She looked exactly like the dossier picture.
The hair, the fur, and especially the eyes were just like the photo. The hope and friendliness and optimism were all there. In his head Fox had been wondering what it would be like to see those eyes in person for the first time, and how it would feel. The feeling was gentle; those eyes put him entirely at ease, and it was the first time in a while that Fox felt such a peace.
"My name is Fox McCloud," said Fox. "It's nice to meet you, and, um…you're Cornerian Basic is pretty good?"
Krystal giggled, and the sound was heavenly. "My mother told me about you. And as for my Basic, she taught me. You are a Cornerian, right? Coming from you, then, that's good praise."
"Yeah, I'm from Corneria," said Fox.
"So you really are an Outworlder!" she said. Her eyes lit up with excitement, and she came closer. "You have to tell me what it's like."
"Huh?" said Fox.
"What are the people like?" Krystal said. "Is it true that there's a giant city on your planet? With buildings that touch the sky? Is it true that you can travel most anywhere in Lylat?" The vixen's tail was wagging at sonic speeds, almost as fast as the questions were coming out. Fox was at a loss at which question to start with.
"Oh…oh, sorry!" she said with a sheepish look on her face. "I probably overwhelmed you there, didn't I?"
"It's alright," said Fox. "You did, but it's fine. You're just really curious."
And beautiful, he thought. There was the sudden thought again.
"So I'm told," said Krystal, smiling with her paws on her hips. " I try to learn about other planets as much as possible. There's so much out there." She looked him over again. "So you're to be my bodyguard, yes? Well, I'll being asking plenty of questions, seeing as I'll have you all to myself plenty." She winked at him.
Fox chuckled, feeling his cheeks become hot. "Well, I'll try to keep up. And yeah, that's what I'm hired to do. Your mother hired me, and I've already met her."
He took a moment to appraise Krystal further. She was well built, athletic, and like the other vixens here seemed tall, but not to the extent of the other vixens he'd seen. She was only a few inches taller than him, he wagered. As for what she wore, it was something he'd have to get used to—a loincloth, and brassiere, with a circlet and armlets. She also certainly inherited her mother's figure; he couldn't stop his eyes from briefly—and hopefully discreetly-looking over her hips and bosom. She was beautiful, he thought again.
"I'm sure meeting mother was an experience," said Krystal. "She can be…well, she can be a force sometimes. She gave you a hug, didn't she?"
"How'd you guess?"
"The way you're blushing when you brought her up," said Krystal. She rolled her eyes, but she smiled while she did it, and Fox could tell it wasn't directed at him. "Momma does love to give out hugs. Any creature she finds sufficiently adorable is bound to wind up in her arms often. Auntie Garnet is the same way, thought a little more subdued than mom. Only a little, though. But if she hugged you, then that means she likes you and finds you suitable." She gave him a look over, and she smiled brightly. "An Offworlder! I know I'm repeating myself, Mr. McCloud, but I'm going to ask you plenty of questions."
Fox smiled. It was a small smile, but a genuine one. "Just Fox is fine, Miss Krystal. And I don't mind the questions."
"And you can drop the miss," said Krystal. "Just call me Krystal. I don't want you going all 'yes ma'm' or 'no ma'm' on me."
Considering this first meeting, Fox was relieved. The suspicion that the picture wouldn't match the personality was a worry he had prior to meeting Krystal; even with plenty of money and adventure packaged in, he didn't have the patience to deal with a brat. Instead, Krystal seemed a perfectly sweet and curious vixen. It felt nice to talk to her. He couldn't remember the last time he had a friendly conversation with a woman around his age. That realization gave a bittersweet feeling to the moment now. Those lonely months really had been hard, had they?
"Fox?" said Krystal.
"Hmm?" he said.
"You look…melancholy," she said. She was concerned. "Are you alright?"
Fox blinked. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," he said. He wiped his eyes. "You had more questions, you said?"
It was lame way to change the subject, and Krystal knew it too. Her concerned look stayed right on her face.
"You'll have to save those questions for another time," said a voice. "Although, you two darlings look like you get along swimmingly."
It was Lapis. She walked into the observation deck, smiling at the two of them, with Pepper at her side. That smile was radiant, and Fox could tell nothing pleased the vixen more than that her daughter and her bodyguard were on good times.
