A/N: Some of you will NOT understand what's about to happen in this chapter. Others, it will hit you pretty hard. I've drawn a piece of this story from one of the ACTUAL outcomes from StarFox Command DS. That's right, there are a LOT of endings. If you look up Nightshade64, he has a website that documents 9 of those endings. Some are good endings, some are evil endings, some involve canon-character deaths. Some involve canon-characters switching sides. We're going to delve into that realm of possibility and by the next chapter, hopefully find some sort of closure for it. When the dust settles after this second mission, poor Star will have emotional trauma to bottle up.

Chapter -12-

Crimson O'Donnell and Star McCloud found themselves on the bridge of the GreatFox II dreadnaught, counting money and crunching numbers. Fara was present, as well as Violet, ROB and Tricky. The fennec was sitting at a chair on the far end of the bridge, figuring out expenses against earnings to determine profit. Finally, she turned about and faced those present on the bridge. Everyone glanced up, expectantly.

"Well, for our first mission, we did pretty darn well," Fara said much to the relief of everyone in the room. "Most teams are lucky to break even on their first mission. We would have had more if we brought Andrew in but Sauria has confirmed to the Mercenary Guild that their water is beginning to thin out and the killings have stopped over the last few days which, it seems, is enough. We're in the black on profit, after paying off our expenses, by nearly Twenty Thousand Credits. That's because there was interest paid on the mission because no one had been able to complete it, plus we were paid one third of a Killer's reward and given a finders fee for discovering the identity of the culprit."

"That's damn good," O'Donnell mused, rubbing at his chin. "See, Mack? Aren't you glad I shoved this mission down your throat last week?"

"I have to admit," Star said, rather pleased by the amount, "I was wrong, Red. So, what do we do with our money, Fara?"

"Supplies and ship repairs," She said, counting down a finger on each paw. "Plus savings for future expenses, so let's open up a bank account. We have a lot of paperwork to fill out and we have to re-register the ship, the fighters and all the weapons. I suggest having a legal specialist to come out here and do an inventory and pay him a small fee to take care of all that stuff for us." She ticked off two more fingers on her paw then announced, "We're at eight thousand credits for supplies, ship repairs and filing everything to re-establish the team. We have to trademark the name and logo… there's a lot of work involved."

"We need to advertise ourselves," Crimson chimed in.

"Very good idea," Fara replied. "Violet, do you have any thoughts or suggestions?"

The half avian, half feline glanced about then placed a pensive digit to her lower lip in thought. She then said, "What about more fighters? If we crash one, we're stuck in the water… not to mention we only have mine and one more out on the flight deck. Once the team is established, we should apply for a business loan and write off the fighters as an expense, plus any backup planes."

"Noted," Fara replied with a nod. "I'll look into calling a Customer Service Representative at Space Dynamics in the morning." She then turned back to the boys and asked, "Star? Crimson? What's our next move, gentleman?"

O'Donnell tilted his head and said, "I kinda like being able to say we're the go-to team for impossible missions. No one was able to stomp out Sauria's problem but we did. We should look for our next difficult task."

"We should train first," Fara replied, turning to Star. "Duly noted, of course, Mister O'Donnell. StarFox could easily become the best of the best again but that will take time. We also need more ships, like Violet suggested. But we need more money. We're far from being able to use nothing more than our reputation and word as collateral. So, what about you, Star?"

Star glanced around the room then said, "We should at least look into our next ground mission. If we play our cards right, we can line up some small jobs for extra cash, just to stay profitable. I'll call 'The General' and see what we can line up that doesn't require an entire flight squadron."

"Go ahead and get started on that," Fara said, turning to Crimson and Violet. "We should rent something or at least get started on securing some fighters so we can start training, too."

"I have to agree with that," Violet mused thoughtfully.

Meanwhile, Star approached the communications terminal and opened a channel to Bill Gray. Bill opened his personal communicator on the other end and said, "Acting General Gray here… Oh, hey McCloud. I heard you guys completed your Sauria mission and closed it out. Congratulations on your first job. Things are a little busy here … is there something I can help you with?"

"What's your two largest headaches right now, General?" McCloud asked.

Bill touched a paw to his chin in thought then said, "Andrew's rabblerousing on Venom and some mysterious, classified occurrence on Fichina. Why?"

"The Andrew thing is out of my paws right now," Star replied. "I am securing the paperwork for the team and trying to obtain fighters with a new business loan which is going to be tough because the team has been disbanded for so long that it doesn't have mature credit, not to mention that GreatFox is the collateral."

"So what's your point, young man? Are you sniffing for light duty work?" Gray asked.

"Mind if I look into your Fichina problem, General?" McCloud tilted his head slightly then added, "I'll sniff out your mystery and fix your problem, Sir. Mysteries have a difficult time holding up when a Telepath is involved."

The Greyhound glanced around with furtive eyes then said, "Stand by, please. I'm going to put you on hold." The remaining StarFox team turned to face McCloud who simply shrugged.

