A/N: Wow, I didn't think everyone would like that last chapter so much. I'm glad you're all digging it. This chapter is going to be a bit different from the others in the sense that it's going to be a bit more lighthearted. There's been so much drama that we need some humor. But fret not, we still need to find Krystal and that's priority number one. Enjoy!


The Great Fox rolled through space listlessly, its engines burning with the force to send it forwards but with no real destination in mind.

For the past week, the massive flagship coasted from one side of the sector to the other. Each time was as uneventful as the last. There were no pressing matters at the moment. No threats, no impending wars or assassination attempts. Just peace and quiet throughout the Lylat System. The Great Fox almost seemed like a lost soul, forever searching for its rightful place.

Inside the ship was even quieter.

The Star Fox team was currently held up in the break room. Peppy sat at the lunch table with a few maps but as his eyes scanned the pages, there was no real interest there. Slippy was playing video games on the couch, his button movement slow and robotic. His face was worn and fallen despite never reaching the level he was currently on before. Falco stood in front of the open fridge prepared to make a snack. His appetite, however, was lacking and all he could do was stare at the food in front of him.

Last but not least was Fox. The team leader stood in front of a porthole watching the stars pass by. He had been the quietest one of all. Fox barely spoke unless necessary and his presence among them was seldom at best. The vulpine preferred his solitude and the others could not blame him.

They all missed her.

The girl who had come from a doomed planet with strange blue fur and a kind heart. Her sweet nature and warming smile was a once common occurrence around the Great Fox that was sorely missed. There was a feeling of emptiness among them. The feeling that Star Fox was not truly whole.

Falco slammed the fridge door shut, cursing under his breath. He turned and looked at his fellow pilots. They all looked so defeated and grim. The sight fueled disdain in his veins but not for them but rather for himself.

He still blamed himself for what happened.

He and Krystal were obviously not as close as the others for well-known reasons. That had changed but unfortunately too late when he realized she belonged in this strange group they called a family. If he had been a better person, a better team mate, then she would still be here. Perhaps they would be close like the others. She seemed to have that effect on people.

"I'm going to check if we have any messages from Pepper."

Falco and everyone else in the room looked up at Fox who had spoken in such a monotone and lifeless voice. They had barely recognized it as his own. Without waiting for a reply, he left the break room leaving everyone to stare at where he had exited.

"Jesus Christ…" Falco sighed, rubbing his forehead tiredly. Peppy leaned back in his chair, taking off his glasses with a heavy groan.

"Has he slept?" He asked worriedly.

"Not really." Slippy answered, dropping his controller. "He spends most nights on the bridge with ROB trying to locate Krystal's ship. I want to tell him it's pointless but I don't have the heart. Cerinian technology is a lot different from ours, not to mention unknown. Without a database on it, tracing a signature is impossible."

Peppy threw his glasses down on the table and shook his head. "What a God awful mess this is." He mumbled. Slippy ended up joining him, pulling a chair up and plopping down.

"What if she's in trouble?" He wondered, voice full of concern.

"Krystal's a tough girl. She's been on her own long before she met us. I'm sure she's fine wherever she is." Peppy assured half-heartedly.

"She should be here…" The toad mumbled.

Slippy felt a surge of tears threaten to escape but he resisted the feeling. Instead he glared at Falco. "This is your fault, you know!" He shouted angrily, pointing a green finger at the bird. "If you hadn't been such an asshole then this never would've happened!"

"Slippy, don't you dare start that crap again!" Peppy ordered, banging his fists on the table. "We just finished putting it behind us so-"

"He's right."

Peppy blinked and turned his head towards Falco in surprise. Slippy too found himself sharing the rabbit's shock. Falco admitting he was wrong? The notion was practically unheard of. Falco had his arms crossed and was staring down at his boots. His eyes were shut and his brow was wrinkled in grievance.

"It is my fault. If I hadn't acted that way then she wouldn't have left. If anyone deserves the blame it's me." He declared.

Peppy let out a frustrated sigh escape his nose and looked at Slippy. The toad avoided his stare and looked down at the table. Peppy pushed himself out of his chair, rubbing his eyes hard with his palms.

"It's irrelevant whose fault this is. We can sit here and blame ourselves or each other but it makes a lick of difference in the end. Krystal's gone and we have no idea where to look for her."

"What would we say even if we did find her?" Slippy moaned. "We tried telling her this was her home and if Fox couldn't make her stay then what's the point?"

Peppy had no answer for his question. He was out of answers at this point. He sat back down and slumped, feeling defeated. The hare had hoped that somewhere in his old memory there was a solution for something like this. Unfortunately nothing came to light which only increased that feeling of dejection even more.

Slippy could see his old friend's state of mind and it caused him to reflect it like a mirror, his mood worsening. Falco looked at the two and the gloom that lingered on their faces like a virus. He caught a look of his own reflection in the fridge's highly polished metal surface and it was disturbingly similar. For him, it was like staring at a stranger. Someone who shared none of the traits the brash and cocky pilot embraced. That's when he sneered as a new feeling erupted through him.

