A/N: Hi again, every- What are you two doing?

Sword: I get to play the part of a cannon ball! Pen said I could. Now I just gotta get covered in Jell-o.

I'll have to talk with him about that. Anyway, all Star Fox characters belong to Nintendo while original characters belong to us. And I own Sword and Pen. We'd also like to thank our reviewers like Smarty and the Geek, Halo Fan 4256, Wandering-thoran, twilight dragon god, Mike Prower the Fox, lines22, Starjamlegend, and Filth Hound Lupine for their feedback. Also, thanks goes out to Chocovi for beta reading this chapter.

Sword: *bathes in green Jell-o* And we co-own the plot with lines22. Hurry up Pen!

Enjoy the chapter while I handle this.

Chapter 10- Better Than McQueen's Trousers

Fox stared into the dark abyss of his cell, every once in a while shaking his head and muttering how stupid he had been to not pay attention. He should have been more careful. He should have tightened his armor. Hindsight, in his case, just left him feeling miserable.

As soon as his armor had been pulled off and his body was exposed, that had sealed his fate. It had taken little effort from Olletho to convince everyone that Fox was the "Harbinger of their destruction", what with the mismatched fur color, and was up to no good. The king had ordered guards, shouting over Krystal's protests, to throw the victor in the dungeon. And they had, as well as stripping him of all his personal possessions, again and including his navi this time, and left him with nothing but a dingy, torn robe. Then, they violently threw him into the cell, (quite literally) as the vulpine had sailed through the air and crashed into the other wall, where he now sat.

There was not much to his confined quarters. A square of light, cut into three equal pieces, shown on the floor from the barred peephole in the door. There were empty meal trays, coated in dirt and grime, and rusty chains attached to the brown walls, which Fox shuddered at the thought of being used for him. The ceiling was as dark as could be and, considering that there were no windows in the cell and with how long it had been since he had seen anyone, the ceiling could very well be the night sky for all he knew. But even if it was, he had no strength to climb out.

The only thing he could hear was the voice of the jailer down the hall, who taunted him in the foreign language as soon as he arrived, his sagging face wobbling with guffaws. Or so Fox guessed by the tone of the voice. He was more focused on escaping and, if it were possible, seeing Krystal one last time before hiding and waiting for his team.

A slam of a heavy door in the hallways rattled his thoughts. He heard the jailer start to snarl, but immediately bite his tongue and stumble over his words. It must have been the boss or someone equally important.

Fox was not far off. For at the door appeared the sickly, yellow eyes of the one responsible for him being in here. And even though he could not see the smile, Olletho's eyes were squinted by his cheeks, conveying the same message. He said one word, as a question, and laughed.

"When I get out of here-"

The prince interrupted him again and held up the navi. Fox knew it was no use to try to swipe it. It was too large to fit through the bars. Olletho tossed it up and down like a ball as he continued to go on for several more minutes, really only talking to himself as the other had long since stopped listening and was now worried about Krystal, since he heard her name several times. The purple vulpine eventually sneered and pointed at nemesis directly before leaving the caged pilot alone again.

It was at least several hours later before Fox had another visitor. In that time, he had received some old, crusty bread on a plate and, from the scant amount of light, a questionable, sludgy drink that had the appearance of tree sap and was as viscous as it, courtesy of a slot that opened underneath the door. However, it was food, and was better than nothing.

He had not just been busy eating though. He remembered his training, somewhat vaguely, at the Academy. So the first step, after calming down, was to test the walls. He tapped on each block to see if there were any hollow spots, or if he could wedge the plate that he still had. Halfway around, the plate had snapped in half and he had thrown it against the wall. Yet, he was surprised it had actually lasted that long.

After finding no spot in the wall, he had thoroughly examined the slot and the chains. Neither provided a way out. The slot would barely fit half his head through and he would need something large as leverage to put it to any use. And the chains did not reach far and stubbornly clung to their bolts, refusing to help as if to say "We never did it for anyone else. Why should we for you?"

