Chapter 39: A Vulpine's Defining Chapter

In the middle of Corneria sat it's largest building, one that stood as a symbol to all of the many trials and hardships that the planet had to endure in the past. Not only that, but it was also there as a sign of protection, a sign of hope. However, this building had been in shambles for the past few days after the death of Fox McCloud. Both the workers and the military that were stationed there had seemed to forget that they were supposed to bring hope to the planet, having lost their own hope as well at this terrible news.

Inside this imposing building stood three animals, three animals that had traveled and fought beside Fox for quite some time. They had tried to stay as positive as possible throughout this difficult time, but having entered into this building, it was easy to forget the positives and think only on the negatives. Unfortunately, the employees of this place did not yet know of the disturbing news that Falco had discovered earlier that same night. He saw Fox's open, empty coffin, and along with that came the complete absence of their newest team member, Krystal. It was going to be difficult to explain the situation to General Pepper, who had also been going through tough times because of recent events, but they soon found themselves having to do just that as they found themselves standing in front of the General's closed office door on the 385th floor of the Cornerian Army Base.

Falco, who seemed to be the only one with his senses still about him after these events, was the first to reach the office door of General Pepper, but he quickly found himself hesitant to enter. He knew that this news would only bring greater stress to the already greatly disheartened General, and felt that he did not want to be the one on the receiving end of the possible anger and frustration that would follow after revealing this information. But it was not long after these thoughts came into his head before he remembered back to when he had done something similar only a few days before. After Fox had been sent back to Corneria after their mission on Katina, he had a talk with Bill, one in which he discovered that Fox would probably not last for longer than a few days, but instead of telling his crew the truth, he withheld the information and suffered. Not only had he got knocked to the ground by Katt, but he had lost something even more valuable, his team's trust. It still wasn't completely clear to him, but after having gone through everything he had to this very moment as he stood in front of this door, he was slowly beginning to realize the error in his ways. The avian had never wanted to admit that he was wrong about anything, but he soon realized that these deceptions would not change anything, that it was better for the truth to be revealed, no matter how dire it my be. It was after a final hesitant sounding sigh before the avian reached his feathered hand out towards the door and gently pushed it open.

A slight squeaking noise could be heard as this door slowly opened, which was answered not long after by a voice that came from behind the back of a large chair, "Who is it? I thought I made it clear that all staff not disturb me." The chair swiveled a full 180 degrees as the General faced the three animals that stood a good distance away from his desk. As he saw them, he quietly shook his head and continued in quiet regret, "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were some one else, but please, I do not wish to be disturbed during this time. I would advise that you return to your hotel for the night." As the General was saying these words, Falco stepped ahead of the small group of animals that stood in the doorway and spoke as he did so, "As much as I'd like to take you up on that offer, I think there's something you'd like to know before we leave." Pepper gave the avian a look that seemed to encompass both frustrated and tired emotions as he replied shortly after, "Falco, I'm sure that you mean well, but I am in no mood for…" The avian cut off the General before he could cut off by beginning his own sentence, "I figured you'd act like this, but I you really got to hear this. Now, don't get crazy, but me and these other two were just at the Cathedral, and right before we were about to leave, we found out that someone had stolen Fox's body." There was a tense hesitation after Falco had said these words, but he quickly continued, "And on top of that, it looked like they took Krystal as their hostage."

There seemed to be little hesitation as the General heard these words, made apparent as he almost immediately inquired in a worried voice, "Are you completely sure of this?" Falco nodded, looking away from Pepper as he responded evenly, "Well, I can't prove that his body was actually stolen. All I saw was that the coffin was empty and Krystal wasn't anywhere, and that's enough to convince me." General Pepper nodded slowly as what he had just heard slowly absorbed within his mind. It had already been one of the toughest days of his life, and now this. He let out an apprehensive sigh as he replied quietly, "This is truly disturbing news. I have no idea why someone would do this…after all this planet has already been put through. If this really is the case, we must find the culprit and regain what is ours. And on top of all this, Krystal may be in danger as well. We will have to…"

The General was abruptly cut off as another animal stormed into the otherwise quiet office of General Pepper. This new animal placed his hands on his knees and bent over in a quick attempt to regain his breath. And after this proved to be a success, the animal stood at attention and spoke in a stern tone of voice, "General Pepper, we have disturbing news. It seems that…" This time is was Pepper's turn to cut someone short as he quietly raised his hand in front of his face, speaking in the same voice he had used previously, "I have already heard the news. Fox's body has been stolen from his coffin and Krystal has disappeared along with him." This new animal gave him a completely surprised looking glance as he commented, "Someone stole Fox's body? Who in their right mind would do something like that at a time like this?" The General seemed hesitant to reply as he heard these words, but shortly after forced himself, saying, "You mean…that is not what you were about to inform me of?" The animal shook his head quickly, replying shortly after in an urgent voice, "No sir. I was going to tell you that while I and my comrades were at our posts in West Hangar Bay 01, someone broke into the complex and managed to fly off with the Great Fox."

