep, but she was sweating and she looked uncomfortable. 'She's having a nightmare' Fox thought. He walked over to Krystal's sleeping form.
(Meanwhile, in the messed up nightmare that Krystal was having)
Krystal was walking along a cliff side. It was a beautiful place. The cliff gave away to a large and open sea. The land expanded in rolling hills, abundant in wildflowers. She saw Fox standing on the cliff and ran over to him. She embraced him and kissed him "Fox, I love you." She told him. Fox returned her embrace, kissed her and said "I love you, too".
Then, without any warning, he gave a grunt and fell dead. Krystal bent down to him, sobbing and trying to revive him. A sinister voice called out to her. "Silly little girl! This is what will happen to Fox. He will die, and there is nothing you can do to save him." Krystal looked up at who was speaking, and screamed.
She sat bolt upright, panting hard. She looked around frantically for Fox. He was sitting on the side of her bed, a surprised look on her face. She grabbed him, put her head into his chest, and cried. Fox was a little surprised by her sudden action, but began to softly stroke her hair with one paw and put his other arm around her, seeing her distraught situation. They sat like that for a few moments.
After Krystal's sobs had subsided, Fox asked her what the problem was. "I had a nightmare that really scared me. I don't want to talk about it." Krystal replied. "Okay. Well, I'm going to go back to sleep." Fox got up to walk away. "Wait, Fox." Krystal called. "Yeah, what is it?" Fox replied, still concerned. "Could you stay with me for a little while? The nightmare really frightened me." Krystal replied. "Uh, sure." Fox replied uneasily.
He lay down beside her and stared at the ceiling. For a moment, nothing happened. Suddenly, he felt warmth down on his chest. He looked over and saw that Krystal had curled up next to him, her head on his chest and her arms around him. She had a smile on her face. Fox felt a little uneasy about the whole thing, but fell asleep soon after.
(Early the next morning)
Krystal awoke the next morning to find herself in bed with Fox. She sat up and looked down at him and smiled. Right then, Fox awoke. He saw Krystal smiling down at him and gave her a quizzical look. Krystal turned away, blushing, but still smiling.
"So, besides your episode last night, how do you feel?" Fox asked Krystal. "Just fine Fox. How about you?" Krystal replied. "I'm doing well." Fox said. He got up and walked over to the door, going to the washroom in his room. "Fox?" Krystal said. "Yes, what is it?" Fox answered. "Thanks." "No problem." Fox smiled at her and exited the room.
The Star Fox team spent the day lounging around, doing whatever suited their fancy. Slippy made whatever modifications he could think of on ROB, the Arwings, and the Great Fox. Peppy was working on a full map of Dinosaur Planet. Falco and Katt were only seen at breakfast, and they spent the rest of the day together, doing God knows what. Krystal spent her time in the game room, fascinated by everything. Only Fox was troubled. He was in his room, thinking.
This isn't right, he thought to himself. Krystal's the most caring, kind-hearted, good-natured fox I've ever met, whereas I'm a mercenary. I blow things up for money. I don't have any ethics whatsoever. She deserves someone better than me. Fox thought. He wanted to be with her, but he thought it wouldn't work. She was too perfect.
She deserves the best there is, which is definitely not me. Besides, what if I got killed on a mission, and she spent the rest of her life mourning over me? It was painful for Fox to admit, but it was true; they could never be together. But still, being with Krystal felt so… right. It was like, from the moment he saw her, something clicked and being with her made him happy.
Fox couldn't decide which part of him was right. He wanted Krystal, but he didn't think that it would work. He was so deep in thought that he jumped when he heard a knock on the door. He got up and walked over to answer.
(Krystal)
'Well, I suppose that if I ever want a chance to be with Fox, then I better be on the team. But what have I got to offer? I'm not a great pilot, and I'm can't use weapons well. But I supposed I could-' Krystal didn't get a chance to finish her mental sentence as Fox answered the door. Fox's face lit up as soon as he saw who it was.
"Hey Krystal! What's up?" he greeted her. Krystal blushed slightly at his glee at seeing her. "Hi Fox. I was wondering, could I talk to you?" she asked. "Sure, Krystal, what do you want to talk about?" Fox responded. "I… was wondering… if I could… join the team?" she asked hesitantly.
