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Whoo! First story to hit double digits! *celebrates* A/N at the end of the chapter!
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Chapter 10
Cycles
Ceria, guardian of Cerinia, goddess of Justice, Mercy, and Fertility wandered the halls of The Sword of Menshar. She watched in curiosity as the mortals went about their routines and took no notice of the white furred vixen garbed in a flowing white silk robe. Her foot paws touched cold metal but she felt no chill, only the gentle hum and warming energy of those within. The vixen couldn't help but smile at how tightly knit the ship's crew was. It was very much a homey feeling with the ships personnel treating one another as part of a family rather than just military. Her destination was the medical bay and while she could have instantly ported herself there; Ceria needed time to think.
Two lives were the crucial hinge of her plan, Fox and Krystal. A burned out hero who lost faith in the woman he loved because he feared of losing the most precious thing in the galaxy; and his mate. A warrior descended of royal blood who lost control of their will and emotions as those bottled up anxieties crashed into her all at once like a supernova. It truly had been a perfect storm for those two. Yet for all their failures, Ceria could not but help admire their tenacity to move forward. Even as they fought and bled through conflicts; their thoughts always circled back to each other.
A thin little smile crossed Cerias face as her own joyful memories of her wayward lover crossed her mind. The woman having not seen or heard of him since the fall of their home. The ripping pain of losing so many of her children coupled with her mate vanishing had left a gaping hole in her chest the likes of which no mortal could ever understand. She did not want that for Fox and Krystal, they more than most were favored by her for their ability to endure and dedication to all that was good. Even if both of them had lost their way in recent time. Ceria would do everything in her power to see what they had restored. She could not force them to love each other again, but with recent events the path to reconciliation was already being walked.
Ceria's palm came to rest on a door pad that would lead into Fox's room when another paw came to rest upon hers. Her head whipped up to lock eyes with a rather portly old badger whose smile was rife with warmth.
"Hello Ceria."
"Aldwyn." She gasped, even in his disguise she knew that psionic resonance clear as the day he ascended to his status as War God.
"What are you doing here?" She whispered as her fingers entwined in his palm. The old badger laughed and smiled as his disguise fell away. Revealing a powerfully built blue vulpine male in ornate silver plated armor that covered him head to toe. Two brutal axes hung off each hip etched in runes from the ancient days.
"I go by Bryn these days, though… it does this heart good to hear my name again. As for what I am doing here, well. Same thing as you, trying to save our people."
The vixen wrapped her arms about her lover and gingerly pressed her lips to his with a loving if not aggressive growl to which Aldwyn only too happily obliged in return. The two deities embraced with such ardor that it's effects could be felt across space and time. None could say who or what it was; but stories were bound to crop up after that days events unfolded.
The two parted with deep breaths as their snouts ran together. "You bastard… you've been gone for so long. I thought you died with the planet… the backlash almost took me." Murmured the white vixen.
"I know, I know, I failed our people and in my shame fled like a coward. But I'm back now, Can you forgive me?"
Ceria at first thought to slap the tod for even asking such a thing. He already knew that answer. She never had the ability to stay mad at him for long. "Of course I forgive you. You had good reasons for what you did, I'm sure. It still hurt but you came back. That's all that matters." She hummed teary eyed and nuzzled into his chin.
Aldwyn was filled with joy at the chance for redemption in the eyes of his mate. Truth be told, he had feared rejection for his stupidity but was more than eager to make up for lost time and set things straight. "Yes, the trial with Krystal and Fox isn't there. Anger clouds their judgement just as it did Krystal's. They are blind to their own hypocrisy. Well, shall we give our boy the push he needs?"
"Lets… and one more thing. Disappear on me like that again and you can forget being in the same bed with me for a few millennia."
The two vulpines gazed at one another before indulging in a hearty laugh as they embraced and locked lips once more only for the briefest of moments and parted with reluctance. "I'm here to stay." Replied Aldwyn.
Ceria patted the side of her mates face as the two passed through the portal and into Fox's room quietly. The pair split to stand on either side of young vulpines bed as he lay there in silence.
"I wish we could let him rest more, his mind is still recovering from all that damage.
The white vixen was in agreement; but desperation was pushing her to this extreme. "I am in agreement, but with how things are going, I don't see Krystal living out the week."
With those words passing her lips, Ceria laid a palm on the side of Fox's face. "It's time to wake up Fox. Krystal needs you."
The reaction was instantaneous as Fox's green eyes lifted open and he groaned with two palms clutching the side of his head. His eyes adjusted to the bright light before he noticed a white vixen who was all too familiar from his dreams and an armored tod he swore up and down was someone he had met before but could not place him.
"Wait... is this another one of those dreams?" Fox muttered groggily.
"'Fraid not." The tod spoke. "This is very real, and no time to lollygag."
Fox sat up with a groan at how sore he felt. The orange tod felt like he went six rounds with a championship fighter and got the worse end of the deal. "Uhm… Okay, who are you?"
"I think you would remember me as Bryn, we met on the merc station when you first came out to this part of space, I looked like a fat old badger."
Once, twice, then a third blink. "Wait… what…"
The blue tod shook his head with a laugh. "Should we meet after this, I will explain. But we've brought you out of your sleep for a specific reason. We should be letting you rest but things are moving faster than anticipated. Krystal is on trial before her brothers and sisters. It's not looking good."
"Wait… trial for what?"
"Treason," replied Ceria. "She turned her back not only on you but the very core beliefs of our people. That betrayal runs so deep that her own staff weapon has been hesitant to work for her on more than one occasion. She's lucky it did when that foul creature named Panther attacked her."
Fox's reaction was immediate and intense. "Wait… Panther did what?!" The tods snarl was primal, feral even as the blood lust returned to his eyes at the mere thought of his most beloved vixen threatened by that womanizing wind bag.
Aldwyn laughed "I knew why I liked this boy, he has spirit! But now is not the time to focus on that, you can deal with him later. For now, you need to get dressed and make towards the ships briefing room. That's where they're holding the proceedings."
