Chapter 8 Broken Krystal

Underground Chamber-Lightfoot Village, Sauria, the Dinosaur Planet, 1245 Local Time

I aimed my sword point carefully at my target as my eyes tracked their movement, once they were in what I thought was the ideal position, I finally released a fireblast from the tip of my sword. Bullseye, the last piece of a Totem pole that I was sure was a puzzle that the Krazoa had put in place to stop any invaders for entering their shrine, clicked into place. As a direct result, a gate opened on the ground level of the chamber. Traveling down the tunnel revealed a familiar warp pad at the end as I couldn't help but smile in relief. Finally, I was going to find out why Krystal had never returned from this Shrine. Spreading my arms and closing my eyes, I felt myself being pulled away to somewhere else as I would normally with one of these pads.

Krazoa Shrine, Sauria, The Dinosaur Planet?, 1248 Local Time

When I arrived on the warp pad, there wasn't much to observe as at least to me, this Krazoa shrine looked a lot like the one that I found in Moon Mountain pass. I wonder if all the shrines look the same, just with different obstacles and tests. Never mind, it doesn't matter. The test is not technically what I'm here for.

"Krystal! Krystal! Can you hear me!?" I shouted.

No response. Closing my eyes, I decided to reach out with my telepathy instead, trying to relax as I focused. I reached out with my mind, and even my hand, looking for the presence that I had felt the brief moment before I felt the scream and pain that came with it. Nothing… flat out nothing… my face bent into a distressed grimace, was I too late? No! She had to be here! She had to be alive! Right? Guess there was truly only one way to find out, steeling my nerves, I opened my eyes and ran into the shrine, my desperation coming out in every step I took. She had to be ok… She had to… I couldn't be too late… Please… don't let me be too late…

Not again…

Krazoa Shrine, Sauria, The Dinosaur Planet?, 1253 Local Time

I had finally reached the inner sanctum of the Shrine with the Spirit waiting for me as I expected it would be. Almost without thinking, I drew my sword and ran to it, threatening the Krazoa Spirit much to its slight amusement and annoyance.

"Do you really think that blade will do anything to me, Fox Mccloud?" Its voice said.

"Where is she?" I said, voice dripping with venom.

"Fox?"

My anger instantly cooled as I looked to the bottom right corner to see the reason for me even being here. Her voice was tired and hoarse, making it barely usable and her entire body while at first glance looking fine with no cuts or bruises showed a fair level of beating and her movement was full of Fatigue.

I lowered my blade in shock, "Did… Did you do this somehow?" I asked the Krazoa Spirit.

"I suppose I both did and didn't. The Test of this Shrine is the Test of Fear, considered to be the hardest of the Tests and as you can see the most dangerous as she could not take being face to face with her own greatest fear." They said.

I think I understood what they meant by that, but this still begged further questions, "What exactly did you show her?"

"Did you not see for yourself Fox? See her planet be destroyed?", the Spirit said.

"I… didn't see it, but… I'm pretty I sure felt it…" I said.

"Then I believe you already know your answer." We both turned to Krystal who was shifting her position slowly, trying to get back up. Suddenly, her limbs seemed to lose all their strength as her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell limp.

My eyes widened, "KRYSTAL!"

I was about to run to her to see if she was ok, but the Krazoa Spirit stopped me, "Do not concern yourself Fox, she is not dead. I merely have put her in a deep sleep, her stubbornness almost made her walk and even try to take the test once more when she did not currently have the strength to do either. But as I was saying, she lost her home and her family. Her kind personality hides an injured mind and broken heart. Do you think you can relate?"

Searching my own memories, I recalled a moment that I would rather not remember, day in which I didn't know what exactly was wrong and it made it hard to pay attention to the lecture I was attending. That sense would only grow as my shoes echoed down the hallways of Corneria's flight academy on my way to the office. Peppy is there, as is the headmaster. They have bad news. Dad… isn't coming back.

I wiped a tear that formed off my face.

"I… I think so… but why are you the one telling me this? Why couldn't she?"

This angered the spirit a bit, "You felt her pain, and yet you judge her actions!?"

I slightly slumped at his answer, he had me there.

"So what do you want me to do?"

"A better question Fox is what do you want to do? It is obvious that you want to help Krystal, but what do you think will be the best way to do it?"

"I don't know, I came here because…"

"Because you heard her call for help."

I thought about my next question before I asked, "How did she get like she was?"

"She took the Test many times, her fear growing each time she did so… Her stubbornness made her unwilling to accept defeat, to seek healing and support before she returned but rather try to just try again with the same strategy. She was convinced she could do it herself, but every time it got worse even as she felt you were on your way and knew of her situation. Her fear and pain grew and grew until it eclipsed her telepathy. And when she felt truly alone… that was when she broke."

