-Chapter XX-

"Sauria"

-9:45pm-

Though at some point the bruises began to heal, the battered vulpines were happy enough that they no longer donned any feelings of anger or even hatred...instead Krystal was spending her hours thinking about the object Fox claimed to have on him...she'd only told him about it once, an old bedtime story that her parents had once told her...but perhaps if it were true she could right whatever wrongs had been done with her at the cause. She did as Fox asked and sat in the Dark Star's kitchen until everyone was in bed. Eventually she was joined by the limping fox that carried both the staff and the small object that Danzig seemed so hellbent on claiming for his own, she seemed to eye the thing that was in Fox's paw he quickly slid it across the table, where Krystal quickly snatched it up and began to study it. She had no idea what it was, and after a bit of time she sat it down...

"Any idea what it is?" Fox asked, bringing them both a cup of coffee then carefully sitting down.

"Well it's definitely Cerinian...the letters on it are proof enough of that..." She said shifting a bit as her ribs seemed to hurt a bit, "But it must be made from the old technologies my people used...cuz I've never seen anything like this...thing. It's clearly made of metal but, it looks and feels like wood."

"What dose it say on it?"

She looked over the letters on the top of the cylinder, "I shall open only to he whom follows the path of light."

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Fox asked grabbing the object and began to study it.

"I wouldn't give that too much thought...my ancestors were notorious at riddles." Krystal said, "Just another dead end...I should have known better than to believe in such a fairy-tale..." She said with a disappointed sigh, "Thank you for telling me Fox...good night."

"Yeah...good night Krys..."

After so long of studying the small object Fox found his way to his room, which at the time had now become the bridge. He reclined his captain's seat and set down the staff, then lay down on top of the blanket that he would have covered up with. Lying there on his back he studied the small thing for hours; he noticed that the small object was covered with tiny patterns that moved in odd configurations from ones side of it to the other, starting in strait lines they became more intertwined and contorted near the center then straightened out again. He tried several times to go to sleep but, after a few hours he gave up and simply kept obsessing over the small cylinder. After a short time he stopped trying to think about it, and his thoughts wondered off from this thing to that, he thought about Krystal, what had happened with Silver, him and Krystal's fight, all sorts of things his mind wouldn't stay on a single path. After a bit of time he tried again to get some sleep, but again his mind wouldn't allow it...He limped around the bridge a bit, then looked to the small object that sat on his blanket, mocking his intellect...

"Stupid fucking blue light..." He pouted, "Wait a second..."

He only just then fully noticed that at one end of the object, at the base of one of the small pattern's lines was a very dim blue light. He picked up the object and poked a finger at the light then slid his finger...it moved...

"Path of light? It can't be that fucking easy can it?" He asked himself.

He moved his finger from the light up the pattern...the light scaled up the facet under his finger; the pattern was far more intricate than he had thought, it hooked and turned and spun around the center of the object until it hooked around and back into the blue line of light which then vanished...

"SON OF A BITCH!!" He screamed in frustration trowing it quite forcefully into his seat.

Fox took a small break but eventually went back to doing the same thing again with what he hoped was a different line, he eventually broke out a marker and put a slash across the start of any line that failed...he kept working and working at it until several lines were left...

(000)

As they walked onto the bridge to say good morning to Fox, Krystal and Roxy both laughed even though the pain in Krystal's ribs brought tears to her eyes...He was snoring incredibly loud, something Krystal knew he only did when he was mind-numbingly tired. She also noticed the small object barely dangling from his paw as he had fallen asleep face down with his arms drooping over the sides of the chair. Krystal walked over and took the small cylinder out of his paw placing it on a nearby console then drew his blanket over him...

"I'll bet the stubborn asshole stayed up all night racking his brain over that stupid thing." Krystal said pointing to the cylinder.

The two turned and walked out of the room, "So how's Silver been doing now that he's been learning with that laptop?"

Roxy led Krystal down the halls to the young fox's room...they entered it quietly to find the silver furred fox sitting in front of the small computer screen his eyes quickly shooting from right to left. He didn't seem to notice them at all even thought they were standing in plain sight...

