A/N: Again, if you need the original Iliria, let me know. I went back into the first chapter and added the link to where you can find it on the internet, if you need it. Of course, thanks to FanFicDOTnet's website blocking thing, that deletes anything where there's no spaces after a period, well... I had to change the dots to "DOT". so yeah.
Again, it's here.
http COLON SLASH SLASH starfieldDOTtopcitiesDOTcom / Fic / JuliaGlassman / illiriascurseDOThtm
just take out all the spaces before and after the slashes. and..yeah. replace the colons and 'slash'es. Meh.
Chapter: Ensnared
"Arwing launched?" Peppy's eyes scanned over the indicator on the control panel. He glanced across the bridge to Falco, confusion in his eyes. Lombardi blinked. "Fox just left in an Arwing?" added the aging hare, recoiling in surprise.
"I'm gunna brain that idiot!" Falco erupted in dismay. He turned about quickly, facing Peppy and explained, "Fox is going nuts. I've got to stop him; he's got this illusion of grandeur and thinks he's going to rescue Fara by himself."
Peppy stood up from his chair, his eyes widening. "Are you serious? What are you waiting for, go after him!" The hare exclaimed, pointing towards the exit door to the bridge. Falco nodded and darted off to catch up to McCloud.
Meanwhile, Fox was punching in the coordinates to make a jump to the other end of the Lylat system. Iliria was clear across the other end, waiting in the NightHawk battle cruiser. She was still running with a skeleton crew, but it was time to decide who was worth her time and who wasn't. With this decision in mind, she sent Sterin's brother to wait for Fox on the flight deck. It was time for a face off.
Fox's Arwing flashed into the Sector –Z construction site, just beyond the space nebula. There were massive white pillars of metal that were held into a shape with high tension cords, to keep everything from disappearing. There were no construction workers on the site at this point, which was the most likely reason that Iliria chose this sector at the moment.
The Arwing approached the NightHawk's landing bay, slipping through the atmospheric force field and lowering to the deck, slowly. Fox finished with his landing procedures before he finally noticed the stoic, battle-poised man standing in silence. The Varisite narrowed his eyes, the only sign of emotion. The canopy of the Arwing began to lift and Fox dismounted the fighter, recognizing Steren's brother.
The man drew out a pair of short swords from sheathes beneath his coat. His gaze disdainfully passed over Fox's form, turning the blade about and offering the handle towards the confused vulpine. Fox took it, uncomprehendingly.
"They're full-tang, sharpened battle swords, McCloud," Said Steren's brother. Fox still didn't know his name and at this point, he wasn't sure it was kosher to ask. The Varisite continued, "I don't care if you don't know how to use it, you're going to learn right now," He said, stepping back. The man then drew the blade up, menacingly. It was time to battle.
Fara frowned. Iliria was standing in the room, her attention on the battle from a view screen. "What is your reason for continuing your fight with him?" Fara finally asked, in an almost monotone voice.
"Section 874," Iliria said in a soft, flat tone, turning her attention back to the monitor. Fara didn't understand. She couldn't understand; she had no idea what the evil little rabbit had in mind. "Fara, it's a long story. Just know that Fox has insulted me and my honor. You and I, Fara; we are his enemy and with your help, we'll bring him to his knees."
"If you need my help, why is Steven fighting McCloud?" Phoenix asked with a frown, turning her attention back to the view screen.
"Because, Fara," Iliria mused softly, "I promised him he would have the chance to avenge his brother. This will go one of two ways: Fox will convince him to join his cause, or Fox will have to kill him. I don't see Steven defeating McCloud by any stretch of faith or fantasy. Steren and Steven are both huge pansies. The only thing is, their race is completely invulnerable to... making them see my side of things."
"I'm… sorry to hear that," Fara admitted sourly. She didn't know what to think, really. Fara lowered her eyes for a moment, before glancing back to the screen. Fox was fighting for his life against a skilled swordsman. She felt robbed. It didn't seem fair for some weird reason.
"I never properly introduced myself," Said Steren's brother, closing his palms around the hilt. Fox had a few classes on the proper use of energy swords but this was old fashion metal bladed combat. It had been a long time since he'd had those academy classes, at that. He wasn't bad when wielding a typical staff, but this was far different. The varisite continued, "I'm Steven. You may recognize me as Steren's brother but I recognize you as his killer."
Fox shook his head, while trying to fend off a lunge from his attacker, still surprised from the entire situation. He had to hurry and find Fara, still under the belief that she was in danger. "Look, I was under Iliria's control, so I know what you're going through," McCloud started.