The orange vulpine shook his head quietly and sighed as memories came flooding forward as though his head were a computer in the midst of a total system restart. He lived his death for the umpteenth time and the blood lust he experienced ran alongside the pleasant memories which caused them to mesh in a strange macabre fashion. Fox didn't know whether to feel joy or outright hatred.
Sadly, a part of him was still holding onto that grudge despite all Krystal had done. The same antipathy reared its ugly head as he spoke. "Why should I?" He stated coldly. "After what she did to my team, what she did to me? Why do I owe her anything?"
That caught both of the Cerinians off guard; they had expected him to rise to the occasion and go do the right thing without question. Perhaps they underestimated just how damaged he was.
"Matter of fact, why should I do anything you two say? I've gone all my life without gods or spirits intervening on my behalf until the Krazoa and Krystal. Sure I had a good couple of years with that business; then everything blew up in my face."
The juxtapose was one that defied logic. He had shown concern when mentioning Panther attacking Krystal, but now he was at the opposite end of that spectrum. The tod showed a distinct lack of care or empathy for Krystal's predicament.
"Where were you when she needed the both of you? Where were either of you when I begged for help on Indoshan? I suffered through a mental and physical hell to get to some fucking golden building in my head and then told to "Figure it out?! As far as I am concerned, I don't owe either of you a damn thing."
Ceria was not giving up despite the anger she saw in Fox's eyes. The tod though understandably miffed, was wasting valuable time. There was far too much at stake to let her people fall because Fox could not let go of his grievance. The arctic vixen began speaking with a matronly tone as though scolding a child. "She saved your life Fox, I watched as she struggled with your fragmented mind. You and a part of your psyche both worked together to pull it back in one piece. It was a monumental effort and that has to count for something."
Fox was less than convinced. "Did she do it for me? Or did she finally realize what she had done and was trying to soothe her own guilt? Was it all so she could go back to her bastard of a mate without worrying she had put me in the ground?" Fox shot back as he drew the IV and various other medical parts off his body only to climb out of the bed naked as the day he was born. The tod performed a deep stretch as his back and neck popped audibly.
"I think you forgot the part where we mentioned Panther attacked her." Aldwyn said sternly.
"Got what she deserved." He muttered. "I could have told her that was going to happen. Didn't even need clairvoyance for that one. Surprised it took this long."
Both Aldwyn and Ceria looked to each other flabbergasted. Krystal had come all this way for him, treated his mental wounds and saved his very life. Now he was behaving as though he owed her nothing at all.
Ceria was less than pleased with Fox and her tone was denoting that her patience had begun to wear very thin. "So, all that she did counts for nothing then?"
"It's because of what she did I'm here in the first place!" he retorted and then closed his eyes. "I love her with all my heart, I really do… but she killed me god dammit. I died! And you two just expect me to outright forgive her for that?! One atta boy does not undo something of this caliber! Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful, I truly am! But am I the only one who seems to remember I was killed because of her actions?! Not to mention nearly bit it a second time because Krystal's damn mental link was hemorrhaging in my head. Am I the only one here who seems to remember any of this? Or did I hit my head too hard on something?"
It was a difficult situation to be sure. Both sides had their points, Fox's death no doubt weighed heavily upon him and was influencing his mind. The two gods did have some trouble comprehending death themselves as they never experienced it like a mortal could. Even If they "died", they'd likely just be reborn in some way or reappear after a time.
"I don't even know if I can trust her."
"Then why did you say you love her?" Ceria demanded.
"Because I do, I love her but…"
"But he's scared she could do it all again…" Aldwyn butted in. "She did it once, what's stopping her from repeating that mistake?"
Ceria looked to her lover and then back to Fox. The hearts of men were fickle at the worst of times and while she did not want to admit it; Fox's worries were not unfounded. Ceria had to try another way. A path she could reach through to his inner good nature. His fears and anxieties about Krystal were gaining too much traction in his decision making.
"I'm not saying you have to outright forgive her Fox, I don't think anyone could make that argument given what she has done. All I'm asking is much like Sylvara did. Give her a chance. Give her the opportunity she never gave you."
"And if she relapses?"
Aldwyn shook his head as he added onto the conversation. "Don't deal in ifs. Doing that will only drive you nuts. I empathize with your fear Fox, I really do. I've gone through something similar; but I can tell you with certainty that to lose a love like this is an experience that will eventually kill you. It almost did me in." The blue vulpines eyes turned towards his mate and gave her a sad smile, one that was filled with remorse but joy that she was so openly accepting him back while they were fighting for the future of their people.
Ceria returned the gaze with all the kindness she could muster; and considering how aggravating Fox was being; that was quite a feat. "We cannot make you forgive Krystal, she has to earn it. But she has at least a chance to make up for what she did, wouldn't you say?"
"How does one make up for death?" Fox said as his eyes turned up to Ceria. "How can I forgive her for that? I never laid a hand on her. I know I hurt her emotionally and I wish I never had done that; but I never would take her life. Directly or indirectly."
Fox was hung up on that aspect of all this and failing to see the larger picture. He had a chance at a happy life and Ceria could feel Krystal's dedication to repent for her mistakes. Ceria was trying to find something, anything to help Fox see the truth of the matter. He had been so ready to talk just days ago, yet now his mind was hazed in a sea of doubt and strung up emotions.
It was about this time Aldwyn had an idea. "Ceria, my dove. Could you leave us for a moment?"
The Cerinian goddess looked to her counterpart and raised an eyebrow.
"Trust me."
What do you intend?
Aldwyn smiled to her as he replied within the confines of her mind.
I'm going try to talk to him as one man to another. You're also frustrated and it's putting him on the defensive. I've been in his boots before, so maybe it'll help.
Ceria was dubious for obvious reasons, but seeing as how Fox seemed to be in a repeating cycle of doubt and anger. She would give her love a shot.
If this doesn't work, I'm pulling out all the stops. The fate of our people rests on this.
