Disclaimer: I don't own StarFox or the characters created by Nintendo.
Understand me? Good.
Introduction: I wrote this because if I continued on my other story, then things will get a lot less action-y. Everything is different, well, almost everything. Erm. History changed because some weird dude messed with a time machine. Yeah.
"If there's nothing to see in the plains, then why are we going there?" Fox asked as he paddled across the river with Peppy manning the other oar. The canoe was short and narrow, with just enough space for the three of them. Peppy said that he was claustrophobic halfway across the river, how convenient.
"Well, it's good exercise going through the plain and then the forest. Just for that smart comment, we're going to the mountains, too. Non- stop, that is," Krystal sat in front of Fox, pounding on a drum for them to keep up the rowing pace. Fox snorted, and Krystal pounded faster.
"How long until the opposite bank?" Peppy gasped, tired. Just as he finished, the canoe bumped against the rocky shore of the southern plains, and Krystal climbed out, signaling the two foxes who were manning a second boat behind them to take that canoe back as well. Fox and Peppy stumbled to the shore. Peppy, groaning, wearily took one look at the sheer cliff before them, and puked.
"Oh, no, no, no! We are NOT going any further," Fox stomped his foot on the rocks, his boot kicking a bit of sand and a small pebbled away, "You can't make us! Hell can't be worse than what you're doing to us, heck, I'll chance it."
"Hey, you won't be going suicidal on me, understand? This staff can do a bit more than slice you apart," Krystal frowned, "Besides, the raw, natural gas deposits are in the mountains, but we have no use for exploding air. There's plenty for you, if you follow my instructions."
"Damn you," Fox muttered, "Do you have any idea how we're going to climb this thing?" Krystal smiled evilly and took out a small, handheld scythe.
"Pull your own fat rear up."
**
"Hey, I am not fat!" Fox groaned, having to climb half a mile's worth of vertical rock. He sat down on his cloth sleeping bag and warmed his feet by the fire.
"I know you're not," Krystal shivered in the cold, night wind.
"Wow, there's not a gym in Corneria that could match that workout," Peppy laid down on his sleeping bag, tossing his pack of supplies under his head, and started looking at the stars in the cloudless skies, "We started journeying at sunrise, and now it's the middle of the night. The two moons are really beautiful tonight."
"Hmm? You notice these things?" Krystal asked.
"Yeah," Peppy whispered his short answer before he started snoring softly.
The plains were grassy, bushy lands with tall stalks of reeds and grass about waist-high, with the odd cluster of trees. Right now, Krystal's slave-army of two was situated beside the cliff, having a wonderful view of the flowing river and the village across it. Fox turned on his bottom and looked, sighing contently. Krystal, who was sitting beside him, edged closer to him and the fire, which was not much, but provided light and warmth nonetheless.
"This is a good sightseeing spot, although not many foxes can climb the cliff. Most like to go around the cliff, into the forest and back west," Krystal murmured, softly enough to not wake Peppy. Fox nodded and peered at the twinkling fires that were the torches of the village below.
"Hmm, lazy bums," Fox chuckled, his tail swishing idly, but dangerously close to the roaring flame, "Mmm, that's better." Krystal raised an eyebrow and did the same.
"A bushy tail like mine catches on fire easily," Krystal smiled, "I got burned seven times before."
"Then keep it away," Fox used his tail to hook onto hers and pulled the bright blue fuzz-stream away from the fire and closer to him. Fox then gave it a little tug with his gloved paw. Krystal scowled for a moment, then turned away, taking her tail along with her.
"This brings back memories of my mother. She used to take me along on hikes like these," Krystal said quietly, her back turned to Fox.
"You have green eyes," Fox commented suddenly. Krystal turned and looked into his.
"You do, too. So what?"
"Your mother had blue eyes. It was on the tapestry on the second floor of the palace," Fox chewed on a knuckled mindlessly, still gazing at the village.
"My father had green eyes. He drowned hunting tuna, and I was there to see the fish bite onto his leg and pull him under," Krystal brushed a lock of her hair from her eyes and leaned on her paws, looking at the stars above.