All the other animals that stood within that room seemed to take a collective gasp as they heard these words. Falco was the first to break the ensuing silence, speaking in an irritated sounding voice, "Are you kidding me? That place is almost impossible to break into. If they didn't blow the doors off or something, they'd have to know the pass codes, and only Me, Fox, and the General know those codes. Not even you guards should know what it is, so how did anyone get in there so easily?" The guard shook his head as he responded, "That's what we were trying to figure out, we didn't even see anyone the entire time. But somehow whoever it was managed to open both the entrance to the hanger and the main hanger door so they could make off with the Great Fox." Before Falco could respond, General Pepper began to speak to everyone in the room in a subdued voice, "Why is all this happening now? Even after this planet is put through so much, they must now endure so much more. It's all coming at one time…I don't know how anyone will be able to handle this dire news…"

Suddenly, as if almost out of nowhere, a fourth voice entered into the fray, but unlike the previous three voices that had been speaking, this one emanated from the only female that stood within the room. She spoke in a voice that sounded as solid and firm as it had previous to everything that had recently happened, "Don't you think this all seems a little too convenient? First Fox's body is stolen, and now his ship is stolen. Doesn't it seem like this is all connected? Fox is the only one who knows how to open the hanger doors and is the only one who'd be able to get into the Great Fox besides us three. And Krystal, she got kidnapped, right? But if that's true, why didn't we hear her screaming or something like that when we were sitting in the limousine only a few yards away from where Fox's coffin was sitting? If you guys are following me right, I think you'll see that it just doesn't make sense to say that they had both been kidnapped." There was a short silence after the feline had finished with her deductions, which was broken shortly after by the General, who asked in a questioning voice, "Well Katt, if what you say is true, than what do you propose happened to them?" She looked over directly at the General and said in an even voice, "Well, after all I've said, there's only one way this could make sense…the only explanation is that McCloud's not really dead."

The feline's proposition was met with complete silence, not even their eyes moved as their minds pondered the thought of Fox somehow being revived from the dead and reclaiming his ship. However, Katt's determined expression never seemed to fade as this silence continued, as if somehow she knew it had to be so, despite the reaction she was receiving from the others in the room. This stillness was soon brought to an end however as General Pepper coughed into his hand in a quick effort to clear his throat before speaking, "Well, with all that has been happening as of late, I would be no less surprised if that were really true Miss Monroe, but for now, I would like it if you were to return to your hotel, we may discuss these matters at a different time." The animals that stood in the room hesitated slightly as they heard the General speak, but it was not long after before they slowly began to filter out of the room, left with the single disturbing thought that somewhere, drifting above the atmosphere away from Corneria, was the savior of Lylat, continuing as he had before any of this had happened.

(Great Fox bridge)

As their ship slowly drifted across the star-spotted expanse that sat just outside, both Fox and Krystal merely stood and watched from their positions on the Great Fox bridge. There was really nothing that had to be said between them that they did not already know themselves. Their mission would soon come to an end. It would only be one full night before they would arrive at Cerinia for their final battle against their ultimate enemy, and they knew it would not be an easy one, but thanks to their newfound faith in the scrolls, aided by the fact that Fox McCloud now sat alive and well within his captain's chair, they knew that they could face whatever was thrown their way.

It was several long and peaceful minutes of silence before it was broken by the robot that stood dutifully next to his computer behind the two vulpines, "Destination: Cerinia, will be achieved in 15 hours, 30 minutes. Request permission to perform standard maintenance checks around the Great Fox." Fox snapped out of the calm silence that had previously surrounded him, nodding in the direction of the monotone voice as he replied, "Ya, go ahead ROB, I'm sure the ship's autopilot can handle things for a while." The robot promptly replied after Fox had finished speaking, "Affirmative, commencing Great Fox maintenance procedure 653." With these words, the robot quickly made it's way down from his computer and out of the bridge, leaving the vulpines alone on the bridge and allowing them to return to the silence that had previously filled the room.