What the hell was wrong with them?

Was this really the Star Fox team? A bunch of sad sacks laying around crying about their problems? Didn't they bring peace to the Lylat System? Didn't they just save an entire planet from destruction?

"Hell no." He thought.

Falco had realized just how pathetic they had all become. Never in his life had he seen such self pity and it made him sick. This was a new low for this team that he refused to accept. He had never been one for feeling sorry for himself or sitting on his ass when there was work to be done. Falco was done with that. The avian punched the fridge door and spun around, back straight and fists clenched.

"The point is we have a team member out there that needs to be brought home and that's exactly what we're gonna do." He growled.

Peppy and Slippy snapped their heads toward him, eyes blazing with bewilderment. Slippy frowned before saying,

"But, Falco, we can't-"

"Enough with the 'we can't' routine!" Falco yelled over him. "We've spent the last week sitting on our butts talking about what we can't do and having a pity party. Well, I'm pretty goddamn sick of it. Last time I checked we were Star Fox. We've saved the Lylat System twice and not once did we leave anyone behind. Why should now be any different?"

Peppy and Slippy could only stare at the falcon, his words taking a moment to sink into their brains. They exchanged glances and both felt a surge of embarrassment and shame course through them. They knew that the hot headed pilot spoke the truth and they should have seen it sooner. Sitting around and moping wasn't going to bring Krystal back. They had been through such hard times and never quit so why give up now? Peppy laughed and shook his head, standing up.

"Well, I'll be damned. Falco Lombardi the motivational speaker. Now I've seen everything."

Falco grinned at that. Slippy pushed away from his chair, scratching the spot on his head under his cap. "But how do we go about finding her? Where do we even start?"

"Wherever. We'll scan the entire system if we have to."

"But-"

"Slippy," Falco began, stepping towards the amphibious mechanic. "You want her back, right?"

"Of course!"

"Then no more 'buts'. We're not going to get very far if we keep coming up with reasons to keep wasting time around here wondering."

Slippy gaped at this sudden positive Falco but eventually allowed a smirk to develop and gave a firm nod. "You're right. Gee, Falco, where did this new attitude come from?" He inquired.

"Are you kidding? If it wasn't for my awesome presence, you guys never would have made it past Venom." Falco replied, cocking his head to the side with a smug grin. This brought forth a laugh from Peppy. It was a refreshing sound. A welcoming sound.

"Believe me, we haven't forgotten." He said through dying chuckles. Slippy rubbed his hands together eagerly and looked between the other two. "Right, so what do we do first?"

"First we need to get our captain out of his funk." Falco answered and motioned for them to follow him.

They exited the break room and journeyed through the Great Fox's corridors with a revitalized sense of purpose. Krystal was out there somewhere and they had to find her. No matter how long it took. The trio eventually came to the bridge where they spotted Fox in his command chair with his back to them staring out the front window, lost in his thoughts. He hadn't even acknowledged their entrance.

"Fox! We got to talk." Falco announced.

"Not now." Came a dull reply.

"This is important, Fox." Peppy added. "We've got a situation here that needs to be resolved."

Fox snorted sarcastically in reply.

"Come on, Fox! Krystal is out there! We need to find her!" Slippy croaked hands up in the air.

Fox shook his head. "I've tried. She's gone. She's gone and she isn't coming back."

Falco grimaced at the state of his friend. This wasn't the Fox McCloud he knew. Marching up to the command chair, Falco spun it around so that the vulpine was facing him and bringing his hand down, smacked Fox right on the nose. The orange furred mercenary let out a yelp and clutched at his muzzle.

"What the hell, Falco!?" He complained as he stood up out of his seat.

"Boo hoo. Poor little Fox." Falco scolded. "Stop being such a pussy. This isn't you. The Fox I knew would be out there in his Arwing going from planet to planet looking for her."

"You don't think I've considered that?"

"Then why aren't you doing it?"

Fox rubbed his nose and shook his head. "In case you've forgotten, she doesn't want to be here. I can't force her to stay."

"But she does want to be here, Fox. You know that." Peppy interjected. "She left because she's scared."

"So what do you want me to do?" Fox asked hotly. "If I could find her, what am I supposed to say? I…I tired but it was no use."

"Then you try again!" Falco hollered, giving his shoulder a shove. Peppy nodded his head in compliance.

"You have to make her see this is where she needs to be, Fox. With us. With you."

"You really think it's that easy? You guys weren't there." Fox hissed.

"No, but we all saw her before she ran off." Slippy spoke up. "She was hurting, Fox. We were her first real friends since Cerinia. It couldn't have been easy for her too."

Fox tried to keep a stern visage but with a sigh it fell and his ears sagged to the sides.

