Author notes: Okay chapter 11's done. I'll have up another some time soon. Hopefully within another week or two. I have a chapter of CoF2 ready at the moment as well but, I'm not sure when it'll be out, I'm having a little trouble with these last few chapters. Anyhow, Hope you enjoy the chapter, thanks for the constant support and I'll see you all next update...L8TRZ......

The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox


Chapter 11: Perseverance

-Determination on its highest scale, perseverance can drive us to great good, or heinous acts of evil. The most horrid foes in life, are those who persevere, keep going, and refuse to fall. And likewise, the greatest heroes of all, are those determined enough to keep going…despite the hardships that clearly stand in his or her way-

James stayed up that entire night. He couldn't bring himself to sleep now while he knew the state of mind he was certain that his son was in at the moment. He knew Fox far too well to know that he'd simply take the news about Peppy and bottle it up. He was an emotional sponge, soaking up all the bitter hate, sorrow, and anger he ever felt and trying desperately to keep it inside so that it would never affect his family or friends. James set a few fish left over from the young vixen's dinner to the fire to warm them back up. It was possibly what brought her to start tossing in her sleep, either that or she was dreaming. As he looked to her sleeping form the elder vulpine smiled a bit. He didn't blame his son at all. She reminded James so much of Vixy at that age. She was strong, willful, and breathtakingly attractive. How she managed to stave off the biting cold in her current attire, he didn't know. Though she wore a thick hide coat over her torso, her legs were openly exposed to the snow, and yet he never heard a word of complaint from her…Vixy would have complained his ear off by now.

For some reason as the old fox looked to the sky overhead. His mind rushed back to just after the war. This made his second crash landing of his career. When he'd first crashed it was on a small moon just outside the Lylat system. Luckily he found that the natives were nice enough to supply him with a small ship for a few errand jobs while they repaired what was left of his Arwing. It was unfortunate though that their communications had no contact with Corneria whatsoever. Apparently their knowledge of tachyon frequencies was a bit limited. He couldn't fully remember what had happened to his ship. He recalled a warning of some kind about an approaching asteroid shower, and then he remembered waking up in that field of snow where Krystal had found him…

"I'm just lucky the ship held together as long as it did." He sighed taking one of the small fish off the fire. "I wonder what Vixy is up to right now. I wonder if she told Fox the good news yet? Hmm…probably not."

It was just as this system's sun began to peak over the hills that the young vixen roused from her sleep. "Morning," she said groggily accepting a small fish from James, "You seem to be in a lot better shape."

"And I'm guessing your being so tired has something to do with you taking care of these injuries?"

Krystal yawned. "You could say that. It takes a lot of energy. In all honesty it's not really worth it unless it's a serious injury."

James instantly noticed the deep minded look on her face. "Something wrong? You were tossing in your sleep."

"I…I don't know…" she replied, "I sometimes have these dreams. I have since I was really little. I…I saw Mahlay, and the Council of Elders. He was angry about something, but, I couldn't hear what was being said," she said looking to the ground before turning her eyes to James, "Do you think it's possible for a good person to do evil things?"

James was a bit stunned by the sudden question. "I've seen good people do some pretty nasty stuff…most of the time thinking they were doing the right thing. I've also seen a good man get dragged into a hole so deep he could never crawl out of it, and that slowly turned him into something he would have hated. In total, yes…it's perfectly possibly for a good person to commit acts that they'd never do otherwise."

As if his answer was not nearly what she felt she needed to hear, the vixen seemed to fall into a deep thought. There was something seriously wrong. She knew what Mahlay was capable of, but could she trust her instinct on a dream alone? Her thoughts slowly filtered through everything she recalled. Her father had been startled by something in the young fox's mind. Suddenly her dream made sense and she reached out taking James by the wrist and rushing off into the woods…

"WHOA!" the older vulpine shouted in surprise to her unusual strength, "What the hell!?!"

"We have to hurry!" Krystal shouted, "I was wrong. I don't think Mahlay is after Fox at all! The council…he's going to kill my father!"

