Woo, serious writers block hangover right now. After two dumb chapters and a songfic, it's back! Alright, R/R please (Oh, and shoutout to everyone who's reviewed or PMed-thanks for the support!)
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"Alright, battle formation!" General Peppy's voice rang out over the comm. system. "Let's go find our leaders!"
Falco, Krystal, Slippy, Leon and Panther each replied, then moved in a tight, clean formation towards their past battleground. Slippy, being the weakest pilot, took the center, with Krystal and Falco leading to his right and left, and Leon and Panther taking up the rear.
When they reached the grounds, the combined teams looked around. "Alright," said Falco. "Which way could they hav-"
He was cut off by a flash of pink laser, identical to the one that Wolf had been shot down by. It sliced between Slippy and Falco, grazing the nose of Slippy's Arwing. "Argh! What was that?" Slippy cried out.
Remembering the laser, Leon's voice echoed through the channel. "That's what shot down Wolf! We gotta get out of here!"
Peppy agreed. He'd witnessed the Wolfen's fall from his screen, and remembered the way Wolf's ship had a clean slice straight through as it plummeted. He couldn't risk that happening to anyone else, especially since their two leaders were gone and none of the teammates who remained were as skilled at flying except Falco. "You heard 'em! Evasive maneuvers!"
The group did a 180 turn, then took off towards the Great Fox. Krystal, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke up. "No matter what, we must try to get them back."
Panther's voice replied, determined. "Not try, my dear. We will."
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Fox opened his tired eyes, realizing he still couldn't see anything. He must have slept all day; the sun had left the sky hours ago. Slowly, he sat up. His eyes adjusting, he faintly saw Wolf a few feet away, snoring slightly. For some reason, knowing he was their made Fox feel a little better.
Sure, he may be lost, but at least he wasn't alone.
A snap of a twig caught the fox's attention. Turning toward the sound, Fox silently stood to his feet. His hand reached toward his waist, but then dropped limply to his side as he remembered he had no blaster. Sighing, he looked out into the trees.
The glowing stars and pale light of the crescent moo above gave little light, but it was enough for Fox to see a figure kneeling in the bushes. He felt the icy glare of the shadowy being cut into him. Fox quietly circled the trees, trying to get around them. He didn't want anything disturbing the sleeping lupine.
Finally, when Fox reached the other end of the trees, his voice came as a loud whisper. "Show yourself." The figure stood from his kneeling position and walked into the clearing. Fox's eyes widened, his breath quickening. "You...no. It can't be." The figure kept approaching. It's rounded ears remained rigid, and his paws left nearly no noise as it contacted the dusty earth beneath them.
About a foot from Fox, the figure stopped. It's mouth curled into a menacing smile, and it's voice belonged to someone who would normally be seen in a mental hospital. It was hardened by years alone, hatred of others, but Fox could still hear the truly maniacal tone as it spoke. "We meet again, Fox McCloud."
Fox's eyes narrowed. "I killed you. 10 years ago, I blew you up. You are dead," he spoke, his voice calm despite the impossibilities he was listing. "You can't be alive."
The apelike silhouette replied, his voice full of psychotic malice. "But I am. And I have come here to do the one thing I've been trying to do ever since I killed your father." Its cold eyes locked onto Fox's, sensing the slight stab of fear in his emerald eyes. "And that one thing...is to kill you."
A paw swung out of the blackness, which Fox barely evaded. The ape was angry he'd missed, and let out a yell. Fox took off towards the rocky cliff where Wolf had encountered the figure of his father. He barely heard the sound of footsteps behind him. Think. He needed to think. He leaped high onto the wall, kicked off, and was shot backwards into the safety of a tree.
Andross? His mind raced. I killed him. But he's here! How can that be...
Suddenly, something in Fox's mind snapped. He remembered Wolf's terrified reaction to the older Wolf, and the story he'd told Fox. The weak point; that's what the larger Wolf had been after. His weak point. And now, this shadow of Andross wanted Fox's. And of course, the weak point for everyone is the same.
Fear.
