Chapter Twelve
Link vs. Wolf
Wolf was walking out of the Temple of Time, directly behind him was Link and behind Link was Leon and Panther. Star Wolf was taking Link captive back to Ganondorf, Link went along with it in hoping on unraveling this whole mystery on Zelda, Fox, Ganondorf's return and much more. However, Link did not want to go back as a captive but at this point what choice did he have? Three against one were terrible odds; Leon is quick, Panther is twice his size in both stature and physical strength and Wolf was strong, quick and too formidable an opponent. They threw him around like a rag doll in the Temple of Time and to try to fight them now would only end badly.
As the sun shined down on Link after exiting the Temple, he looked up and wondered how Zelda was and where she was at, if Fox is working with Ganondorf and if these thugs that where escorting him back to the castle were more are than just scum. Link felt a break in the wind and a gust quickly picked up behind him and before Link knew it he had a giant sharp claw in both of his shoulders and was flying away.
Link looked up on what it was and had a big smile on his face, "Kaepora Gaebora, boy am I glad to see you," Link climbed up the talons of the giant owl and made himself comfy on his back.
"I told you I was going to keep an eye on you and give you a ride when you got out of the temple."
"Thanks a lot…" Link looks down at the ground, "We might have a problem."
"Leon, Panther get to the Wolfen quickly," Wolf points in the direction where their ships were located.
Leon and Panther was already a step ahead of him and both used their automatic starters in their communicators to warm up their Wolfens, "What about you, Wolf?" Panther noticed Wolf wasn't making a run for his Wolfen.
"We might have another problem, boys," Wolf points up in the sky as he noticed two Arwings break the atmosphere.
Panther and Leon stop and look up, "It has to be the girls; Amanda and Katt Monore," Panther acknowledges the style the Arwings are moving.
"Hmph, how can you tell?" Leon looks at Panther.
Panther smiles, "I just can, let's say that."
Wolf cuts in, "It doesn't matter who it is, it is still Star Fox. If it is the girls, you two can easily take them down, you two take them down, I'll take out Link and the owl."
-
"Katt, look it's Link on a giant owl," Amanda points towards the owl, even though Katt couldn't see her in another aircraft.
"I see him, Amanda. We also have Star Wolf taking off near that temple down there, we have a four against two odds, what should we do?"
"Slippy, this is Amanda can you read me?"
On the Great Fox, Slippy is still trying to find more information on the planet and locations of the Triforce parts, "Amanda, what do you got?"
"Slippy, this is Katt. We have Link on a giant owl, however we also have the full Star Wolf team."
"I still haven't heard word from Falco, and Fox just reported in from the lake over the Water Temple he said he got the Shadow Medallion. Falco isn't responding but I'll see if I can't get Fox and I will be down there as soon as I can, for now engage Star Wolf in battle."
"Amanda, you heard him."
Leon and Panther break off of Wolf's formation and charges for the girls as Wolf continues after Link.
"Katt, Panther and Leon are heading towards us."
"Let's take them down."
A dogfight is quickly engaged between Star Fox and Star Wolf as Wolf continues for Link.
"Katt, help," Panther is closing in behind Amanda.
"You need to work on your skills girl," Panther holds up a rose as he is flying, "You know death is soon when you see my rose."
"I'll try, Amanda but Leon is giving me a run."
Katt spins her Arwing towards Amanda and Panther and she is going to try to cut Panther off by flying in between the aircrafts breaking Panther's line of sight. Leon spins from underneath Katt and starts firing at her belly. Katt quickly spins her ship counterclockwise dodging the fire and continues forward towards Panther and starts firing her blasters towards Panther.
"Dang it, Leon. Can't you do anything right?" Panther spins out letting Amanda go and circling up to get away from Katt's line of fire.
"Oh come on, Panther. If you weren't playing with that damn rose you would have shot Amanda down by now."
"Hey, watch yourself," Panther holds up the rose again, "Never insult the rose."
Wolf fires at the owl, hitting him on his tail feathers.
"Link, it is too dangerous for me. Head towards the desert to the west."
"Thank you," Link leans over the side as the owl flies towards the ground.
"I will be watching over you."