Much deliberation later found Fox sitting in the middle of the cell, rooted to his spot when the next visitor came in. The orange vulpine was barely visible from outside the cell and he perked up his ears when he thought the visitor sounded familiar. The person argued with the jailer, refusing to back down and, eventually, causing the heavyset owner of the cell keys to relent. He did not want to get his hopes up, but he dared to believe this new visitor was-

And it was. Krystal was there, standing outside the cell and peering inside. Her shimmering eyes were like a warm, comforting glow that could light up the whole prison. She muttered to herself in her own language before calling his name. "Fox," she hissed. "Fox?"

Like a pet runs to its owner with unmatched speed when it is called, so he ran to her, pressing his face against the bars and gripping them tightly, as if ready to yank them off. Only his fingers could slip through, so she gripped them with hers as he assured the girl that he was fine. Both had a similar welcome wave of relief wash over them, along with a pair of smiles erupting on their faces. She began to talk to him and it was comparable to a delightful symphony of angels for his ears. But she paused a few seconds later and chuckled, pointing at herself and shaking her head.

"Yeah. Unless you learned my language, I need the navi back," Fox told her. "Olletho had it last." A light of understanding passed through her eyes at that part, prompting her to say something else before looking away for a moment and down the hallway. He strained his head around the small opening, trying to see whatever she did. But she turned away, said something else, and continued to hold his hand. How he yearned for the bars to be slightly wider so he could have adorned her with a chaste kiss on her cheek at that moment. But the brief contact was good enough. He was soothed by how delicate and warm her purple paw was in his now matching one, yet how strong it was when she squeezed it before leaving.

And then, as before, he was alone, left by himself to either wait for rescue or to find a way out on his own. Even though the plate was broken, waiting was not his style. So he went back to the wall and began to feel around each stone, checking for anything he might have missed.

"We have to help him," Krystal pleaded. She clasped her hands together desperately, turning from his sister to Rupiel. After her visit with Fox, she had gathered both into her room, where they could discuss a plan without prying eyes or ears. Mainly, as she had put it, those of the king or Olletho. And she had been trying to convince them for the past half hour that they needed to act tonight. She paced the floor, jumpy and ready to act as soon as they consented. They both rested on the bed, listening and mulling the idea over.

Rupiel glanced at Nirtana, hoping his fiancée would have some insight to her sister. But she was silent and deep in thought, turning over what Krystal had relayed so far. That Fox was deep in the dungeons and she wanted nothing short of an escape plan. Which, he had already said, "It is impossible. Even if you were to get the key from the guard and free him from the dungeons, you would never make it outside the palace, much less the city."

"We could. We just need a distraction," she argued. "Please, I implore you. Help me."

At that, Nirtana finally decided to come out of her trance and speak her peace. "Look at me," she said. Her sister was puzzled, but complied. And in her eyes, she saw worry, hate, caring, and something else she had suspected, but could not remember Krystal ever showing openly. "Love," she murmured.

"What?"

She shook her head and turned to Rupiel. "We have to help her," she stated, leaving no room for question or any altercation from her future husband.

He looked at her bizarrely, and then to Krystal, whose eyes were set in determination and gratitude now, and sighed, defeated. "All right," he said, rubbing the growing throb in the bridge of his nose. "Perhaps some sort of fire to the barracks or the weapon room might do it. But it would be extremely dangerous."

"I will do it," Nirtana volunteered. "They might need you to fight," she pointed out before he could raise an objection.

"Thank you," Krystal said with a sigh, her unease evaporating somewhat. "We also need to grab his things. Like that 'na-vi' device."

"We can do that," Nirtana said again, pointing to herself and her sister. "Do they not hold all Gnarsh objects in the armory? We can slip in there and then I can head for the barracks."

"We'll have to move tonight then," Rupiel added. "Whenever there is a guard change for all positions. I'll take care of the replacement and stow him somewhere. Then I'll fool the other guard and, by then, you should be down there Krystal with the outsider's things," he pointed to her, "while Nirtana then sets the barracks on fire."

"Sounds like a plan," his fiancée grinned. But then she furrowed her brows and pouted her lips in thought. "Where will you take him?" she asked her sister."

Krystal glanced out her window and saw the walls of the city, with the ramparts running along the top. "We can use some rope from the armory," she thought aloud, tracing the path with her eyes to one of the towers diving up the walking sections, "and then climb down from there. It is dark after all," she noted how the paths were barely lit, compared to the torches surrounding the towers.

