Chapter 41: Our Final Destination PART 2
"The message has been sent, and despite all my fair and just warnings, those two fools still believe that they can find it in themselves to strike me down. How utterly pathetic. Even the greatest and most famous name in all the galaxy knows when to give in, isn't that right James? How do you feel your mighty son and his companion will fare in a battle against myself?"
The beaten and distraught vulpine did not look up, his body seeming to be too weak to take any action on its own, which merited a spiteful laugh from the dinosaur that loomed over his bruised figure. Once this laughter subsided, Scales turned from the vulpine's body and headed towards a large, highly decorated door that led outside the room, commenting back to the helpless James McCloud before he vanished into the darkness that sat outside the room, "Everything is working perfectly, now that I know Fox could not possibly resist coming to this planet, I suppose I should set a few traps for him before he arrives. After all, it would prove to be little fun if I were to watch him merely prance through this grand place unimpeded. So farewell for now my friend, I'll be seeing you soon, but the young McCloud will not be so lucky I'm afraid."
(Great Fox)
It had been almost a full hour since Scales had sent his transmission, one that had not only revealed that Scales was indeed residing on this decimated planet, but that a certain vulpine was being held there as well, one that Fox had thought long dead, but he had not accepted such thoughts ever since he first got wind of the news from Peppy so long ago. Scales was the main threat in this mission, but when his Father had been revealed in front of him in such a dismal condition, something was triggered within him, something that had been waiting to be revealed since he was just a kit. He had shed his first tears for his Father, and he had fallen apart because of it. If it had been any other time and if he had seen the exact same thing, there was no question that he would find it nearly impossible to carry on, knowing that his usually optimistic attitude would be shattered at a sight as upsetting and painful as it was to see his Father in such condition. But this would not be the case in this instance, for there was one factor in this equation that Fox had never had to consider, and that was the comforting and understanding demeanor of his blue-furred companion. Because of her gentle, caring ways, he was able to find it in himself to carry on, finding himself not only much more calm and collected physically, but her actions also gave him greater confidence and determination to accomplish what they had set out to do, and as he looked down on the barren planet that slowly rotated beneath him from the large bridge window, he felt as if nothing could stop him. His Father was counting on him, the universe was counting on him, and most of all, Krystal was counting on him. There was no way he could give in with so much on the line, he would bring an end to Scales' injustices and return the galaxy to it's former state, one in which all animals could rest easy, knowing that they were once again safe from this great evil. Not only that, if he truly could defeat Scales, he would gain something that he had not even known of until only a short while ago…
Father…I don't know how Scales ended up with you in his hands or what exactly he's been doing to you, but you can be sure of one thing, I won't let you down. I'll save you, I'll beat Scales and then we can be together again. It's so strange, we're at the end of our journey, almost ready to face our last enemy, and then I see you sitting there. It's like the greatest evil holds what would give me the greatest peace, and I'm sure that goes for both of us. He'll be so proud of me when he hears what I've done while he was away, I can't wait to get down there and meet him face-to-face, I mean, I never thought I'd say those words for my entire life…I've missed him so much, he's missed so much, I want him back, and I'll do anything to do just that. Nothing can stop me now…
"Nothing…"
The vulpine quickly blinked free from his thoughts as he heard himself say these words aloud, not at all expecting himself to speak, but with all the emotions and thoughts that he was faced with, it seemed likely that devout words such as this needed to make themselves known. Fox did not dwell on this thought for long; instead he turned towards the middle of the bridge, where a loyal robot stood, a small computer in his hand. The vulpine's mellow expression did not break as he spoke to the robot, "Hey ROB, did you do get any information on this planet, I'm sure we'd be a lot better off if we knew what we had to work with down there." Fox's mechanical crewmember took no time to reply in his usual flat voice, "Cerinia: Classified as a type VII planet, a barren landmass with little vegetation or inhabitants. The surface is flat, little to no major topographical formations detected. Temperatures fluctuate regularly between 57.4 Fahrenheit and 69.7 Fahrenheit. Little to no moisture is detected on the surface. Further study shows that planet Cerinia was once an exact opposite of its current state. Although little was known about the planet Cerinia, it had been labeled by researchers for many years as one of the most underdeveloped planets in the galaxy, but was left alone because of its astounding geological features. Approximately five years ago, this was changed by a civil war that broke out on this planet, causing all life and…"
