Author's Notes; Crossover AU. Megaman X and StarFox. Character POVs. R18 during the first half. Shounen Ai. Fluffy. Some angst. Tension. Mystery. Spoilers if you haven't played StarFox Adventures. This chapter takes place inside Krazoa Palace and backtracks to Krystal's arrival early in the first 5 odd percent of the game. X doubts the authenticity of Zero's expression of love because of his history of being taken over by other forces. They also try to figure out what happened, the nature of the spirits, and how Krystal was captured. Creative liberty on the grounds of the EarthWalker soldiers and parts of the palace being healed and fixed. Also on where Zero is able to pass through the barrier to that side of the palace. You can't pass through that barrier in the game, I've tried it. Plus, the only time you get to see those EarthWalkers and the ruined areas are in that first sliver where you play as Krystal. The EarthWalker soldiers there are dying in-game, even so. You can access a small section of that side of the palace way later in the game, but its a small upper balcony with a release point and nothing more, which I think is very half-assed. Please enjoy.

Genuine Love or Ventriloquism?

Whoa...What happened? My body felt a little hotter than usual. I must've somehow overheated. Looking around, I also noticed that this wasn't Lightfoot Village or Thorntail Hollow. This place looked dark and omnious, but somehow familiar. I think this is the same place Fox found that captured purple vixen. If so, we must be inside the Krazoa Palace. The dark architecture and windlifts I remember from Zero's image feed when Fox went to release the other spirit.

This time, it was Zero's turn to be possessed by a spirit and return it. The spirit's tests were strange, making him face his fears and express his love. I saw the spirit enter his body right after he pinned me down in the shrine. I couldn't help but wonder though; Did Zero proceed to take me through his own will or was it the spirit's doing? We still don't know the nature of these Krazoa Spirits and asides from turning the eyes purple, we don't know what they can do. All we really know is that they're all that remains of the Krazoa we've heard about so often.

I saw Zero lean over me, having laid me down in a spot out of sight from the enemies that lie ahead. As my vision regained its focus, I couldn't help but ask. It gnawed at me. 'Zero, was it really you that took me or are you now a puppet for this spirit?' His reaction was a devious smirk. A strange echo sounded from his voice, almost like a god's. 'This ancient entity and its power inhabits my body for the time being, but that is all it seems to be doing. My mind and body remain my own. Its but a passenger. Hmm, how dare you, my naughty little X. I refused to pass up a chance to prove my love, but I see I will have to show you once more to cleanse your doubt.'

I could feel my cheeks get hot with blush, which made him spread my legs and sit between them, reaching his hand out and caressing my body. This time, he sounded almost down. 'Am I to believe that after all we have endured together, all the worrying and care, was fake? What about when we finally confessed to each other? Was that a lie?' I quickly shook my head. 'You're misinterpreting this, Zero. All that care and worry, even the confession were genuine. I was worried the spirit might have taken you over much like Sigma has tried in the past...' He shook his head too, deactivating my armor. 'I see. I appreciate that very much, but as I said, my mind and body are my own. This will not save you from me though.' I couldn't help but chuckle. 'Who said I want to be saved from you?' This made him lick his lips. 'Naughty, X. Are you saying you want me to take you again?' My cheeks lit up again as I answered. 'Yes, my blue-eyed beast, take me again.'

He smirked, caressing me under my shirt and steering clear of my boxers as if he was about to contradict himself. 'Now that I know you do want me, I am unsure of whether I will take you...' He sounded sarcastic and I found I was already so eager. 'Please, Zero...' I nearly moaned. Another smirk showed up on his face. 'Hmm, as you wish, my master.' He said, lapping at my boxers. He's such a tease and sarcastic when he wants to be. He's really shown that he can be a very nurturing and rather sensuous partner too. Absolutely beautiful. I'm so glad we bonded the way we did, even during dark times. We're made for each other and our hearts are hewn together. A life and future without him would be miserable and dim.

