A/N: Let's take a moment away from Fox and focus a bit on the other
characters for a moment. I think you should all see how Vixy is doing as
well. Remember it hasn't been a decade yet and it isn't time for Krystal
to leave yet. But I want to focus on not just Fox, but the other
characters as well in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Star Fox. Nintendo and/or Rare do. Any relation to my made up characters in anyway is entirely coincidental. _______________________________________________________________________
Chapter 9-Too Far From Home, Too Scared to go Back
Things in Corneria had been fine. Scales had indeed been living up to his promise so far. However, he'd already exiled furs for doubting him, and the sharp claw were slowly reproducing now. Instead of 100, there were near 150 now.
"Maybe the platinum vixen isn't 100% correct." Wolf said to himself in the room that once belonged to Fox. "After all, she is but a peasant. But a fortune teller nonetheless it seems." Wolf was just getting used to the fact that he actually knew the vixen's name, Mia. He'd seen her around a lot, but until that day when he was crowned Vice King, he never knew her name.
Wolf sat down on the bed that was now clean of blood. "It has been three weeks since he fled, and I'm supposed to wait a decade before I leave for Zoness?" He didn't know if Fox headed off in that direction, but he certainly hoped so. Zoness was the closest Kingdom.
He sat down on the bed and watched the clock. "Ten years seems like such a long time."
"It's not as long as you think." Mia walked in on Wolf.
"Scales let you in?" Wolf asked. "How? He never lets anyone in."
"Vixy let me in, and Scales wouldn't object the Queen in her state of mind." Mia replied. "I came to see how you were doing. Are you still feeling guilty for killing the guards and helping Scales with his plan?"
"What good does it do to have power if you're miserable with it?" Wolf replied. "The death of the King is a heavy burden to carry, and I didn't even do the murder! Look at my paws, they are stained with the blood of the guards, and the conscience of the King." Wolf said and showed his paw. It wasn't really covered in blood, but Mia knew what he meant.
"Relax Wolf, your intentions were wrong, but your purpose was different from Scales. You were homeless I understand. All Scales wants is the sharp claw back in the kingdom, and the power which he could never possess unless he had done the deed."
Wolf lie back on the bed and tried not to think. "Please Mia, I beg of you. Uncrown me now! I don't deserve this!"
"Relax, and within time you WILL deserve that crown."
"Ten years is a long time to carry a false title. What if I break before then?"
"You won't break if you stand strong and hold your ground. You won't like what Scales is going to do, and it will start soon. Trust me Wolf, you won't leave because I told you to, you'll leave because you WANT to." She said.
Wolf turned his attention to the platinum vixen. "What do you mean because I'll 'want' to?"
"Scales doesn't give a damn about the furs in this kingdom. He only keeps it looking good for the sharp claw. Once there are enough sharp claw he'll set out to conquer other Kingdoms! He'll leave Corneria in shambles, and he'll build an army so powerful. And you know what else? Because no one is going to want another war, they'll all recoil in fear and let him take their land without a fight! If that were to happen, there WILL be another war! But he'll need LOTS and LOTS of sharp claw to do this, and therefore he's going to wait. I'm predicting ten years time. Trust me, when he feels he has a large enough army, you'll WANT to seek help. I'm leaving it all up to you." She stood up and looked at Wolf.
"What about Fox? When will he come back?"
"Many have already given up on Fox. But I hope that he will come back. I cannot see where he is now. But take word of this too, Krystal WILL find Fox. It'll take a while, but she'll be successful. She doesn't know this though, and she refuses to believe me."
Wolf only looked at Mia and huffed. "How can you be so sure? What if Fox is already dead? He's only ten years old! There's no way that a kit like him could survive."
"With the Arwing by his side, he will." Mia said and left the lupine by his lonesome.
***
A servant came to Scales with new details on Vixy's condition. "Your majesty, she has grown worse, and she refuses to eat. She also speaks very little now."
Scales, even though he did kill the king, still had a tiny bit of sympathy left for the vixen. "Tell me no more. I'll make her eat. She'll hold strong. One day she'll stop grieving. Until then, keep her in the most comfortable care, and leave her some soup by her bed everyday. She'll soon eat. She's a strong woman."
The servant bowed his head and left.
Scales sat at the throne and smiled. Soon he'd have the palace over run with sharp claw. Then there would be no need for these foxes and wolves. No need for raccoons and bears, and any other furry in the kingdom.
***
Mia walked in on Vixy. Vixy didn't look that bad, though she'd eaten a lot less. She didn't appear to have lost any weight, so somehow she had been eating.
"Mia, come here." Vixy asked in a low voice.
