Chapter 40: Our Final Destination PART 1
"Fox! You did it Fox! Just like before. You saved everybody again!"
The vulpine's attention turned from his Arwing, which he had landed only seconds ago, as he heard this familiar voice. As he did, he was quickly met by the face of his old dinosaur companion, one that he had not seen for some time now. Fox broke a slight smile as he slowly approached the small dinosaur, but was cut off from speech as the eager youth tackled the vulpine to the ground, laughing in a playful manner as he did so. After doing the same for a short time, Fox raised his head from the ground and placed a friendly hand on top of the young prince's head.
"It's been a while Tricky. It's good to see you again."
It was almost immediately after Fox said these words before other voices of laughter could be heard from behind the two reunited animals. Fox looked up soon after he heard this and was met by the faces of several different types of dinosaurs and creatures that he had met throughout his adventures on Dinosaur Planet. Tricky looked back as well, speaking in his usual enthusiastic tone of voice, "Hey Guys, look! Fox is back! Fox is back!"
All of the dinosaurs that stood behind them smiled as they heard the prince's cheerful words, and his father was the first to respond. He approached both Fox and Tricky as he spoke in his deep voice, "Yes Tricky, Fox has come back to us. I'm quite happy to see his safe return as well."
The queen soon approached from behind the king and said in her own gentle sounding voice, "We are all relieved that Fox has returned safely. After hearing what Scales was doing around the universe, we feared that you might not succeed, but I see that there are not many things that can stop you Fox. Welcome back to Dinosaur Planet."
At these words, all the dinosaurs that stood in that area filled the air around them with jubilant cheers. It had been several months since they had seen Fox McCloud walk across the face of their planet in an effort to end Scales' evil reign, and now that he had done it a second time, the inhabitants of the land could not be any happier. Gone were the days when evil prevailed throughout the universe, with an end to Scales came an end to all iniquity, and now animals all over the galaxy could rest easy, knowing that nothing such as this could ever come about again.
Fox's sense of accomplishment was great at this moment, but there was something missing in this moment, something that seemed to take much of the excitement out of this otherwise happy time. He scanned the area quickly, but did not see what he was searching for anywhere around him. As the cheering subsided around him, he quickly asked towards the crowd, "Have any of you seen Krystal? She said she'd meet me here."
Tricky answered the vulpine's question almost immediately after it had been asked, speaking in the same tone of over-exuberance, "Oh ya, I know where she is Fox. She said she'd be waiting for you on top of the waterfall. I can take you there if you want me to!"
Fox shook his head gently, smiling at the young dinosaur as he replied, "Thanks, but I know how to get there Tricky, I'll be right back, ok?"
The prince rolled his eyes at the vulpine's answer, now speaking in a much more griping tone of voice, "Ah, Fox, you never let me do anything. I'm not a kid any more Fox. Come on, I wanna go with you."
The young prince was soon subdued by his father, who gave off a gentle smile towards his small son and said, "Don't worry, Fox won't be gone long. Besides, you have no business bothering the two of them. I'm sure they'd like to be alone for a little while, considering how much they've been through as of late."
Tricky struggled slightly under the weight of his father's hefty legs, but soon gave up and said submissively, "Ok, ok, just make sure you're not gone too long Fox. I have a lot of stuff I want to show you."
The vulpine nodded with a slight chuckle before turning away from the group of dinosaurs and slowly began making his way across the small grassy plain that was ThornTail Hollow. Fox's attention was diverted by the beautiful land that surrounded him, which almost caused him to forget his intended destination. The sun shone brightly across the hollow with no clouds present to hinder its rays. This caused the small river that flowed just to his right to sparkle and shine brighter than he had ever seen before. This, along with all the tall, delicate looking flowers that were scattered across the landscape, created such a calming effect, something that he had been wanting since the beginning of this journey to defeat Scales, and now that it was over, he could finally do just that. But this peace was something he no longer had to share alone. Now he had someone to accompany him, someone to help him appreciate all the things life has to offer, and now that their destiny had been fulfilled, they could do just that.
These thoughts quickly left him however as he saw a lone figure sitting upon the lush green grass that grew just beside the small river that he found himself standing beside, one of which held a great Warpstone in the middle of its circling current. He quietly approached the figure, taking great care so that it would not be able to hear his approach. This proved successful, made obvious by the fact that he now stood directly behind the figure, and it did not make the slightest gesture that it was aware of his presence. With this to his advantage, the vulpine placed his hands on the vixen's furry shoulders, which caused her to give a slight jump in surprise. She quickly looked back, laughing softly as she spoke, "Well, you certainly are a crafty one, aren't you Fox?"