As they continued to look outside the wide bridge window that sat in front of them, Fox quietly lowered his head from it's previous position, his eyes now focusing on the ground instead of the stars that sat outside. Krystal immediately noticed this and soon after broke the silence by speaking in a quiet and concerned voice, "Fox, what is it?" The vulpine hesitated slightly as he began by only shaking his head in response, but soon after sat up straight in his chair and faced the vixen, saying in a calm voice, "Well, I don't know. I guess it's just that…I was dead. I was really dead Krystal…It's just hard for me to believe that it's really true." Krystal quickly donned a sympathetic expression as she kneeled down beside Fox's chair, placing one of her hands against the vulpine's arm as she replied in a gentle voice, "Fox…I completely understand how you must feel…merely the fact that you were no longer alive gave me almost the exact same feeling." Fox looked at her inquisitively and asked, "What do you mean by that?" Krystal lowered her head as she continued in the same voice as before, "Well, it may seem confusing, but from the moment I learned that you had passed on, it seemed like I was completely drained of all the will and strength that I have gained throughout this experience. It was as if with you gone, a part of me had gone as well. If it would not have been for what had happened at the Cathedral, I do not think I would have been able to live on by myself for much longer, the pain of losing you was just that strong. So…in a sense, I myself was dead as well, even through I continued to physically live." There was a slight pause between the animals as Krystal said these words, but it was broken soon after as Krystal gently continued, "It all goes back to what my mother told us in that vision those many days ago. When one is in pain, the other feels it as well…but I feel that this is not something we should dwell upon. All I need to know is…is that you're back Fox, and that as long as you are alive, I shall do anything in my power to prevent this from ever happening again." At these words, the vixen slowly withdrew her hand from the vulpine's arm and instead quietly placed her arms around his body, finishing in a calm voice, "I don't want anything like this to break us apart ever again Fox." The vulpine seemed to completely forget about his previous thoughts as he felt the warmth of her body slowly envelop within him, it was a feeling that he had missed desperately over the course of the past few days, and he did not hesitate in the least to return the gesture. As he did so, there seemed to be a short, complacent silence between them before Fox spoke quietly, "Don't worry, this was a tough time for both of us, but it's over now." The vixen nodded silently against Fox's shoulder, commenting only inches away from vulpine's slightly limping ear, "That's right Fox, we've proved that together, we can overcome every challenge that stands in our way…no matter how impossible it may seem."

Almost as quickly as this moment had arisen between the two vulpines, it had ended in the same way. Shortly after Krystal had made her final remarks, Fox's stomach, much to his disagreement, suddenly gave a low growl that seemed to fill the otherwise quiet bridge. Fox cringed slightly as he heard this, not knowing how Krystal would react to this noise which had now seemed to completely ruin the rather tender moment they were sharing, but much to his surprise, shortly after this growling noise came to an end, a second noise could be heard echoing across the bridge. As Fox looked down towards the vixen's head, which only sat slightly below his own, he saw that she had donned a much more lighthearted expression that was accompanied by the sound of slight laughter. Krystal looked up at the vulpine with a cheerful smile and commented in a much more playful than she had been using previously, "I suppose there are some things that cannot be averted however, such as your appetite, isn't that right Fox?" The vulpine was relieved when he heard these words, but made sure not to make any such gesture that would convey these thoughts. Instead, a slight smirk broke across his face as he commented in return, "I guess you're right. Besides, after being dead for more than a day like I was, I'm sure that I'll have to compensate for all the food I've missed out on." With the same smile on her face, Krystal removed her arms from around Fox and stood up in front of him, speaking shortly after doing so, "If that's the case, then I will make my way to the kitchen and prepare some food for the both of us." Fox looked up at the vixen with a half appreciative, half skeptical-looking glance as he asked, "Since when did you learn to cook?" Krystal smiled in a purposefully lurid manner as she answered, "I've been watching many of you prepare several of these meals, and I feel that I've observed enough to try and make these dishes on my own." Fox nodded at the vixen's comment and added quickly as he placed his hands behind his head and leaned back into his chair, "I see, I guess I'll just hang up here for a bit while you get things ready down there." Krystal nodded with the same gentle smile still present on her face and slowly turned away from the vulpine as she began her way off of the bridge, adding before she was able to completely walk out of sight, "I'll be finished before you know it. Although, I don't quite know how much you are capable of eating at this time, but I'll try my best." Fox let off another smirk at this comment, but remained silent as he watched the vixen slowly walk across the metal floor and quickly disappear behind the now closed bridge doors.

As soon as these doors closed a short distance away from him, Fox quietly returned his attention to the stars that sat outside his window, watching silently as they drifted closer and closer until they eventually vanished beyond the view of the bridge window. He took a complacent sounding sigh as he activated the laptop that had previously been lying inactive at the side of his captain's chair. The screen quickly came to life, giving off a slight glow that the vulpine had grown to be so familiar with. It was only a few minutes after reacquainting himself with this device before he pushed it aside and continued to stare out the large bridge window. This did not last long however as his eyes slowly fell to a quiet close, his thoughts wondering off as they did so.