The robot stopped at this point as he heard a second voice break into his explanation with an impatient sounding tone, "Alright ROB, that's enough. All I wanted to know was that this place would be safe to land on, and from what you've said, it shouldn't be too tough navigating the planet's surface." Fox paused for a second, only to continue on in a different tone of voice, "By the way, do you have any idea where Scales is? I mean, did you ever find out the exact spot that transmission came from?" ROB processed Fox's query for a few short moments and quickly responded, "The source of our enemies transmission was never determined, its signal disabled our computers from tracing the sender's communication point, but upon further study of planet Cerinia's surface, sensors show a large complex on latitude 45 north and longitude 120 west. This is the only complex that sensors detect on Cerinia's surface." Fox nodded after the robot finished this statement, adding shortly after in a slightly pensive sounding voice, "Then it's a safe bet that's where Scales is hiding. ROB, prepare to set geo-synchronized orbit over that point on the planet, we'll be leaving soon." After an affirmative reply, the robot dutifully made his way behind his computer and began to guide the Great Fox over the requested spot on Cerinia. As he did so, Fox began to make his way towards the door of the bridge, speaking quietly to himself as he did so, "So we know where Scales is hiding, all that's left now is for us to get down there and deal with him. Only problem is…I don't know where the other part of that "we" is. She said she had to make some final preparations before we left…but she's been gone for a while now, I just hope she's doing alright…"
(Fox's room)
I hope Fox is doing alright, he's learned of so many important reasons to succeed in this mission today. His home, his Father, his life…I doubt he's ever been in such a difficult predicament before. I could tell that much by his reaction on the bridge, but I think he finally realized something just in the past hour. That being the fact that he has finally seen that he can depend on me for support. He no longer has to carry such a heavy load as this mission on his own, which I know he finds as a great relief, as do I. With that said, I must be there for him at all times, whether in this mission or not. Scales will be a great challenge to overcome, and I feel that with so many unfamiliar weapons at my disposal, I will be of little help at all.
The vixen broke from her thoughts as she raised a familiar item at her eye level. She gave it a slight twirl, feeling its recognizable power flowing through it as it had in the past. She then set one end of the object down on the ground so that it sat vertically in her hand, speaking quietly to herself shortly after, "That is why I must use this, my father's gift to me from such a long time ago, a time where the Cerinian tribes still thrived and lived in peace…I can still remember my father's words when he bestowed this gift to me…"
Krystal my daughter, it is almost your time to receive the highest position in our tribe. It seems like such a short time ago you were still just a small kit, as innocent and naïve as could be, but seeing you mature into the individual you are today, it brings me great pride, and with you're rule closing in on us all, it is my duty to bestow our families greatest gift to you, our one and only daughter. This golden staff not only symbolizes you position in our Cerinian tribe, but it also holds the special ability to channel the Energy of Life, something you have become far more adept with than many of the animals of this land. With this, I pray that you will keep our planet safe and peaceful, as I no doubt am sure you will.
The vixen took a quiet sigh as these thoughts ran freely through her mind, bringing back rather sad memories of her past back to the present. She quickly pushed these feelings aside however, knowing that they could only serve to hinder her as she carried on, especially on a day as significant as this. Her grip on the golden staff increased slightly as she spoke quietly to herself in retaliation to her thoughts, "My father, as well as the entire planet depended on me for protection, but I could not provide it. I was too weak, too frail and scared to fight back. But I will make sure that does not happen again. With Fox at my side, helping me every step of the way, I know there is nothing that we cannot accomplish. With this very staff, along with Fox's support and guidance, we will bring the end of General Scales, and then the universe will be free from his evil."
Shortly after finishing, she once again looked at the beautifully crafted staff that sat in front of her. At that very moment, she seemed to feel a great energy flow through its long, solid body. It was not her own, but that of another, one who had been long removed from the vixen's life, but also one that would forever live within her, and with this energy now coursing through the staff, she felt more ready to face their ultimate enemy than ever before.
