Chapter 17: Breaking Away

Fox sat in his docked Arwing wondering about his team's current situation. There were so many things he constantly juggled back and forth in his mind, and the fact that he could make no sense of any of it constantly plagued him. He leaned back in the seat of his Arwing's cockpit and lost himself in thought...

It seems the further into this mission I get the less I understand...First Krystal comes along and shows me the scroll and tells me I have some weird energy inside me...then we both start having shared nightmares that all have that cloaked guy in it...then somehow I met up with another Sharpclaw...None of it makes any sense...and I don't think I've really learned anything about any of it since I started this whole thing...I just wish that I had something more to go off of so I don't have to keep asking myself the same questions all the time...and now on top of all that, the Great Fox is low on fuel cells and it's got a broken sensor system...What else could go wrong...The only thing that's giving me the strength to keep going is...

Fox snapped out of his thoughts as he heard a feint tapping from the outside of his cockpit window. He took a few quick, surprised blinks before turning his head to the source of the noise. "Fox? Are you alright?" Fox smiled as he saw Krystal with a worried look on her face. She quickly lost her concerned appearance and quickly replaced it with a smile of her own. "What are you still doing in there?" Fox signaled for her to lean back as he raised the cockpit window. Fox let out a sigh as he replied, "Just a little worried about the Great Fox..." Krystal responded, "Is there something wrong with it?" Fox nodded and continued, "Ya, It seems like we're almost out of fuel cells and our long and short range sensors are damaged." Krystal cocked her head to the side and hesitantly answered, "...Is that bad?" Fox saw the confused look on her face and could not help but laugh at the answer she had given him. She could not help but laugh lightly along with him as she replied, "Fox, you know how little I understand about your technology." Fox replied as his laughing calmed, "I know, I know, I'm sorry. It's just not everyday you come across someone who doesn't know what a fuel cell is." Krystal thought for a second and asked eagerly, "Perhaps you could teach me?" Fox was taken aback by her question and gave her a blank stare. and maintaining a ship like the Great Fox is not something that you can learn overnight..." Krystal nodded with a hint of disappointment, "So you won't do it? I understand..." Fox quickly shook his head and continued, "No, I didn't say that. Its just...learning to take care of a ship this big...and old, is going to take a long time to learn. You have to read manuals and documents, because believe it or not, not all these buttons and switches can automatically fix themselves when they're broken. It's gonna take to a long time for you just to get used the technology we use too..." Krystal responded with a determined voice, "Fox, just as you are willing to learn the Energy of Life, I am willing to devote my time to learning your technology, no matter how long it may take." Fox nodded and replied, "I thought so, well if your that determined to go through with it, then I'll do everything I can to help you." Krystal softened the expression on her face and gratefully replied, "Thank you Fox..." Fox nodded with a smile, "It's no problem, but right now, we've got to get up the bridge and contact General Pepper and see if he can help us with our current situation..."

(On the Great Fox bridge)

Peppy sat in his chair on the bridge impatiently tapping one of his boots against the metal floor. He quickly scanned over the small computer screen in front of him that showed that the transmission was cleared and they could contact the Cornerian Army Base at any time. Peppy took a quick glance over his shoulder at the empty chair that occupied the middle of the bridge. He turned back to the dimly lit screen in front of him and let out a quiet, frustrated sigh. He asked across the bridge in an irritated voice, "Can you see him on one of the ship's cameras Slip?" Peppy could hear Slippy take a few, quick steps over to one of ROB's computers. Slippy searched for a few seconds and replied, "I think I see him on camera 17-b, in the docking bay." Peppy quickly responded, "Is he alone?" Slippy looked over the screen once more and replied, "No, it looks like Krystal's in there talking with him..." Peppy nodded and took another frustrated sigh. He muttered quietly under his breath, "Of course she is...that's all that matters to him now. This mission means nothing anymore...She's all he cares about and it seems like he can't make time for anything else...not even his crew who have done everything they could for him as leader. I've been waiting a half an hour for him to get up here and he's still down in the docking bay talking to Krystal..." Peppy let out another sigh, "He needs to get his priorities straight or he's gonna be regretting his negligence real soon..."

