A/N: Now some things are a little clearer. We know of Katt's sorrow, and we
know more about Fox's past with Krystal. This is much better than I
expected it to be really. Anyway, I'm STILL a little more focused on
McCloud, but this chapter is going to jump around quite a bit.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Star Fox. Nintendo and/or Rare does. Made up characters (Shane, Jon, Mia) belong to me. Any relation in anyway is entirely coincidental
Chapter 19-Into the Katt's Eyes
The leaves in the trees rustled as the wind blew. It wasn't even sunrise yet, but it was early in the morning none the less. Fox didn't really get much sleep. It wasn't as if he was going to anyhow. He stood up, his eyes a little red with a dash of sorrow to boot. He sat up with his back to the tree. It was suddenly cold and bitter and he began to shiver. He was still a little upset, and he was still hurting. How long would it last? That wasn't known to Fox himself. This wasn't the kind of thing you got over in a day or two.
He wrapped his tail around himself shivering. He didn't go home, didn't feel like it. Seeing Krystal now would make him want to die. How did Shane get to Krystal with such ease? Fox was still upset that it had only taken Shane days, while it took him years. That was still a haunting thought.
The woods were a little gloomy right now, and Fox could swear he heard something rustling in the bushes. He swiftly darted his head from left to right. Perhaps he was just hearing things. The woods weren't really all that dangerous, although knowing that there could be hunters out, Fox really shouldn't have been there.
The rustling in the bushes stopped. It must've been his imagination, that or the wind. Fox couldn't get back to sleep now. His thoughts always took him back to Krystal. What did the ten years they spent together mean to her? Was it all...just a lie?
***
It was early in the morning and Katt had slept well. She hadn't been up this early in the morning for years. Something just dragged her out of bed. Jon rested peacefully, slumped over his notebook at the desk. 'Perhaps I shouldn't bother him.' Katt thought. She then changed into her human form and walked into Mia's living room. Mia wasn't up yet and that surprised Katt, since Mia was always up before the sun...no matter how late she went to bed.
She put on some hot pink pants, a red shirt and a pink jacket. When she would morph back into her fur form she'd still be wearing that, but she felt she needed a walk.
Even after all these years, Falco still haunted her thoughts. Katt thought about him everyday.... For the past eight years. Ever since she left the village. What was she supposed to do?
She highly doubted that Falco missed her. "He's probably forgotten about me." Katt said slowly as she crept out the door of Mia's house. The wind was soft and comforting. She began to hike through the village. No one was awake and so why should she waste her time hanging out here? She slowly made her way into the woods. The woods looked a little scary, but it was still dark. Sunrise hadn't even begun yet.
Making her way into the woods, Katt slowly began to change into her furry form. She was starting to dislike being a human. She hated it sometimes. She didn't like it that much because she didn't get that extra warmth that her fur gave her. Still, there wasn't that much of a difference. They just seemed cruder than most furs did.
Katt paced through the woods slowly. They looked scary in the dark, but pretty soon the sunrise would begin. It was probably about 5:30 A.M. Nothing bad about that. Sunrise would be in the next half-hour or so. She wasn't too sure. She never kept track of the sunrise or sunsets. She continued her slow walk through the woods, her thoughts completely focused on Falco.
It wasn't just Falco though. It was also Jon. There was no doubt that she might have felt something for him. But.... He was...a HUMAN! That just wasn't "right." Ever since she was young and turned thirteen, Katt had always wanted to be "normal." But how were you supposed to define "Normal" anyway?
She began to wonder why she told Jon about Falco. She was then starting to wonder how he understood the situation. She closed her eyes and continued her journey deep into the woods, while remaining in deep thought.
***
It was a little later now, and Fox could feel himself starting to get warmer and warmer. He sighed a little bit. He started to think about many times he'd had with Krystal.
***10 Years ago
"How come you never smile?" It was Krystal's third month in the village, and the only time she'd Fox smile was the first day they meant each other. She was now ten years old. "You should smile more. That way you won't be so sad all the time."
Fox tried to smile, but it never came to pass. "I don't smile much...not since I lost my father." They were sitting in the fields with the tulips. It was the first time Krystal had seen such beautiful flowers.
"But your dad wouldn't want to see you like that." She said softly. "You're dad would want to see you happier than this. My mom always told me that if you can't smile for what those who have passed have given you, you're hurting their feelings. Make your dad proud Fox and smile."
Perhaps Krystal was right. 'Maybe if I just give her a grin she'll shut up.' Fox thought. After this he forced a smile. His face looked goofy and to this Fox and Krystal both laughed. To his surprise, that was the first time Krystal had seen Fox laugh like that.