"No, you idiot!" Steven's words shocked Fox, once more. "Didn't you ever wonder why Steren was in that cell for so long? He was a Prisoner of War but they didn't kill him or harm him! Our race can't be brought under mind control, that's why she kept him in a cell instead of making him a servant! But she adhered to the rules of war, you did not!" Again, Steven took a swing, causing his blade to slam into Fox's, creating a loud clang. Steven was an accomplished swordsman, despite the belief that he and his brother were complete wimps.
"But I was under her control when that happened!" Fox shouted, letting his anguish and rage boil. He unleashed a defensive return strike, keeping the varisite further than arm's length, to protect himself. "I don't want to fight you. We need to fight Iliria, together."
"He's been in there for years, why would she order you to suddenly kill him," Steven sneered.
"She didn't," Fox admitted, trying to use the gifted sword to fend off the skillful blows that Steven dealt. "I did it in a fit of confusion due to her mind-rape; you've got to believe me! I've had nightmares about it for more nights than you can imagine," Fox explained, burning in his chest with guilt.
Steven brought the sword downwards in a vertical slash but Fox instinctively brought his own weapon up, to guard from the strike. He held it horizontally then kicked his right foot out, knocking Steven off balance. The man stumbled but never fell, quickly returning to the offensive. "Fight me, vulpine!" he exclaimed, taking another swing.
Fox continued to fend off the thrusts and slashes, until Steven led the combat back towards Fox's fighter. As soon as McCloud was close enough to his Arwing, he punched a button on his wrist pad, causing the shields to raise. Steven took a slash, but his sword hit the shields, shocking him. Fox stood behind the field with a desperate sadness in his eyes.
"Come on, now! Don't be a coward, McCloud!" Steven shouted. "My intentions are simple! Either I avenge him, or I join him. There is no middle ground, now FIGHT ME!"
Fox swallowed the lump of contrition, laying down the weapon in repentance. Steven had no idea how badly this onus weighed upon the pilot's soul. He'd never killed a true innocent until that day and not only did it bring him horrendous heart ache, but it tarnished his confidence and pride. Facing off against Steren's brother brought all those feelings back with full force.
"Please, believe me," Fox muttered miserably. "I'm here to rescue Fara. She's been captured by Andross; Iliria ordered me to come here for instructions to save her. She wants the personal war between us to subside temporarily."
"I've suffered this indignation for long enough, Fox McCloud. You've sparked my ire before, but now," Steven said with a passionate voice, "it is your time to die. As far as your stupid vixen, she serves Iliria of her free will, as I do. Perhaps she's finally seen you for who you really are. She's not been captured by Andross, she's here. And you fight her next if you can defeat ME!" He swung at the shields once more, suffering the shock gracefully, just to startle McCloud once more.
"Please," Fox trailed off, balling his fists up. He didn't know what else to do. His heart was pounding, his paws were trembling from the adrenaline and this was time wasted, if Fara really was in trouble. But the thing that made him cringe was being told that Fara was safe and working for Iliria of her own free will. The thought of that possibility turned the pilot's stomach to ice.
"Please...? Yes, please. Please fight!" Steven gave the sword a slow, smooth twirl, waiting for Fox to placate his desires to finish this combat. The sooner Fox finished the fight, the sooner he could find peace in one of two preferred methods.
"I cannot fight you. It would dishonor Steren. Only by forming an alliance and defeating her together, can you possibly hope to avenge your brother," Fox explained.
"I know your type," Steven snapped. Fox blinked, having a questioning expression upon his visage. Steven growled at the mercenary's incomprehension of the situation. "Your parents both died, your mate takes forever to accept your invitation to courtship and once she finally does, she turns on you. You're a washed up war hero who got lucky but never completely accomplished your mission of destroying Andross. You're frustrated and foolish, impulsive and irresponsible so you took out your confusion on MY BROTHER!"
Fox recoiled again, seeing the sword glance off the force field, absorbing the kinetic energy of the blow and causing a flash of light that rolled across the field. Fox, once again, repeated himself. "I will not fight you. Please, help me properly avenge Steren."
"Sure, I will help you avenge him... by removing your head from your shoulders," Steven replied, dragging the edge of the sword across the field, wincing at the shock but looking otherwise un-phased. "Come fight me, so we can avenge him, together."
"Help me fight Iliria. If you don't feel avenged, I'll agree to finish this duel with you," Fox promised. It wasn't good enough for Steven. The fencer was pissed off, his eyes narrowed. He wanted bloodshed. The only way Steven was going to get his wish was if Iliria herself managed to coax the combat or if Steven found the right words to say.
