Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in Starfox 64 or Starfox Adventures. If I did, I'd be stinking rich and I wouldn't write this. A big sorry to Zoe2000 for kinda stealing her idea about an Arctic Fox. I really had no idea she had one in her stories, too. I only noticed after I was halfway through my story. The same to Foxmerc on the Alben/Aldon thing. Jeez, great minds think alike, eh?

Intro: Okay, setting. One year after the Dinosaur Planet incident. On Corneria, I guess. This is based on the N64/Gamecube setting, which means: Fox and his team are broke, Fox never met Fara, General Pepper is not obsessed with suckers (haha), Krystal went off for her own adventures/answers, and Falco is still in the middle of nowhere after saving Fox's behind. I never finished the game; heck, I don't even have the game; so don't hound my butt for stuff like 'hey, Fox didn't do that' blah, blah, blah. Gimme a break wills ya? But I'd appreciate it if you would send me a formal e-mail about it, and then I would change or update my story about that.

Okay, now on with the darn story.



"Mnfff," Fox stifled a yawn as he sat down on the cold floor inside the hanger. Slippy, in his usual blue shirt and white army jacket, was tinkering with some gadgets on a large table beside the Great Fox. He obviously was also bored out of his mind. Peppy was nowhere to be found. He was probably instructing another class of pilot students. Fox smiled inwardly as he imagined how bored they were.

A cool breeze came through from the hanger door. The 'door' was sixty feet high with a heck of a lot of chains and pulleys attached onto it. The rusty hinges hinted that the door wasn't used much. It was a large hanger; with enough room to house about a hundred of the Cornerian fleet and still have room to spare. Fox sat on the corner opposite the hanger door, and from there, he could clearly see the Great Fox to his left and his Arwing on the right, with Slippy in the middle. The last mission scraped off enough money to pay for the debt on the Arwing and the Great Fox, but the team still needed cash to earn a decent living, so they agreed to all get part-time jobs to get money for food and supplies. Not to mention a new big screen TV installed in the lounge of the Great Fox.

Peppy, with his extensive knowledge on piloting, took up a job at the Cornerian Academy. Slippy, with his extensive knowledge of gadgets and how the work, got a job at the local electronics shop. Fox, with his ace piloting skills, got a job as stunt pilot for movies and carnivals. Fox didn't have to get out much, since his skills were only oddly needed, but one day a month still paid for more than his share of the cash flow.

It was a beautiful day outside, with the habitants of the city rushing home from their jobs. Hovercars sped by over the green grass, and in this part of the planet, no roads were ever needed, considering the small population. In the distance, Fox could see green hills and the blue sky with the smallest trace of clouds, accompanied with the odd bird flying home. The city, although Fox did not have a view of it, was off in the distance. City, Fox thought, Some city whose biggest building is the convenience store.

Fox's thoughts drifted off back to the old days, when he was constantly saving Slippy's behind from Andross's fleet. He missed the action. He missed the excitement when an entire solar system was at your fingertips. He also missed his friends. Falco, although he still kept in touch with Fox, was greatly missed by the team. Fox felt that his day wasn't complete is Falco wasn't there to make a dumb joke about Slippy's hat or about how Peppy's gray hair was showing up more frequently. Fox was twenty-seven, and he missed having another guy the same age around. Sure, Slippy was twenty- seven, but he wasn't as fun. Peppy the fifty-some-year old hare was fun to have around, but Peppy's age prevented him to have any actual fun with Fox, like hang out at the bar.

"Fox?"

"Eh?" Fox snapped back to life.

"I fixed your G-Diffuser system," Slippy waved his large metal wrench around. It was as big as one of his legs, which was saying something.

"Thanks," Fox said half-heartedly.

"Geez," Slippy mumbled as he turned back to his work, "It's like no one cares about me anymore."

"It's not that," Fox said as he got up and straightened his trademark vest and bandana, "It's just that it wasn't broken."

Slippy's green face turned red like a traffic light.

"Let's go down to the city. It's deadpan boring here," Fox said.

"Sure."

**

"Hey, check it out! It's Fox McCloud!" A young squirrel pointed excitedly at Fox and pulling on his friend's red bandana (which, if fact, looked just like Fox's).

Again, the boring confinements of the hanger have forced the StarFox team to wander the cement streets of Hansonville, looking for fun. Most of the buildings around the place were small apartments or houses, but there was the occasional arcade or restaurant.

"Oh, oh! Fox, can I have your autograph?" The squirrel's friend, a mouse, shoved him aside and was pointing a pen at Fox.

"Some idea, Fox," Slippy muttered as a female sparrow asked Fox if he had time on Sunday to go to the opera with her.

"I dunno, I kinda like the attention," Fox muttered back as he signed a badger's shirt with a novelty nib pen. Slippy snorted and started walking away.

"Well, I don't have any idea how we can get some quiet time in this-Oof!" Slippy the toad slammed right into an old rabbit.

"Why don't ya watch where you're going you clumsy. Oh, Slippy," Peppy looked like he was in a hurry, considering he had a big bundle of books he didn't even have bothered to put in his bag. His army jacket was thrown on backwards, and his orange shirt poking untidily beneath his white jacket had something that looked like a carrot juice stain on it.

"Oh! Sorry Peppy, didn't see ya there," Slippy said as he helped Peppy up.

"I was looking for you two," Peppy grunted as he got up from the cement walkway, " General Pepper wanted you on another assignment."

"We haven't had one of those in a while," Fox said as he took Peppy's bag and books for him, "What's it about this time?"

"Oh, you won't like this, Junior," Peppy grinned mock-evilly, "Exploration."

"Say again?"

"Exploration," Peppy said, raising his voice a little, "General Pepper wants the exploration and colonization of a close-by solar system, about, what. Three hundred light years away. Most of the planets seem habitable, but they haven't even got a name for it. They want us to go out there and name the whole place."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Fox said sarcastically, "We'll just get a warm welcome from whatever 'un-hostile' creatures that live there."

"Told you ya wouldn't like it."

"I've already got a name for a planet!" Slippy squeaked excitedly and waving his arms around dramatically, "'Slippy World'."

Fox and Peppy cracked up as they headed back to the hanger.

"Hey, I was serious!" Slippy angrily picked up a small rock and hurled it at Fox. He missed by three yards and hit the badger.

**

A large whoosh and the powering-up of an engine were audible as the Great Fox started speeding down the runway and taking flight.

"Fox! Watch your gravity gauge!" Peppy yelled as his head was scrunched into his seat.

"Sorry, Pep. You know I haven't flown this in a long while."

"Then let me take over!" Peppy uttered a curse as his large foot was suddenly thrown forward into the computer panel in Fox's braking.

"Keep your dentures on, old bunny, were entering space now," Fox unbuckled his safety belt and let Rob the Robot, who was thrown around during the whole ordeal, take over.

"Good flying, Fox," Rob said.

"When did you get sarcasm?" Fox asked as he exited the cockpit and went to the lounge.

The lounge, or den, was merely a carpeted place on the Great Fox were the team could relax and get some fun time. Fox didn't put much thought into it. He just scrunched two small couches on the corners of the side with the door and a small TV opposite the door. Fox also managed to buy a large coffee table to stick in the center of the room and put a small juice desk for Slippy under the window.

"Oh, my bones," Peppy muttered as he followed Fox, "Your father would've had a good laugh from this, Junior."

"Yeah, but he'd be laughing at us, not with us," Slippy groaned as he sat down on a couch, his jumpsuit's electrical components (ones he installed himself) were going haywire, trying to zip and unzip the thing at the same time.

"Slip, you did nail the furniture down, right?" Fox said as he stretched out on the second couch.

"Yeah, but what's the point? The ship's got a gravity simulation anyway."

"Fox's flying is the point, Slip," Peppy muttered.

"We are entering hyperdrive. Please do not have any liquids out during the start and end of the hyperdrive," Rob's robotic voice came over the intercom.

A zipping sound vibrated the floor of the Great Fox as the ship went speeding a light year a minute.

"Hey! I just got a theory! If we were traveling faster than light, and if we shone a light from the Great Fox, the light would theoretically move faster than ordinary light," Slippy declared.

"Nerd," Peppy and Fox said together.

**

Beep. Beep.

"Ah, shut up," Fox slammed his fist on his alarm clock and pulled off his sheets. Staring groggily at the circular window of his cabin, Fox saw stars speeding past them and the occasional nebula flying past. Fox pushed a button on the wall and a door slid open reveling Fox's closet. Fox took out a coat hanger, slid on his green jumpsuit and pulled his paws into the holes in his white vest. He mumbled sleepily as he pulled on his white gloves and helmet.