I shivered as he lapped every inch of my length with long licks of his tongue before preparing me further down, unlatching his pelvic armor as he did so. I did my best to keep my moans quiet so we wouldn't be discovered. He removed his pelvic armor and unzipped the underlying part of his jumpsuit as he finished, pulling me up and lowering my head to his already stiff length. Sitting on my hands and knees, I gently lapped his tip and occasionally rubbed my face against it as I journeyed down to the very bottom, being sure to wet every inch. His pleasured grunts and soft moans kept me going as he eased off my boxers.

He soon encouraged me to sit down on his lap. I felt a strange but wonderful sensation as he slid inside me and bumped against me with his powerful feminine hips. I at first covered my mouth to stop my moans. Seeing this, he pulled me closer, letting me moan against his onyx armor, covering us tightly with his wings in case we did get discovered. Starting so slow and gentle, we moaned and grunted into each other. As things intensified, we uttered each other's names and before long, kissed to cover our screams. We climaxed together, leaning our heads back contently before he gently fell to his left side, snuggling me tightly and making me sigh happily. We shared in cleaning the mess I had made between us, fluids had splattered over our bodies but none was wasted on the floor. After some recovery time, he reluctantly and slowly removed himself from me, kissing my lips as he zipped his jumpsuit and put his pelvic armor back on. I kissed back as I put on my boxers and turned my armor back on. As he unwrapped his wings from me and stood, he lifted me up gently into the air, just like a father would when playing with his son. I could see love, warmth, and passion past the purple veil over his eyes. His love and care was genuine just like mine.

Investigation

Although wounding at first, I could understand X's concern and doubt. Its happened before, being used by a foreign entity for dirty work and its a strange ordeal. I would wake in pain, often X being the culprit to get me out of its control, with no memory of what had happened. This didn't seem to be the case with a Krazoa Spirit, already making it the most benign entity to take my body on the grounds that my feelings and movements were all my own. So far, all its doing is getting a ride home. Fox had allowed me to copy the specs of his Sharpclaw disguise, thinking it might be useful in doing so. Fair enough, but just from looking around, we've grown very curious about this palace.

Gently setting X to his feet and allowing him on my back once more after our playtime, I made my way to the main room which was filled with numerous levels with windlifts for each and Sharpclaw guarding them. We wanted to know more about this place, like how that vixen Fox found had gotten trapped in the first place. Exploring the lowest level, our current level, I noticed another opening on the other side, guarded by some strange barrier. We didn't see that in the image feed last time so I flew the two of us over to investigate. Having to drive off the patrolling Sharpclaw, we eyed the barrier curiously, noticing a release point beyond it. 'Its not water. What could it be?' X asked. 'My mind goes straight to ectoplasm in this situation.' I answered. This seemed to give both of us an idea. 'Think maybe the spirit might let you pass through it?' He asked. 'Just what I was wondering. Let us see.' I said, carefully reaching my right hand into the strange purple substance. Seeing that it allowed my hand through, next was my right leg, followed by my whole left side, pulling myself completely past the barrier. The release point looked used already, its eyes were open and lit, but this wasn't the one Fox had found before. Observing the small Krazoa head carefully, I remembered seeing a purple stream from the mouth that brought Fox back to the hollow. 'This one looks used already. Maybe it was that vixen.' I thought aloud. 'Then, how'd she get in the prism and to the top of the palace?' X asked. 'Maybe the same beam that sucked Fox into the other one was reversed and the prism was set in the center of the main windlift.' I hypothesized. 'If that was the case, then she was deliberately trapped. Someone in need must've been the bait.' X thought aloud. Before I could respond, we heard a faint call in Dinosaur. To my surprise, I could understand what was being said without the aid of X's translator and it was coming from the next room. I had been trying to learn the language since we arrived on this planet, but this sudden comprehension had come from left field. Maybe its a subtle effect of the spirit. I followed the voice into a large room with one brain-like creature, an empty shrine, and what seemed to be an injured EarthWalker soldier.