"That's why he wouldn't come out yesterday when we all went swimming in the stream...I don't think he's even come out to eat anything." Roxy said walking over to the t.v, "And look at these movies he was watching before..." She said flicking through the saved channels, "Romance, horror, drama, more romance, more horror, even more romance...Eighty percent of this list is all romance movies."

"You said he never shows emotion...maybe he's trying to learn or...re-learn how."

"I think it'd be a lot easier to answer those questions if we could answer a different one first..." Roxy said as they started back out the door, "What is he? After what Fox says he saw...I doubt he could be a normal animal...but he's so innocent...and shy, and..." She said as they walked down the halls.

Krystal smiled as she stopped and looked at the pink bunny, "And you like him..."

Roxy started to say something but, Krystal's paw clamped her muzzle shut, "Before you start denying it...I am a Telepath, you can lie to everyone here, and even yourself, but not me." She said letting the rabbit's muzzle loose, "...don't worry though I won't say anything. Though you probably should."

"And tell him what?" Roxy asked, "He doesn't understand common emotions..."

"Just try...you never know...hell it could be why he's so into romance movies." Krystal said breaking away from Roxy, "You never know?" She said as she headed down the hall toward the kitchen...

-Dark Star; Bridge-

Fox wasn't sure how late it was when he woke, it never occurred to him to ask the ship's computer...at the moment he was simply concerned with the pain in his sides...apparently sleeping in the chair wasn't the best of ideas. After painfully making his way to his feet, Fox took the object of his obsession off of the console where Krystal had placed it. To the others he seemed half alive as he staggered into the kitchen and headed to the coffee pot hoping the strong, bitter liquid would somehow manage to wake him up, Krystal seemed to be eying the small object on the table. Which the others seemed to ignore altogether, most of them just said good morning as the ship's captain walked by. As she studied it Krystal noticed Fox's new markings that were clearly put there by a marker...

"Fox why have you been marking on this fucking thing?" She asked.

Fox took a long swig from his coffee, "Start at the base of one of those lines and move your finger along it..." He limped to the table, "Hey Creed...how much longer am I gonna be limping around like this?"

The crimson furred fox yawned from his seat across the room, "No clue...you two did a number on each other. You fuck'n idiots are lucky you ain't got any broken bones really...just give it a little time, your bodies'll heal. Just enjoy what time we're here this planet's pretty nice. Wouldn't mind living here someday."

Roxy, who sat at the same table, stretched her arms over her head and winced a bit from a series of pop from her back, "This place is pretty nice...but it'd get awful lonely around here."

"Yeah you gotta point there..." Fox replied, "I lived here for the better part of two years...gets a little depressing at times. Not having anyone to relate to..."

As they were talking Krystal seemed to be obsessing over the strange light patterns on the cylinder, "I wouldn't mind coming to live here myself someday...reminds me a little of home."

Fox chuckled a bit, "How's Silver been? Haven't seen him since yesterday."

Roxy smiled, "Poor idiot studied himself half to death...sat up for almost two days straight learning whatever he could find on that laptop. I just checked on him again...he was snoring pretty damn loud."

Soon enough Krystal sat down the small device and headed out of the room...she still had trouble with the finer movements of walking and standing up too. She just needed some air...Fox thought to himself as he picked up the object and continued what he was doing last night...after all one of the paths carved into the object had to be the right one or this wouldn't make any sense at all. As he sat there toying with the small object Roxy left the room, and a bit longer Creed left to check on Krystal. Creed stepped off of the ship only to realize just how erratic the weather was on the planet, even in the summer there was a light but, comfortable rain. He found his captain sitting on a large boulder not far from the ship, the large stone were situated in a large circle. Krystal looked down to him as the large vulpine leaned against the base of her perch...

"Somethin wrong?" He asked, taking a moment to enjoy the rainfall.

"Not really...that thing that Fox found...it just reminds me of home." Krystal said looking at the sky, "It used to be right over there..." She said pointing to the northern sky, "Even in the daytime here you could have seen it."

"So Cerinia was on some kind of good terms with this place?"

"Sort of...we had very few ships on Cerinia...it was a warrior's passage to come here. Your trainers would drop you off and leave see if you could survive a full year on your own." Krystal said, "They'd even make sure to drop you in Sharpclaw territory...I was dropped her with two others when I first came...I--I was the only one that made it back..."

