James found himself in a beautiful place. Was a place he'd been before. One of his favorite places. A creek he liked playing in as a kit. The water was rippling, crickets were singing, reeds were rustling.
Except it was a bit different than how he remembered it. Colors were brighter. Place seemed more electric. More alive.
Remembered being in the hangar. Remembered seeing Pep go. His final words with Pigma. Knew he had died, but also knew he hadn't really died, and he wasn't scared.
Opposite, actually.
Thought of his parents, being here, and then he was transported, to the house. Saw the two of them sitting on the front porch. Was a beautiful sunset. Touched their shoulders. Told them he loved them.
His mom startled, and his dad shivered.
Thought of his friend Pepper, and there he was, in his office. Tried getting his attention, but Pepper was busy. Looked around, and saw some photographs. One of the two of them, in younger years. Flicked the corner of it and it fell down.
Pepper raised his head from his paperwork.
Thought of Fox, and there he was at the Academy. Sitting out on the lawn, a picnic, was a nice evening for it, with a couple of his buddies. James had met them, and Fox talked about them a lot.
Wrapped an arm around Fox. Told him to be brave. That he wasn't really leaving him, and Fox went still. It drew Slippy's attention, and he asked.
"What's wrong, Fox?"
"Just… thought of my dad for some reason."
"Nothing too weird about that." Falco added, only to continue eating his sandwich.
"I think he's in trouble."
"I know this mission was rough, but your dad's a great pilot. I'm sure he's fine." Falco assured him.
"What makes you say that, Fox?" Slippy asked.
"I don't know… just a gut feeling."
Could tell he was running out of time. Could feel a light pulling him onward. Asked, because he felt like he could. If he could see one more person. There was some hesitancy, but then he felt he got an affirmative.
Saw Pep. Flying through space, heavily outnumbered and under heavy fire. Saw the whole ship shake and rumble, saw the wing get blown off, saw how hard Peppy was fighting to keep control, and felt alarmed, for the first time that he'd been in this state. This in between place. Didn't want to leave. Asked for more time, but they told him no.
Could see why they hadn't wanted him to see this.
"Please, let him live." he asked. He knew they'd heard him, but he wasn't sure what was going to happen.
And then he was gone.
On to the next place. And to his surprise, it felt like a place he'd been before. Felt like home, actually.
Looked ahead, and saw a familiar silhouette, and heard that voice of hers he'd always loved, calling out to him, playful as could be.
"Hey, handsome."
There was Vixie, smiling, wearing a beautiful dress, the one she'd worn at their wedding, felt himself smile in return.
"You got all dolled up just for me?" he kidded, before they embraced. Felt so good to hold her again, and afterwards rested his forehead against hers.
"Sure did. You went on quite the ride to get here. And it's not just me who came out to see you." Vixie replied, pulling away only slightly, grabbing hold of his hand and with the other indicating behind her, and there was Vivian, those laser eyes of hers still intact, wearing a summer dress, flowing gently as if in a breeze. Looked like she did when he first met her, when Pep invited him home for the holidays, and he felt a rush of gratitude towards her, as he greeted.
"Hey, Vi. So good to see you again. Thanks for coming out to meet me."
She smiled, before greeting him back, "It's so good to see you too, Jim. And I wouldn't have had it any other way. You kept your promise to me, after all."
"So, you two really have been up here together." James stated, taking another look at them both, with an undertone of amazement.
"Yes, what was it Pigma said? 'Chattering away, complaining about our sad-sack husbands?'" Vivian recalled, in good humor.
"You heard that?" James asked in surprise, before his mind flashed back, and he started, only to trail off.
"Speaking of Pigma…"
"Yes. We know." Vixie said, simply. squeezing his hand.
"It was difficult for you. Your two friendships changed right at the end. One became your killer, and the other your lover." Vivian added soothingly.
Thought of Pigma, standing over him with the gun. The gun that he'd thought was only for show, his face twisted and broken. Then thought of Pep, when he'd come out from his room after all those days. Had thought for sure when he came running at him he was going to punch him, and he was going to stand there and take it, but Pep hadn't, and the thrill he'd felt when instead Pep grabbed his hand and made his way back to his room, the one he hadn't left in days, that they were then going in together, as something different than what they'd been before...
"Which means you know about…" James trailed off once again. Didn't feel wrong, just felt… well, was confusing, in present company.
"We've been watching everything from up here." Vixie affirmed, not unkindly, but James couldn't quite read her tone, or Vivian's.