"We should get started then," Rupiel said, standing up. "The change is in about an hour."

Being princesses, not to mention very alluring and temptingly beautiful, the two sisters had no trouble bewitching the guards of the armory to let them in. And since there were only two, they easily clubbed them from behind with their own staves once in the armory. Nirtana liberated the ring of keys that had dangled from one's waist, while Krystal began digging through the rows of cabinets kept there.

It was a medium-sized room, lined with such cabinets and racks of weapons. Even though most of the soldiers kept their weapons in the barracks, this one housed spares just in case. And, since their contact with the Gnarsh, any foreign object that had yet to be tested and deemed safe.

It did not take long for them to ransack the room. They located Fox's knapsack and a few of his supplies, including his flight jacket and uniform along with some coiled pieces of rope, but there was no sign of the navi or of Fox's blaster. Determining that Olletho must still have the navi, Krystal hefted the knapsack onto her shoulders and decided that it was time to leave. She rushed out of the room, after embracing her sister one last time, and bid her farewell.

She reached the prison in no time, where she found Rupiel outfitted in a typical guard's armor, yet he was removing his helmet and muttering how it was too small. At his feet lay the heavy jailer, his jaw slack, as he was unconscious. The prince removed the keys from the small table that the guard had been sitting at and twirled them on his finger.

"What happened here?" Krystal asked, looking from him to the body and back to him. "I thought you were just going to fool him into thinking you were the replacement."

"He saw through my disguise," Rupiel replied, stepping around the crumpled lump on the floor. "I have no idea how."

Krystal could. The jailer may have been old and not the sharpest sword in the armory, but anyone could see that the prince was much too tall and large for the armor he wore. Not to mention that his face was completely exposed, as were his white markings, and he still had pieces of royal jewelry clinging to his neck.

She shook her head and beckoned him to follow her, knowing the way to Fox's cell.

Fox perked up his ears. It had been a while since Krystal's visit and all he had heard was the snoring from his guard that reverberated off the walls until it was a booming echo. He wished he could have plugged his ears, as the sound was enough to drive one insane. But the best he could do was flatten them as he continued to work and search for a way out.

Yet his ears perked up because the sound abruptly stopped. Instead, he heard someone new approach and the jailer had greeted him at first, but started to raise his voice. He was instantly silenced and for several long, agonizing minutes, the vulpine heard nothing.

Then the door slammed open when someone new came in. And he recognized that voice. It was Krystal, and she was talking to someone else. Eventually, their voices got closer and closer to his cell. They eventually appeared on the other side of the bars. Her and Rupiel, who handed her a set of keys, which she used to unlock and throw open the cell door.

Fox's unease and tension at being locked up dissipated into a cloud of joy, which propelled him out of the cell to embrace Krystal. They stood there, enjoying one another's warmth for what could have been an eternity for all they cared, but was cut off far too quickly for his liking. The third vulpine, who had let them have their moment, roused the two from their reunion to remind them that they were not out of there yet.

So, after she handed him his clothes, allowed him to change, and returned his knapsack, they all darted out of the prison. Rupiel led the way down the twisting and turning corridors, taking them higher and higher while Krystal tried to fill the pilot in on their plan of escape. She resorted to using hand gestures, hoping to communicate in that way and, for the most part, he understood the gist of it. Now they just needed to avoid being seen until they reached her room.

"Why?"

Olletho's head drooped, his eyes downcast, as he slumped in a chair in the private study upstairs. He had foregone going back to his room, knowing that someone would try to find him there and cheer him up. And at the moment, he wanted to be alone, to stew in the muck of his dishonor for having lost. Even though his opponent was in jail, he would never live this down and wanted to withdraw into his own mind, away from the rest of the world. Yet he was forced to bring Oikonny along, lest someone find him, so he had retreated to this room, locking the doors tightly and drowning himself in thoughts of Krystal.

"Why? Why does she still care for him?" he moaned like a baby animal that had lost its mother. He rolled Fox's navi around in his hand, wanting to crush it, but lacking the will and strength to. All he could do was let it drop from one hand to the next with a plop.

