Chapter 9
Fox woke with a jolt as he felt himself being thrown to the floor. He groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He found himself in the office of Bo Wallis. The two guards that had been carrying him had turned and left, leaving the two alone. The shrew himself sat in a chair, smiling maliciously. "So this is the famous Fox McCloud, eh? You don't seem like anything special." He said in a dry and cracked voice. "Oh well, looks like I'll just kill you and be done with it." Wallis pulled out a blaster from his pocket and aim straight at Fox's head. "Die."
Fox's eyes shut tightly as the gun went off. His life flashed before his eyes. Then, he started seeing images of people. Katt, Slippy, Falco and Peppy all zoomed past him. Next, he saw a pair of people he had not seen in years. It was Vixy and James. Fox stared in awe at seeing his parents again.
Finally, one image dominated his view. It was a picture of Krystal. Fox suddenly realized exactly what was going on: these were the people he cared most about. Krystal's picture was the largest because she was the one he cared about more than anything. 'I'm sorry I couldn't be with you Krystal. I'm sorry I didn't even get a chance to tell you how I feel'. He thought.
Fox was sure that he was dead now. Strangely, he felt no pain. In fact, he didn't even feel the impact. He opened his eyes and looked around. Instead of the dark oblivion that he expected, he was still in Wallis' office, but the shrew himself was on the ground, clenching what was left of his right paw. Fox looked in disbelief first at his captor, then at the shattered window where the laser that had saved him had come from. He ran over and looked out the window at a smiling Krystal on a nearby rooftop. It all became clear; Krystal had shot Wallis in the paw just before he fired. Fox smiled back, and then turned back to Wallis.
(Krystal)
Krystal breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Fox was okay. All she saw was Wallis talking to someone and then pull out a blaster. Whoever he was pointing it at was behind a wall. Fearing that he was about to shoot someone, especially her beloved Fox, she fired at his hand. Once she saw Fox walk into view, she felt a surge of relief.
After a few moments, Krystal saw Fox walk out of the tower, carrying an unconscious and subdued Bo Wallis on his back. Fox carried him up to where Krystal was waiting, and tossed him on the ground. "Thanks Krystal. If you hadn't shot his hand, I'd be dead right now." Fox chucked, but Krystal just stood there, showing no emotion. Fox noticed this. "Hey, are you okay?" Fox asked concerned. Still, Krystal didn't answer.
Then, without warning, Krystal slapped Fox hard across the face. Fox looked at her in shock. Tears started to gather in Krystal's eyes. "Hey, what was that for?" Fox asked. "I told you to be careful. You almost got shot!" Krystal shouted. "If you had gotten killed… I…" Krystal's voice trailed off as she started to cry. She put her head into Fox's chest and continued to sob. Fox put his arms around her and stroked her hair with his right paw. "It's alright Krystal. I'm okay." Fox said in a comforting voice. After Krystal stopped crying, she looked up at Fox and spoke. "Fox, I worry about you. You've got to be more careful." "Okay, Krystal, I promise to be more careful." Fox said. Krystal smiled up at Fox and they separated.
Just then, Falco, Katt and Slippy found Fox, Krystal and the still unconscious Bo Wallis. "Well, the armory and barracks are history, and it looks like you two got Wallis." Katt said. "Let's move before the rest of guards get back."
Without warning, everyone heard a gunshot. Everyone turned to see who was firing. They saw about twenty guards, all with blasters drawn, staring them down. "You jinxed us Katt." Fox said. "Doesn't matter, we have a hostage." Katt replied. She then shouted at the troops in front of them, "We have Wallis. Let us go or will shoot him." She drew her blaster and aimed it at Wallis to emphasize her point.
The guards took the hint and dropped their rifles. "See, we're okay." Katt said to Fox. They started to the base exit with Wallis. They could see the gate and were about to exit, when one of the soldiers grabbed his rifle and shot at Fox. It hit him in the back and he went down. Krystal screamed and everyone else turned to see Fox land on the ground. Katt shot the guard in the head and he died instantly. The rest scattered.
