XXVIII. Saving Falco

About two hours after the three decided to stay for the night, Krystal still couldn't sleep. The thought of where they were added with the freezing temperatures didn't help at all. Unable to go to sleep she went back to flicking her necklace to make it glow, trying to enjoy something out of this. Her childhood memories were replaced this time by the one who had given the necklace to her in the first place. She felt that her time now with Fox was better than what she had even if she hardly remembered it.

"Krystal... What are you doing?" Fox groaned and asked sleepily, the light of her necklace woke him up and it was probably the brightest light he had seen from something so small. "I can't sleep" She said not noticing he had already walked over beside her trying to figure out what light she had. "What the heck is that?" He asked pointing at the glowing necklace. "Well, you gave it to me you should know." She laughed at him "I mean what did you do to it?" He sighed. "It's something I used to do when I was a kid." She smiled even though it was too dark for him to see now that the necklace had dimmed out. "No wonder you can't sleep you have a portable light on your neck.." He laughed slightly seeing the necklace's power.

He slightly touched Krystal on the arm feeling her shaking violently, shivering from the weather. She blushed feeling him move beside her and soon he laid down next to her. "I thought we were going to keep this away from the team.." She muttered under her breath as the vulpine tried to warm her. "Well I can't stand seeing you like this." His mind was set right now and he would pay for the consequences in the morning. The vixen quickly fell asleep in his arms, not even noticing the world around them now.

Morning came quickly and she noticed Fox wasn't beside her now, she sighed looking around for anyone else. She saw Slippy and Fox staring at a box and quickly went to investigate as well. "What's this?" She asked seeing the vulpine struggling to open it using his knife like a crowbar. "Peppy sent us some supplies overnight. Didn't you hear Slippy yelling?" She only shrugged at him, Slippy smiled knowing that they were next to each other but decided to leave them alone.

With a final grunt he opened the large box, they were made to be shot open by Arwings, not pried open. "Wow do we really need all this?" Was Krystal's response to the six weapons it held along with some food and water. "Never know...Especially in a place like this." Fox knew that he could never expect what could happen here. Fox grabbed two weapons strapping them on his back and waited for the other two, the sooner out of here the better. They quickly did the same following the vulpine through the swamps. Krystal had no idea or training of these weapons and their abilities but she picked up the same ones Fox did, expecting he knew what he was doing.

The group soon found themselves at land again, it only went on four feet before dropping off into a canyon. The vulpine kicked the much off of his boots before it dried on there and looked around for a bridge or anything where they could cross to the other side. "Fox I'm sensing something here.." Krystal said lightly tugging on him. "Is it Falco?" "It's more than one, we're not alone here." The vulpine smiled for a moment thinking it could possibly be a city so they could find Falco and go back home. This wasn't the case though.

"Hey put me down!" A familiar voice yelled out loudly "That's Falco!" Slippy exclaimed, the vulpine pulled out his binoculars and looked for him. On the other side of the canyon there was a ridge that lead down into a tunnel, there he saw a Lizard taking Falco down the ledge. "There on the ridge. I think that's Leon." Fox said grabbing a gun from his back. "Fox I don't think you can get a good shot from here.." Krystal said to him hoping she didn't look dumb, she knew the blasters would have no effect from here. "Don't worry, give me a second." Fox said taking a few deep breaths and pulling out a gun he hadn't used in way too long. A sniper rifle used to be his weapon of choice, he was hoping it still was. "Fox hurry they're going to push Falco off the edge I think!" Slippy yelled at him

"Wait they're? There's more?" He thought to himself and Krystal pointed at another lizard on top of the ridge apparently keeping guard. Krystal's telepathy had shined again in combat and might have even saved their lives there. Fox looked into the scope, examining his targets movement for a moment and seeing that he was talking to him but he couldn't read his lips or hear him from this distance. It was atleast 300 yards away, the vulpine took a deep breath and waited. He had much more patience than the others as they kept on telling him to shoot, he wasn't listening to them for once though.

He took another deep breath waiting until the perfect moment, when the guard hadn't been looking towards them but time wasn't on their hands. The lizard started pushing slightly on the avian who hadn't fought him, to everyone's surprise, right then and there the time had come for Fox to shoot if he was going to save his friend and wingmate. Sweat slightly dripped down the vulpine's face as he shook slightly and pulled the trigger. In an instant a laser flashed out of the rifle and it went wide of his target. He knew he had missed as soon as he pulled the trigger, his arm had started shaking slightly and messed up his aim that much. He rebounded quickly taking another breath and this time hit his target, only in the leg but enough to make him fall off the cliff.

He smiled as Falco gazed over across the canyon to see who had saved him. "I need more practice, I can't believe I --" "Fox to your left!" Krystal cried out, Fox remembered there were 2 and not one enemies here. He moved his head just in time as a laser shot went right through the scope of his rifle where a split second ago his eye had been. Krystal gasped thinking Fox had been hit and grabbed his arm, he shook it off and tried to shoot the second lizard without a scope.

Krystal grabbed the rifle she had and tried to do the same Fox had with his shot, except get better results if possible. She took a breath and shook slightly, Fox grabbed her arm making it still and she shot. A better shot than some of Fox's best. "Nice job" He smiled at her and she smiled back and slightly shuddered when she saw what she had done to the enemy.

The two congratulated and slightly praised Krystal for doing so well especially on her first shot and they looked for a bridge or something so they could meet up with Falco.

-Author's Note: Short chapter but I wanted to get something out tonight and this is all i could manage, hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading comments etc.-