Disclaimer: I don't own Star Fox! It's owned by Nintendo, and Terra System, names, etc. are license of Galaxy Wulf, in which I own. The story took place during Star Fox 64, sometime after your battle with Star Wolf at Venom 2. I was wrong about my first two disclaimers. There will be FEW flashbacks here. Anyway, the narrator is obvious. I suggest reading my other fics, since they're also good! Go and read!

I am very sorry about the previous chapter! I was in a deep emotional fix there!

Rivals or Friends

Chapter 18: The Price

"This is it," the chameleon assured me.

Leon gave a look at my eyes. I never expected that serious stare at me. He and I treaded to his laboratory. Wolf walked like a wolf, and I held the chain of his collar, as if I was his master, not that I liked it. I wondered what this chameleon's planning. I couldn't say what would happen next, but I trusted him. Wolf's life was in the hang.

I was surprised to see his device. There's a computer, a helmet, and a bed with straps. It looked scary. I hoped nothing bad happens. Damn, I was getting all shaky. I couldn't tell what I would do or say… something unsure, neither good nor bad, would eventually pop out of nowhere.

The chameleon explained, "This is the Brain Disrupter. Basically, it enforces the brain to focus on a single type of brain wave. Wolf, and before, Bill, has two, causing them two different personalities. I was able to remove the wild Bill with this device." I glanced back at the room where Bill was sleeping. "This has effective results."

"But," I asked. Doubt filled my heart, "why is he like that? He acts like an animal." Something told me that there might be some side effect and that fallout could lead to a critical state, a state more dire than this one.

"Well, I do admit I made a critical error," Leon replied as he nodded down. "However, it was because I wasn't able to perform this operation on time. It was too late. Even though I was able to remove the wild sickness, the animal instinct already corrupted his thinking… At least he's tame, and he's the Bill we all know…" He then looked at me straightly, and asked, "My question is, are you sure you want to do this?"

I wasn't sure… It's a fifty-fifty chance. Anything could happen.

"And the consequences?"

"Our chances of curing him or not is unknown," he told me as he deemed in his beliefs, "he could end up like Bill, or his wild form would remain permanent. However, there's still a chance that he'll be back." He then looked at Wolf, giving him sympathy. "I don't want to see him suffer too. I owe him everything in my life. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't exist in this world. He taught me how to survive. He gave me my will to live."

I wasn't sure… It's up to Wolf now. It's his decision. I directly faced his eyes, and asked, "Will you do it?"

From those eyes, he said yes. His eyes showed chance. His eyes showed hope. Even if his mouth was strapped, even if he didn't give any gestures, he was sure of it that he would try it. There's nothing to lose. We're still friends, no matter what.

"We're cool with it. All right, let's do it…"

We unchained our lupine friend, save the mouth guard. He then headed to the bed, and laid himself on it. He agreed to have his wrists and ankles strapped, for the sake of an unwanted occurrence… but please, don't let that happen. The helmet was then positioned on his head. All's set.

Leon and I checked the computer. Visual data of different wave patterns were displayed at the monitor. The helmet was recording the data, and the processor was translating it. It wasn't long before we detected an anomaly in the pattern.

"All right Wolf, we've got the wave," Leon confirmed to him. "We'll disable it permanently. There'll be a brain shock, so, please endure the pain… It won't be long…" Wolf made a nod. It's time to do it.

With the chameleon's command, I pulled a lever. The device started to generate anti-brain pulses from the processor to the helmet. I could feel them… I could the pulses entering Wolf's brain. Suddenly, it gave him a powerful shock. I was sure. He was having a painful moment… I too, was able to feel it… Memories, memories of the past were both being preserved and erased…

You'll see your dad soon, Star Fox!

I can't let Andross do this to them!

All right, you win again… but I'll pay everything back… I swear!

You don't have to!

Wolf O'Donnell inside Great Fox… How ironic…

Welcome to Star Fox, Wolf!

My head… Fox, stay away from me!

But why?

Thanks… thank you for treating me as a friend…

You're more than a friend, Wolf. You're a best friend…

No matter what happens, we stick together.

I won't let go…

Flash… Fifteen minutes passed since we've dissolved that last abnormal wave. Leon pressed a button and pushed the lever back. The anti-pulse stopped. Wolf was in shut-eye. I neared at him, and I could feel him breathing. He slowly opened his eyes. The time was racing with me. I didn't know what would happen next.

"Are you… are you all right, Wolf?" I asked with a worried feeling. He nodded, so I was sure he's now okay. I took off his mouth guard. Finally, we could talk now.

"Heh, nice job there, Leon, and you too, Fox," he smiled with relief. "Hey, take these straps off of me, okay? It's getting painful!" I did took them off, now that I was sure that he's the Wolf O'Donnell we knew.

However, why's my heart still beating in a worried manner? A whisper suddenly echoed to me. That whisper gave me a bad feeling…

That's not me, Fox… Be careful…

"Thanks for taking them off," he grinned with a sinister tone. "Now with that done…" He suddenly lunged at me. His tight grip to my neck was giving me a hard time. I was able to kick him off, thankfully.

"Leon, what… why…?" I asked in hesitation. "Wolf? Why?" By the looks of the chameleon, he wasn't sure too.

"You forgot one consequence, fools," he sneered as he tore off his ruined shirt. "You forgot one thing: the wild personality can acquire the thinking of the normal personality. I'm both… smart… and… wicked…" He slowly roared as his body started to transform. His anatomy started to bulge, giving him a strong and agile look. His fangs suddenly sharpened, and his claws grew a few centimeters. With his new physique, he could kill us all. He defined a brutal hunter. He ripped everything, leaving his short pants, a handful of fallen fur, and cracks on the floor. "Without these, there won't be nuisance to my movement of hunt!"

I wondered what happened. "Leon, what happened to him?" I asked. I wished I didn't have to find out, though.

"His body's simply adapting to the new owner of the body. His pituitary gland released hormones that altered his physique, and this affected his other organs," he remarked as he looked for a tranquilizer gun while not giving any impression to the hunter. "Fox, we've lost him… We've lost Wolf…"

"No, I don't want to believe it!" I shouted back. I couldn't! I wouldn't! He's still there, I knew it… However, from what I could see, all's lost…

"Believe him or not, it doesn't matter," he snarled as he slowly circled us. "The point is that you don't want me to exist! You… you're the evil ones! You're the ones who are the hunters! You deny my existence! If that's the case, then, I… I… I will show you what being alone and ignored feels like!"

So, here… the other Wolf… the Wild Wolf…

Guess who the next narrator is! Yep, it's Wild Wolf!