Legacy of the Precursors
Chapter 19: Recreation Part 3
"Hey, has anyone seen Six?" Fox inquired as his emerald gaze scanned the villa's central living room. Moments ago he had just returned from the city, his dinner date with Fara having been interrupted by a call from the General. It seemed that both he and the spartan had been summoned for another strategy meeting. And judging from Pepper's tone, the sooner they departed the better.
"No, haven't seen the big man for a few hours now." Falco replied casually, the avian's attention focused on the television, an off brand sitcom mumbling in the backdrop.
With that extremely helpful answer, the vulpine turned to someone else. "Fay?" He asked hopefully.
"Sorry Fox, I haven't seen him either." The snow white canine frowned apologetically.
Slippy soon proved to be equally as uniformed on the spartan's location so Fox turned to Krystal, thinking that the vixen would know above anyone else as to where he might be. Yet she sat at one of the corners of the room on a padded mat in a cross-legged position. The vixen was apparently in one of her meditative moods, and so she would not likely be receptive to an interruption.
Sighing in consternation, Fox turned to leave, figuring he would have to go in search of the spartan himself. He knew that Six did not have many haunts. There was the makeshift armory, the little garden, his and Krystal's room, and the gym. But a few minutes of searching each location provided no fruits to show for his labor.
Six was nowhere to be found.
This left Fox at an impasse. Did he waste more time looking for Six or did he leave without him? But, seeing as the spartan was a vital part of the upcoming conference, he couldn't very well show up without him.
The vulpine decided to do one last search of the house for him before he was forced to head out, and in doing so passed the front door just as it opened. He would have continued further into the villa if not for catching the spartan's looming stature in his peripheral vision as the human stooped inside, preventing Fox's exit and bringing the vulpine quickly around to face him.
As he was about to speak, Fox halted, noting something off about his human friend.
He watched as Six entered, surprised to see Miyu step in after him. The pair stopped, hovering at the door's threshold, bringing an apprehensive sense of awkwardness to the air. The spartan gave the impression that he was perturbed, a visible twist of consternation to his countenance, as if he was still processing some recent event that had yet to fully settle with him.
Likewise, Miyu wore an uneasy frown, her tail hanging limply at her side. And as both she and the spartan turned to face Fox, the feline occasionally cast furtive glances in Six's direction, guilt lacing her sulking visage.
It was apparent to him that something had transpired between them, and as interested as he was in finding out exactly what that something was, he and Six had more pressing matters to deal with. "Six, Pepper's summoned us for another strategy meeting."
The spartan nodded, but otherwise remained mute. There was a moment of awkward silence before someone spoke next.
"I-I should probably get going." Miyu suddenly announced, hiking a thumb over her shoulder. And just like that the cat disappeared down the hall, vanishing almost as quickly as she arrived.
Fox watched her leave, both confused and curious in equal measure. He had never seen her so twitchy before. Something must have indeed happened between her and Six. While tempted as he was to inquire about it, he refrained once more, it was none of his business and the vulpine had decided some time ago to stay out of the spartan's personal affairs.
"You said the General had need of us?" Six's voice manifested over Fox's shoulder.
The tod turned to face the towering human, taking in his unreadable expression and detached tone. At that moment, he was reminded of the man he met months ago, an impassive, seemingly heartless machine. And Fox was unhappy at being able to see that comparison return.
"Yeah." He replied absently, his mind briefly centered on thoughts of the past. "Pepper wants to finalize some of those ideas of yours."
Merely nodding in acceptance, Six motioned for Fox to lead.
Their discussion on defensive tactics and strategies only lasted for a few hours, Pepper, Fox, and Six combing over the most recent reports on the CDF's capacity to fight another war. It was a rather depressing summit, with little good to show for it. As it was, it would take the fleet at least a year just to replenish the losses they'd suffered and had continued to suffer since the first Lylat War. And the army was in similar dire conditions of disrepair. The majority of their armored vehicles and infantry fighting force remained thoroughly depleted, and what was left was nearly wholly comprised of raw recruits and rundown transport assets.
The recent influx of personnel from the activation of the reserves was more a stopgap than a solution, mostly composed of cornerians either barely out of their teens or grey in muzzle and long of tooth. Without extensive training and battlefield experience these fresh soldiers would be of little use to the army, more a danger to themselves then the enemy. And as it was, there were few if any left that were qualified to train them. There just wasn't enough of the old guard left to go around. What they needed most at the moment were experienced individuals that could train the new recruits.
Factor in the materials and manpower needed to equip, train, and lead this chaotic mess, as well as the vast resources needed to restock the woefully exhausted mechanized units and what they ended up having was a logistics nightmare.
Fox had hoped for some better news, and yet what was perhaps more troubling had been the distinct lack of input from their resident supersoldier, Six had remained mute for virtually the entirety of the meeting. Whether this was a result of what had possibly occurred between him and Miyu or the general bleakness of their situation, Fox was unsure. It was possible that with such an atrocious state of affairs, there was nothing that could be said.
All Fox knew for certain, was that by the end of the conference, he was both exhausted and disheartened. They had not accomplished much, unless you considered debating over the sustainability of their meager military might to be a sign of progress. If the aparoids attacked, Fox dreaded to think on the resulting conflict. They may have Six, but there was only so much one individual could do, and it was completely unfair to dump the crushing weight of a society's hopes on his shoulders.
Both he and Six stepped out of the General's office, making their way to the elevators and out of the building. As they traveled down the marble steps of the CDF command building, Fox kept his gaze focused on his towering companion. He may have thought against it, but Six's business was in the end, his business as well. If something was bothering his friend, he wanted to get to the bottom of it. And he figured on just the way to get that done.