Peppy stood up quietly from his chair and walked slowly over to the monitors Slippy was viewing. He leaned against the computers cold surface with one hand and placed the other in his vest pocket. Slippy pointed over towards one of the many screens in front of him, "Right there, It looks like they're coming to the bridge now." Peppy lowered his head after taking a quick glance at the screen, "They better be...we can't wait much longer when we have so few fuel cells left..." Slippy nodded hesitantly, noticing the slight tinge of anger in Peppy's comment, "Well, they're almost at the escalator so they should be here in less than a minute..."

Katt had been silently observing Peppy's behavior from her usual spot, leaning against the right wall of the bridge. She raised her head from her chest and said plainly, "Ya know Peppy, maybe you should settle down a little. We're not losing any fuel cells when the ships in Geo-synchronized orbit, the engines are off, right? So just calm down, we'll be fine soon enough, and blaming Fox won't really help anything now will it?" Peppy slowly looked up and replied, "What gave you the idea that I wasn't calm? I'm just waiting for Fox, that's all." Katt raised an eyebrow and replied, "Are you sure that's all...It doesn't have anything to do with what to told me this morning?" Peppy shot her a cold stare and replied evenly, "That is really none of your business." Katt smirked and replied, "Really? Then why the exactly where you telling me about it if it's not my business?" Peppy shifted his weight squarely back onto his two feet and responded angrily, "I was just thinking that you were a little more sensible and could see how Fox's recent behavior could negatively affect this ship and it's crew over time." Katt also stood up from off the wall and replied, "Oh, Is that it? Are you sure? Maybe the fact that Fox is beginning to hold Krystal in a little higher esteem than you is what it really is. You think Fox has lost all respect for you and your work on this ship, and your making it all his fault. That makes a little more sense to me. An old hare like yourself hates to be disrespected like that...isn't that right Peppy?" Peppy took an angry step towards Katt and said in a deep voice, "I just don't want Fox to make the wrong decisions! I just want what's best for him! And you're gonna stand there and say that I..."

"...and that's how the intercom system can transmit voices across the Great Fox." Everyone on the bridge looked up in unison to see Fox and Krystal walk through the large sliding doors. Krystal nodded, "I see, so the voices are actually coming from small speakers in the ceiling." She smiled and continued, "At first, I thought it was someone yelling down the hallways." Fox smirked and let out a small chuckle before returning his attention to the bridge. Fox saw that Peppy and Katt were exchanging irritated glances and asked, "Hey guys...Did I miss something here?" Falco, who had been watching and somewhat enjoying the spectacle silently, stood up from his chair and answered with a grin, "You didn't miss much Fox. Katt and Peppy were just having a nice, friendly conversation. Cause you know we're all just like one big ol' happy family here, right guys?" Katt rolled her eyes at Falco and returned to the wall with an irritated sigh, while Peppy quickly composed himself and slowly led himself back to his seat. Fox gave Falco a doubting nod but quickly decided to let it go. He looked across the bridge and asked, "So are we ready to send the transmission to General Pepper?" Slippy answered from behind ROB's computer, "Yep, I've got the signal ready to go at any time Fox." Fox nodded, "Great, Send it now. Hopefully the General will be able to help us out or we're gonna have some problems." ROB announced over the bridge, "Activating energized transmission ports." Fox led Krystal to his chair on the middle of the bridge and let her sit down while he stood off to the side.

The screen in the middle of the bridge activated and the picture came into perfect view in seconds. Again, the face of the same receptionist behind the desk of the Cornerian Army Base was displayed on the screen. "Fox McCloud? It's good to see you again. I hear from the higher-ups that your mission is going smoothly." Fox nodded and replied with impatience in his voice, "Ya, It's going fine. We need to speak with General Pepper." The receptionist replied with a smile, "Oh yes, I really shouldn't keep you waiting, I'm transferring your message to his office now." The picture of the receptionist disappeared and the screen went black.