The thing was, Steven was an honest man. He wouldn't lie about Fara to get Fox to fight. Finally he paused, looking Fox over for a moment. "No problem. We're on a flight deck. I'll just use deck guns to wear your shields down, then I'll attack you."
Fox frowned, narrowing his eyes. Steven crossed the flight deck, coming to stand behind one of the Venom fighters that sat along the side of the deck. He climbed up into the cockpit, and mashed the trigger down, assaulting the Arwing shields from the side, hammering away at them.
McCloud picked up the sword, knowing that the fight was going to be brought to him, whether he wished it or not. After several moments, the shields began to weaken dramatically until the field suddenly dissipated. The Arwing took several hard shots from the side, which ripped into the fuselage. Steven climbed out of the Venom fighter across the flight deck, armed and ready once more.
Fox clinched his paws around the handle, channeling all his rage into his body. It was the only way he was going to survive this. If he didn't live through it, no one would be able to save Fara. The two broke into a spring, running towards one another. As the two men charged, their weapons drawn and ready, a third person joined the flight deck, looking on from the shadows in the corner.
Fox and Steven met in the middle of the flight deck, their swords clashing with such force that it caused sparks to fly. "There's no way you can beat me, I'm as good with this weapon as you are with your fighter!" Steven exclaimed. The two of them thrusted and parried, but Steven had the upper hand, scoring a successful attack. The varisite brought his blade across Fox's chest, cutting his shirt open and leaving a gash in his chest.
The flesh wound stung like hell but he was charged on adrenaline, which caused Fox to push onwards. Every offensive attack was blocked by Steven's skillful abilities. He stepped forward, bringing the blades together but skillfully slid his foot between Fox's ankles then gave a shove.
McCloud stumbled back, landing unceremoniously upon his tail, looking up at the man in horror, his neck exposed to attack. Steven grinned victoriously, bringing his blade up and quickly lined up the death blow. He began his swing and time began to slow to a crawl. Fox's eyes seemed to flit from the sword to the man's sardonic grin to the attacker's body language and back to the sword.
As the blade neared Fox's neck, it too began to slow down even more than it already seemed to have done thus far. Fox's eyes lifted from the blade once more, to the man's expression. His muzzle parted and his eyes widened, yet his pupils shrunk. The sword slowed further, from its swing. Suddenly, something else caught Fox's eyes and he lowered them to Steven's chest.
A beam of light erupted from his solar plexus, passing over Fox's head. The pilot could even feel the heat from the beam's proximity as it burst from the Varisite's body. The energy discharge continued on, slamming into the bulkhead on the far end of the flight deck. Steven's expression told a story of confusion. Time began to increase in speed once more, and the man crumbled quickly to his knees.
His sword skittered across the floor, coming to a rest several feed from the Arwing. Now on his knees, Steven's eyes were level with Fox's own. He locked his gaze with Steven's accusing glare. Paws were lifted and placed over the gaping hole in his chest and a single word passed over his lips, caressing Fox's ears with their gentle, innocent tone. "...Why?"
Once more, time slowed to a crawl for Fox's mind, which reeled to understand what it saw. Steven began to waver forward, falling slowly like the way a parachute slowly brought a skydiver to the ground. Steven's bangs fluttered back as if he was in a breeze. His shirt collar rippled during is slow collapse upon the deck. Just before he finally landed upon his face, time return to its normal speed. His collapse rang out with a firm thud. That's when Fox's gaze lifted once more, suddenly going wide.
Fara Phoenix stood at the edge of the flight deck, holding a blaster in her right paw. A faint wisp of smoke emanated from the barrel; the smoking gun that took the life from Steven's body.
From Fox's knelt position, Steven's face sort of fell into Fox's lap. McCloud drew his paws about the boy's face, protectively, running his fingers through the varisite's hair, knowing he didn't have long.
"I... I'm so cold," Steven said, more to himself to test to see if he could hear his own words.
"Please tell Steren I'm sorry. I promised to go back for him and rescue him," Fox said in a whisper, keeping his eyes on Fara, across the deck. She seemed stoic, standing in silence and not yet moving. "I spent a great amount of time in that cell with him. We developed a special bond of friendship."
"You really didn't mean ... to kill him?" Steven asked in a throaty whisper.