It was not long after this had all taken place before the silence that had been held within this room was subtly broken by the sound of an opening door. Krystal's head did not turn immediately when she heard this noise break across the room, but instead kept her head even with the staff for a few short seconds, knowing already who it was that was standing at the threshold. Her suspicions were proved right as she head his voice follow the noise of the sliding door shortly after, "Hey, I've been looking all over for you. I didn't think I'd find you in here…is everything alright?" The vixen was nodding before the vulpine had even finished speaking, doing so herself shortly after in a quiet voice, "Yes, of course. I was merely thinking of what is about to take place today." She paused for a moment, allowing the vulpine that stood at the other end of the room to approach her before she continued on in the same tone of voice, "It has been more than four years since I've visited this place. I never thought I would return here, especially not for reasons such as this, but I suppose it would be a fitting ending, wouldn't you say? I would have come full circle to end this journey on my home world." As she spoke the final few words, her vision trailed off through the small window that sat in Fox's room, the view of the now barren looking planet of Cerinia in plain sight. Fox meanwhile had taken a seat next to the vixen as he tried to figure out what to say to her comment, but was sparred such thoughts as she continued on, "Perhaps by defeating Scales today, I may somehow redeem all the animals of this planet that fought and died. I failed them once, but I will not let that happen again. And the only reason I can say this with such confidence is because of you Fox." Her line of sight quickly turned from the window and focused squarely into the eyes of the seated vulpine next to her. "We've already accomplished so much up to this point…Scales will be no different then anything else we have conquered." It was shortly after the vixen had finished her statement before she suddenly stood up from the bed she had been sitting on for the last few minutes, her face seeming to filled with a gentle determination that Fox had not yet seen within the vixen. He could tell that this time, it wasn't just another mission, to her, it was a matter of redemption for her past. She turned back to the vulpine and extended one of her hands towards him, a resolute smile breaking across her face as she spoke, "Now, let's not waste any more time. Let us make our way to Cerinia, together, and we can put a greatly needed end to Scales reign." Fox smirked, a slight chuckle accompanying it after seeing for the first time such a greatly determined vixen, and took her by the hand, saying in an unwavering voice, "Alright, that's my girl. Let's show Scales what we're made of."
(Great Fox docking bay)
"ROB, we're preparing for departure, open the docking bay doors and wish us luck. We'll be back in a little while, just make sure nothing happens to the Great Fox, alright?"
The small screen on Fox's in-ship consol displayed the face of his metallic companion, one who, at his owners request replied in his usual voice, "Affirmative, docking bay doors: Unlocked. Good luck Captain Fox McCloud, I will await further orders upon your arrival." The vulpine gave a slight smirk at the robot's words and replied as the large doors at the end of the short complex slowly parted into the walls, "Thanks ROB, and don't worry, we'll be fine. Just make sure the ship is ready to get back to Corneria when we get back, alright?" The robot took almost no time to reply, "Affirmative, preparation for departure from planet Cerinia will commence immediately."
Immediately after this, the small screen that sat in front of the vulpine went dark, but it did not stay that way for long. With a few quick button presses on the consol that sat in front of him, another picture appeared on the screen, one that seemed far more appealing then that of the previous figure. Even though this new image appeared in front of him, he did not wholly focus on it, but still managed to speak as he readied his Arwing for departure, "How are things going over there Krystal?" There was a short pause before the vixen responded, "I'm alright Fox, I've just got to stabilize my craft's G-diffuser system and I should be good to…" She wavered at the end of her sentence as she heard a slight chuckle echo into the cockpit of her Arwing. She looked down at the vulpine on the screen and said in a somewhat puzzled voice, "What is it? Is there something else I must do first?" It took only a few moments for Fox to let speech break the sound of his quiet laughter, "No, you're doing fine. It's just that only a few days ago, you had no idea what anything was around here, now you're talking like a real member of the Star Fox team. You've come a long way since we first met." Krystal nodded, a smile breaking onto her own face as she heard Fox's words, and spoke in reply shortly after, "You mean we've come a long way. I know that without you, I would still be in the dark about all this technology. I'm thankful you took the time to do so; you have no idea how much it meant to me Fox…" It was almost immediately after she had said this before Fox could hear the loud noise of an Arwings thrusters starting up a short distance behind him, and when the vulpine looked back to the screen, the vixen continued on, "Now I am eager to show you that I am willing to repay all you have given me, all that you have done to make me feel welcome, to feel loved…I will help you bring down this menace, and we'll do it as one." Fox nodded, starting up his own Arwing as he spoke back to her, "Right, we've been fighting these past weeks for this single opportunity. We can't let him get away like he has before, this time, Scales pays for what he's done to all those planets…we'll make sure of that." It was at these words that both Arwings quickly fled from the refuge of the Great Fox and quickly made their way down to the barren surface of Cerinia, their final destination. It had been several days and many innocent lives lost since they had begun this journey, but despite all the different thoughts and emotions that were running through both of these vulpines, each had the same thing in mind. They would put Scales to rest, but even more importantly than that, after they were successful, they would have only one part of the scroll left to fulfill. And with such a promise in the back of their minds, neither felt as if there was even the slightest chance they would fail.