An idea formed in Fox's mind. Beneath him, Andross stood about five feet from the trunk, back facing the tree. He was looking for the disappearing vulpine. Fox grabbed a tree branch and lowered himself to the ground. His landing startled the ape before him. Collecting himself, the crazed ape let out a chuckle. "You'll be dead before you know it, McCloud."
Fox shook his head and grinned. "No, I won't." The ape threw his head back in laughter, but Fox's grin never faded. "I won't let you win," the vulpine continued, crossing his arms, "because I'm not afraid of you."
The laughter ceased. Andross' eyes opened wide. "But...but how...did you..." he stammered. He took a deep breath. His eyes closed, and he held his right hand out, palm forward, facing Fox. A yellow ball of light illuminated his hand. At the same time, Fox looked down and saw an identical light above his heart. For some strange reason, he didn't feel the light at all.
"What are you doing?" he asked, approaching the ape. But Andross put his hand down and spoke. "Hmm. You are a smart one indeed. But not smart enough."
Andross closed his eyes once more. A sudden breeze blew through the air, ruffling Fox's fur. Small shadows shrouded around Andross' feet. They grew larger, swirling around his body. Soon, only a cloud of shadows could be seen before Fox.
Finally, when the shadows parted, before him was not Andross. The figure now had pointed ears, a pointed tail, and eyes as green as emeralds. His fur was ebony; black as night itself. Besides the color, the new opponent looked strikingly similar to...Fox.
When it spoke, the shadowy twin revealed a voice nearly identical to Fox's, but with tones of rage and hatred as well. "Your fears are limited. This is why you are such a good mercenary. However, there is still something you fear. Something...or someone."
Fox's eyebrows raised. "Myself? How can I be afraid of me?"
Without warning, the black fox shot out at the tan one. Fox found himself with his back to the cliff, as the shadow fox held out its arm over his shoulders. to secure him. "Not all of you. A part. The part that fears that he will let his team down. His fans. His home. The part that worries for the safety and well-being of all who surround him." The ink-colored fox leaned closer, whispering in Fox's ear. "The part that is afraid of failure."
Fox wanted to hit him; to hurt him so badly he'd remember it forever and forever stop his talking. For what the dark fox was saying was true.
He struggled, trying to break free of the shadowed figure's grasp, but it was no use. Both were unaware that the sounds of his struggling had aroused Wolf. Stretching, the sleepy lupine's eyes widened when he noticed Fox was gone. Then, he saw two figures through the trees. The small stretch of light piercing the sky allowed Wolf to see one of the figures struggling against the wall, while the other held him there. The one being held against the cliff resembled Fox, but his opponent, strangely, also looked like Fox.
Wolf squinted, and saw that the one holding off the other was darker than Fox's normal coloring. Involuntarily, Wolf gasped as the darker fox drew a blade from where his gun should have been and held it to Fox's neck. Without thinking, Wolf darted towards them.
"Hey!" Wolf called out, startling the black fox. The real Fox strained his neck towards Wolf, having no clue what was going to happen next.
Wolf's eyes narrowed at the ink-furred fox. "Drop the knife."
"Or what?" It's taunting voice also resembled Fox's.
Wolf cracked his knuckles. "Or we have a problem."
Realizing that Wolf was diverting the attention of his opponent, Fox wriggled out of the other's grip and punched him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. Unfortunately, the darker fox had drained a lot of Fox's energy, and the punch just took up more. Pleading to Wolf with his eyes, he slid down the wall and took deep breaths.
Wolf nodded at Fox, understanding his silent message. He looked back at the black Fox. As he moved forward, he shot a fist at the enemy's head. The ebony fox evaded, irritating Wolf. It was just like fighting the real Fox.
More evading continued, and Wolf was on the verge of madness. Angrily, he tackled the black fox to the ground, knocking him off his feet. He'd pinned down his legs and arms, but the dark fox simply grinned. Wolf blinked, and the fox was gone. Suddenly, he felt an elbow slam into his back. He gasped in pain, falling to the ground. He rolled over and saw the dark fox looking down on him. He reared back a fist to punch Wolf, but the lupine rolled away at the last minute.
Fox had seen what the shadowy fox had done. "Wolf! He can teleport, or something!" He called out to Wolf. Wolf growled.
