Note: Oh God, stories like this are hard to write. And, to think, I feel like writing one or two new stories near the end of 2022. If I wind up doing them, I hope that you're okay with them. Anyway, coming back to the story, I must warn you that this chapter might get intense. Before we move on, I've got something to say to five reviewers.
The White Wolf named Alex: They just want her to have a better home, one where she'll be safer living on than Sauria. I hope that you like this chapter.
Big Bossk Man 92: ROB was just trying to be a gentleman in the chapter. Admittedly, it's kinda overkill for him to dress up as a butler, mainly because he's a robot, but he's just trying to be nice. Stay tuned for what happens next.
Ron: Don't worry, Tricky can be trusted, despite his name. I hope that you're ready for this chapter.
UltimateCCC: What innuendo? What are you talking about?
Franco Almiron: Anyone can put my stories on AO3. I actually sent a request for an invite to the website, but I might decline if I decide to stay on . If anyone wants to post one of my stories on AO3, they have my utmost permission.
Alright, now that I've gotten that out of the way, it's time for chapter fourteen.
Chapter 14: Anger and an Ex
It had been a few days since Krystal had joined Star Fox, and things had been slow. While the team still went on missions, they were mainly battles with thieves or a rescue mission. For each mission they underwent, they all felt that things weren't at all different. Even with a new member on the team, they had yet to take her anywhere. However, not only did the cobalt vixen not have a piloting license, but they were afraid of how she would do on a mission. If she didn't get killed, then she would have trouble with certain parts of the mission.
Walking past Krystal's room, Fox saw that she was sitting on her bed, reading a book. The book in question was large, looking like it would take a month to read in one go. Deciding not to disturb her, Fox kept on walking. Making his way to the kitchen, the orange tod sat at the table. As no one else was in the room, he was alone with his thoughts for the time being. He sat up straight, looking at the ceiling.
As he sat alone, Fox thought about Krystal. Given her personality and combat skills, he couldn't help but be reminded of someone he knew. The person in question used to be on the Star Fox team, but had since left. She was even close to the orange tod, to the point where they went on a few dates. However, when things were getting more dangerous for the team, the vulpine broke up with her. Needless to say, she wasn't happy with Fox for doing such a thing.
Now that Krystal was on the team, Fox worried about repeating what he did. Despite promising his ex that he would see her when he had the time, she still hadn't forgiven him. The orange tod knew that it was going to take some time for her to forgive him, but that wasn't what he was mainly worried about. Another thing that he worried about was what would happen if his ex saw Krystal. What if they got into a fight? If that happened, then Star Fox would either have to break it up or call the cops on both of them.
Slippy walked into the kitchen, where he saw Fox sitting by himself. Curious, the toad sat next to the orange tod. The latter was looking up at the ceiling, as if he were contemplating something. Slippy didn't know whether to feel confused or concerned, so he tapped Fox's shoulder. The vulpine turned his head with an annoyed look, but calmed down when he saw who was next to him.
"When did you get in here, Slippy?" Fox asked.
"I came in a few seconds ago." Slippy said. "Falco and Peppy are helping Pepper with something down on Corneria, so I decided to stay behind."
"I wanted to help, too, but I passed it up." The orange tod said. "I hope the General doesn't mind."
"Still worried about Krystal?" The toad asked.
"How can I not be?" The vulpine asked.
"Fox, she's perfectly capable of handling herself in battle!" The amphibian said. "Besides, she flew that ship into the Great Fox, so she might be a great pilot!"
"I'm not really worried about stuff like that. I'm worried about how Krystal would interact with other people, especially on planets that have more population than Sauria. What if she gets in a huge crowd of people, how would she react? And what about her telepathy? Would it overload her mind due to the thoughts of everyone in the crowd all at once?"
"Krystal doesn't seem like the kind of person who would get overwhelmed. Her social skills aren't bad, considering how much of a good conversationalist she is."
