Chapter 2: Memories Unchained
The white-furred wolf gasped, sucking in as much air as his lungs could hold. His lungs, not used to the amount of air, retorted with a stinging pain in his chest. The wolf didn't care. After all, it was his first real breath in...how long?
"Good morning, K." A sultry but synthesized voice verbalized from everywhere in the cramped stasis pod that he had was laying in. "How do you feel?"
"The same as when I feel asleep...except for a dry mouth." K replied sullenly.
"Pressurization procedure is complete. You are free to leave the pod."
K tried to lift his arms, but the soreness was a major discouragement. He tried again, and was successful in lifting the large metal lid. He sat up, stretching out the soreness. He then stood, and took a look around. The ship was still as pristine as he had left it.
"You've done a good job keeping the ship clean, Liola."
"Thanks you." She replied flatly. "K, we are about to enter the Lylat system."
"The Lylat system?" K rubbed his neck. "What are we doing here?"
"My scans identified a disabled Lylatian vessel. Designation: Great Fox."
"Any lifesigns?" K strolled over to the large leather command chair, and seated himself. The smooth leather was a comfort to him– a familiar sensation amidst a sea of confusion.
"One Lylatian...and one carrying traits of the Hate."
K froze, eyes wide with disbelief. The Hate...so it had come this far. Everything was starting to make more sense.
"Liola...is this why you awakened me?"
"Yes K. The proof is undeniable...the Lylat system has been touched by the Hate."
"How long have I been asleep?"
"Two hundred, thirty eight years."
K's eyes narrowed. Over two hundred years since his last encounter with the Hate. Thanks to them, it had been two hundred years worth of nightmares. Nightmares that he had to bear, unable to awaken from them. Two hundred years without...her...
He shook off the painful thoughts. Now was not a time to mourn for what he had lost. He. chose to go into stasis– to wait until his chance to exact revenge against the Hate. This time, it was his turn to attack.
"Full speed ahead." He commanded the computer. "I'd like to see this ship for myself."
K's vessel was sleek and powerful, shaped much like an elongated eagle's beak Along the back of the ship ran a series of fins which serrated into even more fins. The engines were covered by sharp triangular flaps. Therefore, the ship know as the Great Fox was a big disappointment to K. He had envisioned a ship even sleeker and more impressive than his own, possibly toting powerful technological advancements in weapons and speed. Instead, he found a vessel that resembled a pregnant albatross.
"Liola, use the gravity beam to push apart the bay doors."
"Affirmative, K."
A gray pulsing light shone from the underbelly of K's ship, pushing the bay doors up and apart. The ship then entered the open doors, four white pulses of energy slowly lowering the craft down to the hangar floor. A panel on the ship slid back, and K leapt down. The hangar was dark and cold, and K shivered. He hadn't thought of keeping any clothes to wear after he had awakened. He noticed a uniform lying on the ground, and took the pants from it. They were a decent fit. K walked cautiously to the nearby door, and examined the access panel. The power was still flowing to it, but the design was foreign to him. That wouldn't stop K, though. Closing his eyes. He clapped his hands together, then slowly pulled them apart, his brow furrowed in deep concentration. The door, in response, slowly forced itself open. K slipped through, and examined the corridor.
On the left wall, two chambers held two sets of bunk beds. K noticed that only one had ruffled sheets, while the rest were neatly pressed. On the right was a door labeled "Infirmary."
K neared the door and used the same tactic to open it as he had the last one. He stepped in, and the door closed. He could taste the taint of the Hate in the air– it was right in front of him.
It was then that he saw her. A slender, blue fox in a cylindrical chamber not unlike the one he had awoken from. Her arms were draped gently over her supple frame, her legs laying limp. Her face, however, showed great pain and fear, her lips trembling as tears fell from her eyes. K took a step forward, but suddenly covered his head. There was a bright flash, and a swirl of colors. When K opened his eyes, there was nothing he could say. The infirmary was the same, but the blue fox was gone, replaced by a beautiful golden vixen with long flowing hair. K approached the chamber, and her head turned to him. She opened her eyes, and K fell to his knees. He had expected bright blue eyes, but the eyes that met his gaze were totally black. The woman smiled at him, but when she opened her mouth to speak she screamed, blasphemies and pleas filling the room. K tried to cover his ears, but one voice broke through his mental defenses.
