Author's Note: A repost from before I left the site.
Also the dodora referenced in this story are based off of the ones in the Itoh comics, not the mechanical ones shown in-game.
Rush
A simple mission, they said. It would be easy, they said.
Fox should have known better than to take a job from Beltino when the toad had basically been living in a cold sweat the entire time he was giving them the details. But the need for cash had outweighed his judgment, as had the puppy eyes from Slippy. Fox had relented because even though something definitely didn't seem right about why Space Dynamics would need to hire an entire mercenary team for a simple fetch mission, he had known that rejecting it would have been much more detrimental. They only owed Beltino a few thousand favors at this point and Fox was sure they would need to lean on the tech genius more in the future.
Everything about this job had seemed so simple at first. They were going to go to Fortuna. They were going to retrieve something from a satellite that had fallen planet-side (Beltino called it a "hyper-battery" … Fox didn't quite understand what that meant). And then they were going to deliver it to Space Dynamic's Headquarters in Corneria City. Easy, right? Fox had thought so too, until Krystal had pointed out that the projected landing point of their missing battery was in the middle of a dodora nest.
To say that had complicated everything would be an understatement. The Arwings, even in their Walker form, would struggle to make it through the thick Fortunan underbrush. The Landmaster was a clear second choice but when Slippy pointed out that it was still undergoing repairs from the last time Falco had crashed it, Fox knew they were going to have to do this the traditional way—on foot. And that had left them to decide who the fastest runners were. Fox and Krystal came out on top and the teams were decided then. The two vulpine would be the distraction. Falco and Slippy would retrieve the battery.
So that is how Fox McCloud ended up hurtling through the Fortunan jungles as fast as he could with five juvenile dodora hot on his tail. Krystal was slightly ahead of him, maneuvering the convoluted jungle floor with expertise he had definitely not attained during his time on Sauria. As he ducked under a large branch, he bitterly mused to himself about how the flight academy had never prepared him for sprinting for his life in the middle of the jungle. What motivated him to keep running despite the increasing burn in his calves and his lungs screaming for air were the angry chomps that sounded way too close for comfort.
"Do you think they have the battery yet?!" Fox yelled to Krystal.
"I'd hope so!" the vixen tossed back over her shoulder.
One of the dodora gave a screech that cut through the tense jungle air. It pierced his eardrums and he resisted the urge to slow down and cover his ears. Faltering now would mean being lunch for a young dodora and Fox was not about to find out how that felt.
"Can't we just shoot them!?" Fox yelled.
"Dodora are an endangered species!" Krystal replied breathlessly as she sprinted. "We can't just… kill whatever we want because it's convenient, Fox!"
"If we get eaten, it's going to be a lot less convenient!" he shot back to her.
The Fortunan jungle was an emerald blur around him. His metal boots splashed through a veiny stream that coursed underfoot. The subsequent step he took was mud-ridden and made an awful sucking noise when he pulled his leg up quickly in the next stride. Behind him, the tree trunks crashed and bent in the wake of the dodora stampede.
"Just be grateful they don't know how to breathe fire yet!" Krystal exclaimed in perhaps the most unfortunately timed statement she had made in her life.
Fox heard the dodora immediately behind him begin to suck in a breath. His tipped ears perked upright and his eyes widened. He tossed a fearful glance over his shoulder, spying the creature's twin beaked mouths stretch wide. Within the depths of their throats was a glow. Fox felt himself gasp, ears back. He had to get out of the trajectory… and fast.
He spied a decent-sized tree but it was too far ahead. The vulpine pressed his sprint faster, jumping over a gnarled root jutting from the jungle floor. It wasn't fast enough, he knew, hearing the dodora's sharp inhale cease. Soon the jet of fire would come. His left hand fumbled for a barrier to throw over himself but a blue blur caught his attention. He jerked his head after the blur, realizing it was Krystal.
What!?
He couldn't verbalize the question. Instead, he watched helplessly as the vixen lunged at the five angered dodoras, her staff in hand. All he could do was try to slow down and watch. As the jet of fire came out, so did a semi-transparent shield from Krystal's staff. It spread overhead, forming a crescent that deflected the fire with ease. Through the magic of the staff's shield, he could still feel the heat and the sight of the dodora bearing down upon them was enough to send a chill down his spine. Tendrils of flame began to catch on the nearby flora from the reckless spray of fire. The dodora stopped for a moment and gave a shrill scream to emphasize its displeasure that its quarry was still alive.
One of the monstrosities reached out with a snarl and bit at the Cerinian's shield. Its teeth raked futilely against the barrier. Enraged, the other head slammed into it. Despite digging her heels into the ground, the vixen stumbled back a few steps, the shield wavering. As if on cue, one of the dodoras began to circle to the left, the other moving to the right. Classic hunting tactics, Fox realized bitterly, but they weren't quite finished yet. The vulpine pulled his blaster out and fired a laser at a branch hanging over the dodora's twin heads. It fell and clobbered the beast atop its dual skulls.
To add insult to injury, Krystal's staff illuminated with a rippling surge of power as she lifted her staff. The moment she slammed its butt into the ground, the earth vibrated with a miniature earthquake. The closest dodora fell to the ground and the one immediately behind it tripped over its fallen sibling.
