Author's Note: Well I'm sorry for being really late everybody. I meant to get this in a couple weeks ago, but my own procrastination got in the way. that was a mistake, seeing as how my computer got a computer virus and I wasn't able to access the internet for almost another two weeks. So I'm just going to considor this my seasonal break. Initially I had planned on taking a month break anyway, but that was before I decided to try and finish this story before the end of 2010... that didn't happen. But we are getting close to the end of the story. There are two more chapters after this one for this arc and the last arc will be upon us. I've decided to make the last arc only 4 chapters. Yes people, we're that close to the end. Then we'll be at the epilogue and exchanging goodbyes. Thanks to all those who reviewed and keep Reading and Reviewing everyone, it helps with inspiration.

To Krazy Kid: Nope, this isn't leading to Kursed. Kursed isn't even a part of the story actually.

To Everyone Else: Enjoy the chapter and remember to Read & Review!

Chapter 25

Krystal's Fragile Heart

Krystal traveled together with Clouse through the time/space tunnel to her next destination. She was feeling that same elated feeling again and it washed away leaving behind that same sadness as before. She heard something again, but louder than before. "What was that?" she said, trying to find the source of the sound.

Clouse looked to her for a moment in confusion. "What are you talking about, child?"

"I… thought I heard a voice just now. I faintly heard it before, but I heard it again just now." Clouse didn't know what she was talking about. He looked around and tried to hear something, but he couldn't. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I didn't hear anything." Krystal wondered why that was as the voice faded into nothing. She began to think that she was going mad. Krystal was broken from her thoughts when she heard Clouse yell out, "Look! It's the end of the tunnel." The vulpine straightened herself up and got ready for what might happen on the other side.

Once they came out on the other end, Krystal looked around to inspect their destination. It was night out, but a series of light poles lit up the area brilliantly. They were in a cul-de-sac and snow littered the ground. It was only then that She noticed it was decently cold out, but not horribly so. There were also multi-colored lights strewn about the different houses that were there. This place was familiar to her as well. It wasn't the same déjà vu feeling she had back in that forest, she really believed that she had been there before but couldn't quite put her finger on it. "Where are we, or better yet, WHEN are we?" It wasn't winter back home, but summer. It also looked like it was close to Christmas in this place.

"I'm glad you asked. This is the world you are trying to protect from Malxifel's evil grasp. This is Earth Prime. Within the multi-verse is a common source. Every new idea, book, and video game creates a new world, like the branches of a thousand-year-old tree. Each world that is created creates even more worlds. A universe of infinite possibilities. However, this is the world that holds all of those possibilities together. If this world dies, so does everything else. As for when we are, we are in the near future. Tomorrow is Christmas in the same year as yours." Clouse paused for a moment, almost solemnly when Krystal looked into his eyes. "It's time for me to go. I'll be back when you're finished." Krystal nodded and turned away from the leaving traveler.

Once Clouse phased out of sight, Krystal walked around to explore the area around her and searching for a sign of her target. She turned from house to house for a clue, but one house in particular caught her attention. She examined it closely from near its mailbox. It was a pale red, one-story house and unlike all of the other homes in the cul-de-sac, it didn't have any Christmas lights strewn across the yard or roof. Then she turned to see what the name on the mailbox said. 'Kindley.' Her eyes widened in realization. This was one of the houses the government offered to give Krystal and Light. This house was one of the two they decided to choose from. In the end, they chose the house they currently owned because the one in front of her was too small for a family.

Krystal started to move in closer but stopped once she saw a light turn on and a figure walked into view. She dashed to the side to avoid being seen and tried to find another place to view what was going on inside. She went around to the other side of the building and found another window to view what looked like the kitchen. The figure sitting at the dining table was Light! Krystal felt all of her senses stop functioning. Seeing him on the other side of the glass gave new meaning to the phrase, 'seen a ghost.'

