True Consequences
Corneria City, Corneria
The remain of The Tydrier
The remaining StarFox members ran towards
The Tydrier. All they saw was the destruction and bodies of the many
Cornerians and Lylatian lying dead or severely injured. Fara, tried
to stop herself from throwing up, but couldn't. Even Fox could barely
contain his mixing inner juices. Out of all the battles and fights
he had been in, this had to be the worst scene that was in front of him.
He had seen some of the creatures faces, maybe only in passing, but now,
he saw them either dead or dying. That was the bad thing about it,
he knew them, if not just saying hi, passing on the street, knowing them
by name, or even personally.
He shook himself out of those thoughts
and trudged onward towards the once proud monument of industry and economy,
The Tydrier. The smoke was almost unbearable. Luckily the StarFox
team carried with them the particle masks that they were using treating
the injured from the initial blast. "I don't think we will be able
to locate them, Fox," Fara said warily. "I am lucky to find my muzzle
in all this smoke and debris filled haze."
"We just have to, Fara," Fox said
angrily. Then his face softened. "I would expect you to keep
looking for me until you find me alive or …"
"Yes, you are right," agreed Fara.
"I will keep looking as long as you."
Some of the first fire fighters and
law enforcement were already ahead of the StarFox team, sifting through
the rubble, hoping beyond hope, to find some kind of life. The canines
of the law enforcement agencies were sniffing the air and rubble for the
slightest vibration not made from the helpers.
"Have you found anyone yet?" asked
Peppy.
"Well, yes," said the sergeant.
"This"
Fox followed Peppy and Slippy to where
the sergeant went. Fox could only see the top of the sheet and a
hint of red. "NO!" exclaimed Fox.
The sergeant removed the sheet and
there was the lieutenant, his antlers missing and his head and neck barely
attached. Fox averted his eyes and Fara's. "I am so sorry,"
Peppy convened. "We thought that was one of ours."
"It was one of all ours," a bear said.
"I think it will be much worse when
this is all over," the sergeant said. "Casualties in the thousands
is the preliminary results are at now."
Fox and Peppy bowed their heads, Fara
could only cover her mouth in horror, and Slippy just stood silent, mouth
agape. Silence hung in the air as thick as the smoke. Finally,
Fox came out of his stupor. "Come on. We won't find Falco and
Charon any faster if we stand around like this."
The Starfox team started on the northeast
corner of the rubble and started in. Primarily looking for their
comrades, but also hoping to find any survivor at all. Fara had found
a couple, still holding on to each other's hands, dead. Fara looked
at Fox and managed a small smile. Even in death, the couple loved
each other to the last. She motioned over the roaming coroners.
They looked down and smiled. They too noticed the couple holding
hands. They retrieved the bodies. Fara went on looking through
the rubble, a bit saddened, but a bit happy, to see how creatures from
all walks of life still cling on to things that they love, even themselves.
The hours passed without a sign of
the two missing StarFox members. Finally, Fox called the team over.
"Well, even I have to admit I am getting frustrated with this search,"
Fox admitted. "Like finding a needle in a haystack."
"We can't give up now, Fox," Slippy
chimed in. "They have to be here in this rubble."
"I agree with you Slippy," Peppy said.
"But the problem lies within that rubble. Where?"
Fox looked exhausted, but he knew
he had to keep looking even though finding the duo alive was fading as
fast as the setting sun. The first few hours were always the most
crucial. "Fox," Fara called.
"Yes?" Fox answered.
"Want me to bring the team some food
and drinks?" Fara asked. "I think really needs it."
"Yes," agreed Fox. "I think
we all need to take a small break."
Fox walked over to Slippy and Peppy
who were working side by side. Fox smiled at this. Those two
were always at each other's throats over the maintenance of the Arwings
and the Great Fox. Fox tapped them both on the shoulder and told
them about grabbing a bite to eat. They reluctantly agreed.
They were turning away from the pile of rocks and papers, when Slippy found
a glittery piece of metal. He picked it up and gasped. "Fox!"
Slippy exclaimed.
Fox turned around. "What you
have there, Slip?" Fox asked.
"Isn't this one of Charon's knives
that he carries around?" Slippy asked.
Upon further examination, it was indeed
one of Charon's knives. On the blade, was the insignia of the Thundernights,
one of the very few things Charon had of his old home planet and on blade,
the StarFox insignia. "Where did you find this Slip?" Fox asked,
expectantly.
