Chapter 38: Escape from Corneria
"ROB, are we still on track for Cerinia? I don't think we'll have much time before everyone back on Corneria figures out what happened…"
"Affirmative, time until arrival at requested destination: 15 hours, 46 minutes."
The vulpine took a gentle sigh as he leaned back into his chair which sat directly in the middle of the bridge, one that he had quickly found that he greatly preferred over the stiff medical bed that he had slept on for the past few days. Not only that, but he also enjoyed the seclusion and quiet that his ship, the Great Fox, was now filled with. No one besides his loyal robot assistant stood with him on the bridge, nor on the rest of the ship. No one except for one blue-furred vixen, who commented in a gentle voice shortly after Fox had taken this heavy sounding sigh, "Fox, you seem worried about your decision…are you sure it was the best of ideas to leave the rest of the team on Corneria while we are off on this rather dangerous quest?" The vulpine hesitated slightly, shaking his head as he did so. He turned his body to face the questioning vixen and replied in a quiet voice, "I don't know…but what I do know is that I don't want to put those guys into situations that they don't need to be in. Remember, this is our fight, not theirs, and I don't think I should have to drag them into something like this…" Fox paused here, breaking a slight smile as he continued shortly after, "Besides, after all we went through to get off the planet without anyone seeing us was enough trouble anyway. We have to do this alone." Krystal nodded gently as she spoke in response, "Yes, that was quite a process indeed, but you are right of course, bringing the others with us may have been the wrong choice." She cut herself off momentarily as she placed one of her hands on top of the seated vulpine's head while tenderly rubbing the hair that her delicate fingers soon came in contact with, "Besides, I think I could come to enjoy all the peace and quiet that has befell this ship now that everyone is away." She broke an idyllic smile as she looked down into her leader's eyes, finishing in a quiet voice, "It's quite a…welcome change I must say…"
(Earlier that night, Cornerian Cathedral)
This moment was something that neither of the two embracing vulpines never wanted to end. After having returned from death, Fox found himself considerably confused, but none of that seemed to matter at the time as he felt Krystal's caring arms slowly bringing warmth back into his previously cold and motionless body. It had seemed like such a long time since he was last graced with her comforting ways, but now that he had found himself once again in this highly desirable position, he could think of no other place than where he already was. Her head pressed gently against his shoulder, which was now covered with her relieved tears. He smiled down at her, placing a hand on top of her head and let her continue this way for a few short seconds, letting this feeling envelop within him as it had so many times before.
Krystal…I'm glad to have you back…but I'm not really sure why I was even separated from you in the first place. Last thing I remember was when I was in that hospital room with all those doctors around me…so does that mean I really did die? And some how that necklace that Krystal gave me on Xavix-Yuan brought me back to life? Man…just when I thought I was starting to understand this energy stuff, I get something like this thrown at me. I mean…I was really in the afterlife…but I have no idea how I got back here, but this coffin I'm sitting in makes the fact that I had been dead a little more convincing. Well…I might not know much about what just happened, but if I know one thing, it's that I have to do what my mother told me, I have to go back to Cerinia and face that cloaked guy again. If what she said was true, that will be the end of this journey and things can go back to the way they were…or is that really the what's going to happen? My mother mentioned something about Krystal having a separate journey from my own…but what is that supposed to mean? …Wait, I may have been dead, but I can still remember what Krystal told me when we first started this thing. We have to keep pushing on to find answers, and if that's the case…
At this point in Fox's thoughts, the vulpine retracted his head from the shuddering vixen and steadied her by gently placing both of his hands squarely on her shoulders. She hesitated slightly before gazing up into his eyes, her face lighting up with a beautiful combination of joy and sadness as she did so. They both smiled as their eyes met at this moment, both feeling that not even death itself could keep them apart. Fox was the first to break this gentle silence, speaking in a quiet voice, "Krystal, I know this may seem like a lot to ask of you after having to go through something like this, but we have to leave, right now." Krystal's expression never broke, her smile continuing to glow across her face as she questioned in an almost hysterically happy yet subdued tone of voice, "What do you mean Fox? Where is it that we must go?" Fox hesitated slightly as Krystal's jubilant smile slowly waned upon hearing his comment. He did not look away from her light cerulean eyes as he replied, "We have to go back to Cerinia, he is waiting for us there and that is where we can finally end our journey."
Krystal hesitated as she heard this, her expression dropping for the first time at the words of her home planet. She lowered her sight slightly, focusing now on the green gem that rested against the vulpines chest as she commented quietly, "Cerinia…how do you know that what we seek will be found there. How can you be sure that he will be waiting for us there? And besides this, you shouldn't go anywhere in your condition. Surely you must feel warn out from this entire experience." Fox smirked as he heard this, responding in an almost cheerful sounding voice, "Well, that's never stopped me before, has it?" The vixen let off a slight chuckle as she heard the vulpines confident words, responding shortly after, "No, I suppose not. I'll go get the others and tell them of what has happened. Then we can depart once again and…"
Fox raised his hand close to the vixen's mouth, effectively cutting off her speech as she once again looked into the vulpines eyes as she waited for the reason he had cut her short. He paused for a few short seconds, continuing shortly after as he scanned the immediate area, "No, we can't let Katt and Falco get involved in this. It would probably be better if we did this on our own. We're the ones that are supposed to do this, not them. We might be putting them in avoidable danger if they come along, and I don't want to risk that." Krystal thought for a moment before she spoke, "But what if this challenge is too great for us to handle alone…I don't want to have to go through this again Fox. I can't stand not having you with me…I was lucky to get you back once, but I feel I may not be as lucky if it were to happen a second time…" At this, Fox relocated one of his hands from the vixen's shoulder and placed it behind her head, softly stoking the hair that his hand soon came into contact with as he continued in a gentle voice, "Krystal…I can understand what you are saying, but you have to remember, it's our mission to go back to Cerinia and save it from that cloaked guy. The scrolls have already shown that they hold true to what they say; now we have to keep our end of the deal and stop him before he can take over any more innocent planets…and we have to do it together, alright?" The vulpine paused slightly as he chuckled to himself, continuing shortly after, "Besides, if anyone on this planet found out that I was still alive, we'd have to stay here even longer before we could leave again." Krystal nodded at this, knowing that if anyone were to find Fox alive, the planet would come back to life just as their hero had and it would probably hinder their departure from the planet for some time. She looked away from Fox towards the limousine, which was still patiently parked at the curb a short distance away, commenting as she did so, "Then we must leave right away. It will not be long before the others will come to take me back to the hotel. We must make our way back to the docking bay as quickly as possible if we are to escape without anyone knowing what has happened." Fox nodded at this as they both slowly stood up and made their way across the lawn of the Cathedral, which would have proved their downfall if it were not for the now steadily setting sun giving them ample cover within the shadows that the Cathedral cast across the grounds.
