Note: I'm sorry if I haven't been able to get back to this story for a while, I've just been busy with my other stories. I've even started a rewrite of one of my older ones, and I have opened up a new story. I hope that doesn't keep anyone from reading this. Before we move on, I have something to say to three reviewers.

Big Bossk Man 92: Yeah, it just feels better to not have Andross in the story. I mean, I get that he's the main antagonist of the Lylat Wars, but that doesn't mean that he has to be in EVERY Star Fox-related story or art. As for the grenades that Scales has with him, well, perhaps we'll get an answer as to where he got them from. I hope that you're ready for this chapter.

Ron: The battle with Scales is coming up, alright. But, the question is: Will Star Fox win, or will Scales prevail? Stay tuned!

UltimateCCC: I didn't expect you to read and review this story, but I'm glad that you did so. Thanks for reading and reviewing the chapters when you had the time. As you can see, I did a few things differently. My stories don't have a tendency to focus on much of the stuff the Star Fox franchise is famous for, but that's because I just want to tell different stories and give certain characters some more development. I hope that you're ready for this chapter!

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

Chapter 10: Showdown With Scales

General Scales stood before Fox and Krystal, ready for battle. Fox cracked his knuckles, tossing his blaster in the air shortly before doing so. Krystal was in a defensive stance, holding the sharp end of her staff out. Her telepathy was scanning Scales' body, checking for a Krazoa Spirit or even the last SpellStone. While the SharpClaw had a Krazoa on him, there was no sign of the SpellStone. However, Krystal could sense the ethereal energies coming off the SpellStone, which meant that it was somewhere.

"What's your analysis, Krystal?" Fox asked.

"He definitely has a Krazoa Spirit on him, but not the SpellStone." Krystal stated.

"Where could the SpellStone be at?" The orange tod asked.

"It's close by," the cobalt vixen said, "we can get it after we deal with Scales."

"Are you ready for the fight?" He asked.

"Yes, I just hope that you are." She told him.

Fox and Krystal approached Scales, who was holding his dagger near his chest. The SharpClaw had a confident look on his face. To him, he felt the victory would be granted to him. He wouldn't even have to need to use his strength, let alone his dagger. All the General would have to do is throw a grenade at Fox, which would kill him. That was, unless, the orange tod was able to dodge it.

Looking at Krystal, Scales could tell that she was using her telepathy on him. The cobalt vixen's green eyes locked onto his, showing determination. Her staff's gem glowed, signaling that it was ready for use. Scales didn't know if it was connected to Krystal's abilities, but it didn't matter at the moment. As soon as he won the battle, the Saurian would have the Cerinian as his spouse, as was promised by the King of Cerinia. From there, they would be together, with no one objecting.

"Have you gotten what you wanted yet, Krystal?" Scales asked.

"Not yet," Krystal spoke, "I still need the Krazoa Spirits and the SpellStone that will prevent this planet's destruction. If Fox and I have to defeat you for them, we will."

"You and that fool?" The SharpClaw asked.

"Don't call him that, Scales." The cobalt vixen said. "By doing that, you're underestimating what Fox is capable of."

"He mainly uses weapons and a spacecraft to fight." The Saurian said.

"Anyone can have strength, Scales, it isn't meant for a chosen few." The Cerinian said.

"Enough of the small talk, are you ready to fight?" He spoke.

"Yes." She said. "Now, prepare yourself!"

Krystal jumped into the air, choosing to dive at Scales with her staff. Scales was ready for her, raising his dagger to parry the staff. While her attack was foiled, the cobalt vixen landed on her feet. The vulpine then fired a few blasts from her staff, only for her opponent to block them with his dagger. Before she could do anything else, Scales charged towards her. His dagger was held out, with the blade being positioned at her body.

In order to dodge, Krystal jumped out of the way. By doing this, she was able to avoid Scales' attack. The cobalt vixen stood her ground, spinning her staff in her hands. After that, the vulpine engaged Scales in battle, using her staff to keep even ground. The SharpClaw swung both his prosthetic claw and his dagger, trying to knock the staff out of her hands. However, nothing he did worked.

After a minute of trading blows with their weapons, Scales and Krystal glared at each other for a moment. Scales struck again, but Krystal was quick to parry the attack with her staff. However, the SharpClaw wasn't going down. In spite of his massive size, he seemed to have endurance that matched smaller foes. Combined with his strength and agility, the Saurian was proving to be a tough foe. Krystal knew it well, even considering tossing her staff aside for some telepathic combat.

Fearing that Krystal couldn't defeat Scales on her own, Fox ran into battle, firing his blaster at the SharpClaw General. While Scales wasn't harmed by the first couple of rounds, one ripped the flesh on his shoulder. He roared in pain, covering the wound. Now that he was wounded, the Saurian glared daggers at Fox. Getting into a defensive stance, he was ready to stab the orange tod to death. Before he could, Krystal knocked the dagger out of his hand. She followed it up with a punch to the face.