Fox was stunned, but broke from his trance to answer, and answer he did. "KrystalIwouldloveforyoutojointheteam!" Krystal had to stifle a giggle, amused by his quick response. "Thank you so much!" she said. Without thinking, she threw her arms around Fox's neck and pulled him close. Fox's muscles stiffened as Krystal embraced him. Krystal got up and walked over to the door. She turned her head and smiled at Fox, winked, and left.
Fox collapsed back onto his bed, smiling.
(A random hall of the Great Fox)
'This is so perfect! I can't believe that Krystal actually WANTS to join my team!' Fox's face showed pure joy. The vixen that he had feelings for, even if he had not completely admitted them outright, was staying on his ship.
He walked down the hall and passed Falco, who quickly noticed his expression. "Hey buddy. Something good happen?" Falco asked. "Yeah, Krystal wants to join the team." Fox replied. "Really, so I guess you want her to join?" Falco asked as he crossed his arms. "Hell yeah, I want her to join!" Fox eagerly replied. "And why is that, exactly?" Fox knew what Falco was getting at. "Because she'd be a great asset to the team." Fox replied coolly.
"Is that all?" Falco said. "I was expecting something a bit more… significant." Falco replied with a smirk. "She'd be great to have on the team, that's it!" Fox answered in a huff. "Well, if you say so." Falco said sarcastically and walked off.
Fox's good mood returned as he saw Peppy and Slippy working on one of the Arwings. Peppy was under it and Slippy was in the cockpit. "Okay Slippy, let's try this again." Fox heard Peppy say in a tired and frustrated tone of voice. "Okay" Slippy replied. Peppy started a countdown. "5…4….3…2… OW!" Peppy's countdown was interrupted as a shock of blue electricity coursed through his body. "Damn it Slippy, can't you count!" Peppy shouted. "Sorry, I guess I'm a little excited to try this upgrade." Slippy replied. "That's the third time you've done that!" Peppy shot back, still annoyed.
Fox chuckled at the antic unfolding in front of him. "Oh, hi Fox!" Slippy shouted when he saw Fox standing there. "Peppy and me were just-" Peppy cut Slippy off "This green idiot is trying to KILL ME!" Peppy hollered as he pulled himself out from under the Arwing.
"Well, I'll let you get back to that in a second. Anyway, something great happened; Krystal can join the team!" Fox said. "Really? That's great! She's real nice." Slippy replied, obviously sharing Fox's enthusiasm. "Well, she is talented. Maybe she could be of use." Peppy said, seeming not as excited. "Great, it's settled then. I've already talked to Falco and he seemed fine with the idea." Fox said. "You're the leader, and if you say she can stay, she stays." Peppy replied, seeming resigned to the fact that Krystal was staying, no matter what he said.
The remainder of the day passed without much activity.
Krystal was walking on a familiar cliff. She knew that she had been her before, but she couldn't remember exactly what had happened last time she was here. Then, she saw Fox. She ran up to him and threw her arms around him. "I love you." She said to him.
Unlike the last nightmare Krystal had in this setting, Fox remained motionless. "Fox, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Krystal asked, clearly concerned. "Krystal, I am fine. I don't love you." Fox replied coldly. His response hit Krystal like a slap in the face. Fox suddenly pulled back from Krystal and ran behind her.
Krystal turned around to see Fox run towards a fennec. Fox ran up and embraced her. He lifted her off her feet and spun her around, still holding her. He sat her down and began to kiss her. The fennec returned the favor and put her arms around Fox's neck. Fox put his arms around her back.
Krystal fell to her knees, crying. "Her name is Fara Phoenix." A voice said from behind her. Krystal turned to see a figure, clad in a grey cloak. She couldn't see his face. She was the one she had seen last time she was here. "As you can see, Fox loves her. As he told you, he doesn't care about your feelings. So just give up and let him live his life." The stranger said. "Shut UP!" Krystal yelled back through her sobs. "Denial will do you no good. One day, he will betray you. He will leave you when you need him most. Then, he will die." As the figure said this, he pointed a finger at Fox.
Krystal turned around to see what events were to unfold. Fox dropped dead. Fara knelt down beside him and tried to wake him up. She, too, was crying.