On the other side of Krystal's view, the Light of Earth Prime was sitting down to his Christmas Eve dinner. It only consisted of a couple slices of ham and some corn he thawed out and made. Krystal watched as he began to silently eat alone. She wondered where everyone else was. She realized that she probably didn't exist in this universe, but she couldn't help but wonder where everybody was at. Weren't people supposed to spend time in the holidays with family? Light ate only a few bites of food at the time, but then he stopped eating suddenly. He had a pensive and sorrowful look about him. He lifted his head up and looked out the window that looked over the cul-de-sac. Across the street, a happy and laughing family could be seen through their window. They were eating dinner together as a family. Krystal turned from the view of the happy people and back to Light. He turned from the family, sighing as he got up out of his seat. He put his silverware in the sink and trashed his practically untouched dinner into the waste bin before leaving the room. He looked pained.

None of this made sense to Krystal. Where was her target? Unless… 'NO?' she gasped to herself. Was she supposed to kill Light? It all made sense now. Clouse's pitying expression came to mind. A tear cascaded down her face as she realized what it was that she had to do. In order to bring back her Light, she had to murder this one. The light to the kitchen went out, as did the steadiness in her legs as she sobbed slightly to herself.

It looked like the other Light was going off to bed. Once her sobbing stopped, she made her decision and decided to wait for an hour before making her move. She felt disgusted with herself.

One hour passed by slowly. Krystal was cold, but part of her wished she could die of hypothermia before the one hour mark had passed.

The hour passed and Krystal got up from where she had been sitting. She walked back around front and snuck up to the door. The vulpine knew her husbands habits well enough to know that he always kept a spare key hidden under the mat or something. After lifting the welcome mat up and finding nothing, she looked at the side of the steps and found a big rock. She found the key under it and went inside.

Krystal gently closed the door behind her so as not to make any noise. Once she made sure the door was locked and secure, she turned around moved lightly through the living room. She was halfway through when she noticed a gathering of photos around the fireplace. One was of Light and his three infamous companions. Another was Light's prom picture… that only consisted of him. Krystal had a bad feeling about where this was going. The next photo was of Light's parents, and below both faces were two epitaphs. 'Light's parents were dead?' she thought to herself in unbelief. She looked around every photo, but couldn't find any other pictures of family or friends, but only him alone. She decided to rip her eyes away from the foreboding display and continued on into the hallway.

Krystal remembered where the real-estate agent said the master bedroom was, so she bee lined to it as quick as possible. She found the bedroom and cracked it open for a peek through. She managed to spot him from her limited view, but nothing else. Krystal pushed the door open and walked in while gripping the dagger in her hand.

Upon approaching the bed, she noticed something that the photos around the fireplace had indicated. Light was alone in bed. His scent was also the only thing she could sense throughout the house, so she suspected this. The Light of this Earth was truly alone. No parents. No wife. No children. No family to speak of. She shook her head away from the depressing thoughts going through her mind. She had a job to do and she had to do whatever it took to make everything right, even if it meant doing the unspeakable.

Krystal raised the dagger above her head and readied it to stab downward. She hesitated. Before anything else, she examined his features deeply for the first time in what seemed like ages. He was alive before her, breathing rhythmically. She didn't know it, but a loving tear escaped the confines of her eyes and rolled down her furry white cheek, and it fell to his face. The tear splashed on his right eye, causing him to stir and slowly awaken.

The Light before her blinked tiredly and tried to focus on the blurry image he was seeing. Once his eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness, the picture he was seeing became clear. Two erect ears, a tail, and legs that allowed the creature to stand upright like a human. His eyelids flew open with a gasp and his body acted instantly. He bolted upright with a scream and backed himself as far into the wall as he possibly could.

The creature just stood there, watching him. Light was beyond confusion and fright. Even in the dark, he could see the sparkle of life in its eyes using what little light he had thanks to the light posts outside. Then he noticed something else in its eyes but couldn't figure out what. He heard a sob. The creature's body trembled a bit and started to make sobbing sounds again. Whatever it had been holding in its claws had crashed to the floor with a thud. Before he could figure out what to do next, the creature leapt at him.