"You two mad at me? At us?" James asked, hesitantly, remembering Pep asking him the same question, pressed up next to him, on that windswept rock of a moon. The two women shared a look between them, only to shake their heads.
"Well, I can't exactly say I blame you. I did marry him myself. Not to mention that tail of yours. It's just too much. Who could resist?" Vivian offered. before cracking into a grin.
"I know I couldn't!" Vixie added, before erupting in laughter, while James could only marvel.
"Of course we're not mad, Jim." Vivian tried again, after seeing he wasn't convinced.
"Who do you think set you up to begin with? Stranded all alone, just the two of you, with everything you needed?" Vixie proposed, to Jim's surprise.
"Particularly bad weather that was, even for Eremi." Vivian further explained. These two made quite the tag-team.
"You two… you really caused that?"
"Well it wasn't only us. They'll walk you through it, explain things for you." Vixie answered.
"We know it's still confusing for you. But we agreed with the plan, thought it would be good for you. Wanted to help out as best we could. We do know you two pretty well, after all. You two were the ones who ultimately decided though." Vivian further explained.
Closed his eyes for a moment and thought of Pep again. How it felt having him curl his fingers up around his, how he'd insisted, their last time, every time Pep tried to grab the sheets or steady himself on the bed that he instead hold onto him, whether it was his hands on his, around his shoulders, or clinging onto his back, didn't matter where as long as they were on him, and he knew Pep had been embarrassed, overwhelmed, but had insisted on doing it anyway. And thought back to the last time he'd seen him, hands struggling with the controls of his ship. Wanted to tell him again, not to let go.
Opened his eyes and then there Pep was, in the cockpit of his ship, and Vixie and Vivian were there with him too. Pep had gotten away from the battle, but his ship was mangled, and Corneria was nowhere close. Asked his companions.
"Is he going to be okay? Do you know? Are we waiting here for him?"
"No. He's going to make it home." Vivian answered.
"We're just here to offer some support. You're going to be alright, Peppy!" Vixie called out to him.
"Keep going, sweet heart." Vivian added.
They turned to him, and Vixie said, "We love him, but we're not pilots. Help him out, handsome."
Floated over. Was in the cockpit. Saw the instrument panel. Could feel, not only the distress of the ship itself, but Pep's own heartbreak. His guilt over leaving him behind. Wondering what had happened to him. The burden of being the one who would need to deliver this terrible news, about not only James' death and Pigma's betrayal, but of Andross' forces gathering.
How to go on being a father, and what he could do for Fox.
And finally, Pep's own confusion as to what the two of them had become, and the grief of having lost yet another lover too soon.
Covered Pep's hand with his own, and held it steady.
Held him steady.
They stayed until Pep made it back to Corneria, but he felt that pull again, that he needed to leave for now, and then they were back where they were before. The place that felt like home.
"What's going to happen now?" Jim asked.
"Well, we're just the welcoming committee, you have some things you need to do now. But before you do, I did want to tell you, we've been told about something wonderful! And it has to do with our boy! And Peppy! About the future of Star Fox!" Vixie exclaimed.
Jim, despite his own sense of loss, felt an excitement growing in his heart, before asking:
"Do tell."
Finito
Author's Note: Thank you for reading! This story was difficult to write. I originally intended to end it after Eremi, but decided to see it through James' death. At first I wasn't sure how it would be anything other than terribly depressing, and I didn't want it to only be that.
There were two zydeco songs I listened to a lot while writing this – She's Leaving Me by Lil Nathan and the Zydeco Big Timers, and Thinkin' About Leaving/No Guidance by Chris Ardoin. They both have really sad lyrics, but also come across as energetic and lively which is what I was trying to go for while writing this.
The backstory for Andross killing Vixie comes from a Star Fox comic book, and since there was no specific date given for when Vivian passed, I went with it being close to Vixie's.
Also, I hope that the locations of planets in the Lylat System wasn't too confusing. There is no official map of the system, and there are often contradictory descriptions of where planets are. I went with Venom being the closest planet to the star Lylat, and Aquas being farther than Corneria, but closer than Fichina.
I took the name Eremi by modifying the latin word erumus, meaning wilderness, and I know we all have our own wilderness' we are trying to navigate, so in parting, I wish you luck and blessings as you make your way through. Maybe we can all laugh about it on the other side. Or, if you like, please feel free to leave me a comment and we can talk on this side too. I do read them and respond, and they are always appreciated.