Chapter 22: A Lost Connection
Morning came slowly for the two vulpines as they slept peacefully in the large and comfortable bed. They had found themselves quite tired after all that had happened the night before, and had no problem quickly falling asleep, which was made even easier as they had huddled into each other's arms while letting the warmth of each other's bodies ease the process even further. But as the morning sun broke through the many different windows of the room, they both found themselves reluctant to awaken, turning their backs to the approaching sunlight only to find that nothing could totally prevent the light from penetrating into their sleepy eyes.
Krystal was the first to give in to the sunshine and slowly rose from the bed with a content yawn. As she sat on the bed, she could hear the small groaning noises that Fox was making in reply to the light that was interrupting his sleep. Krystal turned back onto the bed and quietly crawled to Fox's side. She gently grabbed onto Fox's shoulder and began to lightly shake him back and forth. "Fox, it's time to wake up. You know that we are departing from the colony today." Fox quickly mumbled back at her as he pulled the sheets slightly tighter against himself, "We'll make it back on time…just a few more minutes…" She smiled at his comment and responded, "Somehow I seem to doubt the truth of that statement." Fox rolled over slightly and looked up at Krystal through his half-open eyes, "Ya, you're probably right about that." After finishing his sentence, he rolled back onto his side and closed his eyes. Krystal quietly giggled at Fox's comment before she gave up on trying to wake him and crawled off the side of the bed.
Fox quietly watched her as she walked past the bed and her slightly shadowed figure disappeared behind the bathroom door. Fox then once again closed his eyes and tried not to concentrate on the light that was rapidly beginning to become brighter at every passing second. He threw one of his arms over his eyes to see if it would bring any help to his cause, and to his slight surprise, it did. He gave a content sigh as he began to nod off once again in this somewhat uncomfortable position.
Almost instantly after Fox had found slight comfort in the darkness he had created, it became interrupted by the sound of running water that came from the bathroom only a short distance away. At this point, Fox gave up his vision of a comfortable sleeping environment and began to fully open his eyes. He slowly rose off his side and let out a tired yawn, which was quickly followed by him trying to rub the large amounts of sleep that still remained in his eyes. Once he felt he had done all he could to wake himself up, he stood up off the bed and looked around the large room, realizing that there was really nothing that he could do to hold his interest while he waited for Krystal to finish in the shower. But just as this had occurred to him, he heard a light beeping noise emitting from the area around his feet. Seeing only his jacket and tee shirt that he had discarded before getting into bed the night before, he assumed that it was coming from his backpack, which was only a step or two away leaning against the wall. He took the few steps over to the small green backpack and unzipped one of the side compartments on the bag. He then could see that his wrist communicator was blinking, informing him that he had an incoming message. He quickly picked it up and cleared the transmission. He slowly sat himself against the wall and said in a tired voice, "This is Fox…"
(On the Great Fox bridge)
Slippy gave a slight jump as he heard Fox's voice ring over the comm system. He was standing behind ROB's computer as he spoke into its built-in short range communication device, "Oh, hi Fox, I didn't think you'd be up this early." Fox's voice rang through the system with a only a small amount of static interference, "Was this supposed to be a wake up call or something?" Slippy chortled at Fox's response, which he took as a joke, and replied, "Well, I guess you could say that Fox." Fox sighed let out an easily audible sigh and replied in a sarcastic voice, "Well I really appreciate that Slippy, but if that's all you wanted to say then I'll be ending the transmission…" Slippy quickly cut him off and continued, "N…no! Fox, there's more I wanted to tell you." Fox gave off another sigh and responded, "Like what? You didn't break anything while I was gone did you?" Slippy blushed and replied, "No…why would you say that? I wanted to tell you that I fixed the problem with our sensor system and the fuel cells, and Falco told me that he wanted to leave as soon as possible." Fox replied with a hint of surprise in his voice, "Falco's back on the ship already?" Slippy nodded and replied, "Ya, I think everyone's back on the ship, Katt came back early last night, I don't know exactly when Falco came back, but I saw him this morning, and I think Peppy's in his room." Fox responded after a slight hesitation, "They're all back on the ship already? I'd think I would have a harder time trying to get them to leave, not getting them to stay…" Slippy sighed as he thought of what he could have done if given the chance to roam about the colony, but quickly remembered that he was talking to Fox and muttered quickly, "Yeah, I guess that's kinda weird…" Fox replied, "Well, if everyone's waiting on me, I'll try and get back as soon as I can, so tell em' I'm on my way. Can you do that Slippy?" Slippy nodded and replied, "Ok Fox, I'll do that right now…" Fox responded one last time before ending the transmission, "Thanks Slippy, Fox out."