Fox let out a sigh and hung his head, knowing that he couldn't argue the point that Slippy made. However, it wasn't being in a crowd that he worried about. The orange tod was dreading when his ex encountered Krystal. Not understanding why his friend looked worried, Slippy's demeanor changed. He wanted to put his hand on the vulpine's shoulder, but he didn't. The amphibian only sat and spoke with the leader, despite not knowing what had him down.
"Fox, everything's going to be alright." Slippy said. "Even if the others don't think highly of Krystal, she's still our teammate, and we need to respect her wishes."
"She won't be respectful of Krystal, though." Fox said.
"Who are you talking about?" The toad asked. "If you're thinking about Fay or Miyu, don't worry! Fay's pretty friendly, and Miyu is -!"
"I'm not thinking about either of them." The orange tod said.
"Oh, her." The amphibian said. "If Krystal meets her, this could be bad."
"It wouldn't be bad to see her again, but how would she react to Krystal?" The vulpine asked. "Would they become friends? Would she bully Krystal? If they got in a fight, how would we break it up? Would either of them be alive by the end of it?"
"Fox, we shouldn't be worrying about stuff like that. For now, we should be helping her get her pilot's license."
"Right."
Getting up from his seat, Slippy walked out of the kitchen. Now that he was alone again, Fox thought about how the next day would play out. The team would be down on Corneria, flying through the air with Krystal in tow. By doing that, the team would be helping the cobalt vixen fly in one of the ships for the first time. If she hadn't gotten her license tomorrow, then she would've, in the very least, gotten a better hang on how the Arwing flew. Little did Fox know, something else would happen.
The next day, Star Fox was on the fields of Corneria, getting ready to begin Krystal's training. She was sitting by Fox's Arwing, patiently waiting for it to begin. Fox himself was speaking with Peppy, who still in his own Arwing. Falco was working on his ship, having tools with him. As for Slippy, he was watching the horizon, enjoying the view in front of him. The toad was the only one staying on the ground during the training, being the one in charge of keeping progress.
Krystal couldn't help but feel relaxed by her surroundings. The cobalt vixen almost felt like painting a picture of the land, because it was just so beautiful. Compared to Sauria, everything felt at peace. It was almost like standing on Cerinia again, even though there were differences between it and Corneria. It almost brought a tear to Krystal's eye. She didn't have time to admire Corneria's environment, as her training was about to begin.
Climbing into their Arwings, Fox and Falco signaled for Krystal to enter the only Arwing that wasn't taken. The ship itself was one that the team had rented for her to train in. Upon getting in it, the cobalt vixen felt somewhat cramped. It wasn't as big as the ship she used to arrive at the Great Fox, but she knew it wouldn't do her any good to complain. The vulpine was also faced with a control deck that wasn't terribly large. It didn't take her long to see what each button did.
"It's okay." Krystal said to herself. "You've gone through flight lessons on Cerinia, so this probably won't be different."
"Ready, Krystal?" Fox's voice came out of the communicator on the dashboard.
"Ready!" The cobalt vixen said, speaking into a microphone.
Watching as Fox, Falco, and Peppy lifted off, Krystal decided to start the Arwing she was in. Finding the ignition, the cobalt vixen felt the ship slowly rise into the air. Her telepathy sensed for her teammates, making sure that she wasn't far from them. Knowing that they were a few miles away from her, the vulpine sped towards them, deciding to catch up. Once she was near them, she honked the horn on the ship. After that, the others messaged her.
"Well," Peppy spoke, "I see that someone's getting the hang of this!"
"I've had flight lessons on Cerinia, so I know how to use a ship!" Krystal said.
"But have you ever flown in a ship with weapons in it?" Falco asked.
"No, but I know the buttons that control the weapons!" The cobalt vixen said.
"Moving on from that, are you ready for this?" Fox asked.
"Yes!" She said, sounding excited.