His simian companion sat across from him, on the other side of a table, with Andross' face displaying fully on his navi. Both smiled sinisterly at one another, having hatched an idea almost simultaneously, proving that their blood was the same. "Because he defeated you," Andross said. "Women, like her, love power."

"No, not Krystal," the prince remarked, despondently shaking his head. But the unsure waver of his voice was evident and gave room for the two monkeys to press their attack.

"Of course she does," Oikonny chimed in. "But there is a way to fix all of this."

"How?"

From underneath the wooden table, the monkey produced Fox's blaster. After the prince had it returned to his own room earlier, Oikonny had picked it up and decided to hold onto it. It gleamed in the light of the torches around the room, begging to be handled and used for its sole purpose. It called out to the prince and, he very nearly took it, his hand poised over it before he withdrew and once again let his head lull from side to side as if shaking away cobwebs from his mind.

"What's the use?" he questioned. "The outsider will be put on trial tomorrow. He will most likely be convicted and executed. Krystal will blame me and nothing will change."

They were losing him and needed to act fast. Andross took his turn. "How can you be sure? What if they don't convict him?" he smirked at Olletho's wave of anxiety. "What if he escapes or Krystal is still in love with him? Would this not set a finality to the whole thing? Take care of him now before either of these things happen. She may still blame you, but she will get over it in time."

His words slipped surreptitiously into the prince's ears, nestling themselves into his mind and working their dark magic. Corroding his logic and reason, they slowly convinced Olletho that he only had one option. That Andross was speaking the truth and there was only one path left before him to fix it. He turned to the blaster once again and, wetting the roof of his dry mouth, grabbed it by the handle as Oikonny briefly explained that he pulled the trigger to shoot. He let the navi in his hand drop onto the table with a solid clunk.

A sudden knock at the door interrupted them. There was no time for the monkeys to hide as it was slammed open the next second, letting in one of the last people Olletho wanted to see at the moment: his father. The king strolled over to the table and his son, unaware of the other two as a nearby shelf hid them from view. He paused several feet away, a mixture of revulsion, disappointment, and a twinge of hate on his face, mirroring how his son's had looked for several days.

"You," he said, letting the word drip like a drop of poison from a vial. "You have brought much disgrace on me. How could you let an outsider best you?" He did not wait for his son to answer. "You were supposed to be the best! I gave you everything a warrior needs and everything a father can give his son. Training, discipline, endurance, strength, knowledge," he continued to tick them off as he pointed to the various bookshelves around the study, "and still you fail me."

"Father, I-"

"No," King Vonketuma held up his hand and walked closer. "You will stay out of my sight until I know what to-" Now that Oikonny had come into view, he had lost his train of thought and could only think of one thing to say. "What is this?"

Oikonny stood up and introduced himself and his uncle, who proceeded to study the king. Meanwhile, the older vulpine had rounded on the younger, his lips curling into a snarl. "What is this?" he nearly shouted. "Following in your fiancee's footsteps? Are you that attached to that silly girl that you will do anything to please her?"

"If I may," Andross spoke up, catching everyone's attention. He faced the king and smiled as sweetly as possible. Yet in his case it came off appearing more like he was about to be violently ill. "I can see you are a king of great standing and power. Might I offer you a proposal?" He only let the man consider it for a moment before he continued. "Your son has told me the troubles that you face, especially from your queen and all the fools who follow her. I command a vast army and would be willing to help you deal with this troublesome outsider and her."

"No!" Olletho stood up suddenly, knocking over several chairs and running around the corner to be closer to the navi. "You said you would help me! You said you would help me win Krystal and prove my power!"

"Hah! After today's sad display?" the king barked with laughter. "You have no power." He ignored his son's pitiful look and mulled over the thought of ridding himself of his nuisance of a wife. And the more he did, the more his own grin began to match Andross'.

Olletho had had it though and raised his clenched fists to slam them down on the table. But that was when he noticed that he was still holding the blaster. He looked to the navi, where Andross gave him a sideways grin and instantly their interrupted conversation replayed in his head. Over and over he heard "There is a way to fix this" and "Take care of him now", all while turning the gun around and inspecting it. He did not even register his father agreeing to the proposal and asking his son what he was holding. All that swam through the torrent of emotions welling up inside of him was that he needed Krystal and he was fast losing options on how to achieve that.