Slippy pressed a few buttons on ROB's computer and ended his end of the transmission as well. Just as he finished, the doors to the bridge suddenly opened, which made Slippy jump slightly in surprise as Falco entered onto the bridge. He spoke over to Slippy as he made his way over to the large window that stood at the front of the bridge, "Just get done talkin' with McCloud?" Slippy nodded as he began to make his way down to the place where Falco was standing, "Ya, he said that he'd try and get here as fast as he could." Falco passively nodded as he began to stare blankly out the bridge window. Slippy smiled as he approached Falco and asked, "So did you have a good time on the colony?" Falco just seemed to ignore the question as he continued to gaze out the large window. Instead of answering Slippy's question, he asked him one in reply, "The sensor system's are back up…right?" Slippy nodded hesitantly and replied, "…Ya, I had those fixed yesterday." Falco continued, "And everyone except Fox and Krystal are back on the ship?" Slippy gave another nod as he responded, "Ya, I saw everyone come back on the ship over the security cameras…well, except Peppy, but I think he's just in his room…" Falco slowly turned to face Slippy as he responded, "You think so? Can't say I feel the same way…why don't I go check up on him while we're waitin' for McCloud?" Slippy gave him a strange look as he replied, "Well, I guess that's a good idea, I'll just…" Before Slippy had time to finish, Falco was already halfway off the bridge. Slippy sighed, "I guess maybe Xavix-Yuan wasn't such a great place after all…"
Falco slowly walked the metallic hallways of the Great Fox as his thoughts continued to dwell on what may have transpired the night before at the colony. No matter how hard he tried to block it out, it always seemed to come back, slightly stronger each time. It was way too much for him to try and figure out on his own. After all, he couldn't tell whether it was just some bad dream, or if it really had happened. The mixed feelings that filled him were strong, stronger that anything he had ever felt before. There were only two paths he could choose to follow as far as he was concerned. He could either break up with Katt and just let it die, or he could try and work out their problems. Neither seemed easy, but if he were to do nothing, he knew he could be plagued by these thoughts for the rest of his life. He knew that the only way this would ever be solved would be to confront Katt and tell her what he really thought, how he really felt about them being together, but there was a problem with that, how could he tell anyone what he didn't even know himself? Even though he didn't understand it, he wanted to do something to clear his mind, so after waging a short dispute in his mind, he decided that it would be best to see Katt, even if he didn't exactly know what he was going to tell her.
So, I have two choices…I can just walk up to her and tell her that it's over, or I guess I could try to figure something out that would get us back together…but there's still one thing that I don't know…besides that whole dream or real issue…And that's, well, let's just say that if I tell her that I do want to have her back…what if she really doesn't feel that way anymore…I mean, she hasn't exactly been the friendliest animal since I've been on the ship. Maybe she wants it to end too…maybe that's the best way to do this, just end it so we can move on with our lives. It just seems like such a waste of time…I don't see how Fox can have it so frickin' easy…
The next time Falco looked up, he found himself standing in front of his old room's door. He hesitated there for a few seconds, trying to overcome the amount of nervousness that was building up within him. His mind raced with all the things he could say. Harsh things, kind things, things that he felt were true to his heart. There were so many choices he could make at that point, but even with such a variety of options, it seemed that every one of them had negative consequences that Falco did not want to face. He slowly ran his hand through the feathers on his head as he tried to muster the courage to walk through the door.