To begin Krystal's training, Fox, Falco, and Peppy dived down. She followed them, keeping her speed at the same rate as them. They turned to the left, with the cobalt vixen immediately doing the same. She then followed her teammates up into the air, not letting anything hold her back. Noticing this, Fox knew that the Cerinian hadn't seen any of the team's maneuvers. He signaled Peppy and Falco, knowing that it was the right time for her to try them out.
"Krystal," Fox spoke, "I think it's about time for you to see the maneuvers that we occasionally do on each mission."
"Show me, I'll follow along!" Krystal said.
With those words on his mind, Fox did a barrel roll. Peppy and Falco followed suit, albeit more slowly. Once they got done, they saw Krystal doing the maneuver. In fact, the cobalt vixen did it a few more times. Seeing as she was quick to adapt, Peppy got an idea: Making the training harder for her. The hare did another barrel roll, but dived down while doing so.
Before Peppy could say anything, he saw Krystal doing the same thing he was. The two rejoined their teammates, deciding to move on in the training. Knowing that Peppy was trying to make the training harder, Fox and Falco decided to show Krystal a somersault. Much to their surprise, the cobalt vixen was right on their tail, being quick to try the maneuver. Slowing down, Falco decided to speak with the Cerinian.
"How come you're learning so quickly, Krystal?" The pheasant asked.
"I'm just following each lesson." Krystal said. "Also, in case you've forgotten, I've taken flight lessons on Cerinia!"
"Message delivered!" Peppy said. "You won't have to tell us twice!"
"Well, there's something the rookie hasn't had a lesson in, and that's dodging enemy fire!" Falco said.
"That would be true, if you didn't show me those maneuvers." The cobalt vixen said.
"Well, you're about to learn something new!" The avian said as he did a somersault, going behind her.
Falco fired at Krystal's Arwing, which made her do a barrel roll to avoid taking damage. That didn't stop the pheasant from firing at her. In an attempt to avoid him, the cobalt vixen sped away. However, her telepathy warned that the avian wasn't going to let up on her. Sure enough, he flew around her, preventing her from doing certain maneuvers. No matter what she did, including having her telepathy on guard, Krystal couldn't get away.
"Falco, go easy on her!" Peppy scolded.
"Hey, I'm just giving the rookie a little tough love!" Falco said.
"Shooting at her wasn't part of the training!" Fox shouted.
"Well, then I guess I'm improvising a part!" The pheasant said.
As Falco flew around her and blocked her means of escape, Krystal could feel something inside her snap. She began to feel angry, grabbing her controls and letting out an annoyed growl. It was clear that Falco was being a bully, so the cobalt vixen wanted to give him a taste of his medicine. The vulpine fired at the pheasant's Arwing, intent on hitting him. After a few tries, a round from hers hit his on the wing. In alarm, the avian let out a startled yelp.
"What was that for?!" Falco shouted.
"Don't do that!" Krystal screamed. "Don't you EVER do that! Shooting at me, risking me crashing, was not part of the training! I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET MY LICENSE, AND YOU'RE SHOOTING AT ME!"
Fox and Peppy flew between Falco and Krystal, trying to prevent the situation from escalating.
"That's enough, you two, we don't need to kill each other!" Peppy said.
"HE STARTED IT BY SHOOTING AT ME!" Krystal shouted.
"Krystal, calm down, it's not worth it!" Fox said. "And Falco, don't shoot at a trainee, especially when it's not part of the training program!"
Letting go of the buttons that controlled the main weapon on the Arwing, Krystal stopped firing. She tried to calm herself down, but she was still angry at Falco. The cobalt vixen wanted to beat him to a pulp for trying to shoot her down during training, but she knew that she would be in trouble for doing so. The vulpine flew to the ground, landing near Slippy. She jumped out of the Arwing, trying to keep herself calm.
"You did pretty good, Krystal!" Slippy said, trying to be supportive. "Apart from the fact that you got angry and shot at Falco, you have proven to be a pretty good pilot!"
"Thanks." Krystal said.