The Arwing ride down to the surface of Cerinia was met with absolute silence between the two vulpines. Both knew that the other would probably prefer to be left to their own thoughts for the time being. Instead, they both looked down towards the rapidly advancing planet below them, studying its bleak features. The surface seemed to be completely charred into a black and brown pitch, one that was not accompanied by a single piece of vegetation or habitation, this planet was completely barren. There were ruins of all sorts of structures and plants all along its surface, but they all seemed to blend perfectly into the burnt looking background Cerinia provided. It was a bleak and dismal place, with not even a hint remaining of the wonderful place Krystal had described to Fox. There was only one object that broke the constant flow of dark colors that littered the face of this planet, and that was a huge, castle looking structure that sat conspicuously on Cerinia's exterior with its white colored surface. As both vulpines neared the complex, it only seemed to grow larger in size until they eventually realized that this building was at least four times the size of the Great Fox. It did not manage this with its height, but rather it's width, which spread farther than any structure Fox had ever seen before in his life. It was not long after they had first seen this imposing building before both of the vulpine's Arwings landed softly a few yards away from its imposing walls.
As the cockpit window of Fox's Arwing slowly opened, he could merely stay seated and continue scanning the building that now sat in front of him. Never in all the vulpine's life had he ever seen such a colossal building. It was not only the sheer size that caught the vulpine's attention, but also the complex's design as well. Its walls may have been merely painted a plain white color, but with its several towers and the huge, highly ornate door that severed as its entrance, he could not help but be amazed. He quickly forced himself off of these thoughts however, the importance of this final mission finding its place once again at the front of his mind, and dismounted from his Arwing, landing with nothing more than a slight thud on the hard, stale-looking ground that covered the surface of this ravaged planet. Immediately after doing so, he heard a noise similar to the one he had just created, and after giving a slight turn with his head, he saw Krystal approaching him with wide eyes, ones that anxiously scanned the area that surrounded them. Her attention seemed not to be focused on the building that stood in front of her, but on this familiar ground that she used to call her own, the ground that she would have ruled only a few years ago if there had been no war between the tribes. The vixen set a slow pace to Fox's side, finding it oddly overwhelming to see her planet is such a dismal condition, but she was eventually successful in doing so, although her expression seemed to have fallen slightly from what it was when they had first left the Great Fox. Her vulpine counterpart noticed this and asked in a firm yet concerned sounding voice, "Hey Krystal, are you gonna be alright?" She looked up at him with surprise, as if she had totally forgotten that she had brought someone with her, but quickly responded in a voice that did not at all mirror such surprise, "Oh, it's nothing Fox. I just…never expected that a planet as beautiful as Cerinia could be met with such a fate…" Her voice trailed off slightly at the end of her statement, but she quickly continued on in a much stronger sounding voice, "But even as it is, this is still my home, and I'm willing to give all I have within me to protect it." As she said this, whatever determination she had lost upon arriving on the planet seemed to quickly come back to her. This merited a slight, encouraging smirk from Fox as he found himself at her side, "Right, and you can expect the exact same from me. My Father's in there and I'll do anything to save him…"
"Oh yes Fox, your father is held safely within the very walls that now stand in front of you, the only question that remains is, can you manage to succeed in such an attempt?"
Both vulpine's turned simultaneously towards the voice, one that was emanating from the huge white building that sat only a short distance away, but as they noticed this, it also became immediately apparent that the once closed door that sat at the entrance to the structure was now slowly swinging open. As it did so, the familiar voice continued on in a spiteful sounding manner, "Please, do come in, but I must warn you, once you are inside, there is no turning back. And may you also know, if you do choose to enter into this place, there is little chance you will remain alive. Passing through this door will seal your fate. But by all means my friends, enter, it has been quite a while since I've had visitors on this wretched excuse of a planet."
