Epilogue


Cornerian Army Memorial Cemetery

Eight Years Later

A crisp, sunny morning started off a day of celebration and mourning for all of Corneria. After the defeat of Andross Oikonny, a special day was set aside for the soldiers of the Cornerian Army and the Cornerian Defense, living and deceased. Fox, Peppy, Falco, and Slippy watched from the front row of the crowd as General Pepper delivered a speech dedicated to all of the soldiers who had given up their lives for the planet. Fox and Peppy listened intently while Slippy and Falco shifted uncomfortably in their seats. It wasn't that they didn't want to pay their respects to the fallen. They have bigger hearts than what people gave them credit for; it's just they wished Pepper's little tribute was a bit shorter.

After the speech, the crowd was free to wander around the cemetery to find their loved ones. Jack Lombardi, Matt Lynx, Pepper and Peppy went to find some of the Rangers while Fox, Slippy, and Falco hung out across the street. They really had nobody they knew personally inside. However, Peppy had quite a few he wanted to see again.

"Y'know, I felt sort of bad being in there," said Slippy.

"What do you mean?" asked Falco.

"I mean, we're not part of the army. We only do what we're paid to do. And yet we're in the front row..."

"Look, we did stop Andross and his army," said Fox. "General Pepper's just trying to show his appreciation for what we did... even if it was for a hefty price."

"I'm just glad he's stopped everybody from calling us 'scum bags', or 'greedy assholes,' or - my personal favorite - 'cold-hearted bastards.'" said Falco. "I mean, that was really uncalled for..."

Slippy looked to see Katt Monroe walking up from behind Falco. "Six o'clock, Falco..." he mumbled.

"Wha... HEY!" shouted Falco, being almost choked to death by Katt from behind, which was her definition of a hug. "Jesus Christ, Katt! Do you always have to do that?!"

Katt smiled, letting him go. "How's everything, guys?"

"I won't lie. It's been quite an awkward two hours," said Slippy.

"How's your dad doing?" asked Fox.

"He's... a wreck..." she said, smiling softly. "But he'll be fine by the end of the day. He's over by my uncle right now."

"Hey, I never got to thank you back in Zoness... and Macbeth... and Sector Z..."

"And everywhere else you decided to interfere with our work..." muttered Falco.

"It was the least I could do, tiger," Katt replied. "My dad was always grateful for what your father did for him; we're all grateful. That was my way of showing my thanks for your father."

"I'm sure he would appreciate you saving my ass multiple times," said Fox, smiling. Katt smiled back.

"Well, I gotta go find my dad. I'll see you all later." She hugged both Slippy and Fox, then tried to do the same to Falco, but he struggled out of her grip. Giving up on him, Katt waved goodbye and departed.

"What's with you two?" asked Fox.

"I'd rather not say..." replied Falco, looking down at the ground.

Peppy walked around with Matt and Pepper while Jack followed in his hoverchair. He looked around, seeing many grave sites for A Company soldiers that had served under him. Some of them he had gotten to know quite well, while others he hadn't. He wished he could get to know them now. The war veterans then passed by the grave sites of many of the deceased Rangers. They all laid six feet underneath the ground, but the living Rangers could all feel their presence. They found Lucas Monroe kneeling down at his older brother's grave. He was whispering something, but they couldn't make out what it was. Near the end of the row was a larger gravestone engraved 'Major James Edwards.' In respect to their former officer, they all saluted the gravestone.

Peppy then returned to the group two hours later, after saying his goodbyes to Jack and Matt. He was visibly emotional, but the other guys didn't comment on this.

"Lunch?" asked Fox.

"Yeah... let's go," said Peppy.

Among the grave sites in the Cornerian Army Memorial Cemetery, there was one that was noticeably missing. If you were to go there to find the grave site of Major James McCloud, you wouldn't find it anywhere.


Vermilion Street Cemetery

Where you would find it is here. Chances are, this cemetery would not be the place you would expect to find a war hero like James McCloud to be buried in. It was a fairly large area which contained many grave sites on an expanding plain. On the far side, there was a large hill that contained only a few grave stones; the two near the top belonged to James and Vixy McCloud.

Fox walked up the hill alone, making his way past the other grave sites. Reaching the top, he dropped to his knees in front of his parent's graves. Looking at his mother's grave, he kissed the top of the stone, laying his hand on it. He then looked at his father's grave and reached into his pocket, pulling out a pair of sunglasses. He stared at the reflection of himself in the lenses; he did kinda look like his father. Slipping the sunglasses on, he sighed.

"Were you really there?" asked Fox in a quiet voice. "Did I really see you, guiding me out of that explosion? Or am I just crazy?"

It seemed impossible, but during the time when he thought his life was over, he saw a vision. A vision of his father's Arwing, leading him out of that tunnel. He showed him the way out of there. He saved his life. But how? For one thing, Fox was in his father's Arwing the whole time; how could there have been another? And, obviously, his father was six feet underneath him at this very moment. That couldn't have actually been him; that was just stupid. But... how else could he have found his way out of there? He didn't know the way back. That Arwing just seemed so real to him... and that voice...

"You alright?" asked Peppy from behind, causing Fox to lose his train of thought. He looked back to see Falco and Slippy standing there as well.

"Yeah... no, not really..." He stood up, his eyes still locked on the two gravestones. Peppy put his hand on his shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Well... let's go..."

The four of them began to make their way down the hill, only to find themselves blocked by a large crowd. Among this crowd, Fox could see Jack Lombardi, Beltino Toad, their wives, Matt Lynx, Lucas Monroe and his daughter, many A Company veterans, Colonel Banks, and even ROB-64, to name a few. General Pepper was at the front, smiling.

"We'd like to pay our respects."

Fox has never felt this happy his entire life before he saw this massive crowd of people. If there weren't so many looking right at him, he would've broken down and wept like a baby. Instead, he allowed only a few tears to fall and a smile on his face.

"Thank you..." And with that, Pepper led the crowd up the hill, many of them stopping for a moment to shake Fox's hand and/or give him a hug. Peppy, Slippy, and Falco watched from behind with huge grins on their faces ("All we need now is an orchestral arrangement by John Williams," said Slippy to Falco). After hours had passed and the mourners had left the cemetary, Fox finally allowed himself to let his happiness out by weeping into Peppy's shoulder, almost knocking off his sunglasses. This was only the third time Peppy has ever seen Fox this vulnerable. But in a good way.

The End