A few short seconds later, the screen came back to life and the image of General Pepper appeared. He quickly folded his hands on his desk as he began to speak, "Ah, Star Fox, I assume you have some good news for me?" Fox nodded and replied, "Ya General, Kaltar is no longer under mind control. We just back from the planet and it looks like everything is back to normal." General Pepper nodded in affirmation, "Good job as usual Star Fox. I'll let you know that the Special Forces team that has been following behind you was also successful in their duties. The planet Kymach will not have mind control to worry about any longer. The Kymachians have also been sworn into the Cornerian Allegiance, promising their total support behind our planet and your mission." Katt spoke in a questioning tone, "The Kymachians joined up with Corneria? What help can they be? If you didn't notice, they don't have any kind of weaponry or technology that I would consider helpful..." Pepper responded, "You are right, on their own, it would take centuries for them to develop our level of technology. But I have commissioned a group of development experts to try and get them up to date with our technology. We estimate that in about fifteen years, they will have the skills to build and create anything that Corneria could." Katt kept the same serious and sarcastic tone, "That's great and all, but is any of that really helping us on this mission? I guess you'll get around to all the important stuff when you're ready, right?" General Pepper shook his head, "Katt, you really should keep that attitude in check. After all, I am the general over the Cornerian Army. I would assume I would deserve a little more respect." Katt shrugged and replied with a smirk, "And last time I checked, we're not in the army. We're mercenaries. And besides, I've got this far with this 'attitude', don't really see why I should change now." Pepper shook his head and returned to more important matters, "Well, at any rate, I do have your next mission. But I must say, this mission is slightly different and could possibly hold greater danger then the others."

Everyone's ears perked up as they waited for Pepper to continue. "We have reports of strange activities on the planet Katina. A large complex of some sort has appeared seemingly out of nowhere within the last few months. We believe it may be a base for the one responsible for the recent mind controls. Just recently, we have noticed that this planet has also fallen victim to the same mass mind control that your team has been dealing with." Fox looked at the General with surprise, "But Katina is one of the Lylat systems most advanced planets...how could it be taken over?" General Pepper sighed, "Well, you see...About 4 years after your team defeated Andross, Katina received a defective starship that was manufactured in Corneria. This ship was carrying thousands of Katinan soldiers that were being transferred from their planet to be trained for battle in Corneria at our Army Base. The ship was on its way when..." Katt cut him off and said flatly, "Long story short, it blew up, everyone died, everyone got mad at each other, then Katina broke off." Fox looked back at Katt and asked, "What? You mean, they left the Alliance? But Katina had great relations with Corneria before then, why would they break away after this accident?" General Pepper nodded, "I still don't know why they made such a radical decision so quickly. It seemed like the Katinan government thought that the explosion was planned so that Corneria would remain the strongest planet in Lylat. I will admit, Katina was on the verge of surpassing us as far as the planets armies go, but I still don't understand why they think we would do something like that. They were the first planet to join into the Allegiance after all, why would we betray their trust after all this time?" Katt added, "Well...I was one of the escorts for that ship. I was right there when the thing exploded. I know I saw something explode on the hull of the ship, even though reports say that one of the engines malfunctioned. Someone had set a large explosive on the outside of that ship, and these eyes never lie." General Pepper continued, "That's correct, Katt and several other escorts reported that the explosion occurred from the outside of the ship. Even though we had several Cornerian and Katinan eyewitnesses from the accident, the Katinan government remained obstinate in their views. They revoked their pledges to the Cornerian Allegiance and began developing their planet independently."

Fox thought for a moment and said, "Well maybe since you've found Katina to now be fully under mind control, maybe this planet has been under a smaller scale version of the same thing, and maybe only the government was targeted...That could explain why they acted so defensively." General Pepper nodded, "Yes, that is the only conclusion the council and I could come up with as well, there is no other explanation for the extreme course of action Katina's government took." General Pepper paused to take a long breath as he continued, "Regardless of what has happened in the past, we must press on with the task at hand. You're mission is to infiltrate the mysterious building and find out what purpose it serves. You'll receive further instructions when you arrive at the planet. I'll contact you at that time, but for now, I will leave you, Pepper..."

Fox quickly stopped him, "Hang on a sec General, I almost forgot. Our sensor system is down and we're almost completely out of fuel cells. Can you find a docking station somewhere close to Kaltar?" General Pepper let out a quiet laugh, "Well I'm glad you managed to remember a thing as important as that Fox. I had my finger on the comm button ready to end the transmission. You would've been drifting above that planet for days before I realized you were missing." Fox nodded and replied with a sound of sarcasm, "Ya well talking about it isn't gonna help us very much is it?" Pepper let out another small laugh, "I suppose not. If you will hold on for just one second, I will search the area surrounding Kaltar for any kind of docking station for you." General Pepper's gaze fell away from Fox as he looked over to a small screen on the side of his desk. For a while he said nothing as his eyes continually scanned across the small computer. Pepper let out a weary sigh, "I don't see anything in that area, seems like the closest one to you is over seven sectors away, I'm assuming you don't have enough fuel cells for a trip like that." The bridge remained silent as Pepper continued searching. "Wait...of course, here we go." Fox's ears perked up as he asked, "So you found something?" General Pepper nodded, "Indeed I have, I'm just surprised that I didn't see it earlier. Fox, I'm sure you've at least heard of the Xavix-Yuan Docking Colony?" Fox thought for a second and replied, "Xavix-Yuan? I think I remember hearing that name...My Father always talked about it back when he was still around. He and my mother used to go there all the time...But, Isn't it more of a resort than a docking station?" Pepper responded, "Xavix-Yuan is considered to be more of a vacationing spot then a simple re-fueling station yes, but perhaps it would be better if you take a little time off for yourselves. I'm sure a little time on solid ground where you aren't constantly under the threat of being attacked would be a nice change of pace. Moreover, the repairs to the ship's sensors alone will take at least a day."