"What if I can't convince her?" He asked quietly.

"Oh my God!" Falco cried in disgust, throwing his hands up in the air. "Could you be any more of a little girl!? You've blown Andross to hell twice! I've seen you barrel roll through dozens of enemy fighters and risk your neck on countless espionage missions! But you don't think you can convince a girl, who's obviously in love with you, to come home!? Jesus, McCloud, what happened to the guy who was so confident that he was able to bang Miyu on the lunch table when we all thought she and Fay were straight up lesbos?"

"Oh, Fox, you didn't." Peppy sighed with a disapproving look.

"Eww! I've eaten there!" Slippy cried in horror.

Fox felt his face go red and hissed at the avian, "Shut the fuck up, Falco!"

"Oh, who gives a shit? That was years ago. My point is that you've done what was said to be impossible time and time again. Why should this be any different?"

Fox lowered his gaze to his feet, the words of his friend weighing down on him. He felt a hand grip his shoulder and looked up to see Falco. He was looking at Fox with an expression of empathy and confidence.

"This girl is crazy about you, Fox. We all know it. If there's anyone in the galaxy that can convince her to come back; it's you."

"But how? She thinks she'll get me or one of us killed."

Falco smiled and gave him a playful shake. "You'll think of something. Tell her that Slippy's one of the worst pilots we've ever seen and we've been able to stay alive with him dicking around out there."

"Yeah, we-…Oh, go fuck yourself, Falco." Slippy retorted irritably.

Fox failed in holding back a snicker. He looked to Falco, then to Peppy and finally Slippy. He stood up straight and smiled at them.

"You know I don't say this enough but…I can't think of a better group of guys to call my team…or my friends." He said.

The others all shared his expression and the down cast and brooding fog that had enveloped the ship was finally lifted. This was the Star Fox they all remembered. Slippy suddenly frowned, turning to look at the universe outside.

"Not to break up the mood but we need to figure out where to start looking."

There was a silent concession among them as each mercenary searched their brains for any ideas. For a few minutes they debated on where to look or what to do but each idea seemed as lacking as the next. A moment later, it was Fox who looked up as if he had been struck by lightning.

"I've got an idea." He said.

Fox turned to the control terminal behind him and punched in a few numbers. A bright green holographic image appeared in front of them, a yellow triangle highlighting the Great Fox's position in the sector.

"ROB, can you retrace the Great Fox's position from a week ago?" He spoke to the robot who was occupying the lower level of the bridge.

"Affirmative." Came the static reply.

ROB positioned himself in front of another control terminal and his robotic fingers typed away furiously. The holographic map began to change, the triangle moving towards another sector. It finally came to rest in between three distant circles which represented planets.

"Former position revealed to be Sector 56-L." ROB announced.

"56-L?" Peppy repeated. "That sector holds Katina, Zoness and Dinosaur Planet…No…Sauria. That's what Krystal called it."

Fox's eyes transferred from one dot to the other and he felt something stir inside him. Something he couldn't quite explain with any real rhyme or reason but it was there none the less.

"What are you looking for, Fox?" Slippy queried.

The vulpine pointed to the triangle, his finger passing through the holographic image. "This was our position when Krystal left. There are three planets in the sector. If I had to guess, she would have had to have landed on one of those planets."

"But why those planets? She could be past the Lylat System for all we know." Falco said, scrunching his brow at the map.

"I don't think so." Fox mused with a shake of his head. "Cerinia is gone. I can't see her leaving the Lylat when there's nothing out there for her."

"True. It's just that she has the entire solar system and-"

"Look, I'm not saying it makes a lot of sense and I could be wrong but…I just have a feeling about this."

Fox felt stupid for saying that. It really didn't make much sense. But that nagging feeling held firm as he looked at the map. It surged the minute he rested them on a small green circle that represented Sauria. He felt Peppy clap him on the back in support.

"Trust your instincts. That's what your dad would tell you." He smiled.

"Ugh, that was corny." Falco muttered. Slippy elbowed him in the ribs.

"So what's the plan, Fox?" Peppy asked. Fox bit his bottom lip. That had past through that sector not long ago. He looked back over to ROB and called to him. "ROB, how long will it take for us to get back to Sector 56-L?"

"As per my calculations, three days is the time required for the Great Fox to return to the point of interest."

"Hmm…What about Arwings?"

"With the proper amount of fuel cells, calculations suggest twelve hours."

Fox looked back to the map and scratched the back of his head. Peppy could see that there was something bouncing around in his head. "What are you thinking, Fox?" He wanted to know.

"I'm not waiting three days." He stated firmly. "I've wasted enough time already. I have an idea if you guys are willing to try it."

"Go for it, chief." Falco shrugged.

"Yeah, Fox, let's hear it." Slippy pressed.

"We have three possible planets where Krystal could be. We can't exactly comb each one inch by inch. If she is on either one, who knows how long she'll stay there."