"All that talking has left me kind of parched." The vulpine flicked his head beckoningly. "Come on, I know just the place to wet our throats."
Hardly paying attention to his surroundings, Six nodded in acceptance and moved to follow Fox as he headed down the street.
He knew just where to go, a little hole in the wall of a place he stumbled upon a few years ago, back when it had only been Falco, Slippy, Peppy, and himself. It was quite homely for a bar, with just enough space for a dozen or so patrons to sit comfortably, and that was perhaps why he liked it so much. A relaxed atmosphere would be just what they needed right now.
It took a short five minute jaunt down the road to reach the place in question, and once they arrived, he and the spartan took seats at the bar top, the bulky human sitting awkwardly on the small stool. Once situated, Fox flagged down the bartender, calling for two fingers of whiskey for himself and Six. And upon remembering what had happened to his last stash, he asked the feline to leave the bottle, which the cat did with only a minor curious glance in the human's direction.
Once the two glasses were placed in front of them, Fox quickly swigged his own, gesturing for Six to do the same. With only a brief moment of hesitation the spartan mimicked his comrade, quickly chugging it down.
Pouring them both a refill from the bottle, Fox finally allowed himself to speak what had been on his mind, hoping that the presence of alcohol would do its work and oil the spartan's verbal hinges. "I hate to pry," He began, knowing full well that was not true. "But are you feeling alright?"
The spartan did not respond immediately, instead choosing to top-up his drink… all the way to the lip of his glass, the golden fluid sloshing against the rim and threatening to spill over. Starring into the swirling eddies created by the sudden extra portion, Six responded in a low, detached voice. "I'm fine."
Fox rolled his eyes doubtfully. "Sure you are, and I'm a Papetoonian rock lizard." The vulpine reached out to the human, teasingly nudging his arm with a paw. "Come on Six, what's the matter with you? A cat got your tongue?"
A clatter of glass momentarily grabbed Fox's attention, he noticing that the spartan had spilled most of his drink onto the bar top. The human's expression had frozen on one of alarm and he was, at least for him, visibly agitated.
The surprised vulpine remained silent as the bartender returned to swiftly wipe up the mess with a rag, using that time to playback what had been said to earn such an unfamiliar reaction out of the typically unshakable spartan. It must have been something to do with a cat, namely the only one on the team. But what might have happened between him and Miyu to elicit such a powerful reaction in Six?
"What, this has something to do with Miyu?"
Six nodded, downing the residual contents of his glass that had survived the spartan's sudden reaction. "She… surprised me today, something I had not expected. Your turn of phrase was… painfully accurate."
"Turn of phrase?" Fox mumbled to himself in confusion.
Then it dawned on him.
"Oh... Oooooh! She… I see." Now uncomfortable himself, Fox tapped a claw on the top of the bar, eyes deciding to focus on the wall of liquor in front of him. "Do you… know why she would do that?"
He did not need to see the spartan's unamused glare to feel it burning into the back of his neck. "Right… right." He pounded his chest a few times, coughing awkwardly. Admittedly this had not been what he was expecting to talk about. He had no real insight as to what direction this conversation would take, but he definitely had not factored this in.
He recognized that Miyu had been sticking close to Six, he just had not realized how close she intended to be. All Fox knew was that the spartan was either a very unfortunate or really lucky guy.
Yet, all that aside, he was admittedly curious.
"So, did she actually… you know." The vulpine gestured clumsily with his glass. Fox could not help but imagine such an odd sight as what his friend must be depicting.
Six gave him a measured, cautious affirmation with a tilt of his head.
"Wow…" Fox leaned back in his chair heavily, unsure whether or not to chuckle in amusement or wince in sympathy. "I mean, not quite sure what I can say. Are you going to tell Krystal?" He could only wonder what she might do after learning about this. And he feared for the integrity of his team. Relationships could either be the best thing to happen to you, or the ugliest affair you could ever expect to experience in your life. They may all be close, but in would not take much to change that.
"You cornerians are such… strange, fickle creatures." The spartan muttered softly, tapping his empty glass with a thick finger, other hand resting near the half empty bottle of whiskey, perhaps debating whether or not to reach out for it.
It had not gone unnoticed that the human had not answered the vulpine's question, instead changing the topic.
"Prone to sudden bursts of extreme emotion, you dart around with no deference to discipline or restraint in your lives, rushing from one chaotic moment to another. It confounds me, how you so effortlessly maintain such a turbulent existence. I cannot for the life of me understand this." As it was, it seemed Six suddenly had a lot to get off of his chest. Maybe the whiskey was starting to loosen his lips, giving him the opportunity to do something he would have never considered otherwise.
Fox chose to remain silent as the spartan spoke, listening to the human's words with great interest. It was not often he so completely voiced his thoughts and Fox hoped to learn more about the estranged member of his team, helping himself to the bottle in the meantime.
Six filled his glass once more, either uncaring or unaware of alcohol's potent effects. Or maybe it just did not affect him like it did anyone else. Other than his newfound love of words, he showed no outwards sign of its typical adverse properties. He was as coherent and eloquent as ever. "I'm no fool. I know that I lost much of what made me 'human'," He stressed the word, almost contemptuously. "Not that I suppose it matters in a world like this. I suspect I may be the only human in this universe, though I may not be an authentic product of humankind. The process to become a spartan is not one easily described. It is not the same as when one joins any archetypal military branch. Do you know what they did to me? What I had to endure hardly a month after my world was turned to ash, my family brutally ripped from me?" Six regarded Fox with a steely gaze, his hard crimson eyes seeming to demand an answer from him.
Fox could only shake his head in reply.
