Relishing in their triumph over the SharpClaw, Fox and Krystal left the Power Room and as soon as they left, Fox briefly noticed someone on the other side of the courtyard. Fox took out his Hi-Def Display Device and zoomed in on it. He quickly identified who it was. "It's Gradabug! He made it! Come on, Krystal!" They quickly dashed to the other side of the courtyard to meet up with Gradabug.

Krystal, with Fox right behind her, finally reached Gradabug on the other side of the courtyard. "Gradabug! I'm so glad you made it!'

"I knew you two could do it, Krystal. And I take it you have already introduced me to him, I see?"

Krystal nodded. "I have."

"But now, you two must rescue the queen. She has been imprisoned in her own royal chamber as an example to the rest of the tribe. Only she could help you find the SpellStone. The wind lifts will lead you to the Sky Dock. You'll be able to access the Queen's chamber from there."

"Okay. Thanks, Gradabug. Let's go, Fox. We've got a queen to rescue."

"Right with you, Krystal. You know, I think the area where I found the Blue Light Gem had a wind lift. Maybe we should start there."

"Then, let's!" The vulpine duo dashed to the room where Fox found the Blue Light Gem. The two stepped into the wind turbine and the wind quickly sent them soaring up to the second floor. They floated downward to solid ground and landed in a hallway leading outside.

A trio of SharpClaws from the other side of the hall charged at Fox and Krystal. The two vulpines drew their staffs and prepared for the attack. They rapidly shot Fire Blasts at the two SharpClaw at the front. The attack was effective on the soldiers at first, but then they started blocking the blasts with their clubs before continuing their advance. Krystal drew her staff back and charged up energy in her staff for an uppercut. As soon as the SharpClaw got close to her, she released the energy and knocked the soldier into the air, and then smacked it downward back to the ground before she could fall back down again, and when she did fall back down again, landed feet first on the SharpClaw's back and thrusted the tail-end of her staff into it, causing the creature to scream in pain, then shot an Ice Blast into the third SharpClaw behind the first two, freezing it solid and shattering him with a single strike. Meanwhile. Fox hit the SharpClaw charging at him with a barrage of strikes until the enemy finally collapsed. With all three of the enemy soldiers dead, Fox and Krystal walked through the hallway.

When they got to the end of the hallway, Fox noticed a strange contraption right in front of a closed gate that they needed to get through. Fox looked down at the contraption and the markings on it looked like the feet of a SharpClaw. Plus, the markings had an orange glow to them, indicating that it was a mechanism that requires a SharpClaw to step into it. He activated his SharpClaw disguise and stepped into the device, opening the gate. As soon as the gate fully opened, Fox deactivated his disguise and he and Krystal walked through the gate to the dock area.

"So, Krystal, you mind telling me more about the Crimson Sun?"

"For the most part, the Crimson Sun was a peaceful tribe, only going to war whenever either it was in danger, or when it sensed another tribe in danger. Though we took pride in being warriors, we did what we could to preserve peace and wouldn't make rash actions out of selfishness. Even in times of peace, we did everything within our power to support the smaller tribes that we protected. Whenever a smaller tribe was facing famine, we would try to help to improve their crops. Also, most of the smaller tribes we helped out did have warriors of their own, and they do what they could do fight back, but they don't have as much experience in battle as we do, and their weapons aren't as helpful in combat. Plus, the Crimson Sun had far more warriors in their fighting force, and there's one special trick we pulled off to expand it even more."

"Wow! Um… how did you do that?"

"Most of the other tribes we encountered, both most of the ally tribes we protected and joined with and, with a few exceptions, most of the enemy tribes that we battled, only allowed men to become warriors and only allowing women to take sideline roles. The Crimson Sun, on the other hand, just let anyone of either gender become a warrior. So a lot of tribes were incredibly shocked to see most of the women in our tribe in combat. They were astonished that any tribe could allow their women to take up weapons and send them charging into battle. What surprised them even more was that the female warriors were not only trained for battle, they excelled at it, more so than the warriors in their own tribe."

"Incredible! Teach a woman to fight and you'd be surprised at how strong she could be. Though, the SharpClaw soldiers were pathetically weak anyway."

"Though I have battled a lot of large, terrifying beasts in the past. You should see me battle a RedEye. I think you might find it pretty sexy."