Man…it feels great to be back on the Great Fox. It seems like it's been forever since I was able to sit in this chair and stare out the window like this. It's even better when there's no one around to bother me…but, I do feel a little sorry for the rest of the crew. I mean, I bet Corneria is going crazy right now after finding out that coffin I was in is now empty. I just couldn't let them come along on this one. This is something only me and Krystal have to deal with, and I don't want to bring any more factors into this equation than I have to. I mean, even if I did bring those guys along, I doubt they'd really understand what our mission was, but I guess I still don't exactly understand it either. All I know is that once we take this guy down, things will finally start to settle down. The only thing is…I don't know how we're gonna go about doing that. He was incredibly strong when I last faced him, but after all the things me and Krystal have been through, I don't know if there's anything that can stop us at this point…

As Fox's thoughts gradually came to an end, the vulpine completely returned to his senses as he heard a gentle voice echo throughout the bridge by means of the intercom speakers that sat just overhead, "Fox? Are you still on the bridge? I have finished preparations for this meal, and I must say, it all looks rather good. I'd advise you to join me in the kitchen as soon as possible, otherwise I may just be tempted enough to begin eating before you arrive."

Fox cracked a slight smile as he heard these words, while at the same time standing from his captain's chair and giving his arms a slight stretch. Shortly after doing so, the vulpine turned from the bridge window and slowly began his way through the large bridge doors. After making his way down the rather long escalator that led down the neck of the craft, he had only to turn a few more metallic corners that sat within the interior of the ship before he could see the open door that led into the kitchen. As he did so, he could smell several different aromas wafting through the Great Fox's metal corridors, each of which seemed to fill the vulpine with a great sense of warmth and comfort.

The vulpine only needed to advance a few more steps before he found himself standing inside of the kitchen of the Great Fox. As he did so, he was met by the immediate sight of an amount of food that he would have thought to have been impossible for their dinning table to hold. He could see at least five different types of food laid out on the table, and behind it all stood a smiling vixen, one of which who seemed to be quite pleased by the look that Fox was wearing at that very moment. Krystal walked a few steps closer to Fox as she asked, "So Fox, what do you think?" The vulpine hesitated for a moment as he continued to gaze over the table, eventually answering with a hint of disbelief in his voice, "You did all this? It looks great." The vixen let out a slight giggle as she heard these words, commenting shortly after, "Yes, well, I was quite surprised myself to see that I had made so much food, but I'm afraid that merely gazing upon it will not do it justice. We should eat before it all goes cold." Fox nodded and eagerly made his way towards the table, grabbing a plate and placing as much food upon its surface as soon as he did so. Krystal smiled silently as she watched him do this, and soon after followed his example herself, filling her plate with various items before it could hold no more. After finding that they had retrieved enough food to suffice for the moment, they each sat down in adjacent chairs and began to partake of the large meal that Krystal had provided for them both.

It was several minutes after they had initially began to eat before Fox broke the silence, commenting as he swallowed a bite of his food, "Krystal, this has got to be one of the best dinners I've ever had." Krystal didn't look up as he said this, mostly out of modesty, but she did manage to reply in a grateful voice, "Thank you Fox, I'm glad that you find my cooking so desirable. I wasn't sure how successful I would be on my first attempt to prepare such a meal, but I suppose I did a satisfactory job." Fox nodded with a smile as he responded, "Ya, you did a really nice job. This is all a lot better than what I'd have made if you wouldn't have offered." The vixen let off a gentle smile as she replied, "I was glad to do it for you Fox. With all that we are about to face and all that you've been through, I wanted to make sure that you were well taken care of."