Fox offered the boy a sad smile. "I wish to avenge you both," he promised. Steven's body began to shutter involuntarily. His body began to spasm and Fox could hear the gurgling of death rattles, overcoming the man's lungs. He was filled with a consuming air of melancholy and utter despair. He couldn't save either of them.
"I see you, Steren," Steven mused softly. His eyes were clouding over and Fox could tell that he saw something in the far distance. Tears began to burn in Fox's eyes, as he struggled to grasp the reality of the loss of yet another innocent.
"Go to him," Fox said tenderly. "Don't be afraid."
"I'm not," Steven replied. Milky cataracts swallowed those azure irises. It was the first time that Fox noticed he had blue eyes. Now they were rapidly filling with a stormy hue. It was as if Fox could make out a dimly translucent reflection of Heaven's light in those sullen twin pools of bluish smoke color. The end was near for him. "Steven? Is it ...really you? I'm not afraid," the man babbled, his head cradled in Fox's arms.
He felt as though he was inadvertently responsible for the death of them both. "Please forgive me," Fox whispered.
"Avenge...us," With that last breath, life left Steven's body and all that remained was the last vestiges of breath that rolled off his lips like a sigh. The candle of life, within this man's soul had the wick pinched, unfairly. Now it was over and the flame was extinguished. Steren's brother was dead.
McCloud's eyes lifted, seeing the long, lean legs of his mate stepping into the light of the flight deck. With every graceful step, Fox could see more of her until she was completely revealed to him. She was dressed seductively in a deep purple gown with a cut that extended from her collarbone to her navel. Her cleavage was accentuated in this gown; her taut tummy was so firm, one could flip a quarter off of it.
His eyes raked over her, drinking in those curvaceous lines of perfection. Lithe, yet powerful hips, long voluptuous thighs and the most brilliant, sparkling eyes he could ever hope to remember. It's a hard question: "Why do you love me?"
The easy answers are clichés: 'You are beautiful. You make me happy. You're hot!'
True love has deeper roots. It is planted in memory, nurtured by experience, sheltered by the soul. It is powerful. It takes over, transforms you in much the manner that solstice, the dates of maximum tilt of the planet's equatorial plane relative to the sun, transforms the seasons.
Love makes one silly. But no one cares when they're in love. There was something wonderfully raw about that golden furred visage. It was sinewy, sensuous, yet absent anything that could be considered extraneous makeup. It was a seductive minimalism. She not only appealed to the pilot's basic instincts, but to his heart and soul.
Fox's eyes reflected his joy of seeing her, offering a smile of approbation. Fara's eyes lowered upon his form, taking in the image of a fallen man, blood eking from his chest, saturating his shirt, with the body of a dead man in his arms. "How does it feel to see me again?" She wanted to know.
He answered her question with queries of his own. "When was the last time you danced with someone you loved? Did you try moves at odds with your partner's rhythm? Or, did you move with him?" Fox asked her. The questions caused her to quirk her brows, leering at him in confusion.
"Your sanity is dwindling, McCloud," She mused with a smile.
"No. Being here, seeing you, brings me more stability than you can understand. We're Mates, Fara Phoenix. We're meant to be," Fox told her. Fara gawked at him, confusion still shining in her eyes. Fox simply continued, knowing that this was his best moment to take advantage of her failure to reach comprehension of this situation. "I am unabashedly silly about Fara Phoenix, her splendidly sculpted body and down-to-the-bone-honest, sexy ways. She has heritage, prestige and status. The purposeful woman of my dreams has passion, an essential element of love. Passion bespeaks honesty. It does not hide behind fancy badges or history. It does not hold itself aloof from the lover. It is accessible and open minded; democratic. It's infectious and I am enthralled and want to prove to you that we were in love and can still be, again."
Fara simply cringed. "Quiet. You sound like a bad poet who's high on purple prose-esqe desire. Fox's jaw dropped. He had spoken from the heart to try and sway her back to reality and she acted as though she was completely scorned to the core. It took the wind out of his sails.
"Follow me, McCloud." Fara turned to face the door and Fox stood up behind her, laying Steven upon his back and placing the sword he had in his paw across Steven's chest in reverence. Once the two foxes crossed the flight deck, Fara tapped her lacquered nails against the buttons of a control panel on the wall. Fox glanced over his shoulder, his eyes growing wide as saucers.
The flight deck's main doors were still open but now the atmospheric force field that covered the entrance dissipated. The Arwing, as well as both swords and Steven's body began to shuffle along the flight deck, picking up velocity, caught in the suction of vacuum. The nose of the Arwing began to lift up and it flopped over, getting sucked out through the doors, at a sideways angle. Steven and the two weapons went behind it, then she tapped two keys and the force field returned. A soft hiss caused Fox's ears to flicker and the bay began to re-pressurize.