White. Everything on the Great Fox was either white or dark metallic. Heck, Peppy pours enough cream in his coffee to make it look white. Shelves of books in glass cases. White. The walls in the cabins and rooms. White. Fox's bed covers and his office table. White. With the bright white lights that illuminated Fox's cabin, it was enough to blind him in the morning. Or was it night? A fox could never tell when it was in space, and hyperdrive distorts time on the Great Fox, so Fox usually had to go up to the cockpit (obviously dark metallic) and report to General Pepper to ask for the time. But today he didn't feel like it. He felt like wandering the hallways. Fox opened his door and peeked out.

The hallway was just a white-painted, narrow place with lights of the sides of the floor to illuminate the place. Nothing much to be in, but still, it was fun (kinda) to stroll up and down the long place and think about things. There were stairs leading up to Fox's left to the cockpit, and there were stairs to the left leading to the engine room and the docking bay.

Suddenly, something in the back of Fox's head told him that something was wrong. Fox spun around. Everything sounded normal. Slippy's snoring was enough to tell him that the personnel were okay. Everything looked normal. Yeah, white. Just as he remembered from last day. Everything felt normal. They weren't being attacked and the siren's weren't going off, so what was wrong?

Fox walked out of his cabin and into the corridor. He walked down the corridor to the cockpit, but the short stairway and the door beyond it didn't seem to get any closer.

'Fox.' A familiar voice echoed through his head, although he couldn't remember who it was. 'Fox.'

"What do you want?" Fox said aloud. His voice didn't sound right. It was weak, not like his usual way of talking. Then his vision quickly blurred and he passed out.

**

'Fox. Fox.'

"Fox!"

"Gaah!" Fox bolted upright. Peppy and Slippy's faces swam into view. He seemed to be in his cabin again.

"Take it easy!" Peppy pushed Fox back onto his bed. Fox didn't resist, but he puffed out air at Peppy. Everything was okay again; Fox couldn't feel the strange presence anymore.

"What happened?" Fox asked. His voice was back to normal again, too.

"I heard you talking to yourself, and when I came out to check, I saw you lying on the floor, unconscious," Slippy said.

"What's wrong, Fox?" Peppy asked.

"Oh, nothing," Fox lied, "I must've bonked my head on something. It didn't seem to leave a mark though." Fox felt his head. There was a small bump, and someone had tossed his helmet carelessly on the ground.

"Well, it must've been some bonk," Peppy said, "You've been asleep for a whole day."

"Oh, we've arrived?"

"Yeah, take a look outside, it's beautiful," Slippy squeaked excitedly.

Fox took a look out of his window from his bed. Indeed, it was breathtaking. He saw a small planet, with water and land. It looked a lot like Corneria, but with a godly air about it. It was oddly bright.

"The system is composed of two stars. I did some analysis, and this planet is the only planet that gets no night. It's perfectly habitable, and it would make a wonderful vacation spot," Slippy said proudly, "First planet we want to explore out of the four. Looks cool, don't it? No signs of life, though. Warm climate, perfect for a winter holiday. Grab your swimming trunks, Fox, we're going down."

**

It was a cheerful little place. Everything you'd expect on a tropical island, except trees. The plain dirt and sand made the place rather eerie. There was a small, inactive volcano close to where Fox and his team landed the Great Fox.

"Ahh, this is the life," Fox stretched out on the beach with his shades, watching as Peppy swam slowly through the ocean. The ocean didn't have any salt in it and it had small and leisure waves running across the surface. The water was blue and sparkling and Fox could see one sun in the middle of the sky and the other disappearing over the horizon. Slippy was exercising his creative abilities and built a sand base similar to the one the Bill Grey led.

"You know what, Peppy? We should claim the island for ourselves and charge any tourists coming here. We'd be rich," Fox said happily.

"Lucky my idea to wash ourselves, or else there might be a sudden giant-flea outbreak. Introducing a new species in an area is a dangerous thing to do, especially parasites attacking us critters," Slippy said.

"What are you talking about, Slip? There aren't any animals here!" Peppy laughed as he swam back to shore.

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that," Fox pointed to a small bug on the sand.

"Fox! I told you to use the soap!"

"Well, you know me. I hate bathes."

"Guys, stop arguing and look at the flea," Peppy pointed to the bug and Fox and Slippy stared.

The flea was getting bigger and it was growing a tail and scales. It swelled to the size of an old telephone and Fox and his crew got a better look at it.

"What happened to it?" Fox asked.

"Erm. It looks like it evolved. It looks like an early form of a lizard," Slippy said as it quickly shed its scales, "Hey, it's a early form of a frog!"

"Ha, ha! Meet your cousin, Slip."

"Stop horsing around! It's growing again!" Peppy said.

Now the creature was as half as big as Fox and it was sprouting brown fur.

"Er, it looks like our friend Bill when he rolled in mud last year when you shot him down during that stimulation," Peppy said. Fox chuckled.

"Don't be ridiculous, it looks just like Fox!" Slippy said. Fox stared. Slippy was right. The thing stood upright and Fox got a good look at his face. Fox covered his snout with his paw to stop screaming. It looked identical to him.

"Hello," Fox's clone said.

"Er, hi," Fox replied, slowly reaching for his pulse laser gun at his belt. His clone grinned evilly.

"I feel like eating something. How about rabbit stew?" Fox's clone bared his fangs.

"Ahh, I don't taste good," Peppy stuttered. Fox's clone reached toward Peppy with its claws and fangs exposed, hissing madly. Fox kick his clone away from Peppy and raised his gun at him.

"Heh, don't try your tricks on me, Fox," the clone laughed, "I already know all of them." With that, he gave a mighty kick and sent Fox's gun flying into the water and leaped up at him. The two rolled into the water and the fight ensued from there. Peppy and Slippy were helpless, as they couldn't tell which Fox was which, as Fox's bandana, vest, shirt, and pants were torn from him by a quick and sharp-clawed foe mauling at him quickly.

"Gah!" One of the Foxes gave an almighty kick and sent the other sprawling to the ground, "Phew, some fight. It used all of my usual tricks. Feels weird, fighting myself." Fox splashed out of the water and waddled toward Peppy and Slippy. Suddenly, Peppy gave him a punch to the head that would've cracked the Great Fox's shields.

"Ow! What the heck are you doing? Look, it's me! See, bump and bruise," Fox pointed to his head. He then pointed to the other Fox, who was moaning on the sand, "See, he doesn't have one."

"Oh, sorry, Fox," Peppy pulled Fox upright as Slippy howled with laughter, "I've gotten my fair share of traitors and fakes enough to make sure."

"Right," Fox hissed out as he felt his jaw, "We should put him in a cage and test him to see what went wrong." Fox jerked his head toward the other Fox.

**

"Hmm, his DNA matches yours, Fox, but he has a large amount of radiation in him," Slippy tapped the glass to Fox-Clone's cage, "He must've caught it in the planet. He appears to have every memory that you have."

Everyone reported to the lab when they had put Fox-Clone, as he was named, into a glass tube lined with wire, to shock him if he breaks the glass. Fox put on a fresh outfit and joined them there.

"Slip?" Peppy asked from a corner in the lab, "Did you check the planet's atmosphere before we went down?"

Slippy turned red, "No."

"Well, check it!" Peppy commanded. Slippy turned redder and typed in a few keys on the computer.

"Hey, Pep, check it out!" Slippy squeaked as he pointed, jumping up and down, to the monitor, "Radiation! You were right. It must've been some sort of reaction to the flea. It had your blood in it, and the radiation transformed it into a copy image of you! Well, only very hungrier."

Fox-Clone hissed, banging his fists against the cage.

"Wow! So whatever animal that has the DNA of another will evolve into that animal?" Fox tapped Fox-Cloned tube and he hissed again.

"Well, yeah, but if it had the DNA of a lower animal, it would turn into some kind of monster. Well, now we know how Andross created his bio- weapons: Ultra-violet light created from the planet's core or created by quickening the light waves by doing something to it with a prism. A lot of it, too. Remember that volcano?" Slippy turned to Fox.

"Yeah, but it was inactive."

"It was active, it just was spewing quick photons that can be reflected by the atmosphere of the planet."

"Cool. So what do we name the place?" Fox asked.

"Photonia?"

"It has a nice ring to it," Peppy said.

"Okay, but what do we do to clonie here?" Slippy jerked his hand to Fox-Clone's cage. Fox-Clone bared his fangs.

"Evaporate him, of course," Fox said.

"Sounds fair. No pain, no blood," Peppy felt a chill down his spine, remembering what happened to James McCloud. James was tortured for three weeks before he stopped breathing.

"'Kay," Fox turned to his clone, "It was nice knowing me." Slippy flipped a switch and a microsecond later Fox-Clone was gone.