He knew very little of Six's past, just what he had heard from the spartan in passing on occasion and when he had talked to Pepper for the first time. It was not near enough to form a coherent picture, though he suspected that would soon change.
This being one of the very rare times that the spartan so wholly opened up to him, Fox was uncertain whether he should let this continue or try to get back to the route of their original discussion. He could not help but wonder how a conversation about Miyu could end up being the catalytic agent needed to get Six to divulge his sordid origin.
"I was taken to a clandestine military base, on a world called Onyx. There, myself along with hundreds of other children, were subjected to the harshest, most unforgiving tutelage the army could possibly devise. Those of us that did not die in the first few months were put through further tests, all designed to produce a breed soldier that exceled in all forms of war, created to live up to a legacy near impossible to replicate."
Six went silent for a moment, a multitude of shifting expressions clear on his scarred face.
"I will never forget what happened there, how they broke us into pieces, destroying what it was that made us who we were. And once we were broken, they rebuilt us into the weapons they needed us to be." The spartan frowned. "Tell me, Fox. What was your childhood like?"
The unanticipated question caught the vulpine by surprise. The last thing he had would have expected from Six was a question about his childhood. But, since the spartan was so forthcoming about his past, he could only do the same.
Fox topped off his drink, nursing the alcoholic beverage as he reminisced on memories he had not bothered to revisit in quite some time, a few moments of silence as he pieced them together. "Well, I suppose it was like anyone else's really. I went to school, had a few girlfriends, and hung out with my friends, pretty regular stuff. It wasn't anything truly special." He had of course been the school's top athlete, still presiding over the highest record of point scores in Valewood High's history. But he doubted that was relevant to someone like Six. Which, now that Fox thought about it, might just be the spartan's point.
Six chuckled softly, shaking his head in amused consternation as his eyes wandered the sparsely populated bar. "You should know, I am jealous of you, Fox. Though you may not consider such an ordinary upbringing to be anything extraordinary, to me it is remarkable, enviously so. Whereas your juvenile years consisted of a carefree existence, mine was cemented in merciless survival and coldblooded violence. I had already killed my first person before I was eleven, slipped a blade between an insurrectionist's ribs. From there, the body count had only risen."
Fox was unsure of how to respond. He had never considered his life to be enviable. Sure he had passable good looks, a great fiancé, and a fantastic group of friends. But many others had the same thing, and fame was not all it was cracked up to be in retrospect. Yet… hearing that as a child, Six had already been a trained killer, even knowing the spartan as he was now it was a difficult notion to comprehend. At ten, the vulpine had been afraid to even hurt a fly, let alone end someone's life. With little choice otherwise, the vulpine decided to remain mute and let his friend remove what must have been a monumental weight off of his chest.
"I've known no other life then what the military had supplied me. War was to me, the environment of my upbringing. It was all I ever knew. So you could understand how some concepts you take for granted are quite mysterious to one such as I. Like Krystal's infatuation with myself. Do not mistake my words as harsh. I care a great deal for that vixen. She has helped me in more ways than I will most likely ever know, shown me that life is not as austere in its disparity as I always believed it to be. I never thought I would be given the opportunities to have what could amount to an ordinary existence. With her though, I actually feel as if that is possible, as amusingly irrational as that might brand me."
Six sighed.
"But I will never understand the reason she is so devoted to me. I can never give her a conventional life. I will try, I owe that much to her. Yet ideals you take to be the average, by which everyone follows without doubt as a fact of life, are standards I remain despairingly naïve to. I am a warrior Fox; it is all I know how to be and I excel at such a profession. However I lack the ingrained experience in any other facet of life that other people convey so effortlessly. I know not how to reciprocate the displays of affection she so caringly dotes on me, nor do I think I am capable of giving her the future she is entitled to."
The spartan was fully aware of his faults, blindingly so. The only conceivable role he could play for the vixen was as her protector. He persisted to be glaringly inept in more mundane walks of life, a fact that frustrated him to no end. Six did not even possess a single civic asset to his name, his armor being the only legacy he carried with him, and a markedly bloody one at that. He had tried to correct this wrong by building that structure in the woods, a gift he had hoped to bestow upon Krystal once it was finished, the one productive skill he had to offer her.
And he hated it, the knowledge that he could give her nothing of substantial worth in recompense for all the wonderful things she gave him. It burned at his soul, whatever of it that was left. She deserved more, needed more, then what he was capable of returning, no matter how hard he might try. There were just some obligations of a relationship he was either unprepared for or simply could not fulfill.
She was everything to him, and nothing. Krystal served no comprehensible purpose yet he now could not live without her. He either detested her presence, or craved it. She was an enigma, one that seemed to flutter back and forth in his perception, never settling on one precise meaning.
Even now he felt that incessant tugging in his chest, an inescapable pull that's indication he had come to recognize as his yearning for that cerulean vixen. Her soft voice and kind eyes helped him forget his past and all of its profound scars. Her silken fur cushioned him at night and kept the darkness in his soul at bay, hinting at the parts of him that had long sense laid dormant. A conversation with her was all he needed to lighten even the most foulest of his moods.
She completed him, in ways he still did not understand.
And Miyu only sought to further complicate this, an already messy affair. She was a good friend to him, a fiery woman that easily brought a smile to his face with her antics, which was in itself a difficult task. Yet upon learning of the depth of her regard for him, he no longer knew what to think about her. He did not feel about her as he did Krystal. True, he did admire her feminine features, and her prowess in combat was as respectable as her determination. But the emotions he felt towards the vixen were not replicated with the cat, at least not to such a high degree.