Fara spoke the words in a way that sent shivers down Fox's spine. "You are now a Prisoner of the Iririan Empire. Come with me, soldier. We require more like yourself as a means of slave labor. You will come to serve Iliria or you will die. This is her will, not mine. If I was given the option to, I would have put a second shot in your skull just for good measure. I, however, follow orders. I suggest you do the same." She continued down the hallway, heading towards the NightHawk's detention area.
"Fara, do you remember anything about me from before your days of serving Iliria?" McCloud asked, trying to put his game face on, to keep from breaking down.
"I've served under Iliria my entire life. She was a friend of my mother. She's the only woman I could ever see match-making with my father." Her words caused Fox's breath to catch. Was she really that wrapped around Iliria's finger that they were now sharing a step-mother / daughter relationship? He was afraid of this situation, but used his training to keep from panicking.
"By the way, Fox," Fara said, calling him by his first name in a way that nearly caused his defenses to melt. "Do you recall something known as maintenance shaft Sector 874?" Fox shuttered and nodded. Fara smiled and continued, "We have something very much like that, onboard the NightHawk. I'm sure you'll find it quite comfortable. It's a Jeffery's tube in the detention section. It happened when last you attacked the NightHawk, a section shifted and collapsed. You'll find it to be quite accommodating."
Fox stiffened up. He really didn't like the thought of being stuffed into a tube that got tighter and tighter, the further he went down into it. The thought of sleeping face down in one of these again, made him sick to his stomach. As they entered the detention section, Fox noted the logo on the wall. "Block D, Main Brig."
Fox came to a stop and turned to face him. Fox blinked, stopping in the hallway as well. She reached her paw out to caress the side of his face, pointing at the floor panel that was loose, in the middle of the floor. She used the tip of her high-heel shoes to push it forward, sliding across the floor. The maintenance shaft was uncovered and Fox suddenly had flashbacks of the first time this happened (Iliria's Curse).
A guard stepped into the room, kneeling besides Fox and running a cable around his ankles. Fara gave him a smile and a nod, followed by the guard stepping back in silence. Fox's body was humming now with adrenaline. When he came down from this lengthy high later, he'd probably need to rest.
He began to shake his head slowly, his heart starting to beat more quickly. Fara used her paws to draw his muzzle forward, placing a soft kiss upon his nose, then a chaste kiss upon his lips. When he was distracted, she kicked his knees out from beneath him, using her left paw to push his shoulders forward, so that he toppled head over heels into the shaft.
Vertigo ceased his body as he plummeted into the chasm. The walls began to grow restricting, brushing against his shoulders and arms. Quite suddenly, the cable around his legs grew tight. Fara's voice floated down from above. "How far is he?"
"Twenty or thirty feet, ma'am; pretty far," Said the soldier guard.
Fara paused for a moment before her words took on a devilish tone, almost mimicking that of Iliria in the past. "Cut the cord." These words were followed by another moment of heart-stopping dolor.
His freefall slowed as the walls gradually got tighter. Without warning, the shaft shifted and he found himself wedged tightly in a section that resembled the "U" shaped trap of a sink pipe. He grunted hard from the quick stop, immediately feeling the blood loss in his arms.
The blood was rushing to his head, making him dizzy. With his arms wedged so tightly against either side, there was no circulation and he could feel the pins and needles sensation start at his fingertips and creep up his wrists and passed his elbows. That increased the blood pressure going to his brain, at this inverted angle. The dizziness consumed him and the adrenaline surged for another moment, before he attempted willing himself to relax.
He had to prove unconditional love and find an inner acceptance to bestow upon Fara. But it was so incredibly difficult. Only time would tell if he was able to manage benevolence. This hurt had a measure of absolution to it. He begged the creator for the clairvoyance and strength to endure Iliria one more time.
But he couldn't forgive himself for showing the wicked Iririan mercy last time. He took a chance by putting her into the hands of Andross, but if he had things to do over again, he would have ended Iliria then and there. But there was no way to rewrite the past.
For now, all he could do was beg himself to find forgiveness in Fara's betrayal.
He began to wriggle about, trying to free himself, but to no avail. He was stuck tight.
"If you don't mind me asking, ma'am, how are we going to get him out?" Said the guard, from above. His voice floated down, reverberating off the walls.
