Author's note: Special thanks on this chapter goes out to my mom for helping me get all my ducks in a row. : )
Sloan cringed as she went through the Orbital Gate. She felt a small something wash over her and her ship, as if her Wolfen had passed through a thin sheet hung in mid air. Still she waited. Something else had to happen to signify her ship going through the gate.
It took her a few seconds to figure out that something was happening. Her ship was turning from side to side, so gently she hadn't noticed it before, completely of its own accord. She opened her eyes slowly. What greeted her was the most amazing sight she had ever seen. She was surrounded in flowing green light, so thick it seemed like a solid object. It was like flying in a tunnel made of the northern lights. Tiny white specks flew past. Sloan soon realized that they were stars. Her Wolfen turned slightly to the left to avoid a planet passing by so close that Sloan could make out the lights of cities on the continents below.
"Must be just above the atmosphere," she breathed. She turned to her left to see and Arwing drawing up next to her. Inside was Falco, trying not to be amazed. Sloan sat back and got comfortable, watching with delight the psychedelic procession before her. The tunnel began to change slowly between the three primary colours, then splitting and mixing to create a rainbow effect. Up ahead was a green wall that looked exactly like the gate they had gone through. Sloan braced herself to go through it, they were moving very fast.
Seconds before they were about to hit the gate, the Wolfen slowed down dramatically, with, somehow, no affect to its pilot. The ship glided elegantly through the gate and was deposited in sight of the Aparoid homeworld. She looked around, there were no ships nearby. She didn't understand. She was sure she had been second last through the gate, followed only by Wolf. Falco was next out of the gate. He drew up next to her.
"Whoa… that felt like a bad acid trip…" He muttered.
"That, was, awesome!" Sloan squeaked. "But where is everybody else?"
"I dunno. I suspect they'll be along shortly though." They glided around, waiting for the cavalry, not daring to get too close to the planet. "So… what's Wolf like?" Falco asked, trying to sound like he was only trying to strike up a conversation.
"You know him better than I do. I've only been around… I haven't been around that long." She figured she shouldn't tell him that she had only been flying full time for a week.
"Well, yeah, but you work with the guy. I'm his worst enemy's annoying flunky. Bit of a different relationship, don't you think?"
"He's… tough. He can be a real pain in the ass… but I'm glad he's like that… you know? I can't tell you much else or he'd probably kill me."
"I bet." There conversation ended when the Great Fox slid through the gate, followed by three Arwings and two Wolfens. The third Wolfen appeared shortly thereafter.
"How did you get so far ahead of me?" Wolf asked.
"I just got finished asking myself that," Sloan answered. "The gate seems to have scrambled us."
"I almost went through a star!" Slippy yelped.
"This is all very interesting." Fox growled impatiently. "We can ask Beltino about it when we get back. Right now, let's all turn our attention to the Aparoid planet now, shall we?"
The planet was unexpectedly beautiful. It was covered completely in blue. It was so serene, but something was amiss about the planet. There seemed to be something sinister about the planet's calmness. As if mirroring the Aparoids, there was only calm because there was no clash of minds, only a single one at the whim of the Queen.
"It's lovely, I wasn't expecting that," Krystal murmured.
"Alert. Planet's diameter and mass is disproportionate," ROB warned.
"What? But that doesn't make any sense. That would mean the planet's…" Before he could finish his sentence, there course brought the other side of the planet into view. It was startling different. The whole other half was a pulsing black scab on that beautiful planet. The blackness was permeated by red and blue flashing lines and huge towers that also pulsed with coloured light. The city was suspended above a huge gaping hole covered in crystal. The hole was surely the way to the Aparoid Queen.
"The planet's… hollow?" Slippy breathed.
"Fox, The Hatcher's are keeping the shield going, if you can destroy them all, hen we should be able to get to the Queen," Peppy told Fox.
"I'm on it. The rest of you cover me," Fox said before going down to the city. The Great Fox and the rest of Star Fox followed their leader. Wolf, on the other hand, guided his team silently back to the side of the planet unmarked by the Aparoids. Sloan waited until they were in the atmosphere to say anything.
