A Journey Apart

by Fox MC

When the tears fade, all that remains is pain. And the only thing more daunting than this very pain, is the process of overcoming it alone, without her by his side.

8. Xantia's Secret, PART 2

Chapter 8: Xantia's Secret, PART 2

Ahh…Once again I am given the honor of convening with the renowned Star Fox Team. I would never have dreamed I would get such a chance so soon after last meeting them. Though it is indeed a shame that my beloved vixen will no longer be onboard. Yet, from the stories I have been hearing as of late, the Star Fox Team has recruited several more…prospects that may spark my interest. I can hardly bear this anticipation.

It was almost precisely after he had concluded his thoughts that the Great Fox came into sight, nothing more than a speck of metal in the distance. An eager smirk appeared on his dark face as he saw this. He then appropriately adjusted the controls to his ship; a sleek fighter, similar in exterior to the Arwing, but colored entirely black, spare the depiction of a vibrant, red rose on both sides of the cockpit. "They'll be picking me up on their scanners soon. I wonder who it is that will initiate the transmission? Fox himself? Or perhaps I will be graced by the presence of one of his lovely subordinates…"

The feline's words lingered within the cockpit of his ship for a few moments with no hint of a response, but as he predicted, a light on his in-ship consol lit up, alerting him of an incoming transmission. He quickly and enthusiastically let the transmission pass, an action that was followed shortly after by the appearance of a small, holographic image of a young tiger's head.

The hologram spoke in a timid voice, "This is the Great Fox…requesting identification."

Well, it seems I'm in luck. A beautiful feline has appeared before me. I would do well to make a positive first impression…

"This is Panther Caroso of the Cornerian Special Forces Cruiser, Ladekahn IV. Second in command, if I may add. And who might you be, my striped beauty?"

The tiger hesitated for a long moment upon hearing these words, responding shortly after in a voice that easily made known the fact that Panther's words had made her quite uncomfortable, "…K-Kaya Aurion."

After those awkwardly posed words, nothing could be heard between the two animals. Panther didn't seem to mind that moment, however, as he was able to look over the feline's face for a few, uninterrupted moments.

Well, it seems my words have somewhat rendered this marvelous beauty quite speechless. It's not hard to believe that, with an impressive rank and my irresistible looks, a girl could be wooed so easily. I would do well to take advantage of the situation as it presents itself. …Yet, as much as pains me, my business should and must come first, lest my superiors grow more impatient with me than they already have. Although, I may know of a way to combine the two of…

"…have been cleared to enter." The tiger's voice, which had presumably been present for several moments prior, interrupted the thoughts of Panther Caroso, forcing him to quickly return to reality, at least, quickly enough so that he could respond without taking an inconsiderate amount of time to do so.

"Ahh, yes. Thank you my dear. I am very much looking forward to seeing you soon. …As well as the rest of the crew, I suppose."

-

"So…sounds like you've run into my brother a time of two during your career, huh? Well, he's hated you since his Academy days, doesn't surprise me."

Klyph's smirk was the only thing that remained after his words faded from within the room. Fox only nodded at this, already having told the O'Donnell that sat in front of him how he knew his younger brother. Instead of responding, he could not help but let his eyes wonder around the room he now found himself sitting within.

Klyph had taken both he and Katt from the Docking Bay to his apartment so they could get away from the noise of the docking bay. It was a large space, filled with many types of modern decorations, and the furniture that sparsely populated the area seemed to perfectly compliment them. Fox and Katt sat on a couch that faced another, which was placed opposite of them. In this couch their host was seated, and between them sat a well-crafted mahogany coffee table. However, the immediate surroundings were not what was catching Fox's attention; rather, it was the walls that encompassed the room. They were completely comprised of glass, giving the room's occupants an unrivaled view of the city no matter where they stood. For a short while, he couldn't help but to gaze through the clear surface and examine the buildings that sat outside, but Fox was quickly brought back to the conversation at hand as Klyph spoke once again.

"Anyway, what brings the Star Fox team all the way out here? Some war going on that I should know about?"

"No, nothing like that…" Fox's voice trailed off, not sure how much he should reveal to this complete stranger.

"So what is it then? I'm sure Corneria doesn't send out their best for nothing."

"We're on an important mission," Fox started, not sure where he was going exactly, but he managed to think of a fitting term that wasn't too specific, "Search and Rescue."