"Truly alone…?"

"Yes, even though she had lost touch with a lot of other beings before then, at that point she could no longer feel you."

"Why would she worry about feeling me?"

"Because you have a special mental connection to her Fox, one of which that you developed right when you met. How else would someone with such little practice with his telepathy such as you be able to hear a telepathic distress call from across the planet? You'll discover it for yourself someday. And when you do, well it will be hard to feel lonely ever again."

"So when she lost the feeling of the connection, the feeling of me, she felt truly alone."

"That is correct."

The Krazoa Spirit continued, "So now that you are here, what do you desire? Do you want to take the test in her place?"

Approaching Krystal with a little bit of caution, I knelt down and gently put my hand on her neck, yep there was still a pulse. I breathed a sigh of relief. Firmly and yet gently, I scooped up the unconscious vixen in my arms.

"That's not why I came here. She wants to try and do this particular test herself. Who am I to rob her of that? But how do I help someone who's lost everything?" I said.

"You will find that out when you need to, I assume this means that you want to leave with her?" The spirit mused.

"Yes," I said.

"So be it," it said.

With that, I felt myself being pulled away once more as I returned to the warp pad that first got me into this Shrine. With the Vixen that I finally was realizing my level of care for and had entered this shrine specifically to save in my arms.

Underground Chamber-Lightfoot Village, Sauria, the Dinosaur Planet, 1300 Local Time

And just like that, I was back in the chamber with Krystal still sound asleep as I carried her out of the tunnel in which the warp pad at the end of. As I continued to carry her, I noticed that she seemed to still be in pain or hurt from her visions. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her, wonder how I would be able to help… she's lost so much. I've only lost my father, my mother, and… someone else dear to me. Would that be enough to help her with her Trauma? For now, just getting her to a place that she can rest will have to be enough. Too bad the way down in and out of the lower chamber was only via a ladder. Climbing out would be challenge, especially with Krystal being unconscious, but maybe with a little bit of help…

"Kyte! Kyte can you hear me!?" I shouted.

"Fox!?" she answered.

"Stop! What are you doing!?" Sounded like the Chief didn't like Kyte approaching the Tribe's secret place. But the Cloudrunner was faster as she enthusiastically flew through the entrance and perched on the railing peering down into the lower level, only for her smile to completely drop when she saw the limp body in my arms.

"Krystal!" she screamed.

She flew down to the lower level just as the very angry Chief entered the door.

"Stop! Get out of there! This place is for only members of tribe!"

Kyte couldn't care less as she landed next to me and looked sorrowfully down at her friend.

"Is… Is she…?"

"She's still alive Kyte, she's just asleep, don't worry."

Kyte breathed a sigh of relief, but her sadness didn't dissipate.

"You there! Get your bird out of our secret chamber!" the chief said.

"Last time I checked, you said that this chamber was built by the Krazoa, and yet you claim it as your own!? As for my so-called bird, she's only here because I need to get my friend out of this chamber without waking her up as she desperately needs rest. If my friend and I are both truly members of the tribe, than I exhort you for both your patience and a place to rest, please. If you do that, then my "so-called bird" will leave and never re-enter this chamber."

Kyte seemed a bit annoyed at first that I was making deals for her, but seemed to quickly agree with my proposition, the Chief meanwhile needed some time to think about it.

"Very well, get her and the bird out of here and we will find you all a place to stay for the night." he finally said.

Though still not knowing the customs, I bowed my head in respect, hoping it would be interpreted as such.

Lightfoot Village, Sauria, the Dinosaur Planet, 1315 Local Time

The Chief had provided us an empty hut above the water similar to all the others, no beds and all, but for now it would do. Carrying Krystal bridal style into the structure once more after Kyte landed from carrying us both out of the chamber and across the swamp, I set her along the curved wall before collapsing on the side of the wall across from her in sudden exhaustion.

"Are you alright Fox?" Kyte asked.

"I'm fine." I said as I struggled to muster the strength in my legs to stand.

"Wrong answer Fox," Tricky (who had also been willingly carried up to the hut by Kyte) said, "You haven't slept since we went to Darkice mines, which I should remind you was almost 17 hours ago."

"Is that true!?" Kyte demanded.

I didn't know exactly how to answer, but it appeared that she got the message just fine.

"Shame on you!", Kyte scolded, "All you want right now is for Krystal to rest and yet you won't allow yourself to!?"

I couldn't deny that she had a point, maybe a small nap wouldn't kill me.

"Alright, but if she wakes up, be sure to wake me up."

Kyte nodded in understanding. I closed my eyes and just like that, out like a light.