"Hmm," Peppy looked at the empty cage in wonder, "You look strange without pants, Fox."

**

When Fox woke up the next day, he found Slippy and Peppy already at the table in the kitchen. Fox grabbed the remaining seat and yawned, showing them his fangs. They both shuddered and laughed.

The kitchen was like the rest of the Great Fox. It had two doors: one to the hall, and the other to the den. It was made of white plaster walls of some kind. It had a boring, round table, a raised sink; some cabinets and cupboards stuck to the ceiling, lighting on the ceiling, and a large freezer/refrigerator. There were lots of canned tuna, flies, and carrots in all the cupboards.

"I already did some analysis on the next planet," Slippy said through a mouthful of cereal, "Water. All salt water. There's no land in sight. It looks like the Blue Marine may come in handy again." Slippy smiled proudly.

"Did you check for radiation?" Fox asked. Peppy snorted into his bread and butter and Slippy turned red again.

"Yes, I did," Slippy muttered, undignified.

"Okay, deploy the Blue Marine."

**

Slippy was right; the whole planet was water, not unlike Aquas. It was shallow, no more than thirty feet down with lots of rocks and dirt, and there were some exotic fish and plants, mainly seaweed but there were some that actually caught the fish with extending stems, that Fox had never seen before.

"Mmm, that looks good. Gee, I should've ate more for breakfast, I'm starved," Fox licked his lips. Peppy came over the transmitter screen.

"Don't you pull a clone and eat me!" Peppy chuckled.

"Oh, I don't know, Peppy old boy. You're all skin and bones these days. Not much to eat," Fox chuckled as well.

"Hey, I'm picking up something on the radar, Fox," Slippy said through the transmitter, "About six feet long, and heading right for you at twelve o'clock."

"Don't be ridiculous, Slip. I don't see a thing," Fox peered through the glass water shield. Indeed, there was nothing, but that was strange. Even the fish were gone. Fox twitched his ears, but heard nothing. His radar showed nothing. Fox shrugged, yawned, and leaned back on the seat.

"Hey, it disappeared!" Slippy panicked.

"Must've just been a magnetic field," Fox yawned again. Suddenly, the Blue Marine quivered, as if something small just struck it. Fox sat bolt upright. There was still nothing on the radar, but the quivering continued. Fox gasped as the glass cracked on the Blue Marine's window. Fox looked out. There was still nothing.

"Something is going on, guys," Fox said, but the screen went static. Fox panicked. The thing hit the Blue Marine again, but with a stronger force. The whole sub shook like an earthquake. The window cracked and started leaking a little stream of water. Fox gasped and hit the gas pedal. The Blue Marine shook again, but it didn't move forward. Fox was just about to hit the ejection button when the face of the creature came into view.

It was the most hideous thing Fox ever laid eyes on. It had the distorted skull of a fish, but longer and sharper, with spikes protruding from its forehead and chin. It had the whiskers of a catfish and the jaws of a pike. One of its eyes was missing and it had numerous scars showing Fox its skull bone. The body was merely tentacles with suction pads, like a squid, but longer and more sinuous. The thing wrapped itself onto the Blue Marine, and it was scrunching it into a ball.

Eject! Eject! Fox's mind screamed. He slammed his fist on the button, but all he felt and heard was a dull thunk and more shaking. Glass was popping and cracking and more leaks appeared. There was only one way to get out now. Endgame death-match!

Fox took his ray gun and shot at the thing's head. The glass shattered and the fish-squid started bleeding a green goo. It miraculously backed off and Fox struggled to get out through the window of the Blue Marine. He took one last breath and jumped out. Fox swam for his life, but he was down pretty deep, and one breath wasn't going to last him forever.

All he could think about was to keep swimming, but he could feel himself go dizzy and numb. He was so close, yet so far. His mind popped and he let go of his breath. He felt his lungs fill with water as he swam on. Suddenly, the creature reached out to him with the tentacles and pulled him deeper. Fox would've screamed, but he had no more air left. In a last ditch attempt at revenge as he knew he was as good as dead, Fox pulled out his gun and shot at the thing. Instead of a ray of heat, steam came out of his gun and Fox felt himself get zapped by the battery of the gun. Fox immediately dropped the gun and looked at his results. The creature flailed in pain and swung its tentacles around. The tentacle around Fox's leg whipped itself around and flung Fox toward the surface of the water and right into a raft. The last thing he saw before he saw darkness was an old rabbit punching his chest.

**

'Fox.'

"What?" Bright lights illuminated the room Fox was in. Fox couldn't move, nor speak properly.

'Fox. You're not dead. Yet.'

"Who are you?" That voice sounded so familiar, but Fox couldn't see where the voice was coming from.

'Why Fox! Don't you recognize me?'

"Father?"

'Fox, the secrets will be revealed to you. Soon. Don't give in.'

"Don't go!" Fox suddenly could use his limbs again, and he started running blindly.

All of a sudden, the white room turned black, and the evil face on Andross appeared before Fox. It laughed maniacally. Fox felt a surge of anger and struck out with his fist. Contact! Andross reeled, and he seemed scared. He suddenly seemed to grow long front teeth, and gray ears sprouted from the top of his head.

**

"Darn it, Fox!" Peppy shouted. Fox's eyes snapped open. He was in his room, just like the last time he passed out. His mouth had a taste of salt in it, and his right hand felt burnt. Memories of the incident floated back to his brain.

"How long. Sleep?" Fox wheezed.

"Six hours," Slippy said, "What happened? Where's the Blue Marine?"

"Big thing... Squeeze. Water came in," Fox coughed weakly, "Blue Marine. Destroyed."

Slippy let out a sob. The Blue Marine, after all, was his creation. Peppy patted Fox's shoulder.

"Sleep for a while, Fox, then we'll talk about it."

**

Fox woke up about four hours later, with the salt taste still in his mouth. He gave himself a shake and waddled toward the washroom. His salt- soaked clothes lay in a heap beside his bed, but he didn't really care for now.

Fox thought a hot shower would do him some good, so he started up the water. He sighed as he made a vow never to eat squid again. The salt didn't seem to want to get out of his fur, and his right paw felt numb. Fox didn't dare look at it yet.

There was a large mirror stationed on the wall in the bathroom, and the fox looking back at him after the shower didn't look like Fox at all. There were dark circles under its eyes and the fur was all tangled. Fox gave himself a shake and took a look at his paw. The shock from his gun had fried it extra crispy. Burnt pieces of fur were visible above bright red, blistered hide. Fox groaned and got scissors to cut off the burnt parts. After fifteen minutes of grooming, Fox managed to get something out of the mirror that remotely resembled him.

Fox walked slowly to his cabin and put on fresh clothes and dumped his salty ones in the laundry chute and went to get something to eat. Slippy and Peppy were already at the table, munching on breakfast. They looked up at Fox and greeted him as usual. After Fox flopped down on his chair and started eating canned tuna they bombarded him with questions. Fox related to them the whole story, except his dream. Slippy still looked depressed about the Blue Marine.

"How could you even think about that piece of junk when Fox nearly drowned?" Peppy swung his arms around in frustration.

"It was like a brother to me," Slippy squeaked unhappily. Fox chuckled.

"Did you analyze the third planet yet? Or are you still naming the second one?" Fox inquired.

"We named it Aqueo, kinda like Aqua. The third planet is like a jungle. I found a complex civilization on it. No oceans," Slippy added, "Just rivers and lakes. I don't think there are nightmarishly freaky octopuses in lakes." Peppy laughed so hard he choked on his carrot.

**

Fox decided to just drag Slippy along for safety, since frog legs were a bit more desirable to monsters than fox meat. Lush vegetation surrounded the planet, just as Slippy had said. All of the plants were species Fox had never seen before. Slippy got a nasty surprise when one of the trees started poking its branches at him.

They had landed a few miles from the city, hoping not to spark mass panic. Peppy stayed aboard while Slippy and Fox ventured off. There was no trail in the woods, so Fox and Slippy had to fight their way across the undergrowth.

"Slimy," Slippy commented as he slid on some algae growing from a boulder that they climbed over, "Are we there yet?"

"Almost," Fox muttered as he snapped a thick vine. Slippy stopped dead in surprise. No wonder he did that.

Before them, there was a massive grassy clearing housing a great stone city, where the only structures were domes. There was no wall to protect the city, and Fox could see wind farms on a distant hill. Hydraulic doors and pneumatic window signaled an advanced culture, but there was no one to be found.

"Wow, look at that!" Slippy nearly fell backwards while looking at the biggest dome, "Cornerian buildings look like pebbles compared to this place."