"Right where I am standing," Slippy
said.
Too far away from any pile of
rocks, thought Fox. "Ok," Fox finally said. "We will continue
our search here.
The others nodded their heads
with a renewed determination. We will find you, I promise, thought
Fox.
The StarFox team walked to the
makeshift command center where hundreds of volunteers showed up, willing
to do their best and offer their own viable skills to the recovery effort.
The sheer number was staggering. "Funny how they show up after the
fact and not helping when the true danger is happening," remarked Slippy.
"Can it Fal… I mean Slippy,"
Fox said, catching him in mid-sentence. That was something that Falco
might have said.
"I think there is a line for
food over here," Fara said. "I will try to hold us a place."
"Thanks," Fox said.
The group walked over to the command
post to see if any news or happenings at the CDL, Cornerian Defense Leagues*,
had come in while they were working to find their friends. A plain
clothes officer handed Fox a couple of messages from Pepper. The
first was an angry sounding letter telling the StarFox team to go back
to Papetoon to await further orders. The second was just the exact
opposite of the first. The letter told Fox to be careful and to find
Falco and Charon.
Well, at least the second letter
made up for the first, thought Fox. Fox turned around to find Fara
running up to him carrying not food, but what appeared to be a hat.
"Look what I found," said Fara, breathlessly.
"Where did you find this hat?" questioned
Fox, examining the hat.
"One of the cooks had it on,"
said Fara, still catching her breathe. "He said he found it blowing
in the streets after the building came down. Luckily, Charon marks
his clothes with the StarFox insignia. See."
Sure enough the insignia was
inside the lapel of the hat, with the Thunderknights logo. "Ok, we
are finding the clothes of our friends, but why can't we locate the actual
person?" asked an exasperated Fox.
***
Few blocks from The Tydrier
Present time
"You think it's safe to come out now?"
Falco asked.
"I don't know, let me look," Charon
said, peering through the smoke covered window. "I guess, the rumbling
has stopped and the dust seems to be settling."
Charon and Falco were lucky they spotted
the open door of a building near The Tydrier. Falco grabbed Charon's
collar, making the cheetah lose his hat and knife in the same instant.
Charon was about to cuff his avian friend across the head for the rough
maneuver when he saw where Falco was dragging him.
Once inside, they watched as scores
of creatures ran by being pummeled by falling debris. They managed
to pull some inside the building, but not all were so lucky. The
rumbling and debris from the falling monument seemed to last forever, but
in reality, it was only fifteen minutes. The small group waited inside
another fifteen minutes before venturing out just now. Charon stepped
outside to survey the damage. He could only just stare in disbelief.
"Falco, it's safe, but I want these people out of here now," Charon commanded.
"There is nothing here that anyone needs to see."
Falco and Charon led the small group
of seven, a small coyote pup, an ostrich couple, a female fox that was
in law enforcement, an elderly dog, and the two StarFox members, Faintly,
Charon saw the clearing where the people of Corneria City had set for a
command center and MASH unit. He instructed the fox to lead the group
there while he and Falco went to look for others that might be still trapped
in the rubble. They started in on the southwest corner of The Tydrier,
not knowing that the other StarFox team members were on the exact opposite
of the smoking crater.
"I think we need something in
our stomachs before we continue on," commented Falco, looking down at his
own.
"Yes, Slippy," said Charon, smiling.
"Speaking of which," said Falco, grimacing
on the reference of the rotund frog. "I wonder where they are at."
"Good question," said Charon, looking
around.
Falco wiped off his comm. link on
his arm. "Fox, come in good buddy, I know you are out there, over,"
Falco spoke.
Nothing could be heard through the
comm. link. Falco again tried. "Fox, Peppy, hell, I even consider
Slip, someone answer."
"Could be the dust is interfering
with the signal," suggested Charon. "Here, I will try."
"Hey Fox; I have this cute, loveable
vixen here that says she is your wife. You better calm her down before
Fara hears about this," Charon spoke in the comm. link.
Falco snickered, "Now, if Fara was
near, she would be exploding by now."
"That is the whole point," Charon
said, smiling ear to ear. "I know she can't pass up on an opportunity
like that."
Again, all the two heard was static.
"Bah, come on then," Charon motioned to Falco. "Time to keep your
stomach happy."
* Permission granted by Owen O'Donnell