Part VII
Hope
Krystal stood there for a while and thought of what to do. She knew she had to be fast.
"It won't be long before they discover their guards are missing," she said to herself. "But where in the world am I supposed to get help? . . ." She hopped off the small ledge she was sitting on. "What if I wonder off to far? Then I won't be able to find my way back here!" She only walked a few steps before she sat down again and thought to herself. "Come on . . . think!" There was a long moment of silence. The sun was drifting away with the blood red skies surrounding the village. A thought passed through Krystal's head for only a moment. A thought of the Lightfoots going into the caves with weapons in their hands. A thought of them discovering Fox and Musclefoot without her. A thought of-"No! Don't think that," she yelled to herself. "I can't give up hope. I've got to think of a way to help them. I don't have enough time to go get help . . . I have to do this on my own."
"Ahhh . . . my back is killing me!" said Fox.
"What happened?" said Musclefoot slowly.
"A stupid Lightfoot stabbed me in the back. Good thing he didn't go in too deep."
"Why did they attack you?" he asked even slower.
"Cause . . . some guy came and beat my records and ordered to have me killed... well I guess he really wanted me captured instead . . . are you okay?"
"Yes I'm fine . . . who?"
"I don't know they wouldn't tell me. Whoever it was, it was probably the same guy who messed up my ship."
"He or she must... have some score to settle... with you."
"I'm pretty sure it's a he; I've tried my hardest not to make enemies with any women . . . those are the worst kind!" Fox waited for a laugh from Musclefoot. Nothing happened. "Yeah, I guess this isn't the best time or place to be making jokes. What do you plan to do with the rest of your life when we get out of here?" There was no answer. "I know it seems hopeless, but I'm sure Krystal will find us a way out of here." There was still no answer. "Hello? Musclefoot?" Fox could only see a shadowy figure of the Lightfoot sitting up against the wall. He searched for a rock with his shoes. When he found one, he kicked it over to Musclefoot and hit him. There was a long pause. "Come on Musclefoot! Answer me!" Fox yelled and yelled, but there was no response. "You still have your whole life ahead of you; you can't die right here in these old caves!" Still nothing. Fox stopped yelling. He sat back against the wall and tried not to lose hope for himself.
Krystal wondered around the village looking for something that could help get Fox and Musclefoot out of the caves. It got harder and harder to see because of nightfall. The torches that were placed all around the village aided her. She noticed a great number of torches lit across the lake. It was a large hut. She went towards it as quietly as possible to avoid being spotted by any Lightfoots on guard. When she got to the hut, she got up against the wall and listened. She could hear many Lightfoots inside and what sounded like the Lightfoot leader that ordered the others to attack her earlier that day (at least she thought it was the same day she was attacked. She didn't know how long she'd been out for in the caves). She listened to them speak.
"I am very displeased at how many of ours it took to take down the blue fox," the leader said.
"It would have been much easier if she didn't have this!" another Lightfoot said as he held up Krystal's staff.
"My staff!" Krystal accidentally yelled out. None of the Lightfoots heard her; they were all talking too loudly. The Lightfoot holding her staff put it on the table towards the back of the hut. Krystal had an idea. She went to the back of the hut on the outside. She reached her hand in one of the many holes in the hut. The staff was lying there only a few inches from the Lightfoot in front of it. Krystal grabbed the back of the staff, causing it to extend outward stabbing the Lightfoot in the leg. Krystal quickly jerked the staff backwards in attempt to get the staff through the small opening. She quickly got it through then ran back towards the cave entrance. She was much too fast for the Lightfoots. They disappeared into the darkness as Krystal approached the cave. She unattached one of the beads from her crown, set it down at the entrance, and rolled it forward. She watched as it began to roll forward into the caves. She followed it as it turned left and right and fell down the flight of stairs. It rolled and rolled until it ran into a dark figure. She reattached her bead and starred at the figure. She could tell it was Fox, but he wasn't moving. "Fox?" she said. She knelt down and touched him.
"AHHHH!!" he yelled.
"It's okay, it's me!"
"Ah, thank goodness! Did you find a key?"
"No, hold up your wrists."
"No?" he said as he held up his wrists. "Then how are you planning to get me out of here.
"Just hold completely still." She brought that rounded end of her staff to his left band. The end of the staff began to glow bright red, followed by the whole room. The staff shot out a large amount of energy on the enormously thick yet tight band.
"AHH!! THAT'S HOT!" yelled Fox felling some of the heat from the blast. The left band melted in two. Fox quickly pulled his hand to his mouth and began to blow on it.