He smirked at her comment and soon after spoke in a quiet voice, "Well, McCloud's have always been known to have a few tricks up their sleeve. I'm sure you've noticed by now…"
As Fox finished his sentence, he gave Krystal a quick push on her shoulders, causing her to rock forward slightly, placing her in immediate danger of falling into the shallow water that flowed just in front of where she was sitting. She managed to maintain her balance on Fox's first attempt to put her in the water, and on the second attempt, she found herself much more prepared. As Fox pushed forward on her shoulders the second time, she leaned as far forward as she could, causing Fox's grip on the vixen's shoulders to slip. When this happened, his body began to fall forward, and in order to prevent himself from falling on top of the vixen, he rolled over in mid-air, but in doing so, also caused himself to fall into the water that he had intended for Krystal.
The vixen laughed lightly as she saw Fox splash into the water with a playful yell, and continued to watch until he hesitantly resurfaced. The vulpine looked up at her with surprise as he spoke, "That didn't work out like I planned it…"
As Fox said this, Krystal slowly stood up and made her way to his side, walking gently through the brisk feeling water that now ran soothingly past both their bodies. The vixen giggled softly as she approached him, speaking in a cheerful sounding voice as she did so, "Well you know, I'm a McCloud as well. Surely you didn't think you could do me in so easily, did you?"
Fox nodded in defeat and replied shortly after, "That's true, but sometimes being sneaky isn't the best thing. Sometimes you have to be more direct."
Before Krystal had time to react, Fox quickly came at her with open arms, and with a playful growl, he gently tackled the vixen under the water. She only managed to let out a quiet yelp before she found herself completely submerged under the water that flowed through this shallow river.
Both vulpines gasped for air as they breached the surface of the water, but did not hesitate to continue their lighthearted wrestling match that resulted from Fox's actions. There was much laughter between the two animals as the match ensued, water splashing all around them as they playfully carried on. This friendly competition abruptly came to an end however as the vulpine unexpectedly lost his footing underneath the water's surface, causing him to fall back against the bank of the river with Krystal's body following shortly after, coming to rest on top of Fox's water-soaked body.
They both remained in this position as they tried to regain their breath. Both of them could feel the others beating heart, as well as their winded lungs as their bodies laid across the other. They both smiled at one another as this went on, neither seeming to mind the position they found themselves in. If anything, this arrangement they found themselves in seemed to bring even greater feeling to the moment that was now being shared between the two vulpines.
It was seconds after all this had come about before Krystal removed herself from upon Fox's body, instead placing one of her hands and legs on either side of his body so that now she hovered slightly above him while in this new straddling position. She smiled down on his face, which was only inches away from her own, and said in a mischievous voice, "It seems as though I have bested you at your own game once more Fox. Perhaps you should just admit defeat."
The vulpine only smiled at this comment, raising his head slightly from the ground as he spoke in response, "Hey, I haven't admitted defeat for as long as I can remember, but I guess I can settle for accepting it. How's that sound?"
Krystal smiled back at his comment, following Fox's example by closing the distance between them as well, speaking with a hint of anticipation as she did so, "I suppose that is good enough. Just think, I was the first to ever defeat the infamous Fox McCloud. Soon my name will be known throughout the galaxy, the great Krystal McCloud. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"
Fox shook his head, which was now less than an inch from the vixen's muzzle, and responded back with a smirk, "Ya, and I'll be right there when it happens. Just don't get carried away, or else I'll have to put you back in your place, alright?"
Once again, a smile broke across the vixen's face as she heard the vulpine's words, but this time it seemed much more empathetic than it had been previously. It was also as she did this that her eyes focused fervently into that of Fox McCloud, her feelings seeming to fully envelop within her, made more obvious by the fact that her nose quietly contacted that of the vulpine's which still laid underneath her. This silent action lasted for only a few brief seconds before she pulled back momentarily, speaking in a voice that overflowed with the passion she felt at that moment, "I don't think I'll ever find myself wanting to be in any other place than right here Fox." After saying these words, she gently positioned her hands behind the wet, furry head of the reclining vulpine, continuing in a quiet voice after doing so, "Now…no more words, the only thing I want right now is you, Fox McCloud, and I wouldn't prefer it any other way…"
(Corneria)
The light of day slowly breached the otherwise darkened and heavily shadowed town of Corneria. It may have seemed like just another day for this great planet, but nothing could have been farther from the truth. It was today that everyone would come to know that their hero, who was believed to have been dead for a full day now, had his body stolen from the coffin that now sat empty outside the Cornerian Cathedral. Not only would this cause even greater distress for the already utterly discouraged planet, it would also mean that a specific group of animals would be without a job, or a leader, for an even longer time.