"Remember not to be too pushy," Fara said. "If he gives you trouble, I'll talk to him. Bill could never do anything but blush when I talked to him. Violet," She said, turning to Lombardi. "I need to take a look at your ship later. We'll register it with the team's paperwork which will make your registration fee less expensive. I also want to get Crimson into a cockpit and see his flying abilities."

"What about me?" Tricky interjected.

"Don't you have a planet to run? Being King and all," Fara said, trying to be as polite as possible. "Your planet is recovering from a Serial Killer and a water supply with the viscosity of gelatin. Don't you think they need you?"

"I… guess," Tricky lowered his head a bit. "A good leader wouldn't abandon their people for a simple adventure with his friends."

"Excellent," Fara replied. "We'll get you back to Sauria so you can take care of your business as soon as possible. I really want to get a lawyer out here, also. It'll help us make sure all our legal work is done correctly and submitted properly. They can have someone appraise everything on the ship so we can document it and try to have a larger collateral amount."

Suddenly their attention was drawn back to the flutter of the hologram over near Star. The General's face returned and Star offered a nod. Bill noted Fara who approached, standing behind Star and looking into the holographic video recorder, resting her head on Star's shoulder much to Violet's displeasure.

"Ah, Fara Phoenix. You've not aged at all," he said then immediately changed his tone to a professional business voice. "Listen, I'll do you guys a favor if you do me a favor. Here's the situation…"

"We're all ears, General," Star said, leaning back in his chair.

"Great," Bill said then told them, "This is weird and normally I would scoff at this sort of fairy tail but when Peppy was General, there was a small occurrence on Fichina, involving some sort of paranormal activity where 5 people mysteriously died. Workers who kept the planet's environmental controls in check started dying. What I'm about to tell you is classified and it's not a joke. A young female Collie was sent to that planet with her military mother. This happened a year before the Anglor race even surfaced. The mother was killed in a laboratory experiment on particle acceleration and the girl was never found by the military team. A year later, on the anniversary of her mother's death, the girl reappeared in the base but was never actually sighted on the surveillance footage. Five people died four more went missing."

"What's the modern problem?" Star asked. He then made an assumption, asking, "Is she back, killing workers again? We've fished out one serial killer; I don't mind adding another one to my list."

Bill frowned. "What I'm about to tell you is classified and it's become the butt of jokes in this office but it's a serious problem, as five more people were reported dead today."

"Go on," Star replied.

Bill nodded then began to speak. "There is a hospital on base which has a small psychiatric ward for over-stressed townsfolk. It's rarely used anymore but it was put into use for some of the men who have crossed paths with that girl. Every one of them make the same claim and none of those men knew one another. They said she had the power to brainwash someone, use them, and then kill them when they outlived their usefulness. This sounds like the plot of a bad amateur movie but we have older surveillance footage of men literally disappearing on this digital footage at the precise moments that bystanders claimed they fell under her strange power. I would normally tell you to avoid this situation and let the military deal with it but if that the girl suddenly showed up again on a quarter-century anniversary… Let's just say I'm willing to dispatch a telepathic mercenary to combat the situation. There is one thing, however…"

"I'm listening, Sir," Star said. By now, Violet and Crimson were making their way over to listen in on this bizarre conversation.

William Gray placed his paws together and took a slow breath before continuing. "Because this is a paranormal problem, the funding for your mission will be Government, not military… unless it's a terrorist hoax. As you know, Corneria's pact provides Fichina with its police force as a training ground for our infantry. This will be a mission for Corneria but you'll still answer to me and make all your mission updates through the Secretary and myself.

"Your mission is to ascertain if there is a real paranormal threat or if there is some sort of serial killer controlling our surveillance gear, who is reenacting this strange past phenomenon and killing military workers and townsfolk near the base. There were several sightings of a young Collie around the age of 12, stalking the area. I have two chicken-hearted eyewitnesses and their stories match up. These two men both abandoned their posts to escape from her and these disruptions are hindering particle acceleration research on a new Cornerian weapon. With that place scattered, Venom could easily strike the nearly defenseless base and acquire the research and use it against us."

"Do you want this killer dead or alive, General?" McCloud's question posed an interesting reply for General Bill Gray.

"Listen," Gray told the group who was now huddled around the holographic projector. "If she's not capable of being interrogated, do not go out of your way to capture her. Don't make me regret helping you out. Play your cards right and don't rush in and get yourself hurt… or worse."

"I think I saw this in a movie once," Star replied. "Little dark haired girl is this paranormal killer who freaks everyone out then kills them. What we seem to have here is a scam artist who likes stupid horror movies," McCloud explained. "I'll get to the bottom, sense their next move and we'll strike with precision. I appreciate this chance, General."

"Also, you can add me, personally, to your credit application," Gray said. "This is a favor and you can pay me back later. But you'll need Arwings before you do this mission, as well as a LandMaster tank. So acquire your gear before setting off to Fichina. One more thing: while you're there, do me a favor and check out a strange disturbance in the atmosphere. There's a fluctuation in the atmosphere, it was reported just a few days ago and if your black box recorders pick up anything, please send a report on those findings. This is Acting General William Gray, over and out." The holographic picture distorted for a moment before disappearing.