How he wished for the simpler days, back when his goals and values had been easy to interpret. Fighting the Covenant had not been so taxing on his mind as these comparatively lesser concerns. Such sentiments as love and companionship held no sway over that Six, though they all but controlled him now. He doubted Jorge had anticipated this in all his talks on life after the war, a previously impossible concept. He did not know whether his fellow spartan would have smiled or laughed at this cosmic absurdity.
His upbringing left Six wholly unprepared to handle the situation he currently faced. And though this talk with Fox assisted in alleviating some of the stress that had built up since the event with Miyu, the spartan concluded this to be something he could only handle on his own. He would have to tell Krystal about this, lying or otherwise refraining from informing her was a choice he had not even bothered to put forward. He had never told a lie, not a single day in his life and he had no wish to start now, especially not with her.
He would tell her the truth, and deal with the consequences as they came. He did not know what her response might be, but he knew she would never fault him. That was just the type of person Krystal was, indeed why he respected her so much.
Six glanced at his cup, wondering on whether or not to get another serving of the beverage Fox had ordered. He found it helped him piece together his considerations, offering him a clarity of thought he had been previously unable to attain, yet needed to bring a solution to these muddled issues. But, he discovered that the bottle was empty, he and Fox having finished it over the course of their dialogue. Six debated on the merit of requesting another bottle but in the end decided against it. Best to leave things as they were.
"Thank you Fox, you are quite a good listen-"
Turning to Fox, he started to speak, intending to tell the vulpine that he was finished when he noticed the condition of his friend, words dying on his lips. Fox's muzzle rested on the bar top, an arm propping it up as his snored softly into the sleeve of his coat, a peaceful guise to his face.
Six chuckled at the sight.
It would seem as though his long winded monologue and silent brooding had lulled his commander to sleep. It was not all that surprising, he knew Fox had not given himself much rest as of late. Too busy worrying over the possibility of this invasion. He did not like how Fox pushed himself so hard on a concern so far out of his control. There was little if anything he could do that had not already been done and he only sought to exhaust himself by taking this unnecessary course of action. Things like that, the worries Fox so needlessly placed on his own shoulders, had long ago ceased to be of disquiet to Six. What may come would come. He would do as he always did, confront the tides of adversity and do his best to succeed.
Now though, he thought with a frown. He did have his share of fears. Krystal would survive whatever might happen. He would see to that till the last drop of blood left his dying corpse. She was his newfound reason to live, his salvation, a woman that meant more to him than life itself, as little as its importance had been to him in the past.
It was quite an amusing notion really. Never had he once anticipated that a single living being, an extraterrestrial vixen nonetheless, would provoke such a drastic metamorphosis in him, altering all that he was and had been. Yet he could not be more content with his lot in life. Undeniably, he had gained much from her, from all of Starfox, each in their own way contributing to this adaptation he had unwittingly undergone. Here, he knew a peace of mind he could never have hoped to have in his home of origin.
Six did not often voice or think it, but he was immensely grateful towards Fox for offering him a place on his team. He was not the same spartan he had been many months ago, and he liked to believe that such a difference would be in the end, for the better. Six wished to repay the vulpine with his unwavering loyalty and devotion, hopeful that would be enough to settle this substantial debt he felt was owed.
To start, he would let Fox have his rest here, knowing he would not do so otherwise, stubborn much like the spartan himself in that regard. Not knowing how long this might be, Six summoned the bartender and ordered another bottle, tending the drink till his vulpine commander awoke.
Now he rested with his thoughts, leaving all his concerns for a later time. As of this moment, he would enjoy this brief instance of reprieve from all of his considerable troubles.
For once, Six would allow himself to be just that.
Himself.
Krystal was unsurprised to feel Miyu's presence as the nervous feline paced back and forth outside of her room. She had already known that she would be coming to see her. In her meditation, Krystal had felt something happen, a brief, jagged spike of emotion erupting from her spartan and from Miyu as well. It did not take much forethought after that to realize what had occurred.
She knew Miyu well enough to anticipate her actions. The fiery feline was never all that effective at handling her emotions. She did as she always did, throwing everything out in the open for all to see. And judging from both of their mental states post-event, it had not gone all that well, which was in itself not all that unexpected.
The first thing Krystal had wanted to do had been to go find Six and comfort him. No doubt Miyu's forwards policy had caught him by surprise and had shaken him deeply. Yet she knew and respected that sometimes he needed his space. Six could handle himself, and would come to her whence he stabilized. She understood him quite well by now. Regardless how she felt about him, the spartan was a decidedly pragmatic and certainly dissassociative individual. Being as such, whatever had transpired between him and Miyu would be something he alone could process.
No. Her task lay within learning the exact details behind this incident, and deciding whether or not she could still consider Miyu as her friend. The cat had known very well who Six belonged to, and Krystal could not help but feel betrayed that someone she had held in such close regard would attempt something so underhanded. A powerful reason for her to pursue the answers she needed.
'The sooner the better I suppose.' She sighed reluctantly and gracefully rose from her seated position, moving towards the door with some disinclination. This was a conversation she would not relish having, but one she realized, had been too long in the waiting. The result of her inaction, a situation that had in all likelihood traumatized the male she held so dearly. And for that she could only blame herself. Despite Six's nearly incalculable determination and depthless constitution, she knew him to be a startlingly fragile soul when it came to any matter other than war, a converse truth that occupied a large percentage of her waking thoughts. She hoped to be able to change this about him. That it might improve not only his life, but that of the one she hoped to have with him.
She was not so girlishly naïve as she suspected many perceived her to be. Krystal realized what challenges she had thrust upon herself when she decided he had been the one to claim her heart. The vixen knew it would be a long uphill battle, one that she very well might lose. He might never change, might even relapse into the coldhearted warrior she had first met so long ago. And Krystal knew it would break her heart if he did. Because she had seen something inside him, an infinitesimal fragment of the man he could have been if not for the ill-fated tides of destiny. She saw a man with an endless capability for kindness and compassion, with the strength and willpower to become so much more than he was, a hero not only to her but to those in need as well. He was a soldier, the strongest she had ever laid witness to, No one person would ever be as powerful as he.