"Don't you feel better now that you can laugh and smile? You should smile more often." Krystal winked. She tilted her head to rest on Fox's shoulders. After the months they spent together, Fox was getting used to Krystal's affection, but he hadn't ever really given Krystal any in return. He didn't feel guilty about it. Fox never really knew how to act around the opposite sex back then.
They were watching the sunset, but throughout there moments together, Krystal had always seen sadness in Fox's eyes. For some reason, Fox NEVER saw sadness in her eyes. "Why are you always so happy?" Fox blurted his thought out loud. He didn't mean to do that, but it just slipped out.
"How come your always so sad?" Krystal responded. She liked being around Fox, but he was one of the most peculiar characters she'd ever met before. Fox remained in silence.
"Well, I...you know..." He mumbled. Of course it had to do with his dad. "But how can you always be so happy?"
"How can you not?" Krystal smiled. That was the other thing Fox had noticed. Krystal always had a smile upon her face. Did she ever get sad?
"Why don't you answer my question?" Fox said. He actually grinned.
"I don't have any reason to be sad."
Fox was a little shocked. She was pretty much forced out of her home, the boys absolutely abhorred her, and the girls found her strange yet she was always happy. In fact, Fox was the only friend she had. Who knew she'd grow up to be the most likeable girl in Corneria? Not just that, but the most beautiful as well. To Fox, her life seemed like hell, yet she smiled anyway.
"Everyday is different Fox."
Those words were stuck in Fox's head for a while. Everyday WAS different. "But that doesn't mean the pain is any different." He said.
Krystal sighed. It was quite clear that she wasn't going to convince Fox that life had its strong points. "Will you at least smile everyday for me?" She asked.
To Krystal's surprise, Fox gave her the brightest smile she'd ever seen him give. "Sure Krystal, I'll smile just for you."
***Present Day
Fox was interrupted by his memory by a rustling in the bushes. This time it wasn't the wind, someone was really there. And Fox without his dagger. When the figure finally stepped forward, he couldn't recognize the face right away, but the hot pink gave it all away. "Katt?" Then he realized. It really was her. "Katt! Where have you been!?" He ran forward and hugged her tight.
It was surprising to Katt to find Fox in the middle of the woods. She hadn't seen Fox since they were fourteen years old. She hugged him anyway. Fox's fur was cold. "What happened?"
Fox didn't feel like talking about it. He shook his head. "Nothing is going very well for me right now." The sun was beginning to rise now. "How are things with you? And where have you been?"
Katt didn't want to tell Fox that she was a shapeshifter. There was no way he would understand. After all, he had this biased towards humans. She plopped herself down. "I've been around." There was a bit of light in the woods and she was able to get a good look at Fox now. She scanned up and down his body. "You look good."
"So do you..." He trailed watching the sunrise.
"What's wrong Fox? It's Krystal's birthday right? Shouldn't you be back with her?" Katt said. She hadn't forgotten about Krystal's birthday. Then she thought for a moment. 'Oh...' she thought to herself. She may not have forgotten about Krystal's birthday, but she certainly forgot about Shane at the moment. Not only that, but Katt had forgotten over the past years that Krystal was "Fox's girl" and for that she started to feel a little guilty that Shane had just been tossed into the picture.
"Of course I want to be back there with Krystal." He said quietly, but didn't look at Katt. He had his head held low. Krystal was still on his mind and Katt hadn't exactly been "helping" him through this moment. "I'm just not. She seems to be happier with her new boyfriend!" He snarled.
Katt was starting to feel that she should say something about it all, but she couldn't. She knew what she wanted to say; the words just didn't come out. It wasn't just that, it was also that Fox was obviously hurting right now. If she mentioned that she knew about Shane now.... Things would only get worse.
Fox sat down under a tree again. He sighed loudly and furiously. He was getting angry again. Obviously he was thinking of Shane. "That bastard...." he mumbled.
Katt was about to turn around and leave, that would be best right now. But then what kind of a friend would she be to Fox? She darted her eyes from side to side. They were either on Fox, or the path. The path didn't lead back to the humans. The path would take her to Corneria. It had been so long since she had been there. It would be nice. She still felt that Fox was in need of someone the nourish his feelings right now.
Fox looked up at Katt. "So?"
Katt blinked a little puzzled. "So.... What?"
Fox was growing calmer now. He only became angry when he thought of Shane now. Thinking of Krystal made him sad. Now Katt was here to distract his thoughts. All he had to do was keep her intwined in a conversation and perhaps he'd be free of pain for a while. "You still didn't tell me where you've been over the past eight years."
Katt shrugged. "Like I said, I've been around." She didn't want to mention that she'd been a human and a fur for the past eight years. "Things have been getting better I guess." She said lowly. Her voice didn't show this to Fox though.