"Are you going to get back in, Krystal?" Fox asked, using the communicators.
"No, I just want to go back to the Great Fox." The cobalt vixen responded. "It was a bad day for me."
Hours later, Krystal was laying in bed, asleep. She wanted to sleep off what happened during training, but she couldn't. The cobalt vixen still felt steamed at Falco, to the point where she wanted to call him out for his behavior. He had not apologized for nearly shooting her down during training, and it made her furious. It got to the point where she had a dream about beating up the pheasant and making him cry, even if she got herself hurt in the process. Krystal would wake up every time it happened and try to dream about something else, but it proved to be difficult.
Meanwhile, Star Fox was sitting in the main room, doing what they wanted before bed.
"So, do you think that Krystal will get her license?" Peppy asked.
"Probably, she did a pretty good job at flying today." Fox said.
"Yeah, but she needs to get her attitude together." Falco said.
"Falco, you shot at her." The orange tod said. "How did you think she was going to react to that?"
"Should we be talking about her here?" Slippy asked.
"Krystal's sleeping." Peppy said. "Don't worry, I had her promise not to use her telepathy as she sleeps. It might not save her from a home invasion in the middle of the night, but at least she'll be calm."
"Moving on from that, what's next in her training?" Falco asked.
"She's going to be practicing with blasters tomorrow." Fox said. "I'll be there to keep her from going berserk."
"Let's hope so, because she would be dangerous if she grabbed a blaster while angry!" Slippy said.
"Don't worry, I'll be as calm as I can be." The orange tod stated.
The following day, Fox got Krystal up from bed and had her eat breakfast. Once she was done, the orange tod led her to the training room. The training room itself wasn't very big, but it had a punching bag and targets for shooting at. Handing the cobalt vixen a blaster, Fox stepped back and turned on the target system. He hoped that Krystal wouldn't get frustrated during, primarily because she had a blaster in her hands. Given how she was going to shoot at targets, Fox didn't put too much thought into how the vulpine would act.
For the next few minutes, Krystal violently fired at each target. While doing so, the cobalt vixen let out angered screams. As there was a limited amount of targets, she opened fire at each one. Fox stood in shock, being afraid to approach the raging Cerinian. Once Krystal was done shooting, the targets had been decimated. All that was left of them were chunks of each.
Unnerved by what he saw, Fox left the room. This left Krystal alone with the punching bag, where she began to violently pound on it. Taking the elevator up to the main room, Fox saw Peppy sitting on the couch. The hare didn't notice the orange tod, as he was busy with something. Despite that, the vulpine took a seat on the couch, letting out a sigh.
"Something wrong, Fox?" Peppy asked.
"Well, Krystal's made a mess of the training room." Fox said. "To put it lightly, we're going to need new targets."
"What did she do to them?" The hare asked.
"She pretty much annihilated them with the blaster I handed her." The orange tod said.
"Do you think that we should take her to a therapist?" The lepus asked.
"I almost want to have her go through therapy, but I'm worried about what would happen." The vulpine said. "Odds are, if the therapist got her mad, he or she would be leaving for the hospital in a stretcher!"
"She's angry, Fox, not a homicidal maniac!"
"Let's hope that's the case. Even if she kills someone, I don't think that she would survive in prison."
Peppy put a reassuring hand on Fox's shoulder. The orange tod let out a sigh, knowing that he couldn't keep worrying. However, given how Krystal was behaving, he feared the team getting in a situation where she would lose her temper. If that were to happen, then the cobalt vixen would have to be restrained. While the vulpine would likely kill a majority of the team's enemies, losing her temper would put also put her at risk. At best, Star Fox would stop her and take her back to base. At worst, Krystal would either be captured and/or killed.
Looking over at Peppy, Fox saw that he had a tablet in his hands. The device appeared to be on some sort of email system. Curious, the orange tod read over Peppy's shoulder. This didn't go unnoticed by the hare, who turned his head to his teammate.