******

Fox continued his trek through the forest. He'd fallen a bit behind the blue furred escort that Krystal's mother had sent to him, but for the most part he managed to keep up. However, as they walked, Reena realized that Fox had fallen away from her. She could no longer see him and quickly rushed back fallowing his scent, only to find the vulpine on an entirely different path heading away from the mountain off to the east instead…

"Where are you going?" the vixen demanded, "The mountain is this way," she shouted pointing to the peak, "You can see it as clear as day."

"I know…" Fox replied, "But…this is your home. Can't you feel that?" he asked looking to the canopy, "There are no birds, no animals, no sounds from the village…just dull, listless silence. I've been trying to figure it out for a little while now, but all I can tell is that there's something wrong…and it's back this way. Toward your village."

"I thought this was about finding Krystal?" Reena replied.

Fox sighed. "It still is…but…this could be that catalyst that she talked about before. What if this is the day this planet dies?" he finished his sentence to himself in a hushed voice.

"What?" Reena asked, tilting her head curiously.

Fox sighed. "It's nothing. I guess not all Cerinians are as perceptive as Krystal is," he said, "Listen…when I get a gut feeling it's usually right, and right now, my gut is telling me to get my ass back to that village," the vulpine said heading off, "I trust Krystal enough to know she'll find me…but I'd never be able to forgive myself if I let something happen to her family without trying to stop it…plus I still owe her mother for saving my life."

Dumbfounded by the fox's sudden change of motivation, Reena stood there. He desperately wanted to see Krystal, but now he was heading off toward a village…where the elders would most likely kill him. Was he suicidal, or just plain stupid? Suddenly the vixen clutched her heart; it felt as though a part of herself had suddenly been torn away as she collapsed to her knees. The sound of her gasping breaths caused Fox to look back, and upon seeing her kneeling there approached her cautiously…

"Reena?" Fox called trying to get her face to look away from the ground, "What's wrong?"

The vixen's breaths sounded like soft sobs as she looked to him with tear filled eyes. "M-marr."

******

Mahlay stood there looking over the small, bloodstained area. He had been right -- destroying the council was far easier than he'd thought. Their attacks didn't even seem to faze him, and for the most part he'd left the battle with the five completely unscathed. However, it was as he walked away from the scene that a familiar animal appeared, whom with Mahlay was quite familiar, a young male from the tribe, soft-spoken and relaxed, incredibly solitary for a male Cerinian. Marr was one to steer clear of a conflict. He'd found at an early age that he had no stomach for fighting, and in such was discouraged by the other males, most of whom held their own abilities on higher ground than the more physical abilities of the females. The animal seemed to burst from the underbrush speeding to a downed elder, sliding on his knees to the animal's side. With tears in his eyes, the young animal drew the old vulpine's bloody face to his chest, as he realized that the animal had been dead for some time. His father was the one animal in the village that seemed to always understand him, and now that was gone. Mahlay could only stand there and watch as Marr's body began to shake violently. Marr had never really experienced grief before, he'd never lost anyone so close to him. Who would ever accept who he was now? He slowly laid his father's body back to the ground and stood. Upon looking to the blood on his paws, Marr slowly ran his fingers diagonally across his face…leaving four perfect trails of his father's blood across his face, before raising his fists into a type of fighting stance Mahlay had never seen before…

"The elders…my father…and you attacked Reena," the young animal growled, "I used to think you were just like me," he said, "Now I know the truth. And I swear by my father's blood that you will never leave this place alive."

Mahlay chuckled. "Do you not see what I've done? I have freed us all from the shackles of those hypocrites," the smug animal before him replied, "There is only one person left standing in my way, from claiming what is rightfully mine and from showing the others of the village the truth that these fools tried hiding from us…"

Marr was not the strongest, or most gifted animal in the tribe, but he could see nothing but twisted hatred and black thoughts in the animal's mind. There was nothing to his blank expression, the animal no longer knew what emotion was. Whatever stood before him now, was no Cerinian. It was a simple shell, devoid of compassion or feeling. He felt nothing for what he'd done to the elders, and now he had in his mind to kill the only remaining elder left…Krystal's father…

"You really think all of this will make her want you Mahlay?" Marr asked driving his father's staff into the ground, "That's right, Reena told me everything," he said, "You used some form of telepathy to control the minds of all the animals you've killed, the same ability that you tried to use on her before they turned you over to the council. You're the most pathetic animal I've ever seen."