Perhaps it was our error to levy so much on these two. Replied Aldwyn.
Perhaps… good luck.
Ceria promptly vanished and Fox turned to the silvered armored vulpine with skepticism.
"What's going on now?"
"I wanted to talk to you man to man."
"Don't you mean God to man?" Fox snorted.
"Believe it or not I was once mortal like you." He replied. "A very long time ago. But that's not the point."
"No, the point is you two want me to forgive Krystal after everything she's done. What happens if I say no?"
Aldwyn rolled his shoulders as he looked to Fox as his metal plates clanked quietly. "Then in all likelihood she will die and what's left of the Cerinian species will be damned for all eternity."
Fox raised an eyebrow at that and though he didn't want to show it; a brief flash of concern crossed his features at the mention of Krystal dying. "A bit melodramatic, don't you think?"
"Possibly; but it's the truth. The children of Ceria are blinded by their anguish and hate. You've seen what they've become, what they're capable of. The Cerinians, my people; are deeply connected to the universe around them. Should they give into the darkness that has rooted in their hearts… I shudder to think what havoc they could unleash with their collective power." Alwdyn muttered quietly, the tone in his voice clearly unnerved by the concept.
"You understand better than most Fox. As you were much like they a year ago. Merciless, blood thirsty, filled overflowing with enough piss and vinegar to sink a battleship. At least until the incident with the Imperial officer whom you were sent to assassinate."
Fox froze in place as he began to slip on his uniform. "Don't."
"I'm going to Fox, you know damn well you're better than this. I agree you should be mad at Krystal for what she did. It's unforgivable… which is what makes you the man you are. That capacity for forgiveness and compassion despite the hell you've been through. Your soul, though tarnished is far from bleak and destroyed as so many others who have suffered similar fates. You gave in and crawled back out from the black pit of despair with tooth and claw. You who have waged war in the heavens, destroyed fleets, raised armies to the ground and killed a would be god. You are a legend Fox, hero to billions, possibly even trillions. You spared a man's life in front of his own children when you were sent to end him for daring to speak out in favor of ending indentured servitude within The Empire. They never told you his family was there, or that his children would be present. In fact, they were probably banking on it. Yet you held back. Fox McCloud; actual wars notwithstanding; you stopped yourself from making more orphans and becoming the very thing you despised."
The words rang true in Fox's ears as he recalled the event, he could still hear the two cubs crying as he stood over their father, gun at the ready to end the man's life. All the while the woman tried her best to console her children. The smell of blood, fear, and the adrenaline that coursed through his veins came up fresh in his mind. His anger began to slowly abate but it was not enough. Fox still resisted. "How long have you been watching me?"
"Long enough."
Fox hated answers like that.
"And what bout Ceria?"
Aldwyn shrugged slightly. "I don't know, I kept a very low profile so others like me didn't notice my presence."
"Even with everything you said is true, that didn't stop Corneria and Lylat as a whole from turning their back on me the moment Star Wolf saved their worthless hides."
Aldwyn wanted to snap at Fox, to yell and scream at the boy to pucker his ass hole and and bare it like the soldier he was; but knew it wasn't that simple. Things like rarely were. Fox was the last of his line and everything he had worked for had been ripped out from underneath him. The love of his life threw him to the enemy in a spiteful rage. He felt isolated, alone, and no one could tolerate such an existence for extended periods. Granted, many of these things were by his own doing; but that did not change the fact that Fox was hurting as any mortal would be given the situation he was in.
The cobalt tod understood all too well what it was like to have everything he worked for thrown back into his face and doing a thankless job for most of his life. The difference was he knew that the rewards in the end were worth it. Fox was in a state of confusion teetering on despair. He needed to make Fox see that all was not lost. That there was still much to be gained in his life. With a sigh of vexation at the frustrating vulpine; Aldwyn moved around the bed and stood next to Fox.
"Imagine how I felt when Cerinia met its end Fox. I am literally connected to an entire planet that is dead and barren. Yet I can hear every ghost, spirit, and wraith screaming out for revenge and agony as they are forced to relive that day over and over again because they cannot let their grudges go. I have to live with that failure much as you do yours. The difference here; I can hear them at every hour of every day. Even now I hear their screams and it drives me mad that I cannot do anything for them at this juncture. You have been given a chance to fix everything that has gone wrong. All you need to do is seize it."
Fox turned his gaze to the armored vulpine and locked eyes with Aldwyn.
"You once thought you lost everything. That you were adrift even as those around you watched you slowly waste away and worked yourself to death. Until you met Krystal, on that day, I watched a broken man heal in a flash and for once in his life hope was clear on his face. Again and again I observed as you two came so close to true happiness and I screamed into the void hoping both of you would take the plunge. Yet you hesitated and then threw her aside because she was precious to you and you couldn't bare the thought of her dying because you weren't there to protect her. Which in itself is a paradox that makes my head spin. Seriously, she was safest at your side. The hells were you thinking?"
Fox's fists clenched as Aldwyn spoke, every word; each and every syllable struck like a hammer blow. The younger of the two turned his head low as he slipped his white jacket on, how his old uniform had gotten here he didn't know, nor did he really care as he slid it on piece by piece."I know I did, every bit of this was because I made a choice for her, rather than with her."
Progress…
"But… I did not kill her, I did not force her onto Star Wolf or into that piece of shit Panthers arms. That's all on her."
By all that is holy this boy is infuriating! Two steps forward and three steps back!
Aldwyn finally had enough as he grabbed Fox by the shoulder and shoved him against the wall. He expected fear and yet all he got was defiance. Fox had slain a would be god before, and held no apprehension in regards to the divine. For once in his life, Aldwyn was filled with genuine amazement at a mortals sheer testicular fortitude. It took a special kind of crazy or bravery to defy individuals of their power.