These things may have been on the mind of almost every animal throughout the entire galaxy, but for one, it seemed to be a mere side-thought. This single animal, who now sat contemplatively outside her hotel room on a small balcony, watched silently as the sun slowly rose above the mountains that sat at the edge of the horizon. She continued in this fashion for some time, hoping that the beautiful colors that soon filled the Cornerian skyline would somehow be able to clear all the unpleasant thoughts from her head, despite the fact that she knew this attempt would be in vein. She could only take the same deep, unnerved sigh that she had throughout the entire night. Not only had these thoughts of her former leader disturbed her emotions, but it had also made it seemingly impossible for her to fall asleep. She had been sitting in this same, uncomfortable chair on this small balcony all night, never finding her body willing to let her relax for even a moment, no matter how hard she tried. The sun would rise on a new day, but for her, along with the rest of the Star Fox team, it would merely be one more day without their leader…their closest friend, something none of these animals, no matter how much they seemed to deny it, wanted to see come to pass.
The feline shifted her position in the small chair, hoping that in doing so she could find remote comfort within the chair, but as with the hundreds of previous attempts, it was met with failure. She let out a frustrated sigh as she placed her chin atop her closed fist, her eyes continuing to wander into the sky. What she had said the other night had disturbed her, even though she was the one to devise the theory. Fox's disappearance, the hanger doors being opened, the Great Fox being stolen. There where only a few animals in the entire universe that could have done all that without using destructive force, and the only one of those that could have pulled it all off was the one that was no longer living. The thought that Fox had somehow been revived and just taken off with his ship and Krystal seemed too unlikely to believe, she knew Pepper must have thought she was out of her mind when she made the suggestion, but there truly was no better explanation, no matter how absurd her conclusion may have seemed. She had been staring up into the same starlit sky the entire night, and not once did she see a passing ship, nor did she really expect to. It couldn't really be true after all; there was no possible way for Fox to come back to life like that. At least, that's what this feline tried to talk herself into thinking, but despite her efforts, there seemed to be nothing that could convince her otherwise. She took one more deep sigh before losing herself in the thoughts that had plagued her for these past hours.
What the heck was I thinking saying stuff like that…and in front of the General and everyone on the team too? I mean…There has to be a better explanation than that…or at one that at least doesn't sound totally crazy. There's just no way Fox could just decide to get up and walk away from his grave like that. Maybe someone has been hacking into the Great Fox and was stealing all his personal information…maybe that's how they could get the hanger open and steal the Great Fox…but, that just doesn't feel right. Something tells me that he really did come back to life…I can just feel it. I don't know…maybe I just can't accept the fact that he's really gone, so much so that I'm to the point where I deny he's dead, but I saw him in that coffin, and nothing could have happened to bring him back to life. That's the truth, I just have to accept it and move on. I mean, you did the same thing with Falco, right Katt? Ya, I can get through this, it's not like I can't live if Fox isn't here anymore. I mean, I haven't needed him for all these years, so I should be fine…but it just seems like…something changed between me and Fox, I just…cant put my finger on the exact reason…why I can't just move on like I…
The pink feline was broken from this silence as she heard a glass door sliding open a short distance away. She took a few quick blinks as she returned to reality, and quickly turned her head in the direction of the quiet noise. It had not come from the door that sat just behind her, but from behind the balcony that sat adjacent to her own. Her expression remained steady as she observed the drowsy looking face of Falco Lombardi emerging from behind the glass surface. The feline quickly looked away, not exactly finding herself in the best of moods for any kind of verbal conversation, especially not with this blue feathered avian, who she was sure would try and ruin her quiet meditation. But to her surprise, he made no such effort to do so. Falco merely took a seat on a small chair that sat on his balcony, his vision trailing out towards the thin clouds that obscured the otherwise perfectly clear sky. This left both of them alone in this new silence, and for some reason, it seemed slightly different than the one that was held previously. Both animals made no effort to speak or even look in the other's direction for that matter, both seeming to be too lost in their own thoughts to converse.