"I have to do the other hand." She put the staff to the other band. Fox closed his eyes. Before she shot the band, they could hear noises coming from a distance in the caves. "They must of known I'd return to the caves!" She shot the blast of energy and melted the other band. This practically drained the staff of its energy. The noises were getting louder. She helped Fox up then immediately went towards Musclefoot. "My staff doesn't have enough energy! How are we going to get Musclefoot out?"
"Just forget it!" Fox said.
"Fox! How could we just leave-"
"He's dead!" he yelled with a crooked voice. "Now come on. We can lose them in these caves." Krystal stood there for a moment then looked at Musclefoot's lifeless body. "It's not your fault! There's nothing you could've done. He would of died if you got him out anyway, now come on!" Fox grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the body. They picked a tunnel opposite of the noise and ran in hoping they could lose the Lightfoots.
They ran for a few minutes, completely unaware where they where going or where they'd end up. Krystal had no time to do the bead trick, so she could only randomly pick directions.
"How many are there?" Fox asked.
"I saw about five chase me into-" before she finished she started to slow down, then came to a complete stop.
"What's wrong?!" Fox yelled. Krystal could hear the footsteps of more Lightfoots ahead of them. She panicked, and quickly choose another random tunnel. Fox had a question he wanted to ask her, but he knew this wasn't the time. Krystal had to acually run slower than normal just so Fox could keep up. They ran . . . not knowing what would happen . . . not knowing if they'd make it out alive. All hope seemed lost.
It was only a few seconds more before Krystal slowed down.
"Krytal, what are you doing?!"
"I'm tired of running." she said.
"What?!"
Krystal turned around, "I am tired of running!" She clenched her fists. "I am tired of being pushed around by these puny little Lightfoots!" She paused for a moment. Fox began to worry for the Lightfoots where closing in on them. "I don't think I ever mentioned this but... sometimes, when I want a way to release my anger, I release it on my foes." Fox remembered the talk they had about handling anger. "My anger helps me become a better fighter. I don't know why I can have such heavy adrenilin rushes . . . but when I have them... I'm an unstoppable fighting machine. It's like... something in the past triggered me to become this raging monster when I get angry. I hate it so much! I hate it!!" Krystal's fists clenched even more. Fox wanted to say something but Krystal starting running toward the Lightfoot sounds before he could get anything out.
"Krystal! Come back! There's a ton of them coming!" Krystal didn't respond. She kept running with her hands clenched the whole time. She reached around and grabbed her staff. She slowed down to a stop when she could see the incoming Lightfoots. She held the staff out in front of her for a few seconds. The approaching Lightfoots came to a stop a few feet in front of Krystal. She looked at them for awhile. They stood there . . . wondering what she was doing. Several thoughts were going through her head. Then a flash of Fox being stabbed by the Lightfoots appeared briefly. So much anger was passing through her. She hated it so much. She wanted to know why she was like this. Krystal extended her staff, causing all of the Lightfoots to dash towards her. The Lightfoots were almost trampling each other because of the lack of space in the tunnel. Krystal waited until the approaching Lightfoots were only a few yards away, then made her move. She turned the staff horizontally. The sharp end of the staff was almost touching the left side of the tunnel, where as the rounded side of the staff was almost touching the right side of the tunnel. She let out a loud yell . . . and sprinted forward.
Krystal ran through the hoard of Lightfoots knocking them down, one after another, her staff ramming into the torso of everything in her way. Lightfoots were dropping like flies. When she reached the end of the hoard, she continued to run until she could find a nice open spot in the tunnel. When she found one, she stopped and turned to face the Lightfoots. Almost all of them were still lying on the ground from being rammed into. Fox dashed through the remaining Lightfoots toward Krytal, knocking the rest down. When Fox reached Krystal, he stopped and looked towards all the Lightfoots lying there in the tunnel. He then slowly turned his head to Krystal.
"Krystal . . . are you . . . okay?" Fox asked. It took her a moment to answer.
"No . . . I'm not." That's all she said. He could see her fists clentched. Fox never thought she could be like this . . . no one did. Thousands upon thousands of these random angry thoughts passed through Krystal's mind. She had never felt so angry. She didn't even know why she was angry. Fox was fine, tricky got away . . . unfortunately it wasn't looking very good for her and Fox. Fox looked over towards the Lightfoots. They were beginning to get up! Krystal looked at them with red in her eyes. So . . . much . . . anger. She did the only thing she could . . .