"Feels kinda eerie," Fox whispered. Slippy nodded as they approached the domes. Out of nowhere, laser beams shot out at Slippy and Fox and struck Fox's helmet. Luckily, it bounced off and hit a tree. Fox was knocked dizzy.

"I guess they don't like uninvited g-guests," Slippy stuttered. A second laser shot at Fox and he swiftly dodged it.

This time, Fox saw the cannon on the large dome and pulled out his new ray gun and aimed. With years of training, Fox easily hit the cannon, blew it up in a fiery ball, and sent the creature that manned it sprawling. The creature, covered with either orange clothing or orange fur, toppled forwards and rolled down the dome. With a swift action, it recovered its balance in mid-roll and jumped off, landing with a clumsy thud on the grass.

After a few minutes, it groaned and got up. Fox and Slippy watched in amusement as it kept on slipping on the grass and falling again.

Fox leveled his gun at the animal, hoping it wasn't hostile on foot. The critter finally got up and started charging at Fox. Before he could pull the trigger, the animal tackled Fox over and started punching him in the face. Fox's academy experience instinctively told him to kick the thing. With a swift footpaw to the stomach, the animal went flying again. This time, it lay on its back on the ground, breathing heavily, and waved its paw in defeat.

It was winded, and it didn't seem to want to have another sparring match. As it bent to get up, Fox saw its face. It was a fox, wearing an orange shirt and orange pants way too baggy for him.

"Cousin of yours?" Slippy asked.

"For all I know, I don't have a cousin and there aren't that many foxes on Corneria."

The fox groaned and sat up. When it saw Fox, he smiled, his angry features disappearing in a flash. It started to talk plain English.

"Hello, I didn't recognize you with your clothes and that toad for a companion," the fox said as he grunted to get up. He extended a paw to shake, "Sorry about the laser there, I don't think we've met."

"Obviously not," Fox said, "I'm not from here."

With those words, the other fox gasped and ran off. Slippy and Fox barely had time to exchange confused looks when the fox returned with a dozen more foxes dressed in the same baggy attire.

"Who be you?" one of them asked.

"My name is Fox McCloud of the Starfox Team," Fox said. The gang gasped.

"You're not one of us?" They asked.

"No. So what?" Slippy interrupted.

"Quiet, slimy worm!" The leader snapped. Slippy gave him glare.

"What is this place?" Fox asked.

"We don't know. We just came here," they replied. Fox raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Yes. We are from a distant planet, whose secrets must not be revealed to outsiders. We have settled here for our safety, for we are outlaws framed for crimes we have not committed."

"We are also from a distant planet," Fox gestured to Slippy and himself, "But we are not outlaws. We have come here for the sake of knowledge and exploration."

"Then come with us," the leader said, "It looks like it is about to rain." As soon as he said those words, Fox felt a raindrop on his snout. He dragged Slippy, who still was obviously confused, off with the others.

They led Fox and Slippy into the largest dome, where the inside was decorated with paintings and weapons. There weren't any rooms, just a big open space with lots of shelves filled with books here and there. In the center of the dome, there was a large table, and many foxes were seated there.

"Tell us your story," a vixen at the table said. So Fox and Slippy began to relate their stories from the time General Pepper sent them on a mission. The foxes listened attentively and did not interrupt. A fox at the side was squatting in a corner and scratching down notes into a large, leather-bound book. His tongue was in between his teeth and his tail kept swishing lazily around. All the foxes seemed to be dressed in the same manner: Plain orange shirt and pants with a black belt around the middle. Occasionally, Fox and Slippy saw a young vixen decorated with a necklace or tiara. They applauded warmly when Fox finished the story.

"So, Fox McCloud, do you come in search of knowledge," a fox said, more of a question than a statement. Fox thought about that for a moment, then he remembered his dream.

"Yes. I come in search of answers," Fox said. Slippy gave him a strange look.

"Then help yourself to our library," the vixen gestured at the shelves of books. Just then, Fox noticed something. All those years that Fox had never met another fox, he had always thought they all had a stripe down their head like him, but all these foxes had a plain forehead, but the color of their paws and body matched Fox.

"Report to Peppy," Fox told Slippy, "I'll go reading." Slippy gave him the strange look again, but didn't complain.

Fox walked slowly down the aisles. Every book was labeled clearly with the title of the book, the author, and the date that it was printed in. Most of the books were about planets, and the majority of those planets Fox never even heard of. He kept walking until a large black book caught his eye. 'The Striped Fox'. Fox stared at it. The book was dated to three hundred years ago. Fox blinked and took the book down and flipped to a random page.

'The Striped Fox is the most peculiar and endangered species of the fox family. Although loyal, strong, and brave, they are stubborn and easy to temper. Clever as they come, the Striped Fox is the key element to the protection of the galaxy. They can pilot sophisticated aircraft and plunge bravely into battle. The Battle of the Centaur was thought to have extinct the Striped Fox race, although some adventurers rumor that there may have been other Striped Foxes scattered across the galaxy, we may never be sure.'

Fox felt his mouth dry up. Was he the last of his species? Damn, this was getting really cheesy. 'But Father,' he thought, 'what has this to do with anything? So what I'm the last of my kind? Species go extinct everyday, but more appear.'

Fox closed the book slowly and put it back. Mindlessly, he wandered off again, still thinking. He got so immersed in his thoughts that he didn't notice where he was walking, and tripped over his own feet. He bumped his snout on the shelf and a single book came tumbling down. 'Cerinia'.

Fox stared at the cover. That name sounded familiar. It rang a bell about someone Fox knew but couldn't pinpoint. Fox shifted over and sat down. He opened the book, curious, and found that the entire book was written in some strange rune form. As he flipped through the pages carelessly, a small, bright green jewel on a fine chain fell out of the book. Fox looked at it, confused. Fox thought he had seen that somewhere, and decided to pocket it.

"Hey, Fox!" Slippy said in Fox's ear. Fox jumped out of his skin.

"Oh, Slippy. Let's go back now." Slippy noticed Fox's eyes were out of focus, as if he was daydreaming.

**

"Fox, are you all right?" Peppy asked the following morning.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that I have never seen another of my species before," Fox lied. He could feel the chain on his chest, and decided not to tell Slippy or Peppy about it.

"I guess you're right. There aren't that many foxes on Corneria," Peppy said through a mouthful of cabbage. Fox nodded half-heartedly as he leaned against the sink counter and listened to the whir of the can opener.

"What'd you find in those books, Fox?" Slippy asked. Fox's elbow slipped off the counter. A beep sounded as the can opener ejected the can. Fox caught it neatly before it hit the counter.

"Oh nothing much," Fox was beginning to feel guilty, but something inside his head told him not to give the jewel to Slippy to examine. He chewed slowly on his salmon, thinking about the book on his kind. He decided to ask a question, "Pep? How many foxes do you know, including my parents that have a strip on their forehead? You know, the oblong triangular shape?"

"Hmm," Peppy put his chin on his fist to think, "Just your father and mother, but no one else. Why do you ask, Junior?"

"Oh, nothing," Fox's mouth dried up again and he couldn't swallow his salmon, "Slip? What about the last planet?"

"Same as the others, just that it's a dry and arid desert with sharp rock and mountains. Not much water," Slippy drank his juice, thinking, "Nothing else, but you'll have to search the surface alone, Fox." Fox choked.

"Why just me?" Fox spat out his salmon and wiped his mouth with his glove.

"I can't stand dryness and Peppy is too old to trudge through the desert," Slippy explained.

"Just my luck," Fox muttered, "I hope you know who to blame if I die down there."

"Heh, heh. We sure do, Fox," Peppy laughed, "You should fly your Arwing down; there isn't much room for the Great Fox down there."

**

"Status, computer," Fox said.

"Status: OK," the screen read. Fox sighed. He leaned back leisurely and closed his eyes. He imagined he was still on Dinosaur Planet, still with his friends. Tricky, the Warp Stone, Queen Earthwalker. Bang! Fox's eyes snapped open. An asteroid had just struck itself on Fox's Arwing.

"Status, computer," Fox commanded. The screen was blank. All of a sudden, Fox's engine went out and the Arwing shot straight into the atmosphere of the planet.

Panicking, Fox hit the eject button, but the electrical switch didn't respond. All the electricity in the Arwing had gone out. Fox slammed his fist on the parachute button, but that didn't work either. That didn't seem right, since the parachute for the Arwing didn't use electricity. Fox slapped his head. The asteroid must've damaged the chute container. There was one way to get it open: Fox had to go outside.

Fox slammed the cockpit window open and climbed out. The wind blew furiously at his face and Fox could scarcely breathe. Gathering his wits, Fox climbed carefully onto the top of the Arwing to the end of the ship. Fox saw that the asteroid had broken the latch of the container. Fox looked down. The red dirt was visible. Fox knew he only had a few more minutes. Fox strained with his claws to pry the container open, but he was too weak. Fox furiously banged his fist on the container, and it magically sprang open and the parachute fluttered out and opened.