"Huh." Klyph paused for a moment, as if not satisfied with the answer, before continuing on, "And you think you'll find what you're looking for in a place like this?"

Fox nodded, "Yes, I do think so. I was…given a pretty strong lead that we should stop here at Xantia."

A brief chuckle suddenly rose from beside Fox, a noise that was followed by characteristically sarcastic words, "Besides that, we're not running on much; just his instinct. That's the part that worries me."

Klyph gave off a brief laugh as Fox merely sat and watched, having come to be so familiar with her style of communication. "Heh, well, if you're looking for help, I don't know what I can do for you two. But ya know, there is one thing I can think of that might…"

The wolf's voice trailed off as the sound of an opening door interrupted his words. All heads in the room turned towards a female wolf, who was dressed professionally in a black business suit. She hesitated at the door for a moment, having suddenly found herself the center of attention, but she quickly pushed this initial feeling of surprise as Klyph spoke to her.

"Oh, hey Shaara. Back from work already?"

The wolf let out a complacent sigh, "Thankfully, yes. My client was already convinced he liked the property, so getting him to sign the papers was all that needed to be done. It's been a long time since I've been able to…"

The wolf cut herself off as she suddenly noticed the two members of Star Fox that sat before her.

"Oh, excuse me. I didn't mean to ramble on like that." She fidgeted slightly before speaking in Klyph's direction, "I didn't know we'd have visitors today, I would have cleaned up a bit before I left."

Klyph shook his head, "Don't worry about it, you always keep this place spotless. Anyway, I guess we should get on with the introductions, huh?"

Taking his feet next to Shaara, Klyph did the honors, "Fox, Katt, I'd like you to meet my wife, Shaara."

Both Fox and Katt stood as the wolf approached with her hand outstretched, in turn, taking both of their hands in her own and giving them a gentle shake in meeting.

As this was going on, Klyph spoke to Shaara in a matter-of-factly voice, "These two are members of the Star Fox team. They've saved the universe a time or two, so I figured I'd invite em' over here and help them with their mission."

Shaara withdrew slightly from Fox and Katt as she finished greeting them, now speaking in a flattered voice, "My, really? The famous Star Fox team? Well, it's certainly an honor to meet you both." Her initial surprise seemed to fade quickly, however, as she asked shortly after, "But here? And on a mission? Is our planet in some sort of danger?"

Fox shook his head and spoke back quickly in a comforting voice, "Don't worry, your planet is fine. We're not here on that kind of mission; we're here to find someone."

"Right," Klyph interjected, keeping his other half from making any sort of immediate remark. "And we're both gonna help em' out, alright Shar? I don't think we'll have any problem finding this animal their looking for…if everything works out."

Katt raised a skeptical eyebrow, "Oh really? I'm guessing you have a pretty decent plan to go off of if your willing to say that. Care to explain it to us?"

The wolf smirked, "Of course. It's pretty simple, actually. A one step plan. No fights, no searches, no negotiations…how's that sound to you?"

The pink feline sighed, "It sounds like your full of crap…but I'm still listening."

"Good," Klyph began with a chuckle, motioning towards the door to his apartment before continuing on, "Just follow me and I'll explain on the way. The Five-Hundred Year Festival isn't gonna wait for us, ya know."

-

My, such a stunning ship this is. Much better than what they were traveling in a year ago. I swear, having your best mercenaries flying around in such an atrociously outdated ship is insulting…but I suppose if the good Captain was satisfied with it, it makes little…Oh, are those footsteps I hear? Come Panther, don't let your thoughts stray like this, it's quite unbecoming. And besides, I would hate it if I were to make a negative impression on the ship's crew. Heheh, my attitude of absolute chivalry is quite ironic, I must say.

The sound of footsteps echoing from just outside the docking bay slowly became louder, and the black feline prepared himself for a reunion with the beauty in the transmission. He found himself, however, to be immediately disappointed.

"Lieutenant Panther Caroso, Second in Command of the Ladekahn IV…identified."

He stammered under his breath in reply to the robot that had just entered into the room, "W-well, I suppose I expected too much. Captain McCloud really should make his visitors feel more…invited."

As he watched the robot come closer, it once again spoke to him in a monotone voice, "Panther Caroso, request to report to Great Fox Bridge immediately. Escort, Slippy Toad, will arrive shortly."