"I saw my own father get blown to bits from a grenade," Fox sighed, "I didn't even see my mother in the flesh. She died right after I was born."
"Too bad," Krystal edged a bit closer to Fox, "At least I knew both my parents before they died."
"Huh! Royalty: They can always point out a fact that they're better than commoners are," Fox grunted as threw a pebble and watched as it made ripples in the slow flowing tide of the river.
"I can't tell you how much I hate you," Krystal scowled.
"Then please don't," Fox said without even looking at her during the entire conversation. Krystal's scowl grew deeper as she threw back the covers of her sleeping bag and crawled in.
"See you in the morning," Krystal said stiffly. Fox watched her silently for thirty minutes as she dozed off until he went into his own bag.
--
Mental journal, Fox McCloud, 2002 C.D., March 14, 5:39 AM:
I really don't know what to think of this vixen. She's stubborn, arrogant, bossy, and mentally disturbed. I really think it comes from being spoiled as a kit, but that's just me and my 'ten-years-of-dealing-with- politics-and-their-car-problems' experience. It's always "Don't scratch the paint job" or "Hurry up, I've got a speech today".
But somehow, this vixen is different. It seems like she's hiding something with me, but I just can't pinpoint the problem. There's something that my fox instincts are telling me, and I can't figure out that part either. I think I'll just stay away from her until she tells me what's wrong.
Something that contrasts my bad thoughts about her is how she actually cares. I thought all politicians were just money laundering freaks, but now that I've met Krystal, I know that politics are generous, too. I saw, in my two days at the palace (excluding the part where I was in a coma and she slept with me without my knowing. Ugh, that's horrid, imagining that 'Queen' in the same bed as me. For all I know, she might bed doing, well, ya know, stuff to me. Sometimes, I think I'm too suspicious for my own good) that she actually listens to the people's problems. She cared, and she solved their problems. No "Sorry, but I really can't help" or "That's beyond my concern". She is interesting in her own way. For some reason, she isn't that stubborn, arrogant, bossy, and mentally disturbed with the citizens. Maybe she's just racist, I don't know.
All I can say is that this isn't going to end will for me. Even if we reach the mountains, it almost means sixty kilometers of trudging through woodland. That will take at least three more days of walking. Then there's the possibility that we have to cross the mountains, which will take another day or so, then we will go back to our ship, which will take two more days. Six days, almost a week, we'll be stuck with this slave driver. There's a good chance either Peppy or me is gonna die on this mission. Yeah, I aced middle school math.
Another thing that I want to hide from her is how I think of her looks. She looks SO beautiful; I can't stand such a mean soul residing in such a body. Seriously, if you, my imaginary memory friend, can see her, you'd agree. Uh, oh, it looks like she's stirring again. I really can't sleep, no matter how I try. I think it's the smoke or something.
--
"Ah-choo!" Peppy sniffed, jolting up from his bag, "The wind is really c-cold."
"You should've slept closer to the fire," Krystal said, sitting up as well. Fox pretended to be asleep. It just might be fun to see what she does to him.
"I'm hungry," Peppy declared, "Did you pack any food?"
"Oh, quite the contrary: I took all the food out of your packs and gave it to the homeless people," Krystal shrugged. Peppy stared at her.
"ARE YOU NUTS, VIXEN?" Fox shouted, tackling Krystal to the ground and choking her in the neck. Krystal whimpered and struggled, but Fox proved to be stronger than his body frame hinted. Peppy didn't do anything, as though he really wanted to strangle her, too.
"S-stop it, Fox," Krystal gasped, tears in her eyes, "There's lots of game in the plains. Let go." Fox loosened his grip, but didn't release his vice.
"You are a moronic fiend, seriously," Fox hissed. Krystal sobbed.
"Y-you're really hurting me, F-Fox. Please let go," Krystal tried to pry his strong fingers away.
"Why are you like this?" Fox demanded, "Do you have something against us?"
"No, I'm just preparing you for the world ahead," Krystal managed to pull Fox off and nursed her neck. Fox stared at her.