"Are you still mad at Falco?"
Katt shook her head. "I'm not mad at Falco anymore. Just sad that I left. I really should've thought about it. Does he say anything about me?"
Fox slowly shook his head. "Not anymore. He believed that one day you'd come back but he gave up all hope of that ever happening a few years ago. He used to talk about you all the time."
Some of that was comforting to hear. "Fox...." she slowly began. "Why are you here? Why aren't you at home?" She watched Fox shrug. "I know you know."
Fox sighed. "I don't feel like talking about it."
"But if you talk about it...you could better heal yourself. If you keep it in too long, you're just going to hurt yourself." Katt urged him to speak. She kept pretending she didn't know what happened. She kept pretending that she didn't know of Shane's existence. "So why don't you stop hurting yourself and tell me what's wrong?"
Fox shook his head slowly. "I've lost everything." He began. He was still angry, but he knew that Katt would keep pushing and pushing and pushing until she got an answer from him. "He just...APPEARED out of no where and stole Krystal away from me." He pounded the soft ground that he was sitting on. "He didn't even have to try...." He began plucking at the grass. "What's worse? They've only known each other a couple of days. She doesn't care that she's hurting me."
"Maybe...." Katt said slowly. "She doesn't know that she's hurting you..." She said referring back to her past with Falco. She took a seat next to Fox. "I know how you feel Fox. I can really relate. But you can't wait too long to tell Krystal that she's hurting you. If you wait until Shane is out of her life, then it'll be too late."
What did she just say? Fox's ears perked up. "I never told you his name was Shane." Fox now eyed Katt. He didn't want to mention the name, but now he knew something was up. "How did you know his name?"
Katt didn't realize she'd mentioned his name. She held her head down low. She felt as if she were helping Shane, rather than comforting Fox. "Shane.... Well, it's a long story. I guess I can't hide it anymore." She sighed and began to explain everything she could to Fox.
***
It was early in the morning. The sun had just crept out from behind the mountains, and thus that meant Shane had to be going. He was up with the sun and ready to leave. He looked at Krystal on the couch. She slept soundlessly. Somehow this wasn't right. He couldn't leave without saying goodbye could he?
Just then Krystal began to awaken. She saw Shane standing up, looking ready to leave. "You don't have to leave now do you?"
Shane didn't want to leave, but he had promised Fox that after he saw Krystal for the last time he'd be gone and would never come back. It was now he was planning to go back on that word. "I'll be back...tonight. I promise."
From what Krystal had seen, Shane had been one to keep his promises. "Alright, but you better come back. Today's a special day." Krystal said and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Shane actually walked out the front door this time and left. Things were starting to look up for him.
***8 Years Ago
She had left the village to be alone. She didn't want anyone to follow her. But when she left, she didn't get too far into the woods before she met an old woman sitting up against a tree. Mysterious she was to Katt's eye. It was her first encounter with a human. She was only fourteen, and thought that her life was going to end here. She had no idea what to say or do. The women only tilted her head for Katt to follow.
This was too strange. She didn't know what she should do. 'Do I follow her?' Katt thought to herself. She wasn't too sure if she should do this or not. It wouldn't be right to go with a human.
"Don't be alarmed. I'm not like the other humans. I won't hurt you I promise. Does it look I could do anything to you in the first place?" The old woman cackled lowly.
Katt still approached with caution. She was a mere two feet away from the old woman now. The she started to back away. The woman may have looked harmless, but she could still be dangerous.
"Don't be scared of me Katt." She said.
"You know my name..." Katt spoke with a hint of fear. This was no ordinary human. Then again, she'd never seen a human before. How could she have been so sure?
"I know many things about you. Things that I could tell you about your young self. I know that you're a tomboy. I haven't been back for a visit in two years, but I don't plan on going back anymore. I've got a new life set ahead of me." The old woman cackled again.
This was too scary for Katt. "You couldn't have been there two years ago, that isn't possible. You'd be dead before you knew it. No fur would allow a human in the village."
The woman sat with a humble attitude still. "Tell me how Bill, Falco, and Fox are. You still hang out with them, do you not?"
Katt eyed the woman with a strange look. "I'm not telling you anything until you tell me who the hell you are." She unsheathed her claws. "How do you know about Bill and Fox?" She didn't even bother to mention Falco. She'd just gone through a tough time with him, and didn't feel like talking about him.
"I see that I am a scary sight to look upon. Very well then, perhaps you'd be much more comfortable seeing me like this...." The old woman stood up and was surrounded by a white glow before she finally changed her form. There before Katt now stood a platinum vixen. "Now do you recognize me?"
Katt now sheathed her claws and ran up to Mia and gave her a huge hug. She was happy to see Mia. "Why don't you come to visit anymore? There's a new vixen that just moved in once you left last time. You should meet her someday." Mia had never met Krystal before.
