Disclaimer: I don't own Star Fox. I wish I did, though. Non Nintendo characters are mine.
*~
Irae, using Fox's body, carried Krystal's lifeless form into Fox's quarters and tossed it roughly aside. He then cleaned the blood from the hallway and returned to the body. The others onboard would suspect something if Krystal just disappeared. She would have to tell them she was leaving.
Irae placed Krystal carefully in the center of the room. Taking his sword, brought from the Deadlands, he dipped it into Krystal's blood and drew a crimson circle around her. Positioning her arms so they stretched out on either side, he drew lined from her paws to the circle. Dipping the sword back into the wound, he drew lines from her head and tail to the circle. She was now connected in four ways to the blood circle. Standing above Krystal's body, he rested the sword on her chest and began reciting a spell in ancient Bloodspeech.
"I am Irae, Deadkeeper," he said, running the sword down Krystal's chest. "This vixen's blood was spilt by the keeper of Death, and her body is thus righted mine in accordance with the Old Laws. Summon simulated life into this body whose life is spent. So I declare it, so it is done.
Four black orbs circled around Krystal, following the blood circle until each reached a different line to Krystal's body. They then sank into the blood and traveled through it toward Krystal's body. Where the blood touched Krystal, the orbs entered her body, giving Krystal an eerie black aura as they entered. Slowly, Irae backed away, allowing the body to rise up. The eyes that opened were midnight black, and the voice that spoke honey sweet and unlike Krystal's.
"Why have you summoned me, Irae Deadkeeper?" the feminine voice asked, annoyed in tone.
"I require your assistance once more, Metramorpha of many forms," Irae replied, remaining polite despite the knowledge of a forthcoming argument in the near future.
"I have driven him to you already, Deadkeeper," Metramorpha replied, giving her tongue more formality than was required.
"You are needed to fool those who dwell on this ship," Irae said. "You knew this."
Krystal's eyes returned to normal, the wound gone and the fur clean. The voice that spoke belonged to Krystal.
"As you wish, Irae King," Metramorpha said submissively, walking out.
Leaving Metramorpha to her work, Irae set Krystal's ship adrift in space and returned to Fox's quarters.
Lost in thought, Irae could see Fox's spirit, still alive. Judex had saved him, but that was to be expected. Judex would never let his beloved Fox die if he could do anything about it. A lighter blue spirit drifted with Fox. The vixen had been saved as well, it seemed. This would probably draw Mireya, the vixen's guardian star. Irae knew Mireya had a strong connection to the vixen the moment he saw her blue fur. Only those with Mireya's mark were allowed such a color. This would post a problem. Judex was dangerous enough, but to deal with Mireya as well complicated things immensely. He would need more than Metramorpha's help. Standing up, he cleaned the blood from the floor.
"The job is done," Metramorpha said in her own voice, which dropped to a hiss. "The spirit who once dwelled here was Mireya's child! You have already angered Judex, do you wish to bring them all down upon us?"
"She knew too much, daughter," Irae said calmly. "But I shall need help, I admit, from you and your siblings."
"But Father!" her voice had lost all formality. "This is far more trouble then it's worth!"
"Metramorpha, oldest child," Irae cooed, "you must trust your father. I would do nothing that would put any of you in danger."
"Your persuasive powers hold no sway over me, Irae King," Metramorpha spat the last two words. "However, as your daughter, I will comply with your wishes."
Irae nodded stiffly, then drew his sword once more and placed its tip on the center most point of the room.
"Children mine, I call you," Irae thrust his sword through the metal floor. "Metramorpha of many forms, oldest child," and Krystal began glowing a black aura once more. "Lucah Deathspeeker, rose-eyed one," as Irae spoke, a red orb appeared. "Argos, youngest, son and heir," a gray orb appeared close to Irae. "Children mine, show yourselves in full!"
Irae sheathed his sword. Metramorpha slipped from Krystal's body and first returned to her true form, a shapeless, black form reminiscent of Irae's, continually breaking apart and reforming. Lucah appeared in the form of a rose-feathered dove, her eyes crimson as freshly spilled blood. Argos had a form similar to that of a vulpine, but the skin was liquid blue mercury.
"What do you require of us, Irae, King and Father?" they asked, Metramorpha's words sounding forced.
"We oppose Judex and Mireya," Irae said.
- Father, - Lucah sounded troubled. - How can we attempt such a thing? -
"Lucah, dear one," Irae said softly. "This world had become linked to our own, and thus falls under my rule in accordance with the Old Laws."
Lucah nodded.- I understand, Father. -
- I do not, - Metramorpha said angrily. - This world that connected to our own exists in accordance with the New Laws. We can break neither Old nor New Laws! -
"We have never accepted the New Laws, daughter," Irae said. "And none have come for us. They cannot, or we shall not accept their dead, and their worlds will fill with spirit remnants. We are necessary, daughter, and that places us above the New Laws."
Metramorpha fell silent, but the tension hung thick in the air. Argos stepped forward.
"What must we do, Father?" he asked.
*~
"Fox's brain waves changed," Sierra said, looking up from her computer at the others. "They're very different from before. It's like someone else took over his body."
Slippy sighed. "Can we be at all logical in this escapade?"
"We have to consider every possibility," Peppy said softly.
"Look, I'm just as worried about Fox as the rest of you, but following illogical leads will her us nowhere," Slippy said.
"Before the Dinosaur Planet mission, you said magic was illogical," Peppy said.
"That's different!" Slippy protested.
"How?" Peppy asked.
Slippy fell back in his chair. "Fine. But assuming Fox is possessed, how would we prove it?"
"Observation," Peppy said.
"So we spy on out own leader?" Slippy buried his head in his hands.
"I suppose you could put it that way," Peppy said.
"But if he's possessed, he's not really our leader," Falco pointed out.
"If, if, if," Slippy moaned, rolling his eyes. "Whatever."
"Slippy, what's wrong with you?" Sierra demanded. "You refuse to accept that anything supernatural is going on, even after Fox practically predicts satellite malfunctions, Krystal magically powers an inter dimensional portal, and Fox's personality does a 360? If our ideas our illogical, feel free to suggest something that is."
Slippy stared at the ground. "I haven't thought of a solution."
"I thought as much," Sierra said. "Don't criticize our ideas until you have one of your own."
Slippy left the cockpit.
*~
"The frog will be of some use to us," Irae hissed, watching Slippy escape to another section of the ship.
"Alive?" Argos asked, and Irae nodded. "Then how?"
"Metramorpha, your skills will again be needed," Irae said. "Copy the form of the body I control and convince the frog that he is correct."
- And how am I to access his memories with only an echo of his body? - Metramorpha asked softly.
"Through the blue vixen's memories, which you still have a copy of," Irae said. "Do not toy with me, daughter. I know the extent of your abilities."
Metramorpha stretched her shape, taking on Fox's looks, right down to the clothing texture. Her eyes flashed between a black void and stuffing green as she tapped Fox's memory through his connection to Krystal. Finally, they settled on green, and the voice was Fox's.
"Done," she said. "Shall I begin?"
With a nod from Irae, she slipped out the door.