"Damn! That's not fair!" He swiped at the dark fox from the ground, but it vanished once again. Wolf stood quickly, then heard a voice whisper in his ear.
"Life ain't fair, Wolf."
Instinctively, Wolf's elbow jutted out towards the source of the voice. He smiled slightly went he felt his elbow collide with something. He turned to see the black fox, kneeling over.
He raised his arm over the crouching fox, ready for the final blow. As he brings his arm down, however, a black flash springs to life before his eyes. For a split second, he sees the his arm still in midair, as the dark fox holds it in one hand.
The black fox gives a grin, holding a steel grip on Wolf's forearm. He twists it, causing a roar of pain to erupt within Wolf. He throws Wolf over one shoulder, causing the lupine to land on his back with a thud. Keeping his grasp on Wolf's arm, the fox put a foot on Wolf's stomach. He pulled on the Wolf's arm, causing him to cry in pain again.
During the fight, Fox revived himself. Wolf was in a lot of trouble, and Fox knew he needed help. Determination built up inside him. Just last night, Wolf had asked Fox for help. His heart was set on helping Wolf no matter what.
He picked up a stone of the ground. He juggled it a bit in his hand. It was about the size of his fist. Taking aim, Fox hurled the rock towards the dark figure.
Wolf suddenly felt his arm being released. He glanced up to see the dark fox moaning, rubbing the back of his head. The fox glared at the vulpine at the wall. Fox was fully standing now, arms crossed, grinning. "You!" The black fox called out in rage, then looked down at Wolf. "Heh, may as well take care of you first."
The black fox disappeared. Wolf began to panic a bit, realizing how open he was. He heard footsteps, and painfully turned his head. Fox was running straight at the wall. "Idiot," he muttered. His eyes opened slightly as he saw Fox leap at the wall and kick off it once again. He'd done this twice before as well, but Wolf hadn't seen either time.
While about ten feet airborne over Wolf, Fox called out, "Wolf! Roll on my mark!" Wolf watched as Fox raised his clasped fists above his head. Then, the ebony fox appeared beneath the orange vulpine.
The foe barely had time to turn around when he heard a voice shout, "Mark!" Before he could realize what was happening, the dark fox was plummeting towards the ground. A shooting pain was throbbing from his head. He watched as his original target shifted out of the way, then all he could see was darkness.
The fox was knocked unconscious, if only for half a minute. When he finally regained himself, he realized he was being pinned to the cliff, much like he'd just done to Fox moments before. He blinked, and realized Wolf was the one securing him to the side of the cliff. A few feet behind him stood Fox, arms still crossed, staring him down.
His gaze returned to Wolf, who had a paw grasping his throat. He could still breathe, but not very well. Fox noticed how weakly the ebony fox's breaths were, and spoke to Wolf, "Let go of him."
Grudgingly, Wolf followed the order. The released fox collapsed to the ground. Fox kneeled so they were looking each other in the eye. The orange vulpine held out a small object to his darker self. It resembled a small, blinking button.
"This important?" The black fox held out a hand to try and take it, but the other crumbled it in his fist. "Now that you can't teleport your way out of this one..." Fox said, making eye contact with his copy. "We won't hurt you if you answer our questions. Now, who sent you?"
The other fox didn't answer, causing Wolf's usual impatient nature to grow inside him. "Answer the question!" he roared. Still, no answer. The black fox just looked straight at his twin. Their green eyes were so identical; maybe their minds were as well.
Fox, however, blocked out all the signals the other vulpine sent him. "If you don't answer," he spoke quietly, "then we'll have to make you." He stepped back. "Wolf. You're on."
"With pleasure," the lupine snarled, approaching the collapsed vulpine. "Why won't you answer?" The fox looked up, struggling to his feet.
"Please," he replied to the wolf. "Why would I do that?" He was answered by a kick to the face. The force snapped his neck back, causing him to cry out in pain.
"Who's hurting now, huh?" the lupine questioned, enjoying himself. He balled his uninjured hand into a fist, solidly connecting it with the fox's gut.
The fox struggled for breath, holding his side. "You can't use your arm," he gasped, barely managing the words.