She also saw a child forced to grow up so quickly that he never had the chance to come to term with the loss of his youthful innocence or the death of his family. At the least she had the closure of an adult; he had been but an adolescent, thrown through the chaotic maelstrom of war without the anchor of a family to keep him afloat, offered only the cold administrative arm of his species' military. He was damaged, misplaced, and confused, likely never to recover. With him she might never be a mother, raise a child of her own. Since they cemented their relationship he had shown no interest in trying to conceive one, despite her occasional, scarcely guised signals. Not that they might even be genetically compatible to do so, she had yet to visit a doctor to discover if such a thing was possible. Besides which, such a situation might literally cook Six's brain. Krystal was still a few months from her cycle, and she didn't know what would happen once that time rolled around. It had been easy to control with no romantic interest to pursue, but now with Six…
She dared to wonder.
And yet despite all of this, she loved him anyways, for what he was and could be. Hoping that one day things might change, that they might get the chance to do just what she wished with all of her heart, to live as normal a life as she could give him. For he deserved to have some degree of happiness in his life after what his own people had done to him, for the salvation of their race or not it mattered little to her. They were as much as to blame for his suffering as the aliens that had killed his family and destroyed his home.
But that was far ahead of the present, for now she would have to deal with Miyu, her greatest concern. She had been wondering on how to handle this situation for days, and it looked like her time to make a decision had just been accelerated drastically.
Krystal opened the door, Miyu just crossing past it on what must have been her hundredth rotation. The feline appeared startled for a moment before recovering swiftly. "Hey Krys!" She fiddled with her looped ear, chuckling softly in quite obvious discomfort. "Just the person I was loo-"
"Come inside." Krystal interrupted brusquely, forestalling any more words with a raised paw, neither having the drive nor patience to listen to one of her laidback phrases. "There is much to discuss."
Any pretense of joviality instantly dropped from Miyu as she presented a guilty wince, preceded by a bashful grin as she recovered some of her forced good humor. "Right…" She mumbled, trudging in after the vixen who led her deeper inside without another word.
Miyu's eyes scanned Krystal's room, seeing the inside being a rather rare experience as the Vixen did not let many inside her personal quarters. It was surprisingly sparse, with little decorations or adornments, just as the last time Miyu had seen it. In fact, it was rather plan for a woman's room, at least in her opinion. The walls were a monotone white, free of the usual posters or paintings one might expect to see. And she only had a solitary bureau containing all her clothes, atop which rested a small rectangular mirror and an equally small amount of cosmetic implements. Beside it, a mannequin stood hoisted on a metal stand, wreathed in that strange scanty outfit that was a relic of her old home. She knew Krystal no longer wore it for a variety of reasons, many of which needed no deducing. The only sign that Six was a mutual owner of the room was the decidedly out-of-place rifle resting casually against the wooden dresser, the very one she remembered him using as he had saved her life on Zoness, the sight of it bringing back a host of both pleasant and uncomfortable memories.
The vixen in question set herself down on her bed, eyeing Miyu coolly from across the room. The frigidity in the space was tangible, the cat feeling a cold breeze float through her, whether from the guilt of her actions or Krystal's impassive gaze was up to a vote with an even split of fifty-fifty on the cause. Yet despite the cold, Miyu sweltered underneath that simple, unassuming glance, the collar of her shirt igniting under the strain of the vixen's emerald stare. She was blatantly aware that she was in the wrong here. That with her powers, Krystal must have known what happened. Yet, she felt no remorse for what she did. Whatever came of it, she had at least made her intentions clear.
Krystal did not speak immediately; rather she kept her gaze firmly fixed on Miyu, mind musing on how best to get to the point. The restrained, less refined part of her wished to yell and scream at the cat, show her just how upset she was at her actions. Fortunately, or perhaps not so, the dominant, cultured aspect of her took over, the one that wished to handle this discussion with some modicum of discretion and civility. After all, they had been friends for quite some time.
"Why…" She urged, deciding at last on her course of action, the sheer disbelief she felt coming to the fore. Why, with their close bond of friendship and confidence in one another? Why had Miyu betrayed her so?
Almost instantly the guilt Miyu felt was reignited as she recognized that the repercussions of what she had done may have been more severe than she first predicted. Yet, she did have an answer. It would not placate Krystal, but it would be the truth.
"I love him." She stated, pure and simple, watching as the vixen winced upon hearing those words she had known would be said but hoped not to hear. Surprisingly, out of the variety of emotions she felt upon uttering those words, relief was most apparent amongst them. While not the best of circumstances, at least everything had been put on the table, nothing left to hide, no more skulking around with these sequestered thoughts buried deep inside as they relentlessly orbited an issue only she had been plagued by.
She loved Six, in all of his awkward, sarcastic glory. She loved the ruthlessness he exuded, and the oxymoronic tenderness he kept so closely guarded. He was worth it to be around, teaching her a great deal in a small amount of time with that gravelly, stimulating voice. Mostly on how to kill as efficiently as possible, but surprisingly, also on the value of a life, and how certain you must be before you take it from someone. Unlike herself and the others, he never boasted on his prowess, in fact he seemed almost ashamed of it. She had come to realize from this, the severity of what their job actually was, how they ended other people's lives for a living, while doing their best not to lose their own in the process.