Wolf lands his Wolfen a little West of the old ranch and a few miles from the desert, not far from Falco and Kursed's battle, when he noticed Link jump off the owl and onto the ground. Link runs up towards the Wolfen and pulls out his sword, Wolf jumps out of the Wolfen and engages Link with his blades.
"You won the first time in the Fire Temple," Wolf sneers at Link, "I won in the Temple of Time."
Link looked up into Wolf's eyes holding his sword and trying to push the larger creature back, "You had help in the
Temple of Time, I hardly count that a win for you."
Wolf uses his blades and pushes Link back down, "And that giant mountain of a creature that tackled me in the Fire Temple? That was just a coincidence.
"Fine, one on one looks like."
"You will not survive, Link. However, I will fight with honor," Wolf speaks into his communicator in his shoulder, "Leon, Panther take out the girls then find the rest of Star Fox. Leave Link to me, I wish to face him alone."
"Honorable of you, I will give you that," Link kicks Wolf in his knee, dropping the bigger opponent down to one knee.
"Not bad," Link swings downward towards Wolf, who quickly puts his blades in an X shape holding off Link's sword. Wolf struggles and ends up back on his feet and punches Link in the face knocking him to the ground.
As Link is on the ground, he takes his sword and stabs the bigger opponent in the foot. Wolf howls in pain as Link pulls his sword back out and gives Wolf a slash right up his leg as Link stands back up. Wolf bends down to grab his injury and Link punches Wolf in the face knocking the bigger creature on his back. Link stands over his Wolf pointing his sword into Wolf's face.
"You surrender?"
Wolf gives a smile, "Not yet," Wolf spins his feet and interlocks with Link's feet knocking Link down. Wolf backflips back up and Link also gets back to his feet, Wolf runs up and kicks Link's sword hand causing Link to be wide open for a bigger attack, and it came. Wolf slices Link's sword arm with one of his blades, giving him a giant cut on his right arm and follows up with a spin kick to Link in the chest, causing Link to fall hard.
"I won't give you the same mercy," Wolf runs at Link, jumps in the air and points his blades downward and is planning on diving on Link blades first. Link rolls out of the way and Wolf's smile quickly turned into a surprised Link as his blades just got stuck in the ground.
"Thanks for the opening," Link, still laying on his back, kicks Wolf in the face causing Wolf to fly, blades and all.
-
Falco is on his back and is holding his hand out as Kursed walks closer with her staff in her left hand and Falco's blaster that she picked up in her right hand, "Come on, Krystal. Why are you doing this?"
"I told you, Fox must pay for what he did to me."
"Ok, two things wrong with that picture. One, he has already paid enough by losing you, he regrets what he did so much, Krystal. And two, I am not Fox."
Kursed shows her teeth with a deranged smile, "Falco, I must also admit, taking you down a few notches is just a bonus."
"Ok, Krystal you win. I will never underestamate you again."
"Are you saying I am better then you?"
Falco puts his hand down, "Now wait a minute, I never said that, I just said that…OW!" that was as far as he got as Kursed smacked him in the beak with her staff.
"Admit it, Falco, I am better then you."
"You are insane, Krystal."
Kursed points the blaster towards Falco and his eyes open wide, "Come on, Krystal. Don't do it."
"Don't I want to?" She walks closer to him and puts the blaster in his mouth, "So should I just pull the trigger and blow your damn brains out?"
With a severly muffled voice, "Krystal, please don't do this."
"I won't kill you, not yet anyway," Kursed pulls the blaster back out and smacks him in the face with the blaster knocking him out cold, points the blaster over his unconscious body and before she pulled the trigger she heard an engine rustling. Kursed looks up in the air, "An Arwing," Kursed turns her head from where the sound is coming from, "it's approaching from the lake, has to be Fox," Kursed looks down at Falco and smiles, "I will take care of you later," Kursed walks into the path leading into the desert, after she gets out of sight she holds up a familiar Orange Medallion and teleports out and back to Ganon's Castle.
-
Falco is still unconscious as Fox lands his Arwing near him and comes to help.
"Falco, are you ok?" Fox goes down to one knee and looks over Falco's injuries trying to figure out what caused them. Falco is still out cold and can't answer his friend's call. "Wait a minute," Fox pulls out his staff and lines them on Falco's face where one of the many injuries seem to have the same borderline, "It is the same indention, that could mean only…no," Fox looks down to the ground and lets himself fall down to his butt, "She wouldn't."