Before Scales could reclaim his dagger, he wound up engaging in hand-to-hand combat with Fox and Krystal. Fox delivered a roundhouse kick to his side, with the kick landing a little below the General's rib cage. The orange tod then did an uppercut to the SharpClaw's jaw, but it barely registered. Krystal was next to attack, putting her staff in her backpack. The cobalt vixen did a flip kick, which nearly knocked Scales down. However, she was quick to deliver a punch to his abdomen, which caused him to kneel over in pain.

Despite being brought down, Scales wasn't going to surrender right away. Rather, he slowly grabbed a grenade off of the ammo belt. Pulling the tab, the SharpClaw waited for the countdown to begin. While it happened, he looked at Fox and Krystal, confidently glaring at them. Fox glared back at him, ready to continue on with the battle. As for Krystal, she was visibly cautious, her telepathy no doubt telling her what Scales was planning.

"You know," Scales spoke, "perhaps I've been a little harsh in my opinions on the other planets in the Lylat System. I had served in Venom's Army before I became leader of the SharpClaws. However, my respect goes for the army of each planet."

Scales held the grenade in the air, getting ready to throw it at his opponents.

"After all," he said, "they make some rather nifty gadgets!"

Throwing the grenade, Scales was eager to watch it hit Fox. However, what happened next was something he was not expecting. Without warning, Krystal shoved Fox aside and fired her staff. The attack manifested as a shield, which surrounded the two foxes. The grenade bounced off of the shield, being sent back in Scales' direction. It exploded before he could run, engulfing the SharpClaw in its blast radius.

Once the grenade had exploded, Fox saw Scales on the ground. In addition to that, Krystal was still standing, having put away her staff again. Fox carefully approached her, hoping to provide whatever aid he could. Before he could speak to her, they heard a familiar voice shout.

"Wow, that was pretty cool!"

Turning around, Fox saw Tricky in awe. Kyte looked somewhat disgusted, as if she had seen something really gross. Peppy and Slippy were like Tricky, but their expressions were more out of shock than awe. Krystal didn't face them, but sat down. She let out a sigh, which was full of sadness.

"That was a pretty cool technique from your staff, Krystal!" Slippy spoke up. "I didn't expect it to do that!"

"It's a power that my mother rarely used on Cerinia." Krystal said. "It's a barrier that can send attacks back to wherever they came from, but not the one who holds the staff."

"Gee, it really worked!" Kyte said. "Not only did it protect you and Fox, but it caused General Scales to get a taste of his own grenade!"

With what Kyte said in mind, Fox looked back at Scales. The SharpClaw's body was laying still, as if he had suddenly died. However, the Krazoa Spirit he was said to have did not fly out of his body. In addition to that, he only had minor burn marks on his body, but nothing else in the way of injuries. Krystal stood up, taking her staff out of her backpack. Concerned, Fox went over to her.

"Krystal?" He spoke. "Are you alright? I know that what happened to Scales wasn't pretty, but at least he's -"

"He's still alive!" Krystal spoke.

"What?!" Fox asked, shocked.

Sure enough, Scales got up from the ground. Upon seeing that, Fox got out his blaster and held it out. The orange tod was eager to defend the others from their foe, but something told him that it wouldn't last. From what the vulpine could tell, Krystal could also feel it. The cobalt vixen, despite having her staff out for defense, was somewhat afraid. This stayed on her face as Scales approached them.

"Well, looks like I've underestimated my opponents in combat." Scales spoke. "I have never done that before, so I have to give the two of you respect for bringing me to that."

"Stay back!" Fox said, wanting to be brave.

"Even with the grenades I had looted from a supply case, I was still unable to beat you." The SharpClaw said, ignoring what Fox said. "And let's not forget that you were able to hurt me with your punches and kicks."

"Scales," Krystal said, "let's not fight. Just hand over the Krazoa Spirits and the SpellStone, and we'll leave you alone."

Scales didn't surrender, causing Krystal's telepathy to pick up something bad. It hit her in a flash, causing her to shout at Fox.

"Fox, look out!" The cobalt vixen cried.

Before Fox could move, he felt something grab him by his throat. Looking ahead of him, the orange tod saw that Scales was holding him. The SharpClaw's eyes were like embers on a dying fire, which still had enough strength to burn. Krystal ran towards Scales, holding her staff out. The General ignored her, glaring at Fox. Peppy, Slippy, Tricky, and Kyte watched in utter horror, unable to help out.

"Let go of Fox, Scales!" Peppy shouted.

"Yeah, he's not on the menu!" Slippy cried.

"You barbarian!" Kyte shouted. "Don't you dare kill him!"