"Run!" Fox reached out and grabbed Krystal's arm. She didn't need to be told twice.
The dodoras screamed as the two vulpine ran. It was not long before Fox could hear their footsteps as they resumed their bloodthirsty hunt. He quietly hoped they gave up soon but judging from the ire in their roars, he could tell Krystal had downright pissed them off.
Ahead of their mad sprint, the jungle began to clear out. Fox could see orange skies ahead. His heart leapt with joy for a moment… and then froze with dread. There were only a few reasons the foliage could be clearing out so quickly on a planet like this. And none of those reasons were good.
"It's a cliff!" he yelled but Krystal didn't seem to hear him. She grabbed his forearm, not looking back at him. He tried to pull his arm away but her grip was adamant. All he could do was run after her.
"You have to trust me!" the vixen shouted.
"Wait… what are you…!?" Fox fumbled, ears back.
"It'll be okay, Fox, just hold on to me!" Krystal insisted but her voice cracked. He wasn't sure if she was telling the truth but one gander behind him and he could see the bloodthirsty dodoras closing in. He gripped her arm as tight as he could, knowing this would either be the best story to tell the others later on or a grim demise.
The cliff was upon them soon and before the vulpine could change his mind, he plunged off its side, clinging onto the azure vixen for dear life. Deafened by the whipping of the wind in his ears, he felt the unmistakable sensation of his stomach trying to drift into his throat. His eyes watered from the fall as he looked down at the impossible distance below their flailing bodies. There was a river beneath them but it was thousands of feet below, weaving between jagged, jungle-ridden cliff sides like a blue ribbon.
Krystal's nails dug into his fur to keep her grip on him steady. Her other hand was still holding her staff, its head beginning to glow. Fox felt their velocity change before he realized what was happening. Suddenly, they jerked upward, propelled by a blue blast coursing from the staff's base. He screamed in surprise, his other hand swinging up and grabbing around Krystal's torso as they were jerked upward, skimming along the jagged cliff vertically.
A small dark opening embedded into the cliff's wall came into view, and Krystal angled the staff so they landed on the ledge in front of it. Fox was not keen on letting go of her until a few moments passed. He forced himself to unwrap his arms around her, panting all the while from fear and exertion.
Fox staggered a few steps into the cave, letting its maw shelter him from the sun. His legs shook from the leftover bits of adrenaline still in his body. He tried to smooth the creamy fur atop his head, breaths rapid and still filled with uncertainty.
"How… how did you know this was even here…?" Fox asked.
"I didn't," the vixen confessed and he sank to a sitting position on the cave floor.
"I don't know if I should be impressed or scared," Fox admitted and Krystal covered her muzzle with a giggle.
"Be both, I suppose," the vixen remarked and followed him into the shadows of the cave.
The vixen glanced at her staff, running her hand over its bejeweled crest. Her mouth bent into a small frown as her fingers skirted over its cyan central gem. Krystal shook her head, sighing.
"Its power is spent for now," she informed him.
"Did you bring any of those gems?" Fox asked. "Y'know, the… glowy magic ones?"
"No, I did not," Krystal replied. "I wanted to travel light since we were running."
As the fear and jitters began to slowly ebb from his body, Fox found himself chuckling at what had just happened. Oh, they should be dead, there was no doubt about that. This was probably the stupidest plan they had ever come up with—and that was considering their substantial resume of absolutely idiotic ideas. He couldn't believe they had cheated death, that Krystal's staff had enough energy to get them this far up the cliff side, that this cave was even here. He put a hand to his forehead, trying to stifle his laughter but it burst through regardless.
"What's so funny?" Krystal asked as she walked over to him.
"This," Fox gestured with his hand to the cave. "Just can't believe…" He ended his sentence with a sharp exhale, feeling bits of his skin still twitch as he thought about how they had almost met a gruesome end.
He supposed he should have thanked her. She had saved him twice that day—once from being barbecued and then again when they had jumped off the cliff. Maybe he would only count the latter as half of a save; it had been her idea to jump after all.
Fox glanced up to her, mouth opening to say the words "thank you". He gave pause though when he looked at her, her silhouette haloed by the descending sun. She was picking a few pieces of dirt out from the crevices of her staff's elegant metal and gemstone pattern, all with a soft smile on her face. The sort of gentle smile she made when she didn't think anyone was looking and when she was thinking of something nice.
It was contagious. It made him smile too.
"I used to go cliff diving back home," Krystal said as she put away her staff and settled in next to him. She was so close that he realized for the first time that her fingers were trembling slightly. Had she been as scared as he had?
"Yeah?" he asked her, drawing his gaze from her hands to her face. "I never pictured you as the thrill-seeking type."
"The rush feels good," Krystal continued with a soft smile. "Randorn disapproved, of course. He always told me if I missed the water, I would make a vixen-shaped hole in the ground and he would just bury me there."
"That's a bit dark," Fox snorted. "Did you ever… jump off cliffs back home while being chased by five angry dodora?"
"No, this was definitely a first for me," Krystal laughed.