"…Thank you." The words slipped out of his mouth without much thought, after all, there was no use wasting his words and courtesy on this robot. The feline merely stood and watched in silence as his greeter purposefully walked throughout the interior of the docking bay.

ROB made his way to the four now vacant docks that had previously housed the ships Arwings and did a quick yet thorough check-up on each of them.

"Docking stations: no required maintenance." His robotic voice clanged uncomfortably throughout the area, as it had for so many years before. After making the results of his tests verbally known, he suddenly moved towards the only ship that remained within the docking bay. Raising his hand to the surface of Panther's craft, he managed to get a complete readout of the vessel through a discreet scanner imbedded in his metallic palm. For a moment, the robot made no other movements, his processors taking in all the new information about this newly arrived ship. However, this period of brief silence was cut short as something of a quiet alarm sounded from within ROB himself, one that accompanied by a quickly blinking red light that emanated from both his shoulders.

"Warning, Warning: Ship Class identified. Current model is in use within the mercenary group: Star Wolf. Enemy ship detected…Communications with bridge and Captain McCloud, commenci…"

ROB's voice faded immediately from the room and gave way to the sound of two rapid blaster shots. After an abruptly violent flash of sparks and shorting circuits, ROB fell to the ground with a loud crash, both his head and chest pierced by the lasers that had just passed through.

Holstering his blaster back at his side, Panther walked over towards the now defunct robot and stood over him, looking down upon the pile of sparking metal with a smug grin, "So sorry, but I simply couldn't allow you to ruin my plans. Having myself revealed so soon would have been a complete disaster, you see? Now, about moving this pile of garbage…"

Panther looked around the bridge for something to conceal his mess, but seeing as how there was actually deceptively little held within the confines of the large and spacious docking bay, he merely created a small pile of scrap behind his own ship, hoping that no one would be lucky enough to come across it. His fighter was near enough to the wall of the docking bay that no one would have a reason to do so in the first place, leaving him quite satisfied with his work.

It was just as he had finished throwing ROB aside that a timid-looking Slippy rounded the corner and entered into the docking bay. The mechanic hesitated rather awkwardly after he did so, however, as Panther flashed a pleasant smile in the toad's direction as he walked away from his ship, speaking briefly as he did so, "Ahh, it seems my escort has finally arrived."

Slippy took a step back in surprise, almost as if he had not seen Panther there at all. However, the toad quickly gathered himself as best he could before he spoke back, not in response, but rather in inquiry, "Did something just happen in here? I thought I heard…a blaster. …Did you hear anything?"

"A blaster?" Panther started in a suave tone, leaving no evidence in either his voice or expression that could have given him away, "Why, no, I did not."

Slippy stood silent and continued to scan the room with his eyes, not really buying into the feline's words.

Noticing this, Panther quickly took steps to prevent the toad from becoming too curious, "At any rate, shouldn't we be making our way up to the bridge? That is your job after all, is it not?"

"Oh…ya." Slippy said absent-mindedly, having seemed to confuse himself with his sudden feeling of distrust towards his guest. However, in typical fashion, the toad waved off this feeling in favor of going along with standard procedure, not willing to take the risk of having his suspicions to be proven incorrect. "It's this way."

Panther nodded in acknowledgement as he walked past Slippy and rounded into the corridor that sat outside the docking bay. Seeing this, Slippy remained still for a few moments, scanning the room once more, still not feeling sure about what he had or had not heard just a few moments ago. However, with a quiet sigh, he discontinued his brief search and walked free of the docking bay.

For a majority of the time they were making the trip from the docking bay to the Great Fox bridge, neither of the animals spoke to the other. Never before had they formally met, besides their rather discomfited meeting in the docking bay, and it was there that it had become instantly established the two did not trust the other. Even despite his rather social nature, Panther restrained himself from opening up into conversation, feeling that it might stray onto a topic that he did not wish to discuss, such as…

"Umm…I've been wondering. What are you doing here, Panther?"

The feline looked down towards the toad with a pleasant face, despite the surprise he felt from being asked this question, "What? Do I need an excuse to see my good friends of…how long has it been? Over a year now?"

"Oh…no," Slippy started, his voice fading into it's standard timid pitch as he continued, "But ya know, Fox is down on Xantia right now…so are the rest of them."

Panther's even gaze filled with a glimpse of surprise, "Oh, is that so? Well, my timing seems to have failed me. I suppose I'll just have to wait for them to show. Is that alright with…"

Slippy cut in, his voice suddenly sturdy as something seemed to click within his mind, "Wait, that ship you flew in on…it's not from the Ladekahn IV, is it? No ships used for official purposes can be decorated like yours."