It was almost immediately after this voice faded from around them when Fox suddenly felt something clasp tightly about his hand. He quickly looked down to see what had caused this, but took no time in realizing whose blue-furred hand was now holding his own. As he looked up to the vixen that stood by his side, she said in an unwavering voice, "Let's get a move on Fox, no matter what dangers lie beyond that door, we'll face and overcome them together." Fox gave the vixen an adamant nod, and in an instant, the two vulpines rushed forward hand-in-hand towards the now open doorway, ignoring the warnings set forth by General Scales, and soon found themselves thrust into the darkness that followed as they passed through the large door.
Both vulpines were forced to stop as they passed through this door, finding that the darkness that was held within showed no signed of letting up. At least here only a few yards from the door, they could manage to see the ground that sat in front of them, but nothing else. They exchanged glances, hoping that the other would have an idea of how they could continue on, but before they could say a word, the door that they had just run through slammed behind them, leaving them in complete darkness. The brief silence that followed many have been the tensest moment these two vulpines had ever shared. Here they stood, alone in the holding place of their greatest enemy, and for those few moments, they could only hope that they would not be ambushed and killed in the darkness.
It was shortly after this all took place before that voice they had heard only a few moments before once again rang across the walls of the darkened room they had found themselves trapped within, "How foolish, running into danger in such a haphazard manner. Such decisions could bring about your destruction my friends, but being the kindhearted person that I am, allow me to lift the black veil that has fallen over you both."
Immediately after these words were spoken, several lights became active on the ceiling of this room. At first this light blinded the two vulpines that stood in the room, each having to close their eyes as the lights came on so that they would have time to adjust from the pitch black darkness they had previously been hidden within. It took several seconds for this to be accomplished, and when they finally regained their vision, they quickly found that, despite the fact that they could now see, they were faced with an even greater challenge. Their eyes quickly scanned the room to see what must have been nearly one hundred Sharpclaw soldiers surrounding them on all sides. The voice once again boomed overhead as the two vulpines drew their weapons and prepared for a fight, "Perhaps being covered in darkness was not as bad a thing as you once thought, but I suppose it's too late for regrets now. But don't mind me, please, fight. I've been waiting for excitement such as this for quite some time."
Neither of them needed Scales' words to know what they had to do, he had them trapped, and the only way to free themselves was to defeat every last Sharpclaw that stood within the room. The two vulpines stood back-to-back, both trying to calculate the best plan of attack, but were cut short on time to have this luxury as the many smaller dinosaurs that surrounded them quickly closed the circle they had previously stood in, doing so with loud and almost deafening screams as they rapidly approached the pair of vulpines. There was no strategy, there was no plan, the only way to escape this room alive was to fight and hope for the best, this was immediately made apparent to both Fox and Krystal, both of which, after a slightly uneasy hesitation, split from the others side, beginning what was sure to be an extremely exciting and entertaining match of power for their ultimate enemy to observe from whatever location he concealed himself.
Because of their very different weapons, both of the vulpines took a different root towards their enemies. Krystal, who had favored to wield her staff instead a blaster for this final leg of their mission, ran into close range of the Sharpclaw, taking them down slowly but surely with her weapon of choice. Fox, who implemented the use of his blaster as he always had, remained back a short distance away from the Sharpclaw so that he could take out as many of them as he could without endangering himself from close-range combat.
As the battle commenced, the vixen rushed off quickly towards the Sharpclaw, finding herself faced with several of these growling creatures at one time. Once she was in an appropriate attack range, she thrust her father's staff in from of her, impaling an unfortunate Sharpclaw straight through the stomach, causing him to double over in pain as he began to bleed relentlessly from his open wound. As she pulled the staff free from the insides of this creature, another took a wild swing at the vixen with a short, curved sword. She caught this motion out of the corner of her eye and managed to raise her staff in front of its sword, blocking the attack. Once his sword contacted her own weapon, she gave a swift twirl of her staff, disarming the Sharpclaw of his weapon, and then finished him with a vicious slash across his chest. As he fell, the other Sharpclaws seemed to hesitate. Even though she had only disposed of two of their comrades, it seemed to get the message across that she would not fall as easily as they had perhaps supposed. The vixen however wasted no time in continuing her attack, which caught several of the creatures off guard, giving her ample time to dispatch several more Sharpclaws with a single wide slice from the tip of her staff. In such little time, the vixen had already rid the room of several creatures, but for her companion, things were a bit more difficult.