Fox blushed intensely. Krystal chuckled before continuing, "Anyway, these tattoo rings around my upper arms represent my status as a warrior. Most of our warriors have tattoos of this pattern of two brackets around a small dot. They represent ascendence into becoming a strong warrior. Once we pass through training, we have these tattoos around our arms to celebrate our strength."

"But what about that tattoo that's…" Fox stammered in embarrassment.

"...slightly above my butt? Oh, I just thought it would be sexy."

"Okay."

Krystal took a quick glance around the docking area. She quickly spotted what appeared to be something flying about. She tried to get a closer look. "A CloudRunner?" She dashed toward the platform with Fox, following her. As soon as they ran to the platform, they noticed yet another SharpClaw soldier. The SharpClaw charged at them, but Krystal quickly dispatched him before he could get the chance to strike. The SharpClaw was vanquished in the blink of an eye.

As soon as Fox and Krystal got to the platform, the CloudRunner flew down towards them and knelt down towards the two vulpines. "Thank you so much, Krystal. And, uh…" she took a quick glance at Fox.

"Telica, this is Fox McCloud. He's from a nearby planet called Corneria."

"Well, thank you too, Fox. I'm so glad Krystal isn't alone in this battle."

Fox replied, "I heard of what's going on here, so I came by to help you guys out."

"Please. You have to save our mother. She…

"We're on our way to rescue her as we speak."

Krystal added, "I would like you to accompany us while we find her. I want to keep you safe."

"But my brothers and sisters are in danger! We have to save them too!"

Fox said, "We will. Don't worry. Just follow us."

The CloudRunner followed the two vulpines as they passed through one of the rooms on the other side of the docking area. When they walked into the room, they climbed up the ladder leading to a scaffolding close to a window. The foxes and the CloudRunner walked along the scaffolding and jumped across the gap leading to a door on a balcony. The trio walked through the door and then…

All of a sudden, the floor collapsed between Fox and Krystal and fell to an active wind shaft blowing them upwards. After a quick, unintentional glance at Krystal, Fox quickly turned his head away, blushing, with his nose bleeding. Krystal giggled. With the CloudRunner following them, they floated their way to a hallway opposite a locked gate and into a courtyard. They were quickly ambushed by two SharpClaw soldiers but defeated them with ease, much to the awe of the CloudRunner. Because the CloudRunners feared the SharpClaw and couldn't fight back against them, they instantly looked up to anyone who could stand against them like gods.

After the SharpClaw guards were defeated, Fox and Krystal stopped for a moment. They thought they heard a woman crying. They could only suspect one thing… Fox whispered, "Is that…"

The CloudRunner gasped. "Mother!" The CloudRunner flew off to the source of the cries. "Hold on, Mother! I'm coming!"

Fox and Krystal dashed towards a nearby ladder and climbed it one at a time, and rushed over to the platform in the center of the courtyard. There was the CloudRunner Queen trapped in a cage and the child rushed towards it, shouting, "Mother! Mother! Are you all right?"

The queen cried, "Telica! Telica, you're okay! Thank the Krazoa!"

As soon as the vulpines approached the cage, Krystal shouted, "Telica! Stay back!"

The CloudRunner flew backwards for a second. Krystal then rammed the tail end of her staff into the lock of the Queen's cage and electrical energy surged into it. The lock exploded and the cage swung open.

The queen stepped out of the cage. "Fox. Krystal. Thank you so much for rescuing me. But you need to save my children. When I was captured, they became scared. And are now hiding around the fortress" The queen coughed. It sounded like she was in terrible condition

Krystal rushed over in panic. "Are you alright, your majesty?"

"Yes." The queen pushed a small object looking like a seashell towards Krystal with her foot. "Please. Take this. Use it when you hear them. Its call will guide them back to me. If the SharpClaw find them, I fear they will leave the fortress forever, or worse, perish by their hands. And thank you for finding one of my children already."

Krystal picked up the flute. "All right, Fox. Let's do this."

Fox nodded. "Can you detect the presence of any of the CloudRunner children?"

Krystal entered into a meditative state. She tried to concentrate on finding any of the CloudRunner children to see where they were in the fortress. Finally, she picked up on a lead. She woke up from meditation, pointed in a direction, and said, "I found one… and he's in terrible danger! Follow me!" Krystal dashed off towards the CloudRunner child.

Fox replied, "Right with you." He ran after Krystal.