The silence in the area was quickly broken as the door that stood in front of Falco suddenly slid open. He took a step back in surprise as he realized that he had not opened the door, but she had. Katt stood in the doorway and gave Falco a surprised look as she saw him standing there looking perturbed. She looked away and said, "Hi…Falco." He froze in place momentarily as he tried to decide what he could say in reply, but only managed to respond with a nervous, "Hey," in reply. Almost immediately after Falco said this, a strange feeling came between them, one that neither had much experience with, and that was the fact that both of them were at a loss for words. They could only stand there with their eyes staring at some part of the wall or the floor, this didn't last for longer than a few seconds, but to them it seemed like minutes were quickly slipping by. The strange silence ended as Katt began to walk out the door and said, "Well, I was just going up to the bridge, seems like Slippy wants us up there for something…figures. Slippy loves to ruin every chance I get for a little quiet time." Falco responded with a nod and nothing more. He could only watch her slowly make her way down the hallway and out of sight.
Well Falco…you really screwed that one up didn't ya…(Back on the Great Fox bridge)
"…and you found this in Peppy's room?" Slippy spoke in a surprised voice as he looked at the item that ROB held in his robotic hand. It was a small round device, light brown in color with one small circular lens that sat in the middle of the apparatus. ROB replied, "Affirmative, acquired item found in Peppy Hare's sleeping quarters. Object has been identified as: Holographic display. An integrated code within the system has informed me that the message included in this device is addressed for viewing only by Star Fox leader: Fox McCloud. The contents and nature of the message are unknown." Slippy hesitated for a second as he took the device from ROB's metal hand and examined it closely. He looked up quickly and asked, "And you don't think Peppy's on the ship?" ROB replied, "Affirmative, no recorded log of Peppy's life signs within the last 20 hours. Last confirmed sign of Peppy: Departure into docking colony, Xavix-Yuan." Slippy nodded and replied, "Maybe he hasn't come back yet after all. I guess I'll just put this in Fox's room so he can look at it later."
Just as Slippy turned to leave the bridge, the large door slid open and Katt walked into view. She slowly assumed her normal spot on the bridge, leaning against the wall directly to the right of the bridge door, and said flatly, "So what'd ya need me up here for Slippy?" The toad held out the small, brown device in his hand and revealed it to Katt. She saw it and grabbed it out of Slippy's hand. Slippy commented, "ROB says he found that holographic display in Peppy's room." Katt searched the device for a few seconds before she replied, "It's from Peppy? Well then, lets turn it on and see what the old fart has to say." Just as she was about to activate the message, Slippy tried to get it back from Katt by taking a weak swipe at it with his hand, only to miss badly, which caused Katt to let out a small chuckle. He shook his head as he tried to keep himself from blushing and said, "No, don't turn it on, ROB said it was for Fox." Katt smirked and replied, "Come on Slippy, how's Foxboy gonna know if I just take a quick look?" With that, Katt activated the system, which triggered a small light that shined just to the side of the small circular lens that sat in the middle of the device. It let out a small robotic voice, "Initiating facial scan." As it said this, Katt raised an eyebrow as the small beam of light widened and slowly scanned across her face. After finishing the process, the light withdrew back into the device while it replied, "Invalid user, access denied." Katt rolled her eyes as Slippy tried to contain the laughter that quickly built up within himself. Katt deactivated the holographic display as she turned to leave the bridge, "Since you're obviously busy, I'll take this down to Fox's room for you. And next time, don't call me up here unless you have something important to say, ok?" Slippy quickly nodded as he somehow was able to retain his laughter from becoming audible. Katt only shook her head in reply and casually made her way off the bridge.
(In the docking bay)
After having received the transmission from Slippy back at the hotel, both Fox and Krystal had made their way through the colony as quickly as they could, but as they exited that same elevator they had ridden the day before, they gradually slowed their pace to a more leisurely speed. They had only been at this magnificent place for a little under a day, but in many ways, it had become a special place for both of them. They silently walked the wide, crowded hallways of the docking bay hand-in-hand, thinking back on the time they had spent together during their stay on Xavix-Yuan. Despite their efforts to subtly hinder themselves from confronting their departure from this place, the Great Fox soon came slowly into view in front of them. They were only a few yards away from the loading ramp before they suddenly came to a harmonized stop. They each looked around the hull of the Great Fox, knowing that this may be the last time they ever saw this place. It was much like the feeling they received shortly after leaving Dinosaur Planet, watching as the place where they first met gradually faded into the black void of space.