The sudden jerk of the air sent Fox sliding downward with a force that could crush his ribs, and he think it did. Luckily, he grabbed the wing of the Arwing just in time. He swung down, dangling dangerously only with one paw a few miles from the ground. Fox felt his glove get punctured by the sharp wing and felt his skin bleed. Fox scrunched his eyes tight. He was almost to the ground. Then, he lost his grip and tumbled down. Fox saw himself hurtle toward a razor sharp rock that was protruding from the ground just before all went black.

**

"Ow." Fox sat up, amazed that he was still alive. His Arwing had landed a few feet away, but it wouldn't do him any good to try to start it up again, remembering the electrical failure. As he tried to use his arm to get up, Fox felt a sharp pain. He looked at his left arm. The rock gave him a large slash, and the blood was still dripping from his arm. Fox crawled helplessly toward the Arwing and pulled out the first aid kit from the cockpit. He poured some iodine on the wound (insert Fox's most painful and loudest howl here) and wrapped it with cloth bandage. His right paw was also cut from the Arwing, and Fox could still see his bloodstain on the left wing of the jet. His paw was filled with dirt. Fox sighed as he started to lick it. Lick, spit. Lick, spit. Fox now knew how bad it was when someone got stranded on a deserted island with an injury and no water to treat it with.

With a final lick and spit, Fox wrapped up his paw and took a look at his surroundings. The planet was mainly red desert. Sharp and tall rocks dotted the landscape. There wasn't a single sign of life anywhere. Fox snapped out his com-link and tried to contact Peppy, but only static came over the line. Fox groaned miserably. As he banged his head on the Arwing, the chain fell out of his shirt. Fox looked at it. Strangely, it was glowing now, and Fox didn't remember it doing that before.

Fox put the empty first aid kit on a tall rock to serve as a landmark and then he headed off to see if this planet had any intelligent life forms. Failure was an option that had the highest possibility.

With every step Fox took, the jewel seemed to get brighter, and Fox took that as a good sign. Fox made sure he could still see the kit as he walked on. Soon, he came across a large cave sloping downward somehow carved in a huge boulder.

Fox froze in horror as he recognized the ship that was stationed outside it. It was a Venomian Fleet Interceptor. Fox growled as he imagined Andross camped inside the cave. He drew his ray gun with his left paw and went in.

Outside, a shadowy figure raised a weapon and followed the unsuspecting Fox McCloud.

Fox found that torches burnt by the fuel from the ship lighted the wide cave. Fox leveled his gun when he came to the end of the tunnel, which was pretty long down. Empty food packets were littered around a big bundle of blankets.

"Say your prayers, Andross," Fox muttered as he shot the bundle again and again. No blood seemed to come out of the bundle, and Fox kicked the blankets aside, revealing more food packets. Fox spun around, alarmed, but was knocked out by a long stick of some kind.

**

When Fox woke up again, night had fallen and he found himself inside the cave, wrapped by the blanket he shot. The air was a lot cooler, and Fox could see dark clouds circling outside the cave opening.

He heard a crunching sound outside, so he quietly tiptoed out. A figure was sitting on a rock, apparently eating a food bar. Fox touched his gun on the creature's head. It froze.

"Who are you?" Fox demanded. The figure suddenly backhanded Fox from behind and tackled him down. Fox gurgled unhappily as his attacker choked him. His attacker suddenly let out a giggle. There was a strange glowing jewel on the attacker's chest.

"Up already, Fox?" The clouds cleared and showed the stars and Fox was able to see her face.

"Krystal?" Fox said, wide-eyed. Krystal nodded.

"Fox McCloud," Krystal grinned. She looked exactly like how Fox remembered her: blue fur, metallic bracelets, the tiara and loincloth, even her bushy tail looped with rings was the same. She let go of Fox and he sat up.

"How did you get here?" Fox asked.

"Oh, took a ship with a hyperdrive compatibility from a evil guy. How did you get here?" Krystal asked casually as she sat down beside him. It seemed to her that hijacking a plane was standard procedure.

"Crashed a few miles from here. Still looking for answers?" Fox wheezed as he felt his neck. She choked him pretty hard.

"Yes," Krystal suddenly looked grim, "Have you.? I mean. Seen a blue fox lately?"

"Aren't I looking at one right now?" Fox smiled a little. Krystal didn't smile back.

"No, I mean another one," She said, pointing at her green-jeweled necklace, which was still glowing, "This means that another of my kind is near." She sounded really hopeful; too bad. Fox sighed and took out his necklace from underneath his shirt. Krystal gasped.

"I found it inside a book," Fox said. Krystal's eyes seemed to shine more in the starlight. He knew how disappointed she must be, failing again. Fox spoke up again to try and cheer her up, "The book was about Cerinia. It was written in strange runes that I couldn't read. Maybe you could come with me and translate the book." Krystal smiled at Fox. She nodded slowly. Fox couldn't help but smiling as well.

"Well? Let's go!" Krystal leaped up and pulled gently on Fox vest.

"But my Arwing had an electrical failure. I can't fly it," Fox said as he got up and brushed off the dirt from his pants. Krystal had a mischievous smile on her face when Fox looked up again.

"Oh, that was me," her smile grew bigger, "I didn't know it was you." Fox clicked his tongue and pointed to his arm. Krystal's features grew softer as she gently pulled Fox along without saying a word.

**

"Peppy? Come in. This is Fox McCloud," Fox said, squirming under Krystal's weight. Krystal had gotten the upper paw in their argument and now she was sitting comfortably on Fox's lap as he sped along space to the Great Fox. The Arwing only had one seat and limited space. Fox felt claustrophobic, but Krystal seemed fine.

"Fox? Where have you been?" Peppy's voice came hurriedly and excitedly.

"Oh, I had some trouble," Fox sighed and Krystal grinned slightly, "Open the outer hatch, Pep, so we - um, I can come in."

"Roger that, Fox. Peppy out," with that, a flick of static ended the transmission. The hatch slid open a few seconds later and Fox zoomed through it, after shoving an annoyed Krystal out of his line of vision. After the Arwing stopped moving, the hatch closed and the sound of air hissing in was audible. Fox powered down the Arwing and opened up the cockpit.

Krystal climbed out first, impressed at the machinery. Fox jumped out swiftly and led her down to the door. Another hiss of pneumatics was heard as the door opened. Peppy and Slippy were behind the door, but instead of greeting him as they usually do, they gawked at Krystal.

"Where did you pick her up?" Slippy asked, not taking his large eyes off Krystal.

"We met down there. She wants to go to the fox planet," Fox said as he walked down the corridor to the bathroom. He called over his shoulder, "Vaccine her for the usual diseases, would you, Slip?"

"No problem, Fox," Slippy called, then turning to Krystal, "This way, please."

**

Fox decided to re-dress his wounds, so he took off his bandages. He started with his paw, but was surprised when it had already healed. It was a difference response when he found his arm healed as well, with no scars or mark. Fox decided he must've imagined it being a deep cut that showed his bone.

Fox was just buttoning his clean shirt when he heard a soft groan coming from the lab. Curious on how Slippy was doing, Fox went in. The lab was filled with complex machinery, most of which Slippy built. Fox chucked as he imagined Slippy getting a beating by Krystal. Eventually, Fox had woven his way over all the tubes and all the wires on the ground to the infirmary. His jaw dropped at the sight.

Slippy was dressed in white, his usual lab clothes, but it was Krystal that was startling. She was clamped vertically to the table, immobile. She had her eyes closed, and was groaning softly and tossing her head.

"Slippy, what do you think you're doing?" Fox cried, waving his arms hysterically.

"She is a tough patient, Fox," Slippy turned to the table and picked up a syringe.

"But why the shackles? And why is she drugged?" Fox stormed over and felt Krystal's forehead.

"As I said: tough patient," Slippy stuck the needle in Krystal's arm and drew a few drops of blood, "Kicked me three times when I approached with the needle."

"Darn it, Slip! You didn't reason with her? Shackles are unnecessary," Fox's voice grew shriller with every word.

"Well, she didn't listen. She kept on saying she had been to the Lylat System before and is familiar with the diseases," Slippy took the syringe and placed it carefully into a big machine beside Krystal's 'bed'.

"Then listen to her!" Fox said.

"Can't take risks," Slippy muttered, "Remember that time you came down with the fever and I had to drug and shackle you before you'd let me bleed you."

"Well," Fox slowed, "that's me. Are you done?" He started to loosen the clamps. Slippy nodded eyes still on the screen of the machine, which started beeping furiously. Fox de-shackled Krystal and carried her away.