This lasted for quite some time, made apparent by the rapidly rising sun, which had now climbed high above the distant mountain ranges, in turn causing the colors of the sunrise to slowly fade into the light blue sky. It was as this happened before this pensive quiet was broken by a weary sigh that arose from the balcony opposite of the pink feline. Almost immediately after this occurred, Falco turned his head towards Katt, but only so that he could see her out of the corner of on eye, and asked in a tired sounding voice, "So, what are you doing up so early? I figured after what happened yesterday you'd never get out of bed." Katt merely shook her head in reply to the avian's question. After noting this silent action from the corner of his eye, Falco returned his full attention to the view that sat in front of him. Soon after doing so, the avian continued by adding in the same mellow sounding voice, "So you really think Fox is still out there somewhere? Sounds pretty crazy to me." He paused slightly before turning his head fully to face the feline that sat quietly on the adjacent balcony, continuing on shortly after doing so, "But ya know, with all that's been going on recently, I don't know if that's really as far out there as we think. Remember back on Kaltar when I got shot in the side by those raccoon guys?" Katt again let off nothing but a nod in reply, the event playing back in her mind as it quickly appeared in her mind. The avian continued flatly, "Well, I don't really know what happened, but after that arrow hit me, I think I passed out or something. But when I came back around, the arrow and the wound were completely gone. You know how that happened?" Katt hesitated slightly, but her eyes snapped open as she remembered, "Krystal…" It wasn't much of an answer, but Falco knew she caught on, so he continued with his reasoning, "Ya, Krystal. Every once in a while back on Great Fox, I've been watching some security tapes and I catch Fox and Krystal talkin' back and forth about some sort of energy their supposed to have. I was just thinkin' that if she could heal a wound like that, then maybe…" Falco trailed off from this statement on purpose, causing the pink feline that sat only a few yards away from him to finish the sentence, "Maybe she could bring Fox back to life…" The blue avian smirked as he heard Katt say these words and continued with a nod, "Right, maybe Krystal really does have some weird powers and she brought Fox back from the dead. Then instead of telling us, he and his girlfriend took off with the Great Fox to take on this mind control guy by themselves..."
It was almost immediately after Falco had made this observation when a third voice broke between the two animals. This voice was much higher and urgent sounding, and it came from within the room Katt had been sitting outside of for some time now. She quickly looked back as the voice exclaimed, "Katt, come in here quick! I think you want to see this!" The feline immediately stood from her chair, which she found to be a complete relief, and with one last look towards the opposite balcony, she quickly disappeared back into her hotel room where a large television shined brightly across the room, it's screen filled with the image of a small, adorable looking kitsune who held a very familiar looking item in his hand.
"This is Jason Griffith at CBN with an astonishing new development in the Fox McCloud abduction case. Late last night, officials found the coffin of Fox McCloud to be empty, causing many to believe that his body had been taken. But it seems that now, an even more improbable solution has been discovered."
Both Katt and Slippy watched on in silence as the camera focused in on the small animal that stood next to the reporter. It was immediately after the camera had settled in this position before the reporter continued, "I have here young William Corkery, who says that last night, he met up with Fox McCloud. So is this true? Did you really see Fox McCloud yesterday?" The young animal stared into the camera with delight and said in a cheerful voice, "Ya, I saw Fox McClou when I was walking back home with my daddy. He said he was playing hide and seek and he didn't want me to tell where he was hiding. He gave me this shiny pin so I wouldn't tell daddy or anyone." The kitsune eagerly held the Star Fox emblem out towards the cameraman, which caused the picture to blur momentarily until the cameraman could adjust to the distance the kitsune had put in-between the emblem and the lens of the camera. Katt's eyes narrowed as she saw this, knowing that this was the exact badge Fox had been wearing ever since he had taken the role as leader over the Star Fox team. Either this young animal had been the one who stole Fox's body, or his story was the truth, and Katt knew that it could not possibly be the first.
Fox…so you really are alive. Krystal really did bring you back to life like Falco said. But why did you have to go off on your own like this? You'll get killed by that dinosaur without us there to help. I don't want to be put through this again Fox. You escaped death once, but I don't know if you'll get that lucky again Foxboy. Just…get back in one piece…alright? Good luck out there Fox, and you too Krystal, you're both gonna need it…
(Krystal's room)
A gentle light slowly filtered through the small window that sat at the far end of this quiet room. Even though this portal was not as large as some of the other windows that sat within the Great Fox, it was large enough to fill the entire room with a soft, warm feeling light that was caused by the slowly rising sun. This soothing light slowly became brighter and brighter until it was finally able to reach the bed that sat within the room. Even when it did so, the two sleeping figures that were held underneath its comfortable covers made no attempt to block it out, neither of them either noticing due to the state of deep sleep they had entered into.
