Note: As the year approaches its end, it makes me realize how much I could've done before then. I mean, I have several story ideas I wanted to do, but never got around to doing them. Maybe I'll work on them next year. Before we move on to the story, I have something to say to three reviewers.

Big Bossk Man 92: Krystal can rebel, but it might not end well for her. Given how Wolf turned her, he might have the power to destroy her for just one single thing. As for Star Wolf, they're not supposed to be like that. If anything, they're supposed to be like Dracula and his army. Stay tuned for what happens next.

Ron: Actually, no, I never thought of doing a zombie-themed story. If anything, I plan on doing whatever I have planned. A request couldn't hurt, though. I hope that you like this chapter.

The White Wolf named Alex: It's hard to root against your favorite character, I get that. However, I hope that you like this chapter, because it might surprise you. Stay tuned!

Now that I've done that, it's time for chapter nine.

Chapter 9: Truth and Rebellion

At Sargasso Space Station, Wolf was overlooking the corpses that his team had brought from Corneria. Each one had holes in their neck, having been completely drained of their blood. However, some had claw marks on certain areas of their bodies, looking like they were killed by a rabid, wild animal. They were Leon's victims, as the chameleon was brutal when it came to feeding on a poor sod who approached him. Panther's victims were usually hypnotized into a state of bliss, so they all had smiles on their faces, looking like they were having a pleasant dream. Wolf often made it quick when it came to feeding on his victims, either ambushing them on the street or sinking his fangs into them as they slept.

Looking away from the corpses, Wolf went over to a workbench that Leon had installed for further use. Above it was a small vial of violet fluid that was being held by a metal ring. Below the vial was a plaque that said "SW-42 Formula". The vial itself was almost empty, as if it had been in use before. On the workbench was a needle gun that was mainly used for surgeries or vaccinations, but had been modified for experimentation. There was a small stain on the tip of the needle, which had shown that the device had been in use.

Grabbing the needle gun and looking below the workbench, Wolf found a small notebook. He opened it up, deciding to read its contents. Inside was the formula for the SW-42 substance, with notes detailing the experiments performed with it. For the first test, Star Wolf decided to inject one of the ruffians who hung around Sargasso, intent on seeing the results. Unfortunately, it caused him to turn into a violent creature with a thirst of blood. After killing one of their underlings, the team found that if whoever was injected with SW-42 was unable to handle it, then they would become a mindless beast. It was immediately decided that the next test subject would be someone who was more responsible.

Wolf was the second test subject for SW-42, as no one else was willing to let Leon inject them. After taking the shot, the one-eyed lupine was found to have no heartbeat, but became immortal and powerful. Leon and Panther used the needle gun next, undergoing the same transformation that their leader went through. Once they were done, the three found themselves with a strange hunger for blood. By sinking their teeth into ruffians, they found that there were two different outcomes to doing so. Whenever Star Wolf's victims were bit, they would either be drained of their blood or turned to the same creature as them.

Putting the notebook on the desk, Wolf walked to the docking bay, where Leon was waiting for him. The chameleon was overlooking the Wolfens, watching a mechanic work on them. As for the Wolfens, they were undergoing a technological upgrade to make them more suited for the team. Not only were the cockpits getting darker glass for protection against the sun, but the wings were being changed. With their vampirism in mind, Star Wolf had told the mechanic to make the wings similar to the wings of a bat. In addition to the redesigned Wolfens looking like bats, they were also expected to have better armor and speed.

"How much longer will it be?" Wolf asked.

"Just a few more minutes, by the looks of things." Leon said.

"At least we managed to find a mechanic who was willing to do this for us." The one-eyed lupine said.

"Shall we turn him next?" The chameleon asked.

"We don't need to." He said. "There's not much else he could do for us."

