XXXVIII The End of The War
The blinding light that had flashed through the tunnel they were traveling through receded and finally they could see where they were. The walls were purple, the same color as everything on this ugly planet, Fox had seen so much of the color lately that it gave him a major headache. But he could see a reflection on the walls, something following them.
"Falco we've got uninvited guests following us." He said calmly expecting an Aparoid attack any moment now. The team sped up trying to outrun their 'enemies' but they kept getting closer and closer. By now it was obvious they weren't Aparoids at all and a closer glance showed Fox it was Wolf and his team.
"How did you guys get here?" He asked knowing now they were listening in on their conversation. "We followed you guys through that warp, I'm surprised you could even make it this far." Wolf said and flew up next to Fox trying to lead the group over him. "Seven ships, well that's better than four!" Slippy chimed in. Fox was more than happy to have Star Wolf help him until Panther opened his mouth. "Don't worry Krystal I'll protect you from here on in.." Fox wanted to gag and Krystal had a feeling of wanting to punch him in the gut or just shoot him down right now.
She tried to say something in her defense to him but only ended out saying "Panther.." For some reason something came over her and she could say nothing more. Fox tried his best to shrug it off, hoping Krystal actually wasn't falling for someone else, especially someone like Panther.
"Come on let's go." He mustered the capability to command and they flew through in search for the Queen and to end this war at any cost. The first group of Aparoids came at them quickly which the group of seven took down easily. "No matter where they are they're just a bunch of bugs." Wolf snarled at the lack off difficulty it took to kill them. "Yeah but they're powerful in groups so don't get caught." Fox forewarned even though he knew Wolf wouldn't care for his advice.
The seven ships flew through the tunnel, which now seemed to be a pipeline walled in purple, wherever it could lead them. "Fox help!" Slippy cried out loudly, trying to shake off three Aparoid ships following him closely. The vulpine quickly aided his teammate and kept through whatever path the Aparoids would give them.
The path was easy for them as they took out group after group of Aparoids "I hate these things.." Fox mumbled, the Aparoids had annoying habit of bringing more and more reinforcements in to attack him. No matter how many he killed it seemed like he hadn't progressed much, hopefully killing the Queen would change that.
"Fox Falco's in trouble!" Krystal snapped him out of his thought. Falco quickly flew in front of Fox yelling "I can't shake 'em!"Fox quickly jumped and rapidly fired at the targets. One. Two. Three. Four. "Oof can't you tell your friends from your enemies?" Falco angrily yelled Fox had a thing for shooting Falco accidentally. "Sorry." Fox said and took lead in front of Falco heading for the next thing the Aparoids would throw in their way.
Fox was relieved to see no Aparoids on this stretch, even though it was a small area before the next turn a break would be nice for his aching hands. All of a sudden an energy shield formed blocking the path. "Huh?!" Fox yelped as he pulled up as hard as he could, finding a gap he could get through to continue.
He took a deep breath and looked back behind him hoping everyone had made it through. All seven ships luckily were accounted for. "You got quite the surprise there didn't you pup." Wolf laughed. Fox ignored him and kept going.
They had to be nearing the end of this long trip, the Queen wouldn't put up much of a fight and then they'd be going home was what everyone thought. Fox was looking everywhere for an entrance to the Queen's chamber but knew that the only way was to keep following this pipeline to the bottom.
Suddenly a strange Aparoid came at them, all seven of them shot instantly destroying it in less then a second but it was only a distraction. A group of Aparoids flew into the back of the Arwings and Wolfens on a suicide run to destroy the ships. Luckily most of the Arwing's armor was concentrated to the rear knowing that's where most laser fire would hit. The Wolfens weren't as lucky and their damage was critical already.
"Fox help!" This time it was Krystal that yelled it out. Fox smiled and took down the Aparoids following her. Fox couldn't help but smile and think of what would happen after the war with the Aparoids. He had to break from his thoughts and focus to even get there though as they came towards what seemed to be the last area.
"These attacks are intense it shows how far we've come." Fox stated entering the next area. In the following room laser energy formed obstacles to avoid. "Gee is this an obstacle course or their last defense lines?" Falco laughed easily getting through the room. "We have to be close." Fox said trying to find how deep they were below the planet on radar. "What the?!" Falco yelled Fox looked up and saw another group of Aparoids charging a black energy mass to fire at them.
