Note: With the month slowly approaching its end, I noticed that I hadn't updated this yet. I had been working on my other stuff, to the point where I forgot about certain ones. This story is one that I am eager to get done the most. Before we move on, I have something to say to six reviewers.

Yamagata: I turned the SpellStones into the Dragon Balls in the last chapter, didn't I? They're definitely not supposed to be used as weapons, considering how powerful they are. Sauria is only lucky that Star Fox was able to get them back.

Big Bossk Man 92: Given how Peppy was testing something out, I can imagine his reaction to seeing that it worked as the same as you not seeing it coming. I guess that I gave Krystal's staff an extra power or two, didn't I? Anyway, as for Slippy, while he didn't suffer loss like Fox, Peppy, and Krystal, Drakor could still have used the SpellStone to show what wish he had. Chances are, the toad would've been willed over to his side.

UltimateCCC: Well, Falco was on Zoness with Katt, so it's likely they did something special together. Maybe you'll find out in this chapter.

Ron: Definitely. The moment Drakor tried to get our heroes at their most vulnerable, he only incurred their wrath, more so than before.

The White Wolf named Alex: Thanks. I hope that you enjoy this chapter as well.

mary.okeefe.16: Who wouldn't feel bad for Krystal? I mean, she lost her entire home planet. Not only that, but people would probably be afraid of her on account of her telepathy. Thanks for commenting, and I hope that you enjoy the story.

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

Chapter 12: Sauria is Saved

Fox only watched in surprise as the Arwing landed near Drakor. The pilot of the ship was by himself, with no one else flying in with him. Once it had landed, the cockpit opened up, with the pilot jumping out. He was a red and blue pheasant with green eyes. The avian, aside from wearing a red jumpsuit, wore the same white jacket and headgear as Star Fox themselves. He even had a utility belt, complete with a holster for his blaster.

"Well," he spoke, "aren't you gonna say anything? I DID come back for the team, didn't I?"

Peppy and Slippy were speechless upon seeing the person who managed to finish off Drakor. As for Krystal, she was still sore after the battle, but managed to get a good look at the pheasant. By using her telepathy, the cobalt vixen was able to tell who he was. The avian just so happened to be the former member of Star Fox: Falco Lombardi. Upon reading his mind, the vulpine was able to see that he was the team's Ace pilot, as well as the medic. She even saw that, despite his role in the team he was once a member of, he had an arrogant, cocky personality.

"Falco, you're back!" Slippy spoke.

"Yeah," Falco said, rolling his eyes, "I've been trying to contact you guys all day! Where were you?"

"We were saving this planet from destruction." Fox said.

"Let me guess, the big guy was trying to eat it?" The pheasant said.

"Not exactly." The orange tod said.

"We have so much to tell you!" Peppy said in excitement. "And, considering where you were, you probably have so much to tell us!"

Falco looked over at Krystal, who was sitting on the ground. The cobalt vixen waved at him, but she looked nervous. Seeing her, the pheasant tilted his head in confusion. Not only was the vulpine in front of him a cobalt blue color, but she was wearing a bra, a loincloth, and some armor, as well as a backpack with a staff sticking out of it. The avian had never seen someone like her before, so it was a surprise. To him, it was like looking at the Missing Link or a gemstone with a perfect cut.

Turning back to his former teammates, Falco spoke with them.

"Who's the blue girl?" Falco asked.

"She's someone who helped us out in this mission." Slippy told him.

"Her name is Krystal, and she's lived on Sauria for four months!" Peppy stated. "With that in mind, you'd think that the poor girl would be unable to speak to anyone, but her speech is perfect!"

Falco glanced back at Krystal for a moment, then spoke with the team again.

"Is she like Pocahontas or something?" Falco asked.

"Uh, Falco -!" Fox tried to speak.

"I am NOT like Pocahontas, you ignoramus!" Krystal exploded.

Upon hearing the shout, Falco looked over at the vixen who had been helping his former team. This time, Krystal looked absolutely mad. Her cheeks were blushing red, and she was gritting her teeth. The cobalt vixen's hands were balled into fists, looking like she was ready to punch someone. While Falco was taken aback by her mood, Fox, Peppy, and Slippy gave him disapproving looks. The pheasant didn't understand why Krystal was angry, so he was shocked.

"Did I say something wrong?" Falco asked.