Wolf and Leon then walked out of the docking bay, deciding to continue their conversation elsewhere. The two wound up in the coffin room, where Panther was resting. Behind his were two more coffins, which weren't Wolf's and Leon's. Rather, they were two individuals who were injected with SW-42 instead of being bitten. Unlike Star Wolf, however, they weren't as powerful. Despite that, the team believed that their powers would only increase as time went on, so it didn't concern them in the very least.

"Shall we create a coffin for the Cerinian?" Leon asked.

"Not yet," Wolf said, "we must wait until the right moment."

"And when would that be?" The chameleon asked.

"When we encounter her again." The one-eyed lupine said. "But, we would have to convince her to join us."

"Hopefully, McCloud would be blindsided by us during our next encounter with his team." The reptile said.

"Yeah, then we can make the girl feed on him." The vampiric wolf said, eager for such a thing to happen.

"That would be amusing, watching that punk die at the hands of the girl he loved!"

"Indeed it would!"

After laughing cruelly, Leon went to his coffin and climbed in, deciding to rest for the time being. When that happened, Wolf walked out of the room and looked at his hand. The one-eyed lupine was imagining how the next encounter he would have with Star Fox would go. He imagined that it would begin with him attacking both Slippy and Peppy, draining them of their blood. Then, he would move onto Falco, killing him as quickly as he could. As for Fox, Wolf would use his powers to compel Krystal into killing him or turning him. He let out a dry chuckle, hoping to finally kill the team that had been a thorn in his side, and keep Krystal underneath his control.

You've been around long enough, Star Fox. Wolf thought to himself. Once I see you again, I'll only spare your new member, but only because you don't know what I have really done to her. I hope that you're to die by my hand, all in front of the girl!


Meanwhile at the Great Fox, Krystal was laying in her bed, trying to get some rest. However, the cobalt vixen's body didn't need it, due to her being undead. As such, she only lie down, looking up at the ceiling. Time went by, with the hours slowly transitioning into each other. With her stomach grumbling, the Cerinian vampire felt the urge to drink blood come back. Her mind flared up, becoming desperate for her to give into her bloodlust and kill someone for food.

Getting up from her bed, Krystal saw that it would be a while before morning came. With that in mind, she decided to wait until then. The cobalt vixen went to her closet, deciding to look for something else to wear for protection from the sun. Her hoodie was in the washer, so she couldn't wear it for the time being. Finding a rain jacket, the vulpine threw it onto her bed, quietly enough so that she didn't wake anyone up. Before closing her closet, she grabbed a pair of sunglasses that would protect her eyes from the sun.

An hour passed and Krystal knew that morning was on the horizon. Knowing that her teammates would wake up at any moment, the cobalt vixen lie back down on her bed, so that she could look like she had fallen back asleep. She knew that it wouldn't fool anyone, but her mind was telling her to do what she had to. The Cerinian vampire closed her eyes, finding it painful to keep her eyes open for much longer. Her telepathy signaled that Peppy was approaching her room, so she knew that she was okay. The hare knocked on her door, trying to get a response from her.

"Krystal, are you up?" Peppy spoke.

"Yes," Krystal said, "but give me a moment to get dressed."

Getting out her uniform, Krystal put it on, adding deodorant to herself beforehand. After that, she put on the jacket and sunglasses, donning the armor that would protect her from the sun. With everything on, the cobalt vixen signaled that it was okay for Peppy to enter. Upon opening the door, the hare was surprised to see her wearing what she was. To him, the Cerinian looked like she was heading somewhere incognito, despite wearing her uniform. It was puzzling, but the lepus just assumed that Krystal was still going through the phase she was in.

"I just figured that I would dress up for the day." Krystal spoke.

"I understand the glasses, but why the jacket?" Peppy asked.

"It might rain later." The cobalt vixen said. "You can't always be too careful when it comes to the weather."

"Definitely not." The hare said.

"I'll join you guys in a moment, I have to do something." The vulpine said.