"So what do we do then?" Falco queried.

"Peppy," Fox addressed the hare who stood at attention. "I want you to put a call through to Pepper and have any Cornerian Military operatives on Zoness and Katina put a stand down order for any ships leaving the planets. If she's there, I don't want her leaving."

Peppy nodded in consent.

"Falco, you take Katina and Slippy will take Zoness. That is if you guys are up for a twelve hour flight." Fox said hopefully. Falco smirked and brushed the side of his beak with his thumb.

"That's what I call a good time."

"Doesn't bother me. I'm game if you guys are." Slippy cheered with his usual enormous smile.

"I'll take Sauria. I know my way around there more than you guys." Fox declared. "How fast can you get the Arwings prepped, Slippy?"

"Probably an hour. Hour and a half tops."

"Get to it. See if you can help him out, Falco. I want us on the way as soon as possible."

Slippy gave a thumbs up and turned to leave. Falco shot the vulpine a wink and joined the toad. On the way out, Slippy shook his head as he said, "Jeez…Miyu? How is it Fox can get all the girls and I can't even get one!?"

"Hey, I bought you that hooker for your twentieth birthday and you ran away." Falco reminded him.

"It was a dude!"

"You didn't know that."

"Yes, I did because his Adam's apple was a big as his balls!"

Peppy laughed and shook his head at the two before sitting down at his chair on the bridge and punching in a few keys. It may take some time to get a hold of General Pepper but he had no doubt that when he did, things would start moving and fast. He looked up to see Fox staring at the map again. His green eyes seemed entirely focused on Sauria though he could see the hint of fear in them. Fear that the foreign blue vixen was long out of his reach.

"We'll find her." Peppy said softly, breaking Fox away from his staring. Fox smiled weakly at him and nodded.

God did he hope so.


Fox let out a sigh of relief when the familiar green and blue hue of Sauria finally came into the vision of his cockpit.

He rubbed his eyes tiredly with the back of his hand. Twelve hours in a tiny space flying through the cosmos wasn't exactly the most comfortable way to travel. His back had a slight ache and his tail felt numb from sitting on it all day. But he was finally here and the potential promise of what that would mean quickly filled him with energy.

Fox maneuvered his Arwing through a series of stray meteors and increased his speed. The planet drifted closer and closer and he felt his nerves surge with every second. He didn't think he would ever be so eager to come back to this planet despite the circumstances.

Sauria was beautiful, of that he had no doubt. But the things he had seen and experienced were beyond all comprehension. Talking dinosaurs, magical warpstones, ancient spirits and gems that kept the planet together? The whole time Fox was there, he felt as if he was on a bad L.S.D. trip or stuck in one of Slippy's video games. But despite that, Fox felt…connected to this place somehow. Perhaps that was why he had really chosen to come here.

Fox tapped a few keys on his control panel and spoke into his headset.

"Fox to Falco and Slippy. Do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, Foxy." Falco replied over the headset.

"Slippy here!" The toad responded in his usual high pitched voice that made Fox's ears pin back.

"I've reached Sauria. How are things on your guy's end?" Fox asked.

"I'm still about a half hour away but no problems so far." Falco yawned.

"Zoness is in view but I still have maybe fifteen minutes before I can breach the atmosphere." Slippy croaked.

"Alright. I'll be landing in five. Keep me updated, guys. I want to know anything that happens no matter how small or insignificant you think it is. I'm counting on you." Fox told them earnestly.

"Relax, Fox. How hard is it to find a half naked blue fox?" Falco joshed.

"Yeah, we'll find her. I'm sure of it." Slippy agreed with confidence.

Fox smiled and hit a few more buttons on his panel. "Thanks, boys. I'm about to enter the atmosphere. Let's keep our fingers crossed. Fox out."

He switched off the communicator on his head set and angled the nose of the Arwing down towards the planet that now filled his canopy and beyond. As he descended, Fox felt the sudden tug of gravity as his ship was pulled towards the planet. The nose of his Arwing began to glow orange from the heat of entering the planet's atmosphere but eventually began to fade. Fox soared through thick clouds until finally breaking through and seeing a lush green landscape below him.

The familiar terrain of ThornTail Hollow eventually greeted him and he maneuvered the ship into a landing position. Slowly it sank down to the clearing he had landed in over a dozen times, the tropical trees and long grass billowing from the force of the Arwing's engines. The ship touched down with a gentle rock of its landing gears. The canopy popped open and Fox jumped, feet firmly planting onto the grass.

To which he then prominently fell down.

Fox climbed to his feet in embarrassment. How the heroic savior of Dinosaur Planet must have looked falling on his face because his legs had fallen asleep. He looked around to make sure no one had noticed, seeing only the few ThornTails that usually resided in the area grazing. Clearing his throat, Fox made his way over to the spot where he first found Krystal's staff. The wildflowers that grew there still bloomed brightly in the sun and it made him think of that moment that ultimately set in motion the events that led up to now.