No matter how many shots the new enemies took they wouldn't fall. Wolf saw his shields almost drained and decided they'd make use of themselves as distractions. "Fox you take out the Queen. Panther, Leon Let's distract these guys!" Wolf commanded his team
Fox was dumbfounded by Wolf's heroic move. "Fox.." Was all Krystal could word out. "Come on let's go end this war!" Fox said and they headed into what they hoped would be the Queen's chambers.
Flying in quickly they found that they must've been right a giant creature sat there, she sat still and didn't move an inch. Fox noticed she was sitting in a strange liquid while Aparoid larvae floated up from the water. "That must be.." Fox said "The queen.." Krystal finished they were all amazed by how she looked, like a large statue wearing a mask.
"Fox.." Called out a voice that didn't register in his mind for a moment even though it sounded familiar. "Fox don't be a fool stop all this nonsense." It hit the vulpine that it was Pigma. "You swine, You're supposed to be dead!" Falco blurted out.
The confusion of the moment was indescribable. "Star Fox team.. Accept defeat." Another voice called out "G-G-General Pepper?" Slippy asked realizing whose voice it was. "Give in this is not Sacrifice, it's evolution!" Another voice chimed in, obvious to all it was Peppy who had surely died minutes ago. Did the queen capture whoever she killed?
"Fox.." Another voice spoke Fox's mind raced and his heart pounded. He suddenly remembered his earliest memories knowing who owned that voice. "D-dad.." He muttered in confusion trying to find out how the Queen could know about his father. The only thought Fox could come up with was that his father was still alive, atleast until whenever the Aparoids got to him. "That's enough.. There's no need for you to be hurt anymore." His father said in a calming tone only bringing anger from the vulpine along with the confusion.
"Fox don't let it fool you.." Falco tried to support his leader knowing that the Queen had just hit one of his weakest of points. "I know.. My father would never tell me to give up." Fox was sure it wasn't his real father, atleast not anymore. "I get it.. The Queens using information from all the things she's absorbed!" Slippy said.
Everything made sense now she was just playing mind tricks on them, attacking them mentally and even emotionally, trying her hardest to make them give in after coming so far. The voices kept trying to pry them of their will only one thing came to Fox's mind: Wolf's advice.
"Don't hesitate, when the time comes just act!" Atleast that's what Fox remembered of it. "Let's give the Queen her present!" Fox yelled out almost like a battle cry and went full throttle into battle.
"Grr.. She's coated in armor!" Fox yelled in anger. "We can't get that self destruct program through that armor." Krystal said in response Falco used his favorite advice. "What's the problem? When something's in the way just blast it!" Fox did just that and blasted right through the flimsy armor showing what seemed to be a weak point, a shining mass of energy near the stomach of the creature. Krystal confirmed Fox's thought and he focused fire.
Fox shot rapidly, shot after shot hit the weakest point. The queen kept trying to make them surrender with her voices. Even R.O.B chimed in "Probability of Star Fox team victory is..Zero."
"Fox get out!" Krystal yelled sensing an energy build up as the Queen raised wings and shot energy out in front of her, Fox was thankful to say the least. "Okay now finish it!" She ordered to him when the energy wore down.
The last thing the Queen was able to do was turn in defense, it's attempt at resisting the four was futile. "Take this.." Fox almost growled as he shot in the program. The queen went up in several explosions and sat there shaking slightly. "Is..Is it working?" Fox asked praying several times over. "All for us.. All things in the universe will be ours.." The queen said in her real voice. "Umm.." Fox tried to figure out what was happening as the Queen sunk into the liquid pool around her.
"Submit to us.." She muttered again. "It should be working but she's suppressing it!" Slippy explained "This isn't good if she escapes now she'll make an antibody!" "Follow her and end this!" Fox commanded and flew after her, if the program didn't kill her he would.
The hole she had made through the liquid made an easy path for them into another tunnel. "This is it.. The final battle." Fox said as they closed in on the Queen who turned around taking over another form. She had four eyes on each side and four mouths as well, the monster he would expect to lead something as disgusting as the Aparoids unlike her previous form.