Fox nodded in concordance, "I'm sure we'd all appreciate some off-time General. So how far away is this place?" General Pepper replied, "It's actually very close to your current location, roughly...1.2 sectors away." Fox took a sigh of relief as he leaned on the side of the chair, "Slippy, we got enough juice to make it that far?" Slippy replied happily, "Yep, it looks like we should have a little more than enough to get there Fox. We'll make it easy." Fox nodded and continued, "Looks like that's the plan General. All you need is to point us in the right direction and we'll be on our way." Pepper did some quick calculations on the computer on the side of his desk and replied, "You'll need to bring the bow of the Great Fox so that it is facing northwest. If you proceed straight from there, you should be able to see the Xavix-Yuan Docking Colony from your bridge window in around nine hours." Fox looked back behind him, "You got that ROB?" The robot gave him the regular monotone answer, "Affirmative, redirecting Great Fox bow 22 degrees west...Error, deactivation of Geo-synchronized orbit is required for this process." Fox shook his head and replied, "Alright ROB. So General, after the ship is repaired we will head immediately to Katina and await your orders." Pepper nodded, "That is the plan Fox. Have a safe journey and I will await your contact within the next two days. Pepper out." The screen quickly went dark and returned quietly into the floor.

Falco looked over at Fox with a slightly confused glance, "What's this I just heard? The General's givin' us time off? He must be feelin' sorry for us or something. I mean, we're pretty much gettin' paid to screw off for a whole day? We better enjoy this cause I guarantee whatever he's on isn't gonna last much longer." Fox let out a small chuckle and responded, "Ya, We might as well take advantage of the time it takes to repair the ship. At least we can get off this ship for a day." Katt added after them, "And we're not talkin' about some crappy, rundown docking station either, Xavix-Yuan is one of the nicest resorts in the galaxy. This could actually be a trip worth taking..." Fox looked over his shoulder at ROB and asked, "Prepare for immediate deactivation of Geo-synchronized orbit ROB." ROB answered in an unemotional tone, "Affirmative, awaiting proper code entry."

Fox nodded and looked down at Krystal who was patiently sitting in Fox's chair. Fox stared at her for a while and said nothing. Krystal quickly noticed and asked, "What is it? Is there something wrong?" Fox smirked and replied, "You heard ROB, we gotta get the ship out of orbit. Wanna give it a try?" Krystal gave him a confused look and replied, "Me? But I don't..." Fox cut her off as he helped her out of his chair, "Don't worry, I'm here to help, remember?" Krystal nodded with a smile and followed Fox over to the Great Fox's main computer. He raised his hand and pointed to a small keypad on one of the screens on the computer, "First you have to enter the orbit code. Just push the buttons as I tell them to you." Krystal also raised her hand to the keypad and listened closely as Fox gave her the code numbers. It took her a second to realize that there were actually numbers on each button of the keypad, but after that, she was able to easily enter the orbit code. As she entered the final number, ROB suddenly announced over the bridge, "Orbit codes accepted. Commencing countdown to deactivation of Geo-synchronized orbit." Fox nodded and said, "Good, now you can reactivate the engines. All you have to do is press these buttons and then use the..."