Krystal managed to break the silence by commenting after letting out a quiet giggle, "I suppose it's time to return back to reality. We've still got a long way to go before we reach our goal…but this was a…welcome distraction. Wouldn't you say Fox?" Fox smiled back while still continuing to gaze over the Great Fox, "Well, I can't argue with that, anything to get away from this ship is fine with me." Fox then looked away from the ship and continued, "But this is the first time I can say I actually had a good time doing it. Usually when I'm off the ship, I'm either busy saving some planet, or sitting in Pepper's office." Krystal smiled as she looked over at him as well, "And that's what makes times like this…well, more enjoyable." Fox nodded and replied, "Ya, I guess you're right…and I think…"
"Hey Foxboy! Sorry to disturb your private time captain, but we've got a little problem. Think you can save the lovin' for later and squeeze in some time on the ship?"
They both looked up to see Katt standing in the opening that stood at the top of the loading ramp. Fox began to make his way towards the ramp as he replied, "What, did Slippy do something?" Katt shook her head and replied, "Not as far as I know, but I wouldn't doubt it. It's Peppy." Fox stopped as he and Krystal reached the top of the ramp, "Peppy? What about him?" Katt replied, "Exactly, he isn't back on the Great Fox yet, and no one's heard anything from him." Fox responded, "Well, it's not like he's running late or anything…It's not even ten in the morning yet." Katt shook her head and replied, "I don't think that's the case foxie." She held out the small brown device that she had taken from Slippy only a few minutes before, "ROB found this in Peppy's room, says it's some kinda holographic display. I tried to activate the message, but like everything else here, it'll only open when you say so." Fox took the device from Katt as she continued, "You might want to see what it's about. Cause if it's what I'm thinking, we're gonna have to make a little adjustment around the ship." Fox looked up from the small brown device and responded, "Huh? What do you mean by that?" She turned and began to walk back towards the bridge and replied, "I guess you'll find out soon enough, won't you Foxboy?"
As Katt walked out of view, Fox refocused his attention to the small device that he now held in his hand. Krystal walked up next to his side and looked down at the mechanism that Fox held in his hand, "She says this is from Peppy? I wonder what this is all about…Why don't you go ahead and activate the message Fox?" Fox hesitated as he thought back to what Katt said. After a short time, he shook his head and replied, "Don't worry, I will, but I think I'm gonna change out of these cloths before I head up to the bridge. So why don't I just meet you up there in a little while, ok? I'm sure they're gonna need some help up there anyway." Krystal nodded and replied, "Ok then Fox, I'll be waiting for you." Fox nodded and gave a slight wave as Krystal turned and walked away from him down the hallway.
As soon as Krystal disappeared from sight, Fox turned away from the opening that led down to the floor of the docking bay, and quickly made his way towards his room, studying the device he held in his hand as he went. He wasn't really sure what this was all about, but from what Katt had implied, it was nothing good.
It wasn't long after he started walking that he arrived back in his room. He opened the door that sat in front of him and walked into the quiet room. Fox set the backpack that he had been carrying down, leaning it against the side of his bed, and retrieved the uniform that he had carefully stored within it. After giving the device in his hand a gentle toss, which resulted in it landing softly on top of his bed, he began to switch back into his regular attire. He had actually liked the fact that he got to have a change in wardrobe for once, at least the cloths Krystal had found for him were a lot more loose fitting, but despite how much he would have liked staying in his current attire, he soon found himself once again clad in the slightly tight, green uniform that he had worn for much of his life.
This whole process was only able to distract him for a short time however, as his attention was again quickly diverted to the small brown device that sat on top of his bed. He took a seat on the side of his bed and once again retrieved the mechanism with his hand.