Panther smirked, "Why, of course that's not a craft from the Ladekahn…it's my own personal craft. Why do you ask?"

"I've seen that ship design before. …It hasn't changed much since nine years ago."

The feline shook his head in confusion, "Nine years ago? What is it that you're getting at with all this?"

Slippy froze in place as all the pieces began to fall into place in his busy mind. He looked up at Panther, and with fear rising in his eyes, he spoke uneasily, "Y-You're part of Star Wolf…aren't you? I-I have to tell Fox!"

However, the toad was barely able to finish speaking these words before the side of his green, rounded head was forcefully met with the foot of Panther Caroso, an action that sent the defenseless mechanic rolling across the cold, metallic floor of the Great Fox for several feet before coming to an abrupt stop against a wall, the impact rendering him instantly unconscious.

Looking at the now bleeding face of Slippy Toad, Panther smirked and let out a brief chuckle, "This is the price one must pay when they get too curious…you would do well to learn that lesson, my green friend. Now…"

Turning his attention away from the toad that lay crumpled to the side, he looked down the hallway and noted two large doors sitting at the far end. "That's what I was looking for…the bridge, I presume. Thank you so much for your assistance Slippy Toad, now I can claim my prize without resistance."

"Star Wolf will have it's captive back. Really…you never had a chance at escaping from him, Kaya Aurion."

-

Dusk had begun to descend on the city of Estorra as Klyph and those following him made their way towards the festival. It was an idyllic twilight, with the sky blazing with different colors of orange and red, colors that seemed to perfectly compliment the surrounding plains, as well as the city itself. It was something that deserved to be more closely appreciated, especially by the two in the group that rarely had time to admire such simple beauties, but their present task far outweighed time for such trivial matters.

As they walked along, they noticed a gradual increase in the number of animals walking the streets. When they had initially left Klyph's apartment building, there were only a few scattered animals here and there, which slowly turned into animals walking in small groups, then in larger clusters, all the way until they found themselves interspersed within a festive and enthusiastic throng of thousands.

It was quite a unique spectacle, with entertainers occupying whatever space they could find among the crowds, amusing them with dancing or displays of musical prowess. Along with them were numerous booths and stands that took up the remaining space on the sidewalks, each of which had a least one shouting vendor proclaiming incredible sales on all their most exotic items. The only thing that seemed to be missing here were ornate lights, but, as if it were planned, the fading rays of the sun made quite sufficient and dramatic lighting as it reflected its many colors off the windows that sat upon the buildings that contained the crowds of animals.

Cutting them off from further observation, Klyph spoke back to Fox and Katt in an amused voice, "Well, it does only happen once every five hundred years, ya know. It's gonna be a pretty big deal."

"Oh, stop it Klyph," Interjected Shaara, noticing that her other half had interrupted the appreciative silence that had enveloped the group, at the same time causing both members of the Star Fox team to remove themselves from pleasant observation of the spectacle around them, "Let them enjoy themselves. I doubt being a member of the Star Fox team leaves them with much time to relax like this. Isn't that right, Fox?"

Shaking his head, Fox responded, "Don't worry about it, traveling the universe and seeing places like this has always been…"

Cutting him off, Klyph spoke with a chuckle, "Heh, I wouldn't call what you guys do for a living 'travel.' Risking your lives every day to protect everyone in the galaxy, sounds a little less than relaxing to me."

"Speaking of which, I think someone said he had a plan to help us with that part about saving the galaxy," insisted Katt, who had grown slightly impatient with the sudden small talk that had been going on.

The wolf nodded his head, "Forget about that, look at where you are. Chances of you living too see this again are pretty slim. Besides, I'll have plenty of time to explain my plans to you later."

The expression on both Katt and Fox's face fell slightly at hearing these words, but they said nothing to counter it.

Klyph smiled, "We've got a while till' our real business here starts, so why don't I let you both go for now? You've had enough of me leading you around I'm sure. Look around, have a good time and we'll meet back here at around sundown. Sound good?"

Fox gave an undetectable shrug of his shoulders before speaking in a mellow voice, "Alright, we'll expect to see you then. Hopefully we don't get lost in these crowds."