Murderer! You've killed us all! Murderer!
K reached out to touch the glass, and the woman lifted her hand to meet his.
"Hold it right there!"
When K snapped back to reality, he was standing over the chamber holding the blue vulpine. On the glass were drops of water– his tears.
"Who are you? What are you doing to Krystal?"
Krystal: So that was her name. Such a pleasant looking girl, hurt by the taint of the Hate. The speaker must be her bodyguard.
"I said, who are you?"
K turned to a rabbit holding a blaster straight at his face. He was old, wrinkles showing his age and experience. His uniform was torn in some areas, but he still wore it proudly.
"You must be the Lylatian." K's voice trembled as he wiped the tears from his eyes. He cleared his voice and continued. "My name is K. You must be the pilot of this ship."
"That's right. Peppy O'Hare, commander of the Starfox team."
"Team?" K raised an eyebrow. "My scans showed only you and the girl."
"We've...disbanded." Peppy sighed, his pistol still aimed at K.
"I see...Peppy, I know I've invaded your sanctum. I am trespasser and a stranger in your realm. To you, I could very well have been planning to tamper with her stasis pod. Even so, I'm not your enemy."
"Prove it." Peppy replied.
K looked back at the girl. "How long has she been unconscious?"
"She doesn't have anything to do with this."
"She might, if my hunch is correct." K sighed, understanding Peppy's frustration all to well. "Listen, all I want is information. If I'm wrong, I leave. It's that simple."
After some thought, Peppy lowered the pistol.
"She fell into that coma five years ago. We were on a reconnaissance mission to learn more about a black planet that blotted out the night sky. We– "
"–You sent someone to the surface. They discovered a huge cathedral with crimson runes and ebony chapels. You lost contact when they went in. A few minutes later, the planet opened, and an armada flew out. You fought the first wave off, but then the planet hit you with a laser cannon. Am I right?"
"How'd you know that?" Peppy set his sights on K again.
"An educated guess, flavored with a hint of experience. How did she get back onto this ship?"
"We found her drifting in one of our ships...our leader's ship..." Peppy hung his head in sorrowful remembrance.
"Your leader didn't return?"
"No...we never found him."
"That answers some of my questions..."
"What?" Peppy raised his head, shooting a confused look at K.
"Please, don't ask how I know this...you wouldn't like the answer...but your leader is alive. However–"
"He's alive!" Peppy shouted the question more than he asked it.
"However...he has been possessed by the Hate, an ancient evil that has existed for at least a millennia. Don't ask me how I know about the Hate– you wouldn't like the answer to that either." K raised a hand as Peppy prepared to ask a slew of questions. Eventually, Peppy settled with the most vital question:
"You said there was hope. What did you mean?"
"While the Hate is a parasitic being, it is also a very intelligent one. Weak-minded creatures merely touched by it are instantly and completely under its control. Individuals with stronger wills have a slight chance of fighting against it." K stood pondering, outlining Krystal in his mind. "Your leader...did he love her."
"Yes, very much."
"Love is a very powerful bond...a bond not very easily broken by the Hate. It may have given him the last boost of willpower to give her a chance to escape."
"If she escaped, then why is she unconscious?"
"I'm not sure, but I do know one thing– if the Hate is somehow defeated, its hold on her will be broken. She will be herself again."
"Really? Then we should–" Suddenly, the Great Fox rocked back and forth, Peppy and K desperately trying to keep balance.
"K," Liola's voice blared over the ship's comm system. "I've patched into the Great Fox's comm-link."
"What wrong's, Liola?"
"K, I'm picking up several Hate signatures...they are invading the Great Fox."
"What could they want?" Peppy brought his pistol to bear at the door.
"They're after the girl." K replied. His worst fears had been realized
"Then we have to stop them!" Peppy rushed towards the door, but K grabbed his shoulder.
"No, Peppy. Stay here."
"But–"
"Have you ever seen someone tainted by the Hate?"
"No, but–"
"Then you can't possibly fight them effectively." K patted the hare's shoulder. "I know you want to protect her. Believe me or not, I do too. You have to trust that I want what's best for her, and for us."