"There are worse things?"
"More than you can imagine. Don't think I'm being mean on purpose. It's a dangerous world, Cerinia. You can get killed anytime," Krystal brushed away a tear from her emerald eyes and got her staff, "Are you hungry?"
**
"That was quick," Fox said, watching as Krystal roasted a very strange animal in the fire. It had no fur, no scales, just skin, much like a pig, but a lot dumber. Its snout was longer, and the skin was bright pink. It didn't even see Krystal as she advanced towards it.
"I told you there was a lot of game," Krystal smiled. Peppy nearly threw up again.
"I am NOT eating meat," he backed away from the strips of fat and meat that Krystal was broiling in the fire.
"Suit yourself. I think there are berries over in the bushes, but there isn't enough for you. Maybe to settle your stomach until we get to the forest, but not enough," Krystal snapped a piece of ready meat from the fire and offered it to Fox. He took it and chewed quickly.
"Sorry about almost killing you a few minutes ago. What's with that wood and grass?" Fox asked, taking another piece as Peppy grumbled off. Krystal took another piece of meat as well.
"I think the grass has some kind of adrenaline stimulator in males. It makes them a bit more aggressive. I don't blame you, really, but it did hurt," Krystal and Fox took one last piece and Krystal tucked the rest, six more strips, into her pack. Fox felt his teeth with his tongue and thought for a moment.
"What do you people do for oral hygiene? You've got great teeth."
"Chew the grass. Sure it makes you hyper and dizzy, but it contains a lot of fluorine. Go ahead, and I'll tell you when you get too stupid," Krystal picked a strand from the ground and gave it to Fox. It was thin and green, and it tasted a lot like mint. Fox smiled at Krystal for the first time and heaved himself up to go to the forest.
**
A/N: Seriously, if you people don't review. I'm gonna change the genre and kick up some romance soon, so keep your pants on. For those of you. Oh never mind, read my story about the Ruby, Emerald, and Sapphire and you'll know what I'm gonna say. If I were you, I wouldn't expect another update for a while. I'm deadpan out of ideas here.
Introduction: I wrote this because if I continued on my other story, then things will get a lot less action-y. Everything is different, well, almost everything. Erm. History changed because some weird dude messed with a time machine. Yeah.
"If there's nothing to see in the plains, then why are we going there?" Fox asked as he paddled across the river with Peppy manning the other oar. The canoe was short and narrow, with just enough space for the three of them. Peppy said that he was claustrophobic halfway across the river, how convenient.
"Well, it's good exercise going through the plain and then the forest. Just for that smart comment, we're going to the mountains, too. Non- stop, that is," Krystal sat in front of Fox, pounding on a drum for them to keep up the rowing pace. Fox snorted, and Krystal pounded faster.
"How long until the opposite bank?" Peppy gasped, tired. Just as he finished, the canoe bumped against the rocky shore of the southern plains, and Krystal climbed out, signaling the two foxes who were manning a second boat behind them to take that canoe back as well. Fox and Peppy stumbled to the shore. Peppy, groaning, wearily took one look at the sheer cliff before them, and puked.
"Oh, no, no, no! We are NOT going any further," Fox stomped his foot on the rocks, his boot kicking a bit of sand and a small pebbled away, "You can't make us! Hell can't be worse than what you're doing to us, heck, I'll chance it."
"Hey, you won't be going suicidal on me, understand? This staff can do a bit more than slice you apart," Krystal frowned, "Besides, the raw, natural gas deposits are in the mountains, but we have no use for exploding air. There's plenty for you, if you follow my instructions."
"Damn you," Fox muttered, "Do you have any idea how we're going to climb this thing?" Krystal smiled evilly and took out a small, handheld scythe.
"Pull your own fat rear up."
**
"Hey, I am not fat!" Fox groaned, having to climb half a mile's worth of vertical rock. He sat down on his cloth sleeping bag and warmed his feet by the fire.
"I know you're not," Krystal shivered in the cold, night wind.