The room was dark and gloomy. The curtains, and her bed spreading were black. She even wore black herself. This was what it was like for Vixy to be a widow. "Please Mia, I want someone to hear me out."
Mia walked up to the side of Vixy's bed holding her staff and wearing a white robe. "Yes, your highness?"
Vixy looked up at Mia and noticed a different glimmer in the eyes of the platinum vixen. "I don't want ANYMORE bloodshed. The furs of Corneria seem happy for the moment. Let Scales do his job, and don't interfere."
"I can't do that." Mia shook her head. "Scales may be doing fine now, but one day, rule will get worse and worse."
Vixy took Mia's paw in hers and squeezed it. "Then let him take me! A life without James is a life that isn't worth living. I can't sleep at night, and knowing that my son is dead too..." She paused for a moment. "I wish I hadn't awakened that morning. Had I known I would never see my son or husband again, I would've stayed in bed and died."
"Don't talk like that Queen."
"I am no longer Queen." Vixy said.
"You ARE Queen. Please stand strong Vixy. I promise you that you'll get better."
"When does the suffering end Mia? As soon as things seem to be looking up, they look down. Tell me, when does the suffering end?"
"I promise the suffering will end soon. But I want you to stay alive Vixy. You MUST stay alive. I can't do this on my own. You give those in Corneria the strength to live. You give them the motivation to move on."
Vixy only squeezed tighter. "Yes..." she said. "I'll keep holding on for as long as I can. Until then, will you come to visit me everyday? You're the one who keeps me strong. I wouldn't ask of this if it wasn't true."
Mia nodded. "I'll stay for as long as you need me to."
***
It was a beautiful necklace with a ruby pendant. "Where did he get this?" Katt looked at the necklace that Fox had with him. It was the same necklace that Mia had given him for his birthday. "I wish I had one just like it."
Fox woke up not too long after Katt had mentioned the words. "Good morning mom." Fox said as he opened his eyes and saw Katt holding his necklace. "Why are you holding my necklace?"
Katt looked up at Fox and smiled. "Good morning...son. I couldn't help but notice your necklace here. It's beautiful."
Fox looked around. "You can have it."
Katt looked at him and blinked. "But--"
"Take it. My dad always told me that giving someone a gift is the best way to thank them."
Katt smiled. "I can't take this Fox. Please understand that I can't take it from you. I want you to keep it." She said and placed it in his paw and clasped it shut. 'He's so cute and innocent' Katt thought. 'If only he were older.'
"Now come, Arland. It's time for breakfast."
"Yes mother." Fox said and hopped out of bed and quickly got dressed.
Katt noticed him, and couldn't help but think. 'Mother? Me? I couldn't even take care of a flower. How am I supposed to watch after him?' She soon smiled and realized that it was true. She was the only 'Mother' that Fox really had now. He had to leave everything behind.
Fox was finally ready for breakfast. "Okay, I'm ready."
Katt smiled and extended her paw. Fox took it in hers and they walked down to breakfast, as if they were mother and son.
***
"Poor kid." Falco said and had a seat next to the lake. "I still feel sorry for him. I wonder when Katt will come by today."
"Probably the same time she does everyday." Shane replied and scooped up some water in his paw and splashed it on his face. The bags under his eyes revealed that he didn't sleep too well anymore. "Don't worry about Fox. As long as he sticks with Katt in the palace, he'll be fine."
"Speaking of which, when Katt took you in about a year ago, how was it?"
"She was very nice and all but..."
"But what?"
"Her parents absolutely HATED me. So I left and came back to be with you. Her mother took one look at me and said," he then imitated a proper feminine voice, "'Katt, where do you find such ugly and heartless creatures.'"
"That must have been bad."
"Don't get me wrong, I liked Katt and all. But she's still a little young for me. I was seventeen when she took me in remember? Her parents were probably thinking something else. I never had any of THOSE intentions, I swear."
"Don't worry about it Shane." Falco said. "Not everyone you meet is going to like you. After all, you did look pretty bad when Katt took you in."
"But they probably gave more respect to Fox. I mean, come on, he's a kit. No one can turn down a hungry looking kit in rags." Shane said. "They didn't like me because I was older, a lot less attractive, and I didn't look hungry."
"Well complaining isn't going to do much."
Shane sighed. "You're right. I should probably just forget it now." He shook his head rapidly from side to side, drying his face. When he was done the fur on his cheeks puffed out.
Falco looked at him and laughed. "Well, I'm pretty sure we'll see Fox again." Falco said in between laughs. "He'll like you a lot, I can tell."
Shane brushed his fur down with his paw, "Yeah, I'm sure he will."