"Um, Wolf, shouldn't we be helping them?"
"Let them do the legwork. We'll come to their rescue when the pup can't handle it anymore. Right now, I want to know what stopped the Aparoids from expanding across the whole planet. Whatever it was could give us an edge."
They broke through the cloud layer and swooped in close until Sloan's wingtips hovered inches above a lake, splitting the surface without actually touching it. The lake was crystal clear, and stretched out forever in front and behind Sloan. On either side was another never ending sea, this time made of trees. Huge, ancient trees with thick trunks and a grand canopy of blue leaves. Sloan's eyes burned. So many incredible, beautiful sights in sight a short time after a life of grey…
They set down as soon as Wolf found a clearing that was big enough to accommodate the four of them. The forest canopy was so thick and blocked out so much light that they needed the flashlight set on their Blasters just to see where they were going. The air was thick and full of sweet smells. It was like breathing in honey. Little specks of light floated lazily through the air, glowing tails gliding along in their wakes. Wolf put his hand to catch one and see what it was, but it exploded into a million dots of light like a puffball spreading its seeds.
"So what are we looking for?" Sloan asked with a great deal of effort. The thick air made breathing a labour. Wolf, not wanting to waste any bit of energy, merely pointed at the great black wall that stood in stark contrast to the life that was all around them, separating the city from the strange forest. Everyone nodded their comprehension. Start where the Aparoids ended. They walked in silence. Sloan, not being in as good a shape as the other three, struggled to keep up with the brisk pace Wolf set. Despite her best efforts, she continued to fall behind, little by little. She didn't call out though. She didn't want to be a burden to Wolf anymore. The fact that Wolf had to save her every time he turned around hadn't escaped her notice, and she was sure it hadn't escaped Wolf's notice either. Wolf seemed to have taken a special interest in her, but she wasn't sure how much longer he would turn a blind eye to her constant slip ups.
She increased her pace, only to trip and fall flat on her face. Her jeans, already ripped from the Aparoid attack, tore even further until the fabric below her knee dangled uselessly. She grabbed the bit of pointless fabric and ripped it off, throwing it away. She looked up. Only the light from Wolf's flashlight could be seen, everything else was obscured by the dreamlike darkness. Even the light itself shimmered and blinked on and off as if being filtered through heat waves. She dragged herself up off the ground. She took one step and a stab of pain ran through her leg. Her initial injury, the one that the Spyder Aparoid had given her, had reopened. She watched the blood run slowly down her leg, shaking her head. This was going to hurt like hell, but she had to catch up. She broke into a run again.
Your pain… I feel it. A breathy whisper echoed from behind a tree. Sloan's head whipped around, but she didn't stop. The voice made her shiver. She would worry about it after she got to Wolf. Let me heal it for you… Sloan thought she saw eyes from the darkness. Two blank, white eyes. She ran faster, stealing a glance down at her leg. It felt like it was on fire, and the gash was bleeding badly. She could feel something gaining on her.
"Wolf!" She cried out, but her voice was stifled by the thick air.
Wolf cannot save you now. Only I can do that. The Queen is waiting for you, waiting to take your pain away. Sloan shook her head as if trying to flick off a fly. The pain in her leg would pass. She tried to ignore the voice that she was sure was speaking for the Aparoid Queen.
In your leg, yes… that pain will pass… put what about the pain in your mind? You have a desire, do you not? A desire to be wanted? A desire for a family? Stop running and have your desires fulfilled, finally. Sloan whipped around again, this time with her fist swinging. He had been so close, right in her ear. But when she struck out she hit nothing. She stopped, her lungs burning for air. She slowly circled around. She knew when she was being picked on. She was weak, isolated, in pain and in need of medical help. She just had to ignore it. She limped painfully in the direction of the light, but she drew back when she could no longer see it. She looked around wildly. Had Wolf not noticed she was missing? She stumbled against one of the trees, her fingers scuttling against the smooth bark, looking for a place to take hold.
Poor Sloan, abandoned yet again. You thought he was different, didn't you? You thought you had found someone that cared? What a sad mistake.