This factor soon proved to play the largest part in their plan to escape back to the Great Fox unnoticed. As the newly reunited vulpine couple eagerly and carefully made their way through several back alleys and deserted streets, they became quickly thankful they had chosen this time of day to make their break for the docking bay. Because it was growing so late, not many animals or hovercars roamed the streets at this time, making their travels slightly easier as they went along. Eventually, they would come across the occasional passerby, and would take cover behind whatever was closest to them at that time, whether it be buildings, signs, or even behind the seemingly infinite number of garbage containers that were littered throughout the back alleys of Corneria. They continued on for some time in this manner, both remaining silent during the course of their escape, knowing that even the least of noises could give them away, but after several minutes of this entire process Fox noticed that Krystal was beginning to lag behind, which he countered by finding an abandoned looking alcove between two tall buildings that sat just off the main road of Corneria.
Once seated, as well as concealed in the shadows so that no one would notice their presence, they both took a deep breath, feeling for the first time since they had started this process that they could actually have a few seconds to relax. Fox continually turned his head towards the entrance to their small haven, checking to make sure no one had been following them and tried to enter, but the other who sat next to him made no such gesture, making it seem as if their discovery were the least of her worries. As Fox looked over at her from his constant scans of the world outside their small shelter, he noticed that she was gazing at him with a disturbed looking smile, one that was similar to the one he had seen when he had first come back from the Spirit Realm. He hesitated as their eyes met, speaking shortly after in a quiet sounding voice, "Hey…what are you looking at me like that for? Something wrong?" Krystal shook her head, but only continued to stare in his direction as she lowered her head slightly. Fox rubbed the fur on the back of his neck and moved closer to her, sitting on a slightly uneven piece of cement that was located next to the vixen, and spoke once again in a more encouraging tone of voice, "Hey, don't be worried about this. We're almost to the docking bay, I don't think more that a few more blocks away. We'll be…" Krystal shook her head before Fox could finish his statement, prompting the vulpine to come to a stop and returning the small area into it's previously held silence. This did not last long however as the visibly shaken vixen raised her vision back to the vulpine that sat closely next to her, speaking a slightly wavering voice, "…Fox, it's not the mission that concerns me. I'm really only worried about you and what has just happened. One moment…you're lying in a coffin in front of thousands of animals…but now here you are, sitting by my side…trying to comfort me as you always have." Krystal paused slightly as the tears that she had thought had been drained of her body quickly returned to her eyes, her sight never wavering from the vulpine as she continued shortly after, "What happened to you Fox? …For you to do something as you just have…to be no longer living and then suddenly resurrected…it's just so overwhelming for me. It was so difficult for me to go on by my own without you, but here you are once again, just as you have been…I just…I…"
At this point, Krystal burst into tears, her sobs could be heard echoing throughout the small area that surrounded the two vulpines. Fox immediately placed a comforting hand on the sobbing form of the vixen, who quickly returned this small gesture by wrapping her weary arms around his furry neck. Her forehead landed upon his chest, followed soon after by the tears that once again fell from the emotionally distressed vulpine. The vulpine that now held the vixen within his own arms quickly lost his determined expression on found himself on the brink of crying as well.
It was at that very moment that it suddenly donned on him, when he realized fully what had just happened. He had been dead, never to see this very vixen ever again, but because of this energy that they both contained, he was still with her, he could still feel the warmth that her trembling body gave off as her head sat upon his chest. As these thoughts slowly became realized, his grasp around the weeping vixen became slightly tighter, his own tears beginning to envelop within his eyes. He spoke shortly after these tears of his own began to fall, "Krystal…you don't have to worry about that anymore…everything's alright. I'm sorry you had to go through all that, but…I think after having to go through something like that…it can only make you stronger." Krystal looked up at him as best she could from her position on the vulpines chest, speaking in the same tone of voice as she had previously, "I…I know this Fox, but why does it have to come about in such a way as this?" Fox let off a slight smirk as his few tears slowly subsided, speaking in a much more confident voice than he had previously, "Well, I guess I can't say we didn't get a warning of anything like this. When we first started out on this journey and I heard you say that we would have to go through stuff like this, I guess I didn't think it would be this extreme, but ya know, it's alright now. You said it yourself, maybe some things don't make sense right now, but we have to keep going and hope he can find some answers." As he said this, Krystal's sobs seemed to steadily lessen, continuing in this manner until she had stopped all together. She pushed herself off of the vulpines chest and evened her head with his, letting off her our meek smile as she replied, "Fox…you're right. I suppose I'm just not sensible enough to realize things such as this under times of great stress. I'm…glad I have you back Fox. Sometimes it seems that your strength alone is what gives me the will to carry on." She placed her head against the base of his neck in a much more gentle manner than she had just seconds ago against his chest, which gave each of the now silenced vulpines a feeling they had both desperately missed.