The next thing the prince knew, his arm was raised and the blaster felt warm. Too warm in fact, like it had just gone off and kicked his arm upwards with a mighty and unexpected thrust. It was aimed straight at the king's chest, which now held a burnt wound, already singe away the fur and eating through with its directed fire. Vonketuma stood there, his mouth hanging up as if his jaw had come unhinged, and his pupils dilated disbelievingly. His hand instinctively reached for his chest to cover the hole, but all it did was sizzle and scald the flesh on the underside.

Vonketuma fell over, crashing against the table which supported him only for a moment, before losing his balance on it and collapsing to the floor. Olletho could only stand there, shocked and unable to put together what had happened, even though the scene and evidence spoke volumes about his deed. The only one who said anything was Andross, who, while his nephew gaped at the dead body on the floor, congratulated him on taking the initiative.

"It would seem you do have the qualities of a ruler in you," the scientist lauded. "Excellent."

Ruler. That word broke through and jettisoned whatever weight had tied the prince down to one spot. He sprang over the table and rolled his father over, praying to Yehhwu that this was all some sort of nightmare. The listless, blank eyes that were no longer knowledgeable of the world which continued without him and smell of burnt fur and skin of the late majesty said otherwise though, as he was easily flopped around by his son.

"Come now Oikonny," Andross said. "Don't just sit there like a lump. Congratulate the new king." His nephew whatever small amount of saliva was in his mouth and gave a barely audible, half-hearted reply that sounded like a "congratulations", but no one was sure. "Now you have all the power you need. The throne and my forces," the scientist continued. "Together, you have the ability to win Krystal and seize control of the planet."

And it was at that moment, the central piece to this entire event burst through the door into the study, startling the two, especially the prince since he was used to normally sensing who was coming, but had been so focused on the situation that he had forgotten to do so. In front was Rupiel and trailing behind him, bringing up the rear, the very vulpine the two simians had been trying to sway the prince into dealing with.

"Come on!" Krystal shouted behind her, unaware of the other three until it was too late. When they did notice, they skidded to a halt at the other end of the table, taking in the scene of what had happened and unable to believe what they were witnesses to.

Rupiel was the first to speak, shouting "Father!" and running to the king's side, pushing his brother aside, who took the brunt of the hit and just knelt on his knees a few feet away. The older prince rolled over the corpse only to turn away briefly when his senses were hit by the foul smell. When he did examine it, his eyes welled up, not wanting to believe that his own father was really here and that this was some twisted joke. He repeatedly muttered "No, no." under his breath, while Krystal looked on, pitying him and still shocked that the king was dead.

Fox, on the other hand, had taken to staring down his age-old opponent from Star Wolf. "What are you doing here Oikonny?" he snarled, baring his teeth menacingly.

"Just chatting with the prince here," the monkey replied, letting it dawn on the vulpine who the orchestrator behind some of the events that had happened during his stay was. "And with my uncle."

The pilot's eyes widened and even though his fur was nearly half and half of two very bright hues, a bit of the color drained from his face at the realization. He had heard countless stories about Oikonny's uncle, yet had never met him. He was unprepared for this and would man up to the admission that there was a twinge of fear that echoed through his now chilled veins. But he would face this encounter head-on and be brave, not wavering to anything. "You mean your uncle is-"

"Here," a voice spoke from Oikonny's navi. The young simian turned it over to reveal the face of Andross smiling widely, which caused every muscle in his face to pull at his skin, creating more wrinkles than should be normal. His wisps of gray hair were flattened against his head and he stared at Fox with his eerily red and orange eyes, both belying any sort of trustworthiness his words and grin might try to convince that he had. In truth, all the vulpine saw in those eyes was pure evil in its rawest form, just as the countless stories from survivors of Andross' massacres had described.

He was relieved that the scientist was not physically in the room with them, but did not show it. He just glared while the face on the navi continued. "Fox McCloud. Finally we meet and I must say that you are a real pest, but for the most part I am unimpressed. Then again, you are your father's son. A nuisance and nothing more In fact, you look just like James. I'll be sure to inform him of that when I destroy him and Star Fox. But first," he nodded to his nephew, "we'll start with you and your compatriots."