"By crossing that bridge when we come to it. Come," said Fara, much the way Iliria had played this psychology game in the past, "let's leave him to his punishment." Fox heard footsteps walk away until he was engulfed in pitch black silence. Her words echoed in his head. Did she mean to say she didn't know how to get him out? What if there wasn't a way? He would be trapped down here, maybe even die down here. He struggled to no avail. This had happened before; he simply needed to figure out a way to outfox it.
Fox shook his head. She knew how to get him out. She just wanted to scare him the way Iliria had, a few years prior. The pilot willed himself to be silent as the seconds turned into minutes and the minutes to hours, and managed to drift into a light doze.
The light shone brightly, too brightly. It was a twisted repeat. Fox tried to cover his eyes, but realized he couldn't move. This all felt wickedly familiar. A few muddled shapes that could be people slipped in and out of his line of vision, one of them coming closer. The light dimmed, and Fox saw that he was surrounded by pipes, wires, and tunnels. This was too eerie. He was slipping in and out of consciousness. He looked again at the figure, and realized it was his father. 'Not again', he thought off handedly.
Fox tried to speak, but could only croak out a few sentence fragments. His father held up a paw to silence him, and smiled softly. With that, James slowly began to change and warp, until the vulpine pilot was face to face with Andross.
Fox awoke with a start, and shuddered in revulsion as something crawled across his face. He hesitantly tried to move his body, and was rewarded with stabs of pins and needles. Was this a dream or was this happening again, like before? A drop of cold sweat fell to the bottom of the shaft. Goosebumps caused the fur on the back of his neck to stand on end. He was experiencing a nauseating sensation of déjà vu.
Iliria slowly opened her eyes and smiled. The fox was getting nervous. She rose from the couch she had been resting on and walked to the center of her room, where a large circle was painted on the floor, much like the one on Iliria, years prior. His dreams were dreams of dreams and it was her best weapon, at this point.
Iliria laughed softly, sensing McCloud suppress his growing paranoia and will himself to relax. The Iririan's laughter bubbled forth even more sardonically as McCloud, from his spot in the pit, began to cycle through nightmare after nightmare, each more bizarre and terrifying than the last. Many of them were recycled ones she'd caused him in the past, but this time, they were harder, colder and far more spiteful. Taking a deep breath, Iliria laid down on the floor, inside the circle and spread her arms out until her fingertips touched the sides. Iliria began to mutter in Iririan, same as she did in the past. She knew what worked before and wanted to simulate it once more, to have the same results, if possible.
Fox fought to control his shivering. The pit had grown unbearably frigid in the last half hour, and the pilot could only hope he'd be rescued before frostbite set in. His incredibly accurate night vision could barely make out the wisp of his hot breaths with each exhale. His back and shoulders were in stark agony, as well as where he'd taken the stitches from his stomach a while earlier. Fox shook his head violently as another insect crawled on his ear. He remembered this all from the first time he'd gone toe-to-toe with Iliria. Now it all made sense. Maybe the bugs weren't even there.
Paranoia began to set in. He wondered if Iliria was using insects to get a sample of his blood so that she could control him in ways he could not yet fathom. He wiggled, rapidly shaking his head to prove to himself that the insects were just a dream or representation of Iliria that may not have even existed. He remembered they were favorites of his situation in the first tunnel, a few years prior.
"Ugh!" His whimper echoed further down the shaft as the parasite held tight, found a vein to gorge itself on, and then invited a friend to join it.
Fox growled and tried to rid himself of the bugs, but to no avail. They began to swarm around him as he remembered from the past, creating a huge, repulsive cloud about him, biting and invading, sucking him dry. He could almost feel himself began to die…
Fox blinked. The pest had gone, leaving a small sore bump. "Stop!" His cry repeated itself in mocking tones until fading into silence.
He looked around, suddenly finding himself short of breath. What if the air was running out? What if he suffocated? Fox could feel his paws and feet beginning to freeze up, turning black and falling off as the cold spread throughout his body, slowly making it's way to the core of his-
"Stop it!" he told himself. "You're just getting nervous, calm down!" His eyes blinked and he gasped. He wasn't sure if he'd said the exact same words last time this happened, when he was 26, but it was happening again, now. His words, once more, reverberated off the cylinder shape of the tunnel, in two directions.
Fox struggled to breathe. The walls had begun to press against his chest; no wonder he couldn't get any breath, he was being crushed slowly and steadily. So that was what Iliria had in mind, she was going to kill him right now. He tried to tell himself that it was a trick before and it might be a trick again, but the feeling of asphyxiation seemed real enough.