"Is something interesting to you?" Peppy asked.
"What are you reading?" Fox asked.
"I'm just checking my inbox." The hare said. "So far, there have been a few messages from General Pepper and two soldiers from the CDF. Aside from that, nothing!"
A fanfare was heard on the tablet, causing Peppy to see why it had done so. By looking at the device with him, Fox was able to see that he had a new message. Peppy opened up the message and smiled. Fox had taken his eyes off the screen, so he didn't know why the hare's demeanor had changed. The orange tod decided to not immediately press him for an answer, as he found it rude. However, something told the vulpine that the message would be something that would knock him back.
"Hey, Fara's sent a message!" Peppy spoke. "She's coming to the Great Fox tomorrow! Isn't that exciting?"
"Fara's coming here?" Fox's eyes widened.
"Yep, she's coming to see how we're doing!" The hare said, oblivious to how his friend's son was reacting.
"Is anyone going to be with her?" The orange tod asked. "Are Fay and Miyu coming as well?"
"Nope, Fara's coming by herself!" The lepus said. "Oh, Krystal will love her, won't she?"
"Yes!" The vulpine said, trying to sound excited. "Yes, Fara and Krystal would be good friends! They would even be best friends!"
Fox walked out of the main room, heading to his room. After that, the orange tod collapsed onto his bed and covered his face with his hands. From there, he screamed into his hands. The vulpine could not believe that Fara Phoenix was coming to the Great Fox. Star Fox had barely any contact with the fennec after he had broken up with her, and now she was messaging them? This alone was something that Fox knew was going to end in disaster.
Dammit, Fara's coming to the Great Fox?! Fox thought to himself. What will happen if she sees Krystal, and vice versa?! Will they get along or will they fight?! Fay and Miyu won't be with Fara, so I don't know whose side they would take! How will Krystal react if Fara insults her?! Will she cry? Will she get angry? Fara's never set foot on Cerinia, but she's heard untrue rumors about it, so what if she says what she has heard to Krystal?!
Knowing that he was starting to worry himself to death, Fox let out a sigh. Calming down for a bit, the orange tod began to think about to tomorrow. He kept his thoughts to himself, not wanting Krystal to pick them up with her telepathy.
But how do I know that it will happen? Fox thought to himself. For all I know, Fara and Krystal will just talk about stuff. Fara could even be an older sister figure to Krystal. Maybe it will be the same case for the other girls. I just hope that's the case.
The next day, Fox saw Krystal eating breakfast in the kitchen. She wasn't alone, as Falco, Peppy, and Slippy were with her. On the table were eggs, bacon, hash browns, pancakes, waffles, and toast. There was even butter, jelly, salt, and pepper, so that anyone could add something to the food. Sitting down, Fox took a seat in-between Krystal and Peppy. He didn't go unnoticed by the former, however.
"Hello, Fox." Krystal spoke.
Fox looked over at Krystal's plate. The cobalt vixen was eating mainly eggs, hash browns and pancakes. As there was no meat on the plate, the orange tod figured that she was afraid that there wouldn't be enough for everyone. There were, after all, small portions of food on her plate.
"I noticed that you don't have any bacon on your plate." Fox spoke. "Why is that, Krystal?"
"I don't eat meat, I'm a vegetarian." Krystal said. "I've got nothing against meat eaters, though."
"Then you might want to avoid certain festivals on Corneria, because there's one with a meat-eating contest." Falco said.
"Fortuna has one, too, but it's not as big." Slippy said.
"Noted." Krystal said.
As there was no one speaking at the moment, Fox decided to talk about what was going to happen today. The only problem he had was that he had no idea how Krystal would react. The cobalt vixen didn't know who Fara was, so Fox worried more about how they would react to each other. He was hoping that the vulpine wasn't reading his mind with her telepathy. The orange tod gulped, not knowing how to begin his speech. However, he was quick to muster up his courage.