In one quick motion, Oikonny snatched the blaster away from Olletho and turned it on Fox. He fired off several shots, all which the vulpine evaded by ducking under the table. When that failed, the simian turned the gun on Rupiel, who was still grieving over the king, but could not pull the trigger before the pesky pilot hopped out of his hiding space and kicked Oikonny's hand. Then, grabbing Rupiel by his waist and Krystal's hand, he tore through the room, bringing them around a nearby bookcase to hide.

The blaster kicked several more time, masking Oikonny's cursing, and destroyed parts of their hiding spot. But he was stopped by Olletho, who, even in his unbalanced state of mind, still wanted Krystal to be spared.

As the other two were distracted, Rupiel patted Fox on the back, thanking him and then peering out around the corner. The other two waited patiently, rocking back and forth on the heels of their feet in case they had to make a break for it. The older prince said something about Fox's navi, which drew protests from Krystal. The orange vulpine could piece together what Rupiel intended to do, but before he could join the princess in her decrying of the plan, the prince had rushed out, heading for his brother.

He snatched up the navi, its metal dragging against the hard wood and attracting the attention of the gun and its owner, who raised it and threatened to shoot. Rupiel tossed the prize over to the bookshelf and held up his hands in surrender and slowly turned around.

Meanwhile, Fox had easily received the gadget and slid it back onto his wrist. Tapping several buttons to check its functions, he was relieved to find that it was undamaged. But that only lasted for a second, as the next thing he heard was Olletho calling for them to come out. "I have already shot my father," he said hollowly. "I have no qualms over adding my brother's life to the list I have taken today." He sounded empty, just like the threat itself might have been if not for the body of the king still lying on the other side of the table. So Fox was unsure what to believe.

He turned to Krystal, looking to her for guidance, but she was just as lost as he was. She was unused to this new side of her fiancée as well and it, quite honesty, left her at a loss of what to do as it did Fox. That was when they both heard Rupiel as if he were still next to them and had never run out to rescue the tiny gadget. "Run, now! I can handle them!"

"But-" Krystal began, but the gun wielding vulpine interrupted.

"You have five seconds."

"Go, now!" Rupiel told them, loud enough that he may have physically shouted it for all Fox knew. The orange vulpine clasped his hand with Krystal and they both shot out from behind their cover, as several blasts flew by his head. They exited the same way they had come, deciding to find another way back to Krystal's bedroom.

Oikonny made to go after them, but paused when Olletho stayed rooted to the same spot, pressing his fingertips against his temple. Before the simian could question what he was doing or remind him that their target was getting away, he heard the prince's voice echoing in his head and everywhere around him. "Guards! Guards! Get up here!"

Instantly a frantic reply came back with the same reverberation as the prince's. "Prince Olletho! Someone has set fire to the barracks! We-"

"The king has been murdered," Olletho cut him off. "by the prisoner! And now he has kidnapped Princess Krystal and brainwashed Prince Rupiel! He probably set fire to the barracks as well! Get up here now and find that Harbinger!"

As he lowered his hands and started for the door, Oikonny could only nod and grin, saying, "Oh, he's good." On his way, he walked behind his brother and struck him in the neck with the blaster, knocking him out and letting him fall to the ground.

Krystal and Fox pumped their legs, willing the appendages to move as fast as possible. But even mental powers could not help, yet they hurried along as quickly as they could, having heard the false claim that the prince had announced to the troops. She had suggested they try to stop and convince them otherwise, but he had disagreed. After today's events, no one would believe anything good about him.

Luckily for them, they reached Krystal's bedroom without running into anyone else. Running inside, Fox pressed his body against the door and locked it while she ran to the window and began to lower the rope. As this went on, a panicked series of knocks came from the door.

Looking over at Krystal, who had paused with the rope still in hand, he switched places with her. He let the line slide from his hand, nearly reaching the parapet below, as she answered the door. He heard her ask as nonchalantly as she could, "Who is it?"

"It's me!" a high-strung voice answered. In rushed Nirtana, out of breath and with sweat covering her brow. She pulled a handkerchief from her outfit and mopped away the stray droplets while glancing around. "I heard what Olletho said and rushed back up here." Before either of the other two could say any more, she took in the room one more time and noticed that something was missing. "Where is Rupiel?"