"Don't worry about that. By the time we meet, the crowds will be thin and you'll find your way easy enough," spoke Klyph, who knowledgably scanned over the pandemonium.

"You both enjoy yourselves now." Shaara added cheerfully as she turned to leave, "In the stories we hear about festivals past, there's supposed to be some kind of mystical force that surrounds this event that is said to bring young couples closer together. Isn't that so beautiful?"

Klyph spoke back to his wife immediately after she had finished, preventing either members of the Star Fox team from doing the same, "Hey, come on Shaara. You're gonna embarrass them both talking about stuff like that. We better leave before you make things anymore awkward here."

With a smile, Klyph waved as he and Shaara began to walk away, the later of them giving the other a rather forceful blow to the shoulder as she retaliated, "Let's not start our day off like this, please."

For a few seconds, there was only silence between the two animals as they watched their guides fade into obscurity within the massive crowds that occupied the city streets. Fox, however, was the one to break this quiet as he looked over to Katt, "So much for the 'mystical force' bringing animals closer together."

Belaying himself only to allow for an apathetic chuckle from his teammate, Fox continued on as he senselessly looked about the chaos that surrounded them, "Alright, so I guess we have some exploring to do. Heading down the main street should be a good place to start."

"Right, and I'm assuming you brought along the bulldozer we'd need to get through that mess." Responded Katt, her eyes focusing on the overflowing area Fox had suggested.

The vulpine nodded his head, "Good point. Let's just look around here then. Seems like there's enough to keep us busy for…"

"Fox…Fox McCloud."

Surprised to hear his name called among the overpowering noise that rose from the surrounding crowds, Fox's attention wandered for a short while before it settled on a small, very ornate stand that sat a short distance, within which stood a short, haggard-looking woman that was staring straight at him.

"That old hag over there, did she just say your name?" asked Katt, who had apparently also heard the voice. Upon receiving a slight nod as response from her captain, she continued on observantly, "With the way that stand is decorated, I wouldn't be surprised if she was some kind of psychic. She did know your name, right?"

"So do a lot of animals."

Katt let off a slight smirk, "Come on, this could be fun. Let's go over there and see what the old fart wants with you."

In his mind he wanted to decline, but he himself could not help but be curious as to how she knew his name, despite the fact that he was completely shielded by animal bodies when she called it out. With a slight amount of hesitance in his step, he and Katt made their way towards the mysterious woman.

Soon after finding themselves before the tent, as it could be more accurately described, it was easy to see that this was, indeed, a place intended for spiritual practice, as was made clear by the predominantly purple color scheme and drapes, accompanied by several pieces of calmly burning incense.

"Fox McCloud, yes. I knew you would come; I saw it in a dream many nights ago." The woman, who was, upon closer inspection, a heavily garbed raccoon, feebly spoke. You could tell from one look that the years had not been easy on her, as her ripened face bore signs of severe wrinkling and several age spots.

Fox rather disregarded what had just been said and instead posed a question, "How do you know my name?"

A smile creaked onto her façade, "I see many things in my dreams…sometimes in visions. They start as nothing, just ideas and associations. But suddenly, they take shape…are given forms, color, personalities…until the final product is made clear. Yes, it is rare that these products of my mind are given names, but yours was, Fox McCloud. You bear a heavy load, don't you…?

Not convinced of what she was saying, Fox merely continued to give her his attention, which was indication enough for her to continue her mystic explanation, "You have been made famous by your past actions, yes? You have saved more animals than there are stars in the sky, and in return, you are a great hero to them all. However, you have been through much pain as a result. Lost many who where dreadfully close to you, you have. Because of this, you hid your very existence from the universe, but the choice to do something about that exact pain has finally been made. …Am I correct, Fox McCloud?"

After absorbing all she had said, Fox gave a her an expression that was mixed of both surprise and suspicion, "Ya…that sounds about right, but…"

"Yes, yes, but you do not yet know how to exact that pain. But I know this, and if it is your desire, I may help you."

Fox grew further suspicious, "Are you saying that you can see the future, too?"

With a frail nod, the old raccoon continued, "Indeed, Fox McCloud. I am able to help you on your journey by those very means. Would you allow me to peer into the mist that lies ahead and clear your path?"

"How do I know this is real…?"

It was almost instantly after Fox had said these words that Katt grabbed him by the arm to get his attention before speaking in an amused voice, "Come on, don't be such a skeptic Fox. She knew your name and she nailed the story of your past. Just give it a shot, for the heck of it."