"Hey, I saw you on the TV. Aren't you Fox McClou?"
Both the vulpines turned simultaneously as they heard this third voice interrupt the gentle silence that had previously been held between them. When their vision focused on this third figure, they saw a very young kitsune, one who watched on innocently from just outside the small alcove. Both Fox and Krystal looked on silently as the young animal seemed to do the same to them. But as with many small animals of this age, their desire to break silence did not fail him as he said in a rather loud voice, "You are Fox McClou! Just like on the TV. I have to go tell my daddy that you're here. He always says I should be just like you when I get bigger." To this statement, Fox quickly retaliated by slowly approaching the kitsune and speaking in a quiet and hesitant voice, "No…don't tell you're dad we're here. We're…playing hide and seek and we don't want anyone to find us." Fox rolled his eyes at this comment, and soon regretted that he ever had made this statement, for at the first mention of this game, the young animal added enthusiastically, "Hide and seek? I play that with daddy a lot, it's my favorite. I like it better than tag because my brother likes to push me when we play together, sometimes it hurts, but I still like him." Fox hesitated as he heard this, realizing that he would have to think of something quick if he didn't want this young animal to reveal his location. Just as the kitsune turned to run and find his dad, Fox grabbed his arm and said in a gentle yet wavering voice, "Hey, if you don't tell your dad where we're hiding, I'll give you something…cool."
This seemed to spark the young animals interest as his attention fully turned to Fox. The youthful kitsune now stared expectantly into Fox's eyes with both hands cupped in front of him in wait for his promised gift. Fox hesitated for a moment as he scanned his pockets for something loose, but it seemed that everything that had been held within had been removed when he was placed in the coffin. It was only seconds after this before his hand came across the platinum badge that sat on the left side of his vest. He quickly undid the pin that held the Star Fox emblem to his clothing and placed it in the hand of the now smiling kitsune, who eagerly looked over the crest as Fox spoke to him, "There ya go, now go back to your dad and pretend like you didn't see us. And make sure you don't show that to anyone, it might give our hiding place away." Almost instantly after Fox finished saying this, the kitsune gave an eager nod and quickly made his way out of the vulpine couple's hiding place and down the sidewalk that sat just beside them. Shortly after the small animal left them, Krystal approached from behind Fox with a much more sincere-looking smile as she commented, "Well, you certainly know how to negotiate with the smaller residents of this town, don't you?" Fox let off a sarcastic sounding sigh as he looked back at Krystal and spoke, "I guess that's a good thing. But we better get moving again before he shows his dad what I just gave him. When they see that, they'll know I'm walking around town somewhere." Krystal nodded and stood up along with Fox as he said this, responding as they surveyed the surrounding area one last time before walking into the open, "I suppose you are right, and besides, I'm quite eager to finish with all this sneaking business. I do not find walking around this planet in such a fashion to be at all appealing."
(Outside the Cornerian Cathedral)
As the sun rapidly began to fade behind the towering buildings that surrounded this area, three animals continued to sit patiently within a long, black limousine, one that had been parked in the exact same spot for quite some time now, but even despite this, no one who now sat inside made an effort to speak or even move for that matter. They merely kept to themselves as they waited for the return of the vixen, who they had left by the coffin some time ago.
Falco was the one who seemed the most greatly affected by this wait, feeling as if it were a complete waste of his time. It had been almost a half an hour of him waiting, and it was at this time that he made the first movements that had been seen within the vehicle during that entire time. He let out an impatient sounding sigh and spoke to no one in particular, "Krystal's been gone for a really long time, maybe someone should go get her so we can get back to the hotel and figure out what we're gonna do." The avian was not surprised when his comment was met with nothing but silence. He looked out the window of the craft that faced the Cathedral, speaking again to himself more than anyone, "I better go out there and get her. I can't take much more of this waiting around stuff while we could be doing something else a little more constructive." With those words, Falco took a few short steps towards the door of the limousine, opening the door and stepping out into the shadows that now covered the streets of Corneria.
The avian, who immediately felt greatly relieved to be free from the inside of the limousine, took a deep breath of the fresh, cool air that now surrounded him, as well as giving his arms and legs a slight stretch. Falco hesitated for a moment after he did this, not really knowing if it was appropriate for him to do something like this. He knew that Krystal must have been going through a really tough time and would want to be alone, but to him, being gone this long seemed to be mere overkill. He knew she would take a while, but he never would have guessed it would take this long a time before she would leave his coffin. He quickly shook of these indecisive thoughts and began to make his way towards the platform where he would find the vixen.