"Its time that I get back to my new life. I can't come back now." Mia said.
"But you have to go back..."
"Why are you here then?" Mia inquired with her arms wrapped around Katt. She stroked her fur nice and gently. "Shouldn't you be back in Corneria?"
"I'm running away. There's nothing left for me there." Katt said holding close to Mia. She wasn't quite Mia's size yet, but she was growing.
Mia didn't question any further. "Come with me then. You can live your new life with me. I won't leave you Katt. I promise."
They held in that embrace for quite a while. Mia stroked her back and watched a tear well up in Katt's eye. She wiped the tear away before it was released from the eye. "I know something that I can do for you." Mia said softly. "But your life will be changed by it forever."
Katt didn't care. Anything to escape her old life would be fine. She'd lost Falco, what more did she have to lose? "I want to go with you from now on. Don't leave me Mia."
Mia gave Katt her word. "I'll never leave you Katt." They started to walk off into the woods; Katt took Mia's hand in hers. She felt like she was younger again. She felt as if all her worries would soon be healed.
They walked to the Northeast end of the woods. It was an unexplored path where the trees were a little dead and the leaves looked yellow and brown. Katt hadn't seen this side of the woods before. Not too many had. The trees only seemed to be getting worse. Katt held onto Mia and let her lead the way. "Where are we going?"
"To the abandoned cabin. No one knows about it, no one cares for it. It's where I keep some of my potions. I haven't been back to this cabin in a while. Hopefully my potions are still there."
When they came up to the cabin, it looked to be in ruins. It was still habitable to live in, and that was good at least. Mia guided Katt into the ruined log house. Inside were several potions and books. The place looked so ransacked. The floor wasn't visible under all the papers on the floor. Mia let go of Katt's hand and opened up one of her many books.
She grabbed a green potion and a white potion. This mix would make life easier for Katt...hopefully. She poured them both into a small bottle and mixed them. Then she poured the mix into a bowl. She looked into her shelves and grabbed a few Herbs. She picked out a red herb and a blue herb. She grinded the herbs in a separate bowl and then poured that in with the potion mix. She took a spoon and mixed it.
She handed the wooden bowl to Katt. With both paws she took it and looked at the mixed potion and herbs. "Am I supposed to drink this?"
Before Mia said anymore she sprinkled a pink dust over the bowl. "Now drink it."
The potion's color was shifting between red, orange and pink. Strange this was. She was a little nervous about it but she brought the bowl to her muzzle and took a lick. It tasted repulsive.
"Trust me Katt." Mia said.
With a gulp, Katt took the bowl back to her muzzle and began to drink. She tried to drink it fast. The taste was bad, but as she neared the last drop the taste became somewhat tasteless.
When she was done, she felt a shiver go through her body. From her feet to her head. Then in a flash of pink light she was from a Katt to a human. She overlooked her body and was a little embarrassed. "What did you do to me!?" She gasped.
Mia only smirked. "Close your eyes and think really hard about your fur life. Whenever you do that, you'll change back. Whenever you want to go back to this form, just close your eyes and think of your human form."
Katt closed her eyes and within a flash of pink she was once again her furry self. She sort of liked it. Though she was a bit taller as a human than she was as a fur.
"Get used to your human form though. If you're going to live a new life with me, you'll have no choice but to act like one." Mia warned. "This is your last chance to turn back Katt. The choice is up to you."
***Present Day
"So I chose to live a life with Mia as a shape shifter. As a human and a fur. I didn't want to go back."
Fox looked at Katt in awe. The story had taken her mind off Krystal and Shane for a while. Why anyone would want to be a human was beyond Fox. "So you're just like Shane." Fox said.
"No, I'm not. Shane is a fox until Krystal admits her love to him. Then he'll be a human again, and there won't really be any going back for him. I'm just a fur who can take human form as she pleases." Katt tried to explain. "I'm happy this way Fox. That's why I never came back."
Fox was silent for the longest time. "Tell me one last thing, and then I'll be heading back to Corneria." Fox requested. Katt nodded. "Tell me about Shane. How you know him and how he came to be the way he is."
"Fox, I want you to come with me. I'll take you to that cabin that Mia took me too. Then I'll go and get Mia. She can tell you the story about Shane. Mia can tell you everything you need to know...everything you want to know."
Fox sighed. He didn't really have much of a choice. "Alright, let Mia explain. Find her quickly. I've got to talk to Krystal."
Katt nodded. "Well, lets go."