Fox had to kick his door several times to get it open, as his arms were full. Krystal didn't seem to be that heavy, though her tall figure made carrying her a bit awkward. He set her gently on his bed and started to exit.

"Fox?" Fox spun around. Krystal's eyes were slightly open. Fox walked over to her. In a flash, she grabbed Fox's collar, nearly choking him and shattering his larynx, and pulled him closer to her. Fox felt cold sweat pop out beneath his fur. Just as Fox was about to protest Krystal started snoring softly with her eyes closed again. Fox let out a puff of air as he set her paw down and Fox walked quietly away. People can be really weird when they're drugged.

**

"Do we have anymore tuna?" Fox flipped through the cupboards in the kitchen, shoving cans of food aside as he dug furiously. Slippy and Peppy were seated nearby, munching contently.

"What's with you and fish?" Peppy asked through a mouthful of broccoli, "And no, there is no more tuna."

"Well, what's with you and rabbit food? Whoops, sorry," Fox chuckled as he closed the cupboard door and took a can of trout instead. He just sat down when Krystal walked in, yawning. Peppy shivered as he saw her razor sharp, white teeth.

"Good morning," she said good-naturedly, "Do you have any tuna?" Fox raised an eyebrow and Slippy laughed so hard coffee came out of his nostril. Peppy shook his head while he laughed as well.

"Have some trout," Fox said, "I'll get you another chair." He stood up and walked off. When he came back, he noticed Peppy was giving him the look that Fox was going to be humiliated when Krystal left. Fox set the chair in between Peppy and Slippy to shut them up.

"Mmm," Krystal ate slowly, but eventually she ate three cans. Fox usually didn't have room for two. Krystal set her fork down when she finished, "Sorry. You'd be hungry if you had to live off of dried bars for a month." Peppy nodded knowingly and Krystal left after. Fox embraced himself for the fireworks.

"Nice match, you two," Slippy said.

"Yeah, right. I don't even know what her last name is," Fox retorted, "Bet you won't find your match."

"Leave Slippy alone," Peppy said, not looking at either of them, "And don't drag him into bets that he'll lose." Fox cracked up and Slippy didn't say a thing until their breakfast was finished.

**

Rob the Robot landed the Great Fox the same place as last time, but only Fox and Krystal set off. Peppy, too old, and Slippy, too embarrassed to face Fox again. The bushes seemed to have gotten more tangled than the last time, and Fox found himself more than once asking Krystal to cut him down, and vise versa. They managed to get to the domes before the suns set, and Fox had to hail the little fox to stop shooting as he dodged the blasts.

Like the last time, the elders greeted him warmly, but they were more interested in Krystal. Fox listened intently as Krystal gave out some of her secrets. Fox knew she wouldn't normally have told everything, but there was something about the elders that made them more trustworthy than they look.

"Your clan and last name?"

"I don't know my clan. I don't know my last name, either."

"Parents?"

"I never got to know them well."

"Your age when your parents died?"

"Four years old," and with that, the elders chattered among themselves and ushered them off to the libraries. Fox looked at Krystal now with greater pity and sorrow, knowing how it feels to loose parents as a kit. His father died trying to slay Andross and his mother died a few weeks before by a car bomb. He was older than Krystal was then: twelve.

"How old are you now?" Fox asked timidly as he pointed out the book. Krystal sighed deeply and opened it up. Fox was just about to ask her again, thinking she didn't hear him, when she answered.

'Same as you, Fox,' Krystal flipped through the pages, muttering to herself and answering Fox at the same time. Fox, amazed, stuttered a bit, but then realized she was talking to him using her telepathic powers. So she could read his mind and put words into it at the same time. Fox made a mental note to not think of anything embarrassing in front of her.

'Oh, like the time when you were fifteen and you accidentally got locked in the girls' washroom at the academy?' Krystal was grinning to herself, and still mumbling. Fox turned red beneath his fur. OK, so she can scan his memories, too. Fox made another mental note to bang his head on a table to forget everything embarrassing about him.

"Don't worry, Fox, just having some fun with you. I won't do it again," Krystal said aloud as she smiled at Fox. She quickly turned back to the book and mumbled to herself again.

'Why don't you tell me what you're reading?' Fox thought. Krystal smiled again. 'You got me just when it was interesting,' she thought back, get this: 'two foxes of their kind, obviously, kidnapped my parents and me, the 'female kit that will reform the race', and stole the Emerald of Earth. They knew that the world would reach acropolis, so they made a copy of it. Giving the copy to my parents, they told them to tell me to search the galaxy for the fox that possesses the Emerald. That way, I could protect him or her. Tsk, like you need protection, Fox.' She thought her last sarcastic thought and put the book back. She looked strange, but Fox knew that she was as confused as he was.

"So I'm wearing the Emerald of Earth, and you're wearing its copy. The two 'saviors' of your kind made it so that you were supposed to protect me? Why?" Fox said all of this very fast.

"Well, it has to be of value," Krystal said. She gave out a sigh, "At least now I got some answers, but what caused the acropolis? And what killed my parents?"

"Whoever killed your parents was looking for the Emerald copy, so they could find the real one," Fox said as he put the last piece in this part of the mental puzzle, but most of the big picture was still shrouded in a mist of mystery.

**

Fox and Krystal returned to the Great Fox later, and they soon set off into space again. Krystal agreed to Fox's proposal to search answers in the Cornerian libraries. Finally, after all those adventures, Fox and his team were going home.

"Had a good time, Fox?" Peppy winked as the team headed for the cockpit. Fox grinned and gently shoved Peppy playfully, making sure not to fracture his hip again.

"Yeah, right. The girl kept on reading my mind. She knows about when Falco and Bill locked me in the bathroom," Fox said, helping Krystal get strapped to the seat. Krystal smiled mischievously. 'And I know about the time when Falco pulled down your pants in grade one and showed all the girls.' Fox frowned. 'Hey! You promised!'

"I know, but I pulled that one out before I promised, so it doesn't count," Krystal whispered, and grinned her warm grin. Fox was surprised that this was the stubborn vixen that he saved just a year before.

"Let's try my new warp drive," Slippy pressed a few buttons and a countdown began.

"You built a warp drive?" Peppy asked in amazement.

"Of course!" Slippy said, "What did you think I was doing all day during the whole week?"

The moment Slippy finished his sentence, the Great Fox gave a great lurch and Fox's head was scrunched into his seat. A second later, the Great Fox gave another lurch and Fox was thrown forward. If it weren't for his safety belt, he would've smashed through the windshield of the Great Fox. Fox felt Krystal's telepathic lines open and for a moment felt her pain as well as his. 'Great ride, wasn't it?' She thought.

Fox undid his belt and looked out the window. Slippy's warp drive actually worked! They were in the space between Corneria and the Meteo asteroid field. After Rob pushed a few buttons, the Great Fox gave a small lurch and they sped for Corneria.

"That planet," Krystal said, "It looks familiar to me. I think I saw a picture of my own planet before, and it looks just like that."

"Well, no wonder the names are so similar," Fox said as he helped Krystal out of her belt. Slippy was dancing gleefully around the cockpit, shouting in joy. He was singing an old song about sailing the seas of Corneria and how the ships sailed so well. His croaky singing voice made Fox and Peppy fold up their ears in discontent.

"Ah, be quiet, Slip!" Peppy gave him a quick trip over the shins and he fell to the floor, "It didn't work that well. I think you should recommend the product for people with no back disorders! I think I'll be seeing the doctor again."

**

Fox sighed as he sniffed the fresh air. Peppy had rushed off without saying a word to hand in the report he had written for General Pepper. Slippy said he'd run off to the computer shop and see if he had been replaced. With nothing else to do, Fox decided to show Krystal around the small town. Krystal looked around curiously at the shops and buildings. Fox had given her a gray shirt and shorts, along with one of his vests. He had asked her to remover her armor and tiara, as she would attract too much attention. Fox and Krystal passed through the streets with people giving the usual and kind 'Hello, Fox', but they hardly gave Krystal a second look. Once, a young cat and his friends whistled at Krystal, but she gave them such a frightening look that they ran off with their tails between their legs (literally).

Fox took Krystal to his usual hangouts over town: the bar, the coffee shop, the arcade, and the diner. Krystal seemed to like the tuna selections. She apologized over and over again after learning that Fox had to pay. Fox had to squeeze her snout shut with his paw to tell her that it was OK because she didn't listen to a thing he said with her mouth open.

Bill and his team were stationed not far away, so Fox took Krystal to see him. Upon their arrival, Bill rushed out to greet them and congratulate Fox on his mission.