Her smile faded slightly as she continued after a slight pause, "I still don't know how I feel about you wanting to pursue our enemy so soon after going through what you just did, but if it is what you believe is best, then I will go along without question." Fox looked over at the vixen with the same smile he had been wearing since he had arrived in the kitchen and said in a comforting voice, "Don't worry about me. If I thought I was still in bad enough shape, I'd do what you said and wait before taking on this cloaked guy. I just wish I knew who he was…at least then we would know who we were really up against..." Krystal's expression suddenly changed as she heard these words, remembering back to her time she had spent in the prison on Kharta. The vixen spoke in a quiet voice, "Oh, that's right. You were not present when he revealed his true identity." Fox gave her a surprised look as she said these words, causing him to question her shortly after, "What? So you know who this cloaked guy is?" Krystal gave a light nod in reply, causing Fox to inquire further, "You do? Then who is he?" Krystal looked up at the vulpine and said in the same hushed tone of voice, "This may be hard to believe, but when the cloaked figure lifted the veil that covered his head, I could see the face of General Scales, the one you had defeated on Dinosaur Planet only weeks ago." Fox hesitated as he heard these words, stunned to know that it was Scales that was causing all this, but somehow he felt that he had always known. After a brief silence, the vulpine commented quietly, "So that's why his voice sounded so familiar…but how is he still alive? I thought that he died when the Krazoa Spirit left his body…" Fox paused as he saw the perturbed looking expression that Krystal now wore as the vulpine verbalized his reasoning, which caused him to quickly leave behind his negative comments, instead continuing in a much more encouraging voice, "Well, it doesn't matter how he survived. All that matters is that we've defeated Scales before, and I know we can do it again." Merely his tone of voice as he spoke these words made an immediate difference in the vixen's expression, which had been replaced by a look that made it clear that she believed the vulpines words. Fox smiled back as he saw this and quietly returned to his meal, neither of them speaking at all as they both attempted to finish what was left of this enormous amount of food that sat in front of them.

It was several minutes of silent dining, as well as several more full plates of food before either of the vulpines spoke. That being the blue furred vixen, who slowly leaned back in her chair while at the same time placing a hand on her stomach. She let out a content sounding sigh as she commented, "Well, I think I've certainly had my fill. I don't think I could possibly eat a single bite more. How about you Fox?" The vulpine, who had gone through almost a plate more food than the vixen, quickly through down the utensil that sat within his hand and followed the actions of dinning companion by leaning his back against the chair, answering in a tired sounding voice, "I guess I'm done too, as much as I'd like to keep eating, I don't think I could keep much more of it down even if I tried." Krystal smiled at Fox's lighthearted comment and added after giving her arms a slight stretch, "Well, I suppose we should turn in for the night. It's already well into the night and we're going to need our rest if we are to confront the General in the morning." Fox nodded as he slowly stood from his chair, letting out a quiet yawn before replying, "That's probably a good idea, and after a meal like that, I doubt I'll have any trouble falling asleep tonight." She stood up soon after he said these words, but hesitated slightly as she looked over what was left of their meal, "Perhaps we should remain here for a short while and clean up this mess we have managed to create." Fox slowly walked over to her side, commenting in a tired voice, "Don't worry about that, ROB can take care of it later. He'll walk past the kitchen during his maintenance checks and he'll clean it up for us." Krystal let off a slight smile at this comment, adding in a quiet yet cheerful voice, "Well, that certainly is quite convenient. And if that's the case, then we can make our way towards our rooms straight away." A small smirk broke across the vulpine's face as he thought on the vixen's comment, adding in a relieved sounding voice, "A real bed…it's been a while since I've been in one of those. It's been hospital beds and coffins for me the last few days, and I'll bet anything that an actual cushion will feel a little better than those things." With these words, Fox and Krystal walked free of the kitchen, it's lights soon deactivating shortly after they did so.

The walk down to their separate bedrooms was met with much silence, but really, there was nothing that could have described the moment any better. This silence was by no means a way of these animals trying to communicate that they did not wish to speak to the other, but rather, that each knew what the other was thinking, making words something of a redundancy. If anything, this silence seemed to bring the two vulpines closer as they walked through the cold, metallic hallways of the Great Fox. Their conversation within the kitchen only minutes before may have been amiable, but now the mood had changed almost completely, not in the sense that either of the animals no longer felt cheerful or happy, but rather these two animals were beginning to feel a different way towards each other as they walked through the now abandoned halls of the ship. It was a feeling that many strive to achieve only once in their life, one that made each of the two vulpines feel more accepted and appreciated than they ever could have on their own. A feeling that could only be shared with another who feels the same way, and luckily for this vulpine and for this vixen, they had found this feeling within each other. All it took for them to enter into this blissful state of mind was the simple pleasure of feeling the others hand in their own. It was something that words would never be able to describe, and they both accepted this, knowing that hand-in-hand at each other's side, they were already speaking volumes to each other.