As Falco came closer to the coffin, he soon noticed that something was missing, that being that Krystal was nowhere in sight. Along with that fact, he found that after coming directly to the side of the coffin, that the top of the casket had been opened and that Fox's body no longer rested within. This caught the avian completely off guard, he quickly scanned the area to see if anyone was in the area besides himself, only to see the grass around the Cathedral and the shadows that now accompanied it. It took him almost no time to come to a conclusion. He lowered his head and spoke under his breath with a hint of urgency, "Someone must have come around here while we were twiddling our thumbs inside that limousine and stole Fox's body. He probably kidnapped Krystal while he was at it too…" He slowly turned and made his way back to the limousine, not really knowing what he could say to his former teammates after having come to a conclusion such as this, but was sparred worrying about it for too long as he quickly found himself in front of the rear door of the hovering limousine. He took a brief sigh before re-opening the door and poking his head inside, at which time both of the animals looked up at him and gave him a simultaneous glance, both of which seemed to ask why he had not returned with Krystal. Falco looked towards the floor that sat on the inside of the craft and said, "Sorry, but I got some bad news. Seems like someone made off with Fox's body while we were waiting. Whoever it was, he got both of them. We'll have to go see the General and see what he thinks about this, but I'm pretty sure I can guess how he's gonna react…" Both animals looked up at the avian in abrupt surprise, but only the feline responded audibly, asking in a quiet voice, "They…took Fox?" Falco nodded silently at the felines comment and yelled to the driver to head for the Cornerian Army Base. As Falco sat down and the craft began to move, Katt's vision never seemed to move from the spot she had just been looking in, saying quietly under her breath, "No…Fox, why do you have to go through this…"
(Outside the Corneria Docking Bay)
It had been several minutes of continual stealth and constant hiding before the vulpine couple had finally reached their destination. Fox and Krystal both quietly walked up to the main hanger of the docking bay and stood in front of an immense door, behind which sat the Great Fox. Fox let off a slight smile as they stood in front of the presently closed door, taking a sigh as he did so, "Well, we made it. All we have to do now is open this door and get off the planet in the Great Fox." As Krystal nodded in response, Fox faced the door and accessed a small keypad. He commented as he quickly typed in several short codes into the device, "Good thing I know the pass codes to this thing or we'd have done all that sneaking around for nothing. There shouldn't be anyone inside the docking bay at night, they usually depend on these doors to keep intruders out." As the vulpine finished his statement, the large door slowly slid open, revealing the nearly empty floor of the docking bay. Fox looked back at Krystal and was about to speak, but he was cut off before he could even begin by a voice that emanated from a short distance within the docking bay.
"Hey, who's there?"
Before Krystal had time to react, Fox quickly grabbed her by the wrist and pulled both her and himself behind a small pile of crates. She let out a slight yelp as she clumsily followed after him, luckily the voice they had heard only seconds earlier did not notice this. Once safely out of sight behind the crates, Fox gently placed a hand over the vixen's mouth and said in a whisper, "Don't make a sound." She nodded silently and the vulpine released his hand from Krystal's muzzle, both now watching on as several guards walked past the crates and towards the now open door.
"How did this door get open? Only someone who knows the codes can gain entry."
"I'm not sure, maybe it was just a glitch in the system…"
"These doors haven't done that since they were installed. There's no way it could have just malfunctioned."
"Well, that's more likely than thinking that someone knew the codes and opened the door. Only a few animals on the entire planet know them."
"Ya, you're right, it was probably just a glitch. We'll have to tell maintenance about this in the morning."
Shortly after these words had been spoken, the guards returned back onto the floor of the docking bay as the doors once again came to a complete close. Fox and Krystal watched as these guards slowly walked back past the crates they were hiding behind and continued deeper into the complex. Fox took a quiet sigh and commented to the vixen that sat next to him, "Looks like they decided they don't want anyone messing with the Great Fox today. We'll have to find a way to distract them so we can get on the ship." Krystal nodded silently and responded in a questioning voice, "But how do you intend to do this Fox?" The vulpine shook his head at the vixen's comment, "I have no idea, maybe we should just wait and see if they go on a break or something. But that might take hours…" There was a slight silence between the animals as they both watched the guards walk back and forth in front of the Great Fox.
This silence was soon broken by the blue-furred vixen that sat next Fox as she said in a quiet sounding voice, "Perhaps ROB would be able to aid us since he is already on board the Great Fox…" As she said this, Fox quickly remembered about his wrist communicator, which would allow him to freely converse with the Great Fox. The vulpine looked over at Krystal with a smirk and said quietly, "That's a great idea Krystal, maybe ROB can create a distraction for us. He can get the ship ready to go at the same time too." It took Fox no time after saying this before he entered a short code into the small device on his wrist, speaking into it shortly after, "ROB, are you there?" It was almost instantly after Fox had said this, a robotic voice echoed out of the communicator, "Affirmative." Fox quickly covered the speaker of the device as the robot's voice came out, finding the voice to be slightly louder than he desired. He quickly spoke into the device again, "ROB, I need you to prepare the ship for immediate take off, but only do the preliminary stuff, don't start the engines just yet." The robot gave him another affirmative response, but this time, one of the guards picked up on the voice.
"Hey, I think I heard someone behind those crates over there. Maybe someone did break in here after all."
Both of the vulpine's tensed as they heard these words, knowing that it would not be long before the guards found them. Fox had to think quickly if he and Krystal were going to get away from the guards. Fox quickly scanned the area for any type of nearby cover that they could escape to, but there was nothing for several feet of their current position. Since relocation was not an option, Fox was forced to look for other alternatives. He did not have long however, the guards footsteps growing louder with every passing second. It was at this point that he was about to give up all hope of escape, but as he looked back down towards his wrist comm. unit, he suddenly got an idea. He activated the devise and quickly whispered, "ROB, open the docking bay doors. We'll be taking off soon." Fox immediately deactivated the transmission so that the robot's voice would not be heard in response. The seconds that passed after that seemed to go by in minutes, but to Fox's great relief, he heard the sound of the main docking bay grinding open from the far end of the complex. It was not long after this before the guards that had been closing in on the vulpine's position heard it as well.
"That must be them! They're trying to escape through the main hangar door!"
"Let's get over there before they can get away!"
With those words, the guards seemed to disregard their past assumptions and quickly made their way towards the docking bay door. Both vulpines took a deep sigh in relief, standing up simultaneously as they saw the perfect opportunity to board the Great Fox. After scanning the area one last time to make sure that no other guards had remained behind, Fox and Krystal broke off in a silent jog across the metallic floor of the Corneria Docking Bay.
It was only seconds after they had made their break from behind the crates before they had reached the short gangway that led up into the hull of the Great Fox. Their footsteps against the grated metal that sat below them made quite a loud noise, but luckily for them, the guards that had run towards the now open docking bay door were too far away to hear this noise.