"Say, Krystal, there's someone coming to the Great Fox today, and it's someone who I'd like for you to meet!" Fox said.
"You don't seem excited about it." Krystal said.
"Well, I'm just worried about how you would react to each other." The orange tod said.
"If I talk to this person, I'll try to charm them." The cobalt vixen said.
"That might be difficult for you." He said.
"What Fox is trying to say is, well, have you heard of Fara Phoenix?" Peppy asked.
"Oh, I've read about her." Krystal said. "She's the daughter of the CEO of Space Dynamics, the company whose main enterprise is spaceships!"
"Yeah, but Fox is worried that you'll have a fight when you meet each other." Falco said.
"If that happens, I'll defend myself." The cobalt vixen said.
"Are you sure about this?" Fox asked.
"Fox, don't worry!" The Cerinian said. "No matter what happens, I'm sure that Fara and I can talk. We might even become friends by the end of the day!"
Moments later, a black Arwing landed in the docking bay of the Great Fox. Once it stopped running, the cockpit opened up, revealing the pilot on the inside. The pilot happened to be a fennec with green eyes. She was dressed in a pink shirt, a white jacket, a black leather belt with a gold buckle, green pants, and metal boots with white accents on them. Jumping out of her ship, the vulpine looked around, as if searching for something. To her disappointment, she was the only one in the docks.
"Where is everyone?" The fennec asked.
Walking over to the elevator, she pressed a button, causing it to open. Stepping inside, the fennec waited for the elevator to take her to her destination. After a few seconds, the door opened. Upon getting out, the vulpine found that the main room was empty. She was just about ready to leave, finding that her trip was for nothing. However, that was until she heard a familiar voice.
"Lost?"
Turning around, the fennec saw someone she never thought would see again: Fox McCloud. The orange tod was greeting her with a warm smile. She didn't smile back, only showing a surprised expression. The long-eared vixen didn't know what to say. Fox had broken up with her years ago, so it was troubling for her to see him again. The vulpine was still mad at him, even if her anger had subsided since then.
"Aren't you going to say anything, Fara?" Fox asked.
"Don't expect me to give you a hug and a kiss," Fara, the fennec, said, "I only came to see how everyone was doing."
"We're doing fine, we even have a new member!" The orange tod said.
"A new member?" The fennec asked. "Who is this new member?"
"She's with the rest of the team." The vulpine said.
"She?" The long-eared vixen said, looking surprised.
Now Fara was curious about the new member of the team. However, her curiosity mixed in with jealousy. Despite not being with Fox anymore, the fennec had wanted to speak to him for quite some time. Primarily, the vulpine wanted to get back together with him. Of course, that stemmed from when they first broke up. Despite that, Fara felt angry knowing that a new member, who happened to be female, was threatening her chance of getting back together with Star Fox's leader.
Following Fox into the kitchen, Fara saw her former teammates sitting around the table. Falco and Slippy sat on opposite sides, looking like they were in the middle of something. Peppy sat at the farthest end of the table. However, what got Fara's attention was the person who sat at the end facing the entrance. This person happened to be a cobalt blue vixen with green eyes. In addition, she seemed to have odd white markings on her arms, which looked like tattoos.
"Who's the vixen?" Fara asked.
"That's our new member." Fox said.
"She's the new member you were talking about?" The fennec was puzzled.
"Yes, I am the newest member of Star Fox." The cobalt vixen spoke.
"Well, what's your name?" The long-eared vixen asked.
The vixen got up and shook Fara's hand.
"I'm Krystal, Miss Phoenix." She said. "I'm from Cerinia, but I met the team on Sauria."
Upon hearing Krystal's words, Fara began to piece it together. The blue fur and white markings were already a sign that the former wasn't from around the area. However, hearing that she was from another planet confirmed it to the fennec. She had never seen a Cerinian in person, but had heard of them from rumors. This, combined with the jealousy that she felt, made the vulpine want to strike Star Fox's newest member. However, she couldn't, as she knew her former teammates wouldn't tolerate it.