It was some time after the sun had filled the room before either of these figures moved beneath the sheets of the large bed. Fox's eyes creased open slightly, allowing the light to slowly enter into his eyes so that it would not blind him as it so often did. After allowing his focus to clear, he soon found himself staring into the peaceful face of a blue-furred vixen. He let off a gentle smile and raised a tired hand towards her head, quietly running his fingers through her delicate and soft feeling fur.
Man, now that's a dream I could stand to have every night. I wonder if everything will really be that perfect after today, after we take down Scales for the last time and stop these mind controls. It'll be a tough fight, but after all me and Krystal have been through to get to this point, I know that I won't allow myself to give in. We have to win, this time it isn't just Corneria that's in trouble, it's the whole universe. And not only that…but if we can come out on top, I can finally…
Fox hesitated in both thought and action as he noticed the head of the one he laid next to made a subtle movement, the figure's eyes opening shortly after doing so. She let off her own smiles as she regained the senses she had lost during sleep, rubbing her head against the palm of Fox's hand as she commented in a quiet voice, "Don't stop Fox, you have such a wonderfully soft touch." Fox gave a serene chuckle as he heard this, saying back in a calm voice, "I don't know about that, but if you say so." Krystal smiled softly as she felt Fox's hands once again filtering through her hair, and in retaliation, she slowly laced her arms around his body, bringing their two bodies closer than they had been previously. She then let out a complacent sigh as she tenderly placed the side of her head against the vulpines chest. Shortly after doing so, she spoke to him in the same quiet, slightly tired sounding voice, "This is it Fox, our final rest before we face Scales. After this, our journey will be at its end. I wonder what will happen after that occurs…" Krystal readjusted her head's position so that she was now looking directly into the face of Fox McCloud, finishing her statement shortly after doing so, "…Do you have any plans Fox? What will you do when this is all finally brought to an end?" The vulpine hesitated for a moment as he considered all the things he could do after this was over. There were many options, each seemingly greater than the last, but there was one that managed to overcome them all. He had galaxy-wide fame, he would receive enough money from this mission to support himself for the rest of his life, he lived on the most powerful planet in the universe, but there was only one thing he could find missing within his already fulfilling life. He looked down the slight distance down his chest into the light sapphire eyes of the vixen, a slight smile breaking across his face as he did so, "Well, I haven't really been thinking about it, but I can say this…" Before continuing on, he lowered the hand that he had previously held against the vixen's head to an area just below her neck. Krystal's body gave a slight shiver as she felt the almost ticklish sensation of Fox's actions, meriting a quiet, alluring giggle from the vixen. The vulpine smiled as he saw this, and shortly after her continued on his unfinished statement, "It'll be nice to have more time to spend like this without having to worry about saving the universe." The vixen gave a gentle smile as she heard these words, responding shortly after nodding softly against the vulpine's chest, "I can most certainly agree with that Fox. When that times comes, we will finally be able to…"
Both vulpines gave a slight jolt from their comfortable positions as the familiar noise of the ship's intercom suddenly came to life inside the large room. They slowly parted from each other, as if they had suddenly remembered that there was still work to be done before any of their aforementioned thoughts for a peaceful future could become a reality, and listened quietly as the sound of ROB's monotonous voice echoed from the overhead speakers. "Attention Fox and Krystal McCloud. Destination: Cerinia, is now in sight. Approximated time until arrival: 1 hour, 47 minutes, 23 seconds. Please report to bridge immediately. Departure will begin…"
It was at this point in the robot's announcement that his speech suddenly became cut off. Fox knew that ROB should have completed his statement, but this time, he had not. Instead of words, both Fox and Krystal could hear the noises of what seemed like furiously moving metal and a continual tap of a keyboard. The vulpines exchanged glances as this was happening, but were sparred wondering for any longer as the robot's voice abruptly reappeared above them, "The Great Fox has received a transmission from the planet Cerinia. This signal is not registered in the Great Fox database. Transmission cannot be stopped or averted. The sender asks for the immediate presence of Fox McCloud. Report to Great Fox bridge immediately."
By the time the intercom had fallen silent, Fox was already out of bed and halfway out the door, making his way towards the bridge as soon as he could. Krystal noticed this and wasted no time in doing as he had only seconds before her, and only had to jog a few feet from the room to catch the now perturbed looking vulpine. They both walked through the halls of the Great Fox at a brisk and anxious pace, but even so, Krystal still managed to ask in a comparatively calm voice, "That was quiet unexpected. Do you have any idea what this might be about Fox?" The vulpine only gave a slight shake of his head in reply as he continued towards the bridge, which was an answer in itself. Something was wrong and she knew he didn't want anything to go awry before their arrival at Cerinia; he had enough on his mind already.