At the beginning of the battle, Fox had only taken a few steps forward before he had taken out several Sharpclaws, his blaster not allowing these creatures to get close enough to front an attack on the vulpine, unfortunately for him, as the battle progressed, he could no longer hold them off. He was disposing many of them, but because of their numbers, they were slowly creeping closer, and there was little he could do but continue to blast away and hope that their numbers faded, but that never happened. As the Sharpclaw continued to gain on Fox, his accuracy began to fade, due mostly in part to the fact that he was constantly back-pedaling to avoid being caught by his attackers. Soon, he ran out of places to run, but before he realized this, a Sharpclaw quickly came from behind the vulpine and took an aggressive swipe at him with its bare claws. Fox managed to see this attack coming, but that was the extent of his luck in this instance. He had managed to avoid having his head completely lacerated, but in doing so, he also allowed those very claws to knock the blaster that he held free from his hand. Now, not only was he being surrounded by several of the Sharpclaw soldiers, but he was also without a weapon. He did not think much on this, letting his body take the place of his lost blaster. As the Sharpclaw that had almost decapitated him tried to recover from the powerful slash he had attempted, Fox quickly took the opportunity to use his own fist to crush the face of his attacker with great force, immediately causing a steady stream of blood to run free from the Sharpclaw's now shattered snout. He swiftly turned from his bested opponent just in time to see a short wooden club rushing towards his head, and with a deft reaction time, he grabbed the dinosaur by its attacking arm and gave it an abrupt twist, causing the creature to let out a scream that rose above the rest. Immediately after doing so, Fox gave a quick spin and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to the face of the Sharpclaw, sending him sprawling across the floor until its now motionless body came to rest a short time after. The short time that followed this gave Fox a chance for a very quick breather, one he desperately needed. During this short period of time, he managed to look back towards his companion, who seemed to be working very well on her own, made apparent by the mass of bodies that began to accumulate around her. But it seemed that, despite the amount of Sharpclaws they had already destroyed, many more seemed to remain. This quickly led Fox to believe that alone, they would have little chance for survival, so instead of continuing his attack alone, he cautiously made his way over to his fighting companion, and with only a slight nod in acknowledgement from the vixen, the two vulpines were once again back-to-back, ready to take on the remaining Sharpclaw soldiers within the room together.
At first, this new tactic of fighting seemed a bit cumbersome, mostly due to the fact that the range of Krystal's staff was limited in range now that she had someone standing to her back, causing her attacks to become slightly less effective, while at the same time Fox had trouble landing his physical attacks with the lessened amount of ground he could work with. It seemed as if this was not as good of an idea as they had at first thought, but as the fight progressed, the vulpines began to actually work in unison rather than fighting next to each other on their own.
The staff Krystal wielded was a key part in this new two-pronged fighting style, with its range and the deadly point at its tip, Fox quickly devised a truly effective plan of attack. As the Sharpclaw approached, Fox would run a few steps and aim for the creatures leg, causing them to lose their balance and giving Krystal an easy shot with her weapon, either giving them a firm slash or merely running them through with her staff. As she did this, it would catch the surrounding dinosaurs off-guard, which them gave Fox the chance to take the offensive, allowing him to dispatch several of the creatures with a few well-aimed punches and kicks. With this very efficient manner of fighting at their disposal, the fight seemed to continue on without many problems. The once very numerous amount of Sharpclaw soldiers that stood in the room began to steadily dwindle until eventually they had all fallen at the hands of these two vulpines.
Once they had finally accomplished this great task, they immediately fell to their knees, trying their best to regain the breath that had been expended during the greatly tiresome battle that had just taken place. Fox and Krystal both exchanged encouraging glances, knowing that they had overcome this first obstacle, and were one step closer to their ultimate destination. Fox smirked and commented between breaths, "I guess…we did it. You did really great Krystal. I didn't think…you had that kind of…ability to fight." The vixen, who was equally worn out, replied shortly after, "Well…my combat training on this planet…all those years ago seemed to have actually paid off. At least…I find it much easier to fight…without one of your blasters in hand." Shortly after Krystal had said these words, Fox scanned the room, besides the hundreds of now motionless and bloody bodies that were littered across the room, he did not see anything that could serve as an exit except for the door they had passed through several minutes ago. After noticing this, he looked back towards the vixen, his breath slowly coming back to him as he asked, "Well, now what do we do? I don't see a way out of here anywhere…"
"Well, I must say, that was most amusing. I did not think that you both could actually defeat my minions so easily, but this is only the beginning. You have escaped my first trap alive, but will you fair so well with a second? I suppose I shall have to wait and see."