"Fox, I admire your courage and balls out mentality. You have the soul of a warrior well beyond his years. But this needs to stop, the cycle must be broken. If not for your sake, then think of the Cerinians who suffer and will languish if it is not. Think of those who will grow up in the shadow of their parents shame and lost glory of a people once filled with so much love and care. Do these Cerinians not fall under the oath you once took? To protect the innocent and those who would stand against the likes of Andross?"
The mention of his old nemesis got the vulpines attention as he gazed back into those compassionate aquamarine eyes. He swore for a moment he spied a fleck of familiar green in them but chalked it up to a trick of the light.
"She tried to justify Andross's actions to hurt you and fool herself into thinking you were worse than that beast. Will you let him have that victory after all this time? Will you let Andross break the both of you?
The god like vulpine gazed with ferocity down at the mortal before him as he continued. "Was James' and Vixy's sacrifices not enough? Are you going to shame them and their memory with this behavior?"
If Aldwyns goal was to humiliate and emotionally abuse him; it was a success. Fox never felt more like a piece of shit in his life than that moment. The chasm of self deprecation that wrenched itself through his body and was immense. Every word the deity spoke rang hard and resonated through his very soul. Fox did not weep; he did not buckle down and cry or lose himself in that moment. He was in a state of limbo, unsure of his next actions. Fox knew for the longest time what he had done, how much he had hurt Krystal and himself in the process. He had ripped her home out from underneath her and took Krystal away from her family like a selfish prick. Fox had no one to blame but himself for what came afterwards. His actions were disgraceful and not worthy of his father's name.
"You wronged her, and she returned it in kind. An eye for an eye…"
"Leaves the whole world blind." Fox said and finished the quote.
Please let me get through to him.
"It all starts with you Fox. You have to end this."
The orange vulpine looked up at Aldwyn and swallowed nervously. Several long minutes past as Fox's mind raced between so many choices; words he wanted to speak and use to justify his actions. Yet he could not find one that made any kind of sense. Everything was on him at this point in life. He had to make the choice. Did he continue the anger and pain that both Krystal and he were part of? Or, did he put his big boy pants on and break the cycle he set into motion?
Fox closed his eyes as he came to a decision. Fear, uncertainty and a fierce case of anxiety plagued him, yet his courage won through as his head rose and gazed up at Aldwyn and spoke in the voice of a defeated yet resolute man. "I've been a shit haven't I?"
"Incredibly so, but not without reason. As men, we love fiercely, our hearts are fickle and our minds are wont to follow that tradition. It's why great women like Vixy, Krystal, or Ceria are at our sides. For without them, we would be lost, just as they without us, would be aimless. We are at our best together, not alone. A lesson I learned when I was away."
"Just like my mother and father." Fox replied then shook his head as a crazy thought entered his mind. The subject of Aldwyn knowing who his parents were clicked into place "How do you know… are they here!?" The tod looked around and half expected to see someone with a pair of aviators or a vixen with a familiar golden necklace on. If gods were about, then maybe, just maybe his parents were watching.
Aldwyn frowned as the tod looked frantically about. It pained him to see the young man looking for something to grasp onto before the armored warrior had to reorient Fox's priorities. "Focus Fox. You will see them again someday; but right now, you need to worry about two people. Specifically yourself and Krystal. You know what needs to be done, yes?"
Fox sighed and tilted his head back against the wall with a nod. "I do…" The sound of a deep and calm breath filtered out of his nose as the tod slid on his gloves and grabbed Ceria's Mercy after pushing past Aldwyn. "I know what I need to do."
"Then go."
Fox headed for the door with equipment in hand and turned to look at the armored vulpine. "One question, why didn't you tell Sylvara where her daughter was? That's been bugging me for a bit."
Aldwyn chuckled sheepishly and looked a bit nervous. "If I'm to be honest, I was scared shitless of being noticed by Ceria. What with failing to inspire the Cerinians to victory and the troubles they were going through; I thought Krystal and you deserved to be happy after all the suffering both of you have endured."
Fox shook his head and sighed. It was a response he had not expected. "Thank you."
"No, Fox. Thank you."
As the todd exited; Aldwyn uttered a cavernous sigh of comfort as the tod seemed to understand.
There is still hope and the boy may yet do right.
Ceria arrived scant seconds later and noticed a lack of a certain orange vulpine.
Do you think it worked?
Aldwyn gave his love an uncertain gaze. I don't know, all we can do now is hope that his stubborn streak is at an end. We should probably leave before the others find out just how much interfering we've been doing. Last thing I want is Cedia lecturing me for a few thousand years.
The white furred vixen let out an airy giggle that caused her bust to jiggle in a tantalizing way. Oh, I'll just flash her and that'll shut her up.
Aldwyn's gave a shake of his head. Hardly the time for jokes… but I would pay to see that.
Ceria smiled broadly with a comforting warmth upon her face as she lent over to kiss her lover on the nose. That will have to wait however, as you and I have some serious making up to do.
The two vulpines faded from the room as if they had never been there in the first place.
All was silent until the door to the infirmary opened up as Fox came back inside. The orange tod had forgotten his helmet in haste and began to gather his effects only to stop and pause at the table next to the bed. Two items lay upon it that had not been there before; the sheer impossibility that they were ever there to begin with made Fox's eyes fly open wide as he froze in place for several excruciating seconds.
When Fox finally regained his senses, he took in the room around him for any sign, something, maybe even a fleeting glimpse before his paw reached over to touch a pair of aviators that held a gold chain necklace wrapped around the center piece. A small flawless emerald dangled at the end with a flamboyant golden V etched into the stone. Tears sat at the corners of his eyes and threatened to fall while he held the two items of import in his palm before stashing them both into his left chest pocket. Now more than ever Fox knew he was ready to face his greatest challenge. It was a trial not against some great monstrous warship nor was it some would be god; his test was facing the consequences he set in motion almost two full years ago. To heal the emotional scars he had left open in both their hearts. Pulling the trigger on a weapon was ten times easier than what he had to face.
I gotta break this damn cycle.
Fox took off at a full sprint out the door and down the hall.
