A/N: Sorry the update took so long. My computer went through a few things and ALL my files were erased so I had to recreate the chapter. But anyway, let's pick up from where the last chapter left off, Katt had just left Wolf and is heading back to Zoness. I figure I'll start things out from Wolf's point of view. This chapter might jump around a little bit.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Star Fox, Nintendo and/or Rare do. Any relation to my original characters in anyway is entirely coincidental.

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Chapter 6: Enter Jade

Once Katt had left, Wolf had made himself a bowl of soup. It was just what he needed to soothe his thoughts at the moment. He didn't even get a chance to show Katt the upstairs portion of the west wing.

When he set his soup down at the table he suddenly couldn't eat it. His thoughts kept drifting back to Katt. She was certainly different and he admitted that he left the door open for her to come on inside.

Wolf had never imagined he'd be sitting down with the feline and having an open conversation with her. They were different, but that didn't seem to distract Wolf from thinking of her beauty. They just had different views on things.

Still staring down into his soup, unable to even take a sip of it, he saw his reflection and remembered what Katt had said. She had said the eye-patch gives him character. Until Wolf was staring at his reflection now, he had always despised his eye-patch. Throughout Zoness, when he actually went there, some furs actually knew him as "Cyclops" and that didn't settle well with Wolf. But to hear someone say it gives him character made him suddenly appreciate the patch more.

Wolf stood up from the table and decided the soup could wait. Instead he walked out of the dining room and down the hall until he was at the small alter with the Great Fox in his small chapel.

Wolf had never looked at the Great Fox for any sort of "guidance" before. In fact, while he knew of the Great Fox's existence, he wasn't quite as religious as those in Zoness or Corneria. He didn't take the whole myth as seriously as others. While he despised humans, he didn't quite HATE them all. Not only that but he didn't exactly insult them by calling them names such as "ape" or "primate." That wasn't usually Wolf. He only disliked humans simply because his encounter with the hunter. Just that ONE human changed his view.

She probably thinks pretty low of me. Wolf kneeled down and for the first time, ever, he looked at the Great Fox as actually BEING a Great Fox. He was starting to think of Katt as a blessing…or maybe even a prophet. That's crazy!

Wolf closed his eye and began to think once more. Suddenly he could smell... Roses. Katt had the scent of a rose and THAT was the main reason why Wolf didn't see her as much of a threat. To Wolf, the scent of someone could reveal quite a bit about his or her fursona or his or her persona, depending on whether or not the life was anthro or human. It was just how Wolf viewed it.

When Wolf finally opened his eyes, the scent was now absent. Suddenly he felt like a teenager. While he wasn't much older than one, he now knew what it really was to be young. He'd often told himself that he was acting "too old". He was only twenty-three years of age and he'd already been devoting his life to something. He'd been devoting his life to learning more about human nature. Ever since that hunter.

Wasn't that how most furs were? Not just furs but humans as well. Didn't every kit or child have some sort of dream when they were younger and then suddenly give that dream up? How many furs actually LIVED out their dream anyway?

Wolf had his own dream. He wanted to be a doctor in Zoness…much like Jade. But now he'd given up that dream four years ago when he started learning more about humans day-by-day. Ever since he started researching humans he'd given up his dream of being a doctor and he always blamed Jade for it.

So why does her scent make me…want another dream? Somehow, Katt's scent had made Wolf open his eyes more. Was Katt really a sort of savior to him? Wolf was still young right?

But a romantic dream is what he was starting to see. Yeah, right! Like a lot who had been hurt Wolf vowed he'd never love again and now he was becoming obsessed with Katt.

Romance is for the weak! Wolf had always told himself. "Those who allow themselves to love are only imprisoning themselves in their own emotions." He sounded out to himself. Now where the hell was his train of thought drifting?

To Wolf, "Love" was like money. It was only an object and something that everyone craves. Everyone wants to be "Loved" just like everyone wants money.

Wolf already had enough money. He'd been able to sell his art to make a lot of money. Not to mention buying art and reselling it. Yet he was STILL unhappy. How can you have so much money you could swim in it and still be miserable?

Wolf began to think how he'd actually become miserable. He always went back and blamed Jade. He knew it wasn't her fault; he just needed something to lie back on. It's always easy to blame someone else.