"Well, you heard the General," Star said with a bright grin. "He's going to help us obtain the business loan by letting us put down "General of the Cornerian Fleet" as a credit reference. We're set!" He exchanged a high-five with Crimson, who looked about as happy as possible.

Violet, who happened to be a deep believer in the haunted and abnormal world of magic and other fancy things, turned to the rest of them and said, "I think we should splurge just a bit and hire a paranormal expert to go with us. I want to ensure our personal safety and having a paranormal expert will help to prove or disprove this as a hoax when we expose it."

"Fara?" Star turned to the fennec.

"I don't see why not," Phoenix replied. "Personally, I only believe in the real and possible. Ghost stories don't concern me. However, if this person is responsible for some sort of contagious lunacy, it would be wise to hire some sort of field expert to have more cards in our deck."

"Crimson?" Star asked, turning to his friend.

O'Donnell shrugged and said, "It sounds to me like an expense that we won't be able to write off. But if we're eventually going to be the richest Mercenary team in Lylat, it shouldn't much matter."

"Ah, your optimism has returned," Star replied with a grin. "We'll find one on the Sub-Space internet. Fara, you're with me, we're going to take a day-trip to Corneria. I'll call you two later when we need pilots to bring back ships. Feel free to relax until we get back."

Violet frowned, narrowing her eyes. Star immediately sensed her jealousy and turned to face her directly. He put his paw on her shoulder, looking into her eyes. "Trust me. She's able to fly these ships, test them out and has the most mature credit here because she comes from a rich family. I'm making calls as a leader, not with my…"

"…Peter," Violet muttered under her breath. "Whatever; go about your business McCloud. I'm just being silly and I'm sorry. I know you won't be with her while you're down there."

"That's right," McCloud replied. "I'm going to file papers with a lawyer to secure the team's status as a business enterprise. Fara will be picking up fighters and we'll pay off her credit debt with the Business Loan when it arrives. We're a team, sweetheart."

"I know, I know," Violet said, shaking her head. "I get silly sometimes, I'm sorry. Everything is fine, I trust you, Star." She reached her own paw upwards and cupped the side of his muzzle then afforded him with a soft smile. "I'm going to run some errands for the team. You can have Crimson tractor back two fighters with a tow-beam." She then turned to O'Donnell and said, "Make sure you re-route power so that your tractor manifold doesn't overheat. My father did that once and it nearly killed Star's mother. I'm going to take Tricky with me so I can drop him off on Sauria then I'll swing back by Fichina and take some reconnaissance photographs of the base with my personal ship."

"I'm not so sure separating the team like that is always best," Fara mused thoughtfully.

"I kinda disagree," Star replied. He could immediately sense that Violet was glad he didn't agree with the fennec for once. McCloud continued into his explanation, saying, "Violet is an immensely capable pilot. Whether or not it's all in her blood, I don't know but this girl is a regular badass in the cockpit. We're not splitting up the team so much as covering more ground. The team needs to learn to trust in one another and know that we have capable pilots here who can be counted on if they're going to gather intelligence. This will only help us figure out where to land, what the layout and weather patterns are like and piece together our side-mission of determining any information about the atmospheric fluctuation from the other day."

"Well," Fara offered a soft smile. "You're not only the leader of this group, but now you're making calls with the judgment of a leader; I can respect that. If we're trying to establish trust in other pilots here, then all I can do is concede and trust your judgment and her abilities. So out of sheer curiosity, what're you going to be doing Crimson?" She turned her gaze back to O'Donnell, tilting her head slightly.

O'Donnell gave the fennec a dubious look. "I'll wait for you guys to call me so we can start transporting these brand new fighters to the GreatFox, of course."

Fara's grin started to tug into a genuine smile. "Maybe I'm not going to be teaching a bunch of amateurs after all. I see you were listening all along."

The half-lupine replied with a toothy grin then said, "Tried to catch me with a little test, huh?" O'Donnell chuckled. He then turned back to ROB and asked, "And what about you, dude?"

"Piloting the GreatFox, of course," ROB said, attempting to use the same mannerisms and tone that Crimson used, mocking his phrase with a subroutine program designed for some measure of satire and sarcasm. This reply caused Violet to chortle as her love of machines was only confirmed again and again.

"We're all set then," Fara stated in a decisive manner. "Star, let's go. I'm going to leave Crimson the Arwing just incase of an emergency. I suggest we utilize the Phoenix Transportation Company; I'll check the schedules online and contact the nearest ship to deviate slightly and we'll meet up with it for a pickup."

On Fichina…

Krystal sank into the knee-deep snow, collapsing onto her side. She was freezing in this weather and yet she knew that she had no other alternative but to continue on even though part of her didn't want to persist any further. She was only a kilometer from the next town's border and yet all she could think about is how she got here.

She recognized the planet. It shouldn't even be possible but here she was on Fichina, freezing her tail off. She lay there in the snow for a moment, ducking beneath the colder wind and letting the gust pass. After a few moments, she forced herself back up and continued walking again. All she could do was reflect on what had just happened.