"Fox, throw in the towel!" Tricky screamed. "If all else, break free!"

"QUIET!" Scales roared. "All of you, be quiet!"

Krystal charged towards Scales, aiming her staff at him. The SharpClaw didn't fail to notice this, as he countered it with his prosthetic. Krystal couldn't fire anything, out of fear of hitting Fox, so she wound up having to use her staff as a melee weapon. Not that Scales couldn't throw the grenades that he had with him. He tightened his grip on Fox's neck, causing the orange tod to wheeze out in pain. This angered Krystal, to the point where she screamed.

"Scales, that's enough!" She shouted.

"I agree, seeing as we've both got an agenda to fulfill." Scales said, still holding Fox by his neck. "However, mine must happen, not yours. In order for it to happen, I must kill Fox here. After all, what better to have a wedding on the same day as a funeral?"

"Don't do it!" Krystal gasped.

"Why not?" The SharpClaw spoke. "Why not? It's necessary for me to kill the hinderance you've brought with you."

Krystal couldn't speak, having nothing to say. She knew that if she was unable to get Fox free, Scales would kill him. Even if she was able to save Fox, the cobalt vixen would still have to fight Scales. With no help from anyone, and with Fox taken hostage, her hands were tied. She wanted to keep on fighting, but she couldn't. Krystal sighed, closed her eyes, and shook her head.

"Scales, I don't want anyone to die." Krystal spoke. "I also don't want to go through with the arranged wedding. But that doesn't mean that I can't give up now. If I'm unable to save Sauria, not only would I have failed what I promised the Krazoa I would do, but the planet would be destroyed. Not only that, but my friends, Star Fox, would be dead."

"Who needs this planet anyway?" Scales spoke. "Even if Sauria got destroyed, we would be safe, along with a few other members of my tribe! I'll even spare the EarthWalker Prince and the CloudRunner Princess!"

"That wouldn't make anything better." The cobalt vixen said. "I would still have failed my mission, and I would be unable to search for members of my race who might have survived Cerinia's destruction. Even if there aren't any on Sauria, I would still want to look for a fellow, surviving, Cerinian."

"If there aren't, then your motivation would've been for nothing!" The SharpClaw said. "Do you really want to save this shell of a planet, knowing that you still couldn't save your home planet?!"

"Sauria is not a shell!" The vulpine said. "When I arrived on the planet, I got to encounter specimens and meet people who liked me for who I was. That's what I am doing, Scales: I'm living on Sauria! Unless something causes me to leave the planet, this is my home now! Those who I have lived with and spoken to are my friends! And you, Scales, have been led down the path of darkness by a nefarious force! If I have to defeat you to stop it, I will!"

Scales threw Fox to the side, causing him to land with a cracking sound. The orange tod let out a moan, signaling that he was hurt. Krystal ran over to him in alarm, worried that he could be severely injured. She cradled him in her arms, like how a mother would her baby.

"Fox ..." Krystal began to speak.

"Hey, Krys, don't worry about me, I'll be fine!" Fox groaned.

"No, you're hurt!" The cobalt vixen said. "Oh dear, there are Bafomdads on this planet! They can heal your wounds!"

"Krys, I'll be alright." The orange tod calmly said. "Go stop Scales. You can heal me up with one of those Bafomdad things later."

Nodding, Krystal lie Fox on the ground, giving him some time to himself. As she walked back over to Scales, she heard her allies speaking to her.

"I really hope that they can heal Fox, because I don't know if he can get up and walk after that!" Slippy spoke.

"The poor guy probably can't even move now!" Kyte stated.

"And I don't think that any of the medicine my mom packed with me will help him!" Tricky said.

"Krystal, I hope you know what you're doing." Peppy said.

Krystal turned around and looked at Peppy, giving him a confident expression.

"I know, Peppy." She spoke. "Thanks for your concern."

After saying that, Krystal found herself facing Scales. The SharpClaw leader looked down at her, his eyes locking into hers.

"Scales," Krystal spoke, "let's finish this."

Hearing that, Scales took out his dagger and swung it at Krystal. The cobalt vixen was quick to dodge, jumping to the side. Before the SharpClaw could attack with the weapon again, he saw it get blasted out of his hand, courtesy of Krystal's staff. The Cerinian followed it up with a diving attack, pointing her staff at his head. However, Scales was quick to grab the staff, stopping Krystal's attack. He threw her back, causing her to land on her feet.

Now that Krystal was away from Scales, she knew that she needed to find a way to beat him. Simply using strength wouldn't be enough to take the General down. No, the cobalt vixen needed a way to outsmart him. Seeing that the ammo belt was still on him, complete with the grenades he hadn't used, Krystal pointed her staff at him. Charging up an attack, the cobalt vixen closed her eyes. She felt the power in the attack increase as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I'm sorry." Krystal quietly said to herself.