Choosing to not answer the question, Fox finished lowering the cord and tied it off to the post of Krystal's bed, figuring that it would hold. Meanwhile, the younger princess explained to her sister what had happened, prompting the older one to head for the door. Asserting that she would find him and hide him, which she used to try to mask the worry and fear written on her face, she left before Krystal could stop her.

Fox, having waved away any thoughts that had popped up about Krystal's bed and him being near it before she could sense either, walked over to the princess. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he gently squeezed it and said, "I'm sure she'll be fine."

She nodded. "I know," she answered and used him to pull herself up as they headed for the rope. Concentrating on the task at hand, they held it tightly as she hopped over the window sill and began climbing down, closely followed by Fox. As they lowered themselves further, the orange vulpine looked around and did not need telepathy to know that the palace was in an uproar. Shouts bounced off the walls from inside and out and, in the distance, he could see the faint flames still trying to lick the stars in the sky as soldiers surrounded the burning barracks and tried to put them out. Some accidently fanned them higher, as if sending smoke signals while others doused it with water and ice from their staves.

When they finally reached the bottom, Krystal let the cord to dangle uselessly as she unraveled another one. This time, both of them threw it over the wall and lowered it to the ground. And he dared to believe that they were going to escape without any trouble.

Of course, being that they were not out of the woods yet and that trouble followed Fox like a loyal pet, they heard shouting behind them. Looking down to the courtyard, several soldiers were gathered around, aiming their staves at the two, while some were climbing the stairs to the parapet itself. But that was the least of their worries. It was what came from the sky that caused dread to spread itself through the pilot as quickly as the fire through the barracks.

For up above zoomed several Arwings, none of them painted with friendly colors. And one hovered above the two escapees, keeping them in its sights. By now the soldiers were firing large fireballs that barely missed, but lit up the color and insignia of the Arwing, enough for Fox to see the red and black and realize that it was a Wolfen. However, it was not just any Wolfen. It belonged to Wolf himself.

Knowing that they would not have enough time before the Wolfen fired, or before the soldiers, who had already reached their level, surrounded them, Fox turned to Krystal. "We have to jump," he remarked

The expression on her face, under normal circumstances, would have been hilarious. She seemed to fear him more than the imminent doom encroaching upon them. "Are you crazy?"

"Maybe," he answered. "But do you see any other way?" He positioned himself at the edge of the wall, glancing down shortly to see that he could only make out the dark outline of the treetops. The dirt floor was invisible and he could not begin to gauge how far down it was. He looked back over his shoulder at Krystal, who nervously chewed her lip, searching for some other alternative. It was almost cute in a way. He reached his hand out toward her and asked, "Do you trust me?"

She stopped in her wandering gaze to meet his eyes full on. Then, staring at his outstretched and gloved hand for a moment, she wrapped hers in it. Squeezing it gently and nodding quietly, she affirmed her trust in him and stood beside the vulpine, letting him wrap his other arm around her waist.

"On three," he said lowly so only she could hear him. "One." He felt her squeeze his torso tighter and, perhaps subconsciously, so did her cloud soft tail. "Two." The Wolfen sounded like it was warming up its weapons, but he could not be sure. To their side, the guards had reached the roof and were ordering them to cease and desist or they would use forceful measures.

"Three!" Fox leapt off the parapet, his feet swinging widely in the air, as he pulled Krystal along. Their descent was rapid and it was all Fox could do to close his eyes and hold her close to his chest, not wanting to be separated and preventing anything sharp branches or thorns to stab his eyes. Back on the wall, he heard several blasts from staves and the sound of laser fire from the Wolfen, along with numerous shouts and threats rounding out the cacophony of noise. And the next thing he knew, the sounds faded away and they were thrust into the awaiting arms of the trees.

A/N: So hopefully everyone is enjoying the story thus far. Let us know what you think. Bonus points to anyone who can catch the reference in the chapter title or what Fox said near the end.

Sword: All lathered up! *climbs in a cannon* Ready!

Pen: Heh heh. *lights it*

*ducks* We'll see you next time! Look out!