He let his eyes linger on the spot before moving on. Fox crossed the stream of clear sparkling water and stood in front of the ThornTail Hollow Store. The orange vulpine turned in a circle, taking everything in as the gears in his head turned.

Where should he even start?

Fox had no idea where to begin looking. Dragon Rock, SnowHorn Wastes, Moon Mountain Pass; all of them were simply just a guess. But Fox still had that nagging feeling inside him. That he was where he needed to be. That she was here somewhere.

As Fox continued to ponder his choices, a shrill cry suddenly pierced the air causing his fur to stand on end.

"Fox! Fox! Oei'ho rusb!"

Fox let his head fall into his hand as he groaned loudly. He hoped to have avoided this. There was the sound of four feet stomping over the grass and Fox turned around to find the crowned prince of the EarthWalkers running towards him. The little dinosaur came to a skidding halt in front of him and began to hop up and down in excitement.

"Oei'ho xoho! Tat oei semo ke jxen mo xen ke vco? Uho kxo Krazoa khuffot uwuad?" Tricky rattled off. Fox shook his head and tapped a few buttons on his commlink and the prince's words became coherent thanks to Slippy's translator.

"Je nxo uho-here!? Are there more bad guys to beat up!?"

"Tricky!" Fox shouted, silencing the EarthWalker. Fox took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Hey, pal. How's things?"

"It's great!" Tricky exclaimed. "Everything's been awesome since you brought the planet back together! Even the SharpClaws are friendlier!"

"That's great, bud." Fox said, patting him on his jeweled frill.

"So are you here to teach me how to fly? Huh? Huh? Are you?" Tricky asked again with hopeful eyes.

"Er…no. Sorry, pal, but I'm here for a more…personal reason." Fox mumbled, rubbing his throat. Tricky peered at him in question.

"I'm looking for Krystal." Fox stated.

"Krystal?" The prince repeated in surprise. "I thought she went with you to fight bad guys in space?"

"She did but…" Fox paused. He wasn't sure how to explain the situation to the little guy. Clearing his throat, Fox continued. "She wanted to do some exploring on her own for a bit. I thought maybe she stopped by to visit you. Have you seen her?"

"Nuh-uh." Tricky responded, shaking his head from side to side. Fox sighed and scratched his forehead. He didn't expect to be that lucky anyway. Looking back down at the dinosaur, he asked,

"Has anyone reported any ships seen?"

"Nope."

"Nothing? Not entering the planet or leaving? It wouldn't look like mine."

"My dad would have known if there was anything going on with the planet. You're the only visitor we've had since…well…you."

Fox cursed under his breath and stared up at the blue sky. Of course they didn't. He was getting nowhere with this. Tricky looked upon the fox with sympathy. He seemed very stressed about this.

"I'm sorry, Fox." He apologized. "I wish I could help. But she'll come back won't she? She's still on the team, right?"

Fox put on another fake smile and nodded.

"Yeah…She'll come back."

Tricky frowned. He may be young but he wasn't dumb. Something was wrong and Fox was doing what adults always did around him. Pretend nothing's amiss and tell him what he wants to hear. A part of him wanted to press Fox on the issue but another part of him sensed that this was a particularly sensitive issue for him. Krystal was very pretty and Fox seemed to like her a lot. Tricky was sure that was why the space hero asked her to come with him. But if she was gone than something must have happened and it worried him.

As he struggled with his dilemma, something appeared in the back of his mind that made his head tilt in thought.

"Actually," He started, catching Fox's attention, "I do remember the shop keeper talking about some new items in the store."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"He only leaves the store when something rare shows up. Something not from here. He's got some LightFoot's running around the planet and telling him secrets."

"Oh, he does now does he?" Fox muttered darkly and cast a look towards the store's entrance. Intrigued by this new information, Fox made his way to the entrance. It could be nothing but at this point, anything was worth checking out. He turned back to Tricky who sat down and smiled at him. Fox returned it and climbed down into the cool dark cavern that led to the store.

Fox walked through the torch lit hall until reaching the familiar curtain of the ThornTail Hollow Store. He waved away a few fireflies before pushing past the curtain. The instant he walked in, the Shopkeeper appeared in a haze of green smoke. The heavy robed and legless dinosaur floating just inches above the ground was rubbing his scaly hands together greedily much like he did the first time he met him.

"Welcome to my st-…Oh. It's you again." The Shopkeeper greeted with contempt.

The feeling was mutual.

"I don't have any more maps if that's what you're looking for." The Shopkeeper told him with narrowed eyes.

"I was told you have some new and rare items." Fox said, getting straight to the point. Idle chit chat was not something he desired or cared for with this fellow.

"Yessss, yessss. New items and rare indeed. They're not cheap though. You give me scarabs. Lots of scarabs."

"I know how it works."