It took almost no time for the pair of vulpines to arrive on the Great Fox bridge, only to be met immediately by the metallic body of ROB, who, for a robot, seemed quite uneasy himself. Once Fox and Krystal entered into the room, his monotone voice announced again with a hint more urgency, "Unknown transmission wavelength sent to Great Fox, attempts to avert transmission have failed. Sender demands to speak with Fox McCloud." Without even a hint of hesitation, Fox made his way to the middle of the bridge where the now inactive holographic screen was held, speaking as he did so in a solid voice, "Let the transmission pass ROB. I have a feeling that he might be trying to contact us." The robot wasted little time to comply with Fox's orders, after his affirmative reply, he quickly made his way towards his computer near the back of the bridge, typing furiously on his keyboard immediately after arriving. Krystal followed after Fox, if not with the same amount of urgency, and arrived at his side just as the screen came to life with a strange green and red glow.
As the screen came into focus, they could see a darkened room, one that was lit only by this green and red glow that seemed to be coming from no detectible light source. This obviously made it hard to see exactly where this transmission was being sent from, but neither of the vulpines that looked into this screen seemed to even notice this comparatively small detail. Both of their attention was diverted rather by the figure that sat in the center of the image. His green, scaly face looked down on them with a slight, amused looking smile, giving a muffled chuckle as he did so. Both vulpines seemed unable to take any action as they saw the face of this dinosaur, the face of their ultimate enemy, the face of the one that stood in the way of them and the rest of their lives. Seeing the looks on these vulpine's faces seemed to amuse him to an even greater extent, causing him to speak out in a deep, spiteful voice.
"So I see that Fox McCloud has managed to cheat death once again, but I'm afraid that he may not be as lucky if he tries anything as foolish as trying to do me in. And by the look on your faces, I can tell you are thinking the same as I."
Having heard Scales voice, and now knowing that it was him under that cloak seemed to fuel Fox with determination that made him what he was. His fear instantly dissipated and he spoke back in a tone that matched his mood, "So, it really is you. I thought we finished you off on Dinosaur Planet, but I guess you just came back for more. Too bad this time you won't live to talk about it after I'm done with you."
General Scales' smirk turned into a complete smile, one that erupted with booming laughter. Fox never wavered however, no matter how much Scales tried to break his spirit, he would resist with everything that he held within him. Fox knew this was no time to fill his head with doubt, if he did, this fight would be over before it even started, and that would mean the loss of everything he had worked so hard to accomplish, and there was no way he was about to let that happen.
It was several seconds after Fox had spoken out against Scales before the green dinosaur's laughter slowed, enabling him to once again speak to the vulpines, "I see you are still devout in your belief that you can bring about my downfall, even though I handed you defeat so easily on Katina. You are more a fool now than you ever were, and unfortunately, that will be your end Fox McCloud."
Fox was about to speak back to Scales, but before he could draw a breath, the darkness that sat behind the green figure disappeared, giving the vulpine's their first glance at the room that their enemy sat within. It was a large room, being several stories tall, but even so, very little was held within the room. A large chandelier hung high above Scales and several small computers sat scattered across the room. It was immediately after the lights in the room were activated before Scales again spoke, this time in a more tactful sounding voice.
"This room may not seem that pleasing or impressive, but it is not the room itself that I intend to show off to you. Quite the opposite, I have something, or rather, someone I would like to introduce you to. I believe you know him from a time earlier in your life."
The dinosaur stepped to the side with a large smirk, causing the image to change from that of the imposing picture of General Scales to an image of a great bruised and beaten vulpine. One who seemed to be on the brink of death. At first, neither of the vulpines recognized this new figure, but then it spoke, and suddenly everything came rushing back into the mind of Fox McCloud.
What? It can't be, is that really…"Fox…save me. Son, I need you. Please, I…I can…barely see you. Please Fox…help, before it's…too late."
