I am so sorry this has taken so long, but I have an excuse! Graduation is coming up, and I have a lot of things to prepare if I want to walk the feild. I did manage to snag some computer time today, and I'm working on Eye of the Beholder, for those fans. I did have this chapter and the next one for Silver Lining ready before now, but I was trying to follow my policy, but with certain events coming, I'm gonna forget it for a while. So enjoy this next chapter, and don't forget the RRE rule. Later.
Silverdash
Chapter 5: Call to Krazoa Palace
Tails lay awake in his bed as he stared at the floating hologram of Mobius, wondering what happened to Sonic and Aunt Sally in the six years that he had been gone. Would they remember him? Were they still free? Were they still alive?
His bedroom door slid open and two fox kits came in. "Tails?" Jake called, a little timidly. "Are you awake?"
"Yeah." Tails said, sitting up. "What's wrong?"
One look at the two answered his question. "I told Mom to stop letting you two watch those scary holo shows." he muttered, knowing full well that he liked to watch those shows as well. He threw back the covers. "Come on."
The McCloud twins dived under the covers and didn't surface. Tails raised an eyebrow. "What's after you this time?" he asked.
"The scariest thing in the universe!" came the muffled voice of Jake.
"The Fachina Slime Blob!" Jimmy added.
Tails grinned. "The Fachina Slime Blob is not the scariest thing in the universe." he said. Jake and Jim poked their muzzles out of the covers.
"Aunt Katt during one of her yelling sprees is the scariest thing in the universe, especially if you're Uncle Falco." The twins eeped and dived under the covers again.
"You're right." they said telepathically.
Tails rolled his eyes.
"Can you two wait here for a little bit?" He asked them. "I need some water."
With mental and verbal shreiks, Jame and Jimmy leaped from the covers and tackled the older kitsune, making all three fall out of the bad.
"No!" Jake wailed softly.
"The Fachina Slime Blob is still after us!" Jimmy said desperatly.
Tails groaned in both pain and annoyance.
SF SF SF
They left the bedroom and headed for the Great Fox II's galley. There, the twins raided the refrigerator. "You two are going to be the death of me." Tails mumbled, reaching for a cup. He loved those two dearly, but sometimes they got on his nerves.
"They're going to be the death of me too." said Fox as he walked in. Jim started and fell from his position on Jake's back. Tails smirked.
"Busted." the twins squeaked.
"They've never said a truer word." Tails commented from the sink.
Fox laughed-but whatever he was going to say was forgotten as the purple-and-gold robed, golden masked Krazoa Spirit appeared in the galley.
The twins gave a shout of fright and dived behind Fox and Tails as said two gaped at the Ancient God.
"Six years have past and the Child of Destiny still lives." said the Krazoa. "Now can the process of liberating Mobius be put in motion."
"Mobius!" Tails yelped. "What's happening on Mobius!"
"The Freedom Fighters are destroyed." The Krazoa said. Both fox's eyes widened in horror. "Only two and a half creatures still live: one hedgehog, one ground squirrel, and a half-rabbit."
"Sonic, Aunt Sally, and Aunt Bunnie!" Tails yipped gleefully.
"But they do not have long." The Krazoa warned. "Only the Child of Destiny can truly stop this evil."
Fox placed his hand on Tails' shoulder. "What do we have to do?"
"Come to Krazoa palace." replied the being. Fox felt a moment of deja vu. "You shall recieve further instructions there." And with those words, the Krazoa Spirit disappeared.
Fox and Tails gaped at where the spirit had been. "Whoa." Tails said finally. "Do they always do that?"
"Yeah." Fox managed through his suddenly dry throat. "I hate it when they do that too."
Only then did Tails realize that he was in pain. "Jake? Jim? You two can let go now."
The twins squeaked and shook their heads. At a glare from Tails, Jake let go of one of Tails' tails, but Jimmy held fast.
"Now James." Tails barked. Jimmy slowly releaced his hold on Tails' other tail, muttering "Sorry."
