Note: Man, it is hard to do rewrites when you have other stories up. It doesn't help if you do a rewrite when you haven't finished any of the others. But, I'm not going to give up on it, regardless of what goes on. In fact, I'm carrying on with every story. Before we move on, I want to say something to two reviewers.
Big Bossk Man 92: Calling a hyena a feline was a mistake on my part. I will not do something like that in my stories ever again. I might even look up what family or kingdom raccoons belong to sometime.
King Tutenfoxenkhamen III: To make a long story short, I deleted the chapters of the original story. I'm just rewriting the whole thing and making changes, such as removing some of Wolf's more ... questionable moments. As for your concerns about Krystal being outed as a vampire, you'll have to stay tuned for that. It make take a while for everyone else to find out. Also, Sauria doesn't play a role in the story. Sorry to spoil the surprise, though.
Now that I've said that, it's time for chapter two.
Chapter 2: Secrets Are Hard To Keep
When it was morning, Krystal woke up. Sitting up, the cobalt vixen put her hand to her neck. There was still pain from the bite Wolf had given her, though it had lessened to the point where it made her feel sore. The feline's heart wasn't beating, staying perfectly still in her body. Breathing into the air of her room, Krystal smelled it. Upon doing so, she retched, grabbing her neck.
Note to self: Don't do that! Krystal gave herself a mental note.
Before she could even get up, Krystal's telepathy detected someone approaching the door. To her relief, it was Peppy. The hare was dressed in his uniform, having gotten dressed before leaving his room. While the cobalt vixen was lucky that it was him and not Fox, Falco, or Slippy, she knew that her luck would change. Given how Peppy was the oldest, it was in his nature to act fatherly to his teammates. With that in mind, Krystal knew that he would immediately show concern to her. If her bad breath didn't give away what happened last night, then her lack of heartbeat would.
Once Peppy was at her door, Krystal got out of the way. She went into her closet, hoping to stay out of the hare's direct line of sight. In addition to that, the cobalt vixen decided to get her outfit out. Despite knowing that it wouldn't do much to help her survive the sun, the vulpine pulled out a black hoodie. The hoodie itself was a gift from Slippy, who bought it because it looked cool to him. Krystal couldn't help but smile, knowing that it would work perfectly. She even had an excuse for when Peppy asked her why she had it out.
"Krystal, are you in there?" Peppy's voice came through the door.
"Yeah, but I'm about to get changed!" Krystal stated.
"Are you decent?" The hare asked.
"You can come in!" The cobalt vixen said. "I'm not even naked!"
Krystal's door came open, with Peppy standing in the doorway. The hare looked around, finding no sign of the young woman. Seeing that, he became concerned. It wasn't like the cobalt vixen to hide from him. Krystal could sense his concerns, knowing that she was only worrying him. Feeling bad for trying to do so, she spoke up.
"I'm in my closet!" Krystal stated.
"Oh," Peppy spoke, "why?"
"I just need to get something!" The cobalt vixen said. "You can still come in!"
Peppy walked in, knowing that it was okay. However, something was still concerning him. Krystal usually woke up before anyone else, occasionally waking up the others. The hare couldn't help but think it was either due to her telepathy or the time she spent on Sauria, considering how her powers would often pick up someone near her. With that in mind, it seemed strange for the cobalt vixen to sleep much later than how she usually does. The vulpine was the youngest member of the team, after all, so she had more energy than anyone else. Hell, not even Falco had as much energy as she did.
"I can't wait to eat breakfast!" Krystal spoke. "That encounter from last night made me hungry!"
"Krystal," Peppy spoke, "can I ask you something?"
"Sure." The cobalt vixen said.
"Are you okay?" The hare said. "I mean, you slept in longer than anyone else."
"Well, trying to get away from that creep did sap me of my energy." The vulpine said. "Now that I have gotten enough rest, I can start the day!"
"But what about the wound you got on that mission? Doesn't it still hurt?" The lepus asked.
"I'm about to check on it! Now, please excuse me, I need to head to the bathroom!"
"Okay, take your time!"
Getting out of her closet, Krystal was dressed in her uniform. In addition to that, she was holding a black hoodie in her hands. Peppy was surprised to see the cobalt vixen holding it, as it would be a warm day down on Corneria. The hare was about to ask her about it, but he didn't. She was already out of the room, having left the door open for the lepus. He walked out of her room, closing the door behind him.
Kids these days! Peppy thought to himself. Hopefully, she takes it off before she can get heatstroke! Other than that, I'll let Krystal be herself!
Once she was in the bathroom, Krystal got out her toothbrush. Adding the toothpaste, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. By doing so, the cobalt vixen could see that it was somewhat transparent. In addition to that, there was a faint green glow around it.
Maybe my reflection didn't disappear because I'm only half-monster instead of being full-blooded? Krystal thought to herself. Other than that, the glow is something that intrigues me. I should hurry this along, I don't have all day!
Putting off her reflection, Krystal brushed her teeth, hoping the toothpaste would mask the bad breath she now had. Once she got done with that, the cobalt vixen applied deodorant to herself. She then relieved herself, wanting to go before she left on a mission. When she was done, the vulpine flushed and walked out of the bathroom. Her telepathy scanned for where the rest of the team was at, revealing that they were in the kitchen. Not wanting to worry her friends, Krystal went down the hallway, intent on joining them.
In the kitchen, Fox, Falco, and Slippy sat around the table, eating breakfast. As for Peppy, he was standing by the counter, drinking coffee and reading a message that he had received from General Pepper. Walking into the kitchen, Krystal saw her friends filling their bellies. On the table was eggs, bacon, pancakes, waffles and toast with two jars of jelly. There was even a plate ready for her, having being made by someone.