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Shame, pure unrivaled shame was what Krystal felt sitting in the chair before her mother and the elders who were in charge. They had poured through her memories and watched everything unfold with their own eyes. No doubt her mother had shared what she knew from Fox's experiences and they were able to put two and two together. She had been forced to view them alongside the elders and sense their judgement of what she had done.
With hindsight in play; Krystal knew what she did was inexcusable. Even with her emotional well being compromised, they expected better of her. She was of royal blood with potential to be one of the strongest psionics among her people. A beacon of hope, justice, and all that was good in a Cerinian.
And she blew it.
Krystal was no exception to her peoples ways. She took treachery just as hard as any other. The azure vixen loved her culture dearly and intended to keep a firm hold of it; especially for the day she had children so as to teach them about their heritage. She hadn't even thought about that aspect of her people up until the very moment Fox made his earth shattering decision and took it to its most extreme. She could not help but wonder if Fox regretted his choices as much as she did, though Wisdom had certainly seemed to display as much. The one thing she was grateful for was that her mother now understood just how much she regretted her actions. Krystal would catch looks of sympathy from Sylvara on occasion as the woman did her best to maintain an unattached and unbiased attitude in the trial. Though it was clear she was failing and all of this madness was eating her up inside.
The seven judges were of course vulpines from various clans that ranged all across Cerinia. Each representative along with her mother were conversing and Sylvara had a look of dread upon her features. Ears wilted and whiskers hung low as she was utterly powerless to stop the trial. They had been deliberating for days while she had delayed them as much as possible in hopes that Fox would wake up. With Fox as a witness, and hopefully their bridges starting to be rebuilt; the gamble was he would defend her. Sadly, it seemed that roll of the dice had backfired.
Krystal felt as though she were in her own personal hell as she sat there before so many of her people she had long thought dead. She was the subject of their ire and it hurt in ways she found hard to attribute any meaningful words to.
Silence within the chamber was deafening as one by one each vulpine on the council turned to face Krystal until all eyes were on her. Their myriad of blues and purples all gazing upon her in accusatory glances. Only her mother's eyes held any compassion. It didn't matter to Krystal however, she was ready. It was time to face the facts that there was nothing she could to change the outcome.
One vulpine stood up at the end. Viara was her name; an elderly vixen from the ice caps in the far north, smaller than the average Cerinian and among the only tribes to have more white than blue upon their fur. "Judgement is upon you Krystal, for your treasonous actions against those who took you in; disgracing not only yourself but the royal line the people of Cerinia. You are hereby sentenced to death. A life for a life; and though McCloud lives, blood will be repaid."
That was it. The verdict was there and in the open. She would be executed for the death of Fox and the dishonor she had brought down upon them all. Her paws gripped the seat as her teeth were bared. Her last vain hope that she would be spared their wrath was gone.
"What say you to this verdict, Krystal?"
Part of her wanted to bolt and make for the hangar to flee into the darkest reaches space never to be seen again. But she had no weapons and the doors were guarded. Krystal was good and had they been regular soldiers; she would have had a chance. However, the guards were other Cerinian warriors; of which she was out of practice fighting against. It would be difficult, if not impossible without her staff weapon which had been stripped from her.
Krystal's desire to lash out was great, to shout how she was betrayed by the man she loved. And yet that debt was paid just like they said; in his blood and very life. They intended to make the scales of justice equal.
"I have nothing to say." She finally spoke through clenched teeth.
"Very well… Execution will be-"
The doors to the hall opened with a low heavy swing of the hinges as voices of those gathered began to murmur as all eyes turned towards the doorway. Yet Krystal was so focused on what had been said and the verdict, she could think of nothing else but the sorrow that she would not get to see Fox again. She would not even get a chance to say goodbye.
"What is this? How dare you interrupt these proceedings, Guards, escort him from the room!" Viara cried.
Fox McCloud stood there at the entrance to the chamber and looked to his left and right. Guards armed with various Cerinian weapons and blasters lined the knew of his capacity for leadership, bravery, and downright terrifying combat ability.
He who carried Ceria's Mercy, the man who was trusted most by the woman who was essentially their queen. Though the council had not confirmed Sylvara as such, she still carried quite a bit of authority. Each guard turned their heads to one another and not a single man or woman moved a muscle. To fight Revenant was to invite death; and many of these soldiers had fought and bled by his side. The council could scream all they wanted at them; but Fox was someone they respected far more and were just bit more scared of.
When no guards made a move towards him, Fox strode forward confidently. "I believe Councillor, It's rather questionable to have a court hearing without the plaintiff present. Is it not?" Fox said as he moved. He could feel Krystal's plight, her terror and fear at what had just been delivered. Their psionic link was in full swing and reconnected; stronger, clearer than ever before. Part of him wanted to rush to her and embrace her, to say everything was going to be alright. But he was not here to save her, no. Fox was here to make amends so that the pair of them could move forward. She did not need saving like a damsel in distress for this was a battle that they would fight together, as one.
His boots clacked off the wooden floors as he approached the seat where Krystal sat stewing in her pain. Closer and closer he came until he rounded the arm and came to kneel beside her. The look on her face made his heart want to break all over again. The look of sheer defeat and despair made her normally pristine and gorgeous features scrunch up in a way that pained him. This was never his intent for her. In his heart Fox knew he never wanted Krystal to suffer like this. The drive to make things right grew within his chest; he wanted to see her smile again, to gaze into those beautiful eyes that had once been so vivacious. He was unsure of what to do next but rather than think; he acted.
Fox lifted his paw up gently to touch the side of Krystal's face and cupped it with such tenderness and care that Krystal nearly jumped at the sensation that coursed through her. It was a shock to her system, the feel of sympathy and utmost compassion was wholly alien to her for the last two years other than Mia who had joined her mission. Krystal's eyes were rife with surprise that intermixed destructive sorrows as those two orbs raised up and gazed at the man with whom all her efforts had been focused on.
