A/N: All right, back with Chapter 7. This fic pleases me so far but this chapter is going to start right off with Shane's diary. I know I haven't exactly touched on Wolf and Jade's past but I will. The fic is mainly focused on Shane's past at the moment. Anyway, on with Shane's past!

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

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Chapter 7: The Shadow of the Dark Fox Continues…

As Fox was thinking about the last entry, Krystal had walked in with a curious look on her face that was asking; "I thought we were returning the diary to Shane?"

Fox looked up at her, still baffled by what the hell Shane's feelings were in his distant past. "I… I know what you're going to say. You're right, absolutely right. But the first sentence of this really had me concerned. I know we should've taken it to him, and we should even now."

"Then why won't we?"

Fox sighed and held the diary open at the date: January 14, 1019. "His past still interest me. If your father died how would you react?"

"I would be really sad and I'd probably cry. Why are you asking?"

Fox flipped back a page. "Because Shane doesn't have any strong feeling. First he says it's all right, yet he still carries on his father's dreams and such. He seems to have more of a neutral attitude about his father's death."

Krystal sat down and looked over the entry, but not reading it. Instead she looked at certain words that stood out in her mind as being careless. "Well, let's read on. From some of what I just saw it seems like he cares about his father. Maybe the death of his father hits him later on."

Fox now got the feeling he was reading some heart-warming story. But the way it was written told him little about Shane in the past. "He's random."

"I know. So when are we taking the diary to him?"

"Let me read a bit more of this. I have to read it. There's something about Shane that still scares a bit. I KNOW this diary has the answers I'm looking for."

Krystal sighed. "No. That diary doesn't have any answers. You're scared of what you'll find because of what just happened between the three of us. I can see it in your eyes Fox. You think that this diary has something to do with that…don't you?"

"No, that's not it. It really isn't. What scares me about Shane is that he isn't like this anymore. How could he just let this part of his past go?"

Krystal put a paw on Fox's and gave it a squeeze. "It's not that he's forgotten this part of his past; he lives another life now…a new life. This part of his life doesn't matter anymore. Now tell me, what are you really afraid of."

"I don't anymore. Maybe I'm scared that the past will repeat itself." Fox said.

Krystal didn't quite understand what Fox meant. She thought about it for a moment. "How is THIS part of the past going to repeat itself?"

Fox looked up and then back down at the diary. "It…reminds me of something."

"I don't understand."

"You have to see it not at the fact that Shane lost his father, but the fact that he doesn't care." Fox stated.

"We don't know that for sure. This entry isn't even two pages. It takes more than this much to express someone's true feelings."

She was right. "Yeah…"

Krystal was now growing curious in Shane's past. "So are you going to read the next entry?"

"I suppose I will…"

***

January 14, 1019

It's now the new year and with it my turning 19 years old. Isn't it great to be born on New Years Day on the year 1000? But aside from that, I'm now writing at my new home. The mansion north of the fur village. I believe it's called Corneria. My old man was right about selling all the furs.

It turns out that people in Earth and many other human towns LOVE to wear animal furs, especially around this time of the year. They're rare in Earth, and nobody there hunts. Yet there are several people who are rich! So why don't they go and buy fur coats? Better yet, why does the coat have to be fur?

Earth doesn't sell fur coats and so when I came with my auction and had it modeled, it turned out that they're the warmest Earth had ever seen. The coats are also very soft and comfortable. Still, it's nothing a leather coat couldn't fix. But a lot of people are so stubborn!

So I went to Earth like my old man said and auctioned off the furs. People are willing to pay lots for fur. I made nearly 100,000 dollars my first day there. Now I've got a plan so that I'll never have to go back to that place ever again! I went to the dress store they had and offered to sell all the fur coats I could muster up. He accepted, of course. What person wouldn't want to make some money for their business? The catch? I get 60% of the profits. I go out and hunt the animals and sell their fur to the shop-owner.

All I have to do is pack them into a box and put them out on the doorstep. No one ever comes around here…except for the man who gets the box and takes it to Earth. Then I get the money in my mailbox. In such short time I've already obtained 300,000 dollars. Oh sure, it's nothing compared to those who have one million dollars, but for a small place like this, I'll never need to hold a job to support myself. All I have to do is hunt, hunt, and hunt some more. Which is very relaxing and entertaining.

I don't ever talk to the delivery boy who brings me my money or takes the package. I'm not a people-person so I find such things meaningless. I hardly ever see the boy. He comes early in the morning and delivers my money when he takes the box. Usually before I awaken. It's amazing how this world works!

I feel very safe in this world. I can leave the house and leave my door unlocked and NEVER worry about thieves. If I keep this up, I'll only have one motive for going to Earth, and that would be to buy food. Even then, I can just go out and hunt and eat the meat. Not to mention that plenty of fruits grow on the trees. Perhaps I won't have to go to Earth after all.

***

"Nothing more than a hunter. That's all he was…a hunter. He didn't like people much…why couldn't he like people?" Fox asked.