"We should've mentioned this to you earlier, but Krystal has a bit of a temper." Peppy said.

"Why did she get mad because of what I said? It's a compliment!" The pheasant said.

"That's because Krystal isn't native to Sauria." Fox said.

"I figured." The avian said. "But, if she's not native to here, where did she come from?"

"Krystal came from a planet called Cerinia." The orange tod said. "It was destroyed months ago, more than likely by Venom's Army."

"Didn't that planet have an isolationist society? There was no way anyone in the Lylat System could've helped them!"

"Falco!" Peppy spoke up. "You shouldn't say stuff like that about Krystal's home planet, especially in front of her!"

"Yeah, don't make her madder than she already is!" Slippy warned.

"I was just saying, guys." Falco stated. "Besides, you can't deny that Cerinia's government often forbade visitors from other planets from contacting them!"

"That's besides the point." Fox said. "I think that you should talk to Krystal, Falco, because she hasn't had a chance to get to know you personally."

"And don't try to lie, she's got telepathy!" Peppy warned.

Hearing everything that the others had said, Falco carefully approached Krystal. The cobalt vixen, while still blushing, wasn't as angry as she was earlier. Her hands weren't balled into fists either, having gone flat. Despite the vulpine's calmer attitude, Falco was somewhat cautious of her. Not only would he get in trouble for his smart mouth, but he would probably get beaten by the staff the Cerinian was holding. Even if the pheasant didn't say anything, he knew that his thoughts would fall victim to Krystal's telepathy.

"So, how did you meet Fox and the others?" Falco asked.

"I met Fox in ThornTail Hollow while he was fighting off SharpClaws." Krystal said. "As for Peppy and Slippy, I met them in Moon Mountain Pass. They were in ThornTail Hollow, but they went out to look for Fox."

"Where were you at?" The pheasant asked.

"Fox and I were at the Ocean Force Point Temple, returning a SpellStone." The cobalt vixen said.

"And speaking of SpellStones," Peppy interrupted, "we should get the last one back to where it belongs!"

"Come with us," Krystal told Falco, "we'll explain more as we travel!"

The first stop for Star Fox and Krystal was the Volcano Force Point Temple, which was where the final SpellStone was supposed to go. Staying behind with the team, Krystal let Fox take the SpellStone down to the chamber it belonged in. Once he was done, the orange tod rubbed his hands together, letting out a sigh of relief. He went back to his team, signaling that it was done. They went back to WarpStone, climbing onto the pad that was on his hand. When the order was given, he teleported Star Fox and Krystal out of the area, sending them to their next destination.

Once they arrived at Krazoa Palace, Star Fox decided to let Krystal take the Krazoa Spirit back to where it belonged. The cobalt vixen went down the primary hallway of the palace, intent on finding the only shrine that was left. The moment she got to it, the vulpine felt the energies of the Spirit get stronger. This almost caused her to collapse, but she soldiered through. Now that it was at its shrine, the Krazoa Spirit flew out of Krystal. It entered the shrine, causing ethereal energies to flow through.

When the final Krazoa Spirit had entered the shrine, a beam of light shot out of Krazoa Palace. The beam touched the sky, causing the clouds to part. With the clouds out of the way, the sun shined its light over Sauria. Krystal watched as this happened, knowing that the planet was finally saved. Before she could leave, she saw a Krazoa Spirit looking down at her. The cobalt vixen stood back as it spoke, not saying a word back.

"Thank you for bringing me back to my shrine, mortal child!" The Krazoa spoke. "Now that I have been reunited with my fellow Krazoa, the SpellStones will be activated by us! From there, Sauria will be fixed, preventing its destruction! We will even place protective seals around the entrances to the SpellStones, so that no dark being will gain access to them! Farewell!"

The Krazoa Spirit flew back into its shrine, leaving behind ethereal energies. Once that happened, Krystal walked down the hallway, intent on meeting up with the others. Before she could even get out of the hallway, she saw SharpClaws rejoicing. Not only that, but they were tossing away flags that their tribe hung up while working for Scales. Paying them no mind, the cobalt vixen met up with her allies.

"Hey guys!" She greeted.

"Did you return the Krazoa?" Slippy asked.

"Of course I did," Krystal said, "otherwise, we wouldn't be seeing what's currently happening!"