The bugs came back.
McCloud twisted about in the chamber, beginning to utter a low moan at the back of his throat. He thought wildly about how Iliria and Fara would find him in the morning, or whenever they decided to come for him…. Chest crushed, riddled with frostbite, covered with insects, he could actually vision it…
The pilot let out a shout of frustration and forced himself to flee into the depths of unconsciousness, it made things easier two years ago in this same situation, he prayed for it to become his savior now.
He awoke in a small room, lit only by a few candles. Fox thought about speaking, but decided it would ruin the familiar feeling and peaceful silence. His ears were previously laid flat but lifted now. Soft sea-green orbs fluttered shut after a moment, trying to clear his mind. He lay with his eyes closed until a soft voice began to hum, laying a cool cloth over his head. McCloud looked over and saw his mother.
"...Mom?" It was happening again. But suddenly he couldn't remember what made this dream strange. He wanted to remember because knowledge was power and any power he could get would be power he would have to use against Iliria's old tricks.
She smiled. "Ssh, don't try to speak. Just lay still, Junior. I remember the last time you had a bump on your ear like that. I'll see if I can't find the lotion I used on it the first time," She told him. She always took care of him; he just couldn't remember it very well, because he was so young when it happened. Now he felt guilty that he couldn't remember her as well as he wanted to.
He let his eyes drift closed, then abruptly opened them again. "But how...you've been..."
"Dead?" She smiled. "Oh, dear, don't say that. We had this talk before, sweetheart. No one ever dies; they just wait for you until it's your turn to join them... Remember? This is the third time I've told you, my sweet little boy."
Fox suddenly remembered the phrase all over again, something he had repressed ever since his mother's death. He had lost faith in its validity and, being such a small kit, had had no problem in dismissing it from his mind. He had choked over the thoughts and that line, shortly after he sat in therapy rehabilitation since the first incident with Iliria. Memories of his parents rushed back, pushing aside his past worries and letting the ethereal plane swallow his heart and calm his nerves as he let Vixy sing softly to him.
Iliria watched the whole scene from her own mind, laying upon that pagan circle in her room, and slowly glided into Fox's subconscious mind. She stood beside Vixy who looked at her son lovingly, then touched the vixen's shoulder. Vixy glanced up and silently moved away while Iliria took her place. The Iririan whispered into his ear, warm breath brushing over his flesh and fur, giving him goose bumps. It was all so familiar and he couldn't determine as to the reason why.
"Fox, time to get up," She told him in the most maternal tone she could offer. That artificial sweet tone dripped over his senses like honey, causing a near sensory overload. His heart was pounding again.
Fox opened his eyes and looked up at her, his gaze growing wide and his body beginning to quiver in confusion and a deep fear that surged at his core. He struggled to control it before it controlled him. Upon locking his gaze with her own scarlet hues, the pilot gasped and sat up.
Iliria held his gaze as she'd done in this same twisted dream, 2 years ago. "Hello, I thought I'd drop in. I know how much your parents like visitors, especially now that you're home. I'm sorry to see that you're feeling under the weather, though. Is there anything I can do?"
"He just needs to relax, that's all. He gets like this when he's upset; remember the time you last came to visit?" Vixy smiled tenderly. "You've had a very rough experience, Fox. If you'd only learn to put the past behind you, you would be so much happier," his mother told him in a tender tone.
Fox couldn't see that Iliria was silently mouthing the words along with Vixy, causing her to speak them. Iliria's edict memory allowed her to recreate this same exact situation all over again. She knew what worked the first time, and that his therapy mixed with his own abilities to attempt blocking these memories, repressing them for the sake of his sanity. She relied on that fact, so that he wouldn't catch on to her ploy. Instead, it was a case of Déjà vu.
"Wha...what are you doing here," he finally managed to gasp, struggling with the confusing feeling of familiarity.
Vixy frowned. "Fox McCloud Junior! That's no way to talk to a friend; you did this before, Fox. Please, apologize."
"Friend?" He closed his paws, trying to think but couldn't manage a conscious thought in his dream-state slumber. She was doing it again. It felt like he really could remember being friends with his mother but the confusion, now, came from his inability to remember more details.
Iliria smiled again and the room dissolved into nothingness, leaving her and Fox standing alone in a blank atmosphere. A soft spotlight seemed to envelope Fox in its soft yet full illumination. The hare began to pace around him with a thoughtful frown.