"Hmm...yeah that's pretty bad..."

Krystal chuckled, "Yeah...I guess it was compared to the way things are done in the rest of Lylat, it was so beautiful there though."

"Home is where you make it...it's where the heart is. As long as you keep in mind that you are home you'll always have a place to call home, even if our little group is the only type of family there is left for you...I'm happy to be part of it." Creed said as he shook the water from his fur, "You may want to head back inside pretty soon, really starting to come down."

-4 Days later-

Fox had lost track of time and interest in the object he'd obsessed over for the last few days...and he was far too sore to do much of anything else. All he could do at that point is count what few blessings he had and wait for his body to heal. Luckily by the fourth day both he and Krystal found it possible to walk around without being pained by their every movements, Fox at some point returned to training his two crew members, and at Creed's request Lia. Fox noticed that something had recently been bothering Krystal...but something else took place over his concern for her when he turned on the television one morning after supervising Roxy and Lia's sparring. A news report from Corneria...

The News anchor was a younger collie in a red suit, "We are sad to report that late last night, General Peppy Hare...was found collapsed outside his home outside of Corneria city. He was placed in the first district hospital for testing but, at this point no reporters have been allowed to get anywhere near the General...there have been reports of a supposed attempt on his life but, at this point these claims can only be pure speculation. The loved General however has been listed in critical condition, and his position has been filled by a replacement in the ranks until he is fully capable of continuing his duties..."

-000-

Krystal had been searching the entire place for Fox after hearing the news, Peppy was like a father too him after James had died, she knew he'd take the news hard. Unfortunately she could find no traces of the poor fox anywhere; she checked with Creed but her friend had seen no signs of him all day, Roxy and Lia claimed to not have seen him since their training, and Silver claimed to have seen him walking off of the ship hours ago heading north. She gathered up a few things as she began to head out of the ship's docking bay...

"Silver tell the others I went to find Fox...I'll be back in a few hours."

Silver simply nodded and watched as the blue vixen vanished into the Warpstone's grotto...where she was quickly teleported to the Krazoa Palace. As she was reassembled standing on the glowing stone altar outside the palace she shook from a cold chill that ran up and down her spine, "God I hate that feeling..." She said to herself. She didn't understand why but she knew that she would find her heartbroken friend at the top where they'd first met. She made her way floor by floor up the massive tower, finding that running the whole way she had to stop once or twice to catch her breath...but after a countless amount of time she finally made her way to the top...she actually questioned how Fox had managed to do this so many times in the process of returning the Krazoa spirits. The air on the rooftop was substantially cooler...and as she had hoped sitting there near the place where she was once suspended in her crystal prison, with the staff and cylinder nearby. He kept looking to the sky for some reason, she could feel an immense amount of depression emanating from him, which only added to what she already felt from the old hare's situation...there was a part of her that simply wanted to stand there and leave him to himself, but she knew that at this point the one thing Fox didn't need was to think that he was alone in any of this...

"Hey..." His voice startled her a bit as she hadn't moved.

"Are you alright?"

The fox's view looked down into the massive emptiness below him, "You remember when we first met up here?" He asked as she began to walk over to him, "I don't think you were even conscious at the time..." He chuckled, "...I—-I remember being lost in some sort of male delusion of all sorts of things. I remember thinking how beautiful you looked up there..." When Krystal sat at his side she could see that he'd clearly been crying, but he still laughed, "That was when that old bastard interrupted me and got my mind back on track...he was always there when I needed him...hell the old fucker was there even there when I didn't need him. I was living up here when I last talked to him...he tried to get me to go back but, I wouldn't listen...Maybe if I would have just listened to him I--I could've--done something...he was the only family I had left..."

The new tears that fell from his emerald eyes caused the same her own tears to fall as she embraced him, "It's alright Fox...you don't have to endure these things alone...we're your friends that's what we're here for...I'm sure Peppy will be fine."

Fox though still crying for Peppy missed this feeling, he hadn't been in her warm arms in over four years...but as they sat there his tears came to an instant standstill as his ears perked up to some sort of sound. He wiped the tears from his face, "You hear that? Someone's coming up the tower.."