After a minute had passed by, Light realized that he was still alive. Moreover, the creature that pounced on him had buried its face into his chest and wrapped its arms tightly around his waist. Now he was sure it was sobbing and crying. For what reason, he wasn't sure. Light's arms was freed of its tight embrace and he squirmed his arm far enough to reach the bedroom lamp at the head of his bed. With the flick of a switch, the lamp's light illuminated the room. Blue and white were the colors of the creature that was invading his space. Shock and terror filled his heart to the point where he could have sworn that he just had multiple simultaneous heart attacks. His limbs felt numb and heavy. "It's a furry!" were Light's words utter shock. True enough, although his choice of words was quite the understatement, the blue and white humanoid creature latched onto him was furry indeed. The creature raised its head and locked eyes with his. Talk about a blast from his gaming past. The creature was none other than Krystal, the main Starfox love interest. 'But why on Earth is she…' Before he could finish his thought, Krystal launched her small muzzle at his face and roughly claimed his virgin lips.

He become inebriated under the pleasure he was feeling. He only found himself melting into the increasingly passionate kiss. Then his senses came back to reality. Someone or something that shouldn't even exist was kissing him! Light broke the kiss and put her at arms length away from him as he tried to catch his breath. "Please tell me I'm going mad and this is just a freaky dream?"

Krystal was still recovering from her actions just as he was, not to mention she was trying to figure out what possessed her to just do that all of a sudden. "Believe me, I wish this whole nightmare was as much a dream as it is horrible."

Light caught on to her sorrowful expression but put it aside to simply ask, even if he couldn't quite believe what was in front of him, "Are you… Krystal?" He asked this with uncertainty. Something this amazing, weird, and out of place just didn't happen for no reason. And it was going to take a lot of convincing on his part to really believe what was happening.

Krystal didn't answer right away and she didn't know what words to exchange to this person. He was Light, but yet he wasn't her Light. She hadn't felt that awkward since her first encounter with him all of those years ago. Soon the words just came to her as she found the will to speak. "Yes, I am Krystal… and I'm your wife."The expression on his face went blank with a strange mixture of belief and unbelief. Krystal had to admit to herself that it was cute and very much like her doting husband.

At this revelation, Light began to stutter uncontrollably. "B-But. How? W-When? Wh-y? What in the w-world is going on here?" Krystal cupped his face in her hand and gently shushed him into quieting himself down.

"Don't worry. I'll start from the beginning."

As she spent the next few hours regaling the Light of Earth Prime with the story of her life, Fox and the others watched her from the well. "What is she doing?" Nat complained impatiently. "Don't tell me she's forgotten what she's supposed to do?"

"There is no need for concern," Clouse replied. "She knows exactly what she's supposed to do, but she won't be able to accomplish her mission until she truly learns just what it means to seek from the heart."

Leaving with those words for the small gathering to hang over, Fox asked, "Where are you going?"

"I'm off to my library." Clouse opened a portal for himself and started leaving while responding, "I need to find a few books before Krystal finishes her mission." And he left, leaving the party to wonder what he needed a few books for.

Back on Earth Prime, Krystal had spent the last couple of hours talking with Light. He understandably had many questions for her, as she had many for him. Light could hardly believe what he had heard of himself in the other world. He had a wife, two wonderful children, and his parents are still alive… It was a life Light had lost hope in. After graduating from school, he started working and, after some years passed, he had discovered he would never be able to have a family to replace the one he lost. No girl he had ever known wanted him, so what could he do? All of this, he had told Krystal when she asked him about his life and every word broke her heart. This Light's parents had died in a plane crash on their honeymoon… the same honeymoon that they had returned from when Krystal first revealed herself to the world. He had all but lost contact with his friends. He was practically the embodiment loneliness. Light also developed mental and psychological problems associated with his multiple personality disorder. Krystal burned with rage. No matter where she went, Blitzkrieg was always hanging over her and Light, even this one as well.