Katt watched on as Fox and Krystal worked together. Ever since the first time she'd seem them together, she was never able to fully understand how they were able to get along so well in such a short period of time. She spoke under her breath, "It's weird how stuff like that works...some animals just seem to attract to each other and never have any problems at all..." She stopped herself as she heard footsteps approaching from in front of her, "You still thinkin' about that, huh?" She looked up into Falco's smiling face and responded, "I might be...Just watching those two together...doesn't it kinda..." Falco responded while moving a little closer, "Ya, just like us about, what, eight years ago back at the academy?" Katt stared up at him, surprised that he even remembered, "Ya, I guess you can still remember those days..." Falco softened his expression as he replied, "Of course, how could I forget? Actually...It really doesn't seem like it was that long ago..." Falco suddenly moved his hand out in front of him, "Katt...We can start over...I may have said some things back then that have hurt you...and I'm sorry...I really am...but can't you give me...give us a second chance?" Katt looked down at his outstretched hand and surprised herself by accepting it. The feeling of his hand in hers caused all the forgotten memories to flood back, things she had not felt for all these years quickly reappeared in her mind. "Falco...I've been waiting to hear you to say that for...too long." Falco flashed her a reassuring smile, "I've been wanting to say it for too long...I'm glad I got it out of the way." Katt soon found herself smiling back at him. Falco let out a small chuckle, "Is that a smile on your face? I can't tell you how much I've missed that smile..." Her smile quickly turned into a small giggle at Falco's words, she felt as if time had reset and nothing had ever happened between them. "I've...missed it too...Falco." Before she knew it, her eyes began watering lightly and she placed her head on his shoulder, "I've missed you..."

"Uhh...Katt? Katt...? Are you awake?" Katt's eyes suddenly jerked open and muttered incoherently, "What? What was..." She looked down to see Slippy standing in front of her, "You kinda dosed off or something...are you ok?" Katt answered in a less than friendly tone of voice, "Of course I'm ok! Why are you asking!?" Slippy nervously continued, "Well...uh, you weren't moving and we've been out of orbit for about six minutes so I..." Katt now frowned at him and responded with noticeable anger, "Don't you have work to do or something?" Slippy slowly backed up and stuttered, "I...I'm sorry...I'll get back to work...right now..." Katt let out a frustrated sigh as she watched Slippy quickly walk back to ROB's computer. She muttered irately under her breath as she exited the bridge, "Why can't I just get that idiot out of my head!? ...How many times will I have to ask myself that...? Meh, It'll probably go away sooner or later...better be soon or I'm gonna go crazy..."

Fox looked up from his laptop and asked, "What was up with that Slippy? What did you do to her to get her so mad like that?" Slippy kept his head down as he worked on ROB's computer, trying to act like he was not embarrassed. Falco saved Slippy from responding by adding his own answer, "Heh, What else could you expect from her? She's like a time bomb waiting to explode every chance she gets. I wouldn't worry about it Slip." Slippy nodded quickly without looking up from the computer in front of him.

Fox returned his attention to his laptop and continued, "Anyway...So this screen is pretty much a statistic chart on the Great Fox's vital components." The blue vixen leaned over the side of the chair staring intently into the screen, "Is it a good indication when the lines point downward like that?" Fox slowly shook his head as he somehow successfully held back a chuckle, "No, that line is our fuel cell indicator, and it's almost hit zero." Fox pointed over to another half of the screen, "But over here it shows the statistics for the ship's life support system. The line is pretty much flat which means the life support systems are working fine." Krystal nodded, "I see, so the only thing we are lacking right now are fuel cells. You know...It really doesn't seem all that complicated after you explain it to me Fox." He smirked and replied, "I'm glad I can help...It's not easy trying to learn all this stuff at once."

Fox looked up to the hanging holographic clock above the door to the bridge and saw it shine the numbers 20:46. He let out and exhausted yawn, "I think I'll go to bed early...guess I'm kinda tired from that fight back on the planet..." Krystal nodded and responded, "That is probably a good idea, you will need to give yourself time to recover before we continue on." Fox slowly stood up from his chair and motioned for Krystal to take his place, "You can search around on my laptop for some other functions and you can probably find some electronic manuals in there. If you need help with anything, just ask Slippy, he knows this ship better than anyone else." Krystal quickly accepted his seat. She turned slightly so that she was still facing Fox and asked, "Are you sure you will be fine? I can go with you if you want." Fox shook his head with a sleepy smile, "Nah, I'll be fine. Just take care of the bridge for me when I'm gone, but don't work yourself to hard, ok?" Krystal smiled back, "All right then...good night Fox, I will see you in the morning." Fox nodded and let out another yawn, "Ya...see ya later." Fox quickly scanned Krystal's face one more time before turning and exiting through the sliding bridge doors.