"Get out of my head!" she howled. "Leave me alone! He'll… he'll." She stumbled over a tree root and fell over. Dirt ground into her wound. A white light flooded over her, choking her. A horrible feeling filled her. He really wasn't coming. He was going to leave her for dead.
All your sadness… but it doesn't end there, does it? Sadness was everything once… but there is more. Anger, hatred. Deep down you are a killer, a vicious animal. This is your destiny. You are running towards what you seek to flee. But the Queen can save you from your fate. She will give you purpose and direction. A ghostly white hand reached out of her. She tried to smack it away. It dissipated like a cloud warped by the wind, only to return to its original form. It got closer and closer, opening palm up, asking for her hand. Purpose and direction… a family where she would be wanted. Was he speaking the truth?
"Wolf's not going to save me…" she murmured.
That's right. But the Queen, oh, she wants to meet you. Wants to meet you very badly. She thinks you're the most amazing creature.She looked back down at the hand, still held out for her. She swallowed hard, not sure what to do. Everything seemed to be pressing in around her. Finally her hand started to rise, moving towards the white, foggy light. The hand got closer, eager to take her. They touched. The light seemed to be flowing into her, making her pain go away. She smiled. She'd never felt so warm and happy.
Their fingers almost locked when Sloan felt something grab her by the collar. She was wrenched backwards out of the light, pain lurched back into her leg. She thudded into something hard that smelled like Wolf. Her eyes filled with tears. He came back for her.
There was an enraged hiss from the Aparoid that had been so close to assimilating Sloan as Blaster rounds lit up the air all around her. Wolf's hand moved to her shoulder and tightened as he dragged her backwards, away from the menace. He threw her roughly behind a tree and then ran back into the fray without a word to Sloan. Sloan curled up behind the tree, silently praying that no one got hurt. If they did, it would be entirely her fault.
After what seemed like hours but was only few seconds, there was a final howl of pain, and the Blaster fire died. Sloan could here the crunching of grass as Wolf came closer. She shivered, it was probably the same sound her neck would make after Wolf got a hold of her. It was obvious when he came into view that he was trying to control his rage. Once Panther and Leon appeared, she was surrounded. No escape. Leon was grinning dangerously, eager to see what was to come. Sloan looked feebly up at Wolf, unsure whether or not to meet his gaze.
"Just what the hell was that?" he growled.
"Um, I think it was an Aparoid," she answered in barely more than a whisper.
"You know that's not what I mean." Sloan hung her head.
"I got separated."
"Why didn't you call out?"
"I-I thought I could catch up. I didn't want to be a burden."
"We'll that plan certainly backfired, didn't it. Dammit Sloan, there were people back in Lylat that wanted you benched, and I vouched for you! And then you go and do this?" Silence fell on the little group. Wolf's eyes flashed down to her injury, much more aggravated than it had been on the station. "What happened?"
"This happened at the Orbital gate. I fell and opened it again." Wolf shook his head and, muttering under his breath, kneeled down next to Sloan. He pointed at her pack.
"Go in there and get the bio spray, med caplets and some gauze." Sloan rifled through her survival gear while Wolf reached into her own pack.
The smile slid off Leon's face, Wolf wasn't going to kill her. She wasn't even going to get smacked or anything. It was as if Wolf had seen her injury and completely forgotten her transgression. Leon couldn't understand what had come over Wolf when it came to the whelp. Anyone else would have been told to pack their bags long ago.
"You know, Falco already but some stuff on it," Sloan told Wolf. Wolf said nothing. "I don't need the med caps, it doesn't hurt that bad." That last part was a lie, it did hurt that bad, but she didn't want to look any more like a wimp than she already did. Wolf gave her a look that said it would be in her best interest to stop talking, and she took two of out of the black and red sectioned cylinder and swallowed them. The pain in her leg instantly subsided a great deal. Wolf pulled something that looked like a wetnap out of his pack.
"What is that?" Sloan asked.