"I could hear the conversation while walking over here," she said, sounding giddy. "Oh, you two hit it off better than I could've thought. He's a darling thing, isn't he Krystal?"
Krystal looked at Fox, and he knew she noticed the way his cheeks got redder by the second. She smiled playfully; she would not have mercy on him at this moment.
"He is," she said, her tail wagging. "I told him how much you love hugging cute things, and he qualifies. He is quite cute."
"Isn't he?" said Lapis. Her own tail was wagging. "Oh, Stop fidgeting so much, Fox; you'll be getting plenty more hugs in the future. Too handsome for your own good, you know."
"Yeah, yeah," said Fox. He tried to seem annoyed, but the teasing didn't feel too bad.
Pepper stepped forward. He was smiling throughout that little interaction, but Fox could detect something else beyond that smile. Relief?
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Krystal," said Pepper. "Your mother told me plenty about you, and I know for a fact that Fox will take good care of you. He's the best man I know."
Krystal giggled. "Just Krystal is fine, Mr. Pepper." She did a small curtsy, and Fox found it adorable. "And so far I can agree with you opinion of Fox. I like him already."
"Great introductions all around, I see," said Lapis. She clapped her paws. "Now then. We're approaching the time when we shall depart to the surface. I'm afraid we must take our leave of you, Pepper. I have sensitive information I must tell Fox."
"I have an idea of what that information is," said Pepper. The old general shook paws with all of them once more, and when he shook Fox's, he leaned in and whispered something into his ear.
"You're in good paws," said Pepper. The relief was back in his eyes. "And I'm so thankful for it."
Fox was struck. For the first time, Fox really considered how much he must've worried folks back home. He wasn't ready to go back yet—he didn't know when that time would come, and it was selfish to make that call, he knew—but now he understood how hard it must be to all his friends to not know where he was.
"Tell them all I'm fine," said Fox.
Pepper looked shocked, then smiled and nodded. He didn't have to explain. He left the room.
"So," said Fox. "What is it you wanted to tell me?"
Lapis took a deep breath, and her playful look vanished. She gave Fox a serious look, and the transformation struck Fox. For such a teasing and playful woman, that stare looked practiced. "I'm assuming you know nothing of our people's powers, yes? Pepper probably mentioned them, but I gather he told nothing beyond the fact that they exist?"
"Yes," said Fox. "I'm a blank slate about them. I'd like to be told about them, seeing as I'll be on the planet for a while yet."
"Indeed," said Lapis. "I'll begin directly. In the beginning after The Creation, our forebears were blessed by the three goddesses of our planet with powers of the mind, that mark us as different from all other life in Lylat. At base, all Cerinians can sense to certain degrees the feelings of others, and use powers of the mind in other ways."
Fox blinked. Before the mission to Sauria in the past he'd thought this sounded crazy. But after exposure to the Dinosaur Planet—and the Krozoa especially—Fox had come around to the idea that there were forces in the wider universe that he and others didn't understand. Something about Lapis's explanation occurred to him, and he became alert.
"Sense the feelings of others…" he said. "Does that mean you can-"
"No, we do not read minds with impunity," said Lapis. She smiled. "And I finished that sentence for you not because I just read your mind, but because I figured that it would be the first question on your mind. Often, in the rare times in the past when Cerinians met other peoples, that was the first question asked of us."
"It's something of a joke, in a way," said Krystal. "However, as my mother said, we never read minds recklessly. On Cerinia, mental privacy is considered a sacred thing. To pry into one's mental space and directly read thoughts or memories is something reserved only for lovers, close friends, or family. To do it to a stranger us one of your taboos."
"Makes sense," said Fox, putting it all together. "If that wasn't the case, you all would be a hivemind by now."
"Much like the Aperoids, in fact, but as you can see, we're all very much like you, with four appendages and individuality," said Lapis. She winked at him. "Plenty of individuality, in fact."
"Some would say too much," said Krystal, nodding towards her mother and winking at Fox. Fox chuckled a bit at that.
"Yes, yes, so I'm told," said Lapis. "Tease me, you two, and expect a counterattack sooner than later. Anyway," she continued, looking serious again. "As I said, we can sense the feelings of others. Most everyone on Cerinia is something of an empath. Nascent emotions—not strictly thoughts, but someone's general aura—are readily apparent to us. Our family in particular is gifted in that area. It's why I could tell, during our first meeting, that you needed a hug."