As she mulled over all of this, Light continued speaking. "All of my life, it's been like I've had a curse that just won't go away." Krystal couldn't have felt more guilty. She was the one responsible for how this Light's life had turned out. After a couple minutes went by, Light asked the one question she had hoped he wouldn't. "Why are you here?" Krystal's shoulders stiffend and a red flag immediately went up. She hadn't told him about that part of her mission. The only thing she said was that she was going through a test to bring back the Light from her world.

She was only able to choke out, "I-I…" She needed to kill him, but how could she tell him that?

Light knew she was holding something back from him, but he didn't want to force her to tell him. "Never mind. It's alright if you can't tell me, I'll understand." Krystal felt a wave of relief, but she knew it wouldn't last for too long. She yawned and both realized how tired the other was. "You look dead tired. Here you can sleep in my bed." Krystal shook her head and was about to refuse but Light interrupted her and insisted that she sleep in his bed. "Don't worry about me, I can sleep on the living room coach. Let's just get some sleep and tomorrow I'll try to help you as best as I can." Krystal blushed and averted her eyes to his lamp. For a few seconds, this Light looked like the nineteen year old boy she fell in love with.

She nodded, saying, "Thank you." She settled herself into the bed and snuggled into the covers. Light turned off the lamp and tried to walk through the room's exit, but she stopped him with a "Wait. Won't you get in bed as well?" She knew he wasn't exactly her Light, but she longed to be beside something warm and familiar.

Light knew what she was thinking, but he shook his head to say no. "I'm sorry, but I can't. It wouldn't be… proper. I appreciate everything you've done for me though."

"What do mean?"

"I mean, thank you, for letting me now that there is more to this life than just what I see and hear. And thanks for being good to the 'other me.' When you get him back, let him know how lucky he is for me." Krystal said yes and lied down for some much needed rest.

Light left the room and went to the living to sleep. Before that, however, he set his alarm clock for early dawn. The bank was going to be open for an hour so people can make some last minute transactions. This strange event had inspired him to go make a quick transaction himself.

Once the sun had started to rise, Light was awoken by his alarm and shut it off quickly to keep from waking Krystal up. He grabbed his keys and snuck out of the house.

After a short drive, Light got to the bank about twenty minutes before the bank closed. It had snowed and iced during the night while he and Krystal got to know each other, so it took him much longer to reach the bank than it usually does. Light went inside and asked the bank teller to open the vault. With the vault open, Light walked in and searched his key-ring for a key he had thought he would never have the chance to use. He searched for his lock box number and found it. Light unlocked it and his eyes glistened at the container's contents. "It's been a long time since last we met." A gold necklace with a single, tear-drop shaped emerald dangling from the chain. The necklace belonged to his mother and it stated in her will for him to give it to someone special. It was Christmas and he just met his wife from another world. If she wasn't anything any thing special, then he didn't know what special meant.

"EVERYBODY, HANDS ON YOUR HEAD!"

That booming voice came from the front desk and Light could only think, 'Oh dear God, no! Krystal!'

At about that moment, Krystal woke up with a fright. Her breathing was labored and she had a sheen of sweat on her brow. She hadn't felt like that since the night Light was… She couldn't finish her train-of-thought because she instantly felt that something was wrong. Krystal grabbed her staff and almost left the room, but remembered the dagger. It was still lying on the ground, untouched since the night before. Krystal was sure he saw it, but wondered why he didn't take it. She picked it up and stared at it a little before tying it to her person. She went into the living room to check on Light, but he wasn't there. A feeling of dread spread through out her body. She quickly started putting her nose to work. Light's scent was all over the place but there was a fresh trail leading out the front door. Once outside, she found that he had taken his car to drive into town. Light's scent was feint from where she was, but she followed it as far as she could, jumping, and leaping across rooftops. Soon the scent had escaped her senses completely, but she was met with a disheartening sight. A large squad of police vehicles, even a swat car, was gathered outside a bank building. As she move closer to the building, she hoped and prayed Light was okay.