____________________________________________________________________
A/N: Didn't jump around quite as much as I thought. I know, the moment with Krystal and Shane was just kind of placed in the middle. Sorry about that. Overall, I think this is one of my better chapters. The next chapter will have at least one more flashback...and that flashback is going to be the most important in this whole story.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Star Fox. Nintendo and/or Rare does. Made up characters (Shane, Jon, Mia) belong to me. Any relation in anyway is entirely coincidental
Chapter 19-Into the Katt's Eyes
The leaves in the trees rustled as the wind blew. It wasn't even sunrise yet, but it was early in the morning none the less. Fox didn't really get much sleep. It wasn't as if he was going to anyhow. He stood up, his eyes a little red with a dash of sorrow to boot. He sat up with his back to the tree. It was suddenly cold and bitter and he began to shiver. He was still a little upset, and he was still hurting. How long would it last? That wasn't known to Fox himself. This wasn't the kind of thing you got over in a day or two.
He wrapped his tail around himself shivering. He didn't go home, didn't feel like it. Seeing Krystal now would make him want to die. How did Shane get to Krystal with such ease? Fox was still upset that it had only taken Shane days, while it took him years. That was still a haunting thought.
The woods were a little gloomy right now, and Fox could swear he heard something rustling in the bushes. He swiftly darted his head from left to right. Perhaps he was just hearing things. The woods weren't really all that dangerous, although knowing that there could be hunters out, Fox really shouldn't have been there.
The rustling in the bushes stopped. It must've been his imagination, that or the wind. Fox couldn't get back to sleep now. His thoughts always took him back to Krystal. What did the ten years they spent together mean to her? Was it all...just a lie?
***
It was early in the morning and Katt had slept well. She hadn't been up this early in the morning for years. Something just dragged her out of bed. Jon rested peacefully, slumped over his notebook at the desk. 'Perhaps I shouldn't bother him.' Katt thought. She then changed into her human form and walked into Mia's living room. Mia wasn't up yet and that surprised Katt, since Mia was always up before the sun...no matter how late she went to bed.
She put on some hot pink pants, a red shirt and a pink jacket. When she would morph back into her fur form she'd still be wearing that, but she felt she needed a walk.
Even after all these years, Falco still haunted her thoughts. Katt thought about him everyday.... For the past eight years. Ever since she left the village. What was she supposed to do?
She highly doubted that Falco missed her. "He's probably forgotten about me." Katt said slowly as she crept out the door of Mia's house. The wind was soft and comforting. She began to hike through the village. No one was awake and so why should she waste her time hanging out here? She slowly made her way into the woods. The woods looked a little scary, but it was still dark. Sunrise hadn't even begun yet.
Making her way into the woods, Katt slowly began to change into her furry form. She was starting to dislike being a human. She hated it sometimes. She didn't like it that much because she didn't get that extra warmth that her fur gave her. Still, there wasn't that much of a difference. They just seemed cruder than most furs did.
Katt paced through the woods slowly. They looked scary in the dark, but pretty soon the sunrise would begin. It was probably about 5:30 A.M. Nothing bad about that. Sunrise would be in the next half-hour or so. She wasn't too sure. She never kept track of the sunrise or sunsets. She continued her slow walk through the woods, her thoughts completely focused on Falco.
It wasn't just Falco though. It was also Jon. There was no doubt that she might have felt something for him. But.... He was...a HUMAN! That just wasn't "right." Ever since she was young and turned thirteen, Katt had always wanted to be "normal." But how were you supposed to define "Normal" anyway?
She began to wonder why she told Jon about Falco. She was then starting to wonder how he understood the situation. She closed her eyes and continued her journey deep into the woods, while remaining in deep thought.
***
It was a little later now, and Fox could feel himself starting to get warmer and warmer. He sighed a little bit. He started to think about many times he'd had with Krystal.
***10 Years ago
"How come you never smile?" It was Krystal's third month in the village, and the only time she'd Fox smile was the first day they meant each other. She was now ten years old. "You should smile more. That way you won't be so sad all the time."
Fox tried to smile, but it never came to pass. "I don't smile much...not since I lost my father." They were sitting in the fields with the tulips. It was the first time Krystal had seen such beautiful flowers.
"But your dad wouldn't want to see you like that." She said softly. "You're dad would want to see you happier than this. My mom always told me that if you can't smile for what those who have passed have given you, you're hurting their feelings. Make your dad proud Fox and smile."
Perhaps Krystal was right. 'Maybe if I just give her a grin she'll shut up.' Fox thought. After this he forced a smile. His face looked goofy and to this Fox and Krystal both laughed. To his surprise, that was the first time Krystal had seen Fox laugh like that.
"Don't you feel better now that you can laugh and smile? You should smile more often." Krystal winked. She tilted her head to rest on Fox's shoulders. After the months they spent together, Fox was getting used to Krystal's affection, but he hadn't ever really given Krystal any in return. He didn't feel guilty about it. Fox never really knew how to act around the opposite sex back then.