"And why I could tell something was bothering you before," said Krystal.
The ability to sense how others felt. Mental powers? This was all starting to feel like an adventure story to Fox, with a bit more fantasy than what he was used to. The idea that Lapis and Krystal even had the potential to peer into his head and know him deeply in an instant was scary. But as he considered how these first meetings were going, he faced facts; Lapis had been nothing but welcoming to him, and if he was being entirely honest that hug felt wonderful. Krystal was being sweet as could be. Being with the two vixens was putting him at ease. These two people knew nothing of the Blitz and all that happened, hadn't poured over tabloids that laid the whole sordid affair bare. They were just kind to him. The newness too of a people with such a power on a planet far in the frontier was becoming all the more magnetic to him, too.
"It is different," said Fox. "But…I'm still in. One more thing, though."
"Yes?" said Krystal.
"You both probably sense a…well, something happened a little over a month ago, to me," he said. He was fidgeting. "All I ask is, that's private. I don't mind the comforting, but this is something personal."
Lapis and Krystal looked at one another. The worry was evident on their faces.
"If you say so," said Lapis. "I understand."
Krystal nodded. She still looked worried though, as if she wanted to say something.
"If you are still committed after that explanation, than you are the man for the job, Mr. McCloud," said Lapis. "We should head to my hanger. I have a ship chartered to take us to the surface. If it is alright with you, you may leave your craft on the Ocularis. I have strict orders to the guards here to protect it. No harm shall come to it, of that you have my word."
"Got it. Thank you," said Fox. "Before we go though, you mind if I check in on it? Just a sentimental thing to do, if you don't mind."
"Of course," said Lapis.
The older vixen turned to head to the hanger. Krystal turned to follow, stopped, and looked back at Fox. She still looked worried, and like she had something to say.
"Is something wrong?" said Fox.
Krystal stared at him for a moment, then shook her head and smiled. "It's…nothing. Just…I'll show you around a lot when we hit the surface." She smiled. "Would you like that?"
Fox smiled, and despite himself his tail wagged. "I'd love that. You seem like a nice guide to have."
Krystal blushed. The red on her cheeks looked sweet, and Fox couldn't help but think her beautiful again.
"I'll do my best," she said. "Don't be late to the hanger, now!"
With that, she turned to follow her mother.
After performing a last check on his Arwing—and standing there and considering it for some moments—Fox re-joined Krystal and Lapis in their hanger, where their chartered vessel was docked and ready to take them to the surface. It was Fox's first encounter with Cerinian ship architecture, and it was as elegant as the style of their military bases. Krystal caught him staring at it for a moment before they boarded.
"What do you think?" she asked.
"It's different than what I'm used to," said Fox. "Makes it interesting though."
"I wonder what you'll think when we get on the surface," said Krystal. She boarded, and Fox followed behind her.
It was a comfortable private vessel, with soft seats and great viewports. The three of them sat close together in a booth seating area, Krystal sitting beside Fox and Lapis across from him. A table was in the middle. Shortly after takeoff, the ship's serving staff brought them all a steaming drink in a mug, which Fox eyed curiously.
"It's a kind of tea," said Krystal. "Try it, it's lovely."
"Sorry if you were expecting something more exotic," said Lapis. "This will have to do until we reach the surface."
Fox took a tentative sip, and perked up. It had a minty and fruity taste. He liked it.
"Good, you enjoyed it," said Krystal. "You passed the test of liking one of our teas."
"A pretty easy test," said Fox, smiling.
"Indeed," said Lapis. "By the way Fox, I've be meaning to ask this," and the vixen smiled with a glint in her eye. "How do you feel about most of us vixens being taller than you, on the planet?" Her eyes narrowed. "Too late to run away now, I'm afraid, but I am curious about what you think."
"She's teasing, by the way," said Krystal. "I'll come to your rescue again here."
"Oh, stop spoiling my fun," said Lapis.
Fox pondered the question, meanwhile. It was different, to think he'd be short compared to so many. "I'll get used to it, I'll bet," he said. "But how tall do vixens get, anyway?"