This voice, the voice he had been deprived of for so long, the voice he heard guiding him free from Venom after his first defeat of Andross, the voice he had thought was gone forever, it was this that caused Fox to freeze in place, his eyes wide with shock. He was alive, he could see him sitting there. No matter how beaten or comatose he may have seemed, he was there, staring into the screen with desperate eyes. Fox to an involuntary step forward towards the screen, hoping that perhaps he could run to his long-lost Father and finally be reunited with him, but as he did so, he quickly realized it was only an image that sat in front of him. Even with this in his mind, he raised his now shaking hand to the screen and reached out to his bruised father, only to have his hand pass swiftly through the holographic image that sat in front of him. An desperate tear quickly formed in the eye of the usually sturdy vulpine shortly after this happened, realizing that Scales was holding him captive, beating him to the point where he could no longer speak or see properly. The hand that had just passed through the holograph soon transformed into a tightly clenched fist, which was filled with the distress and anger that he was feeling at that moment. His focus jolted squarely into the face of General Scales, who seemed quite pleased of the pain he was causing, and spoke in a wavering voice, "Scales, you've taken this too far. You endanger the lives of others, take over their minds and leave them with nothing, destroying their homes and cities for your own pleasure. And now I find…I find that you've been holding my Father captive, beating the life out of him. You may have escaped from me on Kaltar, and you may have defeated me on Katina, but this time, you won't get away with this. I'll end this before you can interfere with the lives of anyone else."
The green dinosaur that appeared before the vulpines did not seem in the least threatened by Fox's emotionally charged words, which he made clear by commenting back in a malicious sounding voice, "I do believe I've heard those words before, but have you actually come through on these illusory promises you make to yourself? You know the answer as well as I. You pledge greatness, but have fallen short every time. Even on Dinosaur Planet you could not follow through, I am living evidence of that my friend. And since that failure of yours, I have gained far more strength and potency then you could dream of, no longer am I the weak being that I once was. This will merely be one more futile attempt to stop me, unfortunately, you will not emerge from this battle alive, I will make sure of that my friend."
Scales paused for a moment as he watched Fox's expression of rage and distress grow with each passing second, which was exactly what he wanted to see. With so many things on his mind, Fox would get reckless and rush to his doom without a second thought, he had observed the vulpines behavior enough to be sure of that. With this in mind, the dinosaur let off one final booming laugh before finishing, "If you still wish to do battle with me, even though I can see you know it will be nothing more than a useless gesture, then by all means, be my guest. All the more convenient for me, both of you will die at my hand, I have been assured of that. I await both of you on this barren planet, and don't worry, I'll make sure to tell daddy that his hero of a son is on the way. Until we meet again, farewell Fox McCloud."
With those final words, the holographic screen that had previously lit up the otherwise darkened bridge quickly faded into the floor, leaving the three who stood in that same room in a still silence. Scales had made it clear that he did not intend either Fox or Krystal to return from Cerinia alive, but threats like this were common to the crew of the Star Fox team. Although it may seem like there may have been some truth to what Scales had just said, both vulpines knew that after coming so far together, they could not simply give up. There was something these two animals shared that Scales would never understand. No matter how much power he could obtain, or how much knowledge he could gain, there was still something that Scales, even in all his prominence, could not understand. That was the fact that Fox and Krystal had each other. It was not a mere matter of love, but more that having the other to depend on, they could grow stronger when residing in such comfort. Having power in one's self can be a powerful force, as was in General Scales case, but when such power is combined with the power of another, it creates a force that could not be taken lightly.
These things were immediately made obvious to Krystal, who had been taught in such ways from her time spent on Cerinia under the guidance of the elders, but her vulpine counterpart had not had such a luxury. Instead of positive thoughts such as these, Fox was experiencing a notion that he had never truly had to face before, one of doubt and negativity. Krystal could see it in his expression as she stood only a short distance away. His features all fell on his face and his eyes focused blankly into the ground, his demeanor had seemed to change from resolute determination to absolute desolation in a matter of seconds. She wanted desperately to comfort him and bring back his usual resolve, but found that the words were lost in her mind. Much to the vixen's distress, all she could do was stand in that same spot and watch as Fox seemed to fall deeper and deeper into these thoughts.
Fox knew it too, he knew that he should be the one comforting Krystal, telling her that they would make it out of this alright, but how could he do that, when he himself would not even believe in his own words as he spoke them?