Wolf gave a loud sigh and continued to stare at the statue. Then he found himself asking a question that he never thought would come to his mind. "I wonder if the Great Fox believed in a feeling such as 'love…'"

***

Katt had arrived back in Zoness a little past noon. Don't I have all the luck… she thought to herself. Once again she'd found someone who was an outcast from a village. Someone isolated from the rest of the world and lived alone with lots of money.

Katt slowly opened the door to her home and Mia was sitting in the chair reading her book. "Shane and Jon aren't here are they?"

"No, they're not. Jon took Shane to the pub again."

"For the same old thing, right?" Mia nodded.

"What do you think Katt?" Mia suddenly closed her book shut and Katt actually got a good look at the title: Being a Human.

"What do I think?"

"Should Shane stay or go?" Mia asked.

"Why are you asking me? You ask me this everyday and--"

"You give me a different answer ALL the time."

Katt sighed and had a seat across from Mia. Once more Katt was going to give an answer that Mia probably wouldn't accept. "Isn't it ultimately Shane's decision? I don't think I should be getting involved in this. I don't care if he leaves or not." She said, and Mia could see right through her. "But I don't think Jon should be trying to force him or pressure him to make up his mind this very second." She played around nervously with her paws and then looked Mia right in the eye, "What do you think? You always have the right answers, Mia."

"With how Shane looks at you…I'm pretty sure he's going to stay."

"Looks at me?"

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. Shane has this way of looking at you. I've seen it; you've seen it. The reason Shane hasn't made up his mind is because he's just as lost as you are."

"How am I lost?"

"You both can't make up your mind on what you want."

"That's for sure." Katt commented and quickly covered her mouth. She always covered her mouth when she said something she shouldn't have.

Mia glared at her for a moment. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Katt felt like she was cornered then. She started to tell Mia about the mysterious lone wolf. Katt talked about how he lived in a mansion covered in moss…isolated from the world.

"…A part of me feels sorry for him." Katt concluded.

"I remember when a certain vixen got herself included in a certain black fox's life and let's not forget everything that happened THEN."

"This is different though. There's no love triangle in this one…"

"…Or so it seems." Mia whispered.

***

Shane was in the pub with Jon, drinking a beer. It was the first time in a while that Shane had ever had a beer. Last time he had one was when he still lived with his father, and it brought back painful memories to think about. But he didn't let his father get in way of Jon. Shane knew exactly why they were here. Every time Jon offered a beer, it was always because he wanted to talk to Shane about his decision.

"So when are we leaving?" Jon asked as Shane took a sip of his beer and finished with a sigh.

Sitting in silence for the moment, the black vulpine looked away from Jon. When he did, the sight of a…green? No, a jade husky caught his eye. What a sight to see. A JADE husky. What were the odds?

"Shane?" Jon snapped him back to reality. "Are you listening to me? Or are you paying attention to the green husky?"

"Jade husky." Shane corrected him and turned to face Jon.

"You ask me that question almost everyday, and I always tell you the same answer; I don't know when we're leaving and I don't know if I'm even going with you."

Now Jon was the one being distracted by the jade husky and hadn't even heard Shane. Except now that distraction had risen from her seat and was making her way to…oh no! Jon suddenly panicked. He'd learned that unless he stayed with Shane, Katt or Mia most furs wouldn't bother him, but now he was getting the impression that he looked at the husky the wrong way.

When she was finally standing next to Jon she opened her mouth: "I couldn't help but notice you staring at me…both of you."

Shane's muzzle was suddenly a ripe tomato and Jon just looked away from her. "We didn't mean to startle you… I didn't mean to startle you." Jon spoke.

"It's alright. It's just that I've learned when someone stares at you for more than three seconds they have some sort of interest in you."

"Is that true?" Shane asked.

"Well, when you think about it, three seconds is LONG time to make a QUICK glance at someone. I bet when you notice someone you only stare at them for two seconds."

Shane smiled at the husky and then extended a paw, "I'm Shane, and this is my friend Jon. Don't worry he wouldn't hurt a fly."

"I'm sure he wouldn't. My name is Jade, by the way." She took Shane's paw in hers and shook it.

Jon eventually did the same thing and found himself smiling. "You weren't named Jade by the color of your fur were you?"

Jade giggled a bit. "Yeah, actually I was. Most furs get me confused with the color green, but I'm a Jade husky alright."