At first the azure vixen thought she was losing her mind with grief, but the touch was real. Every caress and gentle squeeze of his paw pads sent shivers racing down her spine. No mere phantom could elicit such a reaction with how his touching caress doused her mind in endorphins. Krystal had expected to see hate in those deep pools of green despite the feeling of reassurance coming from the tod. However, she glimpsed nothing but adoration in the endless recesses of his emerald hues. It felt like time had stopped, that everything else around them ceased to exist and it was just the two of them in a universe that was entirely concentrated towards the pair. There were no tears, no cries of celebration as Krystal did the only sensible thing she could do and lunged down to embrace that tod with all her might; something Fox was all too happy to reciprocate.
Both vulpines clutched each other tightly and buried their heads into the others neck, Fox's paw lay at rest on the back of her head in those rich azure locks that ran well past her shoulders. His arms were taught about the vixen he feared would disappear from his life once more if he did not hold on. To Fox it was the singular greatest feeling of respite that he experienced in what felt like a lifetime. Her soft fragrant scent, the feel of her beating heart against his chest; Krystal's rich silken fur beneath his touch which melded with the warmth and joy from her that meshed powerfully within his own mind. The sheer force of it rippled out around to others in the room and caused the atmosphere taking on a different tone than the tumultuous tension he felt upon entry. Fox did not quite know what the effect they were having on the room just by their display of affection for no one told them, nor did either vulpine speak a word to other, so enraptured were they in each others presence.
The power that expanded throughout could not be ignored. For it was a singular force. One that all of them were familiar with at one point in their lives. It was love, a form of it so pure that it's mere existence moved many in the room from their staunch hatred, into a sympathetic middle ground. Husbands and wives turned to each other; those who had not declared their passion felt themselves drawn closer together than ever before. Even those on the council basked in the encompassing might that radiated about the couple before their eyes. Such was the power that some of them had begun to have second thoughts to their actions. For many cultures, such actions of affection would have garnered a contempt of court, or perhaps being arrested on the spot. But for a room full of telepaths; the emotions pouring out of the couple before them were intense and a delight to experience vicariously. And though it had certainly had an effect Fox never intended; it pushed things ever so slightly in their favor. There were still miles to go and it would take more than just love to push past their trial.
It was a strange event to many in the room. The sight before them was a spectacle to behold as the pairs minds and souls burned brighter than anything they had seen since before the fall of Cerinia. Others felt it was an interference on their hearing. Yet none dared to speak out against the soldier who had done much for them. He had rescued so many of their people from enslavement or far worse fates, stood where others retreated and avenged many a fallen comrade. Condemned or not, Krystal was under his protection in that moment and all were sure that to try and carry out the sentence would invite swift death.
Sylvara watched the moment pass with intense satisfaction. Somewhere, somehow, she could feel that events were unfolding. Fox wasn't supposed to wake up for a few more days from his recovery. Her gamble had been a vain hope; but it seemed someone else had other plans. Still, they were far from out of the frying pan. Even with the potent emotions filling the room, she could still pick up the sensations of acrimony and bitter contempt. However, there was a better chance to succeed than there had been five minutes ago.
Gods, I hope whatever you've got is good.
The matronly vixen now understood and had the full story in her mind. Fox had done something so stupid and yet full of love; it was worthy of praise after he had been chastised for doing something so paradoxical. To sacrifice his own happiness in order to protect the one person he cherished most. Yes, it was a form of treachery and such things were only tolerated in the most extreme of circumstances. Cerinian law could easily blame him for such while sympathizing with Krystal. The problem was that here; things were not so black and white. Fox and Krystal's situations were similar but different enough to cause even a seasoned prosecutor pause. Or would if her people were not so blinded by anger and self righteous behavior. The fact Krystal had killed Fox caused one serious thorn in her side as she had tried to make the case for Krystal's compromised mental state. It had been countered that Krystal had knowingly led Fox into a trap which meant she was not temporarily insane, nor was she completely out of control of her mental faculties. The fact that Krystal had succumbed to a more malicious intent and let her anger rule to the point of treason was not only a mark against her, but it disgraced the very blood that coursed through Krystal's veins and shamed Cerinians everywhere. For she was a representative of her people in Lylat, knowingly or not and her actions had no doubt in their minds that the vixen left one hell of a nasty taste in the mouths of Lylatians.
Sylvara couldn't really argue against that and thus dropped the defense much to her dismay. The elder vixen hated the position she was in, one of the last of a royal line, stuck upon an accursed seat that should have had the power to pardon Krystal. But in doing so she would cause an uproar in the anger filled Cerinians around her. She had been forced to watch as her own daughter had been berated and talked down due to her acts. What angered her most was that each of them could feel the remorse and self loathing that had been radiating off Krystal in great waves before Fox's arrival. It was clear her daughter had been ready to make things right and they were denying her that chance at redemption. She needed something, a way out to recuse herself and throw the whole court into disarray. Though, by all appearances it seemed Fox was to be the very deliverance she had been praying for.
All eyes watched on as the two vulpines down on the floor finally pulled themselves apart long enough to gaze at each other only for Fox to lean in and rub his nose against hers.
We'll talk after we get out of this mess, I promise.
To his words, Krystal's face became solemn as her head turned down.
They already passed judgement Fox, there's nothing you can do...
His reply quick like lightning as a paw gently cupped her chin to pull her up and face him.
You're right, there is nothing I can do, but there is something we can.
The sound of his voice echoing within the confines of her mind soothed her and delivered unto Krystal a small bout of power and warmth with which he spoke spread to her and caused hope to blossom in her chest. The fact he spoke of them together and working in tandem as opposed to him doing all the heavy lifting left her speechless and wondering just what she did to bring this about.
You trusted me once with your life Krystal, can you do it again?
There were still so many unanswered questions. Plentiful thoughts about how he could hurt her or this could be a trick. But she was desperate, and so was he. She could see it in his eyes, the way his whiskers twitched, how his eyes though full of daring were mixed with apprehension. She knew Fox had to feel as though he were taking a huge risk in all of this; trusting her and putting his life on the line. To his credit, it showed just how far he was willing to go. This was their defining moment that would make or break them both. After so much suffering, hatred, and angst, it was time to choose her path.