Miyu valued Six for what he taught her, both with his words and as a result of merely living with them for as long as he had. It would not bother her to realize that the rest of her life very well might include Six in it. That had been the moment when she had recognized the extent of her attachment to him. She wanted for nothing when he was near, and felt as if she had all she ever needed. He was a fascinating conversationalist, when he actually mustered the desire to speak more than a handful of words. She imagined he had no end of captivating tales to tell and advice to give.
Perhaps, she did not love him quite as Krystal did, the vixen being the most emotional between the two of them, but she cared for him in her own way. It was true, his physique was a lusty bonus, but that had never been her prime motivator, in fact she had started to feel this way long before he fully revealed himself. No. She had been far more interested in the who not the what, that had been under his armor.
Her musing was interrupted, Miyu slowly noticing the hardening of Krystal's expression, and felt a small upwelling of unease. Krystal was not a violent person, but it was possible she was willing to change that, if only for a moment.
Yet, rather than leaping out to attack her as Miyu was beginning to anticipate, the vixen released a slow, heavy sigh, smoothing out her raised fur, seemingly collecting her thoughts.
"Well Miyu, this creates somewhat of a problem." Krystal frowned, drastically understating her opinion. "Six is… very important to me. And I distinctly recall informing you that he was already claimed, yet, you go off and do something like this. So tell me, what exactly did you do? And leave nothing out. I will know if you try."
Realizing this might be her best and only chance to explain herself in a way that would allow her to keep this friendship. Miyu was careful in how she would word herself.
And hopefully, she just might survive this.
With an abrupt huff, Fox suddenly regained consciousness. Muddled and disorientated, the confused vulpine took a glance at his surroundings as he tried to recall what he had been up to before unexpectedly falling asleep. Slowly piecing past events together, he remembered that he and Six had stopped at a bar, and as he looked around he realized he was still there.
But where was Six?
A more detailed observation of the room revealed that the spartan had not left his seat. Rather the large human sat idle on the stool, crimson eyes locked firmly on the bar top. And judging from the furrowed brow, he was deep in thought, as the spartan seemed prone to.
"Six?" Fox croaked questioningly, throat dry as a bone. While he thankfully had not drunken enough to receiver a hangover, he had gained a parched mouth for his troubles, along with a complimentary case of dragon's breath.
Shifting his head, Six regarded the vulpine with the barest trace of a smile. "Ah Fox, you are awake earlier then I had anticipated. It has only been…" He glanced at the device on his wrist, "four hours since you passed out."
"Four hours?" He mumbled in shock, violently lurching up in his seat. "Why didn't you wake me up?" He didn't really have any plans today, but sleeping it off in the bar would not have been one of them.
The spartan shrugged calmly, unbothered by his companion's tone of alarm. "I saw no reason to interrupt your slumber. You do not get enough sleep as it is. You let your concerns weight far too heavily on your thoughts, Fox. The sooner you understand that some things are just out of your control, the better off you'll be."
As much as he wanted to, Fox could not hold it against him. The spartan spoke the truth; however he was surprised that Six saw through him so easily. He thought he kept a better handle on his emotions, though he should have known someone like Six would have no difficult doing so.
"Well… I guess I should thank you." Fox grumbled in false reluctance. Honestly, he did feel better after that. Leave it to Six to know exactly what he needed.
"That would be appreciated." The spartan nodded, the vulpine unable to tell whether he was being serious or not.
"Then there you have it, my thanks. Now then," he slid off his stool. "Let's head back. I think we've been gone long enough. You don't want to keep Krystal waiting after all, right?"
"No… I would not." Six replied, a thoughtful tone in his usually gruff voice.
Fox imagined there was much they had to talk about. And once again, he was thankful for his relatively uncomplicated life.
Leaving a fistful of credits on the counter, he and Six stepped out of the bar and headed down the street. Surprisingly, the sun was still up, though Fox could see that it was not far from setting. It would be dark in a few hours.
Another day well spent in his book. He now understood Six a little better, and just might have helped the spartan through a few unresolved issues, and a few of his own for that matter. He supposed he should take Six's advice. If the spartan told him he needed to relax, then he definitely had to. As Six said, there was nothing he could do, and he was only hurting himself in the end. And Fara as well, he had been trying to hide it from her, but he knew she suspected something was going on. He had always been terrible at keeping secrets, especially from her. She was just too damn observant sometimes. But this was one secret he would remain tightlipped about, no matter how hard she pressed. Not just because he had been ordered to, but it would break his heart to tell her that the hard-won peace they had just attained might be fleeting. That the war they had just fought was light in comparison to the one the Aparoids would bring.
And if luck was on their side she would never have to know.
Damn, he wished he didn't know.
But such was the weight of responsibility. How did Six keep such a composed façade against such terrible news? Indeed how did he keep so calm after enduring the hardships he faced? The spartan had been thrown from his war ravaged life, only to be forced into an alien world and another conflict that was not even his own, played a key role in this war, only to learn that another, even more desperate campaign just might await him.
As reluctant as he was to admit, his friend's recent troubles amused him greatly. Six had never baulked at the call to battle, yet give him a relationship crisis and he all but fell to pieces. Fox decided that he would never find another individual quite as unique as Six.
And despite the spartan's peculiarity, Fox could not ask for a better brother-in-arms. It was comforting to know, especially with the possible approach of a war much worse than its predecessor, that he had someone like Six to rely on. He could trust that the human soldier would do all in his power to see to their safety, and it was heartening that one so strong considered him a person worthy of protection and trust. Six instilled in him the confidence to believe that they could make it through another war.
Deep in thought, he barely noticed that the spartan had stopped moving, the vulpine having taken several steps past him. Curious, Fox looked to his friend and noticed that Six's gaze was focused on the opposite side of the street, on to a pair of figures moving the opposite way.