It was not long after they had began their ascent of the short ramp before they found themselves standing just outside the Great Fox's hull. Fox quickly entered a short code into a keypad that sat to the side of the door, causing the entry to quickly open, allowing the two vulpines to enter into the Great Fox simultaneously as the door quickly closed and sealed behind them.
As soon as Fox and Krystal entered through this door and saw it successfully come to a close, they were able to take their first breaths of relief. Fox slowly raised his arm to his face and spoke into his wrist communicator one last time, "ROB, we're on the Great Fox. We're heading for the planet Cerinia when we get out of the Docking Bay, so get the course ready to go once we take off." After one last affirmative response from the robot, Fox looked up towards the lightly panting vixen and said with a smirk, "Well, we made it. It was close, but we managed somehow." Krystal could only nod in reply as she gradually attempted to regain her breath. After a few short seconds, she looked back at Fox and said in a slightly winded voice, "…Just promise me that we won't have to go about anything like that again." Fox nodded in agreement and replied as he turned to walk down the hallway, "In this business, I can't really guarantee anything, but I can say that if we finish off this cloaked guy, we'll be sneaking around Corneria for different reasons."
It was only a brief walk through the metallic hallways of the Great Fox before the two vulpines arrived in front of the bridge door, through which they did not hesitate to enter. Once on the bridge, Fox scanned the room and saw ROB standing in his usual spot to the left of the bridge door working busily at his computer. It was at almost the same time that Fox had spotted the robot when he announced in his usual monotone voice, "Inoperative Star Fox member, Fox McCloud, has returned. Re-registering Fox McCloud as Captain of the Great Fox." There was a slight pause after the robot said these words, but his metallic voice broke the silence as he continued, "Captain Fox McCloud, Great Fox is ready for take-off. Course to planet, Cerinia, has been set." At this comment, Fox nodded as he slowly made his way over to the chair that sat on the middle of the bridge. He quickly took a seat as he found himself standing in front of his old spot on the Great Fox, finding great comfort in the fact that he was back and in charge of his ship again. Krystal approached him from behind and said in a friendly voice, "So, what are you going to do now Captain McCloud?" Fox swiveled his captain's chair slightly to face Krystal, responding to her question by speaking over to ROB, "Start the main engines ROB, we're getting out of here."
Almost immediately after saying this, a loud noise erupted from outside the starship, forcing the occupants of the ship to stabilize themselves as the Great Fox's engines quickly came to life, causing the ship to gently rise from the floor of the docking bay. Fox could see that outside, the guards who had almost captured them were now screaming at each other in anger as the ship they had been sent to protect slowly made it's way out of the docking bay. In an attempt to somehow stop the ship from taking off, they drew their blasters and started shooting the hull of the ship, which really only accomplished to create a few minor scratches on the outside of the Great Fox's durable hull. After finding that their efforts were in vein, they could only stand and watch as the large ship made it's way free of the docking bay and disappear into the night sky.
Fox let off a smirk as he saw that they has successfully managed to escape from his home planet and said in a relieved voice, "I can't believe we actually pulled that off. I didn't really think it was possible, but we did it." Krystal smiled as well, commenting from a standing position at Fox's side, "With all that I've seen you do today Fox, there's almost nothing I wouldn't believe." Fox nodded at this comment, his face staring directly out towards the now empty star-spotted sky that sat in front of him, "Then let's do something that we've been working to accomplish since we started this mission. We'll stop these mind controls and bring peace back to the universe…Cerinia, here we come."
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Not unlike the great Fox McCloud, I have been revived from a state of fanfiction inactivity. Actually, I just haven't been online to post these bad boys for a while, but here's one, I have the next one done too, but I'll wait a few days before I throw it up there. Moving on, this chapter was a little different. I started with the end and ended close to where I started…cool. I guess orthodox beginning to end storytelling isn't good enough for me anymore…or maybe I'm just full of it, but whatever. Alright…so what chapter is this? I don't really know, I think it's 3 more chapters until we're done? Ya, but I could possibly extend it to four more chapters…It just depends on if I want a 2-part finish or a 3-part finish. I guess you'll probably say the 3-part, so I'll try and figure something out, but I'm not gonna guarantee anything…Oh, and Star Wars Episode III was the best of the prequels, but that Hayden Christianson kid needs to learn how to act…well, not that it matters anymore, but whatever. Originals still own the new ones through…Empire Strikes Back…ahh ya.
(Title not yet devised)
I'm done with this chapter and I don't even have a title yet…sad, but good for you I guess. Well, it's Fox and Krystal's last day…err, night of quiet before their final showdown with Scales. Could this chapter be pushing the T rating to the edge? I guess you'll see…and Pepper gets freaked when he learns that Fox's body is gone…too bad they don't know what really happened…
RANDOM NOTES: I got third at state, I got a huge picture in the newspaper. Uhh…Summer might be harder for me to type, I'll be gone a lot and when I'm not just gone, I'm golfing is state/country-wide tournaments…I never thought it'd be a bad thing to be good at something. Hmm…Did I mention I'd really like to type a Sonic story? I frickin' can't beat Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, I hate this crap! But the game is so awesome…and I have to beat it before KH II comes out…man…I guess that's it.
EDITOR'S NOTES: I'm not gonna take the time to wait for his reply when I send this. I know you don't want to wait any longer to read, so thank me later…
MAIL CALL: Will Ben Stylin please let himself be heard? No? Where is that kid anyway…
DragonOTDarkFlame
Clap for the FoxMan! Clapclapclap! Clap for the FoxMan! Bravo man! Great Great GREAT chapter! I've got happy chills. On what side of whose bed did you wake up on? You have definately won me over! FoxMC FOREVER!