I don't see why everyone is so worried…I mean, it's still not eleven yet…maybe Peppy just wants to make the most of his time. The guy is pretty old after all, this is probably one of the only times he's ever had a break from the Great Fox in a long time…I don't think I'd even mind it if he was a little late…wait…What if he…
Fox suddenly began to realize what Katt had said to him earlier. When she told him that they were going to have to make some adjustments around the Great Fox it could have meant…
No way…that can't be true. Peppy wouldn't do something like that…But as Fox continued to stare at that small device he held in his hands, his mind started to remind him of all the things Peppy had said to him recently, all those things about him not being happy with Fox's work. Fox quickly shook his mind of these thoughts and activated the system, effectively cutting off any further thoughts for the time being.
The small light that Katt had seen earlier appeared from beside the lens on the device, "Initiating facial scan." The small light widened and slowly scanned over Fox's face. After completing the process, the light retracted back into the device and the robotic voice once again omitted from the holographic device, "User identified: Fox McCloud. Access granted."
The holograph that was held inside the device activated almost instantly, which made Fox give a slight jump in reply. After his initial surprise, Fox returned his focus onto the small image that was now displayed in front him in a dim blue color. He could see Peppy was sitting at a desk in his room, and behind him on his bed sat a few objects that Fox could not identify due to the fact this image was so small. His attention was quickly diverted from this detail however as the hare that sat squarely in the center of the screen began to speak in a sad and deep tone.
"Well Fox, by the time you've managed to find this recording, you'll probably be wondering where I am, but you don't need to trouble yourself trying to find me. My mind is already made up. Now…as hard as it was for me to come to this decision, and, well, after a good long talk with myself, I've decided…well, to put it gently, I've decided to…move on. Fox, you know I'll always be rootin' for you, that young, spirited fox that would do anything for the sake of others. I know you'll go on and continue to do great things, but as of now, it won't be with me along for the ride. Now, you know I wouldn't do something like this without a good reason, and I think you already know why I would do something like this. Things were changing for you, things you had not been exposed to before, and I cannot blame you for any of those. All I can say is that I was startin' to feel a little…unappreciated. Between Katt and her attitude and you, being caught between the two things you care about most, well, it became clear to me that you had chosen how you wanted to run the Great Fox, and as far as I could tell, you could do what you needed without my help. I can understand that things do change in life, sometimes too quickly, you of all animals would understand that feeling Fox. I guess this will just be one more of those changes that you will come across in your life…At least, I know it will be for me. I know it won't be long before I start to miss you and the rest of the team…all of you. Slippy, Falco, Krystal, and even Katt, all of them are dependable animals, and I wouldn't rather leave you in the care of anyone else. And…well, I'll always remember you Fox…the same way I remember your Father. Of all the animals I've ever met in my life…you two are the ones that have managed to find a place closest to my heart…and I…really appreciate all the things you did for me, all the things you showed me during our travels…Well, I guess that's all I can really bring myself to say right now…I wish you…all of you, on that ship…the best of luck in whatever life brings…Peppy Hare…signing out."
The hologram instantly disappeared as Peppy's final words exited from the small machine, leaving Fox, once again, in the quiet seclusion that his room provided. Even though the image was no longer seen, Fox continued to stare in its direction, as if the hologram was still glowing its light blue color. All the things, all the warnings Peppy had given him quickly flashed through his mind. He knew Peppy had told him this would happen, but Fox was unable to realize how awful the consequences would be until it was already too late. He finally broke free from his unblinking stare as he gently placed his hands on the side of his head, slowly taking in what he had just heard.
Peppy…I never thought…I didn't think you would really…no. No, it's not Peppy's fault…it's mine. I should have listened to what he had to say, but now it's too late to say sorry…He's gone and it's my fault…but…it's strange…I think if I were given a second chance to follow Peppy's warnings…I guess…it just seems like I wouldn't have changed anything…how could I? Maybe my priorities did change…but…was it really for the worst?
Suddenly, a voice blared out over the intercom system, "Hey Fox, I don't know about you, but I think I'm about ready to get outta here and back into some real action. I'd really appreciate it if you'd get up here so we can get on with this little charade of ours."