"You hear this Mahlay?" Rath'ma's voice echoed, "He dares to mock you. He insults you and is clearly challenging you."

Without warning Marr leaped forward tucking into a short roll. Mahlay managed to leap over the cerulean furred vulpine moments before a punch from the animal seemed to cause a large stone he'd been standing before to crumble. Mahlay looked to the stone questioning to himself how the animal could have possibly done this, when Krystal or Reena would have struggled to make a sizeable fissure in the thing…

"How did you…" Mahlay began before Marr stood shaking the dust from his knuckles.

"Some of us are a bit more special that others, Mahlay."

With that the enraged fox leaped forward throwing his outstretched fingertips and claws at his father's killer as if stabbing at him with a spear of some kind. Mahlay held up what was left of his ruined staff in an attempt to block the strike, only to have the golden shaft snap in two, before he quickly rolled to one side. It was as he knelt near one of the downed Elders, that Mahlay noticed a small cut under his eye. How did this even happen? Marr's paw never got close enough to cut him…

"You look surprised Mahlay?" Marr said standing up, "Why do you think I've always steered clear of the other males? I was born, unable to use any magic at all. I've been training my body since the day I was old enough to understand that I would never live a normal life as a tribesman here," he said, "I've learned, in deep concentration of training, things you could only dream of. You think your life has been unfair? How do you think it's been living in a place between? The females don't accept me as a hunter, and there would never be a male alive that would accept me as the person I am because in their eyes I'd be lower than them. I'd have given anything to be where you were in life…people at the least accepted you where you stood."

Mahlay stood chuckling to himself. "You really are pathetic…" the animal shouted breaking into full-blown laughter, "Even a rock contains the power of magic, every infant knows that. To say you have none at all places you below even that stone you just destroyed."

Marr huffed. "At least the female I pursue does not turn away from me when I look at her," he smiled.

Marr could tell he'd hit the spot he'd aimed for, as he noticed the psychotic animal's lip curl in a slight twitch. "What's the matter Mahlay?" he asked, "Krystal will never accept you…and if she doesn't accept you now, what makes you believe she'll think otherwise knowing that you've killed so many? Especially now that you plan on going after her father?" He sighed. "You're a bigger fool than anyone I've ever known. Elder Tyrius would destroy you before you got close enough to see him, and once he knew what was in that head of yours he'd pull you apart and burn the scraps. You wouldn't even be a memory anymore."

Releasing an enraged roar, Mahlay shot forward swinging the two pieces of his broken weapon at the animal's face. Marr found himself dodging these attacks by narrow margins, something he could hardly afford as thanks to his earlier attack, the weapon now had sharp points where it had broken. Another pass of the weapon in Mahlay's right paw, and Marr fell back licking a bit of blood from a wound across the side of his muzzle. Mahlay had clearly aimed for his eye. It was now that Marr realized that there wasn't even a sliver of honor left in Mahlay's body. There was no telling when the animal would start to use the abilities all other males possessed that Marr lacked. In a sudden rush of desperation to end the fight before it could get started, Marr burst forward with a movement that Mahlay had all but missed, only to barely leap out of the way of the leg sweep that swung in at his knees. However, as he landed he'd found that Marr's back was now to him. Before he could respond however, Marr rolled onto his hands driving both feet down across Mahlay's shoulders, forcing him to his back. Following through with the attack Marr landed on Mahlay's chest, driving his fist into the murderer's gut. Marr took a relieved breath when he felt a warm spat of blood spray the back of his neck, as Mahlay released a silent cry of agony, before his body fell limp beneath Marr.