FoxMC: What the heck do you mean by, "what side of whose bed did you sleep on?" Uhh…my own bed on the left side, like always thank you very much. Thanks for a claps by the way, I am filled with smiles and happiness.
Cut It Out Of My Soul
I like the emotions in this chapter. It's sad and angsty for most of it, and then it becomes all happy. after reading this chapter, I had to listen to "Awake" on repeat for an hour. As for the Sonic story thing, I'll try to think up something to suggest for you. Once again, good luck with your golf.
SPIT... IT OUT!
FoxMC: Cool, I don't know that song, but I'm sure it was appropriate…well, ya. If you do think of some Sonic story for me, I'll seriously think about working on it. I'm gonna be bored with this story over…
deathscall
wel I see i was right, nyeh nyeh nyeh, so happy for Krystal now, hope the two get to enjoy their returned time together, because they should enjoy their time, in case you decide to kill one of them off again, but wait, you couldn't do that, not enough chapters left, anywho, is Star Fox still going to be disbanded? or now that Fox is alive again, are they gonna get somne new name of, like... The Ressurections... or... something...of the sort... and well great chapter, the funeral was done really well
P.S. Your amy plushie is on the way, it should take, oh, a few years to get there, and there is a Cream, Rouge, and the bee (whatever his name is) there's plushies of those four on their way to you... oh and on the subject of sonic, make a sonic/cream, just to see what could be done with it
FoxMC: The…Resurectors? …Um…no. They just kind of took off without telling anyone, so they are technically still disbanded, but the ship is still flyin' around…but I guess no one told Fox that, so it's chill. And it's Charmy dude...some plushie giver you are...
Whinnie
Wow... That was LONG! You have a lot of reviews, I can tell because the scroller takes up a quarter of the page where your reviews are posted:O Anyway, I really enjoyed this chapter. Update SOONER:D
FoxMC: Ya, there are a lot of reviews, and I have to reply to all of em'. Takes longer than it does to write the stupid story…seriously.
Black Phoenix
HE'S BACK! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!
You sneaky bastard! You had us all convinced he was dead! You are the man! Bring on Chapter 42!
YEAH!
FoxMC: Yep, you sure did. I'm glad you're so…enthusiastic about it.
Coldfire
Now before I get to the review, I just have to say, Fox is back! Yay! Now he and Krystal can be together again!
calms down
Anywho...It's time to think about what's next for the team, eh? I think a trip to Cerinia is in order...
FoxMC: A trip to Cerinia certainly is in order, the final battle dude, let's see some action in this story, eh? I like the sound of that.
Guest
(Yes, i'm the same "Guest" person who submited that review for the previous chapter, and thanks DragonOTDarkFlame for pointing out that krystal should have died too if Fox was really dead, i didn't realize that till about half an hour after i submited my review.)
WOW... just... WOW...
Really, i don't really know what to say, this chapter is just so freaking AWSOME! I'll admit that it was kinda obvious that Fox was going to come back, but that was more than I expected! Only complaint I have is that Peppy didn't even show up for Fox's funeral: don't you think he'd be there for something like that? After all, Peppy's already had to live through the death of James McCloud, don't you think he'd care enough to at least show up for Fox's funeral too? I know, you don't really plan to bring Peppy back, but it'd have made more sense if he'd shown up again, at least for this. Aside from that minor detail... Really, this chapter was just GREAT, best stuff I've read in a LONG time, KEEP IT UP!
FoxMC: I was thinking about it, but if he had come, it would have just slowed my story down, plus I really don't like Peppy that much, so that helped in my decision…
Rory the Demonic Axfighter
Sweet! Fox is alive! Hallelujah!
I oughta recommend this story to some friends of mine (Grace Of A Warrior's Death and Shattered Soul.) You can probably expect reviews from them soon.
Black Phoenix told me about this story a few weeks ago. He said it was awesome.
HE WAS SO RIGHT!
Later!
FoxMC: Thanks for leading your reviewer children to my fountain of fanfiction so that they may partake of this vulpines adventure. I'm much obliged.
Tie
Ah am filled wit emotions afta dis chapta, ah am so so so happy. Afta all dat in da beginnin of da chapta dis was such a great endin for da chapta.
Ah am so excited ta see what happens in da next chapta.
FoxMC: You sound like a New Yorker…heh, that's awesome.
halomasterchief
I had a REALLY crappy day, and this chapter made up for it. Thanks for answering my question (My instincts never fail me!). Sorry for looking so pathetic last chapter, I'm usually not that sappy. I never told you this before, but your story has inspired me to write fanfics of my own(haven't decided what to write yet, though. It's either going to be Halo, Star Fox, or Star Wars "The Jedi Knight/Dark Forces series ((BIG Star Wars fan!). Thanks for finding me a new hobby to do! As always, keep up the...ah forget it. You know what I mean.(I hope!)
P.S: The way you brought Fox back was fantastic. I would have never thought of doing that!
FoxMC: Yep, that's one more that I've managed to inspire with my writings…I guess I've got something going for me in the writing department after all…
a fan of Star fox
Oo! I guess you pulled the revival plot. My guess was that the planet was under mind control and making them believe Fox was dead so they could destroy Star Fox politicaly instead of using force. Guess I was wrong, but I could have been right.
FoxMC: You could have been right, that's for sure, but I'll go with the more magically themed solution…it's just how I roll G.
lombaxworship
Okay lemme start. I LOVE U, thanku 4 bringing him back, not that i complained ( i swear i didnt). answer me one question. is he gonna die again is krystal gonna die? please tell. oh ya, u REALLY had us goin with denieing him coming back, i actually thought that was the end of Fox Mc'Cloud. Well u r a little tricksters and for that i hate u and like u lol. anyways incredible story.
U had me goin dude u rock at that lol.