She remembered only a few days ago she was waging a war against Corneria, the last planet in the Lylat System to oppose her. She had sensed something out of the ordinary involving Corneria. They were plotting something on a major scale then confirmed their actions, telegraphing it through their fleet maneuvers. She recalled that they had moved to flank her battle group. They caught up with her and her ship was attacked over the empty space where Fichina used to be before it was destroyed in the Post-Anglor War.

The cobalt colored vixen narrowed her eyes spitefully. "Those two morons, the children of Peppy Hare and Slippy Toad; I should have killed them during my initial quest for vengeance," She spat. "They're fools to think they could have killed me with a gravity detonation device. I know they were behind it… I could sense it. They'll pay dearly."

She trudged on, keeping her head low to stave off a bit of the wind. The whipping snow battered her ears and hair; visibility was limited. Since mysteriously arriving on Fichina, she stopped at the first township she came across. There was a base on the edge of the horizon and she was quick to decimate it. Her powers had grown tremendously in the days since Fox broke her heart and left her. She was glad to have joined with StarWolf in the days after his hurtful actions but even StarWolf couldn't hold her attention for very long. She had been alone ever since, consumed by anger and a bitter heart.

Once upon a time, Krystal was the girl who was pure of heart. She found her way to Lylat, sensing distress then accepted the tests of the Krazoa and proved herself as pure and worthy. That was gone now. Ever since Fox broke from her, things have been different. She always sensed that he loved her which meant his actions were proof that True Love wasn't real. It sullied her sentiments and defiled her delusions of what true happiness could be like.

When Fox died, she was angry. When StarWolf died, she was bitter. Every action she made caused her to grow angrier. Her humanity dwindled and her tarnished spirit turned black with corruption. Krystal had quickly realized that her powers could be used to outsmart her enemies, making it easy for her to get her way. Lylat succumbed to her whim before long and Corneria was all that remained on her list.

Fichina should have been destroyed. A few years ago, while in a capricious mood she saw to its complete destruction, as well as the total annihilation of Sauria. How she wound up back on this planet was an enigma to her but she had to push on to garnish answers. Her fighter was abandoned back at the base. For some strange reason, the power supply on the base was not compatible with her machine. As odd as it may have been, their power supply was far more advanced than anything else she'd ever come across in the Lylat System.

Her tormented trek took her to the second residential dome, undetected. She made use of her powers, probing the population within to learn of a way into the city without passing through the main gates. It didn't take long to find a sewage entrance, used as exhaust. She took the staff from her back and wedged it deep into the powdery snow. Calloused palms still hosted delicate digits which tightened, firmly gripping the shaft. It launched upwards, along the side of the dome, to the large pipes that jutted from the concrete surface.

She snatched the rim of a sewage drain and began to pull herself up inside of it. It wasn't long before she was squirming her way through the tunnels, used only as a release of carbon dioxide. The further she went, the warmer it felt, helping her to thaw. However, she was feeling fairly lightheaded as she progressed further into the network of pipelines.

Not many could have survived that trek in the snow between domes but Krystal had become quite the woman in the last two and a half decades. Without another Telepath to counter her, she was hailed as undefeatable. Corneria thought they could stop her vengeance but here she was, living and breathing. She was cursed to survive every battle since the day he broke her spirit as a woman. Now she was a shell of a being, empty and shattered. Her chest had been crushed on that day and she never looked back, letting dark deeds corrupt her very core.

Krystal emerged from a sewer cover, half frozen and filthy. It was warm enough here to survive and her body was giving out on her, dizzy from the lack of oxygen in those pipes. As she pushed the manhole cover from the street, she noted a pair of feet directly before her. Her arms were giving out, even as she pulled her body from the drain. Her chest was heaving and the pain of exhaustion was overwhelming her. However, that pain held no candle to the shattering sensation of having her heart ripped from her chest and handed back to her a mere two and a half decades ago.

"My word," Said someone standing near by, on a street corner. "You were out in that awful blizzard alone?" The man asked. She could sense that he was a lion and a man of the cloth, at that. Immediately she wanted to kill him if only to defile his holy shrine as a personal attack against the Goddess. The 'Creator' and Her 'followers' often spoke of love, a subject Krystal saw as lewd and untrue. Her body, however, was unable to comply much longer and she fled into the darkness of unconsciousness, immediately comforted by the dank solitude. Finally she gave up if only for a short while, letting herself relax.

Her emerald eyes fluttered in an attempt to stay open. Those delicate lashes collided together until her eyelids were completely shut. Krystal collapsed on the street in silence, her soft, silky tail dropped to the ground, flopping arbitrarily across her left thigh. Her body shut down completely between pain, the cold from outside and the lack of oxygen, climbing in through the exhaust ports.

Not knowing what else to do, the Minister of Faith knelt to draw her body up. His strong frame easily allowed him to lift the lithe vixen and carry her back to his Church. There, he would give her a cot and wash her face and feet, which was customary to do for all weary travelers according to his scriptures.