***
Mia continued to visit Vixy everyday. Each day Vixy was starting to look worse and worse. Yet she still held on. "You're a strong vixen." Mia said as she walked in.
"Yes, well..."
"Well what?"
"I believe that there IS hope. Scales is doing a nice job, but if what you speak of is true, then I must hold on to give Corneria the strength they need to stand tall."
"It's working all too well." Mia sat down in a chair.
"Your highness?" Wolf walked in the door.
"Out!" Vixy shouted and pointed.
"Let him stay, he has words that he must speak of." Mia said, calming Vixy down.
"I want you to listen your highness." Wolf said. "I accompanied Scales in the murder of your husband, but not in the ACTUAL murder." He started. "You probably were wondering who killed the guards, and that was me. Scales promised me that if I helped him, he'd make me Vice King, in which he did." Wolf paused for a moment. "But that isn't what I came to confess to you."
"What did you come to confess then? That you work for the tyrant of hell? James may have forgiven you for eating Pigma, but I'm not. And I don't forgive you for being an accomplice of Scales!" Vixy said.
"Vixy," Wolf said. "Please, hear me out." Wolf pleaded. "Your son is ALIVE and OUT there somewhere."
Vixy looked into Wolf's one eye and thought for a moment. "You're lying!" She snapped. "You only want me to think that. What is Scales up to? He thinks he can buy me over by sending YOU in here to comfort me?"
"It's true." Wolf said. "You didn't notice the rope in the room? I didn't cut it or anything, he went down the side of the palace and escaped to the west."
Vixy looked at Wolf, and then at Mia. Mia's eyes revealed that Wolf was indeed telling the truth. Then she remembered there was a rope in the room. She calmed down a little bit.
"I let him go because I knew that if Scales got to him before I did, then you really would've lost your son."
"So Fox is alive?" Vixy asked.
Wolf nodded. "Please Vixy, stay strong for Fox. Stay strong for as long as you can, because I can't do this on my own."
"I will stay strong!" Vixy said. "Until the day I see my son again!"
Mia nodded and once more took her paw, "If James could see you now, he'd be proud."
___________________________________________________________________
A/N: OK, I thought I'd end it there for. The next chapter is when some things start to pick up a little. I don't really have much to say on this one so please R+R and try not to flame me. Yes I know, this sounds A LOT like the Lion King (I made it that way) so for those asking, yes that was my inspiration, just like my last fic was inspired by a Disney movie (its my writing style mostly). Anyway R+R and try not to flame.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Star Fox. Nintendo and/or Rare do. Any relation to my made up characters in anyway is entirely coincidental. _______________________________________________________________________
Chapter 9-Too Far From Home, Too Scared to go Back
Things in Corneria had been fine. Scales had indeed been living up to his promise so far. However, he'd already exiled furs for doubting him, and the sharp claw were slowly reproducing now. Instead of 100, there were near 150 now.
"Maybe the platinum vixen isn't 100% correct." Wolf said to himself in the room that once belonged to Fox. "After all, she is but a peasant. But a fortune teller nonetheless it seems." Wolf was just getting used to the fact that he actually knew the vixen's name, Mia. He'd seen her around a lot, but until that day when he was crowned Vice King, he never knew her name.
Wolf sat down on the bed that was now clean of blood. "It has been three weeks since he fled, and I'm supposed to wait a decade before I leave for Zoness?" He didn't know if Fox headed off in that direction, but he certainly hoped so. Zoness was the closest Kingdom.
He sat down on the bed and watched the clock. "Ten years seems like such a long time."
"It's not as long as you think." Mia walked in on Wolf.
"Scales let you in?" Wolf asked. "How? He never lets anyone in."
"Vixy let me in, and Scales wouldn't object the Queen in her state of mind." Mia replied. "I came to see how you were doing. Are you still feeling guilty for killing the guards and helping Scales with his plan?"
"What good does it do to have power if you're miserable with it?" Wolf replied. "The death of the King is a heavy burden to carry, and I didn't even do the murder! Look at my paws, they are stained with the blood of the guards, and the conscience of the King." Wolf said and showed his paw. It wasn't really covered in blood, but Mia knew what he meant.
"Relax Wolf, your intentions were wrong, but your purpose was different from Scales. You were homeless I understand. All Scales wants is the sharp claw back in the kingdom, and the power which he could never possess unless he had done the deed."
Wolf lie back on the bed and tried not to think. "Please Mia, I beg of you. Uncrown me now! I don't deserve this!"
"Relax, and within time you WILL deserve that crown."
"Ten years is a long time to carry a false title. What if I break before then?"