"I do...I'm not sure why, but I do." Peppy said, exasperated. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Guard her with your life." K answered as he ran into the corridor.
As soon as he entered the hallway, he saw them. Various shadowy humanoid forms marched towards him, their rust red armor clanging as they approached. One of them raised a rifle and fired, but K sidestepped just in time. In retaliation, K thrust his hand forward, and the first row of the Hate flew backwards. This bought enough time for K to rush them, his right arm reared back to strike. What happened next was a blur of fists, feet and telepathic force. Peppy peeked out from the doorway, but quickly ducked back in as a body flew through the air past him. Peeking out again, he saw the whirlwind of righteous fury that just a few moments ago had been a diligent and reliable young fox. What kind of secrets could turn such a bright young man into a veritable death god, every strike brutally ripping through both armor and flesh? It was then that Peppy's thoughts were confirmed– K was not an average soldier.
After K had disposed of the troops, he raced to the next hallway. More troops came his way, and he took them out with the same deadly efficiency. Another soldier ran out of a doorway, swinging a twisted red sword at K. The white lupine dodged, sweeping low with a kick, knocking the soldier flat. He then ran through the mess hall and the living quarters before reaching an elevator. Upon entering the elevator, two more warriors feel through the ceiling. One swung with his mace, another with chains. K ducked, then grabbed the chains. He yanked, bringing the one soldier into the blunt of the mace. He then took out the second fighter with a well placed uppercut.
While K was cleansing the ship of the taint, Peppy ran into the mess hall and pried open a wall panel, revealing a secret crawl space. Suddenly, he heard something behind. Quickly, he sprang out of the way of a Hate soldier wielding a large axe. Peppy pulled his pistol and fired, and was amazed as the laser whizzed clean through the creature without injuring it at all. The soldier swung wide, knocking a few tables aside but completely missing Peppy. ------ The body slumped to the floor and- much to Peppy's amazement- slowly melted into shadowy wisps, leaving just the armor. Not wasting time in order to further investigate the phenomenon, Peppy entered the crawl space, and headed to the control room.
K exited the elevator, evading a charging pikeman before delivering a devastating gut-punch. The bridge was just ahead, but before K could take another step a monstrous form crashed through the plating of the wall, clawing at him. K rolled out of the way, deftly landing on his feet. He wasn't prepared for such a show of force– it seemed the Hate had a few new weapons at their disposal since his last encounter with them. The monster slammed his fist into the floor, the impact of the blow knocking K away. He skidded across the floor, slamming into a console. As K shook his head, the terror stomped towards him, shaking the floor under them. The hulk raised it's arms, and swung down hard– but not hard enough to break through K's force shield. K couldn't keep the shield up for long, though. The force exerted by the monstrosity was intense, and it was slowly cracking through his defenses. K searched his mind, digging into his subconscious in order to find the strength to keep the barrier up.
Just before the barrier shattered, the beast stumbled forward, breaking the deadlock. Between the legs of the monster, K saw Peppy standing in front of the elevator, carrying a shoulder mounted electron launcher.
"Picked it up on the way past the armory. Thought it might help."
The monster turned, and K sprang into action. Flipping to his feet, K jumped onto the beast. Focusing his mental powers into his hand, K leaned back, then slammed his empowered fist into the back of the terror's head. The creature exploded into a cloud of shadow, and dissipated into nothingness.
"Glad you could make it." K grinned at Peppy. "Thanks."
"No thanks necessary." Peppy grinned back. "Say...what are those things?"
"They are what's left of a person that dies at the hands of the Hate. Their soul is trapped, and infused with the Hate's own malice. I call them Darklings."
"A lot of them had swords and spears, but others had rifles."
"A Darkling uses the weapon it had before it's death. If some of the soldiers
"I used my telekinetic powers to make a field of mental force around me. I swing, and the field does the damage."
"That's another thing I've been meaning to ask you–" Peppy started.
"And that is a story for another time." K replied.
Peppy shrugged in acceptance, then hurried over to the comm.
"What are you doing?" K inquired.
"Calling in back-up." Peppy answered, newfound vigor in his voice. "Once the guys hear Fox is still alive, they'll gladly help us."