For now, Krystal slept under the Almighty eyes of the Goddess, Creator of Lylat and, as far as they believed, everything…

Star gasped in pain, sitting up with his eyes wide. Fara glanced over her shoulder, sitting on a sofa in the only remaining suite left on the transporter. She tilted her head, squinting a bit through the ambient amber lighting, allowing for that glimmering golden gaze to glide over his masculine visage, curious to his outcry. "Are you all right? Bad dream? Crimson told me you get them from time to time," She said in a soft, soothing tone. In normal lighting, the fennec's eyes would resemble something deeper than jade but here, the coloration of the lighting affected the coloration of those tender hues.

"This was intense," McCloud panted softly, shifting his weight and placing his feet on the floor, shivering slightly. He cupped his face within his paws, elbows resting on his knees. The vulpine pilot's hair partially obscured his face, his fingers did the rest. "I had a nightmare unlike any other I've ever experienced. It was about a woman in immense pain; I couldn't see her face, there was far too much darkness clouding her body. All I know is that she was gripped with the deepest inner anguish and she was fueling it with a passionate, consuming hatred; an inner loathing I've never felt before…

"Strangely, I could sense," Star trailed off then cleared his throat. He glanced up, through his fingers and saw that he had Fara's complete attention. "She parted ways with her allies and decided to coexist with their enemies to get revenge. Then she disappeared and took her own direction in life which led her further down a path of hurt and spite. I could feel her anguish consuming me so tightly that I couldn't breath."

"By the Goddess," Fara said, blinking at him. "You have tormenting dreams like this every night?"

"I've never seen something that vile before," Star muttered, still covering his face with his paws. He didn't really care for Fara to see the tears streaming down his face which matted his fur down. He could, however, sense that she already assumed he was weeping softly.

Star took a slow breath to calm his nerves then continued. "It was horrendous. I could feel her pain and misery and it was so real that it was physically excruciating. The agony of her hurt and the deeply bottled pain in her heart was enough to crush the breath from my chest. I dreamt that I couldn't breathe; I was asphyxiated from the potency of feelings she easily bottled up… and when the pain was to the point where I couldn't stand it anymore, I woke up."

"That explains the gasp when you sat up," Fara replied softly. She gently eased her arms around him, hugging the fox tenderly. "I'm sorry you go through this torment, Sweetie. Is there anything you can contemplate on that sooths your mind?"

Star dipped his head away from Fara so that she couldn't see his face. He then inverted his paws, palms out, to wipe at his face. "I wish I had answers; I've got to understand the meaning behind that nightmare. I've never felt anything like that. It's like I was going through the same hurt with that woman. That's one of the hard parts of telepathy… you sense the pain and misery of others and it's difficult to shut out those sensations. If you're attracted to happiness, you surround yourself with people like that. If you're attracted by despair, you may just find yourself surrounded by the damned or worse… causing despair for those around you."

"I see…" Fara frowned then said, "Do you want me to escort you to the medical bay? It's another two hours to Corneria and they might have something that will relax you."

"It's not an anxiety attack," McCloud replied softly. "It's a traumatic moment and I just lived through it in my mind and chest, but it's over and I'll be fine, I promise. Now that it's over, I'm left with the physical ache from having a taste of such pain. I can't even describe it beyond that and… I know this all sounds silly and stupid."

The fennec lifted her left paw, placing her soft, velvety fingertip against his lips. "Shh, sweetheart, it doesn't sound silly or stupid. You're obviously bothered by something beyond comprehension. Why don't you take a warm bath before we arrive? That works pretty well for me."

McCloud spoke against the tip of her finger. "No, I'm fine. That might seem a tad inappropriate," Star said, shaking his head slowly. "I'll take a bath in my personal time; I'll be fine, Fara." The fennec lowered her paw, looking him over. The conviction in his voice caused her to frown just slightly and she wondered if he trusted her or, more importantly, if he trusted himself around her.

"Suit yourself," She replied with a slow nod. "Anything else you wanna tell me?"

"I don't know how," Star began, slowly drawing his words out as if unsure of himself. "But I will say this… Whatever that evil sensation was that put me into such a tail spin, the panacea lies on the surface of Fichina. I don't know how or why but I can feel it in my gut. We should try and wrap up our business on Corneria quickly. If five people died and four are missing on that planet, or whatever the numbers were, then that's where we need to be."

"I like your sense of responsibility," Fara told him, patting his knee gently. "And you're absolutely sure that your nightmare was only a dream and not a vision?"

"I'm not absolutely sure of anything right now," Star muttered in soft, dulcet tones. "Except for the fact that Fichina will tie into that nightmare, somehow. Maybe I did have some sort of vision about our future mission. All I know is that the pain I just experienced is emanating from that planet like… some sort of… I can't even describe it, Fara. All I know is that someone with a will to live is dying inside, somewhere on Fichina."

Krystal slept for another three and a half hours before her body was physically well enough to release her from the depths of unconsciousness. Her mind had fled there and she couldn't be sure how or why it happened. Did the man of the cloth have some sort of power over her? She couldn't be sure; she'd never encountered that sort of problem in the past.

Sitting up in the cot, she glanced around the sanctuary with a frown. Her face had been washed and her footwear was missing. Upon closer examination, she noted that her feet were clean and her boots were sitting on the floor nearby. She extended her mind outwards, probing the immediate area for life then frowned when she sensed that the minister of faith was still nearby.