It came after a moment of very noticeable hesitance eyes, but the vulpine eventually nodded in agreement, "Fine. Maybe I really could learn something useful here."

Katt released his arm and instead gave him an ardent pat on the back, "That'a boy."

"Most Excellent, yes. Please follow me behind the shade, Fox McCloud; for it is in darkness I will reveal light."

With those rather clichéd, yet mysterious words, Fox was led to an area a few feet away that was completely surrounded by the same purple drapes that comprised the entire stand, which was filled with darkness as they both entered into it. Inside this rather small area, there were several small, fragrant candles burning, some being located at different heights thanks to the placement of many discreet, purple shelves supported by the fabric that fell from above them.

However, the most concentrated number of candles and decorations sat plainly in the middle of the shelter, where a short table stood. On opposing sides of the circular, veiled table sat two undersized stools, one of which the old woman readily sat upon as she urged Fox to do the same, "Quickly, sit, Fox McCloud. I sense your destiny is eager to make itself known to you."

The vulpine did as the medium instructed, his eyes still taking in the unfamiliar and rather peculiar environment that he found himself within. Even seated, his eyes continued to wander around until he had somewhat familiarized himself with the area before turning his attention to the old raccoon. As he did so, the psychic's sagging eyes locked onto Fox's with a sudden gleam of intensity. It was a look that seemed to change the entire atmosphere within the small, enclosed area, and as much as he wanted to, Fox simply could not find it within himself to look away. Even as Fox's features hinted at rapidly growing uneasiness, she merely continued to stare, her eyes seeming to hunger insatiably for his. The raccoon's piercing gaze held his for several more seconds before she suddenly and finally blinked, falling back into her chair slightly as she did so.

With a deep sigh, she confessed in a heavy voice, "Oh, I'm sorry. You're eyes are…so captivating. They tell an extraordinary story…the likes of which even I could never have dreamed. Great pain, triumphant joy, unthinkable sadness, unyielding love, surreal hatred, conflicting doubts. To have everything, then nothing; to give your life and receive nothing in return, this is what defines you, Fox McCloud. But for all of that to be conveyed so clearly through your eyes alone…"

Having eased his formerly tense posture, Fox had listened to the women's words with interest, but merely commented with a nod as he slowly allowed himself to believe that, based on the fact she seemed to know so much about him by supposedly looking into his eyes, there may be some merit to his acceptance of this old raccoon's clairvoyant help.

"But please, my work does not lie within such eyes. Close them now, and open instead to me your mind. Concentrate on what you know, what you feel, and what you want to accomplish. Among all of these things, we will find the unseen path that you must follow."

Before he did so, Fox managed to see the raccoon gradually stand from her stool and stretch her arms straight above her, hands outstretched and head tilted up towards both. Assuming this was part of the routine, Fox slowly brought his eyelids together, an action that was immediately followed by the sound of feint, rather eerie chanting. It was a somber melody, comprised of almost solely low notes, but about every six or seven undistinguishable syllables, the psychic's voice abruptly rose, almost making it seem like she was shouting when compared to the majority of the spiritual composition. Despite the irregularity of the chant, however, it seemed to give Fox a sense of calm. The psychic's song allowed him to clear his mind, and in so doing, he was able to more fully concentrate on the things she had mentioned.

The old raccoon continued on in this manner for several more moments, before her melody faded from the room, and her course voice took it's place, "Yes, that's wonderful, Fox McCloud. Your mind is clear. Your thoughts, concentrated. I can see images starting to form, slowly they come to me." She paused for a moment, "Hmm, yes. I can see it all too well. The path is indeed covered by a deep fog, but as I move closer to it, I can slowly see more. …There ahead, a form. I sense it is an old friend, perhaps an enemy. Whichever it is, there he stands, staring back at me in shadow. Wait…he's beckoning me to come closer…closer…closer still…"

As she went on, her voice seemed to indicate the closing of distance between Fox and herself. This trivial fact, however, went unnoticed by Fox, who assumed it was part of the psychic's ritual.

Suddenly halting her subtle advance, the haggard woman continued, "Yes, his image is clearing. A voice…yes, I can hear it. So faint, but it is there. Oh yes. He says one phrase, a few simple words, and then it…repeats. Very important these words must be. I must approach him further to understand…"

Her words trailed off into a whisper, as distance closed almost to the point of contact. Completely unaware, Fox concentrated hard on the voice of the psychic, finding her words to be extremely compelling.