"Wow, there's not a gym in Corneria that could match that workout," Peppy laid down on his sleeping bag, tossing his pack of supplies under his head, and started looking at the stars in the cloudless skies, "We started journeying at sunrise, and now it's the middle of the night. The two moons are really beautiful tonight."
"Hmm? You notice these things?" Krystal asked.
"Yeah," Peppy whispered his short answer before he started snoring softly.
The plains were grassy, bushy lands with tall stalks of reeds and grass about waist-high, with the odd cluster of trees. Right now, Krystal's slave-army of two was situated beside the cliff, having a wonderful view of the flowing river and the village across it. Fox turned on his bottom and looked, sighing contently. Krystal, who was sitting beside him, edged closer to him and the fire, which was not much, but provided light and warmth nonetheless.
"This is a good sightseeing spot, although not many foxes can climb the cliff. Most like to go around the cliff, into the forest and back west," Krystal murmured, softly enough to not wake Peppy. Fox nodded and peered at the twinkling fires that were the torches of the village below.
"Hmm, lazy bums," Fox chuckled, his tail swishing idly, but dangerously close to the roaring flame, "Mmm, that's better." Krystal raised an eyebrow and did the same.
"A bushy tail like mine catches on fire easily," Krystal smiled, "I got burned seven times before."
"Then keep it away," Fox used his tail to hook onto hers and pulled the bright blue fuzz-stream away from the fire and closer to him. Fox then gave it a little tug with his gloved paw. Krystal scowled for a moment, then turned away, taking her tail along with her.
"This brings back memories of my mother. She used to take me along on hikes like these," Krystal said quietly, her back turned to Fox.
"You have green eyes," Fox commented suddenly. Krystal turned and looked into his.
"You do, too. So what?"
"Your mother had blue eyes. It was on the tapestry on the second floor of the palace," Fox chewed on a knuckled mindlessly, still gazing at the village.
"My father had green eyes. He drowned hunting tuna, and I was there to see the fish bite onto his leg and pull him under," Krystal brushed a lock of her hair from her eyes and leaned on her paws, looking at the stars above.
"I saw my own father get blown to bits from a grenade," Fox sighed, "I didn't even see my mother in the flesh. She died right after I was born."
"Too bad," Krystal edged a bit closer to Fox, "At least I knew both my parents before they died."
"Huh! Royalty: They can always point out a fact that they're better than commoners are," Fox grunted as threw a pebble and watched as it made ripples in the slow flowing tide of the river.
"I can't tell you how much I hate you," Krystal scowled.
"Then please don't," Fox said without even looking at her during the entire conversation. Krystal's scowl grew deeper as she threw back the covers of her sleeping bag and crawled in.
"See you in the morning," Krystal said stiffly. Fox watched her silently for thirty minutes as she dozed off until he went into his own bag.
--
Mental journal, Fox McCloud, 2002 C.D., March 14, 5:39 AM:
I really don't know what to think of this vixen. She's stubborn, arrogant, bossy, and mentally disturbed. I really think it comes from being spoiled as a kit, but that's just me and my 'ten-years-of-dealing-with- politics-and-their-car-problems' experience. It's always "Don't scratch the paint job" or "Hurry up, I've got a speech today".
But somehow, this vixen is different. It seems like she's hiding something with me, but I just can't pinpoint the problem. There's something that my fox instincts are telling me, and I can't figure out that part either. I think I'll just stay away from her until she tells me what's wrong.
Something that contrasts my bad thoughts about her is how she actually cares. I thought all politicians were just money laundering freaks, but now that I've met Krystal, I know that politics are generous, too. I saw, in my two days at the palace (excluding the part where I was in a coma and she slept with me without my knowing. Ugh, that's horrid, imagining that 'Queen' in the same bed as me. For all I know, she might bed doing, well, ya know, stuff to me. Sometimes, I think I'm too suspicious for my own good) that she actually listens to the people's problems. She cared, and she solved their problems. No "Sorry, but I really can't help" or "That's beyond my concern". She is interesting in her own way. For some reason, she isn't that stubborn, arrogant, bossy, and mentally disturbed with the citizens. Maybe she's just racist, I don't know.