The Shopkeeper and Fox held each other's vision with malicious stares but eventually the dinosaur turned and motioned for Fox to follow. With a low growl, he obeyed and trailed after the Shopkeeper through another set of curtains. They entered a small room with random items on stone pedestals and the Shopkeeper motioned for Fox to look around though he watched him with distrust. Fox ignored him and browsed around.

Many of the items were the same as what he had seen the first time he had visited the store. PukPuk Eggs, Dumbledang Pods, GrubTubs; not exactly what he called rare or new. Fox continued to wander, feeling as if he was wasting his time. Just when he was about to give up and leave this greedy reptile and his store, his eye caught something in the corner. Something…red?

Fox padded over to the item and as he stopped in front of the pedestal, his eyes widened, instantly recognizing what once covered the amazing body of the woman he had fallen so in love with.

Fox reached to pick up his old flight academy shirt when his hands were slapped away. He growled at the Shopkeeper with flattened ears and his lips pulled back in a snarl. The Shopkeeper seemed unimpressed by his aggressive display.

"No touching! You can hold when you've paid."

"Where did you find this?" Fox demanded to know. The avarice bound lizard shook his head.

"Pay first. Questions later, yessss."

He pulled out the scarab counter from around his neck and opened it. A set of numbers appeared and the Shopkeeper smiled smugly. The numbers read a price of over two hundred scarabs.

"You pay this much."

"How about I pay nothing and I take it anyways?" Fox snapped with anger. He didn't have any scarabs and he wasn't about to waste precious time collecting them just so he could give them to this asshole. The shirt belonged to him anyways. The Shopkeeper shook his head.

"No, that's too lo-…"

His screechy voice died in his throat as his eyes widened the minute he felt the barrel of Fox's blaster pressed against the spot between his eyes. There was a moment of tense silent, the Shopkeeper swallowing hard. Fox tightened the grip on his blaster, emerald eyes hard and impatient.

"You were saying? And feel free to give me a reason to pull the trigger. No one on this planet is going to miss you." He hissed.

"Ah…yes…I see…" The Shopkeeper stuttered. "S-Since you're a repeat customer, I will let you…have this as a gift."

"How thoughtful of you. Now where did you find it?"

"Eh…uh…I believe it was Cape Claw."

The blaster pressed harder against him.

"Yes! Yes! It was Cape Claw, blast it!"

"How long ago?"

"Two days! Now put that infernal thing away, damn you!"

Fox grinned and removed the gun, holstering it once more. The Shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing the spot between his eyes. He glared hatefully at Fox, baring his sharp teeth at him.

"If you're done robbing me then get out."

"With pleasure."

Fox picked up his shirt, feeling the fabric in his fingers and hoping to capture just a fraction of the warmth Krystal once radiated. The Shopkeeper rolled his yellow eyes and clicked his claws together impatiently. Fox offered him another glare but stuffed the shirt inside his vest and left the dinosaur and his shop, the lizard grumbling empty threats to him. Fox climbed back out into the sun and Tricky ran up to him, face full of eagerness.

"Did you find anything!? Did you!? Did you!?" He asked rapidly.

Fox smiled down at him and nodded. "Yeah. I think I got something. Cape Claw looks to be where I need to go."

"Alright!" Tricky laughed, running in circles before dashing past Fox and looking towards the path that led to the ocean side. "Let's go, Fox! Let's go!"

"Hold up, Tricky."

The EarthWalker turned back and watched the vulpine walk over and crouch down next to him. He had an apologetic smile on his muzzle and patted the dinosaur on the head.

"Sorry, bud, but this is something I need to do myself." He explained gently.

"How come?"

"It's…it's hard to explain. It's grown up stuff."

"Oh…Okay." Tricky mumbled in disappointment. Fox scratched him under the chin to try and comfort him and gave another smile. "Don't worry, Tricky. Once we get this figured out, I promise I'll come back and fly you in the Arwing."

"Really!?" Tricky gasped, his despondency suddenly no longer present.

"Really." Fox confirmed.

Tricky began to run in circles again, occasionally rolling around in the grass in jubilation. The pilot couldn't help but chuckle at the display. While Fox found the prince to be annoying at most times (and on occasion, irritating as all hell), he couldn't deny he had a soft spot for him.

"Yeah! Yeah! You go find Krystal and I'll wait here!" Tricky shouted, his tail wagging in excitement.

"Alright then. Hold the fort for me, pal." Fox said and patted his head once more. Standing back up, Fox made his way down the path that led to the LightFoot village.

He grimaced as he jumped into the cold water of the pond below at the end of the trail and wadded his way up to the next trail that turned into a dimly lit cave. His shadow danced along the stone wall as he jogged through, reminding himself that time could be a factor. Fox maneuvered his way through the small maze, avoiding the carnivorous plants that lashed out at him with their spiked appendages. Even the vegetation on this planet was against him. Fox kicked away the Foxtrap as he rounded a corner to the exit, the plant giving off a shriek. Another set of twists and turns awaited him and when he managed to put those behind him, he came across the amber leaved forest in which the LightFoot village resided nearby.