"Actually, she would," Falco slowly tries to sit up. Fox holds him by his shoulder.
"Easy, Falco."
"I am fine, Fox," Falco sits all the way up, "Just a few bruises and other things," Falco is talking mostly about his ego then anything else.
"Come on, we need to go back to the Great Fox and get you healed up. Where are the others?"
"Last time, I checked Slippy and the girls were on the Great Fox."
"Ok, let's go, you are in no condition to fly so…"
"Fox, let's get one thing straight, I am Falco…"
"Say no more," Fox had a big smile on his face, not even an ass-whoopin would keep Falco's ego down, despite nearly being killed.
-
The bridge of the Great Fox opened with Falco's arm over Fox and is limping into the room.
"Slippy, bring out a medical bed for Falco and bring it into the bridge."
"Not a problem, Fox."
After the bed was moved into the bridge and Falco was placed on it, the conversation began.
"Slippy, call the girls back up here," Fox points at the computer.
"I would, Fox. But the girls are fighting Star Wolf and Link is there with a giant owl. It also seems as if Star Wolf is fighting Link as well."
Fox walks over to the computer and punches in the girls' Arwings, "Katt, Amanda, get out of there and return to the Great Fox."
"Fox, this is Katt. We can't just leave, we have Star Wolf and Link down here."
"Let Star Wolf go after Link, they might do us a favor. Now you two get up here."
-
"Amanda, let's get out of here," Katt and Amanda spin their ships up and goes for the break of the atmosphere to get back to the Great Fox.
Panther and Leon start chasing after them, "Leon, let's let them go and give Wolf a hand."
"He said he wanted to handle this himself."
"They are returning to the Great Fox, they are retreating. Also, we can't face them on the Great Fox and we can make sure that Link is defeated."
"Fine," Leon and Panther break off the chase and fly towards the direction of Wolf and Link.
-
Link runs at Wolf, who is still on the ground, and leaps into the air pointing his sword downward towards Wolf. He is going to finish Wolf off once and for all.
Wolf reaches into his vest and pulls out a small blaster and shoots Link in the shoulder causing him to fall straight down in front of Wolf who quickly roundhouse kicks him in the hip giving Wolf the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Wolf looks up into the air and smiles when he hears the sounds of two jet engines.
"I thought you were going to fight one on one," Link staggers to his feet, puts his sword down and reaches behind his back.
Wolf sneers at Link, "I didn't ask them to come."
"Then you don't mind if I got rid of them."
Wolf begins to laugh, "Go ahead, this might be interesting," Wolf steps back and gives Link the floor being entirely smug, knowing Link has no chance against two Wolfen ships and the skill of Leon and Panther inside.
As Leon and Panther approach, Link holds his hands together and starts to meditate as if calling for something.
"Goddess of the Wind, I call your power again," Link slowly opens his hands as a giant boomerang appears like magic, "Behold the power of the Gale Boomerang."
Wolf opens his eyes wide and decides it is time to retreat as he begins to jog back to his Wolfen.
Link spins the boomerang over his head around and around as Leon and Panther get closer, "Time to fly mistress of the wind."
Link unleashes the boomerang towards the two approaching ships.
"What is that?" Leon begins to notice a giant boomerang followed by a giant gust approaches him at top speed.
"I don't know," Panther holds on the sides of his chair as the gust becomes a tornado, "but I am afraid we are about to find out."
The boomerang goes around and around the two Wolfen's and sucks them into a giant tornado.
"PANTHER! I TOLD YOU WE SHOULD HAVE CHASED THE GIRLS!" The two ships are spinning around each other and the speed is only getting faster and faster.
"SHUT THE HELL UP, LEON!"
Link smiles and notices Wolf is almost to his Wolfen and points in his direction, the boomerang follow his command and starts circling around Wolf and his Wolfen.
"Aww, crap…whoa whoa whoa Whoa WHOA!!!" Wolf, still outside his ship was risen up into the same tornado, along with his ship.