Without a word Six suddenly shifted back into motion, crossing the road on a path to meet up with the pair. Confused and mildly interested, Fox quickly matched the spartan's pace, wondering who would attract his attention. As far as he knew, Six didn't consort with anyone outside the team, at least willingly. And he almost never left the villa.
Fox followed and watched as the spartan quickly ate up the distance separating him and the two citizens, noticing upon closer inspection that they appeared to be a mother and child. This new information only inflamed his inquisitiveness.
As Six neared they seemed to have at last detected that he was coming, and the woman glanced over her shoulder, thusly freezing up at the tall human's approach. Fear and uncertainty crossed her muzzle as she watched this apparent stranger move towards her and her child, the feline pulling the young cub closer to her chest protectively. The child just gazed up at the human in wonder, having never seen anyone like him before.
This put Fox on guard, the vulpine hoping he wasn't about to be an accomplice to something. Yet he knew Six and trusted he had a reason for doing this.
Six finally stopped a few feet away from the woman, staring down at them curiously.
"Mira?" He grunted curiously.
Hearing such a unique speech pattern, the woman recognized it quite easily, surprise and relief washing over her muzzle. "S-Six… is that you?" She had only ever seen the spartan but once, and he had been in armor. But that was voice was unmistakable, she had never heard one like it before, deep and grating, yet undeniably pleasant to the ears.
With the knowledge that this was not a stranger, but the peculiar, albeit interesting male she had encountered some weeks ago, any sense of anxiety was replaced by a small measure of happiness as she recalled their conversation fondly.
"I must say, without armor you are not quite what I expected." She spoke as she released her tense grip on Baxter, the young cub grinning up at the human as he remembered the odd armored giant that had made his mom smile.
"Hi Six!" The young hybrid happily waived at him with an energetic paw.
"Baxter." Six acknowledged the cub with a tilt of his head and a not so forced smile. There was something… calming, about seeing the kid again.
Needless to say, Fox was stunned. "You know these two?" He looked up to Six in shock. He had never figured Six to make friends with a few random citizens.
"Oh my…" Mira gasped softly, recognizing Six's associate with a delighted grin. "You're Fox Mccloud!"
Deciding to postpone his usual resigned sigh considering they were friends of Six, the vulpine nodded, offering his best smile in return. "Yeah, that's me."
"It's an honor to meet you." The feline mother offered her paw and the vulpine accepted, giving it a gentle shake.
"The honor is all mine. After all, any friend of Six is a friend to me."
Fox's smile widened further as the young hybrid enthusiastically stepped away from his mother and towards him. "Wow Mister Mccloud, I'm your biggest fan. Can you sign my shirt?" To which he grabbed the collar and extended it forwards.
"Sure kid." Fox reached into his pocket and retrieved the pen he always carried for moments like this. "To my number one fan…." He mumbled, tracing his words on the white polo. Despite his accustomed reluctance, Fox enjoyed meeting the children. The little balls of fur and energy always brought a smile to his muzzle.
"Thanks, you're the best. As soon as I'm old enough I'll be a pilot, just like you!"
His grin widened. "Keep that enthusiasm and one day you might find yourself on my team."
The little hybrid gasped. "You really think so?"
"Yeah, I think so." Fox turned his head to Six. The spartan had been speaking with the mother while he talked with the kid. Ever the nosy one, Fox swiveled his ears in their direction, picking up the tail end of their conversation.
"It was… nice, to see you again." Six rumbled lowly.
The feline grinned up at him, tail flicking merrily behind her. "I hope you can make this a habit, Six."
The spartan raised an eyebrow.
"Dropping in out of nowhere that is." Mira elaborated, giggling at his puzzled expression. His peculiar mannerism amused her to no end. He was certainly a strange one. Yet, there was something… engaging about him, his presence. He was like no one she had ever met before.
"I will try then… to make this a… habit." The spartan replied, having some difficulty wording himself. Mira was an interesting individual. He had learned something about civilian life from her. Perhaps if he spent more time around the woman, he would be able to learn more. Then he might be better prepared to give Krysta. What she deserved.
"You know…" Her attitude seemed to change, the motherly feline suddenly having a difficult time making eye contact with the spartan. "You made quite the impact on Baxter. He tells all his friends about the 'robot that wasn't really a robot'; he met on his way to the park one day."
She chuckled softly. "And I must admit, he's not the only one." Reaching in her purse, Mira pulled out a notepad, jotting down something on the paper before holding it out for him.
The spartan retrieved it, glancing at the sheet before placing it in his pocket.
"That's got my number and address if you feel like stopping by, or maybe if you just want to give a call. I work from nine o'clock to five during the week. Feel free to call any time before or after that."
Six nodded thoughtfully, storing the information for later. "I will be sure to remain in touch."
That was the proper response, wasn't it?
Fox grinned like an idiot, clearly seeing what the spartan was not. Seriously, what was with him and women? But the best part had to be how oblivious the human was to all this attention. The vulpine knew that Six was going to have a very interesting, complicated life. And he could not help but believe the spartan deserved it.
It was about time the poor guy had something going for him.
Not soon afterwards, Six and Fox made their goodbyes. But before they left, the vulpine invited them to come by their place some time so that they could meet the rest of the team, to which the kid was completely ecstatic.
Fox watched as they left, catching a glimpse of Six's expression out of the corner of his eye. He was making that face, the one the vulpine liked to call the 'deep in thought'.
"Well, that was certainly interesting. Make any other friends without me knowing?"
"No." The spartan grunted impartially, shifting his boots to resume walking in the direction previously, before they had takin this detour.