Disposing of the brain-like creature, I flew towards the injured soldier and touched down just before his head before sitting down for a better look. A few coughs came from him before he opened his eyes. Blue, just like mine. I had started to notice blue eyes seemed dominant in EarthWalkers and CloudRunners. He acknowledged that I was carrying a Krazoa Spirit and told us that the Krazoa were dying. Based on our observations, they technically were already dead and survived as spirits. Another little surprise arose from mine; It allowed me to speak Dinosaur fluently. It was as if for some reason, some of that spirit's basic knowledge was being handed to me. Curious, to say the least. I asked the soldier what had happened here. He explained that in knowing that the palace would be attacked by Scales, the King EarthWalker sent the army to protect it as it was the original home of the Krazoa. The Krazoa were peace spirits, powerful beings that brought life to a planet. Without them, the planet was dead and Scales wanted to capture the spirits for himself. The army was able to hide the spirits throughout the planet successfully, but the army was massacred, outnumbered by the Sharpclaw. He concluded by saying that Scales released a great evil into the palace and that the spirit's powers are useless until it is returned into the palace where it could be used to stop the war. I felt X squeezing me for comfort, saddened by the story he translated. 'X? Do you think you can patch him up?' X shrugged, dropping himself from my back. 'I don't know if it will help him now. He's in bad shape. He needs energy just like you did. I was able to snag some of the mushrooms Tricky likes so much and a few extra of the medicinal ones from before.' I smiled and kissed his hand. 'That's my baby. Treat his wounds, I will feed him.' He passed me the mushrooms; Five white ones and ten blue ones. I have to admit, he makes me very proud in so many ways, this being one of them. I carefully fed the soldier a white mushroom and several blue ones while X treated his wounds. He was slowly able to stand up again and told us that he signaled for help during the attack and the receiver was the now-trapped girl. That seemed strange to me. He had no tech on him unless...it was a telepathic message. 'What's your take on his explanation, Zero?' X asked once he was finished with the soldier's wounds. 'Scales and the planet are corpses at this stage. If the Krazoa are peace spirits, then that explains why my mind and body are still under my control. This great evil he mentioned probably is not Sigma. Sigma hates organics and with such minimal technology and abundant magic, he would have no use for this planet. As for the girl, if she could pick up this soldier's signal, she can probably manipulate the energy of the Krazoa. The first spirit and the distress signal was the bait that got her trapped. Maybe this great evil is using her as a means to an end.' I thought aloud to him. 'What if Sigma learned how to use the planetary and Krazoa energy?' He asked. 'Both of which are magic, X. The only magic anyone knows back home is the magic of technology. They do not believe in pure magic like there is here that you and I have come to know.' I said, standing up. 'Do you believe in magic, Zero?' X asked with a smile. 'I will admit I was skeptical at first, but because of you, the magic of the planet, and being possessed by a magical entity, I have to say I do and I now understand what you meant by anything is possible.' That took guts for me to admit, by the way.

We went through the rooms, tending to the EarthWalker's wounds. The next one had been trapped in a room next to flamethrowers and it took some muscle to straighten the column blocking his way out. The palace seemed to be stuck in a perpetual storm without its residents. We had to fix a large Krazoa arch outside that had fallen to a platform with some muscle, flight, and a flame weapon from X.

When all was said and done, we went back inside and past the barrier to find a release point. Unlike Fox, the only interest I have is in helping to save her. Otherwise, I have a lover that I wouldn't trade for even the most scantily clad woman or even either of our universes. X is all I need, its as simple as that. In our search, going to the third level, we found a Sharpclaw Only door. Uploading the specs of the disguise, we found it was a little big for X and a little scratchy for me. I am only an inch shorter than Fox, but the human part of me hates this dry scaly skin. Humans hate dry skin so we were glad it was only to be worn for a moment. Once I turned off the disguise, I walked towards and dropped knees first before the Krazoa head, squeezing my fists and taking a breath before extending my arms and leaning my head back with a scream. I could feel all that ancient power leaving me, but one thing seemed to stay; Comprehension and the ability to speak Dinosaur fluently. I rolled my head gently to put the spirit in properly before relaxing my head and arms. We heard the spirit travel into the girl's prism and a beam shot from the Krazoa head's mouth, just it had done with Fox. Feeling weak, I was unable to fight it and got sucked in, feeling X clinging to me tightly. Fortunately, we were returned to the hollow with the Warpstone setting us down just beyond his platform near Fox. We had a lot to tell him.