"Good morning, Krystal!" Fox greeted.
"Morning, guys!" Krystal said.
"How are you feeling?" Falco asked.
"Better, especially after last night!" The cobalt vixen said, trying to sound cheerful.
"Well, come have breakfast with us!" Slippy said. "We even made your plate for you, so that you didn't have to struggle to get it yourself!"
As much as Krystal wanted to argue with Slippy, she knew that she didn't have all day. If she didn't eat her food, her teammates would be worried. However, the cobalt vixen didn't feel hungry. Knowing that it was a side effect of her bite, the vulpine didn't want anyone to get suspicious. Of course, if the lack of appetite didn't give her away, it was only a matter of time until someone saw the bite on her neck. Krystal couldn't let that happen, even if she didn't like to lie.
Picking up her fork, Krystal began to eat her breakfast. Bite by bite, the food disappeared into the cobalt vixen's mouth, as she was eating rather fast. As she ate, she felt that sweet smell enter her nostrils. The vulpine wanted to ignore it, but she knew that covering her nose would draw suspicion, if not concern. She continued eating, doing her hardest to ignore the scent. Once her plate was empty, Krystal looked at her teammates, who looked a little surprised.
"You must've been hungry, K!" Slippy said.
"Well, yeah, I haven't eaten since last night." Krystal said.
"Do you want more?" Fox asked.
"No, I'm good." The cobalt vixen said. "Thanks for the food, guys!"
The team watched as Krystal got up from the table and walked out of kitchen. While Slippy was confused by her behavior, Fox and Peppy sat in concern. As for Falco, he was somewhat unnerved. Feeling that Krystal needed some time to herself, they decided to carry on. The cobalt vixen was more than likely sensing what they were thinking with her telepathy, so they tried to think about other things. Needless to say, it was hard.
Walking to her room, Krystal felt the sweet smell fade. The moment she had left the kitchen, the cobalt vixen could feel her stomach rumbling. Not only that, but her telepathy was picking up thoughts from Fox and the others. Not only were Fox and Peppy concerned, but Falco was freaked out. Slippy appeared to be confused, but his reaction wasn't as huge as the others.
So much for not worrying them! Krystal thought to herself.
Moments later, Falco heard someone moaning. As he was taking a nap, the noise startled him. The surprise turned to curiosity on the pheasant's part. As his room wasn't far from it, he figured that the moan was coming from the bathroom. However, Fox, Peppy, and Slippy were in the control room, so it wasn't coming from any of them. Knowing that, the avian came to the conclusion that the moaning was coming from a certain cobalt vixen.
"Of course, it's Krystal." Falco said to himself. "She's the only girl on this team."
Getting up from his bed, Falco decided to go see why Krystal was moaning. Approaching the bathroom, the pheasant saw that the door was open. The moaning was now joined with gagging and choking. Not only that, but there was a splatter. Alarmed, Falco wanted to look into the bathroom. Even if it meant disrespecting her personal space, the avian just wanted to see what was going on.
Peeking into the bathroom, Falco saw Krystal laying down, having her arm around her abdomen. Letting out a moan, the cobalt vixen clutched herself tighter. The toilet was on its flush cycle, which made it clear as to what she had done. Walking over to her, Falco held out his hand to her, helping her get up. The vulpine wiped sweat off of her forehead, her cheeks blushing red.
"Thanks." Krystal said.
"What's wrong, K?" Falco asked.
"I just had a little bellyache." The cobalt vixen said. "Eating breakfast wasn't a good idea on my part, but I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings."
Listening to what Krystal said, Falco felt something odd. It wasn't like her to get a bellyache out of nowhere. Compared to the rest of the team, the cobalt vixen rarely got sick. The pheasant even noticed that she sounded almost monotonous. The vulpine was lying, and it actually concerned the avian. Something was going on, but he wasn't sure what.
"Krystal, does this have something to do with what happened last night?" Falco asked.
Dammit! Why did he have to ask that?! Krystal thought to herself then spoke. "No, I just felt sick to my stomach."
"Look," the pheasant said, "if there's something bothering you, you can tell us. You're like a little sister to all of us, and none of us want to see you die."
"I know that," the cobalt vixen said, "but I'm not deathly ill. This is probably something that I'll get over later."
"Are you sure?" The avian asked.
"Yes." The vulpine stated. "Now, please leave, I have to clean up!"
Falco reluctantly walked out of the bathroom, leaving Krystal by herself. Sitting down on the couch, the pheasant let out a sigh, knowing that the cobalt vixen was still lying. While she wasn't being stubborn or rude, she was still avoiding questions about the night before. The avian was ready to ask her again, but he saw Peppy running out. He practically jumped out of the other room, being fast enough for no one to see him.
"Get ready, everyone!" Peppy spoke. "The city council is being held hostage by a gang of thugs, and they're requiring our assistance!"
Upon hearing that, Star Fox went out to their Arwings. Before doing so, they grabbed their blasters, along with a few other devices. Knowing that she would be in contact with the sun, Krystal pulled her hood over her face, covering all except her eyes. As the others left the Great Fox, the cobalt vixen followed them out. The team was above Corneria, so getting there was no problem.
I hope that I don't expose myself down there! Krystal thought to herself.
Note: Sorry for ending the chapter here, I just felt like the next one would be a better place to showcase the mission. Anyway, Falco seems to be the only one who's suspicious of Krystal, while the others are either freaked out or concerned. What will happen next? Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!