Krystal reached out with her mind for a moment, "There are animals coming up here...and we don't know any of them...Fox they're armed."

Fox stood up and jammed the two objects he had with him into her arms then lifting her into his arms bridal style...

"You trust me right?" He quickly asked.

She made no reply...

"Krystal do you trust me!?"

"Yes..."

"Good..." He cut her off walking to the edge of the hole, "then don't scream..." He said hugging her once more.

As if he'd thought the entire thing through he released his hold on the blue vixen who shot down the shaft. He quickly turned around in time to see a mass of outfitted animals pile out into the area. All of their weapons were instantly fixed on him. From behind them a massive reptile pushed through their lines, he studied Fox for a moment then stepped aside, allowing a familiar cream colored vixen to come into view...

"This 'ere's the bloke right?" The croc asked.

"Yeah...just let me talk to him."

Fox's eyes were filled with rage simply at the sight of her...she set them up...even her own brother...

"You turned us in..." He said in disbelief, "Creed, Silver...Roxy..."

"Fox you don't understan..." Her words were cut short by the sting from Fox's paw, a slap that threw her to the stone ground.

"You're lucky you're Creed's sister...or I'd kill you right now."

The large reptile walked over and stood before Fox, "Oi...Listen 'ere mate. I got orders ta bring back what this little Sheila said was a gold staff. 'And it over..."

"Sorry...don't have it." Fox said, "Sent it away...kinda needed the money."

Without warning Fox leaped forward delivering as powerful a kick as he could muster to the crocodile's chest; the impact was halted by his massive chest and before Fox had the chance to fall he found himself hanging upside down by his ankle in the behemoth's grip.

"That..." He said rubbing his chest, "was a right fine kick mate...try one o' mine."

Still dangling upside down the last thing Fox saw was a massive boot that collided with his chest, his limp body flew from the reptile's hand skidding across the ground tumbling across the ground before coming to an unconscious stop near the ramp that led to the hole he'd dropped Krystal down...

"Get them on the ship..." A voice called from the back of the group, walking forward.

The small crowd spread out to allow him access to Sydney; the fox had long white hair that flowed down his shoulders, he wore a long white coat that looked a lot like a trench coat, his actual fur was a light blue that nearly matched Krystal's, and under the coat he wore a gray shit and pants with black boots, at his side was a long sheathed sword it's curved blade hidden by a black scabbard, it had a round golden hilt and it's handle was wrapped in white cloth, a small ribbon of white cloth was tied into the guard which flapped about in the wind...

"Alright Syler where's ma payment?" Sydney demanded.

"Head back to the compound and talk to doctor Camille...she has your pay." The fox said, "And Sydney...It's always a pleasure doing business with you." The fox laughed.

Sydney scowled before stomping toward the small group of animals, one unfortunate soul didn't move fast enough and, as the angered croc walked past he took the helmeted animal by the head and tossed him over the side of the building like a used rag doll.

Lia finally got to her feet, "Remember you said you wouldn't hurt them..."

"And I am a fox of my word..." The fox smiled as he walked away, "...after all that's what lackeys are for. Men lock her up with the others and bring the sleeping one too."

-Undisclosed Location-

A lone figure walks into a very elaborate office, and makes a short bow to another figure behind a large desk...

"Mister President..." The voice stated that this was clearly a female that wore a white lab coat.

"I've told you before Elyna...I don't care for formalities, call me Cornelius."

"Yes sir...I—I mean Cornelius." She said sliding a folder across his desk, "Something odd has been going on at the Beta complex in Stygian. The debt records for the fiscal year and all don't match...and every time I've attempted to approach Syler on the matter his secretary answers and will not transfer my calls to his office."

The president skimmed through the file, "Hmmm...reinstatement of the Silver Fox Program?...Project Zeta?" The figure dropped the folder, "Send Marius to keep a close eye on my young friend...since that fiasco back on Corneria, Syler hasn't been himself."

"Yes sir...I mean Cornelius..." She laughed, "I'm--sorry I'll have to work on that."

"That's fine just make sure that all of that is taken care of...Thank you Elyna."