Fox's head moved only slightly as he heard Falco's voice over the intercom. He let out a heavy sigh as he once again turned his attention back to the small brown device that sat on top of his bed. He hesitated before reaching out with his hand and picking the forlorn item up off the bed sheet. He studied the device one last time before opening a compartment in the end table that sat next to the head of his bed. He slowly closed the drawer that now held the last memory of his oldest friend. As soon as the drawer came to a complete close, Fox let out one more quiet sigh before he turned and left the quietness of his room, slowly heading to the place where his team awaited his arrival.
The walk to the bridge seemed to last slightly longer that what it usually did. Thanks to the fact that Peppy was no longer part of the team, Fox would now have to think of some way to tell his team of what he had recently learned about their oldest team member. His mind raced as he tried to figure out exactly how he could tell his team what he had recently leaned about their former team member.
I guess the best way would be if I just came out and told them what happened…well, I guess that's always the best way, but…never the easiest. I wonder what they'll think of his decision…and how they'll react…Are they gonna get mad at me because I'm really the one that caused this whole mess…?
Fox stopped abruptly as he saw the large bridge door standing directly in front of him. He hesitated for a moment as he stared into the dull reflection of himself that the door gave off.
I guess I'll find out pretty soon…
He took a deep breath as he tried collect his thoughts. He then exhaled slowly, hoping that it would calm his nerves. It seemed like it had worked to some extent as Fox found himself able to relax his tensed muscles slightly as well as being able to find the courage to slowly walk through the imposing bridge door.
The metallic door quickly and quietly slid open, revealing the four team mates that had been waiting for Fox's arrival. They all seemed to look up simultaneously as the door quietly hissed open. For a short while, no one said anything. Fox was able to walk a good distance onto the bridge until the silence was broken. As Fox neared his assigned seat on the bridge of the Great Fox, Falco approached him and said with a smirk, "So, what's the deal? Peppy just fall asleep or something? Wouldn't surprise me, with all the pills that guy takes, I'd be out cold all day." Fox settled into the slightly elevated chair on the middle of the bridge and lowered his head, trying to break a smile to Falco's response, "Well, not quite…" Falco nodded and replied while walking towards the bridge window, "Not quite? What does that mean? Did he lose his pills or something?" Fox shook his head and responded, "No, it's nothing like that…" He raised his head as he tried to find the right words, "Well, Peppy…he's…about that holographic message he left in his room…well." Before he was able to force out any more words, another voice spoke from behind him, "He's gone, isn't he?" Fox turned to see that Katt, who was standing to the side of the bridge door, had been the one to pose the question. Fox nodded and quietly replied, "Ya…he's gone."
The other members of the team, being Slippy, Krystal, and Falco, all stood still as they heard those few words leak from Fox's mouth. The silence that followed was unsettling as each of the animals on the bridge realized what that meant. The fact that Peppy was no longer going to be accompanying them on their mission, that the last of the original Star Fox team had departed from them, was cause enough for that pensive silence to last as long as it did.
This moment of silence was broken however by the one that had initially caused it. Katt stood up from the wall and slowly walked a short distance, soon finding herself with her back leaned against a short handrail that stood just in front of her. She said with a mildly callous tone of voice, "Well, can't say I'm gonna miss him. I think it's good that he decided to leave; an old hare like him was bound to slow us up sooner or later on this mission. At least now he can't get in our way." Katt waited for a reply, but was seeming not surprised when it never came. So instead, she continued her own thoughts, "Well, instead of sittin' around and worryin' about what's behind us, why don't we get moving and start thinking of what we have waiting ahead of us? Sound good Foxboy?" The whole team silently focused on Fox, who immediately the quick shift in attention. He looked up at Falco, who didn't seem to be showing any emotion at the moment, and shot him a questioning glace. Falco smirked and replied out loud, "Come on Fox, let's get out of here, we don't have time to waste around here. Peppy or no Peppy, we still gotta keep at it. So let's get outta here and make our way to Katina." Fox nodded at Falco's words, which seemed to provide slight comfort to the vulpine. Fox looked back at Slippy and said in a voice that indicated Fox's slow recovery from the incident that had just occurred, "You heard him Slippy, let's get out of here."