"Same here. Hopefully a last, too," Fox said.
"I don't mind it, though," the vixen looked towards the cave's mouth at where the sun was beginning to set. "Not if I get to spend time with you."
He wanted to say something to her about how they could just as easily spend time together with their lives not being in mortal peril but no matter how Fox McCloud tried to phrase it in his mind, it just came out sardonic and rough. The way the warm light basked over the cave's mouth made him reconsider talking at all. He didn't want to take away from the moment. Magic was real—he knew it because he had seen it, lived it. But that moment in particular felt like a different kind of magic, an older one that you could only see with your heart.
Krystal's wintery blue fur contrasted heavily to the brimming sunset outside. She didn't wear much jewelry anymore but she had selected a silver and blue diadem for that particular mission. It shimmered as she adjusted her sitting position, stretching her legs out and crossing them at the ankles.
It happened slowly. His hand scooted a bit closer to hers, until their pinky fingers brushed. He worried for a moment that maybe she wouldn't be receptive of something like this. After all, he could still feel bits of adrenaline in his knees. He could still feel lingering traces of that rush.
But his fears were wasted thoughts. Her pinky curled over his and then their hands slid closer, until they were resting one atop the other. She was warm to the touch and something about it appealed to a quiet, primal part of him that just wanted to pull that warmth close and never let it go. As if knowing his mind, her fingers laced between his. Something about that gave him clarity, enough to form a sentence without sounding like a total love-struck fool.
"Nothing about today went as planned," Fox said to her. "But… given the result? I'm… glad."
Glad was an understatement. But she knew his meaning. She always did.
"You know, we're stranded here until they send someone to get us," Fox pointed out.
"Stranded with you? I don't… think I mind that," the vixen replied, mouth curling into a smirk.
"I can definitely think of worse places to be," Fox smiled.
He didn't realize their faces were so close until he could feel the softness of her breath upon the fur of his cheeks. His nose detected traces of lavender on her, mixed with the crispness of mint. It was a floral, pleasant scent. Fox fought back against the urge to move even closer to her but it seemed his body gravitated that way regardless. He told himself restraint was key—their relationship was still young, after all, he didn't want to move too fast and scare her.
But the rush of nearly dying mixed with that way she seemed to glow in the sunlight had him betraying the more logical side of himself. He reached out with a hand and stroked the side of her face. He didn't realize he was bringing her face closer until they were nose-to-nose. Her slender body was nearly pressed against his—he could feel her body heat but found himself transfixed by her vivid irises. Bathed in dying light, she was gorgeous and he could not have asked for a better moment.
"Can I kiss—" Fox began, silenced by the vixen leaning in.
Her mouth touched his, angled diagonally to avoid bumping noses. He closed his eyes, his arm wrapping around her to pull her into him. The kiss lingered for a sweet moment, one that Fox would have gladly stayed in forever. Krystal's hands moved up to either sides of his face and when she eventually pulled away, her thumbs coursed over his fur.
"You can," the vixen replied with a smile that was both mischievous and pleased.
"I… um… I…" Fox stumbled over his words for a moment, feeling heat rush up his nape. He wasn't sure what to say, gleeful emotions tumbling all over themselves. A smile spread across his muzzle, one he couldn't wipe away even if he wanted to.
"C-can we do that again?" the tawny vulpine asked and Krystal laughed.
She leaned in again and Fox went to meet her this time. But a split second before their mouths could touch again, he heard the communication device on his wrist beep. Almost immediately, he could hear Peppy's voice over the radio.
"Fox! There you are… dag-nabbit, these cliffs are giving me awful interference… I'm sending Falco with an Arwing you can hop on. He'll carry you to safety!" the old hare exclaimed.
Fox sighed and activated his mic.
"Thanks, Peppy. We'll be on standby."
He glanced to Krystal, who was picking herself up from the ground. The moment was ruined and he knew that Falco would find them sooner than later. Everyone on the team knew about Fox and Krystal's relationship, of course, but Fox would have rather jumped off the cliff again than have someone walk in on him and her kissing. With another sigh, the vulpine rose to his feet and dusted his pants off.
"Thanks for saving me back there. I meant to say it earlier but…" Fox began the rest of his sentence fumbling into nothingness.
"But…?" Krystal cocked a brow.
"I forgot," Fox said sheepishly.
"I guess we're even then," Krystal smiled at him. "I still owed you after Sauria."
"I'm sure we'll save each other a few more dozen times before the year's done," Fox remarked jovially.
They both wandered into the twilight, looking up at how the stars had begun to shine through the darkening indigo blue sky. The Great Fox cut through the clouds overhead like a goliath, Falco's Arwing zipping about nearby with a barrel roll and a boost—clearly showing off. If he was in a good mood, Fox could only assume the mission had been a success and the battery had been retrieved. He smiled and looked to his girlfriend, putting an arm around her shoulders.
Falco flew by the cave once, the tip of his wing nearly clipping the cliff.
"Aha! There you are!" Fox heard Falco's voice cut in on the communication channel. "Geez, how the heck did you end up there?"
"It's… a long story," Fox said and Krystal laughed.