All of a sudden, a powerful blast came out of Krystal's staff. Even though her eyes were closed, she heard Scales let out a scream. This was joined by a loud explosion, meaning that the grenades were detonated by the cobalt vixen's attack. Opening her eyes, the vulpine saw that Scales was on the ground. His body was steaming, essentially being burned. Krystal's telepathy could tell that his life was depleting, so she didn't have to ask herself if he was going to survive.

"Wow, Krystal, that was impressive!" Slippy shouted.

"I sure wasn't expecting that!" Peppy stated.

"Yay, she defeated Scales!" Tricky cheered.

"Now we can continue on with saving Sauria!" Kyte said.

Krystal fired her staff at the nets holding her allies, causing them to be freed. Once that was out of the way, she carefully went over to Scales. The SharpClaw was heaving, meaning that he was taking his last breath. He could see a cobalt blur coming towards him. Knowing who it was, the dying General spoke to her.

"Krystal," Scales rasped, "you ... really shouldn't have ... done that!"

"I'm sorry," Krystal spoke, "but it was necessary to do that to you, seeing as you aren't the last obstacle in our quest."

"You could've had ... anything ... Krystal!" The SharpClaw gasped. "But, you threw it away to ... save a planet ... that's rarely ... visited!"

"And you were on a misguided quest for power." The cobalt vixen said. "From a soldier in Venom's Army to the leader of the SharpClaws, you were sent down a dark path. It wasn't entirely your doing, as you were being influenced by an evil being. If the Kamerian who is rumored to live here is real, then I'll have to stop him with help from my friends."

"You won't be able to beat him!" The Saurian said his final words. "None ... None of you will be able to! If you ... do, make sure that ... he doesn't ... influence anyone for the worst ever ... again! Krystal, I -!"

Scales coughed up some blood and collapsed, finally dying. Krystal didn't say anything, only hanging her head. Even if Scales was risking the planet to get what he wanted, the cobalt vixen could tell that his actions were influenced by whatever was commanding him. The Krazoa Spirit flew out of the SharpClaw's body, floating towards Krystal. She didn't take it at the moment. Rather, she turned to Peppy and Slippy, giving them an order.

"One of you, look for a Bafomdad!" Krystal spoke. "Tricky and Kyte, accompany them if you know where one would be hiding!"

All of a sudden, the Krazoa Spirit flew towards Fox. It phased into his body, causing him to glow with ethereal energies. The orange tod stood up, still looking injured. However, after a moment, the injuries faded from his body. The Spirit healed him, having done so from within. Now that he was better, Fox was happy.

"I'm healed!" He said. "I don't know why, but I'm healed!"

"The Krazoa healed you, Fox." Krystal said. "It must've sensed that you were injured."

"Well, that's rather nice of it!" The orange tod stated.

Without warning, there was a massive roar. It shook the ground itself, practically causing an earthquake. Tricky and Kyte were scared, not knowing where it was coming from. As for Fox, Peppy, and Slippy, they braced themselves. Krystal stood her ground, her telepathy picking up something massive. Whatever it was, she could sense that it was in a cave.

"You!" A voice screamed. "You have been hindering my plans since you've started collecting the Krazoa Spirits and SpellStones! Not only that, but you've proven to be greater threats by killing the creatures I used to gain control over the planet and taking down my top General! How dare you?!"

"We've been doing it to save Sauria, you creep!" Fox shouted.

"And we're not giving up until you're dealt with!" Krystal spoke.

"Yeah, so come out, whoever you are!" Peppy said.

"Or whatever you are!" Slippy said.

"You think that you can take me on?!" The voice laughed. "Well, approach my cave, enter my lair, and we'll see who the victor is!"

Knowing that this was the final part of the adventure, Fox, Peppy, Slippy and Krystal looked at each other. They knew that if they failed, they would be dead or badly injured. On the other hand, if they won, Sauria would be saved. Tricky and Kyte were quaking, frightened of what they were about to face.

"K-Krystal?" Kyte spoke.

"Permission to go home?!" Tricky cried.

"Permission granted, guys!" Krystal spoke.

After they heard that, Tricky and Kyte ran back to WarpStone, eager to get back to their families. Once they were gone, Star Fox and Krystal went over to the cave where the voice was coming out of. The four stopped at the entrance, getting out their weapons. Before they entered, they spoke to each other.

"Ready, guys?" Fox asked.

"Ready!" Slippy stated.

"Ready as always, Fox!" Peppy said.

"Ready!" Krystal said, tightening her grip on her staff.

With that in mind, they entered the cave, eager to encounter the final obstacle of their mission.

Note: The final battle is coming, everybody! I hope that you're ready for it! I also hope that you'll be okay with what happens! Until next time guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!