Certain that he'd eliminated the threat, Marr found his way to his feet. He was a bit winded but, for the most part he was happy with the results of the fight. However, Marr's back when rigid as he heard the sound of Mahlay's rolling neck giving off several loud pops…

"I have to admit…" Mahlay said, "That really…really hurt. However, magic has its benefits," he said.

As Marr turned around, Mahlay opened his palm at waist height causing Marr's arms and legs to splay out as if being held in place by invisible ropes before he slowly began to levitate several feet off the ground. "For instance. Did you know that with the proper application of certain forces you could nullify shockwaves? Through stone, ground…bone," he finished with a sick smile, "Did you honestly think after seeing what you did to that stone I was going to risk all of this on a fist fight with you?" he said closing his fist a bit causing Marr to scream out in pain, "Do you realize that at any moment I could grind you into dust? Were you that desperate to gain everyone's recognition? Or was this all for your dearly departed father?" he asked kicking the nearby corpse of the animal's father, "This fool didn't have the kind of power you've got in your little finger. He didn't deserve a seat on the council…none of them did. If they all lost to me…one little outcast," Mahlay said placing his paw on his chest, "What makes you think that they could ever protect us from all the things out there?"

"It is not our place to question the elders…"

Mahlay laughed. "Did your father ever tell you the truth?" he asked, "Do you even remember what happens at this little gathering? Six young males come in, are sworn to secrecy," he started, "Why is it only three have ever come back from this gathering?" he asked, "Six young never come here…three candidates, three sacrifices. That is why no more than three have ever survived. Haven't you ever found that just a bit strange?"

"You're lying…father would never…"

Mahlay laughed out loud. "Don't fool yourself. You know perfectly well what happened to the long-eared stranger all those years ago…you were there. I can see it in your mind, you block it out, but you can't hide it from me. Your father and the other elders left him to die in the volcano didn't they?" he asked, "You see I know the truth," he said pulling something from his clothing, a small golden chain, "This was his. And where do you think I found it? Right where your father left it, around the neck of an animal that just wanted to go home."

Marr struggled to break the invisible grasp about his limbs, but he simply couldn't move. "You act as though you care. Don't try to lie to yourself Mahlay, the only thing you'll ever care about is yourself. I do not need telepathy to tell me that much about you, I can see your greed…I can see right through you."

With a flick of his wrist a piece of Mahaly's weapon shot through the animal's side. "Funny," he chuckled. "Now I really can see through you."

******

Fox knelt down to help the vixen off the ground. Whatever had happened it was strange, almost as if something had stricken her heart…however, it was as she looked to him that he realized exactly what it was that plagued the young vixen. Somehow she'd just lost a very important connection with someone very dear to her…

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Reena paused for a moment as if in disbelief. "Marr…I…I can't feel him…his mind's been shut off from me."

Fox looked back over his shoulder. "Marr? Is that your mate's name?"

The vixen's paws were shaking, the tears in her eyes seemed to fall even without her knowledge of them…

"Yes…I…" she stuttered standing up, "I…but I cannot feel him anymore."

Fox reached for Galya. "I fear the worst…something about the air of this land…feels so…wrong."

"Here," he said passing the knife to Reena, "Remember how it works?"

The vixen quickly took the knife staring sharply into the blade, but instantly dropped it closing her paws over her muzzle as the tears that fell from her eyes seemed to fall at a greater pace. Fox could hear her mutter her mate's name under her breath…

"I remember that feeling…" he thought to himself.

"I feel for the poor dear…" Galya's voice replied.

Fox sighed deeply before resting his paw on the vixen's shoulder. "Go…" he said, "I can find my way to the mountain from here. Just go find him," he said helping her up, "I'm sure I can find Krystal, and when I do I'll bring her back to the village with me."

"The…the elders…they're dead, I saw them laying there with Marr," she said, "This is Mahlay's doing…I know it is. He's the only one that would do something like this," she said, "Make sure Krystal knows…her father…he…he's an elder…"

"I will…" Fox replied, "Don't worry. I promise I'll find her and bring her back to the village."

"Be careful though…these woods are dangerous…" Reena said, "Just keep headed for the mountain and you should be fine," she finished rushing off into the woods praying that she would find Marr alive if not unharmed.