Krystal reached out to take one of Fox's paws in her own and squeezed it as tight as she could. Her free one touched the side of his face and caressed Fox's handsome features with fingers that gingerly sifted through his fur.
Yes, though, I am scared Fox. So much has happened and everything is moving so quickly. I don't want to this to continue. All I want is to put this behind us and move forward.
The tod kissed the palm of her hand delicately in response. The simple affection sent a lance of joy right into the center of her mind.
I know… I'm practically shaking in my boots right now, but dammit, I miss you, I miss us. Just follow my lead Krystal and we'll come through this just like we've always done.
The azure vixen was hesitant, but what other choice did she have? Krystal gave a nod of her head as Fox stood up and turned about and she stood with him.
Fox looked at each member of the judges council and even locked eyes with Sylvara as a pang of warmth hit his chest and two simple words filled his mind from the matron.
Thank you.
Fox only nodded his head in response before turning to the rest of the vulpines who had judged Krystal. He had a few choice words for the council he wanted to get off his chest.
"To be honest, I don't know what to say here." He began. "Coming down here, I thought I'd give a grand speech or something cliched like that… but in all honesty. I'm just going to say this. This trial is a sham. If anyone is deserving of judgement here. It's me. I set things in motion, I pushed her over the line and because of my actions and not thinking things through. She reacted accordingly. So, if you need blood or whatever it is. Then take it from me, leave her alone."
At first Krystal was perplexed, he said they would get out of it together. Here he was putting himself in her spot for execution. Yet the fact he took responsibility for his actions made her want to smile. It meant he understood his role in things and how they had gone down. It did not excuse her in the slightest, but it was a damn good start on his part for making it up to her.
Viara glared at Fox. "Unfortunately, Fox, you do not have a say in these matters. Judgement has been passed, Krystal will be executed for her crimes."
Fox grinned wide and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.
"Krystal, I have a legal question about your culture."
The vixen blinked. "Uhm, alright?"
"With how warrior orientated Cerinians are, and how much honor plays a role. In a situation like this, if the plaintiff wants charges dropped and this hearing rendered null because of the lack of understanding and a desire to forgive the offender. With obvious conflicts of interest on display; that being your own mother is the primary judge, and not to mention I don't even need the Cerinian bond to feel the rage in this room. What could be done?"
Legalities? Okay Fox, lets see where you're going with this, Sylvara thought to herself.
"She-" Viara began only to be interrupted by Fox.
"I asked Krystal, not you Viara." he snapped back with such force and ferocity that it silenced the judge and made even a few others jump in surprise. Fox admitted he liked having that effect on people; but he didn't want to get addicted to it. He had seen just how much fear could drive people to do unspeakable acts.
Krystal was trying to think of something she could use as law wasn't exactly her strong suit, but she knew more than a few high profile cases back on Cerinia. As agrarian as their society had been, technology had been plentiful and high profile cases were often broadcasted.
"Well, there's a few things, but in this case, with judgement passed and if a plaintiff does not agree with the outcome from the court, there's an appeals process, but considering I'm sentenced to death that won't go anywhere... There's also a process for getting the case dismissed in the event of conflicts of interest; but again, sentencing has already been passed and I doubt given circumstances anyone would hear that." Krystal's tail went limp as she tried to find something, anything Fox could use. He had the power but without the tools, power was nothing.
C'mon Krystal, think, what could he use to…
Her eyes glued to the blade on his hip. Ceria's Mercy. The runic blade nestled neatly within it's scabbard and then it clicked. Fox was a warrior, a fighter, legal and political maneuvers were not his wasn't to say he couldn't do such things but he was a much better fighter than a politician.
Oh Fox… you clever son of a bitch.
Krystal couldn't help but smile. The plan was so very much Fox, simple, direct, and it would hopefully get the job done. Her voice carried within it a modicum of hope that his gambit would pay off. "There is one thing that all Cerinian courts of law respect. Even in the modern age It's a bit old school as Lylatians would put it, but if the Plaintiff so wished to pursue other avenues of justice; trial by combat is the way to go."
Fox obtained a wicked grin upon his snout that even made Sylvara shake in her boots. It was a look of "Try me and see where it gets you." Everyone in the room knew his capacity for fighting and his ferocity when the moment struck. Beneath that calm quiet exterior was a beast, someone who was not afraid to strike out in violence when needed. And while the Cerinians had become far more bloodthirsty in a desperate clamor for revenge against those who harmed them; it was nothing compared to the rage Fox could unleash if he needed to.
With the proverbial legal weapon in hand, Fox gave a nod of his head to Krystal with a warm smile before turning back to the council. "There you have it. As the plaintiff, I do not agree with her sentence, nor do I think that this trial has been wholly unbiased. Either the charges are dropped and Krystal is acquitted. Or, you can send one of your soldiers at me in a test of arms. But before you decide, let me tell you, I have nothing left to lose and everything to gain. And should you refuse this challenge, I hope you're ready for one hell of a fight, because I will not let her life be taken so easily. So; I suggest you think very carefully before you decide."
It was Sylvaras turn to grin, as Chief Adjudicator in this case, she had to abide by the whim of the council up until this very point. With Fox present and that intense display of affection combined with his very real threat; everything had changed so drastically. She could feel a mixture of sympathy and awe from people in the room and it was growing with each passing second. The way he was requesting charges be dropped and a trial of combat called followed by the declaration that he would fight to the death for her. It showed that he was willing to forgive her for what she had done… Kindness and passion of that nature was not something even her people in their anger were entirely comfortable tainting in the pursuit of "justice". Ultimately, It was up to her to choose the combatant or none at all. And she would be damned before sending her soldiers against Fox, let alone in single combat.
Well played Fox, well played.