"Who's this young lady?" Bill nudged Fox. Fox chuckled

"Young? She's only younger than you by half a year," and so Fox explained how they had met and how they got back. Fox left out the part about the Emerald, as Fox and Krystal decided to keep it a secret in case the word got to Andross, if he got cloned or reincarnated again.

"So you two are not going out?" Bill asked after Fox finished his story. Fox shook his head no. Bill smoothed his hair and turned to Krystal; "Can I have your phone number?" Krystal gave him a quizzical look. Fox told Bill that she didn't have one yet. Bill the now disappointed husky waved at his crewmen and told them about Fox and Krystal. When Bill had his back turned, Fox could see Krystal scrunch up her eyes, trying to scan Bill's memories. When she was done, Fox could feel a surge of Krystal's anger as her telepathic lines came through. 'That dog? Courting me? Why, I should give him a good lesson in-' Fox cut her off calmly, 'Get used to it. People think you look nice.' Krystal's anger seemed to grow, 'How shallow.'

Bill's crew, the Husky and Bulldog teams, shook paws with Fox and Krystal, although they seemed to linger on her paw a little longer than Fox's. The last person of the crew didn't seem to be a dog, but more of a snow-white fox. He was very young, about Fox's age, and he was very appreciative on taking Fox's hand.

"You don't know how I've waited for this moment, Mr. McCloud. You're my idol," he furiously swung Fox's arm around like a baseball bat.

"Oh, I'm not much more experienced than you are," Fox said, "I've never seen you around before." The fox stood up straight and saluted smartly. He was wearing the same uniform as all the crew: green, but he had a small blue sapphire on a necklace.

"Private Thomas Beverly Hilchey Arnold Ronald White," Thomas said, "People call me Tom." 'I think I know why,' Krystal chuckled in her mind. Fox maintained his posture as he thought back, 'grow up.'

"Good day," Tom said to Krystal as he kissed her paw like a gentlefox. Krystal turned red. Krystal smiled and used her tail to slap Tom softly. 'Now THAT'S a fox!'

"Thomas White. That sounds familiar," Fox thought hard.

"Of course. I sent a application to join the StarFox team, but some old rabbit turned me down," Tom said. Fox let out a laugh.

"Of course Peppy wouldn't let you join. He would hate having another fox fooling around all day," Fox smiled as he talked, "Slippy's working on a extra Arwing for me. I'll let you join and use it if you know how to fly." Tom looked simply delighted. He ran off without saying another word and jumped into a plane.

A few moments later, Tom was soaring through the sky like an expert. Somersaults, barrel rolls, steep dives and climbs were made with ease and speed. Tom flew straight up and stayed in the air for a moment, then he dropped to the ground faster than a bullet. Krystal gasped and covered her eyes, but at the last moment, Tom pulled up inches from the ground and landed safely.

"Wonderful," Fox cheered and clapped along with the others, "You're in. Now all you have to do is come to our hanger and sign a contract saying that you won't break Peppy's back; accidentally or on purpose." Bill frowned.

"You just took away my best and newest pilot, Fox," Bill said, "He just joined today. I didn't even get him to sign my contract yet. I still want him on my team. Just bring him back in one piece." Fox waved reassuringly and he, Tom, and Krystal went off to the hanger.

**

Back in the metal hanger later that evening, Peppy was furious. He went rambling on about back in his day, they didn't let a pilot join after one demonstration as Tom scribbled his signature neatly after reading the contract, which actually did say that he could not break Peppy's spine in any way.

"I just need to put together the plating and then paint it," Slippy said as he came in, wiping the grease off his hands, "The new Arwing will be ready in no time."

"How did you manage to put it together in only a few weeks, when most of the time, you were working on the warp drive?" Fox asked in amazement.

"I gave Rob an upgrade and he put it together for me," Slippy strolled over to his table and took a sip of his juice, which was hidden among other glasses and metal parts. Fox could distinctly hear Peppy mumble 'cheater' as Slippy told Rob to keep working on the new G-Diffuser.

Krystal was talking to Tom, and Fox couldn't hear them, but he was dying to barge in and annoy Krystal. 'Hey, tell him what you think about his name.' Fox thought. Krystal's reply came quickly, though she was still talking to Tom. 'Leave me alone.' Fox grinned inwardly. 'To be alone with your new boyfriend?' Then Krystal shot him a warning look that Tom didn't understand, and turned back and kept chattering. Tom gave Fox a confused look out of the corner of his eye. Fox sighed and went into the Great Fox to take a nap.

Fox was tired and drowsy, so he accidentally bumped into Peppy's room. Since he never let Fox in there, Fox was inclined to see what books or information Peppy was keeping from him. His sleepiness vanishing in an instant, Fox opened Peppy's bookcase and looked around.

Fox idly looked at the titles of each book. The books were mainly about life and biographies, but a few were unlabeled, and among them, Fox came over his father's diary.

Fox's heart raced as he picked it from the shelf. It was quite thick and dusty, and Fox coughed lightly as he opened it up. Printed in the lined spaces, was James McCloud's neat handwriting.

As if told by an unseen force, Fox flipped to a page near the center of the book. It was a long entry, and James was clearing telling a story. Fox read in his head, trying to tell Krystal at the same time.

'Among my late father's possessions that he left me, I found an ornament box decorated with strange runes. Upon my opening of it, I found the single most powerful gem ever created. It is called the Ruby of Blood. With it, I have been able to face the most terrifying of creatures. This gem somehow gives me renewed honor and vim. I am able to run faster than Peppy and longer than Pigma could eat. This is the reason I chose to take on the mission General Pepper has assigned me - to kill Andross. Normally, this would seem like an impossible task, but the gem gives me hope. Wish me luck, journal, as I now speed along the stars in the Great Fox.'

Krystal, obviously heard Fox's thinking, replied excitedly. 'Your father had the Ruby of Blood? There is another of this kind of stone? If there is, and this Ruby has powers, shouldn't the Emerald possess some kind of power as well?' Fox thought for a moment. 'It does! I didn't die after my fall. It must be some kind of healing gem.'

"Fox!" Peppy exclaimed. Fox jumped three feet into the air.

"Sorry, Peppy, I couldn't help myself," Fox said, quickly trying to shove the book back.

"I see you've found James' diary," Peppy said, not sounding the least bit angry, but more depressed, "There are some things that I couldn't understand. It's best if you didn't read any more. James trusted me to keep it away from you, for reasons unknown." Peppy took the book from Fox's paws and put it back into the bookcase. Sighing deeply, Peppy put his paw on Fox's shoulder and told him to come down to the hanger. Fox thought Peppy seemed more confused than he did.

**

"You've got mail," Rob said in his robotic voice as he handed Peppy a letter sealed with the Cornerian crest. Fox raised his eyebrows at Peppy. Now that he had drunk one of Slippy's special cappuccinos, he felt a lot better and more energized. Fox wondered for a second what Slippy makes those things out of.

"Oh, how nice," Peppy said as he read the letter, "General Pepper has asked all Cornerian pilots, commanders, and soldiers to attend his 'Ball of Celebration'."

"Hmm?" Krystal was sitting, squished, beside Fox and Tom on the bench, trying to get warm in the winter night, "We used to play with large sacks filled with feathers back in my home world, but aren't you guys too old for that?" Everyone chuckled.

"No, a dance ball," Peppy said, "The kind where animals dance with each other."

"So when do we go?" Tom asked as he squirmed a bit to his right to stop Krystal's constant rubbing.

"Tomorrow," Peppy said, "I just hope that tux of yours didn't get rotted after all these years, Fox."

**

Fox didn't feel like wearing a tuxedo, so he settled for a smart cloth jacket and a white shirt, cuffed neatly, and pants, with the Emerald tucked safely beneath it. He was still waiting for the others to get dressed as he hailed the van that was supposed to take them to the capital.

"I. Hate. These. Trousers." Slippy grunted as he hopped dumbly across the road to the van. He was wearing black, in the almost same outfit as Fox, but with trousers three sizes too small for him to wear. Peppy and Tom came a few seconds later, in jackets similar to Fox's.

'Hey, Krystal. We're waiting,' Fox thought. For a second, Fox felt Krystal's impatience. 'Why the heck do I have to wear this thing?' Krystal herself flopped out of the Great Fox a moment later, in a beautiful pale green dress. Her Emerald copy was out on her chest, and the glowing of it seemed to match the dress perfectly.

Tom extended a white paw to her and she took it, hopping onto the van. The van turned out to be roomier than Fox had thought, and the seats were soft. Fox curiously examined the remote back massager button on his seat and pressed a few buttons experimentally. He heard Krystal, who was seated behind him, do the same.

The driver took off at a very high speed, and the hover van bumped softy on the hills and small rocks of the grassy countryside. Before Fox knew it, they had arrived. He heard Krystal utter an impressed 'hmm' as they stepped out of the van.