"It's to clean out the wound." He ripped open the package and unwrapped it until it was about the length of Sloan's gash, then he pulled a black handled hunting knife out of a sheath on his lower leg and cut it off. He put the excess back in the package and pressed the white material to her wound. It stung, but Sloan bit her lip. No more complaining. After he was finished he expertly wrapped up the wound and was about to help her to her feet when he suddenly pulled back.
"Panther!" He barked. Panther stepped forward and slipped his arm under hers, lifting her thin frame easily off the ground. She slid her arm across his shoulders. Panther's brow wrinkled, it felt like there was something in Sloan's hand. He reached over and turned her hand over. The palm, the place that the light had seemed to flood into, was now encrusted in Aparoid crystal. He gave her a look that said 'what the hell?' Sloan looked horrified, but she held a finger to her lips, begging him to be silent. It wasn't growing, and it wasn't doing anything to her, so she would get it looked at later.
"Did you figure out what stopped the Aparoids?" Sloan asked Wolf, turning her palm down again to hide it from him.
"We were almost there when Wolf noticed you missing." Leon hissed. "I think we should have kept going."
"I'm wondering whether or not anything stopped the Aparoids at all." Panther said before Sloan could say anything. "After all, if they couldn't come onto this ground, how could they attack Sloan?"
"But why would the Aparoids, creatures bent on total destruction, stop expanding across this planet for no reason at all?" Wolf countered. "And besides, the Aparoid that attacked Sloan wasn't normal. It seemed like it almost didn't have a body."
"Solid enough to blast into oblivion," Leon hissed gleefully. The memory was delicious to him.
"Maybe they weren't forced to, but there was a practical reason, like they ran low on resources," Sloan said offhandedly. Wolf looked at her for a moment before turning and heading in the opposite direction.
"An interesting idea and, under the current circumstances, most likely," Wolf muttered to no one in particular. The group followed Wolf in silence. He seemed to know where he was going. Sloan was sure she could feel whatever it was that attacked her following them, afraid to come after her again with Wolf so near even though she knew it was dead. Sloan limped along, most of her weight supported by Panther.
Nothing changed as they walked through the seemingly endless forest, every tree looked the exact same as the next. Sloan was just beginning to wonder if they were going in circles when the trees abruptly ended, and they were standing in front of the black, pulsing wall that the Aparoids had erected around there city. If Sloan strained to hear, she could just make out the sound of Blaster fire as Fox took the city.
Sloan took a deep breath of fresh air that she hadn't realize she had been denied until she left the forest. The air wasn't nearly as heavy here. Looking up, the black sky, devoid of light pollution, was full of stars. A spiral arm of the galaxy stretched overhead. Wolf was half way between the forest and the wall, staring down at something. Sloan slipped off of Panther and limped up beside him. In front of them was a strange strip of blueish sand, six feet wide and winding out of sight in either direction, standing like some impenetrable barrier between the city and forest. Other than its strange colouring and the fact that it glittered slightly in the starlight -or was the light emanating from the sand itself?-, there was nothing to distinguish it from normal sand. Sloan kneeled down and picked up a handful of it, watching as it slipped through her fingers.
"Wow, it's really pretty."
"Watch it," Wolf cautioned, "your wound will get infected if the sand gets into it."
"Do you think this is what stopped them?"
"I doubt they halted destruction of a world on account of some pretty sand," Leon chided. Sloan shot him an angry look.
"Do you have any better ideas you stuck up-ow!" she cried out because it felt like something had just bitten her. She dropped her handful of sand and looked down into the hand that had the Aparoid crystal in it, the hand that had been bitten. Wriggling in it was a tiny glowing gold beetle. It had bitten down into the Aparoid crystal in her hand. Sloan started to shake her hand madly as more pain shot through it.
"Get it off me!" she shrieked. The sand started to froth as a multitude of golden beetles started to crawl out, spread their wings, and fly directly to Sloan. Her hand was soon covered, and they started to crawl up her arm. By now she was screaming, but no one could help her, they had all been swarmed as well. The swarm seem to only be halting the rest of the team from movement, biting and flying directly at their eyes, but not truely attacking. Sloan however looked like she was being eaten alive. By know she was just a writhing mass of gold.
Finally she fell still, her screams subsiding.