Light and the bank tellers were sitting on the floor, Indian style, and the security cameras had cut wires to prevent any more footage of the robber in front of them to be recorded. The criminal looked over six foot with a gun in his hand, a black snow-mask over his head, and he was clearly crazy seeing as how he had a volley of grenades strapped to his chest with a line connecting all of them to the pinky of his free hand. He must have thought this was the best time to strike since it was Christmas and not as many cops would be on duty. He knew the silent alarm was already activated but seemed willing to risk it.

He shoved a backpack into a blonde girl's arms and order gruffly, "Fill it with as much money as you can put in." The poor girl, terrified out of her wits, did as the man ordered and started shoveling the money into the empty pack. "Yeah, that's good. Keep it coming!"

Light sat there hoping this situation would quickly resolve itself and leave him alone, unfortunately he wasn't very lucky. As the robber watched the girl put the money in the pack, he examined his other hostages from the corner of his eyes to keep a close watch on them. The other girl was a little red head and couldn't be more than 25. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. He liked that, seeing as how she was too panicked to try anything funny. Then he turned his sight to Light. He guessed that Light wouldn't be any trouble, even if he did make a move. Then the robber's eye caught sight of something that was like eye candy. Light's necklace. It sparkled brilliantly in the light and he wanted it. He turned to back to the working teller, "Keep stuffing! And don't you dare try anything you might regret." He added the last part in a deadly whisper, scaring the girl into nodding.

"Yes! Please don't hurt me!"

He walked away from her and up to Light, who felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "Hey, fella," He called with a grin. "I like your necklace. Let me guess, it's a special Christmas present. It doesn't matter who you were gonna give it to, you gonna have to change the tag to me." He smirked before screaming, "Give it!"

Light hesitated before saying, "Please, you can everything I have! Just please don't take the necklace!" Just him saying that got the cogs running in the robber's mind, and he smiled in an almost ironic way.

The robber laughed, "Well now, look who we have here. Light Kindley! Mr. Misery himself. Begging like a dog at my feet. Now this brings back memories." Light's eyes widened even more than he originally had. The robber knew him and he knew the robber. It was Brad Hemmingway, his old school bully from years long passed. "Now this is a very special treat indeed, it's almost like I'm taking your lunch money all over again. Now hand over the necklace."

Light had given this guy so much of his life when he was teenager, but there was no way he could let Brad have the necklace. He couldn't let this guy sully what the necklace was and symbolized to him. "I can't," Light said, clutching the necklace to his chest.

"I SAID GIVE It!" Brad yelled again, trying to grab at the necklace.

"NO!"

Brad was long passed angry at this point, "THEN DIE ALREADY!"

Brad put the barrel of the gun to Light's forehead, ready to pull the trigger. Before he could, the glass window, that was situated 12 feet off the ground, blew away into shards inside the building. All heads turned and amazement was evident.

Krystal had smashed through the window and glided through the air like a guardian angel. "What the he…" Before he could finish, Krystal, who had been watching the scene from the rooftop of the next building, swung and slammed her staff into Brad's gut. He gasped for air and dropped the gun while Krystal used her claws to cut the string wired to the grenades so she can much more safely throw his body half-way over on the other side of the room. She didn't notice that her maneuver had loosened one of the grenades on his chest from its pin. The girls, although still scared of the new monster in front of their eyes, saw this as their chance to break out into a run and escape.

Krystal didn't really care about the girls or the unconscious Brad on the floor; she only cared about asking Light if he was alright. She wrapped her arms around him, accidentally sending a psychic wave to his mind and he saw something he wasn't supposed to see, but had been suspecting. Light pushed the thoughts he had just seen aside and started to repeatedly assure the vulpine that he was unharmed. While doing that, he noticed Brad coming back to his senses. Before he knew it, Brad pulled out a second handgun that was hidden close to his ankle. He was aiming at Krystal and Light reacted on instinct. He grabbed the gun that had fallen from Brad's grasp and pushed Krystal aside yelling, "WATCH OUT!" Both guns went off, one bullet went right between Brad's eyes, dropping him dead, and the other into Light's right Lung. Krystal only had time to watch the bullet hit Light and make him land painfully on the floor. She ran to him, fear sweeping over her.

