CHAPTER 9
Peppy sat on his front porch, smoking a cigarette. He shivered against the cold wind. All of the others where at Slippy's funeral. Not him. He couldn't bear the thought of seeing another one of his friends being buried six feet under the fucking ground. It's not fair. Peppy thought of all of Corneria's most vile people. Jack Wentworth, killed a bunch of innocent 5-year-old school children. Lived to be 85 in prison. Daniel Maplethorp, Blew up several Corneria buildings, killing over 5,000 people and injuring countless more. He's still kicking around. But Slippy, this innocent, happy-go-lucky technowiz, who never done shit to anybody, who wouldn't even hurt a fly, never makes it to 24? Where is the god in that? Why is that fair?
Peppy's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his Bob Marley ringtone playing
One Love...One Love. Let's get together and, feel alright
Peppy sighed and reached through his pockets for his cell phone. He pulled it out and looked at the call display
Incoming Call: Fox's Cell
Peppy chuckled at the name. He knew exactly what Fox was calling for. He wanted to know why Peppy wasn't at the funeral. Peppy smiled and pushed the red phone icon. The screen changed
Call Declined
He didn't feel like talking to Fox right now.
Peppy got up, feeling his old joints working overtime. He turned to the door and grasped the doorknob. But he didn't open it. He let go off the knob and looked at it. There, in the center of the knob, was a metal H, for Hare. Peppy's thoughts ran back to the time he installed that custom knob..
"Daddy, why is there an H on the knob?"
"Because, sweet pea, we are the Hare family , and that is what the H stands for. And that also mean that you will always know what house is ours"
"Really? That is so cool! I don't think anyone else has a letter on their door knob!"
Peppy smiled at the vision of his younger daughter. So young and innocent. Never expecting what was to happen to her later in life.
Peppy opened the door and stepped into the all-to-familiar house. He walked through the living room, where Lucy had always played. From showing off her new Barbie doll to showing Peppy her combat skills. He walked into the kitchen. He sat down in his favourite seat. How many times did he have to skip breakfast with his wife and daughter because of missions? 15? 34? 179? Who knew. He remembered the first time he told his daughter he was leaving for a mission.
"But daddy, why do you have to leave? I don't want you to!"
"I know you don't honey, but daddy has to. He has to protect us from those nasty aparoids"
"Promise me you'll be back in time for the thanksgiving play? I get to be the mashed potatoes!"
"I promise, chickadee"
He wound up missing the play, but she didn't care. She was just happy that he was home. He walked up stairs, running his hand lovingly along the banister, remembering the first time that she went to the prom. How beautiful she looked. Peppy's eyes started to well with tears at this memory. He walked down the hallway. He stopped at a particular door. It was bright pink with heart and Hello Kitty stickers all over it. A hand-carved woodensign was nailed to the front of it. And on it in beautiful curved script was the words Lucy's Room. Peppy ran his hand along the sign remembering when he made the sign for her. He ran his hand down the door, and noticed that the side of it was chipped and peeling. 'How did that happen' Peppy thought to himself. But then he remembered
"Lucy, listen to me!" Peppy yelled as he chased after his daughter. She opened the door to her room, intending to go in. Peppy grabbed her shoulder and spun her around
"Let go off me!" Lucy screamed in his face "Don't fucking touch me!"
"Lucy Johanna Hare! I am your father. You will not speak to me that way!"
"You're not my father. A father is someone who stays to look after their child!"
"Lucy that's not fair!"
"Yeah, Well Life's not fair! You know, you always say you're thinking about me when you got to do these missions but you're not!" Tears started forming in her eyes "If you were thinking about me, you would stay here with me and let the other members of Star Fox deal with it!"
"But Lucy, Star Fox needs me"
"But I need you! Is Star Fox more important to you than you're own child? You know, If you had been around more, instead of flying of f to god knows where, then maybe mom would have stayed with you. At least then I'd have some who loved me enough to be with me!" And with that, Lucy slammed the door violently, causing the side to crack and chip, sending little pink flecks falling onto Peppy's combat boot
That was a week before the doomed Flight 180. Flight 180. Peppy felt cold sweats coming on. They were all supposed to die on that flight. But Fox saved them. But they're all dying now. Was he next? No. He wouldn't let death take him against his will. He'd do it himself. He walked fiercely down the hallway and burst through his bedroom door violently, causing the door to fly open against the wall, shattering the glass mirror on the back. He through the walk-in closet door open and turned the light on. He scanned the room quickly and saw what he was looking for. A large, metal cabinet. He walked up to it and pulled a ring of keys out of his pockets and found the gold one. He stuck it in the cabinet and turned it, unlocking the door. He opened it. Inside was all his combat stuff. His flight jacket, flight pants, combat boots, headset, reflector and at the very bottom, a black metal briefcase. He grabbed the briefcase and opened it.
What he saw inside made all the anger inside him disappear.
Inside the briefcase was his blaster. The one he had used in combat so many times before. He ran his fingers along the barrel, feeling the engraved Corneria Military Symbol. He pulled it out of the case, and although he had held it many, many times before, it felt very heavy to him now.
"Should I really be doing this?" Peppy thought to himself "I mean, I'm talking about death here. There's no turning back after this. There's no second chance" Peppy turned the gun in his hands "But on the other hand, could I really live my life like this? No wife, no daughter and soon, no friends? Could I live alone?"
And then the answer came back to him
No, He couldn't
Peppy got up from where he was sitting. He walked back towards Lucy's room, still turning the gun in his hands. He opend the door and saw the familiar pink room. He walked over to the bed, where just a few weeks ago his daughter had been sleeping. He lied down on the bed, allowing his old bones to rest. He looked at all the posters Lucy had on her walls. Boy Bands, Magazine covers, movie posters, and on the ceiling, was the Corneria Military's 'I Want You' Poster with General Pepper's big mug on. Good ol' Pepper, Peppy thought to himself. His thoughts were interrupted by his cell going off again. Peppy pulled it out and looked at the display
Incoming Call: Fox's Cell
Peppy smiled and put the cell on the bedside table. He closed his eyes as he listened to Bob Marley's soothing voice
One Love....One Love. Let's get together and, feel alright
Peppy raised the gun to his head and put his finger on the trigger
Hear the children crying (One Love)
Hear the children crying (One Heart)
Peppy smiled and thought, "Lucy, Soon we'll be together for ever. And that's a promise I can keep"
He pulled the trigger.