With a light chuckle, she continued, "Finally, the shadow has lifted. The voice, clear. Battle scarred and smug, he stares at me. The face of a great leader, indeed. At his side, he clenches his fist, and gives me a ferocious glare. Something is amiss here, no longer do I sense friendship, but instead, gruesome hatred. His mouth opens once more, his words, I hear them clearly now. Yes…so very clearly. He says…"

Her words seem to freeze in the air as she trailed off. Fox was tempted to open his eyes to see what had happened, but quickly repressed such thoughts, as he was absolutely captivated and spellbound by the psychic's cryptic fortune.

Quietly lowering her hand inside of her robe, she revealed a small, liquid-filled container, one that contained a very distinct quality; that being a short, narrow needle that protruded from one end. Suddenly out of the pensive quiet, her voice returned, only this time it was tinted with an unsuspected tone of anger, "His voice…The Wolf. He says, 'Kill Fox McCloud.'"

Fox's ears perked up at these words, and on instinct, took a blind swing to the side towards her voice. Feeling the rough contact against his closed fist, he quickly stood and looked over towards the now madly grinning old woman. With a maniacal laugh, she turned to run, but being her age, she was not able to advance more than a few short steps before the vulpine leveled her with a swift kick to the back of the head, rendering her unconscious as she slammed into the unforgiving pavement beneath her.

Fox looked down towards the old woman with disbelief as he tried to compose himself.

How could I fall for something like that? I knew right from the beginning that this whole thing could not have been real…and then for it to turn into a murder attempt? I can't believe it. Could this have something to do with the transmission I received on the way down to this planet? That makes sense, I wouldn't think anyone on this planet would have a reason to kill me. That's gotta be it. The animal behind that transmission is the one who…who set this…

The vulpine discontinued his internal monologue as he suddenly felt a tinge of pain race through his arm. Looking down at the source, his eyes opened wide as he saw a partially discharged syringe sticking out from his fur. Without a second thought, he quickly removed the device and through suddenly heavy eyes, examined the container.

"WARNING: SOLUTION INCLUDES DANGEROUSLY HIGH SEDATIVE CONTENT. USE ONLY UNDER DOCTER'S SUPERVISION."

The bolded warning letters were followed by several lengthy ingredients, but with his quickly blurring vision, reading these words were the last thing on his mind. Only a little less than half of the liquid had been successfully injected into his arm, but even despite this, Fox could immediately feel the effects of the drug. His legs become weak, his arms numb. Even his voice was failing him. He tried to yell out for help, but nothing more than a whisper came out as he helplessly crumpled to the ground next to the old woman. He attempted to stand, but found that he could not even accomplish something as simple as raising his finger. The only thing he could control was his mind, and even that was quickly leaving him.

Come on Fox, you can't...pass out here. The mission hasn't even…started and already…here I am. Tricked by an old woman. I…can't believe it.

"I've…I've already let you down…haven't…I?"

After those words managed to escape from the vulpine's mouth, consciousness abruptly left him.

It was at that precise moment that the curtain to the tent was slowly pulled back, revealing an imposing figure, whose gray and white fur was shadowed once again as the drapes came together behind him once again.

With a smug grin, the lupine spoke, "But you haven't let me down, have you? Don't worry, the injection wasn't lethal…but maybe you'll wish it had been. It certainly would have been a less painful death, but unfortunately, I plan to keep my word to you. I won't show you any mercy, Fox McCloud."

---

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Well, here I am. Or more rather, here it is; a chapter that is about a year and a half overdue. Did you think I'd given up? Of course not. I've been saying it since the beginning of this story. No matter how long it takes, I will see this story through to the end. So to all those who have waited, I am sorry. I hope that I'll be able to post like I used to, but I doubt it. At the very least, I hope that I will not have such large gaps between posts, as in, a year long gap. That is all I can say for sure. Another note, this may end up being the first 4-part story arch in the series. I have a lot in store. Till' next time.

MAIL CALL: I swear, once I start posting chapters with regularity, I'll comment on all the reviews that are left.

Fox Fang

I liked this chapter a lot but like I said before it could be made into a game!

FoxMC: Hmm…maybe. Only problem is that there would be no game, just a story line with like…5 or 6 shooting levels. Heh, boring.