"Fascinating." Jon marveled.

"Have a seat." Shane offered, since the seat next to him was empty.

Jade seated herself and looked directly at Jon. "So he's human huh? It's not everyday you see humans in Zoness. Not only that, but humans traveling with furs. That one's new to me. I don't think the Great Fox or Andross would approve of that."

"I don't believe in the will of Andross or the Great Fox." Jon told her. "I find it stupid that furs and humans hate each other because of a war that happened 1,000 years ago. My motto is 'Forgive and Forget.' Nothing is going to make me follow the will of Andross, but many think I should because I am human."

"I like the way you think." Jade smiled. "What about you?"

Shane's ears lowered. "I've no reason to follow either. I've already been a human and I know what it's like. I never even HEARD of Andross until I was transformed into a fox, and I never heard of Great Fox either. I live my own life how I want to live it."

Jade smiled. "So you're the one the kits are always talking about. It's a nice fairy-tale and all, but you'd have to be crazy to think anyone would believe it."

"It's true. I was turned into a fox by a platinum vixen named Mia and--"

"Did you say Mia?" Jade caught that part.

"Yes. She turned me from a human into a fox."

"I've known Mia for a good five years now. Gosh, the time just flies by. I know Mia has a mystic power. Just by the mention of Mia proves your story is true."

"You just said you didn't believe it." Jon gave her a strange look.

"I said he'd have to be crazy to think anyone believed it. I never said I didn't. So how is Mia? Last I heard she lived in Earth as a human. She was doing some research. She even released a book around the world called 'Being a human.'"

Shane's eyes widened. Shane HAD that book at some point in his life. Wait…no he didn't. He had the other one. "Don't you mean 'Being a Furry'?"

Jade shook her head. "She wrote two different books. You probably didn't hear of 'Being a Human'. It was banned from bookstores in fur towns. Learning about humans was, and still is, forbidden in Zoness. I've heard Corneria has banned it too. Practically the only place you can find these books is in Macbeth."

"Why Macbeth?" Shane asked, although he already knew the answer.

"Macbeth is one of the few towns where humans and furs live in peace with one-another." Jon answered, feeling he wasn't contributing much to the conversation. "I've been there before."

Jade nodded. "That's right. 'Being a Furry' was banned from human towns such as Earth, Denver, San Diego and the like."

"That's ironic that humans live in San Diego." Jon took another sip of his beer. "San Diego was founded by furs."

Shane's eyes popped but he didn't acknowledge that. "So why is 'Being a Furry' not available in Corneria and other fur towns."

"Furs don't see why they should buy a book that's supposed to teach them about themselves. Although it's used to educate kits in the schools around here." Jade answered.

Jon found that to be just a little weird. But then he came to a stand. "Shane we should probably be going now. I'm sure Mia is waiting for us."

"I hope Katt has returned." Shane said.

"You know Katt Monroe too?" Jade's face lit up.

Shane was in awe for a moment. "Yes, I do."

***

2nd of December 1018

My father passed away and all was right in the world. MY world. It's a shame he had to die. But now that means I'm supposed to take his furs and sell them. What the hell for? I don't see why he wants me to do this, but oh well. He specifically told me to auction them off.

Now here I am, eighteen and fatherless. But that's all right; I don't need him to live. I'm not quite sure he loved me anyway. Mourning for the dead is for the weak. Father wouldn't want to see me cry over him. He'd want to see me live. So I'll live for him, and do what he never got to do. The old man in the mansion is putting it up for sale…hmmmm.

Well, I suppose now I should probably gather up the furs and auction them off in Earth. Father always said it was the richest human town.

***

Fox closed the diary and placed it on the dining room table. It seemed as though Shane was sad his father was gone…but that didn't make sense. His father passed away and all was RIGHT in the world? Yet from reading that small entry Fox could easily say that all was NOT right for Shane at that time. He didn't show that he was sad his father passed away…but he didn't show that he was entirely happy either. What the hell?

And Fox asked himself again: "Just what kind of human was Shane?"

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A/N: Again, the update took a little longer than I expected it too. This chapter was mainly to introduce Jade and her connection to Mia. The diary I threw in at the end because it's going to begin the next chapter so I'm warning you now. I didn't intend on Shane's diary scaring anyone though, but that's all right. Hope you enjoy the next chapter and please R+R.