The building was a huge white mansion. It had stone pillars and small lights illuminating the doorways and windows. It had three stories, and the mahogany door was in the center of the building, led by small stone stairs.

"I wonder if there's full buffet," Fox whispered to Slippy.

"I wonder if they serve flies on ketchup," Slippy whispered back. A guard greeted Fox and his team by the door to let them in after scanning their bones with a black device. It's just to make sure you're you. Fox thought to Krystal as she knocked back the guard's scanner for the fifth time. Krystal hesitated before her sixth hit and lowered her paw. The guard let out a sigh and waved it around her head. After checking Tom, the guard, apparently still shaken, opened the door.

The inside of the room was just as magnificent as the outside. Blue and red tapestries hung from the ceiling, which was pretty high, and the walls were painted golden yellow. The staircases were also carved out of mahogany, as so were the tables.

General Pepper gave them a friendly greeting after being introduced to Krystal and Tom, and hurried off to greet the ambassador to some other planet far away. Bill also caught up with Fox, and after a few well-chosen comments about how Fox stole Tom, Bill also ran off after a cute female Labrador, his tail wagging furiously.

Slippy ran off for the buffet line and Peppy wanted to meet the rabbits from MacBeth. Krystal, upon hearing the music, dragged Tom off to dance. Fox left with no one to hang out with, raced for the buffet line after Slippy.

"Any flies, Slip?" Fox nudged Slippy as they grabbed forks and plates. Slippy shook his head.

"They don't like to eat insects, those specieists. They've got some great algae pie, though," Slippy grabbed a chunk of the dark green pie and dropped it carelessly on his plate. Fox made a face and went off for the fish.

There were some breeds Fox never heard of before. There was some kind of trout with golden eyes and another fish with the meanest teeth Fox had ever seen. The tank was labeled 'Burbot from Aquas'. Fox, remembering his encounter with marine life, lost his appetite and went to the dance floor instead, after giving his empty plate and fork to a disgruntled hedgehog butler.

'Having fun, Krystal?' Fox asked. 'The time of my life! Tom is the best dancer I've ever met! Come look.' Fox, just then searching for Krystal, felt his mind leave his body in a flash of white. He suddenly appeared holding Tom. Fox tried to scream, but his mouth wasn't moving. Just then, he saw his paw. It was bright blue. He had just entered the mind of Krystal.

The orchestra at one side of the floor struck up a waltz, and Tom began to dance faster. Fox felt him, or Krystal, give out a giggle. In another flash and a whoosh, Fox found himself with orange paws with gloves again. He tripped in mid-step to find something else to do when he started walking. He wasn't in the same posture as before, as he realized taking his left foot that was already in front to move front, he wasn't Krystal anymore. He gave out a sigh and went off for the buffet line, finding his appetite again.

Suddenly, the dog next to Fox fell down to the floor with a thud. He was still twitching, and Fox was just about to call for help when he noticed everyone else was doing the same thing. The animals were dropping like dead flies, and soon there wasn't a single person standing upright, except Fox, Krystal, and Tom.

"What's going on?" Fox ran over to them.

"It must be the food," Tom said, "We didn't eat anything, and you didn't either, did you?" Fox shook his head. Krystal opened her mouth to say something, but a huge crashing sound came from the ceiling. The rumbling shook all three foxes over.

"Fox McCloud," an evil and deep voice said. Fox recognized it instantly. Pulling out his gun and sitting up, he aimed it at the speaker.

Andross, probably another clone, was standing beside a massive ship, which had luckily landed itself on the buffet tables, leaving everyone uninjured, but still unconscious. Fox, his anger bubbling, pulled the trigger of his gun. The red rays bounced harmlessly off of the invisible shield that Andross was wearing.

"Ha, ha, ha," Andross laughed maniacally at Fox, "Hmm, just my luck. Three foxes standing in a row. Two bearing the stones I want." Andross reached for his gun, which was a lot bigger than Fox's, and began shooting at him. Dodging carefully out of the way, Fox grabbed Tom and Krystal's arms and pulled them away from the evil albino gorilla. Andross somehow grew bigger by the second, until he was as tall as the ceiling. He reached out with a hand and with his fingernails, managed to pinch onto Krystal's necklace. He pulled hard and Krystal was dragged from the floor, the magic of the necklace holding on. Fox thought just for a moment that he saw a red gem on Andross' neck.

"Get OFF!" Andross furiously shook Krystal by the necklace, until the magic broke and Krystal was thrown to the ground and knocked out. Andross growled as he looked at it. His growl grew louder as he clenched his fist on it, crushing the Emerald copy to bits. Andross scrambled to reach for Fox and Tom, but in the midst of his rage, he tripped and crushed the shield generator on his belt.

Fox, seeing his chance, took out his gun and motioned Tom to do the same. They started shooting wildly, and Fox was surprised at how Tom's aim matched his. They both hit Andross in the face a couple to times. Andross, howling in pain, shrunk back and ran to his ship. A moment later, it took off. Andross' voice was magnified as he took off back into space.

"This won't be the last time, Fox! I'll get the Emerald, and I'll snatch the Sapphire of Skies, too, when I have the chance!" Andross shouted. His ship disappeared from view from the hole in the ceiling. Fox looked at Tom.

"The Sapphire? You have a, er, the Sapphire?" Fox asked in amazement. Tom nodded bleakly. Fox took a better look at the gem on Tom's chain. Indeed, it was as blue as the sky and just in the right size and shape as the Emerald. Fox looked back at Tom, "What does it do?"

"'Dunno. My dad gave it to me for a Christmas present," Tom fiddled idly with the chain, "You should make sure that no one's dead, Fox." Fox nodded.

Everyone was asleep and snoring lightly, except General Pepper, who was causing an earthquake with his nasal congestion problems. They didn't seem that they would wake up anytime soon, so Fox concerned himself with Krystal's injury. She had been knocked against the wall pretty hard, and there was a large swell that was bleeding. After a few "Wake up" calls and a glass of water to the face, she spluttered to life again.

"Is that ugly monkey gone?" Krystal asked as soon as she stopped coughing. Fox and Tom nodded. Fox told her the whole story in her mind, as his tongue wasn't working too well.

"Tom is one of us?" Krystal exclaimed, "Who would've thought our luck would've been this good?"

"Or that bad," Fox murmured, "Andross is back, and I'm expecting another war." Tom nodded solemnly.

"We should round up all the pilots after they're woken up. We should head for Venom straight away," Tom said. Fox shook his head.

"We should tell all the residents of Corneria to evacuate, then we will look for Andross' base. How are you so sure its on Venom?" Krystal asked. Tom shrugged. Fox sighed and went to work splashing water on everyone's faces.

**

"Hey, Fox, I've made an extra Arwing for Krystal," Slippy waved his wrench proudly.

"Huh? She doesn't even know how to fly properly," Fox said. Slippy picked up a manual on his desk and waved it at Krystal, signaling her to read the whole thing.

Fox and his team were back at the hanger. General Pepper, once again, had given them the pleasure of kicking Andross' butt. He ordered Bill's team and some other pilots to scour the planets looking for Andross or his bases.

Slippy had made phenomenal preparations. He made bunk beds for Fox and Tom, and Peppy and himself. He, as the gentlemen-ish guy he was, gave his cabin to Krystal. He also, with the help of Rob and a few other volunteer engineers, re-built the Blue Marine and another Landmaster.

Their deadline to set of was in a matter of hours. Tom scrambled to load his and the others' possessions; Krystal was busy learning to fly; Peppy was busy shopping for supplies; Slippy was painting the two new Arwings and the new Landmaster; and Fox was busy helping everyone with their jobs.

"Fox, help me with the food!" Peppy stumbled into the hanger with his arms and two hover carts full of canned food. Fox hurried to take the supplies and dumped them on the Great Fox.

"Fox, gimme a hand with the luggage!" Tom grunted as he shoved four suitcases at a time. Fox rushed over and took two of the bags and dropped them off in the cabins.

"Fox, I can't work the crane properly!" Slippy cried as he accidentally banged the new Landmaster against the wall. Fox jumped onto the crane and slowly lowered the tank into the vehicle bay.

'Fox, what does the G-Diffuser do?' Krystal asked timidly. 'It creates an electromagnetic field around the Arwing so it doesn't drop out of the air for reasons of bumping or crashing into small objects.' Fox answered as he tried to jump off of the crane. He tripped over his own feet and bonked his head on the Great Fox and fell asleep.

**

A/N: Don't mind me. I know it's not done. And yes, to those of you out there that hate it, it sucks. I'm gonna work on the next one soon, so, like I said, don't hound by butt.