"Nice to meet you." Fara spoke, then turned to Fox. "Is there anywhere I can speak to the rookie in private?"
"The training room's free." Fox stated.
"Great!" The fennec said.
Still holding on to Krystal's hand, Fara led her over to the elevator.
"Have fun, you two!" Peppy called.
"Don't go rough on each other!" Slippy said.
"Yeah, do some gossiping!" Falco spoke.
Entering the elevator, Fara was ready to press the button that led to the training room. However, Krystal did it, pressing the button without hesitation. In response, Fara scowled, looking like she was ready to throttle someone. This didn't go unnoticed by Krystal, as the two were still standing next to each other. The cobalt vixen could sense angry thoughts from the fennec. She hoped that they would fade by the time they got to the training room.
Once the elevator opened up, Krystal was ready to get out, but Fara touched her shoulder.
"I'll go first!" The fennec said in a harsh tone.
Upon getting out of the elevator, Fara entered the training room. Krystal followed her, shortly before the door closed. The cobalt vixen sat down on the floor, simply looking to talk. Her telepathy detected that Fara's angry thought had not gone away. The Cerinian figured that they would need to talk. Odds are, each thought was about the changes that had been made in the fennec's absence.
"I have to admit, it's an honor to meet you, Miss Phoenix!" Krystal spoke. "I only heard of you through the news, but I never thought that we would ever meet! Knowing that you used to be a member of Star Fox, it makes me happier!"
"Don't bother building yourself up to impress me, Cerinian!" Fara hissed.
"I'm not trying to impress you, I'm just trying to be friendly." The cobalt vixen said.
"Act friendly all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that your planet was just a smorgasbord of barbarians, savages, and creeps!" The fennec said. "No wonder Fox found you on Sauria, because it's the only planet that could house someone like you!"
"That's not what Cerinia was like!" The Cerinian said, becoming angry. "By hearing you say that, it's clear that you're letting ignorance cloud your judgement! You have NEVER set a foot on Cerinia, and you're just repeating what some bigots said about it! Those bigots clearly had manure for brains, because they didn't think to set foot on my home planet either!"
"Sure, you just wanted to join the team to lie your way through the Lylat System!" The long-eared vixen said. "Fox just allowed you to be on the team because he was manipulated by whatever lies you told him! Once I tell him what your true intentions are, you'll be off the Great Fox, and back to Sauria!"
Krystal stood up, her hands clenched into fists. The cobalt vixen could not believe the stuff that Fara was saying. Not only was the fennec saying ignorant stuff, but now she was accusing her of manipulating Fox. She even had the nerve to say horrid lies about Cerinia. The long-eared vixen had never visited the planet, and she was mindlessly believing whatever lies she overheard. All of this, combined with the accusations, made Krystal want to punch her right in the face.
"You're just trying to steal Fox from me, aren't you?" Fara spoke. "Oh, of course! Just when I feel like getting back with Fox, he gets the daughter of some tribal chief to replace me!"
"I am NOT the daughter of a tribal chief." Krystal said. "Once again, you're showing your ignorance of Cerinia by saying that. And I only joined the team because Fox helped me save Sauria from destruction!"
"You should've stayed on that planet!" The fennec said. "Maybe then, you would've married some poor sap who has no taste!"
"I'll give you a few seconds to stop, or else!" The cobalt vixen said, trying her hardest to keep calm.
"What are you gonna do, savage?" The long-eared vixen asked, sticking her tongue out.
"You made the wrong move, you stupid JERK!" The Cerinian snapped. "You want a savage?! HERE'S YOUR SAVAGE!!!"
Without warning, Krystal tackled Fara. The fennec pushed the cobalt vixen off of her and slapped her in the face. This didn't stop the Cerinian from head butting her, which knocked her back. The long-eared vixen then fell victim to a punch to the face. She then threw herself at Krystal, attempting to take her down. However, Krystal stood her ground, kicking Fara in the side.