This command effectively managed to break the silence, which was quickly replaced with different members of the team taking up their assigned spots on the bridge. Slippy quickly typed away on the computer that sat just behind Fox, while Falco took a seat in his own chair and nonchalantly typed a few commands into his laptop as well. Krystal took a different course of action however. Instead of taking one of the available chairs that remained on the bridge, she headed over towards the slightly distraught looking vulpine that sat in the middle of the bridge. She was able to slowly approach Fox without him noticing, due to the fact that he sat reclined his chair with his head facing slightly downwards. As she came closer to him, she reached out with one of her hands and placed it on one of his shoulders, letting the rest of her body follow shortly after. Fox slowly looked up as he felt the contact, quickly realizing whose it was, and faced her with a somewhat forced smile. She quietly shook her head as she saw his attempt at a smile and said, "You do not need to try and hide your feelings from me Fox, I know this must be quite difficult for you." Fox nodded in reply as he continued to look up at Krystal.
He knew that she, the one who he had found on Dinosaur Planet, the one that he had allowed to join the Star Fox team without any real consent, the one that he cared for, the one he loved…more than anything else he had ever known before, was the main reason Peppy left from the team. Because of all the time he was spending with her, he was unable to fulfill his regular duties on the Great Fox. Fox knew that he should have done what Peppy said, but was that really what he should have done?
If I would have obeyed Peppy and did all the things he told me to do, I wouldn't be nearly as close with Krystal as I am now…but, would I be happier if Peppy were still around and Krystal and I were still practical strangers? What if I really made the right decision…what if it really is a good thing that Peppy left? But how can I say that…Peppy was the last person that had any remaining knowledge of my father…so if I think it was good that Peppy left…does that mean…
Fox quickly shook himself from thought as he realized that he was still just staring blankly at Krystal. He replied quickly, "You're right Krystal, I guess I've just never really thought of what it would be like without Peppy around, ya know? He's been here the longest out of all of us combined…it'll seem weird around the ship without him…" Krystal nodded as she moved her hand to the top of his head and began to run her fingers slowly through his hair, "I can understand that…You have lost so many things in your life, not unlike myself, but we will press on together, just as we have." Upon hearing those few comforting words, Fox was able to break a genuine smile. He removed Krystal's hand off the top of his head and placed it in his own, "Sounds like a plan."
"Fox, looks like we have clearance to leave the docking bay…are you ready?" Slippy's voice interrupted the small moment that Fox and Krystal were having, but it did not end it. Fox still held Krystal hand as he turned slightly his chair to face Slippy, "Alright Slippy, nice job." He then turned back in his chair, once again facing the wide bridge window.
He hesitated for a moment as he thought back on all the things that had happened to him at this docking colony. It was a mixture of feelings, one of sadness due to the fact that Peppy had finally retired from the team, but also one of happiness because he and Krystal were able to become closer than ever before. Fox had admitted his feelings for her, something he had wanted to do for some time, and thanks to Xavix-Yuan, despite the hardships that he faced, it made it all possible.
"You enjoying the view McCloud? Come on." Fox looked over at Falco, who gave him a short glance from across the bridge. Fox nodded after a short sigh, "Alright guys…let's prepare for take off…" Fox felt Krystal rubbing one of her fingers across the back of his hand, causing him to falter slightly in his speech. He looked up at her with a smile, giving him a new resolve, one that not even the greatest of hardships could break, that being that Fox knew he would always have her by his side, fighting along side him. All the negative thoughts seemed to flow out of him as he looked up into her face, no matter how much pain they had caused him previously, quickly bringing back the confident fox that the team had known since any of them had first met him. He once again looked ahead out of the bridge window and said with a smirk, "Let's get Katina back."