Fox slowly walked through the halls of the Great Fox as he headed for his room. He was in no hurry to get to his room however, he wasn't really as tired as he led the others to believe...He merely wanted to let his thoughts wonder as he too wandered through the Great Fox.

Heh, Krystal really seems interested in learning about the Great Fox. I'm just glad she's starting to feel more comfortable around all this new technology. I don't know how I'd handle it around all this stuff if I came from a planet like Cerinia. I think she's a lot stronger than she gives herself credit for. You really don't see many animals today who are that modest, it's kind of nice to be around someone like that. Actually...just being around her gives me a feeling of comfort and calm...that I've never felt before. And now we are headed for one of the galaxies most famous resorts...Maybe this is the opportunity I need to tell her what I'm feeling...I've kept putting it off in my mind, but this would be the perfect time. Another chance like this may never come until this mission is over...

Fox looked up as he suddenly found himself standing in front of the door to his room. Man, I'm not really that tired anymore...but I guess I really don't have anything else to do tonight... He thought for a second and suddenly remembered, Hey, what about that Kusu plant Krystal showed me yesterday? I guess I could give that another try... Fox turned away from the door to his room and walked a short distance before he found himself inside Krystal's room.

Fox found the strange plant sitting on the ground next to the bed where they had left it the day before. Fox sat down beside it and studied the plant intently for a second. It had a strange stem that spiraled as it got farther from its roots. There was only one bulb on the entire plant and it sat delicately on the top of the flower's twisted green stem.

Fox quickly shook himself from thought as he positioned his hands on the flower's decorated pot. He hesitated as he tried to remember what he had done before to call the energy from within himself. He closed his eyes soon after and concentrated hard on the flower. "In order for you to summon this power, you must believe that you are able to use it." Fox concentrated on Krystal's words as he felt the energy beginning to accumulate within himself. He quickly remembered that if he opened his eyes to look, he would lose his concentration, and he made sure not to make that mistake again. Fox could feel the soft energy moving through his arms and into his hands. It was so sensationally weird, he desperately wanted to see with his own eyes but quickly decided against it. In his mind he began to see the vibrantly colored blossom that Krystal had shown him the day before as it began to uncoil itself from the bulb. It was as if he somehow had become part of the plant. He could see the blossoms beginning to fully reach out from their confinement and stretch out, revealing its colorful petals. Fox did not need to see it with his eyes any longer; he could somehow see the picture unfolding in front of him perfectly. It was like nothing he had experienced before, and he found that it was strangely soothing. He continued to feed energy into the plant, watching in his mind as it slowly reached it's fullest and most vibrant bloom.

Fox now found it safe to open his eyes and sure enough, there it was. The fully bloomed flower he had seen in his mind was now seen blossomed in its full glory in front of him. He couldn't help but smile at what he accomplished as he removed one hand from the pot and felt the soft flower against his fingers. The energy slowly began to fade from him, and the blue light surrounding his arms disappeared as quickly as it had come. Fox leaned his back against the side of Krystal's bed as he continued studying what he had done. It was a sense of accomplishment that he had not felt in some time. He again closed his eyes, but this time it was not to summon this strange new power that he had just experienced. His head fell limp to his chest as he soon found himself in a peaceful sleep.

(On the Great Fox bridge)

Only the dedicated few remained on the bridge at this late an hour. Krystal was keeping herself busy as she read through a technical manual she had found on Fox's laptop. Slippy and ROB were standing just behind her, checking and double-checking every system on the ship. Peppy and Falco had left for their sleeping quarters long ago. The silence that filled the bridge was almost unsettling, but neither of these dedicated animals seemed to notice. The only noises that could be heard were the few beeping computers and Krystal's occasional question about a term or a type of technology that she did not understand. Slippy seemed more than happy to answer all of her questions, as if he were passing down his knowledge, the same as a master would to his apprentice.

It had almost been three hours after Fox had left before Krystal deactivated the laptop in front of her and stood from her seat. She rubbed her eyes as they readjusted to the dull lighting that filled the bridge. She then let out a sleepy yawn as she glanced over to Slippy, "My...It's getting quite late, I think I've had enough for one day." Slippy only nodded in affirmation as he continued working on the computer in front of him. Krystal redirected her attention to the bridge door as she slowly made her way out.