Peppy walked out of the room, going down the hallway. When he was gone, Krystal looked at her hands for a moment. The cobalt vixen's fingernails were a bit longer, but she chose not to trim them until later. Even if it gave her vampirism away, she figured that it didn't make a difference. Knowing that she couldn't keep it a secret for much longer, the Cerinian was eager to tell her teammates what she was now. She was only hoping that they would listen to her, even if she was one of the creatures that was plaguing the Lylat system at the moment.

Walking out of her room, Krystal decided to head to the kitchen. Once she got there, she saw the guys sitting at the table, eating their breakfast. They were eating eggs, bacon, toast, and hash browns, so there wasn't a lot of options. Krystal went to get a jar of the jellied blood out of the fridge, wanting to put it on her toast. As she sat down, the cobalt vixen could sense that Falco was hesitant to be near her. He was, after all, the only one who knew that she was a vampire.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Falco asked.

"Better." Krystal said.

"That's great to hear, Krystal!" Fox said. "A little bit of sleep helps sick people get better."

"Sleep never helps me when I'm sick." Slippy said.

"That's because you're always up coughing and wheezing!" Falco said.

"Or vomiting!" Peppy added.

"So I don't always take medicine when I'm sick, but who does?" Slippy asked.

"People who want to get better, buddy!" Fox said.

Krystal couldn't help but chuckle at hearing her teammates argue. The cobalt vixen continued eating, anticipating for when she would tell them that she was a vampire. Even if Falco already knew, then at least Fox, Peppy, and Slippy would too. She figured that it would probably end with her getting staked in the heart, but she didn't want to just yet. If possible, the Cerinian wanted to reveal just who it was who turned her into a creature of the night.

"Now that I think about it, do you guys think that Mr. Helsing and Fara will find a vampire today?" Slippy asked.

"They'll have to wait until night." Fox said. "Knowing how they are, vampires can't survive in sunlight, only in darkness."

"Let's not forget that they can't come into your house unless you invite them," Falco spoke, "they are weak to holy water and crosses, they hate garlic, and they can turn into bats."

"Even if we encounter one, our technology is more than enough to kill such a creature!" Peppy said. "Before they can even bite us, we will have turned them into Swiss cheese!"

"Or ash, depending on how they die!" Slippy said.

"If you've watched multiple vampire movies like I have, then you would know that vampires always explode when they are killed." Falco said. "With that in mind, there'll be nothing left of a bloodsucker when we kill one!"

"Unless the bloodsucker in-question is far more powerful than how you expected them to be." Krystal spoke up.

The guys turned their attention to Krystal.

"What do you mean by that?" Peppy asked.

"I'm saying that vampires are different in terms of power." The cobalt vixen said. "For instance, if you fought and killed a half-vampire with ice powers, then there's a chance you would also fight a full vampire with control over the air itself."

"That's actually not unlikely, given how vampires have been portrayed with magical powers in certain films." Fox said.

"Alright, Krystal, why are you telling us this stuff?" Falco asked.

"That's because I'm one of them!" The Cerinian said.

Once they heard that, Fox and Slippy were shocked. Peppy gasped, horrified to know that he was in the proximity of a vampire. Falco didn't try to look surprised, having known since yesterday. While her teammates were speechless, Krystal bravely stood.

"I can't believe it!" Slippy cried.

"You're a monster now?" Peppy asked, sitting in utter disbelief.

"Krystal ..." Fox spoke.

"I kinda knew that you were a bloodsucker." Falco said.

"I sensed that you had figured it out, Falco." Krystal said. "But, you guys have nothing to worry about! I'm not the one who was responsible for those murders, nor am I willing to kill you guys to feed myself."

"Yeah," the pheasant said, "but what about Mr. Helsing? How will he react to you being a vampire?"

"If I get staked in the heart, so be it." The cobalt vixen said. "At least the vampires would lose another member of their army."