Krystal turned her attention back to the one who had killed Fox. His eyes were still focused on the limp body of the dead vulpine. Krystal took the opportunity and jumped him. He side stepped out of the way and she tumbled beside him. She looked back up at him, her eyes welling up in tears again. This time, Krystal could see behind him saw another figure, this one clad in a long black cloak. From the looks of things, he was controlling the person in front of her. He gave a long, maniacal, laugh, and Krystal's vision went dark.
Krystal opened her eyes and saw that she was still in her room. This was indeed her room, not Fox's. Her room had been cleaned by ROB the previous day. She got out of her bed and ran to the door. She had on a pink nightgown. She left her room and ran down the hall until she reached Fox's room. She walked through the door.
Fox was sleeping peacefully on his bed. Krystal breathed a sigh of relief. She walked over to him until she was right by him and gently stroked the fur on his cheek with her paw. Fox smiled and shifted slightly. Then, still asleep, he suddenly grabbed Krystal's paw with both of his and held it tight against the side of his face.
Krystal was caught off guard by his sudden action. Oh no! What if he wakes up! What will he think if he finds me in his room? Krystal had to think fast. Then, a thought struck her. She smiled at her idea. She lifted the covers and climbed into Fox's bed. Well, if he freaks, which he will, I'll tell him that I had that nightmare again and that I was real scared. He's an understanding fox. He'll probably think of me as pretty pathetic, but that doesn't matter. She curled up with her back to Fox and her head underneath his chin. In this new, comfortable sleeping position, she quickly fell asleep.
(Some time in the middle of the night)
Fox woke up in the middle of the night. He felt too warm. He looked down and nearly choked with surprise. What the hell is Krystal doing in my bed? Oh man! What am I supposed to do? Fox's panic quickly turned to a sense of comfort. Well, maybe she had another nightmare. Whatever happened, she seems fine now. Fox looked down at his bedmate to see her smiling.
Krystal started to shift so that she was facing Fox, although her eyes were still closed. She put her paws on his chest. Fox put his arms around Krystal. Well, this is pretty cool. Fox soon drifted of to sleep.
(Early the following morning)
Fox and Krystal awoke almost simultaneously as a result Fox waking up and moving his arms to stretch. Krystal must have noticed immediately, because she rose just afterwards. Fox decided that now was as good a time as ever why she had decided to come into his bed.
"Krystal, why did you sleep in my bed last night?" Fox asked. Krystal blushed. "I'm sorry Fox. I had a similar nightmare to the one I had two nights ago, but this time it was much worse." Krystal answered. "Would you like to talk about it? We arrive at Corneria today, so this might be the last quiet time we get for a while." Fox asked. "Okay. Well, I'm walking along the side of a cliff. I see you and run up to talk to you. You walk away from me and over to this fennec. You embrace her and kiss her. Then this guy tells me that there will come a time when you will betray me, and then you die. That's basically it." Krystal answered.
She decided to leave out the part about confessing her love for Fox, fearing an unwanted reaction. "Why does this scare you so much?" Fox asked, obviously worried about her. "I don' know. Maybe it's that I've never seen anyone die in front of me like you do in my nightmare, and since you're a good friend, I just freak." Krystal answered.
Fox sat in silence for a moment, contemplating what Krystal had said. Krystal spoke again. "The name of the fennec was Fara Phoenix. I believe you mentioned her earlier?" Krystal said. "Yeah." Fox sighed. "I haven't seen her in eight years." Fox said. Krystal spoke again, trying to sound unemotional. "Fox, do you still love her?" Fox was greatly surprised by her question. "Well, I don't know." Fox replied.
ROB's monotone voice ended the conversation. "Attention all crewmembers: Great Fox will dock in Main Cornerian Bay 1 in 30 minutes. All crew report to the bridge for standard docking procedures."
"You'd better get changed." Fox said, noting that Krystal was only in her nightgown. Once she had left the room, Fox let out a sigh and allowed his mind to wander. He thought about last night, when he saw Krystal with him. Why does she keep doing this? Does she really feel something for me? This is wrong. She deserves someone younger and better than me.
"Let's get going." Fox said in a cheerful voice, trying to mask his previous thoughts, as he rose from the bed and walked to the door. Krystal soon followed.
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(A/N: Sorry for the uncharacteristically long chapter, but I decided I needed to get the slow stuff over with. This is where things start to pick up. (YAY!) Now, flame this chapter all you want, but the next ones, at least in my opinion, are better.