Fox briskly walked along the dirt path, kicking up dead leaves. It reminded him of the fall season back home and he hoped that he could relive the experience on Corneria with Krystal at his side. That thought pressed him to move faster. Fox reached the end of the trail but frowned in confusion when he noticed that the gate which led to Cape Claw was closed. The scarab idol resided in its usual spot but beside it was a large blue SharpClaw donned in heavy armor and resting his weight on a sharp looking spear.

Fox recognized him as one of Scales' elite guards that would often accept bribes in order to access certain areas. Why he was there though was a mystery. Most of the SharpClaws threw down their weapons and turned to a more peaceful life once Scales was defeated. The vulpine approached him was soon brought to the guard's attention. He held up his spear and took a defensive stance.

"Halt!" He growled. "You pay me scarabs to pass."

Fox looked to the scarab idol then back to the guard. The SharpClaw caught his confusion and smirked.

"Idol broken. Me collect scarabs until fixed."

Fox narrowed his eyes in suspicion, figuring that the brute had broken the idol on purpose so he could pocket the scarabs for himself. He crossed his arms and sighed.

"Twenty five scarabs? Is that what your usual price is?" Fox asked. The giant dinosaur laughed and shook his head.

"Sixty scarabs. That price for Cape Claw."

"Well, I don't have any but I'm going to Cape Claw regardless. So are you going to open the gate or am I going to have to make you open it?" Fox snarled. His patience was running thin with the denizens of the planet and their greed. The SharpClaw shook his head, the feathered plume on his helmet waving comically in the motion.

"No scarabs. No pass."

There was a loud whistle that echoed throughout the forest and the guard's face was frozen in a look of pure shock. His eyes rolled up to look at his helmet which had split in half and slid off the sides of his head, crashing into the leaves at his feet. The barrel of Fox's blaster smoked from the heat of the shot and the look on his face suggested that he wasn't going to miss the next one.

"Hmm. Me see you have boom stick. You pass." The guard stated nervously and pounded the scarab idol hard with his large fist.

The gate behind them rose and Fox lowered his weapon. With one last stern glare that the guard avoided, he passed through the gate. Fox looked down approvingly at his blaster before holstering it. He was confident that if had been able to bring it with him the first time he would have been able to save the planet within hours rather than weeks. Fox came to the old well that led down towards the entrance to Cape Claw and sighed hard. Whoever the Krazoa had appointed to design the planet had a stupid sense of humor. Nothing was ever straight forward. It was always run, climb, jump, dive, float then repeat up and down, side to side.

With a grunt, he slid down the ladder and onto the wooden platform below before running in a half circle just so he could climb another ladder. As he reached to top, the smell of the ocean filled his nostrils and without any more delays, Fox ran down the stone path and was greeted by the beauty of the sea side paradise known as Cape Claw. Everything was as he remembered it. The waterfall that spilled behind the bridge into clear waters below, the sandy beaches with palm trees swaying in a brief gust of wind and the dock still occupied by the gold collecting HighTop who appeared to napping.

What a dinosaur needed with gold he had no idea but there were many things about this place he had no ideas about.

Fox journeyed down to the beach and began to look for any signs of the cerulean beauty. He searched every square inch of the cape. Fox explored the cave where he had freed the Queen CloudRunner and the hidden room where the SharpClaw cannon rested, the explosive weapon now rusted and defunct. He swam out past the shoreline and back, occasionally diving underneath the surface to comb for any hidden areas he might have missed the first time he was here. Fox even tried waking up the HighTop but the long necked Saurian was in too deep a sleep. In the end, the vulpine had found no traces of Krystal.

With a frustrated moan, Fox collapsed on a stone carved ground, his legs dangling over the edge of land that over looked the beach. The sun was beginning to set and he could see clouds rolling in on the horizon. He shook his head at that. As if the insane geography of this planet wasn't bad enough, it also had very erratic weather patterns. It would be sunny and warm one minute then raining and freezing the next.

Fox picked up a rock and threw it into the sea below in aggravation. He searched the entire cape and found nothing. For all he knew Krystal could be long gone. But that feeling from earlier still resided within him, telling him that she was near.

"But I've looked everywhere. There's nothing." He said out loud to himself. His sulking was interrupted by a beeping sound emanating from his commlink. Fox pressed a button and Peppy's voice graced his ears.

"Hey, Fox, Peppy here. What's your status?"

"Not good." Fox sighed. "I thought I had something here in Cape Claw but it looks like it turned out to be nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"I've looked the entire beach up and down, Peppy. There's nothing. But…it feels like she's right under my nose. I don't know, maybe I'm just losing my mind." Fox groaned, rubbing his forehead tiredly.