"LIGHT!" In her panicked yell, she wasn't able to hear the clang of the loosened grenade on Brad's chest landing on the floor as well and without its pin. A fiery scream howled through the area. Glass and concrete blew out and in the building. Krystal and Light were out of the range of the main blast, but the floor opened up and swallowed them. While falling in, the two blacked out.

Krystal woke up and saw that she was still alive, something to be thankful for. It didn't look like much time had passed, but she couldn't be too sure. Krystal started pushing herself up and found that her bones felt brittle. Her left arm felt numb and she coughed up dust. It looked like they had fallen into the basement and the place was covered in debris. She just then realized that Light had fallen in with her. Krystal called out in the dimly lit room for Light. She heard coughing other than her own and moved straight to its source. Light lied there, bloody and, from the sound of his groans, in great agonizing pain. "Light, open your eyes!" He did so, but weakly.

"Kryst…" He strained to speak, but Krystal put her fingers to his lips.

"Stop. You're going to be okay, Light." She started to sob as she examined his wounds. The cuts on his body looked benign, but his legs were not just broken, they looked like they had been crushed by the falling pieces of concrete. And his bullet wound was so deep, he bleeding profusely. She tried to put pressure on it, but the bleeding only seemed to worsen. "Don't worry, we'll get you to a doctor and…"

"Don't bother…" It was Light's turn to interrupt. "The wound is too deep… I wouldn't even be able to make it to the hospital door." Krystal started to cry, wanting to tell him that he was wrong and was going to be okay, but after looking at how broken his body was she realized that he was right. She hated herself more than ever. She could fling magical balls of fire, read minds, but she can't freaking heal the people she care for? "Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" she said through her blurring vision.

Light took the dagger at her side in his hand, his grip greatly weakened. "I saw into your mind when you wrapped your hands around me. You came to kill me," He said softly. Krystal gasped and looked away in guilt, unable to say a word. She didn't really believe she had a right to. "Do it." She turned back to him, unable to fully comprehend what he just said.

"Do you have any idea what you're saying?"

He gave her a small understanding smile. "Yeah, and hear me out. I've been alone almost my entire life. It has been one cursed day after another. A Hell that just won't end. I barely had any friends to begin with, but when my parents died, I just distanced myself a little bit more everyday until I was all alone. What I've always searched my heart for a family to call my own." He started having a fit of coughing before continuing what he was saying. "I went to school, got a degree, got a good job, but in the end all of those things don't really count for anything if you don't have someone to share it all with. My searching heart cried out for those things to come, but they never did." Light raggedly lifted his hand to her face lightly caressed her cheek. "You're someone I wish I could have had a chance to be with. The 'other me' is so lucky that he doesn't really know. Here take this, it's a gift."

He handed her the necklace he had came for. "It's beautiful, but what is it?" Tears were still rolling of her cheek, but she had most of her control again.

He laughed brightly for a moment. "Your just going to have to ask him when you get him back. Now, do it."

Krystal's breath hitched, "I don't think I can do it. How CAN I kill someone I love?"

"You have to. Your world, your children, your life, I can't allow such important things to die. I won't allow it! If there is anything I can do to stop everything from ending, then I'll do it." He grabbed the dagger and moved it over to Krystal's hand. He laced their fingers together around the dagger's hilt, holding it just above his heart. "Even if I have to die so the things I love can continue to exist. Please just do me this one favor. Let me see the life I could have had, the life I have always longed for." Krystal couldn't say no, but she did one better. She pressed her lips on to his and kissed him in sorrowful and tearful passion, all the while sending images into his mind.

Light and Krystal's first encounter.

Their first adventure together.

Their first battle together.

Their first kiss together.

Their marriage.

The twins.

And everything else up to that point. He smiled into the kiss, thinking to himself, 'Now THIS is a life worth dying for.' With that final thought, his hand guided Krystal's… and together they plunged the dagger's blade straight into his heart.