The only negative part about these silences that were shared between the vulpines was that they all seemed to come to an end long before they would have otherwise wished. In this case, this undesirable moment came as they reached the door that led into Krystal's room. They both hesitated at this point neither wanting to be the one who would break this idyllic calm, but was soon brought to an end by the vulpine, who spoke in a quiet voice, "Well, here we are. I guess I'll just head over to my room and get to bed." Krystal looked away from the vulpine as she heard this, not really wanting him to leave her presence at that moment, and said in her own quiet words, "Wait…Fox…if you don't mind. I'd like it if you were to stay with me for a short time longer." Fox gave her a slightly questioning look in the vixen's direction, but soon after replied in a faintly hesitant voice, "What? Well…sure, it's no problem for me…but why?" The vixen shook her head at the Fox's question, responding back in the same tone of voice as she had used previously, "…There's something that I would like to share with you…and I feel that this would be the most appropriate time for such things to be brought into the open." Again, Fox gave her a confused-looking glance, but his expression quickly changed as he commented in a calming tone of voice, "Well, if that's what you think, than I'm not going to turn you down." The vixen raised her line of sight towards the vulpine's face, a brief smile flashing across her face as he replied in a gentle voice, "…Thank you Fox." The vulpine nodded lightly, soon after looking forward towards the presently closed door that sat in front of the two animals, but after they both took one conjoined step forward, the door quickly slid open, allowing the two vulpines to enter into the silent and lifeless room that sat within the similarly otherwise lifeless ship.

After having walked a short distance into the room, Krystal stopped her advances to enter further into the room, effectively halting the movement of the vulpine that stood next to her as well. She turned to face him, hesitating slightly before saying in a serene sounding voice, "Could you please wait here for a moment?" Fox nodded quickly after she had asked this question, still not at all understanding what this vixen was getting at, and responded shortly after, "Ya, of course." Krystal slowly nodded in response, turning from the vulpine not long after she did so, and gradually made her way towards the separate room that sat adjacent to her own, quickly disappearing from sight as the solid metal doors closed behind her.

Because of this, Fox now found himself standing in the middle of this now empty room with absolutely no idea of the exact reason why he was doing just that. Of all the time he had spent with the blue-furred vixen, he had never seen her act in such a secretive manner as this before. All he knew was that after standing in that exact spot for more than a few minutes, he began to scan the large room for a place where he could wait in a more comfortable position. Despite the size of Krystal's room, there was very little held within it's walls. It did not take long before Fox realized that the only object within the room that could possibly serve as an adequate seat was the bed that sat at the far end of the otherwise empty room. After having found the comfort of this soft bed underneath him, he continued to scan across the room, but was sparred having to do so for long as he heard the sound of a sliding door coming from one of the walls that sat within room.

When he looked over to see what had caused this disturbance, his focus became quickly centered on the vixen that had now returned into the room. This time however, her attire had changed from what she had worn previously. Instead of wearing her Star Fox uniform, she was now dressed in her Cerinian attire that he had not seen since their visit to Xavix-Yuan. He watched silently as she slowly approached his position, but his sight did not seem to be distracted by the vixen's body, but rather on her face, upon which sat what appeared to be a quite humble and shy looking expression. The quiet atmosphere remained within the room until the vixen had made her way next to the bed, it's comforting surface giving a slight squeak as she took a seat next to the still slightly confused vulpine. Fox looked over at her as she sat only inches away, which she soon after did as well. It was at this point when their eyes met that one of them opted to speak and break the wordless quiet within the room. Krystal took a slight sigh before she commented in a calm voice, "This is our final night together before we face our greatest enemy…The time…seemed to flow quite quickly, didn't it?" Fox nodded as he replied shortly after, "Ya, I know what you mean. It's been over a week since we started this mission…but it really doesn't feel like it's been that long." Krystal hesitated slightly before continuing, he expression never falling as she did so, "I suppose after all we've been through, it makes sense that time has passed in such a fashion. It always seemed like time has moved so slowly in my life. Having my sheltered life on Cerinia, it was quite dull for the most part. But after what happened…after finding my way onto this ship, I've found that time is not something you can take for granted..." The vixen took a sigh as she said these words, and shortly after, suddenly stood up from the bed, but still facing Fox as she did so. The vulpine now looked up into the face of the vixen with the same unblinking expression as she continued in a quiet voice, "That is why I have called you into my room. There is something that I would like to impart on you. I have already experienced the feeling of what it was like without you…and now that we face our final destination, I feel there is no better time than now to tell you this, before time once again slips through my fingers as it has over the past few days."