Obsidian Thirteen
Because of the fact that I was lied to, now I must go on a violent killing spree that will not end until I find where you live.
FoxMC: Well, you still haven't found me, so keep trying. (P.S.) Spare the paranoid android please, he's my best friend.
fire fox's flame
Okay, i must thank you for bringing Fox back, because what would Krystal do without Fox. And if you pair either one of them up with another person, i'll go crazy. Anyways, i'm really glad hes back.
FoxMC: Well, if I said that they wouldn't pair up with another animal, would you really believe me after all I told you about Fox being dead. You'll just have to wait and see…heh.
Looneyman
The whole Fox-loving community will have forgiven you now. I didn't realise that Krystal's inner power was that powerful. Thans for bringing Fox back. This is one of the best stories I've read, maybe even THE best.
FoxMC: THE best, that's a pretty big the right there son. I'll take THAT as a compliment.
Tim Digidestined of Loyalty
GOMEN! GOMEN! GOMEN! I am so sorry, my author alert is going bananas. By the time I got this update, I was ablout five chapters behind and was really confused...
Anyway, great chapter. You did a great job and I love it. Well, to tell the truth, I think you're not giving Krystal enough time with her telepathy abilities (especially on that snow planet, she could have senced them), but other than that, it's okay. I almost cried when Fox came back. Only you and Slickboy6 have ever been that close to making me do that. Are you two teaming up on me?
Anyway, great chapter, can't wait for the next one. Update soon!
FoxMC: Gohan? Oh, Gomen…don't know what that means…and the telepathy thing…I started this story before I knew anything about that, so I don't intend to use that ability in this story either…that's my excuse anyway…
Grace of a Warrior's Death
Hi. RtDA told me about your story. I had the day off from school today, so I pretty much spent the whole day reading it. RtDA said it was the best fic he ever read. I must agree with him.
When I got to the part where Pepper said Fox was dead, I actually yelled "WHAT THE F-?" (Good thing my parents were at work).
Anyway, I am DEFINITELY sticking around for the rest of the story. U R the greatest. I feel sorry for those fools who think they can match your skill.
In short, I love this story. U ROCK!
FoxMC: Sweet, days off from school are pretty cool, and using them to read is almost like taking back the time your not at school…what a responsible child you are
unknown
w00t! Fox is back!
FoxMC: Well…that's the truth
Masterchief101
fox is back YAY! good chapter dont stop writing.
oh yeah and 5 things,
1: someone actually thinks warioware is cool(I mean u FoxMC)
2: I had a gamecube first
3: I get to watch E3'05 live on my TV
4: Hello Muto is your bro? WTF mate.
5: I know your a sonic fanatic.
keep up the good work
FoxMC: 1.) It sure is, I got WarioWare Twisted today…it's sweetness. 2.) You lie, Shigeru had it way before you. 3.) Me too… 4.) Ya, isn't that just nice 5.) I sure as heck am.
Celestrio
An emotional way for fox to return. I, however,was expected a little more from Krystal when she saw fox wakening up. If I were her, I'd freak out or faint or something. Most would agree with me I believe. Since I'm in the questioning subject, I have a few questions looming over me:
1: Scales didn't have a real big role through out Star Fox Dinosaur Planet; what new role are you putting him here now? Is he being used as a puppet by Andross secretly or any of his henchmen? If not, then I think it would of been better to give Scales more of an appearence instead of a cloaked figure. That kind of takes the feeling that Scales isn't the true foe of this story. But hey, it's your story. I just thought I'd point that out.
2:I noticed Falco is getting soft ever since his last mission at that one ice planet and it seems that he is trying his best to get back with Katt.
Any word about that?
FoxMC: 1.) You're right about that, I didn't really give him that much an appearance…mostly because the people who read this story already know who Scales is and what he looks like. The cloak is just for evil purposes…just like Anakin Skywalker. Ohh…Scary. 2.) Ya, there is word about that, you just don't know what it is yet.
Fox McCloud Saviour of Lylat
Well, as I stated in my post a while back, I am submitting a full apology for all those "damn you"'s I posted when Fox died.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
There, I think that's plenty of sorry from me. But I kinda knew you would bring him back. You wouldn't go through the trouble of setting up this elaborate relationship between Fox and Krystal if Fox was just gonna die anyway. Well, I'm all smiles and sunshine now that he's back. so yay, woo hoo, boo yaa, or whatever you say to express joy... I'm kinda hesitant to open back up to the level of zeal I was at before, due to the fact that you might pull this stunt again. But yeah, that's teriffic that Fox is back. Keep up the good work, and, you know, all that other good stuff.
(Is a sequel a possibility in the future after all this is over?)
FoxMC: I feel you have adequately redeemed yourself by means of that rather lengthy apology. I feel so much better now that I know you are repentant of what you had said, thank you padawan…no more dark side for you…
BlueWolf419
Sighs) Well I already apolagized so I can skip all that. I truly must say that you are an incredible writer. You bring such emotion to your writing, I really must commend you.
Now for my actual reveiw. Since I haven't reveiwed in a while I'll combine them all. The chapter after the news of Fox's death was more of a shock than anything. I really can't say much... The chapter after that was just a heartbreaker. I was teary eyed, something a story rarely makes me do. I felt so sad for Krystal, I wanted to give her a comforting hug :) Then this chapter was even more sadness. Falco was a little less of a jerk, but no matter what he always will be, I think... Katt becomes more detached from everyone. Krystal got worse, but then much happier! JOY! Fox is back! As one of the people who flamed you, I can honestly say that you have won me back as a faithful fan!
On a side note I never was NOT your fan, but I did sorta lose interest in your story until I decided to just get it over with and read it. I was still a fan, just kinda lost it for a while. Anyway great job with golf!