With a loose grin and a shake of his muzzle, Fox followed after Six, wondering how exactly how the supersoldier was able to do so much without his notice.
"So you say Six… so you say."
Keys jingled softly as Fox pushed the door open, the spartan stooping in after him with the setting sun at their backs. Glancing at his communicator, Fox summarized that the team had eaten some time ago and was likely in their rooms for the night. And judging from the lack of destruction he could safely assume Krystal and Miyu had at least not jumped at each other's throats, not too violently anyways.
He bid the human goodnight, the supersoldier slowly making his way into the lodge.
He was not jealous of Six at the moment, he could only imagine what the poor spartan would have to deal with in the coming days, maybe even tonight if he was that unlucky. What the team needed right now, or rather a select few needed, was a distraction. Thankfully one had been provided for them.
Pepper had a mission lined up. Mercifully, it was nothing too crazy like what they were accustomed to. He recalled the brief conversation he had with Pepper moments after Six left the room. Remnants of Oikonny's forces, the ones that had not surrendered that is, had been sighted at the edge of the Fortuna sector. Preliminary analysis revealed only a small detachment, nothing they couldn't handle, especially with Six. He suspected to have it all wrapped up in a few days at the most, just something to get the proverbially blood pumping.
He would have to postpone the whole bar idea he had been dreaming up though, slating it for when they returned. And hopefully by then, Krystal and Miyu would have everything settled. It might have been a bad idea at the time anyways. Bars tended to not be the best place to be when dealing with this kind of stuff. Alcohol and resentment were not the best of friends, and when they came together nothing ever ended well.
Fox was glad to have only Fara's attention. After all, you can have too much of a good thing, despite what most naïve people say.
Sighing at the complexity of inter team romance, Fox made way down to his bedroom, thankful that out of all this he at least had his room returned to him. He didn't mind Six's company, in fact if the spartan had not found his own sleeping arrangement with Krystal, he would have gladly put in a second bed. However, he now had privacy if he wanted to bring Fara back around, something that would have definitely been awkward beforehand.
But that was not his only concern at the moment. He had to check up on the rest of the team as well. He had been too preoccupied with Six's unfortunate situation to talk with Falco and the others. And Fox hoped to do that over the course of their new contract. He remembered Slippy saying something about possible improvements to their arsenal and equipment, and Falco had been rather distant as of late. Fox was certain something had come up to distract him.
And well, he and Peppy had already reached an understanding, though ever since learning about the aparoids he had been pushing for the old hare to reconnect with his daughter.
All in all he had a heap of issues on his plate, and Fox could not help but wonder how his father had dealt with all of this. Perhaps that was why his dad had always kept a reasonably small team. If Starfox kept expanding as it did, pretty soon he would have to see about getting a genuine second-in-command. He had no wish to dump such a load on Krystal, especially considering the vixen had enough on her mind as is.
Thankfully, he already had a candidate, one he had been considering for a while. One he suspected would be perfectly suited for the job.
Fox's thoughts carried him into his bedroom and the vulpine quickly undressed and slipped into bed, yet he could not find the rest he so desperately needed.
There was still so much to worry about, the state of the military, what might happen if the aparoids arrived. How many innocents would die in the ensuing conflict? Could they even beat them? Would his team make it through intact? How many times would he be forced to say goodbye?
You let your concerns weight far too heavily on your thoughts, Fox. The sooner you understand that some things are just out of your control, the better off you'll be.
Six's voice suddenly popped in his head, the vulpine once more seeing the wisdom in the spartan's words. It was true. He could no nothing to answer these questions. The faster he accepted this fact, the better off he'll be.
And soon enough, he found himself drifting off to sleep.
Six stopped just outside Krystal's room.
Or rather our room I suppose. He sighed uncertainly.
The spartan found it difficult to reach out to the keypad, dreading the upcoming conversation he knew to be waiting. He hardly understood the events that had transpired between him and Miyu, so how could he answer the questions that no doubt would be expected of him?
He had spent a long while considering his position and how best to formulate his response. Yet those hours of deep thought had offered him little for his musing. In the end Six supposed it would be best to remain straightforward and direct, a path that had served him well in the past. Truth would be his ally here.
Normalcy came with a price it seemed, a fee he would have to adapt towards as he paid. Six only hoped that in the end, the benefits would out way his doubts. Evidence of this was already visible and offered him comfort that the choices he had been making so far were the right ones.
She was far worth the uncertainties and fears that followed her. Krystal opened his mind to a world that revolved around more than war. And he would always be grateful, even if he did not express his gratitude openly.
His resolve reaffirmed, Six activated the door switch and stepped inside.
The room was not a large one, and he quickly found her, the vixen's legs folded elegantly underneath her as she sat on the bed, her lively emerald eyes regarding him with unguarded mirth.
Six paused in the doorway, not expecting to see such a cheerful demeanor from her.
Was he not in trouble?
Confused, Six sullenly drew near, like a scolded hound approaching its master, Krystal being the only one capable of making him feel such a way. The spartan had no master, but she was closest to his heart, and what the vixen thought of him mattered more to Six then any order he had ever, or was likely ever to receive.
Once he was within arms distance, he started to speak.
"Krystal… I." The spartan felt a fuzzy finger press against his lips, shushing him in his tracks.
Silently the vixen stared up at him, her compassionate eyes neither judging nor condemning. Craning her muzzle forwards, she affectionately brushed her soft lips against his cheek in the briefest of caresses.
She pulled away unhurriedly, revealing a modest, sincere smile as she shifted in the bed. Making herself comfortable, the vixen lifted the blanket beckoningly.
The tentative frown on Six's face was quickly washed away by a faint smile of his own as he moved to obey her silent invitation.
In that moment, his past was the last thing on his mind.