After saying these words, Krystal lowered her hands onto the shoulders of the still seated vulpine. There was a short silence after she did this, which only caused Fox to look up at her with even more confusion. This expression did not last long however as he saw the tender look that was present on the vixen's face. After noticing this, he quickly lost his look of uncertainty and replaced it with one of perceptiveness as he waited for the vixen to continue with her words. Krystal's vision never seemed to waver during this short silence; her attention remained squarely upon the vulpine in front of her. She let off a slight smile a short while after finishing her previous statement, continuing on in a much more solicitous tone of voice, "What I'm trying to say Fox is that…well, throughout my entire life, I've always felt that something was missing. It was a strange feeling, but even from a very young age, I've always had this sensation in the back of my mind. I knew that this feeling had not come about because my parents did not take good care of me or that my friends mistreated me…it was just that, this feeling was on a different level than these. Companionship with friends and the love of your parents are one thing, but I was longing for something more. I was not aware of what that was for quite some time." Krystal paused at this point as she noticed that her line of sight had trailed away slightly, but slowly returned it to the face of the seated vulpine, who continued to look up at her as she did so. The vixen closed her eyes for a few seconds as she tried to regain her focus, continuing on shortly after in a slightly quieter voice, "It was not until a few days ago before I realized what this feeling was. It was on Dinosaur Planet when this occurred, when I was rescued by a wonderful, spirited vulpine. He took me in and cared for me, even if I seemed only to be a complete stranger to him and his technologies. But even in these he gave me comfort, always seeming to be looking for my best interests. It was then that I knew what these feelings that I had had for so long meant to me. It was not mere friendship, nor companionship, but an even greater consciousness, one that I had been waiting for throughout my entire life. Fox…in you, I have found what I have been searching for. Never before have I felt this way about another, and I know that for as long as I live, I never want to be separated from your side…The scrolls may be the ones that said that we would remain together, but after seeing you in that coffin, I've decided that I cannot wait for the scroll to guide us down that path. I will not let another minute go by without letting this be known Fox." Krystal's grasp on the vulpine's shoulders slowly became stronger as she said this, her arms tugging his shoulders slightly upwards in a manner that told Fox he should stand, in which he quickly did so, effectively placing both vulpines face to face. Fox only continued to remain silent with the same look on his face as he had previously as he stood only several inches from the vixen. She looked forward the short distance towards the vulpine in front of her, a gentle smile breaking into her more serious expression. Just as she was about to speak, she slowly removed one of her hands from the shoulders of the vulpine and placed it softly against the side of his face, which he quietly responded to by moving his head up and down inside of her open palm.

The vixen let out a quiet sigh as she felt the gentle contact of his face inside of her hand, but quickly refocused on what she was about to say, something she had wanted to say for some time now, but had not until just recently realized it with such a level of zeal. She looked into the eyes of the vulpine that stood in front of her, knowing that what she was about to say may be one of the wisest things she would ever put into words. She took one final breath, feeling at this very moment that after twenty years of existence, she had final fulfilled one of her greatest desires. She could almost feel the traces of tears as they slowly filtered into her eyes as she spoke…

"Fox, I want to remain by your side for as long as my life lingers within this galaxy. And I…would take it as the utmost honor if you would take me as your wife. Not only so that we may stay together for as long as we live, but so that as time continues to slip through our fingers as it has, we may look back and be content in that we were able to share it with one another."

After having remained in that room for as long as he had while at the same time, listening to the vixen's speech, Fox nearly half-expected to hear those very words. But even so, these few words seemed to have taken him further off-guard than anything he had ever heard before. Never in all of his years did he think such a statement would be imposed upon him, and as a result, he found that trying to quickly articulate a response was quite difficult. His expression wavered only slightly, but his eyes never wandered from the one that stood in front of him, the one that had just asked of him something he had never thought would come to pass. Despite this, the brief silence that came between the two vulpines answered the question in itself. Neither animal smiled, neither animal frowned, they merely stood face to face as they had for the past few seconds and continued to stare into each other's eyes, which could have possibly said more than words ever could have at that moment.

It was only seconds after this silence was brought between them before Krystal made the first movements of the two animals. Her eyes never broke from the vulpine's as she reached out with her arm and gently placed her hand against his chest. Her movement halted as she felt his beating heart pulsating into the palm of her hand, a subtle warmth seeming to accompany it as well. Krystal lowered her head slightly shortly after doing so, speaking in a quiet voice, "Please Fox, do as I do." It took almost no time after the vulpine heard these words before he followed the vixen's gentle command, placing his hand softly against the left side of her chest. She closed her eyes as he did this, while at the same time, slowly reaching out with her other free hand towards the one that presently sat palm open against Fox's chest. After her hand reached this position, she extended her finger and slowly began to soothingly trace around every individual finger into Fox's chest. After completing the outline of her hand, she slowly returned it to her side, while at the same time giving a slight nod in Fox's direction. Immediately after the vulpine saw this slight movement, he followed Krystal's example and slowly began to trace the outline of his hand with an extended finger. He took great care to be as precise as possible, while at the same time enjoying the feeling of her exposed fur as his finger traced through it. After finishing, he slowly returned his hand to his side, just as Krystal had done before him.