"Maybe not." Peppy replied.

Fox stared down at his commlink. "What do you mean?"

"I'm looking at the Cape Claw map you brought back and there's one more area you might have missed."

"Where?" Fox implored, feeling a surge of hope spread throughout his body. He heard Peppy chuckle.

"I have a feeling it's staring right at you."

Fox didn't understand the old rabbit's meaning and opened his mouth to inquire what he meant when it suddenly dawned on him. Fox turned his body and cast his eyes skyward to look upon the massive Krazoa head that towered above him in monument to the gods themselves. Its algae and moss covered stone skin looking like some bizarre disease in the fading light of the descending sun, hollow eyes staring ahead across the ocean.

There was one more area that Fox had not been. An area so secluded and well hidden that someone could stay hidden for a long time. He climbed to his feet and slowly stepped over to the entrance of the shrine, the Krazoa's mouth waiting to swallow him whole. Fox paused in the doorway and could feel his heart thudding along like a war drum.

"Peppy," He spoke softly into his commlink. "There is one more place. I remember now. I'm heading there as we speak."

"Good. I've got Pepper issuing stand down orders on Zoness and Katina so we're covered for that. Let me know what you find…Fox?"

There was no answer as the vulpine stared into the darkness of the Krazoa shrine, his mind picturing two outcomes of his venture.

"Fox? Are you there?" Peppy's voice pulled him back to the real world and he let out a nervous breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

"Yeah. Sorry, Peppy. Just…Just thinking is all."

"I know, Fox. Just remember; if she isn't there, then we keep looking. We won't give up."

"Yeah…Thanks, old timer. Fox out." He smiled faintly.

Fox cracked his neck and took in a deep breath, an attempt to calm his nerves. With a few more seconds of hesitation, he stepped into the shrine. It was cool and damp, the smell of sea salt even stronger inside. The fox moved past the pillars in which he had to use in order to open the gate at the end of the room which reminded him that no matter how annoying Tricky could get, Fox wouldn't have gotten very far without him. He crossed through the open gate, the jade colored hallway engulfing him and his boots echoed off the walls with every step.

Fox arrived in the room with ramps and the small pool of water in the middle and carefully hopped down, a loud splash spraying him with droplets. Wadding through the water, he climbed back up the other ramp and journeyed through another hallway. He was thankful that these puzzles were never reset as it would have been impossible without Krystal's staff he once wielded.

Fresh air began to fill the hall and Fox's ears perked at the sound of rushing water. He picked up his pace and paling daylight could be seen from a distant doorway. Fox slowed as he approached the doorway, his heart rate increasing again. Anxiety and hope filled his body as he was unable to pinpoint his expectations for what lay beyond. Biting his tongue, Fox stepped out into the small slice of paradise separated from the rest.

The setting sun cast an orange glow onto the entrance of the Ocean Force Point Temple, its pillars of shimmering water making the rays bend and dance. Waterfalls that surrounded the area filled the air with the sounds of water crashing into the many pools below and sparkling white sand stretched from one end of the hidden beach to the other. It was truly a scene to behold but it had failed to capture Fox's attention. Instead, he stared ahead to one of the large rocks near a waterfall and the blue figure that sat upon it.

Fox felt relief roll through his body like the waves rolling up the sand on this very beach. He wanted to shout her name and run to her. He wanted to hold her and never let her go. There were a hundred different things Fox wanted to do but all he could do was stare.

There Cerinian sat on her hip, eyes closed and appeared to be humming something. In her lap was a Bafomdad that she gently petted. The creature seemed content with her affection. The sapphire vixen opened her sparkling onyx eyes and gazed up to the sky. Fox could see her elegant features were full of loneliness and affliction as it appeared that she was searching for something she couldn't find in the sky. She had yet to notice him despite Fox only being a few yards away at the foot of the entrance. Eyes transfixed on her, he felt his body move down the ramps and onto the sand. His footsteps were silent as he approached her, another brief gust of wind ruffling her hair and the fur on her tail.

Fox stood just a foot away now, the woman he cared for more than anything else in the world still looking skywards as if in a trance. He found he was at a loss for words when his mouth opened but nothing came out. What could he say? How can he say it?

Fox shook his head. No. He was tired of this. Tired of doubting himself. If there was ever a time for him to speak with confidence and assurance, now was the time. He wouldn't lose her again.

He couldn't lose her again.

Licking his lips, Fox uttered the name of the foreign beauty from a planet, until a few months ago, he had never heard of before.

"Krystal?"


A/N: Dick move by me to cut it off there but THAT'S HOW I ROLL...SORT OF. As far as the distance issue goes when comparing the Great Fox and Arwngs, I figured the Great Fox would be a hell of a lot slower considering its size and this was before the Warp Gate. We got two more chapters left then this crazy ride is over. Many thanks to everyone reviewing and favoring this story. Means a lot to me. We'll see you in a couple of days!