"You won't break if you stand strong and hold your ground. You won't like what Scales is going to do, and it will start soon. Trust me Wolf, you won't leave because I told you to, you'll leave because you WANT to." She said.
Wolf turned his attention to the platinum vixen. "What do you mean because I'll 'want' to?"
"Scales doesn't give a damn about the furs in this kingdom. He only keeps it looking good for the sharp claw. Once there are enough sharp claw he'll set out to conquer other Kingdoms! He'll leave Corneria in shambles, and he'll build an army so powerful. And you know what else? Because no one is going to want another war, they'll all recoil in fear and let him take their land without a fight! If that were to happen, there WILL be another war! But he'll need LOTS and LOTS of sharp claw to do this, and therefore he's going to wait. I'm predicting ten years time. Trust me, when he feels he has a large enough army, you'll WANT to seek help. I'm leaving it all up to you." She stood up and looked at Wolf.
"What about Fox? When will he come back?"
"Many have already given up on Fox. But I hope that he will come back. I cannot see where he is now. But take word of this too, Krystal WILL find Fox. It'll take a while, but she'll be successful. She doesn't know this though, and she refuses to believe me."
Wolf only looked at Mia and huffed. "How can you be so sure? What if Fox is already dead? He's only ten years old! There's no way that a kit like him could survive."
"With the Arwing by his side, he will." Mia said and left the lupine by his lonesome.
***
A servant came to Scales with new details on Vixy's condition. "Your majesty, she has grown worse, and she refuses to eat. She also speaks very little now."
Scales, even though he did kill the king, still had a tiny bit of sympathy left for the vixen. "Tell me no more. I'll make her eat. She'll hold strong. One day she'll stop grieving. Until then, keep her in the most comfortable care, and leave her some soup by her bed everyday. She'll soon eat. She's a strong woman."
The servant bowed his head and left.
Scales sat at the throne and smiled. Soon he'd have the palace over run with sharp claw. Then there would be no need for these foxes and wolves. No need for raccoons and bears, and any other furry in the kingdom.
***
Mia walked in on Vixy. Vixy didn't look that bad, though she'd eaten a lot less. She didn't appear to have lost any weight, so somehow she had been eating.
"Mia, come here." Vixy asked in a low voice.
The room was dark and gloomy. The curtains, and her bed spreading were black. She even wore black herself. This was what it was like for Vixy to be a widow. "Please Mia, I want someone to hear me out."
Mia walked up to the side of Vixy's bed holding her staff and wearing a white robe. "Yes, your highness?"
Vixy looked up at Mia and noticed a different glimmer in the eyes of the platinum vixen. "I don't want ANYMORE bloodshed. The furs of Corneria seem happy for the moment. Let Scales do his job, and don't interfere."
"I can't do that." Mia shook her head. "Scales may be doing fine now, but one day, rule will get worse and worse."
Vixy took Mia's paw in hers and squeezed it. "Then let him take me! A life without James is a life that isn't worth living. I can't sleep at night, and knowing that my son is dead too..." She paused for a moment. "I wish I hadn't awakened that morning. Had I known I would never see my son or husband again, I would've stayed in bed and died."
"Don't talk like that Queen."
"I am no longer Queen." Vixy said.
"You ARE Queen. Please stand strong Vixy. I promise you that you'll get better."
"When does the suffering end Mia? As soon as things seem to be looking up, they look down. Tell me, when does the suffering end?"
"I promise the suffering will end soon. But I want you to stay alive Vixy. You MUST stay alive. I can't do this on my own. You give those in Corneria the strength to live. You give them the motivation to move on."
Vixy only squeezed tighter. "Yes..." she said. "I'll keep holding on for as long as I can. Until then, will you come to visit me everyday? You're the one who keeps me strong. I wouldn't ask of this if it wasn't true."
Mia nodded. "I'll stay for as long as you need me to."
***
It was a beautiful necklace with a ruby pendant. "Where did he get this?" Katt looked at the necklace that Fox had with him. It was the same necklace that Mia had given him for his birthday. "I wish I had one just like it."
Fox woke up not too long after Katt had mentioned the words. "Good morning mom." Fox said as he opened his eyes and saw Katt holding his necklace. "Why are you holding my necklace?"
Katt looked up at Fox and smiled. "Good morning...son. I couldn't help but notice your necklace here. It's beautiful."
Fox looked around. "You can have it."
Katt looked at him and blinked. "But--"
"Take it. My dad always told me that giving someone a gift is the best way to thank them."
Katt smiled. "I can't take this Fox. Please understand that I can't take it from you. I want you to keep it." She said and placed it in his paw and clasped it shut. 'He's so cute and innocent' Katt thought. 'If only he were older.'