******

James was surprised at having a difficult time keeping up with the young vixen his son had spoken so keenly about. Her steps were light, and she moved like the wind itself…he could scarcely believe one so young and feminine looking could possibly be so athletic. He had hardly managed to understand what she'd mentioned earlier before rushing off into the woods with him being practically dragged behind her…

"Hold on." he finally shouted wrenching his arm free, "What the hell is going on!?"

Krystal took a moment to catch her breath, calming her heavy panting. "Mahlay. He was banished for killing all the males in the village that were trying to win my favor," she said, "There was supposed to be no way back from the Hall of Ancients…but, I felt him there when I found you collapsed. That means he planned this from the beginning…and my father is one of the elders…but I cannot sense the other elders anymore."

James blinked in amazement. "Wait. Are you telling me that you can sense life forces?"

Krystal shook her head. "That's not important right now, just keep running.'

James hardly knew what to do. The young vixen was clearly distraught by something as he could hear her labored breathing, and sense an urgent need to be somewhere in how she moved, barely leaving him room to keep up when she could have easily overtaken him. The vixen's trek through the woods however slowed as she turned to find James leaning against a thick tree, breathing heavily while holding his side. His injury was still a factor. Her healing was good, but it wasn't good enough to stave off death completely…the injury was still there, it was simply brought to a non-lethal state…

"S-sorry…kid," the older vulpine huffed, "Can't keep this pace…feels like…my insides are in a knot."

Krystal sighed as she lowered her head. "I…I am sorry for rushing you," she said laying her ears back, "I just thought that if I could stop it this time…everything would be better."

James took a labored breath. "I understand what you mean. Can't say I'd do anything different…just try to consider the consequences before rushing off into something that may come back to bite you in the ass…pardon my language."

Krystal growled inwardly. "I know what you mean. Saving my father could have a lasting effect on things, but, there is no telling what kind of lasting effect it could be…just because it worked out for the worst for Fox doesn't mean that it will for me as well."

James sighed. "And what if it does?" he asked, "What if saving this place, or even your own father…there's an innocent somewhere else that dies? You really think you can live with that?" he asked, "I'm not telling you what to do, I'm simply telling you. I can see that you're worried, but I can also see that you want to do the right thing. Well sometimes the right thing isn't always the easiest."

"Fox and I have been given a gift…" the vixen retaliated, "Can't you see that? You have no idea what kind of wrongs and evils we've seen in that life, how many innocents we had to bury, how many friends I had to watch die…or how long I've spent alone," she said, "Are you telling me that none of that is worth trying to change?"

James forced himself to stand up. "No. I'm only saying that life is the way it is for a reason. There are no second chances. That is why we're given one life and only one life to make our mistakes and move on. I don't know whether to call you and Fox's predicament a curse or a blessing. On one hand, Fox's mother is still alive…on another, Peppy is dead now. Fox saved his mother's life, and because of that, one of his best friends' lives was changed forever. You can't honestly stand there and tell me that these things don't bother you…because I can see that they do."

Krystal sighed as she turned away from the older animal. "And because Fox was willing to give up his own life, he managed to save another…who never should have died in the first place," she replied.

"That's not our decision to make…" James replied, "But regardless of that, you can't go around altering the future at a whim. Time finds a way Krystal. Like it or not, your father will eventually die. So will I, and Fox, and you. It's all a matter or when and where. It's just a fact of life that you have to accept."

Krystal slowly began to walk off into the woods. "He's still my father," she half whispered, "He and my mother gave me life…the least I can do is protect his."

"What are you so afraid of?" James asked.

Krystal shuddered. "It's all happening sooner than it was supposed to," she said, "The signs are already here. The council, the late ongoing winter, and the meteor showers that hit before you crashed," she said, "We only have about four days left."

James stepped toward her. "Four days until what?"

Krystal looked back over her shoulder with tears in her eyes. "Until Cerinia becomes a memory again." She paused for a moment. "I wish…" she said lowering her head, "I wish Fox was here."