Iliria folded her paws behind her back as she walked. "Fox, you seem to be having some trouble telling friends from enemies. Has this ever happened before?"
"I know who my enemies are, Dammit!" Fox snapped, struggling to contain his fear and anger. For some reason, he felt like a caged animal, even though there were no restraints holding him to the bed. Now that he looked down at it, it was beginning to resemble the sofa he spent time on, in front of that psychologist he'd spent so much time with, after the first time Iliria raped his mind.
"Am I an enemy?" She inquired as if she was politely scolding a child. "Is that why I was with your mother just now? Don't you remember last time I stood next to your mother? It was the same thing, Fox. I just came by because I was concerned for your wellbeing. Remember?"
"You-" Fox stopped, suddenly seeing how illogical that was. His mother never did wrong. She may have been wronged but her only wrong was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He struggled to remember what caused her death. The thought suddenly entered his mind as if someone fed it to him, 'She died on accident, in a car explosion. Accidents happen; it was just her time to begin waiting. Fox's time will come one day, as well.'
Iliria continued. "If your parents are your friends, and I was with your parents, wouldn't that mean that I was your friend?" Why did this question feel so familiar?
"N-no." His answer wasn't as firm as he'd have liked for it to be.
Iliria calmly repeated the statement until he gave the answer she wanted. Same as two years ago.
"Now, we know that I'm your friend. And Fara is my friend. What does that mean, Fox?"
"That- …Fara is my friend?"
"But you wouldn't attack a friend, would you? What would your parents think?"
Fox stood from the table, eyes wide. "But she attacked me…?"
Iliria should have seen that coming, but gracefully turned the situation around as quickly as it had begun. "No, sweetheart. She was protecting me. She's my friend! She thought you were attacking me. It was all a miscommunication," She explained, adding, "But we're all friends again, no one is attacking anybody. I'm here to help ensure that you both become married, happy and live together forever! Fara has invited me to become the maid of honor at your wedding, Fox."
"I thought I lost her," McCloud dejectedly mused.
"Trust in me, Fox." She leaned to kiss his forehead, in a motherly way then told him, "I've spoken to Fara. It, like the confusion you had about me and your mom, was just a misunderstanding. If you give me a chance to prove myself, I'll show you. Have faith in your friendship with me, Fox. I'll show you happiness at Fara's side."
"Fara and I will be happy together again? Do you promise?" Fox asked, almost in a child-like tone.
She nodded in reply, adding, "Only a true friend keeps their promises, Fox."
It was amazing how easily someone could come to trust her... Again.
A few hours later Fox was pulled out of the tunnel, through an almost invisible door just above the pipe-trap shaped curve in which he was resting, inverted. The guards that came in with Fara checked for any serious injuries and, finding only a low grade fever and some insect bites, they backed away and let Iliria through. Fara stood adjacent to her.
"Fox?" She said softly, leaning over him. "Fox, can you hear me?" Iliria asked him. Fara remained silent, stoic.
The pilot groaned softly, stirred, and focused his pale, jaded eyes upon her. They had a stare-down for a few moments before Fox smiled.
"Of course, mistress," he whispered. The confusion erased itself upon returning to the conscious world. Hearing his reply, a slight smile began to tug at the corner of Fara's muzzle, spreading into a Cheshire grin. It was just as her Mistress had predicted.
Fara moved besides Fox, putting her arms around him and kissed his lips, softly. Fox smiled brighter into the kiss; it was just as his Mistress had predicted. It was just as both vulpine pilots had been promised. After all, 'only a true friend keeps their promise,' right?
Now the only person that remained to be re-obtained was Andross Oikonni. The control felt so perfect. Iliria leaned back, letting Fara help the boy to his feet. She was jealous over their reformed union but for now, it was for the best. She wanted Fox to herself, but patience was required. It wouldn't be long before she could lure Andross back with the seductive smile of Vixy Reynard. And eventually, Fox would be hers again. After all, Fara now understood, there was a fine line between Vixy Reynard and Fara Phoenix. All she had to do was erase that line, then erase Fara Phoenix.
She smiled inwardly. Fox would soon belong to Iliria, completely. Mind, body and heart. The Hare just had to play her cards right. And nobody dealt the cards like Iliria. Nobody.
BTW:
Thanks, Destructor, even IF you're the only person reading this, I'll continue to update it just knowing at LEAST one person is reading it. However, after over 200 hits (total, so it's been like, 8-12 reads per chapter, with a few extra on chapter1,XD), I know at least a small handful of people are reading this story. So for you people, I'll continue until this story is finished!
-ken