All I can say is that this isn't going to end will for me. Even if we reach the mountains, it almost means sixty kilometers of trudging through woodland. That will take at least three more days of walking. Then there's the possibility that we have to cross the mountains, which will take another day or so, then we will go back to our ship, which will take two more days. Six days, almost a week, we'll be stuck with this slave driver. There's a good chance either Peppy or me is gonna die on this mission. Yeah, I aced middle school math.
Another thing that I want to hide from her is how I think of her looks. She looks SO beautiful; I can't stand such a mean soul residing in such a body. Seriously, if you, my imaginary memory friend, can see her, you'd agree. Uh, oh, it looks like she's stirring again. I really can't sleep, no matter how I try. I think it's the smoke or something.
--
"Ah-choo!" Peppy sniffed, jolting up from his bag, "The wind is really c-cold."
"You should've slept closer to the fire," Krystal said, sitting up as well. Fox pretended to be asleep. It just might be fun to see what she does to him.
"I'm hungry," Peppy declared, "Did you pack any food?"
"Oh, quite the contrary: I took all the food out of your packs and gave it to the homeless people," Krystal shrugged. Peppy stared at her.
"ARE YOU NUTS, VIXEN?" Fox shouted, tackling Krystal to the ground and choking her in the neck. Krystal whimpered and struggled, but Fox proved to be stronger than his body frame hinted. Peppy didn't do anything, as though he really wanted to strangle her, too.
"S-stop it, Fox," Krystal gasped, tears in her eyes, "There's lots of game in the plains. Let go." Fox loosened his grip, but didn't release his vice.
"You are a moronic fiend, seriously," Fox hissed. Krystal sobbed.
"Y-you're really hurting me, F-Fox. Please let go," Krystal tried to pry his strong fingers away.
"Why are you like this?" Fox demanded, "Do you have something against us?"
"No, I'm just preparing you for the world ahead," Krystal managed to pull Fox off and nursed her neck. Fox stared at her.
"There are worse things?"
"More than you can imagine. Don't think I'm being mean on purpose. It's a dangerous world, Cerinia. You can get killed anytime," Krystal brushed away a tear from her emerald eyes and got her staff, "Are you hungry?"
**
"That was quick," Fox said, watching as Krystal roasted a very strange animal in the fire. It had no fur, no scales, just skin, much like a pig, but a lot dumber. Its snout was longer, and the skin was bright pink. It didn't even see Krystal as she advanced towards it.
"I told you there was a lot of game," Krystal smiled. Peppy nearly threw up again.
"I am NOT eating meat," he backed away from the strips of fat and meat that Krystal was broiling in the fire.
"Suit yourself. I think there are berries over in the bushes, but there isn't enough for you. Maybe to settle your stomach until we get to the forest, but not enough," Krystal snapped a piece of ready meat from the fire and offered it to Fox. He took it and chewed quickly.
"Sorry about almost killing you a few minutes ago. What's with that wood and grass?" Fox asked, taking another piece as Peppy grumbled off. Krystal took another piece of meat as well.
"I think the grass has some kind of adrenaline stimulator in males. It makes them a bit more aggressive. I don't blame you, really, but it did hurt," Krystal and Fox took one last piece and Krystal tucked the rest, six more strips, into her pack. Fox felt his teeth with his tongue and thought for a moment.
"What do you people do for oral hygiene? You've got great teeth."
"Chew the grass. Sure it makes you hyper and dizzy, but it contains a lot of fluorine. Go ahead, and I'll tell you when you get too stupid," Krystal picked a strand from the ground and gave it to Fox. It was thin and green, and it tasted a lot like mint. Fox smiled at Krystal for the first time and heaved himself up to go to the forest.
**
A/N: Seriously, if you people don't review. I'm gonna change the genre and kick up some romance soon, so keep your pants on. For those of you. Oh never mind, read my story about the Ruby, Emerald, and Sapphire and you'll know what I'm gonna say. If I were you, I wouldn't expect another update for a while. I'm deadpan out of ideas here.