It was as the vixen stood there that something caused her right ear to twitch, zeroing in on something. James looked in the direction as she turned that way and placed a paw on her chest. Her tears seemed to calm a bit, as she sniffled and wiped her eyes. Suddenly the vixen darted into the woods. James was stricken, he had no idea what was going on, she was hauling off this way faster than she had toward her village, and this time she was going the wrong way. The older fox had a hard time with it, but he quickly rushed off after her. At times he lost the vixen as she plowed through the underbrush, but as powerful as her scent was he'd not be loosing her anytime soon. However, as he rushed through the twisted path of trees and brush, James brought himself to a stop nearly running into the vixen's back before falling on his backside. He looked up to see that she'd frozen in place staring at something just through the brush and foliage where James couldn't see at the moment. There was clearly an animal she was watching, as James could hear heavy footsteps, along with painful, labored breaths. He stood and looked out over the small path Krystal watched only to have his eyes go wide with amazement. The young vulpine that staggered through the woods was his spitting image, heading toward the mountain. James looked to the volcano and back to the young animal. He knew that was where Krystal was…he had to, there was no other reason for him to be in this place walking in this direction…

It was as he watched on that James noticed something. Fox had stopped in his tracks. His eyes drew closed, and his head tilted back, while his chest expanded and fell with a heavy breath. The young vulpine's eyes opened and his head turned to meet the eyes of the vixen that was already standing down the path from him. Fox didn't know what to do at first. He knew he smelled the gorgeous animal, but he'd been caught off guard. However, it was as he looked to her delicate face that something dawned on him; she had tears in her eyes, and she was shaking as if waiting for him to say something. I love you…he wasn't sure why he couldn't say it, or anything else at that moment. He found that the only thing he could do was smile, and open his arms to her. Without a word the vixen shot across the area, throwing her arms around him with a force that dragged him to the ground. There were a thousand things he wanted to say to her, but his words were all choked off by the disbelief that she was in his arms again. All the things he wanted to say to her were instantly washed away now that he held her, and he swore to himself that he'd never let her go again. He could feel the vixen's tears fall against his cheek. She pulled away to look into the vulpine's eyes -- eyes she could scarcely recall. It was as she felt his paw graze the fur of her cheek that she lurched forward drawing the young vulpine into a passionate embrace. James, who still stood on the sidelines, simply rolled his eyes away from the two turning his back to them. Regardless of what was happening, the two had earned their time together. Fox could never recall having had a kiss last so long, but at the moment he refused to let her go…

James sighed as he walked a short distance away. He understood that the two were overjoyed to see each other again. Hell, the whole scene made him miss Vixy that much more than he already did. The animal walked before finding a small place to sit and think before he stopped and looked toward the west. He could almost feel the powerful scent of blood that lingered through the air…

******

Mahlay sighed as he looked onto Marr, who still hung in the air for a moment, before Mahlay allowed the body to fall to the ground. He took a moment to wipe a bit of blood from his face before looking away. The animal sighed as he began to walk away from the scene…

"You are almost there Mahlay," Rath'ma's voice echoed in the young Cerinian's skull, "In the end I am the only one you can trust. I promised you that I would help you, and I stay by my word. You will soon have all that you have ever wanted."

"Not yet…" he replied, "There is still one more elder that would stand in my way. I need to think this through clearly. Given the proper grounds, Elder Tyrius could tear me apart with thoughts alone."

Rath'ma chuckled. "You plan on luring him into a position using his mate. That is a bold statement my friend."

Mahlay scoffed as he slowly walked away from the scene. "You are right, it is a bold move. That is why I am certain it will work. Since I was young I have never seen Tyrius angry, sad, happy…Krystal and her mother are the only two that have ever seen that side of him. If I can pull out his emotions I can mentally weaken him…then, there will be nobody to stand against me."

The vulpine slowly made his way out into the woods again, leaving the scene of death behind him. By the time any would manage to find the site of this massacre it would already be far too late. The obsessed animal's plans were set well into motion, and so far, everything was working to scale…