"I don't think that will be necessary, Fox, you've made your case and you would be right. Tempers have been flared since the operating room. Anger has clouded many sensibilities as has my own disappointment and desire to protect my only daughter. To be honest, this whole trial has been one great disgrace on the honor of all Cerinians. Therefore, as Chief Adjudicator; I make my final ruling before recusing myself. The trial by combat is respected and hereby granted. Should no one step forward to challenge you, then all charges will be dropped and you will summarily be declared the winner with Krystal acquitted."
With her final say had, Sylvara stood up and relieved herself of the judges robes and placed them reverently on her seat only to step down and off to the side. She was intent on observing the final moments of the case.
"So." Fox said into the open briefing room. "Who thinks they have the balls to take me on and win?" He was cocky and sure of himself. The thing about his surefire attitude was that he'd earned it. Years of war and combat had honed Fox into an elite fighting machine. His experience outweighed everyone elses in the room and they all knew it. All their elite soldiers had been lost during the defense of Cerinia and Fox was a weapon forged in the fires of war and vengeance the likes of which none of them could match. Sure, they were all trained from birth to fight, but being trained and knowing how to fight were two separate things entirely.
For several long minutes no one answered the call to arms. Fox's green eyes scanned every guard and Cerinian that was in the room until they came to rest on the council now lacking a Chief Adjudicator. "I think that's your answer, Viara." Fox said firmly.
The arctic Cerinian bore her teeth in frustration. To an extent, both Fox and Sylvara were right. Anger had been clouding many of their thoughts and rulings, and now this entire debacle was laid bare before everyone along with her own biases and distaste for treachery exposed. It did very little to help the case and shamed them in the eyes of the gods. It did not help matters that the Cardinal Sun clan and her own clan; Winters Dawn, had come to blows in the past. If she could not even respect the rule of law and hoped to gain revenge on Krystal and Sylvara through legal means by abusing the system, then what kind of person was she?
Viara did not like the answer that she gave herself.
The arctic Cerinian stood as tall as she could and announced in a level headed voice so that the entire hall could hear. "Very well… all charges are dropped and Krystal is hereby acquitted due to the lack of a challenger for her champion. This case is forever forfeit and stricken from the records. It is to never be spoken of again. Lady Krystal, consider yourself a free woman and still welcome among your people."
Those words nearly made Krystal explode with joy as mounds of stress were sloughed off. Fox's plan had worked and it paid off in dividends. Her knowledge of tradition combined with Fox's reputation had won out without even lifting a single paw in violence; so excited was Krystal by the outcome that before anyone could react Krystal walked up to Fox, grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around with such speed Fox felt dizzy for a flash of a second when he felt a very familiar set of lips pressed to his own. The tods eyes flew open wide at the sudden unexpected but wonderful feeling of the vixen he truly loved locked him into a scorching kiss. The fondness he felt from her radiated like Lyla at her zenith on Papetoon and left him reeling. Fox of course was only too happy to return everything he was getting. Joy, relief, happiness in spades and who knows how many other emotions ran rampant between the pair as they gripped each other with such force that one would swear they were trying to crush each other. All the while Fox whispered into her mind over and over.
I"m sorry, I'm so sorry Krystal.
The vixen silenced him as best she could, only reinforcing that kiss as she held onto him and deepened that meaningful meeting of lips and tongue as they met in the middle over and over. Neither vulpine cared in the slightest that there were other people present. The sheer strength that radiated off her mind and his own meshed into a comforting blanket that permeated the room. Tensions soothed, passions were laid bare and at the rate they were going clothes might be shed.
Sadly, as all good things tend to, their kiss came to an end by polite gentle cough that brought them back to reality. At some point everyone had left but Sylvara. The elder vixen was grinning at both of them.
"As happy as I am for both of you, I don't think stripping down here and getting reacquainted with each other is a good idea."
Both Krystal and Fox blushed furiously at just how enthralled they'd been with each other and shifted uncomfortably.
"That being said, You two should go to his room and get started on sorting your relationship out. And no, I don't mean doing that… but hey, who knows, maybe some angry make up sex might work it out for you."
"Mother!" Krystal said with a fierce blush upon her cheeks.
"What?" The older vulpine replied with mirth in her voice.
Fox flushed a bright beat red beneath his cheeks. The idea of him and Krystal being intimate just days ago seemed like an utter alien idea. But with recent events things weren't looking as bad as they had before.
"Ehem… she's right though. Everything's just been one big ball of madness since the fight outside the nebula. We haven't had a real chance to talk." Fox was certainly in agreement with Sylvara, anything to change the topic of them having relations and actually sorting things out with Krystal.
"Right… of course, uhm, let's go then. Shall we Fox?"
Fox was understandably nervous as he had no idea what to expect, but things were certainly looking up.
x-x-x-x
Hey everyone. Here's chapter 10! Okay, what a wild ride this has been, chapters 7, 8, and 9 generated some crazy interest in this story. Seriously, my notifications box for reviews exploded and I thank each and everyone of you for that feedback. Even if some of us do not see eye to eye on certain things, the fact that people generated feedback both positive and negative is just part of the process. ANYWHO. So, a couple of things here. I wanted to really get Ceria (Aka The Mother) and Bryn (Aldwyn) Involved directly, they have been really only used to push a narrative forward by this point imo and I felt like I was just doing a disservice to those characters. So I wanted to have two of the big ones really step in and give Foxy a mild dressing down.
That being said; I've had multiple folks tell me that Krystal deserves a bit more sympathy. I hope with how I had the Cerinian Gods behave and Sylvara coming around in this chapter alleviated that concern.
As another note, don't let the hug and kiss fool you, it was a spur of the moment thing and these two have quite a bit of crap to work though. The love and will to see it through is there, but things will still be rough as healing takes time. Not just for Fox and Krystal, but Krystal will still have to prove she's worthy of her title and being among the Cerinians. Though legally she's welcomed, that doesn't mean the people will accept her. She's got some work to do in that department. But the payoff boys n girls, the payoff is coming.