She quickly went for her boots and began to fasten them, hoping to leave before his return. She was in a near state of panic, trying to rush as she sensed he was coming closer. Haste was wasteful and the laces became nearly impossible. He returned to the room and simply stated, "Ah! You've recovered your senses. I'm Brother Gooding of the Order of The Way."

"I'm leaving," She replied in a simple, nearly monotone voice.

The man's smile disappeared. "I implore you to rest, ma'am. You nearly froze to death outside of the dome," he protested.

"There is nothing for me, here. Therefore I must take my leave," She explained, finishing the laces of her second boot. She stood up and checked herself. The tan coverings over her chest and the matching pants were form-fittingly tight to her body while the fur-matching blue layer covered her stomach and arms. It was an attractive piece if not simply dark for her taste.

"There is education here," Said Brother Gooding. "You can learn about how the Creator loves you and that you're accepted and appreciated as a person."

"There is no such thing as 'love', now back off." Krystal turned for the exit and began to storm across the chapel, heading for the door. Brother Gooding quickly followed her, reaching his paw out in polite protest of her apathy.

"I insist! Give it a chance, my child!" He cried.

Krystal suddenly turned about, snatching his throat in her right paw. She forced him down into the nearest pew, drawing her un-painted claws up against the flesh of his neck. "I said to give it a rest, fool. I even gave you a chance because you're pure of heart like I once was, but you didn't let it go! You people always think you can change who I am now! I allow myself to be who I am because in this solitude I feel solace!"

"Please," Cried Gooding, "I'm only trying to help you! You collapsed in the streets, nearly frost bitten!"

Krystal, once the tiny vixen with a large heart, shouted, "And then you tell me that I am loved and accepted and appreciated as a person. You cannot truly fathom who you've just come across!"

"Please," The man chuckled nervously, "You're growing upset, perhaps you'd be better off if you rested a bit longer."

"Behold!" Krystal snapped, using her free paw to grasp the man's headfur. She tightened that paw into a fist then pulled firmly, forcing him to gaze down. The lion's muzzle began to part, his lower lip quivering in horror at the sight laid out before him.

Krystal used her telepathy to force images into his mind that were so twisted and horrible that Brother Gooding became filled with terror. Indescribable gore was laid out before him. To his eyes, he saw himself completely gutted. The visions were forced into his mind through her powerful reversal of thought transference.

Barely finding his voice with which to whisper, the Minister of Faith was already beginning to hyperventilate. "You've desecrated this church by spilling my blood within these Holy Walls…" He sobbed, being force-fed a fraction of her bottled pain which was translated in his brain to a physical ache in his stomach, leading him to believe that what he saw was real. She could sense his confusion, wondering why she would have cut him in such a way but she couldn't help but smile, feeding off of his fear and despair. "I don't want to die," he begged.

"You already have!" She roared, tightening her paw around his throat. It reminded her of that time… She no longer saw Brother Gooding beneath her, but Fox McCloud, who struggled against her grasp, wheezing for breath. "Make what little time you have left and pray to your Goddess," Krystal hissed, letting her rage boil forth.

"This is a house of purity, please, I beg of you!" Gooding pleaded. "I beseech thee, child of pain; let the Creator heal your heart! Don't give in to these murderous acts! They will blacken your soul and rob you of your humanity!"

"Your tacky supplication sounds like it was worded out of a third-rate horror movie," Krystal muttered. "You're the good natured priest who dies to save everyone else; the cowardly lion who begs for his life until the end so that no one else has to die. Grow some goddess-damned balls and die with integrity, you whiny bitch." Her eyes were glowing with an eerie scarlet incandescence. Sunswept hues of bloody crimson danced with mirth so that, in his mind, he was unable to see her pupils.

Krystal stepped forward, cocking her arm back. Her shoulder blade shifted and she opened her stance for balance. Suddenly she threw her weight into a pivot, hurling him up against the nearby wall. The lion, much larger than her own form, slumped to the floor, grasping at his neck from his hands and knees.

"A kneeling position is far more fitting to a coward like you," She said.

"I am a man of faith, not a warrior," he protested with large amber eyes, gazing up at her, trembling in fear. Never before had he seen his own intestines and he was afraid to gaze back down at them once more, even though the vision was now rescinded. "Please, Almighty Goddess, grant this woman the power to overcome the torment and suffering that has gripped her heart; free this woman and show her the kindness and love of Your infinite salvation!" His words caused Krystal to smirk, balling her paws into dainty blue fists.

"I guess you'll have to bless this house once more, when I leave," She replied firmly. "Are you going to let me leave peacefully this time? Or do I have to impale you like I did with two of my victims back in the other dome to the east?"

She suddenly thrust her paw outwards again, offering an intimidating battle cry. Forcing her telepathic powers outwards again, she caused his mind to see a short sword in her paw and the blade was now against his throat, rusty in coloration from dried blood. His eyes widened once more and he backed up against the wall, looking upon the invisible sight with an expression of horror.