"Well, my older sister, Garnet, is taller than me. She is the matriarch of our family, so it suits her," said Lapis.
"Taller than you?" said Fox, surprised. Lapis was already pretty tall as it was.
"Yes, indeed," said Lapis. "In some other places on the planet it's said that height varies even more."
"Krystal, I'm guessing you haven't got a growth spurt yet?" said Fox. He was still trying to mentally digest how tall this Garnet was supposed to be, too.
"Oh, not yet," said Krystal, looking impatient and pouting. "I'm a late bloomer, apparently."
Take off procedures began, and Fox relaxed. Lapis then leaned forward, with a serious expression on her face.
"There's someone I'd like you to meet planetside, Fox," she said. "Sorry to spring this on you now, but I just made arrangements while you were checking on your craft. It's at the center of the place we're heading too." She smirked. "Should be an interesting meeting, I think."
The smirk on her face made Fox curious. He wondered what he was about to get into now.
Their flight to the surface was uneventful. Krystal asked him some questions about his home, and about Papetoon in particular. She was rather entranced by the idea of a planet of mostly grassland and prairie, and the way her eyes about bugged out of her head when he described just how big the Great Plains were was both hilarious and cute. Lapis leaned in often, just as curious. Because of this talk, their flight passed quickly, and before Fox knew it they had passed re-entry and were on final approach.
They now came within sight of their spaceport, and peering through the porthole Fox got his first taste of Cerinian landscape. He expected to land somewhere close to Cerinia's capital city, if such a place existed the way he guessed it did. After all, if Lapis was as important a politician as she made herself out to be there was every reason to think she had a home close to the planets political center. But while Fox stared out at the oncoming world, that was not the case.
The space port they closed in on was by a small, coastal town, situated by a beautiful turquoise sea, with a chain of smaller islands some distance away from land's end. The space port itself was modest, but what took all of Fox's attention was the little town itself.
It was quaint. Most of the homes and buildings were made of wood and roofed or thatched with leaves from local trees. Some were small and others were big, but they all looked cozy, with lawns or decks spread out from them where he could see some people lounging or sitting. If Fox thought the town somewhat primitive at first, he was struck by the infrastructure. The roads were neatly organized, built of cobblestone with clear signs and walking paths. Mingled with carts pulled by some sorts of pack animals were cars and other personal craft that wouldn't be out of place on Corneria. In the center of the town were buildings made of gleaming metallic material. They reminded Fox of the look of the Ocularis, and Fox wondered if these were the government buildings of the little town. There was what looked to be a governor's mansion, and a meeting hall too. There was also a large obelisk, right at the center of the sector.
"That," said Lapis, pointing to those buildings, "is where our meeting is. But please, for now, keep enjoying the view."
"What do you think?" said Krystal. She looked eager to hear his opinion.
"It's…a mix of the old and new," said Fox, puzzled by the design, but interested. "I've never seen anything like this before."
"Indeed, this town is built from plenty of the materials around it," said Lapis. "We Cerinians often strive to live in harmony with nature, and so this town was built using what Nature gave us around it. But we don't scorn modernity. We're always willing to see new toys, so to speak."
That made sense, Fox thought. But another question was on his mind. "I thought we were landing by a capital city," he said. "What is this town?"
"This is Ca Jouja," said Krystal. "Where I was born, actually. Our family's estate is here."
"Really?" said Fox. "So your hometown then." Fox started to peer at it closer.
"I'll show you everything once we land," said Krystal. Again the vixen looked excited, and Fox grew excited with her. A whole new place to explore, and the home of his current charge. Beautiful charge, his mind amended, and he blushed slightly.
"I can see you both are starting on the best paw," said Lapis. She had a glint in her eye.
"Just making your job easier," said Krystal. She winked at him.
She really was, thought Fox. It was more time to spend getting to know her.
They landed in an open-air hanger. Lapis's entourage of vixen guards led the way, and the three of them followed.