Scales…what have you done to my Father, why are you doing this to him? I was beginning to think that I'd never see him again…but all this time, you've been holding him captive, beating the life out of him for all these years. I can't let him get away with this…but, if my Father fell to Scales, what kind of chance will I have against him? I've already seen what he can do, he completely crippled me with one hit, and what kind of chance do I have against that? Maybe I should call Pepper and tell him what's happening, maybe he could send the Army to Corneria and take care of Scales for me. But…I can't do that, this is my…our battle. Me and Krystal have to take care of this on our own. But what is the use of that if we just rush in and get ourselves killed? There might be some ancient scrolls that say we'll come out alright, and really, they haven't been wrong yet, but still, having the faith to follow something like this is just crazy. I know we can't let Scales continue controlling planets, but…I don't know how we're going to do that. He has us completely out-powered, even if there are two of us. It just seems so hopeless, and I don't really know how to handle that, never really had to deal with it before. Sure, going up against Andross was a little intimidating, but I never thought I just couldn't do it. Not like now…I mean, what good will it do us if we just show up and let him kill us, cause that's all going down there and trying to stop him will do. Maybe this really is way over our…
The vulpine gave a light jump as he felt sudden contact against the bridge of his neck. At first he hesitated to face the source of the contact, but after taking a few blinks to escape from his thoughts, he gave a slight turn of his head and found himself looking into the calming face of a blue-furred vixen, one who's understanding eyes seemed to take away much of the stress and anxiety that Fox had recently found himself filled with. She let off a quiet smile as he did so, not speaking, but merely reaching out with her opposite arm and wrapping it securely around the back of the indecisive vulpine. Fox did not seem at all hesitant to reply to this gesture, feeling within this soothing embrace an unexpected tear coming to his eye. Never before had this vulpine ever had to face something like this in his entire life, but never before had he had another who could truly understand how he felt as he did now. This was what caused this tear to form in the eye of Fox McCloud, instead of having only himself to shoulder all of his worries and doubt, he now had Krystal to help support him, to accept his shortcomings and keep him strong. The vixen had done all this with that single embrace, she may not have fully known it at the time, but her action of sympathy towards the vulpine meant more to him than words could ever describe. Neither of them spoke for some time, instead letting this warm, perceptive feeling fill both of them, bringing along with it new hope for their upcoming confrontation with Scales. Fox quietly and gently removed his head from the shoulder of the vixen, placing his muzzle instead softly against the side of her head, planting a tender kiss into her supple blue fur, quietly speaking shortly after retracting his head, "Thanks Krystal." She gave a slight nod, which was accompanied by a calm smile, "I believe in you Fox, you have what it takes to bring Scales' reign to and end and save the universe. The only thing that remains is having that same faith in yourself…" The vulpine let off his own smile, returning his head to the vixen's shoulder as he finished in a voice reminiscent of the time before any of this had ever happened, "You won't have to worry about that. Thanks to you Krystal, I don't think you'll have to worry about that…ever again."
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Jeez, I hope I'm not losing too many readers because of how slow I am, I know it's already happened to a few. Well, as I mentioned just now, updates are slow, and if you don't know the reason why, you haven't been reading these sections that come after the story. Yes, it's golf, flippin' golf. Golf all day, golf all night, golf during dinner, golf in the snow. Just no stoppin' that golfin' fever! I wish there was but…oh well. Good news is that there will be 2 more chapters after this instead of just one. Yeah for that. Uhh…hope you don't like Katt, Falco, or Slippy, cause they won't be seen again…well, maybe at the very end, but besides that, they're pretty much done. On a completely different note…I'll be setting up a Q&A in my profile for those of you who want to ask questions about my story or why I want to golf instead of type, just another way for you people to get to know me better, isn't that just swell of me? Just leave your Q in a review or e-mail and I'll A it ASAP. Cool…What's not cool is that I'm not able to read those stories that other people write, so I'm sorry, but I barely have time to type, so reading stories is not really doable…sorry.
(Our Final Destination PART 2)
This time they really do go down to Cerinia, I mean, I could have done it this chapter, but then there'd be one less chapter, and from what I've heard, I didn't think you guys wanted that. Uhh…just look at this section from last chapter and you'll know what it's about.
RANDOM NOTES: I just noticed it's been more than a year ago since I started this story…that's crazy, I don't know how long it takes real authors to finish their stories, but it feels like it's been forever. But it's been pretty entertaining I guess, so I guess this isn't a complete waste of time. I thought that after they played through all the re-runs of Sonic X, they would start the new season, but I should know better than to get that high of expectations from 4Kids. I guess I'll just have to watch more re-runs and hope that they'll start with the new stuff after that…
MAIL CALL: Uhh…I would reply to reviews, but it just takes too long, maybe next time. But I can say thanks for the support, and saying this story is so great. It's nice to see people even read this, let alone like it with such passion, well, I guess I'll see ya'll later, well, not really. And I guess I have Author's Chi…is there a pill for that?