Looking around, Star Fox saw what Krystal was talking about. Not only was the sun shining over Sauria, but the planet looked like it was in better shape than before. Slippy laughed, happy that the planet was going to be alright. Fox and Peppy were far more reserved, but they smiled at what was happening. As for Falco, he was astonished by what he saw. Nonetheless, they were all happy that Sauria was going to be safe for now.

Before they could head to ThornTail Hollow, Fox noticed a group of SharpClaws at the palace. They were openly rejoicing, despite working with someone who was hindering Sauria's rescue. Such a reaction confused Fox. It got to the point where he spoke to Krystal about it.

"Hey, Krystal, did you notice those SharpClaws?" Fox asked.

"Yeah, but they weren't looking to harm anyone." Krystal said.

"But they're soldiers, why were they cheering for Sauria's rescue?" The orange tod asked.

"As much of a threat as the SharpClaws are, not even they would've been happy with Sauria's destruction." The cobalt vixen said. "From what I could tell, they were just following Scales' orders, unaware that he was working for Drakor. If we didn't stop Drakor, then they would've died with the planet they loved!"

Scales was definitely a bad leader if his own soldiers are rejoicing what he was against! Fox thought to himself.

Once they were back in ThornTail Hollow, Star Fox was greeted by King EarthWalker and Queen EarthWalker. Tricky was standing nearby, with Kyte being close to him. In addition to that, Gerunda Te and Belinda Te were near WarpStone, having used him to arrive. Their arrival was a surprise to the team, as they didn't know why they were at ThornTail Hollow. Krystal merely smiled, happy to see the SnowHorns. She joined her allies as they were speaking with the King and Queen.

"We can't thank you enough for saving Sauria from terrible destruction, Fox!" King EarthWalker said.

"Without your efforts, we wouldn't have a planet!" Queen EarthWalker stated.

"I was just doing my job, your majesty." Fox said. "However, I don't deserve all the credit for saving Sauria, as the allies I made deserve it more than I do."

"Krystal guided us through Sauria, collected the Krazoa Spirits, and took down Scales!" Slippy said. "If there's anyone who deserves the most credit, it's her!"

"But we all had a hand in the mission." Peppy said. "Falco was the one who delivered the final blow on Drakor, after all!"

"Speaking of this Falco character, where is he?" King EarthWalker asked.

Looking over to the side, Fox saw that Falco wasn't with them. In addition to that, Krystal was also gone. This confused him, as they had left without saying anything. However, Slippy and Peppy didn't seem to be bothered. Peppy even looked at Fox, curious about his reaction.

"Peppy, where's Falco at?" Fox asked.

"Oh, he went out with Krystal, said that he wanted to talk to her!" Peppy stated.

Turning around, Fox looked over to the other EarthWalkers. Past them were Falco and Krystal, who were talking about something. As they were far away enough for him to be unable to read their lips, Fox hoped that they were just being friendly towards each other. Knowing how Falco could be at times, the orange tod didn't want him to say anything bad. Likewise, he didn't want Krystal to get violent. Even if the pheasant would've had the punishment coming, the vulpine didn't want him to get killed.

"Mind if I go speak to them?" Fox asked.

"You have our permission, Fox." Queen EarthWalker said.

Walking out of the area, Fox went over to Falco and Krystal. As he got closer, he could read what the pheasant and the cobalt vixen were saying. In addition to that, the orange tod could hear their voices. Both of them were calmly talking to each other, as if they were longtime friends. There was a moment where Falco looked shocked, but he grew out of it. As he saw this, Fox let out a sigh of relief, knowing that all was well. He couldn't help but listen in on their conversation.

"Anyway, I'm sorry for what I said earlier." Falco said.

"And I'm sorry for getting so angry at you." Krystal said.

"I just didn't expect it to happen." The pheasant said. "I mean, what I said was meant as a compliment."

"Well, it's not nice to jump to conclusions on someone based on their clothing." The cobalt vixen said.

"Now that I know where you came from, and where you got those clothes from, my brain's been filled!" The avian said.

Fox stepped between Krystal and Falco, wanting to join in on the conversation.

"I see that you two are getting along." Fox spoke.

"We were wondering when you would come near us!" Krystal said, noticing him.

"Yeah, but I was kinda hoping you'd fill me in on what's going to happen now." Falco said.