"Some things are best left unknown…"

Fox turned the page and was faced with another entry: February 14, 1019.

The date, of course, had significance: Valentines Day. "Of all days…" Fox trailed off in a quiet whisper. "I don't know if I really want to read this one."

"Remember, It's still in the past and it's gone now. This is just six years ago, and we didn't know he was around." Krystal reminded him.

Fox took another sigh and started to read once more.

***

February 14, 1019

I took a peak at Earth today, since I know the people like to celebrate lots of holidays out in the open. I was surprised at the look. There were….hearts everywhere! I'm not much for love and romance either. The very THOUGHT of me having an intimate relationship…or ANY relationship for that matter is crazy. It could never happen…and it never will.

So this brings to mind the very question: What makes people fall in love? What makes any life fall in love? What IS love?

I'm staring down on Earth right now and all I can see are two people on a bench. One is a tall man and the other is a short woman. They were sitting close to each other…keeping each other warm. Now I'm starting to feel this warmth…why? As I stare at them the only thing I feel is warmth and it's pretty damn cold out tonight.

The lanterns are covered with pink plastic bags, but every time I stare at them they grow cold. But when my eyes dart back to the couple on the bench, I'm filled with warmth again. It makes no sense.

I watch the two make a motion and I can't see if they're kissing or not. …But what is a kiss? I don't see what's so interesting about two lips touching each other.

My father always says that love is like lightning. You can't tell when the feeling strikes…it just hits you!

But I still think the thought of any romantic encounter is next to impossible.

If my mom and dad were still alive they'd tell me the story of how they met. After all, today would be their 20th year anniversary if they were still alive.

After mother died, father always told me the story of how they met. They lived in the town of Earth. Mother was shopping one day for the perfect vase to put some flowers in. Father was shopping for a watch. With that in mind I already thought the story was farfetched. When mom finally found the vases he wanted she walked up to the register and paid for the vase. As she was leaving she bumped into a man that would soon become my father. She dropped the vase and he fell to the ground, wearing his new watch. The vase had shattered into a million pieces. The first words out of her mouth were "Watch where you're going you bumbling fool!" But then when she looked up and saw my father she had quickly forgotten about the vase. Then he held out his hand and helped her to her feet.

Since then, for every Valentines Day, Father buys mother a vase and some flowers. I think that's the stupidest story I ever heard! I mean, how do you suddenly just forget about the entire world around you and go nuts over someone?

The tradition that father always buys mother a vase was stupid too. I don't get it. Is that what love is?

No. That's not what love is. Love is just a feeling. Its like anger, hate, envy and fear. Only a feeling.

Now I've been so focused in my thoughts that I forgot about the couple on the bench. Oh well, they're gone now. I think I actually found that to be a little interesting. Still, I'll never get to experience that joy…ever.

***

The two foxes were silent. Fox in awe, while Krystal smiled. "What is it?" Fox suddenly found himself smiling.

"It's just so typical."

"What is?"

Krystal giggled a bit. "Isn't it amazing how love works? He said he'd never experience love…that he'd never know what it was. He was only nineteen. Did he ever think that six years later he'd get to experience love?"

Fox had put that together. "He was younger than he is now. We can't see into the future, but I bet Shane doesn't even remember that he wrote this."

Krystal smiled. "Yeah."

Fox then flipped to the next page. "Wasn't one to keep up with his entries though." Fox looked at the date. "Its now already on August."

Krystal noticed that too. It also wasn't a very long entry at all. "Let me read this one."

***

August 17, 1019

I went to Earth today. I didn't talk to anyone but I heard them say something about Andross. Who is Andross? They talk about him like he was some sort of hero that he'd saved us from the furs and gave us new life. What were they talking about?

I asked one person who Andross was and she only laughed at me and walked away. Some people! Everyone looked at me as if I was stupid. I never learned anything about Andross. Are all people this arrogant? Do they all think they're so much better than everyone?

When I went home that day, I realized why I don't like people much. They all piss me off! I ask a simple question and suddenly I'm the stupidest person ever! But I guess it's still better than being a fur. Hell, ANYTHING is better than being a fur. But that makes it hard to actually…have any sort of friendship with anyone in Earth. If they're all going to look at me like I'm some sort of idiot, then I don't need them.

***

Short and sweet. That was about as long as the entry was. "He certainly didn't get around much. He didn't know anything about Andross at all." Fox analyzed.

"Imagine if the first time you went into a village actually trying to fit in, the first thing that happened was someone called you stupid. That's what happened to him. No wonder he didn't get along well with other…'people.'" She hadn't used that word much and to let it escape her lips brought a sort of weird feeling to her.

"All he wanted was to be…'normal.'" Fox said.

Krystal gave him another confused look. "Why do you say that?"

"Because it says it right here…"

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A/N: We're getting closer and closer to Shane's strong dislike of humans and furs (if you remember how he was as a human in the first fic). We now know that because Shane had isolated himself from the village, he didn't learn much about his origin. Anyway, please R+R!