Mystery001

Flawless. That is the only word my mind can possible muster to describe the incredible tale you are writing, you are truly the best this section has to offer, thank you for this story, and I hope you update it real soon.

FoxMC: Heh, if time between updates factors at all into the "flawless" of this story, it went from awesome to absolute crap.

Captain Spock

This story rules! You're a great author, but I think you should update much more. Try something like update at least once every tree weeks.

FoxMC: Once every tree weeks? I didn't know people used greenery as measures of time…

"What time is it, Jimmy?"

"Oh, it's about half past grapevine."

"Great, we're gonna be late for that party, we were supposed to be there at rhododendron o'clock."

"Nice going, you're gonna be at least a few crabgrass late."

"You better shut up, or I'll knock you into next Pine Tree."

"…Sorry."

I'mNotHitler

I love these story's you write. Your style is so... Awesome... And passionate. And you play gol for the win. Anyways IF YOU DON'T UPDATE SOON I'M GOING TO CRY... AND EAT SOME CHOCOLATE AND GET FAT... So save me from this...

FoxMC: Uhh…define soon, you left this review a while ago, so did you hold out ok? I swear, my delay in writing this chapter was not to torture you with the temptress that is chocolate, I swear!

Star Fox Runner

Hello, I've read both of your stories but this is my first review. This story is just amazing, best I've ever read, and a bunch of other stuff people have already said. This has inspired me to write my own fan-fic. I see you finaly brought Wolf in and thats awesome, but what happened to Peppy? You would think that after all thats happened to Fox he would come back, but he's just dropped off the radar. Any way, KEEP WRITING! FORGET ABOUT GOLF! JUST DO THIS! I WANT TO SEE HOW THIS ENDS! WRITE! NOW!

FoxMC: What happened to Peppy? Well, he was really ticked at Fox, so he's disconnected himself from the team completely. I'm sure he's got word of Krystal's death and Fox's one year lay-off, but he still doesn't want any part of that team any more. Heck, like I'd wanna leave Xavix-Yuan if I had the choice. Good place to retire.

SPG inc.

Yay update. Good chapter, but this Wolf business is suspicious...
What's wrong with poor Kaya? FOX, HELP HER OUT YOU SELFISH DRAMA QUEEN, MOPING AROUND FOR A YEAR DOING NOTHING!

FoxMC: Hmm…Kaya is pretty quiet, huh? Well, don't worry, eventually, her character will be revealed and explained. And hey, don't rush Fox, he's having a tough time with life right now. …But ya, a year? Are you kidding me?

Fox: "Wh-What? I thought you were just on my side!"

Sorry, he brings up a good point…

Fox: Hey, how about I tell Slippy to kill your roommates and see how you like it!

Slippy: …?

…I don't know what would be worse, having my roommates killed, or knowing that Slippy was the one that did it.

Slippy: I…I wouldn't kill anyone.

Heh, you wouldn't think so…

Slippy: …

The Silent Wanderer – ArcticFoxAL (Can your name be any longer? Heh)

Damn you and your college and golfing... Keeping you from doing the real important work, keeping your possible gun-toting readers happy so that they won't do bad things to you while you sleep... heh, j/k. I'm going off to college next year, so I'm not one to talk. Hmm... that really gets you wondering though; what next after this story? Of course, you know EVERYONE will be shouting "SEQUEL!" but of course, you'll probably be like "No, I'm too busy..." But yeah. I think you actually GAIN readers by doing these excruciatingly long delays between posts... Man, I should probably work on this 'randomness' of posting... I really get off topic...

FoxMC: Holy crap, people will be asking for a sequel? I just had a heart attack, seriously. No, this is, for sure, the last installment. This is no trilogy. Man…I can't imagine doing this for another…however many years it would take me to do it…I'm getting to old for this.

Simba McCloud

Yay! Fox MC's back. I was sure this fic was dead. DON'T WAIT THREE MONTHS TO UPDATE NEXT TIME! Don't let this fic die, it's great. I hope you plan on brining Krystal back in the end. anyway, keep updating.

FoxMC: Alright, I won't wait three months, I'll wait longer. How's that for compliance to the readers requests?

V-Starfox

Yay! I am so happy that you're back. I have checked everyday to see if you updated. Don't worry, I'll never abandon this story!!

FoxMC: I'm loving the dedication here. Brings a tear to me eye, lad. O' course, who knows if you still feel that way after all this time. I shall remain cautiously optimistic!