The first thing Fox noticed of Cerinia, planetside, was the sea air. It was fresh, and it was the first time he smelled the ocean in so long. The scent was invigorating, and he turned his eyes to his surroundings while smiling with the feel of adventure. The town was to the East, and Fox saw the road leading from the space port to it. To the west he could see rolling hills and trees leading away from the coast under a serene blue sky. Crew workers milled about, a mixture of todds and vixens, and some of them looked his way while most of them kept to themselves. There was the heat too; Fox was glad he thought to wear a t-shirt under his light jacket, and he promptly took the jacket off. He was going to start sweating soon anyway, but at least he would be comfortable. Plus the heat was something of a small wonder to him. He'd been living in the cold regions of Sauria for some time. He could've sworn Krystal took a quick peek at him when he took the jacket off, and now she walked over to him.
"Curious?" asked Krystal. She was looking at him expectantly.
"Oh, yeah," said Fox. "First time I've been on a new planet in…well, I can't remember, but I'm ready for it."
"It's cute to see you with a spring in your step," said Krystal.
"I must agree," said Lapis.
Fox started to blush again, and he smiled. "So, you said you wanted to lead the way, right?" he asked Krystal.
"Yes! Come along then, I'll lead you around the town on our way to the government buildings though we have to take a detour through the places close to the sea," said the vixen, grabbing his paw and leading him in the direction of the town. "It will be good to get you introduced to Cerinia this way. You can tell me more about Corneria and Papetoon later in return."
She pulled him along at a good pace; she was clearly eager. Lapis followed behind and giggled.
"Try not to pull his paw off, dear," she said.
"I'll do my best!" said Krystal.
Fox had a feeling that even if he wasn't being held on to by Krystal, he'd be pulled by her and Lapis by the force of the two of them anyway.
In his mind, as he walked the streets with Krystal leading him around and Lapis bringing up the rear with her small cohort of guards, Fox compared Ca Jouja to a resort town. It was as small and tranquil seeming as one, but was an actual town filled with locals rather than a town with a seasonal population of tourists. Cerinians milled about doing their business in the lovely weather, and Fox made mental notes of multiple things around him.
The first thing Fox noticed was the architecture. Cerinian homes—at least the ones here—were mostly one story tall, wide, with large windows open to the sun. Actually, the most common theme Fox noticed was the openness to nature, confirming what Lapis said earlier. Most homes and businesses had large porches and open-air rooms exposed to sun and the fresh sea air. Plenty of townsfolk were either sitting with company or lounging by themselves in these spaces
That was the second thing he noted—the people. While he did see Cerinians walking around the Ocularis, Fox considered walking around Ca Jouja his first real experience with the locals outside of his employers. They were in fact all vulpines, with a wide variety of pelt colors, and a wide variety of dress. Some wore loincloths and a brassiere for the women, others wore something more like a toga or a robe. Some even walked around in partial nudity. Krystal noticed his shock at this.
"I suppose our people have different attitudes about nudity?" said Krystal.
"They do," said Fox. He was trying not to stare. This was going to take getting used to, as was the height difference again. Fox didn't feel completely dwarfed, but there was no getting around the fact he was probably close to the shortest adult in town. They passed some todds and vixens nearly a head taller than him. Children were almost as tall as he was.
Fox himself was a curiosity to the townsfolk. Some people stopped to stare, others gave him a long passing glance. Any people who stopped were spoken to be Lapis in Cerinian. Whatever she was saying, it calmed them down, and they looked at him with smiles or nodded in his direction.
"She's saying you're a visitor, a guest of our family," said Krystal. "Mother's a community leader around her, and these people trust her."
Krystal pointed out shops and teas houses, bath houses and food stalls and restaurants too. She talked about everything with the familiarity of someone who didn't just grow up here but also walked the streets regularly. As they got closer to the sea the smell of fish grew stronger, more fish mongers appeared, and Fox saw plenty of what he thought were sailors, vixen or todd; and they all looked hardened and rough. Krystal confirmed his thoughts.
"Cerinians have fished and traveled our waters for centuries," said Krystal. "I love the ocean myself. When I was a kit, I would love to sneak down here and listen to the sailors swap stories of voyages and storms, and even legends of sea monsters. Those sailors always laughed at me when they spotted me, but it wasn't in a cruel way. It was just funny to them that a well-to-do girl would mingle with them."
"I don't blame you," said Fox. "I used to mingle with my dad's flight school buddies when I was little to listen to their talk. It was always a good time."
"I found her sneaking out amusing, though me and my husband weren't…thrilled, at the language she started to pick up," said Lapis. "Those stories did stoke her sense of adventure though, as you can imagine."