Krystal was consumed in fury; she drew the sword back, feeding the vision directly into his mind with such clarity and detail that he even saw a glimmer of light reflect off of its scarlet-dipped blade. "Goodbye, Brother Gooding. Tell your Goddess she has something I want. His name is Fox McCloud; I sent him to her twenty-five years ago and I crave that it is his throat in my paws every time I take a life! You can not understand the hurt and pain he has caused; perhaps you'll learn a fraction of that sensation by way of your death!"

"No!" He cried, cringing back against the wall. Krystal swung her arm outwards and the minister fainted just as her paw smacked across his face, slashing her nails into his cheek. There was no sword; it was all part of the mind r-pe ( # TOSable word), extending her inner anguish on to others around her to better cope with her own pain. His facial fur became saturated with blood, matting the fur down and the lion slumped to the ground in silence.

"You pansy," She grumbled. "I hope that you cry like a little girl when you wake up," the vixen muttered softly. "But know this: it wasn't your Goddess or her 'love' that saved you. My rule of thumb is to always let a witness survive. It adds to my reputation. You're my witness in this dome. More than a paw-full of others weren't quite so lucky back east." She turned and stalked away from the feline, heading out through the main doors with a devious smirk painted over her svelte blue maw.

Almost immediately, some random wolf approached her outside, licking his lips. "Hey cutie; did you just give confession for something you did wrong, baby? Want a good reason to go back in there?"

Krystal narrowed her eyes at the man. "They used to call me the Praying Mantis… Do you want to know why?" She asked, her smirk returning almost immediately.

"Because you hunt down men like pray?" The man was attempting to flirt and she couldn't even conceive how he would have considered that appealing. What an odd creature he was to her.

"Do you want to know what women really want?" She asked the lupine, leaning up close so that she could take in his scent. It was nothing like Fox McCloud, leaving a bitter taste at the back of her throat and a shutter of distaste ran down her spine.

The wolf offered a sly grin and the wrong answer. "A man that will keep you safe, remove you from danger and do anything to protect you, right?"

"Funny," Krystal mused, stepping back to look him over. "The first man in my life once said the same thing; I guess all men really are a like in one way or another. It was a pity for him …and pity for you." She snatched his throat in her paw and said, "A woman wants a man who won't lie when he says he loves her, but won't push her away when she's in danger. What a woman really wants is a man who would die for her. Would you be willing to die just to be my mate?"

The wolf was fairly surprised when she became aggressive but he was rather amused by her forwardness. The lupine's eyes lowered, looking over her curvaceous form then he said, "I'd die for you, baby. I'm dying to get you back at my place, as it is."

"You don't know anything about a praying mantis, do you?" She asked, leering at him with a sadistic grin.

The man cocked his brow, sort of gawking at her. "Baby, no offence to your favorite bug but if you haven't noticed, this planet is too cold for insects."

"Then let me educate you," Krystal replied. "In order to copulate with the male…" She paused for effect.

"Damn, I'm loving this lesson already," He chuckled, his throat still host to her paw.

"Loving? What would you know about love?" She quickly said. She shook away the sensation of hurt and betrayal then told him, "In order to copulate with the male, the female Mantis removes the head of her mate," She said, baring her teeth.

"Like, removing it from my pants?" Said the moron, obviously only thinking of one thing right now. "Here let me help you," he said, reaching a paw to his belt buckle.

"No, sweetheart," Krystal said. "Like this," She added, suddenly twisting at his throat. She shifted her body so hard that it snapped his neck, killing him. His eyes became glassy, rolling upwards as if floating slowly in water. His body became limp and she simply guided him towards the nearest alley, dropping him to the cement adjacent to a dumpster. "I'd remove your head the rest of the way but I'm in a hurry to find out where I am, what the hell is going on and if Corneria thinks I'm dead. Sorry, lover boy. I'm glad you'd die for me; that was very sweet of you …unlike some certain other heartbreaking vulpine."

She turned away, those fluffy sapphire locks of her hair swirling about, laying haphazardly over her forehead. The little blue vixen made her way back out into the central section of town, heading for a public transportation depot. Sure enough, when she came across the first subway entrance a block away, she was shocked to have the planet's identity confirmed. The thing is, this didn't feel like home. No one knew who she was and the voices in her mind weren't struggling in the absolute despair she'd created throughout Lylat.

She opted for the Subway, looking to take a tramcar out to the next dome. According to a map on the wall, there was an airport at the Capital City and it wasn't very far. The only problem was, she didn't have any money. Deciding to find herself some spare coin, she crossed the quiet subway station and stood near a phone booth, scouting potential victims.

Before she could strike, another foolish man approached her. This one was a fox, much like McCloud with a white tuft of headfur and a strong jaw line. He was awfully sure of himself; the scoundrel approached her, placing his paw against the wall behind her, directly above her left shoulder, leaning in close. The vulpine's musk was inviting but she was against the game he was playing.

Almost immediately, she could sense that his only intention was to tie with a vixen and go along his merry way. That wasn't going to happen. "Hello, gorgeous. You're pretty fine for an older woman."