Hope
Krystal stood there for a while and thought of what to do. She knew she had to be fast.
"It won't be long before they discover their guards are missing," she said to herself. "But where in the world am I supposed to get help? . . ." She hopped off the small ledge she was sitting on. "What if I wonder off to far? Then I won't be able to find my way back here!" She only walked a few steps before she sat down again and thought to herself. "Come on . . . think!" There was a long moment of silence. The sun was drifting away with the blood red skies surrounding the village. A thought passed through Krystal's head for only a moment. A thought of the Lightfoots going into the caves with weapons in their hands. A thought of them discovering Fox and Musclefoot without her. A thought of-"No! Don't think that," she yelled to herself. "I can't give up hope. I've got to think of a way to help them. I don't have enough time to go get help . . . I have to do this on my own."
"Ahhh . . . my back is killing me!" said Fox.
"What happened?" said Musclefoot slowly.
"A stupid Lightfoot stabbed me in the back. Good thing he didn't go in too deep."
"Why did they attack you?" he asked even slower.
"Cause . . . some guy came and beat my records and ordered to have me killed... well I guess he really wanted me captured instead . . . are you okay?"
"Yes I'm fine . . . who?"
"I don't know they wouldn't tell me. Whoever it was, it was probably the same guy who messed up my ship."
"He or she must... have some score to settle... with you."
"I'm pretty sure it's a he; I've tried my hardest not to make enemies with any women . . . those are the worst kind!" Fox waited for a laugh from Musclefoot. Nothing happened. "Yeah, I guess this isn't the best time or place to be making jokes. What do you plan to do with the rest of your life when we get out of here?" There was no answer. "I know it seems hopeless, but I'm sure Krystal will find us a way out of here." There was still no answer. "Hello? Musclefoot?" Fox could only see a shadowy figure of the Lightfoot sitting up against the wall. He searched for a rock with his shoes. When he found one, he kicked it over to Musclefoot and hit him. There was a long pause. "Come on Musclefoot! Answer me!" Fox yelled and yelled, but there was no response. "You still have your whole life ahead of you; you can't die right here in these old caves!" Still nothing. Fox stopped yelling. He sat back against the wall and tried not to lose hope for himself.
Krystal wondered around the village looking for something that could help get Fox and Musclefoot out of the caves. It got harder and harder to see because of nightfall. The torches that were placed all around the village aided her. She noticed a great number of torches lit across the lake. It was a large hut. She went towards it as quietly as possible to avoid being spotted by any Lightfoots on guard. When she got to the hut, she got up against the wall and listened. She could hear many Lightfoots inside and what sounded like the Lightfoot leader that ordered the others to attack her earlier that day (at least she thought it was the same day she was attacked. She didn't know how long she'd been out for in the caves). She listened to them speak.
"I am very displeased at how many of ours it took to take down the blue fox," the leader said.
"It would have been much easier if she didn't have this!" another Lightfoot said as he held up Krystal's staff.
"My staff!" Krystal accidentally yelled out. None of the Lightfoots heard her; they were all talking too loudly. The Lightfoot holding her staff put it on the table towards the back of the hut. Krystal had an idea. She went to the back of the hut on the outside. She reached her hand in one of the many holes in the hut. The staff was lying there only a few inches from the Lightfoot in front of it. Krystal grabbed the back of the staff, causing it to extend outward stabbing the Lightfoot in the leg. Krystal quickly jerked the staff backwards in attempt to get the staff through the small opening. She quickly got it through then ran back towards the cave entrance. She was much too fast for the Lightfoots. They disappeared into the darkness as Krystal approached the cave. She unattached one of the beads from her crown, set it down at the entrance, and rolled it forward. She watched as it began to roll forward into the caves. She followed it as it turned left and right and fell down the flight of stairs. It rolled and rolled until it ran into a dark figure. She reattached her bead and starred at the figure. She could tell it was Fox, but he wasn't moving. "Fox?" she said. She knelt down and touched him.
"AHHHH!!" he yelled.
"It's okay, it's me!"
"Ah, thank goodness! Did you find a key?"
"No, hold up your wrists."
"No?" he said as he held up his wrists. "Then how are you planning to get me out of here.
"Just hold completely still." She brought that rounded end of her staff to his left band. The end of the staff began to glow bright red, followed by the whole room. The staff shot out a large amount of energy on the enormously thick yet tight band.
"AHH!! THAT'S HOT!" yelled Fox felling some of the heat from the blast. The left band melted in two. Fox quickly pulled his hand to his mouth and began to blow on it.