As Wolf reached the height of Leon and Panther's ship, he could only pray that the three ships didn't hit him at this speed because it could be deadly if they made impact, "DIDN'T I TELL YOU TWO, I WANTED TO FIGHT ALONE? NOW LOOK WHERE YOU GOT US!"
"SHUT UP, WOLF!"
"SHUT UP, WOLF!"
Leon and Panther wanted nothing to do with Wolf's complaining at this stage.
Link sat back with his sword over his shoulder as he watched the tornado shoot Star Wolf out of the top and they all fell somewhere in the distance towards the North. The boomerang returned to Link and as he reached up to catch it he whispered into the boomerang, "Thank you for your assistance."
The boomerang disappered as soon as it touched Link's hand, he put his weapons away and resumed him journey towards the desert on foot.
-
Lucky for Wolf he fell directly on the ground and the three ships fell around him, none of them were seriously hurt, however they were extremely dizzy and lightheaded.
"So, boys. After my head stops spinning and we can walk and fix these ships, we are heading to that damn castle in the desert."
Leon and Panther did not answer as the three members of Star Wolf layed still and took this moment to rest and recharge and it can be stated, that they will never underestamate Link again.
-
After Katt and Amanda returned to the Great Fox, the entire Star Fox team joined up on the bridge to discuss the prediciment that they are in. Falco was in the bed that was moved into the bridge so he could be part of the meeting as well.
The hologram in the middle had the Triforce in the middle and the Six Medallions surrounding it.
Fox stood to Falco's left as Katt on the right holding his hand. Slippy and Amanda took the seats around the hologram pushing the buttons bringing up Scales', Ganondorf's, Zelda's, Link's, Dark Link's and Krystal's faces.
"Who are these two?" Fox points to Ganondorf and Zelda.
"The man is Ganondorf, the evil King," Katt points to Ganondorf and then moves to Zelda, "this is the Princess Zelda."
"Zelda? Link mentioned her a couple of time in our battles. Who is she and this Ganondorf?" Fox places his right hand under his chin and crosses his left.
Amanda cuts in, "We found that the Triforce broke into those three parts many years ago. The Triforce of Power is in the hand of Ganondorf, the Evil King, but was defeated long ago. The Triforce of Wisdom is held by the princess Zelda and here is a shock for you, our enemy Link has the Triforce of Courage."
Fox lays his right hand over his left arm, "Interesting, so why does he keep mentioning Zelda in our fights, and why would he capture Krystal?"
Slippy takes this one, "He probably wants the Medallions to get Zelda's part and he probably thinks we are holding her and is trying to trick us into giving her to him or something. As for Krystal…"
Katt cuts him off, "Her unique powers could help him, she must be saved."
"That twisty bitch doesn't want to be saved."
Fox lost his mind only a split second but that was all he needed as he used his right hand and back handed Falco right in the beak and would have knocked him out of the bed if Katt didn't hold onto him.
Fox shook his head and when he realized what he did he was quick to apologize.
"I am so sorry, Falco. I don't know what came over me."
"It's fine and I am sorry too, Fox. I hope we can save her, but you need to know she is really hurt."
Fox looks to the floor, "I know," Fox shakes his head knowing he can't be distracted right now, "What we need is a plan. All the medallions are found but I don't know who has the yellow and orange ones. I have the purple and blue, Link has Green and Red…"
Falco rubs his beak from where he was hit and opens his eyes, "Maybe Scales has them."
"Of course," Fox hits his fist in his hand, "It is the only explaination, he wants these powers for himself. Looks as if the desert is our next stop."
"Just the desert? We have radar of Star Wolf a little northeast of the desert and Link is walking towards it," Katt points at the map, "I believe we need to figure out the connection between Link and Scales before this encounter, for if we don't, we could be walking right into a trap."
"We need a plan and we need reinforcements. We have Link, Dark Link, Scales and his army, not to mention the locals around here that will side with Link…even……Krystal," Fox looks at her image on the computer, "I want her being my responsibility, I am the only one that can save her. So no matter what, I will battle her."
"Fox," Falco buts his hand on his buddy's shoulder, "are you sure you want to go through with that? It could be more damaging then you can imagine."
"This whole thing is my fault, Falco. It has to be me to end it. Slippy, did you get in touch with General Peppy?"
"That is why I am here."
Fox spins around while an old friend makes his way to the bridge.