"Now come, Arland. It's time for breakfast."
"Yes mother." Fox said and hopped out of bed and quickly got dressed.
Katt noticed him, and couldn't help but think. 'Mother? Me? I couldn't even take care of a flower. How am I supposed to watch after him?' She soon smiled and realized that it was true. She was the only 'Mother' that Fox really had now. He had to leave everything behind.
Fox was finally ready for breakfast. "Okay, I'm ready."
Katt smiled and extended her paw. Fox took it in hers and they walked down to breakfast, as if they were mother and son.
***
"Poor kid." Falco said and had a seat next to the lake. "I still feel sorry for him. I wonder when Katt will come by today."
"Probably the same time she does everyday." Shane replied and scooped up some water in his paw and splashed it on his face. The bags under his eyes revealed that he didn't sleep too well anymore. "Don't worry about Fox. As long as he sticks with Katt in the palace, he'll be fine."
"Speaking of which, when Katt took you in about a year ago, how was it?"
"She was very nice and all but..."
"But what?"
"Her parents absolutely HATED me. So I left and came back to be with you. Her mother took one look at me and said," he then imitated a proper feminine voice, "'Katt, where do you find such ugly and heartless creatures.'"
"That must have been bad."
"Don't get me wrong, I liked Katt and all. But she's still a little young for me. I was seventeen when she took me in remember? Her parents were probably thinking something else. I never had any of THOSE intentions, I swear."
"Don't worry about it Shane." Falco said. "Not everyone you meet is going to like you. After all, you did look pretty bad when Katt took you in."
"But they probably gave more respect to Fox. I mean, come on, he's a kit. No one can turn down a hungry looking kit in rags." Shane said. "They didn't like me because I was older, a lot less attractive, and I didn't look hungry."
"Well complaining isn't going to do much."
Shane sighed. "You're right. I should probably just forget it now." He shook his head rapidly from side to side, drying his face. When he was done the fur on his cheeks puffed out.
Falco looked at him and laughed. "Well, I'm pretty sure we'll see Fox again." Falco said in between laughs. "He'll like you a lot, I can tell."
Shane brushed his fur down with his paw, "Yeah, I'm sure he will."
***
Mia continued to visit Vixy everyday. Each day Vixy was starting to look worse and worse. Yet she still held on. "You're a strong vixen." Mia said as she walked in.
"Yes, well..."
"Well what?"
"I believe that there IS hope. Scales is doing a nice job, but if what you speak of is true, then I must hold on to give Corneria the strength they need to stand tall."
"It's working all too well." Mia sat down in a chair.
"Your highness?" Wolf walked in the door.
"Out!" Vixy shouted and pointed.
"Let him stay, he has words that he must speak of." Mia said, calming Vixy down.
"I want you to listen your highness." Wolf said. "I accompanied Scales in the murder of your husband, but not in the ACTUAL murder." He started. "You probably were wondering who killed the guards, and that was me. Scales promised me that if I helped him, he'd make me Vice King, in which he did." Wolf paused for a moment. "But that isn't what I came to confess to you."
"What did you come to confess then? That you work for the tyrant of hell? James may have forgiven you for eating Pigma, but I'm not. And I don't forgive you for being an accomplice of Scales!" Vixy said.
"Vixy," Wolf said. "Please, hear me out." Wolf pleaded. "Your son is ALIVE and OUT there somewhere."
Vixy looked into Wolf's one eye and thought for a moment. "You're lying!" She snapped. "You only want me to think that. What is Scales up to? He thinks he can buy me over by sending YOU in here to comfort me?"
"It's true." Wolf said. "You didn't notice the rope in the room? I didn't cut it or anything, he went down the side of the palace and escaped to the west."
Vixy looked at Wolf, and then at Mia. Mia's eyes revealed that Wolf was indeed telling the truth. Then she remembered there was a rope in the room. She calmed down a little bit.
"I let him go because I knew that if Scales got to him before I did, then you really would've lost your son."
"So Fox is alive?" Vixy asked.
Wolf nodded. "Please Vixy, stay strong for Fox. Stay strong for as long as you can, because I can't do this on my own."
"I will stay strong!" Vixy said. "Until the day I see my son again!"
Mia nodded and once more took her paw, "If James could see you now, he'd be proud."
___________________________________________________________________
A/N: OK, I thought I'd end it there for. The next chapter is when some things start to pick up a little. I don't really have much to say on this one so please R+R and try not to flame me. Yes I know, this sounds A LOT like the Lion King (I made it that way) so for those asking, yes that was my inspiration, just like my last fic was inspired by a Disney movie (its my writing style mostly). Anyway R+R and try not to flame.