"I have to do the other hand." She put the staff to the other band. Fox closed his eyes. Before she shot the band, they could hear noises coming from a distance in the caves. "They must of known I'd return to the caves!" She shot the blast of energy and melted the other band. This practically drained the staff of its energy. The noises were getting louder. She helped Fox up then immediately went towards Musclefoot. "My staff doesn't have enough energy! How are we going to get Musclefoot out?"
"Just forget it!" Fox said.
"Fox! How could we just leave-"
"He's dead!" he yelled with a crooked voice. "Now come on. We can lose them in these caves." Krystal stood there for a moment then looked at Musclefoot's lifeless body. "It's not your fault! There's nothing you could've done. He would of died if you got him out anyway, now come on!" Fox grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the body. They picked a tunnel opposite of the noise and ran in hoping they could lose the Lightfoots.
They ran for a few minutes, completely unaware where they where going or where they'd end up. Krystal had no time to do the bead trick, so she could only randomly pick directions.
"How many are there?" Fox asked.
"I saw about five chase me into-" before she finished she started to slow down, then came to a complete stop.
"What's wrong?!" Fox yelled. Krystal could hear the footsteps of more Lightfoots ahead of them. She panicked, and quickly choose another random tunnel. Fox had a question he wanted to ask her, but he knew this wasn't the time. Krystal had to acually run slower than normal just so Fox could keep up. They ran . . . not knowing what would happen . . . not knowing if they'd make it out alive. All hope seemed lost.
It was only a few seconds more before Krystal slowed down.
"Krytal, what are you doing?!"
"I'm tired of running." she said.
"What?!"
Krystal turned around, "I am tired of running!" She clenched her fists. "I am tired of being pushed around by these puny little Lightfoots!" She paused for a moment. Fox began to worry for the Lightfoots where closing in on them. "I don't think I ever mentioned this but... sometimes, when I want a way to release my anger, I release it on my foes." Fox remembered the talk they had about handling anger. "My anger helps me become a better fighter. I don't know why I can have such heavy adrenilin rushes . . . but when I have them... I'm an unstoppable fighting machine. It's like... something in the past triggered me to become this raging monster when I get angry. I hate it so much! I hate it!!" Krystal's fists clenched even more. Fox wanted to say something but Krystal starting running toward the Lightfoot sounds before he could get anything out.
"Krystal! Come back! There's a ton of them coming!" Krystal didn't respond. She kept running with her hands clenched the whole time. She reached around and grabbed her staff. She slowed down to a stop when she could see the incoming Lightfoots. She held the staff out in front of her for a few seconds. The approaching Lightfoots came to a stop a few feet in front of Krystal. She looked at them for awhile. They stood there . . . wondering what she was doing. Several thoughts were going through her head. Then a flash of Fox being stabbed by the Lightfoots appeared briefly. So much anger was passing through her. She hated it so much. She wanted to know why she was like this. Krystal extended her staff, causing all of the Lightfoots to dash towards her. The Lightfoots were almost trampling each other because of the lack of space in the tunnel. Krystal waited until the approaching Lightfoots were only a few yards away, then made her move. She turned the staff horizontally. The sharp end of the staff was almost touching the left side of the tunnel, where as the rounded side of the staff was almost touching the right side of the tunnel. She let out a loud yell . . . and sprinted forward.
Krystal ran through the hoard of Lightfoots knocking them down, one after another, her staff ramming into the torso of everything in her way. Lightfoots were dropping like flies. When she reached the end of the hoard, she continued to run until she could find a nice open spot in the tunnel. When she found one, she stopped and turned to face the Lightfoots. Almost all of them were still lying on the ground from being rammed into. Fox dashed through the remaining Lightfoots toward Krytal, knocking the rest down. When Fox reached Krystal, he stopped and looked towards all the Lightfoots lying there in the tunnel. He then slowly turned his head to Krystal.
"Krystal . . . are you . . . okay?" Fox asked. It took her a moment to answer.
"No . . . I'm not." That's all she said. He could see her fists clentched. Fox never thought she could be like this . . . no one did. Thousands upon thousands of these random angry thoughts passed through Krystal's mind. She had never felt so angry. She didn't even know why she was angry. Fox was fine, tricky got away . . . unfortunately it wasn't looking very good for her and Fox. Fox looked over towards the Lightfoots. They were beginning to get up! Krystal looked at them with red in her eyes. So . . . much . . . anger. She did the only thing she could . . .