Before long they arrived at the government section of the town. There were on time for their meeting with whoever Lapis wanted Fox to meet. She had a feeling this person would be late, however. "It would be very in-character for her to do that to me," she said, rolling her eyes. "I can make a fuss about it later."
But Fox wasn't thinking about the meeting; something caught his eye in the central square of the government sector. There, surrounded by flowers and people kneeling and standing, was the obelisk he saw as they approached the space port. It was made of a dark stone that gleamed in the sun. Fox walked closer, and Krystal and Lapis followed. As he got closer Fox picked up on silent and solemn atmosphere around the obelisk. Some Cerinians stared at it grimly. Others stared at it with tears in their eyes. Upon the side Fox faced were characters Fox assumed to be Cerinian, but even though he couldn't read them he could tell what this obelisk was. This was a war memorial.
"To our fallen, never to be forgotten. That's what it says." That was Lapis's voice.
Fox turned. Lapis and Krystal were staring at it with somber expressions.
"It's a memorial, isn't it?" said Fox. "For the war?"
"This," said Krystal, clearing her throat, "Is a Karst Obelisk. There is one in every major town and settlement and city on Cerinia, and doubtless in small settlements, folk there built their own."
"Karst?" said Fox.
"The first city destroyed by Andross's forces," said Krystal.
Fox's fists tightened.
"Orbital Bombardment," said Lapis. She was scowling. There was a cold and old anger in her eyes. "They sent fake peace emissaries the day before, attempting to lower our guard. We knew that they had their ulterior motives, but we could never assume that they would attack us like this. But it eventually became all too clear why they did."
"Why?" said Fox.
"They thought we were savages," said Lapis. The bile in those words made Fox flinch.
"They thought at the first glimpse of power, we would fold. Just turn belly up like a good bunch of primitives and wait to be massacred. A whole city of innocent people gone in an instant. Hopes and dreams, family, everything. Gone." Lapis paused for a moment. "I remember the moment it happened. The feeling that we were no longer safe. The feeling that Cerinia could not just hide itself from the universe any longer. I became what I am today, because of that, you know." She looked at him. "As for the Androssian's…well, we repaid them. That ship that destroyed Karst was the first to go. As it would turn out, the primitives had anti-orbital cannons."
Fox recognized the vixen's look as he nodded. It was a look he and his team wore often in that first campaign against that mad ape. Seeing so much of their home system in ruins awoke a righteous anger in all of them. Fox would never forget the look on Falco's face after that mission to Zoness, his home planet. The sheer fury of seeing his home laid waste to gave Falco a look of determination and purpose Fox rarely saw on the face of the wild child pheasant.
But that was all in the past now.
"Then they met our boarding parties and fighter squadrons. Then they learned what a proud race we can be," said Lapis. Her fist shook, but she took a deep breath, and visibily calmed down. Krystal looked at her mother in wonder and in worry, and Fox felt an envy for Krystal. Worrying for a parent. It had been so long…he shook his head. Now was not the time.
"Oh," said Lapis, peering off into the distance. "Well, look what we have here. Late, as I suspected."
Fox turned. There, approaching them, was an entourage of three vixens. Two were guards. The vixen standing in the middle wore a robe had a walking stick, though she could walk just fine; it was probably something to aid her dignity. Her poise was impeccable, and she strode with a gravity that let Fox know she was someone important to the planet, and he would be seeing plenty of her in the future. Her fur was a dark auburn, and of course she looked taller than him, though not as tall as Lapis.
"Oh, good," said the vixen. "Even when I kept you waiting, you didn't run off."
"Oh, hush, darling," said Lapis, waving her paw at her. Fox could tell this was done to tease; the other vixen's frown deepened, in disappointment. "I knew you would keep me waiting."
"I see," said the vixen. Her eyes turned sharply to Fox, and her eyes narrowed. "Who is this Offworlder, might I ask?" She strode right up to Fox, and looked down at him imperiously. Fox looked right back at her, his own eyes hard and unflinching.
"Such a lovely way for you two to meet," said Lapis.
"Mother…" said Krystal, sighing.
"Oh, alright, I'll straighten up a bit," said Lapis. "Fox, might I introduce you to the Lady Emerald, leader of the Readied Fists."