As the echo from Scales voice was no longer heard, a small door emerged from within the far wall. Not only this, but the door that led back to the surface of Cerinia also opened from behind them. With two different routes now available for travel, Scales continued to speak into the room, "You have earned the right to move on, but my I remind you both that you may still leave if you think this place too dangerous. I you had any wits about you, you would accept such a kind offer and manage to escape with your lives, but it is not my choice to make. I will leave you now, but remember, I will be watching your every move, no matter what path you choose to take."
Scales' voice quickly died around them, and as it did, both vulpines looked at each other, knowing that the choice an easy one to make. They adamantly faced this new, much smaller door that stood in front of them and slowly began their way towards it side-by-side. Neither of the vulpines spoke during their short walk, both their bodies feeling to drained to speak, feeling that rather, in their silence, they could somehow more quickly recover from the fight that had just ensued. Unlike the last door, both the vulpines could see a distinct light shining on the other side of this door, giving them the comfort that darkness would not be a factor once within. Because of this, their pace hastened slightly, and before long they had both walked through this new door at the other's side.
Fox's eyes quickly scanned this new room as it opened up in front of him. Unlike the previous, this room was much more narrow with its ceiling also at a much lower height. But this seemed to be a trivial detail when compared to what else this room contained. The room they had just left was bland with no defining features, but the room he now found himself standing within was not even a room at all, but a hallway, and a very decorous one at that. The floor of this hallway was covered with a long red and gold carpet, one that reached all the way across the room until it stopped at a door at the other end of the hallway. The walls of this hall contained several flowers and steamers, making it seem as though he was now walking through one of the most grand palaces in the universe. Not only this, but in the middle of the hallway sat a beautifully flowing fountain, one that created that soothing noise of gently splashing and flowing water that Fox had learned to greatly appreciate over the course of this journey.
Once he felt he had taken in all this room had to offer, he turned to the vixen that stood next to him and said with a smirk, "Well, at least this place looks like we won't get…" The vulpine abruptly cut himself off from speech as he quickly realized that he was talking to nothing more than thin air. He looked all around, but nowhere did he see his companion anywhere in sight. He was sure she was standing at his side when he entered, but as of now, she was nowhere to be found. He turned back towards the door, hoping that perhaps she had wandered back into the previous room, only to find that this door had disappeared behind him. And so he stood, all alone, inside this grand looking hall, having no idea what to do without Krystal. He remained in that same spot for some time, his mind racing with the possibilities of what could have taken place, what could have happened to Krystal.
I know she was right next to me when we went through that door, but then why isn't she right now? Did one of Scales soldiers take her away from right underneath my nose? Come on Fox, how in the heck could you have let this happen? That guy could be doing anything to her, and it's my fault. There's only one thing I can do now…
The vulpine turned from the wall where the door he had just passed through once stood, speaking in a quiet voice after a slightly distressed sigh, "I gotta keep going and hope that Krystal's alright when I find her. I can't let Scales get into my head like this, no matter what happens, I have to stay focused. With or without Krystal, I still have a mission to take care of, and I'm not stopping now…" These words my have seemed to prove that he truly was not perturbed by this development, but inside, the place that determined his fears, his strengths, his determination, it hurt him, deeply, and no matter how much he told himself otherwise, the fact that Krystal was no longer at his side tore at him, and as long as she was gone, he was weakened, and there was nothing he could do to prevent it.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Gee wiz, I guess there's only one chapter left…I don't really know what to say. It seems like it was a long time ago before I started typing and now I'm almost done. Was it a waste of time? Yes. Was it a good, fun, and otherwise enjoyable waste of time? Certainly. I mean, I could've played a lot more golf if I hadn't been typing all the time, but what the heck, I think I do enough of that anyway. Anyway, see you next chapter…for the last time.
(Our Final Destination PART 3)
Fox has been separated from Krystal, and when they rejoin, things are not as they should be. How can they be bickering during such a critical time? The final battle with Scales is at hand, will evil rule the day, or will good finally overcome this great obstacle…or will neither be the case? Find out, in the final chapter of Echoes of the Future!