Krystal slowly found herself walking through the halls of the Great Fox with a newfound fascination of everything that surrounded her. She never could've possibly dreamed of seeing all this complicated technology on Cerinia. It seemed so strange to have come from such a primitive planet where nothing was taken for granted, and then be introduced into such an age where things such as cooking and traveling were almost just an afterthought. She was sure it all would've overwhelmed her eventually, but luckily, she had the constant support of a certain vulpine...

I have to say, this is all very different from what I am used to. I never would've dreamed of seeing such things on Cerinia. I never thought it would be possible to see the many things I have over the last few days...I'm so grateful that Fox is willing to help me make sense of it all. He is a fox unlike any I have ever known before. I've never seen anyone with such a clear focus on what he has to do to accomplish his goals. Not only that, but he has such a gentle and kind heart. The feeling that I receive from just being around him is something that I find hard to describe. His presence is comforting, but at the same time it's slightly unsettling...there is only one emotion that could make me feel like I am feeling now...

Krystal was abruptly shaken from her thoughts as she found herself standing in front of the door to Fox's room. She hesitated to enter and said quietly, "It'd probably be best if I let him sleep by himself tonight, he must be extremely tired from all that fighting he did on Kaltar...It's probably best if I sleep in my own room tonight." Krystal stepped away from the door and took a few short strides down the hallway before reaching her own room.

The door quietly slid open in front of her as she entered her dark room. No light was entering into the room; only the feint green glow that Kaltar produced below them was present. Krystal slowly walked over to the window and looked down at the planet below. She gazed down upon the planet as it slowly spun along its axis, watching the clouds above Kaltar constantly take on different shapes and formations. She remembered back to just hours before, when they were still down there...fighting for their lives...Krystal quickly caught herself before she entered into thought and let out a drowsy yawn. She turned away from the large window on the wall and turned back to her bed.

She leaned her head back towards the ceiling as she let out exhausted yawn while stretching out her arms. She promptly lowered her arms back to her side and returned her attention to her bed after a few tired blinks. It took her no time to react to what she saw soon after. She let out a small yelp and took a short hop backwards when she saw a shadowed figure lying on the ground next to her bed. She now stared at the figure from across the room, trying to make out what this figure really was. She slowly managed to refocus her eyes to the feint green light that was lightly bouncing off the dark figure's silhouette. She could see a vague outline of two flatted ears and a bushy tail lying at his side. It was not long after her original fright before she recognized the familiar figure. She slowly approached the figure and knelt down beside him, silently studying his sleeping body.

Fox? What is he doing in my room I wonder...Oh, what's this?

Krystal noticed the small flowerpot lying on its side in front of Fox, who still hand one hand placed on top of it. Krystal gently removed the plant from under his hand, which caused Fox's hand to fall a short distance back to the floor. Krystal set the flower aside and returned her attention back to his sleeping face. He looks so adorable when he's asleep... She got down on all fours and crawled slowly closer to his head.

You have such a handsome face...There's just so much to like about you...From the first time I saw you Fox, I knew it was inevitable...Your personality...your will...your charm...I can't help it...I love you Fox, and I pray that you feel the same...

She slowly leaned over and hesitated for a moment, letting the feeling of what she was about to do fully envelop within herself. She then closed the distance between his muzzle and her own as she planted a supple kiss on the corner of his furry lip. She quietly pulled away soon after and again found herself focused on his motionless, sleeping body. Nothing could make her happier at that moment than the sheer privilege of listening to his quiet breathing. In fact, she found it so relaxing that she found herself fighting to stay awake. She instantly gave in to her fatigue, knowing she would not win, and let her head fall softly against one of Fox's arms. The room around her faded as she closed her eyes, but the thought of him was still present in her mind...

(Early the next morning)

The door quietly opened to Krystal's room. A figure walked in, staring down at the two sleeping vulpines. "Well Fox, so this is how I find you...It's clear to me that you have made your decision...and so have I. I wish this could've played out the way I wanted, but it's your life Fox, and I respect your decisions...not only as a team member, but also as a close friend. I hope you can finish what you've started, but I just can't...I'm sorry Fox, goodbye." The figure slowly retreated to the door; taking one last look back at the two foxes...The figure shook his head, half out of regret, and the other out of disappointment. The figure slowly exited the room and the door silently slid to a close behind it.

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AUTHORS NOTE: Hi, been a while since I've posted a new chapter...It was a lot easier to get these done when you don't have school to worry about...Oh well, the next chapter shouldn't take to long I don't think...so till then...Later!