FoxMC: Ya, that's a pretty good overview of the last few chapters. And I'm sure I made pretty much everyone mad and less fanboyish…oh well, they should be over it by now…
Shattered Soul
'Sup. My good buddy Rory the Demonic Axfighter told about this fic, so I thought I'd check it out.
I would just like to say this:
YOU ARE AMAZING! This is easily the best SF fic I have EVER read. These other guys got nothin' on you! NOTHIN'!
Ahem...anyway, you can expect me to stick around for the rest of the story.
You are the greatest. All hail FoxMC!
FoxMC: Thanks a bunch, although hail would refer to a ruler, I surely am not. But thank you anyway.
unknown
this story rules ALL!
AeroGreymon8.0
I had a feeling that you would bring Fox back. I mean after all, killing Fox in a Star Fox fic is almost the same thing as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the peanut butter. (couldn't think of any good metaphors)
By the way, I am a loyal Sonic/Star Fox fan myself, among other things. I have my own Sonic fic, an insane one though(hey, I don't have as much experience as you to write a seious fic, except in certain caregories), and, thanks to Echoes of the Future, I have decided to work on my own Star Fox fic. Pat yourself on the back, you're an inspiration.
FoxMC: Digimon! Yay, oh, anyway, I pat myself on the back a lot because of my insane skillzzzz in about everything I do, so ya…I'm lying of course…
HellFighterZ911 (x2)
1.)Wow, I have never read such an interesting story. Im totally caugh in your words. I wasn't intending to review at such an early chapter, but I couldnt help to notice something. You used dino language that you most likely got from the manual of StarFox Adventures, GameCube. Curiosity made me reach for mine, and I realized that you made a mistake translating. The "Welcome" part is right, but the rest, you translated backwards. "Nocsuwo ric keawn ac, U'vv ko oeab pebofob, Vep MsSceit." Instead of ric, it should be xuj, instead of keawn it should be reidt, instead of ac it should be ij, instead of U'vv it should be A'cc, instead of ko it should be ro, and the rest, i just didnt get what you tried to say. I didnt write the meaning just in case there are readers that dont know how to translate and I dont want to spoil it for them. Anyways, i better continue reading, im barely in chapter 3. See ya!
2.) Im Just re-reviewing to let you know you did it again. After seeing the mistake you made in chapter 2, i went back to chapter 1 to fix you title. Echoes of the Future would be "Osxeoj ev kxo vikiho", not OLREOC EP KEO PASABS. I am very experienced at Dino Language, I use it all the time. If you think IM the one that's wrong, just look at the example next to the list where General Scales says "No one can defeat..." To translate from english to dino, which is what you're trying to do, you have to go from top to bottom, and not from bottom to top, which is what you're doing. To translate FOX MC, you'd look at the top and then translate to the bottom ones. F V O E X P M M C S VEP MS. In chapter two, you translated Fox McCloud right, but the rest, you got confused. Anyways, Im not doin this for bad purposes, honeslty. Just fix that and yu'll b fine. WEET-ROO (Dino)
FoxMC: (response to all) Notice I no longer use Dino language…I think there's a reason for that...thanks for the tips though
SonicBreezie4ever
HOLY...OMG! OO WOW! This chapter made me cry...this is the first sory that REALLY made me cry! Dangit...you are SPECIAL! EXTREMLEY SPECIAL! But my God, where to start? You are frickin awesome! This chapter was so sad, but then, what a change! Good change! I'm so happy now! I've been waiting for this chapter and you know, it was totally worth the wait. I can't wait for more, but I'm sure it'll be more than worht it. Again, awesome chapter, and ROCK ON cuz you DO and always have ROCKED with this story!
FoxMC: I like rocks…you can throw then at stuff and they get broken…then people get mad, but it's still fun to hear the noise…uh, right, thanks for that anyway
Hand of Blades
Hey what's up, this story is really cool so far but I have almost no time to read. So just wanted to let you know you've got another reader and I can't wait to finish the story. Then why am I wasting time reviewing when I could be reading? Oh well, story is great will try to get caught up to where everyone else is soon. Later.
FoxMC: Cool, I like new readers, they're cool. Welcome to the fandom.
FoxJD (x2)
1.)This is Tie and I had this pen name for a long time but didnt really want to use it. Anyway I wanted ta say a few more things. This chapta made me so happy to see Fox back it made me wanna cry and I dont say dat often so dat is a great compliment.
2.)Hey Fox MC. Anyway ah was wonderin if ya could take a look at my fanfiction story when ya have da time ta and if ya like it could ya please give it a review. Ah would really appreciate it
Thanks
FoxMC: Still New Yorkish there buddy. You sound like Joey Wheeler, but there notin' wrong wit dat…ya
unknown
still supporting you man. you are my favorite author on this site.
FoxMC: That's cool, it's probably easier to support a guy who actually posts, but thanks anyway dude
Xavian the Angel of Desecration
Wow, dude. This is some insanely awesome stuff you got goin' here. MC, you are a Fanfiction god.
FoxMC: Thanks, I…get that a lot. Ya know what they say, "Chicks dig the sponge." …Or at least that's what I've read…
Bane the Mad Demon Slayer
Hey. It's Black Phoenix with a new pen name. I just wanna say that you rock so much, that I'm adding you and your story to my Favorites lists.
FoxMC: Ok, from now on, if I ever see someone say I rock ever again, I swear I'm gonna commit suicide, there are other adjectives out there people…uhh, thanks reviewing Sango equivalent
greenbladeoffire
Great. Just great. But when the heck are you going to update it! Huh! It's such a good story! Don't quit on us now! C'mon! But yeah, it's an awesome story, and I beg of you to keep typing
FoxMC: I'm not quitting, but I am quitting replying to these reviews, I'm frickin' tired over here…thanks new reviewer kid, you're consideration is much…ya, It's cool