RANDOM NOTES: Hey, I've been thinking of writing a Sonic story, but for a while now I've been getting more and more into the Teen Titans universe, and I'm thinking maybe that would be something for me to write on. Of course, not unlike Sonic, I have no idea what I would write about, but heck, it's something to think about anyway…Oh, and I didn't mention this before, but this last chapter should be the longest of them all, I mean, I guess that's how it should be anyway…
MAIL CALL:
Specter117
Finally, you updated it! Is this really your first fanfic? Well, I think it's your greatest, dude! So deep, so romantic, so exciting! It's definetly not like OMGIHTGMACSCTIFB, which means:OH MY GOD I HOPE THIS GUY MAKES A COMEBACK SOMEHOW CAUSE' THIS IS F&$! BORING! It's quality! I added you to my favorite authors and favorite stories list. Make more stories with this quality, man! OUTSTANDING!
FoxMC: Gee wiz, I've never seen such an abbreviation before, cool. Uhh, it kinda is my first fanfic, and kinda isn't. Thanks for the kindness, I'm much obliged.
lombaxworship
Hey that was friken awsome, i didnt want ur Fox and Krystal moments to end. You do Romance incredibly, Friken incredibly! Anyways up date soon Cry Cry No its ending!
FoxMC: Thanks, and ya, it's ending, but maybe if I feel like it I'll type more…or maybe not. I "friken" don't know…
Unknown
Still with ya. Nice chapter.
FoxMC: Cool review, it's just about as long as my attention span, which is never a bad thing I guess. Thanks anyway…
SonicBreezie4ever
Wow! I've been waiting for this! ) It was really good! Whoa dude! James is alive! O.O Wow. Poor guy. I thought the parts with Fox and Krystal in here were totally sweet. Nice job! Can't wait for the next one! D
FoxMC: Well, you don't have to wait anymore, because unless you read this part first, you'll have already read this new chapter, isn't that cool how that works? Next one should be marginally cool, seeing as how it's the last one, but I haven't typed it yet so I don't know…yet
Dreamer for lyf
Wow... That's all I can say, wow... This is one of the best stories I have ever, ever, ever read! It's got an awesome plot and story and it just... flows. I am so amazed with it. And making the bad dude General Scales was VERY clever. I knew it was him since the first time the echidna dude described him. And the way you bought everybody's fav foxes close was so cute and romantic. The tail part was especially heartwarming... And I must say, the action is very fun to go through. Fav action seen was defiantly where he had to battle the raccoon guys and Sharpclaw. And another thing I was overly impressed with was the whole scroll thing and energy of life. This is the first Star Fox fic I read and it has inspired me to the limit. Thanks :). I could go on forver but I dont want to bore you with a LONG review. Man... This was just so awesome and amazing. Triple thumbs up man! Keep writing
FoxMC: Dude, long reviews are my fav, makes it look like I know what's up. Anyway, I hope I didn't disappoint with that last fight scene, it was a lot shorter than the one on Kaltar, but whatever. I had to read over that fight scene to remember how to do one…oh well…Mucho gusto for el reviewo
Bane the Mad Demon SLayer
That was a nice twist. Keep it up!
FoxMC: Ya, I didn't think many people would think something like that could happen, but hey, that's what Fox wanted the most before Krystal came along, so it seemed appropriate…
Whinnie
(Screams at Fox MC inconsiderably.) I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU MADE US WAIT FOR A WEEK! x( You're so mean: Anyway... wow, that chapter was a surprise.
And stop golfing:p I'm kidding.
FoxMC: Hey, that was…inconsiderate. Oh well, since you said some nice things, I can probably forgive you. Surprise, surprise, Fox's dad is alive…s! And I can't stop golfing, so…ya.
Masterchief101
not a bad chapter Fox MC, but the next 1 will be your last, which upsets me, and i hope u get mail call in the last chapter, because not having mail call twice really sucks.
anyway good chapter
update soon
FoxMC: Ya, I don't like not having Mail Call, but I think that a lot of people who read this would rather do just that then have to wait for me to find the time to get online and reply to the reviews, which can take a while. Well, it used to, I mean, I didn't get many reviews for this chapter…but whatever, I just need more than 313 and I'll be happy. Peace out!