They were watching the sunset, but throughout there moments together, Krystal had always seen sadness in Fox's eyes. For some reason, Fox NEVER saw sadness in her eyes. "Why are you always so happy?" Fox blurted his thought out loud. He didn't mean to do that, but it just slipped out.
"How come your always so sad?" Krystal responded. She liked being around Fox, but he was one of the most peculiar characters she'd ever met before. Fox remained in silence.
"Well, I...you know..." He mumbled. Of course it had to do with his dad. "But how can you always be so happy?"
"How can you not?" Krystal smiled. That was the other thing Fox had noticed. Krystal always had a smile upon her face. Did she ever get sad?
"Why don't you answer my question?" Fox said. He actually grinned.
"I don't have any reason to be sad."
Fox was a little shocked. She was pretty much forced out of her home, the boys absolutely abhorred her, and the girls found her strange yet she was always happy. In fact, Fox was the only friend she had. Who knew she'd grow up to be the most likeable girl in Corneria? Not just that, but the most beautiful as well. To Fox, her life seemed like hell, yet she smiled anyway.
"Everyday is different Fox."
Those words were stuck in Fox's head for a while. Everyday WAS different. "But that doesn't mean the pain is any different." He said.
Krystal sighed. It was quite clear that she wasn't going to convince Fox that life had its strong points. "Will you at least smile everyday for me?" She asked.
To Krystal's surprise, Fox gave her the brightest smile she'd ever seen him give. "Sure Krystal, I'll smile just for you."
***Present Day
Fox was interrupted by his memory by a rustling in the bushes. This time it wasn't the wind, someone was really there. And Fox without his dagger. When the figure finally stepped forward, he couldn't recognize the face right away, but the hot pink gave it all away. "Katt?" Then he realized. It really was her. "Katt! Where have you been!?" He ran forward and hugged her tight.
It was surprising to Katt to find Fox in the middle of the woods. She hadn't seen Fox since they were fourteen years old. She hugged him anyway. Fox's fur was cold. "What happened?"
Fox didn't feel like talking about it. He shook his head. "Nothing is going very well for me right now." The sun was beginning to rise now. "How are things with you? And where have you been?"
Katt didn't want to tell Fox that she was a shapeshifter. There was no way he would understand. After all, he had this biased towards humans. She plopped herself down. "I've been around." There was a bit of light in the woods and she was able to get a good look at Fox now. She scanned up and down his body. "You look good."
"So do you..." He trailed watching the sunrise.
"What's wrong Fox? It's Krystal's birthday right? Shouldn't you be back with her?" Katt said. She hadn't forgotten about Krystal's birthday. Then she thought for a moment. 'Oh...' she thought to herself. She may not have forgotten about Krystal's birthday, but she certainly forgot about Shane at the moment. Not only that, but Katt had forgotten over the past years that Krystal was "Fox's girl" and for that she started to feel a little guilty that Shane had just been tossed into the picture.
"Of course I want to be back there with Krystal." He said quietly, but didn't look at Katt. He had his head held low. Krystal was still on his mind and Katt hadn't exactly been "helping" him through this moment. "I'm just not. She seems to be happier with her new boyfriend!" He snarled.
Katt was starting to feel that she should say something about it all, but she couldn't. She knew what she wanted to say; the words just didn't come out. It wasn't just that, it was also that Fox was obviously hurting right now. If she mentioned that she knew about Shane now.... Things would only get worse.
Fox sat down under a tree again. He sighed loudly and furiously. He was getting angry again. Obviously he was thinking of Shane. "That bastard...." he mumbled.
Katt was about to turn around and leave, that would be best right now. But then what kind of a friend would she be to Fox? She darted her eyes from side to side. They were either on Fox, or the path. The path didn't lead back to the humans. The path would take her to Corneria. It had been so long since she had been there. It would be nice. She still felt that Fox was in need of someone the nourish his feelings right now.
Fox looked up at Katt. "So?"
Katt blinked a little puzzled. "So.... What?"
Fox was growing calmer now. He only became angry when he thought of Shane now. Thinking of Krystal made him sad. Now Katt was here to distract his thoughts. All he had to do was keep her intwined in a conversation and perhaps he'd be free of pain for a while. "You still didn't tell me where you've been over the past eight years."
Katt shrugged. "Like I said, I've been around." She didn't want to mention that she'd been a human and a fur for the past eight years. "Things have been getting better I guess." She said lowly. Her voice didn't show this to Fox though.
"Are you still mad at Falco?"
Katt shook her head. "I'm not mad at Falco anymore. Just sad that I left. I really should've thought about it. Does he say anything about me?"