Krystal ran to Fox and lifted him in her arms. Because of his muscular stature, he was heavy, but Krystal barely noticed. Tears streamed down her face as she held Fox. "No Fox, don't die. Don't die. Please." Krystal said through her tears. Fox spat out blood and tried to speak. "Hey… I'm not dead… yet." Fox smiled up at the blue vixen holding him. His vision started to blur and he passed out. To Krystal, however, it looked like he had died. Thinking that the vulpine of her dreams had just died in her arms, she broke down, and wept bitterly.
Falco ran over to her. "Come on, he's not dead!" he shouted. Krystal looked up at him. "We've got to get him to the Great Fox medical centre or he won't last long. Let's move!" he yelled. Falco lifted up Fox and ran in the direction of the Great Fox. Krystal followed, and then Katt and Slippy. As Krystal dashed after Falco, her mind raced. Please Fox, you've got to be okay. You just have to be okay.
(Back at the Great Fox)
In the darkness of the cargo bay Great Fox, amongst the boxed weapons and supplies, something stirred. The top of a large, unmarked crate was shoved off, and a dirty fennec climbed out. She brushed herself off, looked around the pitch black room in which she now found herself. She saw a crack of light and walked toward it. She stumbled a few times due to the boxes that were hidden by the darkness. Once she had gotten to the door, she pulled it open, albeit with some difficulty.
Once outside the pitch blackness of the storage area, Fara Phoenix gave herself another brushing over, removing some of the dust that coated her fur. Finally, I'm out of that box. She thought to herself. She'd been hiding for hours, and she was hungry, very hungry.
It took some time of wandering aimlessly around the Great Fox before she had found the kitchen. I'm sure Fox won't mind if I take a small snack. She looked around and found some eggs, bacon, and ham. She knew that it was early in the morning, and she wanted a proper breakfast.
Fara sat down and started eating the breakfast she had cooked. After finishing, she thought again about why she had stored aboard the Great Fox; Fox. I haven't seen him for eight years; he can't just run off to some isolated planet on a mission yet, I've barely been able to speak to him.
After her meal, Fara disposed of the dishes and decided to familiarize herself with the layout of the Great Fox. It took her at least an hour, but she finally got to where she had a rough map of the interior memorized.
Well, I'd better look for Fox. He's probably on the bridge. With this is mind, Fara started of to the bridge.
On her way, she thought not only about Fox, but about the blue vixen that had been with his team.
Fox faded in and out of consciousness. At times he felt like he was being carried, and at others, he felt like he was falling through an endless, black void. He finally settled into a state of complete darkness. He looked around, for now he was standing, and saw a figure facing him.
It was Krystal.
He ran toward her. She saw him coming and stretched out her arms to embrace him. Just as Fox was about to throw his arms around her and kiss her, as he had so often dreamed, he heard a blaster shot, and Krystal fell forward to the ground, dead.
Fox's heart stopped. His gaze shifted from the limp body of Krystal to the one who shot her. It was him.
He was standing behind her, a blaster in hand. He smirked and started to speak. "This is your future, McCloud." His double said, gesturing to Krystal's body.
Then, images passed in front of the real Fox's eyes. The first was of him and Krystal standing at an altar, hand in hand. They were getting married. Each looked into each other's eyes, and they leaned into a kiss.
Then, the scene shifted, and Fox saw himself looking at a casket that read 'Krystal' across the front. Again, it changed to show Fox, Krystal and another, much smaller fox, Fox's son. The next one showed Fox sitting alone on the bridge, crying. Then, Fox saw himself in Krystal's arms, in bed, asleep. The final scene was of Fox lying in bed, staring at the ceiling.
After the reel of images, Fox found himself standing on the same endless, black plain, Krystal's body and the other Fox who shot her, standing in front of him. "The first, third and fifth scenes are your dreams, what you fantasize about the most. The second, fourth and sixth scenes are your nightmares. But, as I've already said, this is your future: You are the one who kills Krystal." Fox's doppelganger said.
"Shut the hell up! I would never hurt Krystal!" Fox yelled back. The double smirked, and then spoke again. "Stop trying to fool yourself. You see Krystal as nothing but a burden. If it weren't for her, you'd be able to fight more. That is what you want." "Shut UP! You know absolutely nothing about me!" Fox shouted.
He charged at the image of himself and drew his arm back to punch. But right as he was about to make contact, the image disappeared and Fox again found himself falling through space.