A SharpClaw soldier was beating up on a CloudRunner child by stomping on its face while it was caught in a net. The child kept on crying and whimpering as the SharpClaw kept attacking it.

As she dashed toward the CloudRunner child so she could rescue it, Krystal snapped at the sight of what the SharpClaw was doing to it. She ran faster towards the ruffian and drew her staff. The SharpClaw grabbed the CloudRunner by the wing when suddenly…

Out of nowhere, Krystal struck at the SharpClaw's jaw with her staff and knocked it feet away from her, causing it to just barely manage to avoid slipping off the balcony. When it got up again, the half-naked heroine was already standing right before him, and she grabbed him by the throat, and held him over the edge. She growled at the brute like a mad beast.

Fox rushed over to the injured CloudRunner and untangled the net it was caught in. He kept scrambling to make it so, but he eventually got the CloudRunner out of the net. "Are you all right, little guy?" The CloudRunner looked frightened, but Fox petted him gently for reassurance. "Easy. It'll be okay."

The SharpClaw panicked as Krystal held him just one hand release away from its doom. The SharpClaw begged, "Please! I'm begging you! Show me mercy!"

A seething Krystal shrieked, "The CloudRunner baby was about to beg you for mercy! You weren't willing to grant him any, so why should I with you!?" She threw the SharpClaw off the ledge as it plummeted to its death, screaming in terror.

Krystal turned around, now calm, and walked up to comfort the crying infant CloudRunner. "It's all right, little guy. You're safe now. Your mom needs you." She touched the CloudRunner's wings and healed it instantly with her power, and then played the CloudRunner flute. The CloudRunner, now fully recovered, flew around, joyfully, and thanked Fox and Krystal before flying off to find the CloudRunner Queen.

Fox replied, "We've saved another one. Any left, Krystal?"

Krystal pointed at the hall at the end. "There's another one at the end of that hallway!" She then dashed along the side of the docking area towards and then through the hallway at the end of the walkway, with Fox following her.

On an alcove in the courtyard, two more SharpClaw soldiers were throwing rocks at a CloudRunner child that was trying to evade them, and the moment the child tried to fly away from them, the SharpClaw fired their net launcher at it, capturing the child and then using the attached rope to the net to reel in the captured CloudRunner to reel the child in so they could begin torturing it. But before they could get started, the two vulpine heroes jumped out of nowhere and started attacking them. Fox drew his staff and started uppercutting one of the SharpClaw and followed that up with a series of relentless strikes, while Krystal tackled the other one and wrapped her arms around its throat, and then squeezed tightly. After knocking the first SharpClaw to the ground, Fox jumped onto its barely-moving body and rammed the tail end of his staff on the top of his head, knocking it out in an instant. He checked to see what was happening on Krystal's end and saw that the second SharpClaw was still struggling and flailing as Krystal kept squeezing away it its neck. The SharpClaw gasped in terror, struggling to breath, but then Fox heard what sounded like a crack. The SharpClaw lay motionless and when Krystal let go of it, it collapsed to the ground.

Fox was left speechless. Krystal was definitely not someone that anyone would want to cross. He decided to wait until she calmed down.

After the SharpClaw collapsed before her, Krystal took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. After she finished calming down, she played the CloudRunner flute. The CloudRunner child thanked the two vulpines and flew to her mother.

Krystal used her telepathy to detect any more children in trouble. She was in a completely meditative state at first, but Fox then saw something that at first made him feel uneasy. He noticed… Krystal was smiling. "Krystal? What are you…"

"It's the CloudRunner soldiers. They are fighting back against the SharpClaws and they saved that last child. He's safe and sound, now. And that's the last of them."

Fox looked upwards. The guards and the child flew above them.

"Let's go back to the queen."

Fox and Krystal arrived back at the CloudRunner queen, who was waiting for them in front of the cage where she was once held. The queen said, "Thank you so much for saving my children. As promised, here is your reward." The queen flew onto a switch above the cage, causing a nearby gate to open. "Scales has hidden the SpellStone inside the Treasure Rooms. Find it, Fox and Krystal, and return it to the Force Point Temple. Our planet is in your hands!"

Krystal bowed. "We won't fail you your majesty." She then got up and asked Fox, "Alright, Fox, it's time to take back the Fortress, and the stone."

"Right."

As the vulpine duo headed to the Treasure Rooms, Krystal thought, Scales. The time has finally come for our confrontation. And this time, I will rip out your heart once and for all!