Fox slowly shook his head. "Not anymore. He believed that one day you'd come back but he gave up all hope of that ever happening a few years ago. He used to talk about you all the time."
Some of that was comforting to hear. "Fox...." she slowly began. "Why are you here? Why aren't you at home?" She watched Fox shrug. "I know you know."
Fox sighed. "I don't feel like talking about it."
"But if you talk about it...you could better heal yourself. If you keep it in too long, you're just going to hurt yourself." Katt urged him to speak. She kept pretending she didn't know what happened. She kept pretending that she didn't know of Shane's existence. "So why don't you stop hurting yourself and tell me what's wrong?"
Fox shook his head slowly. "I've lost everything." He began. He was still angry, but he knew that Katt would keep pushing and pushing and pushing until she got an answer from him. "He just...APPEARED out of no where and stole Krystal away from me." He pounded the soft ground that he was sitting on. "He didn't even have to try...." He began plucking at the grass. "What's worse? They've only known each other a couple of days. She doesn't care that she's hurting me."
"Maybe...." Katt said slowly. "She doesn't know that she's hurting you..." She said referring back to her past with Falco. She took a seat next to Fox. "I know how you feel Fox. I can really relate. But you can't wait too long to tell Krystal that she's hurting you. If you wait until Shane is out of her life, then it'll be too late."
What did she just say? Fox's ears perked up. "I never told you his name was Shane." Fox now eyed Katt. He didn't want to mention the name, but now he knew something was up. "How did you know his name?"
Katt didn't realize she'd mentioned his name. She held her head down low. She felt as if she were helping Shane, rather than comforting Fox. "Shane.... Well, it's a long story. I guess I can't hide it anymore." She sighed and began to explain everything she could to Fox.
***
It was early in the morning. The sun had just crept out from behind the mountains, and thus that meant Shane had to be going. He was up with the sun and ready to leave. He looked at Krystal on the couch. She slept soundlessly. Somehow this wasn't right. He couldn't leave without saying goodbye could he?
Just then Krystal began to awaken. She saw Shane standing up, looking ready to leave. "You don't have to leave now do you?"
Shane didn't want to leave, but he had promised Fox that after he saw Krystal for the last time he'd be gone and would never come back. It was now he was planning to go back on that word. "I'll be back...tonight. I promise."
From what Krystal had seen, Shane had been one to keep his promises. "Alright, but you better come back. Today's a special day." Krystal said and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Shane actually walked out the front door this time and left. Things were starting to look up for him.
***8 Years Ago
She had left the village to be alone. She didn't want anyone to follow her. But when she left, she didn't get too far into the woods before she met an old woman sitting up against a tree. Mysterious she was to Katt's eye. It was her first encounter with a human. She was only fourteen, and thought that her life was going to end here. She had no idea what to say or do. The women only tilted her head for Katt to follow.
This was too strange. She didn't know what she should do. 'Do I follow her?' Katt thought to herself. She wasn't too sure if she should do this or not. It wouldn't be right to go with a human.
"Don't be alarmed. I'm not like the other humans. I won't hurt you I promise. Does it look I could do anything to you in the first place?" The old woman cackled lowly.
Katt still approached with caution. She was a mere two feet away from the old woman now. The she started to back away. The woman may have looked harmless, but she could still be dangerous.
"Don't be scared of me Katt." She said.
"You know my name..." Katt spoke with a hint of fear. This was no ordinary human. Then again, she'd never seen a human before. How could she have been so sure?
"I know many things about you. Things that I could tell you about your young self. I know that you're a tomboy. I haven't been back for a visit in two years, but I don't plan on going back anymore. I've got a new life set ahead of me." The old woman cackled again.
This was too scary for Katt. "You couldn't have been there two years ago, that isn't possible. You'd be dead before you knew it. No fur would allow a human in the village."
The woman sat with a humble attitude still. "Tell me how Bill, Falco, and Fox are. You still hang out with them, do you not?"
Katt eyed the woman with a strange look. "I'm not telling you anything until you tell me who the hell you are." She unsheathed her claws. "How do you know about Bill and Fox?" She didn't even bother to mention Falco. She'd just gone through a tough time with him, and didn't feel like talking about him.
"I see that I am a scary sight to look upon. Very well then, perhaps you'd be much more comfortable seeing me like this...." The old woman stood up and was surrounded by a white glow before she finally changed her form. There before Katt now stood a platinum vixen. "Now do you recognize me?"
Katt now sheathed her claws and ran up to Mia and gave her a huge hug. She was happy to see Mia. "Why don't you come to visit anymore? There's a new vixen that just moved in once you left last time. You should meet her someday." Mia had never met Krystal before.