Wolf grinned. "Sucks for you; I'm ambidextrous." The black fox swore under his breath. "What was that?" Wolf asked, grabbing onto the fox's neck once again. The ebony fox said nothing."That's what I thought," Wolf continued. "Now," he continued, tightening his grip on the fox's jugular, "who sent you?"
No answer. The aggravated wolf tightened his grip more, causing the dark fox to gasp for breath. "Can you tell me now?" he asked, rage evident in his voice.
The fox struggled to breathe. Fox realized this, and strode up to Wolf. "Wolf, you're gonna kill him!" Wolf gave Fox a strange look for a second, then both turned their gazes to the black fox. They saw the life slowly fading from his lime-colored eyes.
A whisper faintly escaped the ebony fox's lips. "One of your fears has been defeated." he gasped. "You will only find your true foe when you conquer the other." With that, his eyes closed. His breaths stopped. Wolf released the foe, and Fox felt for a pulse. He was unable to find one.
Fox stood, and turned to face Wolf. The lupine looked down at the ground and muttered, "He pissed me off so much."
Fox rolled his eyes. "Well, as long as you remember what he told us." The lupine closed his eyes, still looking down. "Um, Fox..."
"You can't remember?" Fox yelled, startling the wolf. "You mean we went through all that...and then you don't even...you're unbelievable!"
Wolf slowly looked up to see Fox glaring at him. His eyes glowed fiercely, and his fangs were bared. Wolf hadn't seen him so downright pissed off in a long time.
"You mean...I was supposed to remember?" Wolf asked quietly, causing Fox to stomp on the ground in aggravation. Wolf's eyes widened when he noticed Fox had caused a hole. "Don't hurt me!" Wolf shut his eyes, bracing himself for impact. He was surprised when he heard laughter instead.
Wolf opened his eyes to see Fox doubled over, laughing. Tears streamed down his face. "Oh my god, Wolf, you should have seen yourself! You were practically ready to piss himself!! Ha!" Wolf's muzzle grew redder as Fox continued laughing.
"Have your fun for now, pup," Wolf spoke. Fox stopped. He loathed that nickname so much. "I'll get you back."
"Sure, Wolf, of course." Fox looked around, his eyes settling on the body of the black fox. "And you call me lethal?" Fox looked back at Wolf, smirking. Wolf shrugged.
"So what'd that freak mean by what he said? We have to beat both fears before we reach the final enemy?" Wolf tried to recall all the words that the ebony fox had said.
"Yeah. I think that means we have to find the one that looks like your father." Wolf shuddered a bit, and Fox gave him a comforting look. "If you don't want me to help you, fine. If you want me to do it for you, fine," Fox continued. He didn't exactly know why, but he felt he had to help Wolf.
Wolf wondered why Fox wanted to help. Weren't they rivals? Normally, the answer would be yes. But under the twisted, coincidental circumstances the two were in, they didn't have much of a choice. Wolf looked up at his rival. "I need your help, Fox."
The vulpine nodded. "Well, we should probably go, then," he said. He walked over to the identical fox.
Wolf shot him a questioning look. "Uh, Fox? What are you doing?" Fox didn't answer. He rolled the body over and saw a gun holster. The sky was brighter now, revealing two glints of light from inside the holster. Pulling his paw out, he held two blades. He tossed one at Wolf, who, since he had no holster, strapped it into his shoe. Fox did the same.
"Alright, Fox. Let's go." With that, the two strode into the distance together. Fox flashed back to what he'd thought in the middle of the night. Little did he know Wolf was thinking the same thing.
They may be lost, but at least they weren't alone.
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Okay, if they were a guy and a girl, the end there would have totally led into some romantic love scene. However, as I made clear in the last chapter,
Fox & Wolf: WE AIN'T GAY!
Wait. Where'd you two come from? Well, whatever, they're right. They are not getting into a relationship, 'cuz I like Krystal too much. As should all of you. Anyway, more to come soon. Thank GOD for Spanish class; it ended this bitch of a writing block. So please R/R, more is coming soon.
F&W:
Later!
Okay, go away, you two! As to everyone else, see you around!