"I guess that we should be heading to Corneria to get our paycheck." Fox said.

"That sounds good to me." The pheasant said, stepping aside. "I'll leave you two be!"

As Falco walked off, Fox decided to speak with Krystal. The cobalt vixen looked particularly happy to see him, to the point where she wanted to hug him. As for the orange tod, he smiled back.

"So," Fox spoke, "I guess that the adventure's over."

"Yeah, it is." Krystal said. "Fox, I can't thank you enough for helping me out during this whole thing. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to get through it in time to save Sauria, nor would I have lived for that long."

"You're welcome, Krystal." The orange tod said. "I just wish that I was there to help prevent the destruction of your home planet, along with my team."

"It's alright, Fox." The cobalt vixen said, having a tinge of sadness in her voice. "Losing Cerinia allowed me to find a new planet to call my home, and I'm happy to call those who fed me and gave me shelter my new family. Well, except for the LightFoots, SharpClaws, and RedEyes, that is! They were more like grade school bullies, savage beasts, and totalitarian jerks!"

Fox couldn't help but laugh at the statement Krystal had made. It was funny because it was true. The three tribes that had opposed them were a handful, but that didn't mean they were a huge obstacle. With that in mind, the two vulpines couldn't help but find humor in their encounters with them. Needless to say, the others would've found humor in their encounters with the SharpClaws, LightFoots, and RedEyes. The only one who would need to be caught up was Falco, seeing as he was on Zoness.

"Krystal," Fox spoke, "would you like to join the team? You seem rather lonely here."

"Fox, you know I couldn't." Krystal said. "I've been through enough conflict for now, so I just want to relax and enjoy life. By joining your team, I would be under constant stress!"

"Are you sure?" The orange tod said. "Even if you did join the team, you wouldn't have to go on every mission that we do. Besides, we can even give you a safer home at the Great Fox."

"I'll consider it." The cobalt vixen said. "It might take a while, but I'll call you when I make my decision."

"So, I guess that this is goodbye?" He asked.

"For now." She said, giving him a hug. "But, I promise, we will meet again, Fox McCloud."

An hour later, Star Fox had gotten back into their Arwings. The EarthWalkers, the CloudRunners, and the SnowHorns cleared a path for the ships, allowing the four mercenaries to leave. Krystal watched this happen while sitting on King EarthWalker's back. She wiped tears from her eyes as she watched her allies take flight. Before they were even out of sight, Star Fox honked the horns on their ships and called down to the surface.

"Take care, everyone!" Peppy's voice rang out.

"Call us if you need anything!" Slippy shouted.

"But not too soon!" Falco yelled.

"Bye, Krystal!" Fox shouted.

Once they were gone, Krystal went back to ThornTail Hollow with the EarthWalkers. The moment she got there, the cobalt vixen had a bath before dinner, wanting to get herself cleaned. After eating dinner, she went to the home she was given and lie down. The night sky was shining down on Sauria, being peaceful for the first time in months. The vulpine liked to look at the night sky, as it reminded her of her childhood. Her eyes watered as she thought about one memory in particular.

When she was six, Krystal was visited by Sabre before she went to bed. Randorn had been working late that night, so he wound up bringing the future Knight to the castle so that he could watch over the cobalt pup. The brown wolf had brought a guitar with him, wanting to sing a lullaby to the young Princess of Cerinia. As Krystal drifted off to sleep, she thought about the lyrics of the lullaby. They echoed in her head throughout the night, all while she began to cry.

Don't you hear my call?

Though you're many years away

Don't you hear me calling you?

Write your letters in the sand

For the day I take your hand

In the land that our grandchildren knew

Note: Well, the Saurian Crisis is out of the way. Don't worry, the story's not over, as there's plenty more coming up. In case you're wondering, the lyrics at the end of the chapter are from the song '39 by Queen. It's a pretty good song, and I recommend it to you. It's one of the few songs where Freddie Mercury doesn't sing lead, as Brian May has a turn at the microphone. He's got a pleasant voice, though.

I know that a lot of you might be steamed at Krystal not joining Star Fox immediately after saving Sauria with them, but I just wanted her to take some time off. I mean, why would you immediately join a mercenary team immediately after something as crazy as saving an entire planet? I hope that it's okay with you guys, and I hope that Nintendo gives Krystal a better role in the later Star Fox games (if there's any). Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!