"I'm twenty-one years your senior," Krystal replied, sensing that the boy was only in his early 20's. "Why I do believe you're the most offensive, vile minded gentleman I've ever met. With thoughts like that, you should be ashamed of yourself."

The man grinned. "Reading me like an open book are you? I love a woman that can look into my eyes and know exactly what I want."

"What would you know about loving a woman?" Krystal snapped. She then paused and probed his mind. The little arse was loaded with money and she immediately knew what she had to do to get it. "This isn't a very private place and I can be a very private woman."

"There is plenty of privacy in a place like this," he corrected. A furtive glance over his shoulder was given then the vulpine said, "This is the quietest tram line on Fichina. You could get on a car in this city and take it to the next four domes and not see a single person the whole ride until after rush hour, which is… at least another 4 hours from now."

"Oh? Is that so?" Krystal offered the most innocent smile she could muster, attempting not to furrow her brows or narrow her gaze at him.

"Where you going, baby?" The fox asked, reaching into his pocket. "By the way, I love the dyed fur job. Blue is hot, sweetheart."

"Yeah," Krystal said, looking away for a moment. How could this one look even remotely close to McCloud? He was an absolute sleezeball. "Tell you what… if you buy me a ticket, I'll let you give me a ride… all the way to the Capital."

"Now giving you a ride sounds like fun," The 'gentleman' replied, hooking a thumb back at the ticket counter. "You're in luck, little 'privacy' girl. The 12:10 is the dullest, most lifeless hour to ride the tram. This is the last stop out of the city and it's a solid half an hour before you even get to the Capital dome. There's a lot of snow between domes, I'll keep you warm. Sound good?"

"I think we can make some sort of arrangement," Krystal replied, motioning with her paw towards the ticket booth. "Lead on, I'll follow. Once we're on the train, I'll probably want to slide my hand under your shirt and … well, you'll see." A toothy, Cheshire grin was given, exciting the smarmy man in the most uncomfortable way. "I can't wait to show you how a man like you makes a woman like me feel."

Star McCloud quickly sat up again, blinking repeatedly. "I don't know if I'm somehow tied to this force on Fichina or if I'm somehow zeroing in on our future target, but this is growing rather painful," He said, shaking his head slowly. Fara frowned thoughtfully, watching the young man struggling.

She had to know what was going on to some extent or the curiosity would have done her in. "What exactly do you feel that makes you physically cringe like that?"

Star lowered his head again, reaching a paw to his chest, cupping his palm over the left side of his torso. "I can feel my ribs aching so badly. I feel the eerie sensation of feather-soft fingertips wrapping around my heart muscle and it's beginning to pull, drawing my heart completely out of my chest. Earlier I felt my throat crush and a shiver ran down my spine; all of a sudden, I felt like I could swear that my neck was truly broken. Now I know what a male Praying Mantis feels like; glad I'm a fox."

"Yeah I read about them somewhere," Fara mused with a frown, listening in detail to the pain he was going through. "It's got to be some way we can hurry through the process of getting everything taken care of. We should be docking in Corneria's Downtown station within the next 10 minutes."

"This pain feels muffled, in a way," He mused after wincing, immediately returning to the previous topic. Sensing that she didn't quite follow, Star decided to explain. "It's like this," He said with a sigh. "If you pick up a snowball, it's cold. If you pick up a snowball in a cotton mitten, it's cold but it's not bad enough to sting at your palm after holding it for ten straight minutes. You can tolerate it better. It's muffled like that."

"Eerie," Phoenix replied softly. "Maybe we should take you to a hospital?" She asked politely. Her inquiry was met with a slow shake of his head. He wasn't interested, she could tell by his body language, regarding the idea with a negative demeanor.

The young fox turned his gaze to the nearby window and simply gazed out into the open space, facing away from Corneria's large heavily body. "Let's just get our business done on Corneria and head to Fichina as soon as possible. In fact, I'm curious to see if Violet has photographed the L. Z. yet. I want to know if this 'fluctuation' has anything to do with my pains; it started around the same time as the abnormality, more or less. It's just worse now than before… like how when the mitten is soaked all the way through so the snowball gets its harsh bite back."

"Understood," Fara said with a sharp frown. He was looking rough; it was in his eyes and for the short time she's known him so far, he seemed to take pain pretty well. This was abnormal and she knew it right away. She could only hope that whatever awaited them on Fichina wasn't out of the team's league.

A/N: Most of you already know a lot about the new StarFox Command for the DS. Most of you have seen NightShade64's photograph gallery of about 9 multiple endings with even more possible. A great deal of you know that one or two of those endings depicts Krystal joining StarWolf and becoming EVIL. Rad but creepy. It's time to find closure for EVIL KRYSTAL before the murderous damsel can even get started. Honestly, I'm really just looking for colossal ways for Star to get some bottled emotional trauma. He'll need it later on… after all, I did promise drama and thriller stuff. I'm getting there, relax!

Anyhow, the same way Fox, Krystal and the entire team vanishes at the very beginning of this story… a universe that is home to the Evil Krystal uses the same technique to banish her from their lives. Now it becomes StarFox's problem and things really hit the fan from here on out. :D