"Its time that I get back to my new life. I can't come back now." Mia said.
"But you have to go back..."
"Why are you here then?" Mia inquired with her arms wrapped around Katt. She stroked her fur nice and gently. "Shouldn't you be back in Corneria?"
"I'm running away. There's nothing left for me there." Katt said holding close to Mia. She wasn't quite Mia's size yet, but she was growing.
Mia didn't question any further. "Come with me then. You can live your new life with me. I won't leave you Katt. I promise."
They held in that embrace for quite a while. Mia stroked her back and watched a tear well up in Katt's eye. She wiped the tear away before it was released from the eye. "I know something that I can do for you." Mia said softly. "But your life will be changed by it forever."
Katt didn't care. Anything to escape her old life would be fine. She'd lost Falco, what more did she have to lose? "I want to go with you from now on. Don't leave me Mia."
Mia gave Katt her word. "I'll never leave you Katt." They started to walk off into the woods; Katt took Mia's hand in hers. She felt like she was younger again. She felt as if all her worries would soon be healed.
They walked to the Northeast end of the woods. It was an unexplored path where the trees were a little dead and the leaves looked yellow and brown. Katt hadn't seen this side of the woods before. Not too many had. The trees only seemed to be getting worse. Katt held onto Mia and let her lead the way. "Where are we going?"
"To the abandoned cabin. No one knows about it, no one cares for it. It's where I keep some of my potions. I haven't been back to this cabin in a while. Hopefully my potions are still there."
When they came up to the cabin, it looked to be in ruins. It was still habitable to live in, and that was good at least. Mia guided Katt into the ruined log house. Inside were several potions and books. The place looked so ransacked. The floor wasn't visible under all the papers on the floor. Mia let go of Katt's hand and opened up one of her many books.
She grabbed a green potion and a white potion. This mix would make life easier for Katt...hopefully. She poured them both into a small bottle and mixed them. Then she poured the mix into a bowl. She looked into her shelves and grabbed a few Herbs. She picked out a red herb and a blue herb. She grinded the herbs in a separate bowl and then poured that in with the potion mix. She took a spoon and mixed it.
She handed the wooden bowl to Katt. With both paws she took it and looked at the mixed potion and herbs. "Am I supposed to drink this?"
Before Mia said anymore she sprinkled a pink dust over the bowl. "Now drink it."
The potion's color was shifting between red, orange and pink. Strange this was. She was a little nervous about it but she brought the bowl to her muzzle and took a lick. It tasted repulsive.
"Trust me Katt." Mia said.
With a gulp, Katt took the bowl back to her muzzle and began to drink. She tried to drink it fast. The taste was bad, but as she neared the last drop the taste became somewhat tasteless.
When she was done, she felt a shiver go through her body. From her feet to her head. Then in a flash of pink light she was from a Katt to a human. She overlooked her body and was a little embarrassed. "What did you do to me!?" She gasped.
Mia only smirked. "Close your eyes and think really hard about your fur life. Whenever you do that, you'll change back. Whenever you want to go back to this form, just close your eyes and think of your human form."
Katt closed her eyes and within a flash of pink she was once again her furry self. She sort of liked it. Though she was a bit taller as a human than she was as a fur.
"Get used to your human form though. If you're going to live a new life with me, you'll have no choice but to act like one." Mia warned. "This is your last chance to turn back Katt. The choice is up to you."
***Present Day
"So I chose to live a life with Mia as a shape shifter. As a human and a fur. I didn't want to go back."
Fox looked at Katt in awe. The story had taken her mind off Krystal and Shane for a while. Why anyone would want to be a human was beyond Fox. "So you're just like Shane." Fox said.
"No, I'm not. Shane is a fox until Krystal admits her love to him. Then he'll be a human again, and there won't really be any going back for him. I'm just a fur who can take human form as she pleases." Katt tried to explain. "I'm happy this way Fox. That's why I never came back."
Fox was silent for the longest time. "Tell me one last thing, and then I'll be heading back to Corneria." Fox requested. Katt nodded. "Tell me about Shane. How you know him and how he came to be the way he is."
"Fox, I want you to come with me. I'll take you to that cabin that Mia took me too. Then I'll go and get Mia. She can tell you the story about Shane. Mia can tell you everything you need to know...everything you want to know."
Fox sighed. He didn't really have much of a choice. "Alright, let Mia explain. Find her quickly. I've got to talk to Krystal."
Katt nodded. "Well, lets go."
____________________________________________________________________
A/N: Didn't jump around quite as much as I thought. I know, the moment with Krystal and Shane was just kind of placed in the middle. Sorry about that. Overall, I think this is one of my better chapters. The next chapter will have at least one more flashback...and that flashback is going to be the most important in this whole story.