-
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Hey, I played SFAssault…and I beat it too! Ya! So in case you didn't know, the word, "foxie" that you saw earlier in this chapter was from SFAssault. I don't know why they spelled it like that…but whatever. I passed my 100,000-word mark last chapter as well! Bo ya gramma! I guess that means I've got way to much time on my hands…and now that b-ball's over, I have way more time to do this stuff! Ya…
(Title not yet devised)
Ok, so they are finally leaving Xavix-Yuan…and without Peppy. I haven't really decided what I wanted to do with this chapter yet…so I guess this section is pointless…just expect more useless banter like any other time they are traveling to a planet…I guess it'll probably be pretty Falco/Katt heavy…so if you like that stuff…lucky you…
EDITOR'S NOTES: More genius comments from my editor…this time, I'm not gonna edit it…this is exactly what he said, typos and all…
"peppy is go i am a lil glad he is gone but on the other hand i am a lil sad as well, why am i sad i shell tell u in these few words"he was the oldest member of the team and of the original starfox team and he is also the one with the most knowledge of fox's dad James..." that is why i am a lil sad, but hey i am happy 2 lol cuz i mean he is like 75 u know just a lil to old to contuine u the mission"
…If you can figure that out, you're a better man then I. So you may be wondering to yourself for some odd reason…How can a guy like that be my editor? …Good question.
New section
Another one? Is this kid crazy? No, I just want to type stuff…and I guess this is pretty typical in everyone's story anyway. I'll call it…MAIL CALL!
Lame…but it works, I'll just reply to the reviews I get…even though they are few and far between, I think it's a positive thing to interact with your readers…but I'd like it if you did not reply to my comments in a review, but e-mail those comments to me instead. Or do whatever you want…I guess I can't stop you…anyway…
MAIL CALL:
Ben Stylin:
oh god.
I love this freakin' story!
FoxMC: That's nice to know…I've seen a lot of reviews from you, sometimes their just freaky…and sometimes their serious…I can't really figure you out, but that's why I like seeing your reviews scattered about the website…so ya…thanks for the reviews.
Obsidian Thirteen:
I've been reading this story over the past few days and find it strangely compelling. It's probably the fact that you've worked so hard on this story and kept with it, not abandoning it. I can respect that. So, keep up the good work and update soon, or there's going to be some problems.
FoxMC: Strangely compelling? Is that a good thing? And I will keep typing…I've already been threatened by monkeys of doom if I didn't, and that was enough for me…
Daniel Thwaites:
I love this chapter, it's great it really is I tell you what I can't wait for the next one, I hope it's just as captivating as this one.
Keep up the great work
FoxMC: Well, I really like doing chapters like the last installment of the Xavix-Yuan trilogy, at least, I like it until I am forced into writing some cheesy lines, which I was luckily able to avoid for the most part…so ya.
HeRe CoMeS Da pain:
Dude, i gotta be serious when i say this is the BEST fanfic story I have EVER read! (not kiddin')
FoxMC: Well that's encouraging. Although others could probably prove you wrong in about…two seconds…but hey, I'm glad you like it.There'll be plenty more coming your way.
GrayFox 2510:
First of all, a quick thing, your editor missed some mistakes I spotted two somewhere around there... I think it was by the time Krys goes out to the balcony at night.
That being said, I swear I raised both arms upwards and yelled "Woohoo" in my head when Fox actually said he loved her XD - So yeah, nice fluffy/sappy chapter, I really liked it.
So, well, I think that's about it... Quick note about me however, you might have passed on that 'curse' of yours unto me. Going through some stuff completely unrelated to school right now, but I simply can't write now. Just thought you might have wanted to know... Eventually, this should be fixed soon... I hope... More like I wish... sigh - Erm, right, just keep up the good work
FoxMC: Well, as you have noticed, my editor is a bit…well, lacking, but I don't care, at least I can get some kind of opinion before I post these chapters…and I'm pretty happy about the whole love confession thing to, It'll make things easier between Fox and Krystal in the future…and I really appreciate that.
Holy lots of pointless chitchat Batman! That was insane, but it's over now, so I guess that's all I can possibly say about this chapter. If you have a question or concern about this fiction, you can catch me at there ya go. Until next time, does lame Peppy impression FoxMC…signing out.