Once Fox finally opened his eyes, he saw that he was lying in a bed at the medical centre of the Great Fox. Medical tape ran around his chest to his back. He noticed a weight on his stomach, and because he was lying flat, he couldn't see what it was. He shifted his head so he could see what it was.
His gaze fell upon the sleeping form of Krystal. She was sitting in a chair, her head resting across Fox's body. Fox smiled down at her and gently stroked her azure hair with his paw. Krystal's eyes fluttered open. "Fox!" she exclaimed as she embraced and she started to cry. She was now lying on top of Fox and sobbing. "I was so scared I thought you were dead." She said through her tears.
Fox continued to stroke her hair and spoke in a calm voice. "It's all okay. We're done. We got Wallis." "No Fox, it's not over." Krystal sobbed. "This was just the first mission of this damn war, and you were nearly killed. When you fainted, I was sure you'd died and I…" Krystal's voice trailed off. She just continued to cry, and Fox held her tight.
She found his touch comforting and eventually dried her tears. The two vulpine looked into each others eyes. Finally, Krystal spoke, "Fox, you know I've been having nightmares, where you die?" Fox nodded. "Well, the time last time I had dreams like that was just before my planet was destroyed. I was on a ship, flying away from Cerinia, and the planet just exploded. I didn't think the dreams meant anything, and later, my planet was destroyed in much the same way as I had dreamed. My guess is that because I didn't act on the dreams, my planet was doomed. I don't want to lose you as well." When Krystal finished, she started to cry again, recalling the pain of her past. Fox continued to run his paw through Krystal's hair. He was touched at her concern for him.
Suddenly, a thought struck Fox. It was fantastic, but it would explain Krystal's behavior and he had often thought of it, but was sure he was kidding himself.
Maybe Krystal loved him.
'No, that's too much to hope for,' Fox thought. He did think that Krystal loved him, but he couldn't bee 100 sure. 'Besides, what would an angel like Krystal see in me? I only did what anyone decent would. She needed a place to stay and food, so I gave her both. Why would she love me?'
Any further thought on
Fox's part would have to wait, for the doors opened. Fearing that
it would be Katt or Falco, Fox and Krystal readjusted themselves to
their original positions to avoid embarrassment. Fortunately, it was
Peppy who walked in. "Hi Fox." He said "It's good to see you
awake." "What happened to me?" Fox asked. "You were shot from
behind and fainted." The old hare explained. "What about Wallis?"
Fox asked.
"We turned him over to Bill's task force We're
docked at the base currently, and Colonel Howitz gave us the rest of
the day off." Peppy said. "Okay, thanks Peppy." Fox responded.
The aged hare then turned and left. Krystal and Fox were once again
left alone.
"Well, I'd better get going." Fox said after a moment of silence. He sat up, but felt a shot of pain in his back. He grunted in pain and fell back. Krystal quickly caught him and gently laid him back into the bed." You need to rest. You were lucky to survive." She said. Fox propped himself up on his elbows, albeit with great effort. And started to speak. "But I have to-" he was cut off when Krystal pressed her finger against Fox's lips. She started to speak in a gentle, but firm voice, like a mother talking to a mischievous child. "Oh no, you're staying her, and while you heal, I'm going to look after you. Now, get some sleep."
Fox decided that it was no good arguing with Krystal, and frankly, he liked having her attention fixed on him. He smiled at her. "Thanks," he said, and then closed his eyes.
While his eyes were closed, he heard someone singing. It was Krystal. It was in a different language that Fox couldn't understand the words. It was a soft and gentle song, with a soothing melody. Krystal's voice was amazing. Fox felt like he was in a trance. As soon as the song was over, Fox fell asleep.
Once Krystal had finished her song, she looked at Fox. She gently caressed the back of his head with her paw. Then, she gently kissed his forehead, got up and left the room.
Sitting outside the room were Katt, Peppy and Slippy. "So, how's he doin'?" Katt asked. "He's okay, but that wound did some damage." Krystal answered. "What about that serum that Falco used to revive you?" Slippy asked Katt. "That might have been the last off it. Falco went to check the storage room if to see if we've got anymore." Katt answered.
Suddenly, loud shouting was heard from somewhere within the ship. Everyone raced down to the lower decks to investigate.
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(A/N: Something of a mini-cliffie. Well, looks like Fara is back. Okay, I'll shut up now. Simba out.)