The eyes were the thing that stood out to him. "Shoot the eyes!" Fox commanded, all four teammembers shot with haste at an eye. Whenever an eye got shot it would close just slightly, in five shots it would close completely which came very soon from their teamwork.
The eyes were now closed leaving no weakpoint, then all of a sudden another mouth came from the center breathing out some fire-like element at them. Fox shot as much as he could at the new mouth hoping that would end the Queen, soon a peice of armor came off of the top of the mouth showing another eye. The whole team tried to get close and fire but soon she shot out mines at them.
The ships rumbled as the mines exploded all around, their shields dropped and even Krystal let out a cry for help. Fox couldn't help her at this point and was discouraged at their chances of survival. "Shoot them before they blow up!" Falco ordered, everyone followed the avian's command and shot every mine that came close. "Mines..What else do these things have in their arsenal?" Fox asked annoyed at this whole thing now. "We've almost got it just a bit more!" Slippy said encouragingly
His shield gauges showed them that she was down to around 35%, every shot built her anger and even scared her more. "Don't hesitate she's afraid of us!" Krystal said. Fox blasted the new eye as many times as he could before the Queen pulled it back inside of her. The four eyes opened again and the Star Fox team knew what to do. Soon the four eyes were closed revealing the next phase.
"Finish it!" Falco ordered, Fox was too sidetracked shooting any mine that went towards Krystal to fire at the Queen now. Krystal got a better shot and saw Fox protecting her and decided to take a risk for it all. "It's time to do or die!" She said before diverting most power to her lasers. The loudest shot they had ever heard went off and the Queen screeched in pain.
The team's ears ringed from the loud explosion of energy. The Queen fell back and had another slight explosion leaving only a small portion of her body left. She flew back screeching, trying to get away. "Here I come you evil spacehag!" Fox yelled and charged like a maniac at her.
The Arwing's engine roared at his speed as he took the final shots on the Queen's final form, suddenly she shot out a tunnel of energy. Fox followed through the center without damaging himself. "Okay I see what you're gonna try now.." Fox said to himself, suddenly she shot at him again.
"Crud!" Fox yelled just as soon as he noticed that her shot was fire this time. His Arwing luckily took the heat until he could fly out of it. His cockpit temperature must've been in the upper 120's now though.
Fox kept an eye on the shield gauge then the last hit was dealt, the Queen screeched louder than ever flying down deeper than Fox wanted to follow with astounding speed. An explosion rocked the whole planet as the tunnels' panels broke off showing the purple liquid behind the walls. "You did it!" Krystal said with glee. "The programs working!" Slippy joined.
"That's the end of the Queen.." Fox smiled looking around as everything started to fall apart. "Star Fox team evacuate at maximum velocity!" The vulpine said and with that the team left out and started the road home.
The team made it out just in time as the planet exploded from within. Now that this was over a happy feeling coursed through the vulpine along with sadness. He had lost Peppy, who had been a father figure to him.
"What's that?" Krystal asked pointing at something in the distant wreckage. "Hey you're all okay." Peppy said. "I promise I am really going to retire after this." He laughed bringing a smile from everyone just at their survival. "What about Wolf's team?" Slippy asked "Bah who needs 'em." Falco joked. "I guess time will tell." Fox chuckled.
Fox was now filled with happiness, staring at Krystal with the look he used to give her before they were in this war. "My friends..Thank you.." He managed to say but could think of no more. Soon a voice came through in his head. "I can't wait until we get home." Fox laughed, seeing as Peppy was in an escape pod their 'home' was destroyed.
"Fox." Peppy called out. "General Pepper booked us all rooms at the only expensive hotel left in Corneria." Fox laughed, the war had torn Corneria apart from all of the expensive areas and hardly touched the poorer areas. "Let's head there and take a nice vacation." He replied bringing cheers from everyone.
"There's only one problem.." He continued. "It'll be a long flight home."
-Author's note: It's finally here the end of this section, thank you everyone who has stuck through this patiently and I hope you enjoy this. Not much else to say but thank you all so much for the support.