Fox shook his head, grinning. "You three head back to bed. I'm gonna head over to the bridge and set a course to Sauria." He looked over to his adopted son. "Don't worry Tails. We're going to save them.
"I know, Dad." Tails replied. Then he mock-glared at the younger two foxes. "Alright, you two. If the Fachina Slime Blob is still after you, then trot up to my room. But of you prevent me from sleeping, so help me I'm gonna throw you into Kitty and Mitten's room. Got me?"
At the looks of horror on Jake and Jimmy's faces, Tails smiled in satisfaction. "Good. Now get up there."
Fox shook his head as the three vulpines left the room. Only Tails could find something as horrifying to the twins as that.
He left the galley, calling to his wife with his mind. 'Krystal, wake up. It's time.'
SF SF SF
When the Star Fox team woke up the next morning and saw the planet Sauria outside their viewports, to say they were confused would be an understatement.
"FOXIE!"
"Here he comes." Fox muttered as Krystal and Tails sighed.
Falco stormed into the galley where the McClouds were eating breakfast. "Fox, what the heck are we doing at Sauria!"
"Tails, Krystal and I are going down to the surface." Fox calmly explained as he buttered a piece of toast.
"Why!"
"Yes, Fox." Peppy agreed as he stepped into the galley, followed by Slippy and Katt. "Why are you going to the surface?"
"Because," Fox said just as calmly as before. "It's almost time to liberate Mobius."
Silence filled the air as Peppy, Falco, Katt, and Slippy gaped at him. Finally, Katt found her voice. "So why are we at Sauria? Shouldn't we be heading to Mobius?"
"No." Krystal said. She paused for a moment to give a mental scolding to Jim, who was reaching across the table for the milk, then continued. "The Krazoa wanted Tails here for some reason."
The standing members remembered to close their mouths and decided to join the McClouds at the table when the galley door opened again and the Lombardi children came in.
Twenty minutes later, Fox stood up. "ROB, ready Arwings 1, 2, and 6 for launch."
"Affirmative. Arwings of Fox McCloud, Krystal McCloud, and Tails Prower being prepped." came the reply through his communicator.
Fox turned to the rest of Star Fox. "As soon as we launch, I want you to go to Mobius and wait for us. Contact General Pepper and ask him to sent the Navy for help."
"You got it, Fox." Peppy said.
Fox nodded, and he, Krystal, and Tails ran down the hallway to the hanger.
"Open your Arwing's cargo holds." Fox said as they ran in. "Put food in mine, weapons in Krystal's and ammo in Tails'. ROB, what's the weather at Krazoa Palace?"
"Rainy." replyed the robot. "Expected to continue for the next two weeks."
"Lovely." Krystal commented as she loaded three rocket launchers into her Arwing. "Rainy, as usual."
"So pack raincoats as well." Fox said, putting a crate of food in his cargo hold. "Tails, what do you have?"
Tails looked up. "Three crates of machine gun packs, gattling gun packs, rockets, sniper packs, and grenades each. Do we really need all of these?"
"It never hurts to be careful." Fox shrugged. "Paranoia is all about being a mercenary."
"I still think it's a little too much." Tails muttered, grabbing his blaster and jumping into the cockpit of his Arwing.
"Maybe." Krystal said, loading the last of the weapons and closing her cargo hold. "But we've got reports that the Sharpclaw are rebelling again. Nothing the Earthwalkers can't handle, but we can still be prepared."
"Fox, this is Peppy." came the old rabbit's voice over the speakers in the hanger. "We've just been contacted by the King Earthwalker. He says that the Sharpclaw rebellion is pounding Krazoa Palace and needs help."
"Oh boy." Fox said, leaping into his own cockpit. "Tell him we're on our way."
The kitunes closed their canopys and performed pre-flight checks, waiting for Peppy's word.
"Open the locks." Peppy said over the speakers. The ramps surrounding the Arwings were lifted.
"Launch!" The three Arwings were catapolted into space. After a quick barrel roll to get the G-Defuser systems started, the three Arwings blasted toward Sauria's surface.