Star Fox looked at each other for a moment. The fact that Krystal was a vampire was something that shocked them, but now they were caught in a conundrum. Not only was the cobalt vixen willing to die for the team, but none of them knew who had turned her into a vampire. While Peppy and Slippy didn't know who had done so, Fox and Falco had a good idea who it was. They didn't want to admit it, but it was true. However, the team had a feeling that they wouldn't know until they encountered that person again.

Fox carefully approached Krystal, looking her in the eyes. Despite the cobalt vixen claiming that she wouldn't kill her teammates, they knew that they couldn't be too careful around her. Falco in particular was on the edge of his seat, anticipating what would happen next. The pheasant felt like getting his blaster out, but Peppy was quick to stop him. He gestured for the avian to stay back, not wanting a fight to break out. They watched as Fox sat down next to Krystal, being as careful as he could.

"Krystal," Fox spoke, "you don't have to die to protect us. When it comes to being a half-vampire, there's always a way out of it."

"By that, he means killing the head vampire." Falco said.

"That's pretty much the only way to turn all half-vampires back to normal." Krystal stated.

"Considering how you became a vampire, do you know who the head vampire is?" Slippy asked.

It's kind of an obvious answer, guys! Falco thought to himself.

Without warning, the alarm rang out. Knowing that General Pepper was trying to contact them, Star Fox went to the control deck, eager to see what was wrong. As she went down there with her teammates, Krystal's telepathy was ringing in her head. Something was on Corneria, and it sent a chill down her spine. The cobalt vixen also had a fire within her, knowing what was really on Corneria.

"Star Fox, are you there?" General Pepper spoke.

"What's the word, General?" Fox asked.

"It's Star Wolf!" The hound dog said. "They are staging an attack on Corneria, and they have modified ships!"

"Modified ships?" Slippy asked.

"It ain't nothing that we can't handle, Pepper!" Falco said. "We'll be there as quick as we can!"

"Yeah, and we'll kill them all!" Krystal spoke, her voice sounding almost like a growl.

"Uh, okay." Pepper said, somewhat taken aback by the tone in the vixen's voice. "Come as quick as you can, Star Fox, because we have no idea what Star Wolf is planning!"

"Don't worry, we'll be there soon!" Peppy said.

Once the call had ended, Star Fox went to the docking bay, eager to get into their Arwings. Slippy and Peppy went first, feeling that they had no time to lose. Falco climbed into his Arwing, carrying a duffle bag. Before Fox could ask his teammate what was in the bag, he felt someone nudge his shoulder. It was Krystal, who looked determined to get down to Corneria as quick as possible (though Fox couldn't tell). As soon as the cobalt vixen entered her ship, Fox climbed into his, getting it ready for the mission.

Flying out of the Great Fox, Star Fox set a course for Corneria. The team were desperate to find where Star Wolf was at, given how General Pepper hadn't shown them where the space pirates were. However, as if on instinct, Krystal flew away from the team and went towards a different part of Corneria. Surprised, Fox had the others follow her, just to be safe. While the orange tod didn't doubt the cobalt vixen's telepathy, something had unnerved him. It seemed as if her newfound vampirism had increased her powers.

With her Arwing aiming towards Corneria, Krystal's eyes narrowed. Her telepathy was picking up Star Wolf's location, and they were close. The cobalt vixen desired to kill them for the victims they had drained. At that point, she had one thing in mind: revenge.

I hope that you can hear this, Wolf! Krystal used her telepathy. Don't think that I'm going to show you any mercy! I'm going to take you down not for what you did to me, not for the encounters you've had with us in the past, not for the insults, but for the innocent victims that you have fed on!

Note: It seems that Star Fox is about to do battle with Star Wolf now. Will they succeed in this mission, or will their newly vampiric rivals defeat them? Will Krystal fight Wolf? Will the team be able to help her? How will Orlando and Fara react to hearing that she's a vampire? Will they accept the cobalt vixen as an ally, or stake her in the heart?

Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!