As Krystal felt the contact of the vulpine finger no longer present against her chest, she opened her previously closed eyes and once again looked up into the face of her companion. They remained this way for some time, their hands remaining on each other's chest, neither seeming to mind the contact they were receiving from the other. It was seconds after this period of inactivity had began before Krystal spoke in a quiet voice, her head lowering from Fox's vision once again as she did so, "On Cerinia, this act would be performed in front of thousands of people. This ritual is an act that all royalty on Cerinia must complete before deeming who they wish to remain with so that they may conjointly rule. The hand that we hold over each other's heart signifies our own unique qualities. You see, no one animal has the same fingerprint, and by etching this out against the other's heart, it is said that we may be able to accept whatever differences that may occur within or between the two and bring them together as one. By completing this sacred ritual, both animals have accepted that their lives shall be shared as one, carrying both the virtues and shortcomings of the other for as long as they live." She paused slightly after saying these words, tears slowly forming in her eyes as she once again focused on the eyes of the vulpine that stood in front of her. Her expression remained the same as she did so, asking shortly after as the tears slowly began to fall into her beautiful blue fur, "Do you wish to accept such a commitment and remain by my side, just as I so greatly desire?"

Fox, who had remained silent during this entire ordeal, only broke a slight smirk at this comment. The vulpine then brought his own free hand up to where Krystal's hand sat against his chest, removing it and placing it within his own. It was shortly after he did this before he spoke in his own quiet tone of voice, "Krystal…after all this time I've spent with you, I don't think I'd want it any other way. Of course I accept, but I don't think it's much of a responsibility more than it is a privilege. There isn't anyone else I'd rather share my life with…" At these words, Fox quietly pulled Krystal closer to him with a gentle pull on her hand that sat within his own, bringing them even closer than they had been previously. It was as they stood at this close distance before Krystal finally managed to break a smile of her own, a smile that had been absent during this entire conversation. She commented in a much less serious voice as she crept her muzzle closer to his own, "Then if that's the case, I look forward to spending my life with you Fox McCloud." Fox was about to provide a reply, but was cut off before he could do so as Krystal's mouth came into contact with his own, which effectively canceled out any thoughts of offering a response, instead replacing it with the sensation that both vulpines had grown to appreciate to a great extent, but this time it seemed different. Now the bond they shared was not only that of close friends, but in a sense, they were now joined into one being through this simple Cerinian ritual, and because of that single action, this act of love seemed to be made more clear, as if they both fully understood how the other felt, making this the defining moment of their time together. From this moment on, no matter what happened in their lives, they would always have each other, perhaps not always in body, but in spirit, and that single feeling provided more comfort to these two vulpines than anything ever had before.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Let's see, here was my outline for this chapter. 1.) Pepper and Star Fox crew talk. 2.) Fox and Krystal eat and do the ritual thingy. …That's it. How in the holy ever-lovin' crap do I end up with 18 pages of work with such a simple outline? Oh well, I guess it doesn't really matter… Anyway, I'm gonna be gone for a while, and this time I'm not gonna bring my laptop with me…it's kinda weird when my family and I go on vacation and I'm just typing all day while they do stuff…so I guess the next update won't be for a while…just when I'm getting to the last 2 chapters too…I guess it'll be worth the wait, but that just sounds cocky…whatever.

(Our Final Destination PART 1)
Duh, it's gotta be multiple parts or it'd just be stupid. Let's see, we get off the Great Fox onto Cerinia…ohh, I wonder what Cerinia looks like after being decimated by the war…What an interesting quandary indeed. That's all I know right now, so I guess I be done with this section…

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Once again, I'm sorry to Justin for not even sending this to him or talking to him at all for that matter, but I'm just getting lazy and I still have to golf like everyday…Got a tournament in New Jersey soon…and I live in Oregon…ya, that's a flight. Anyway…none this time, my bad.

RANDOM NOTES: Why do I have to be good at the most boring sport ever invented? Skies of Arcadia is like…my new favorite RPG, just under Kingdom Hearts and Super Mario RPG…so I guess it isn't my favorite. Uhh…Shadow the Hedgehog looks like it'll be pretty cool, I don't know about the whole gun issue, but the cutscenes sure look a lot better than they did in Sonic Heroes.

MAIL CALL: Well, I was going to respond to the reviews I got, but something screwed up with the review submission thing…at least it looks that way on my computer. Reviews number 262 and higher are not viewable for some reason, and I don't know why, but I saw that all reviews for other stories made after 6/11/05 didn't get posted either…so whatever. I didn't get some submitted reviews, but unless someone got really creative, I pretty much know what you said. So in the same fashion as Bruce Almighty, watch me work!

Response to all reviews: Yes.