From outside the training room, Star Fox could hear the chaos. It was clear to them that Krystal and Fara were fighting now. They dreaded such a thing happening, as they didn't want for it to happen. Slippy wanted to open the elevator, but Peppy held him back. That didn't stop a familiar voice from popping up in the speaker.
"Fox, help! Get her off of me!"
Opening the elevator, Star Fox saw Krystal grabbing onto Fara, attempting to drag her towards her.
"Stop!" Fox shouted. "Knock it off, you two!"
Krystal let go of Fara, allowing her to get away. However, the cobalt vixen was still fuming, looking like she was ready to kill someone.
"Krystal, have you lost your mind?!" Peppy scolded.
"SHE INSULTED MY PLANET AND MY PEOPLE!" Krystal shrieked.
"We heard, Krystal, but you can't attack people for being like that!" Slippy said.
"I KNOW, BUT IT DOESN'T GIVE FARA A RIGHT TO INSULT CERINIA, EITHER!" The cobalt vixen shouted.
"We'll beating the stuffing out of her won't fix it." Falco said.
"FOX WOULD DO THE SAME THING IF SOMEONE INSULTED THE MEMORY OF HIS LOVED ONES!" The vulpine cried.
Fox was ready to tell off Krystal for her behavior, but he noticed tears going down her face. Insulting Cerinia seemed to be a sure fire way to set off the cobalt vixen, as Fara had done. While he couldn't excuse her outburst, the orange tod knew that yelling at her wouldn't make anything better. Chances are, the Cerinian would shout at him next.
"Krystal," Fox spoke, "calm down. I want you to go lay down for a bit."
In response, Krystal walked over to the elevator. Before she even left, the cobalt vixen let out a sniffle, wiping her eyes. Once she was gone, Star Fox helped Fara to her feet. The fennec wasn't hurt, but she didn't make an attempt to get up during the new member's outburst. However, she was mad at the Cerinian for having done such a thing.
"Oh, that crazy slut!" Fara growled. "When I get my hands on her, I'll -!"
"Fara, what is wrong with you?!" Fox snapped.
"What's wrong with ME?!" The fennec shouted. "Fox, how could you let a new member on the team without consulting me?!"
"Well, we didn't know that you wanted to rejoin!" The orange tod said. "Besides, us hiring a new member is none of your business!"
"But did you have to choose her?" The long-eared vixen said. "Fox, for all we know, your new member could be a potential psychopath!"
"She isn't a psychopath if she knows from right and wrong." Peppy said. "I won't excuse what she did, mainly because she could've killed you, but you shouldn't have said all of that stuff."
"Yeah, Krystal's home exploded, and you were being a jerk by saying all sorts of nasty stuff?" Slippy spoke. "If you ask me, Fara, you need to talk to her and apologize!"
"I won't lie when I say that Krystal did nothing wrong, but you started it by saying all of that stupid crap!" Falco said.
Upon hearing her former teammates yelling at her, Fara couldn't help but feel like a massive heel. Whatever jealousy and resentment she felt started to fade. The fennec only looked down, knowing that she couldn't deny anything that was said about her. Not only that, but the vulpine had no right to say what she said to Krystal, especially when it was all lies she heard. Whatever Cerinia was like, the cobalt vixen did not deserve to lose her home planet. How she acted was how anyone would act if someone insulted their home.
"Okay," Fara sighed, "I'll go talk to her."
Walking over to the elevator, Fara took it up to the main room. Upon getting there, the fennec overheard quiet sobs. By looking to the right, she was able to determine where Krystal was at. The long-eared vixen went down a hallway, where the noise got louder. She came up to a door which led to the guest room. It didn't take long for the vulpine to knock on it.
"Krystal?" Fara spoke. "Are you in there?"
"Go away!" Krystal's voice rang out from within the room.
"Don't worry, I'm not here to yell at you." The fennec said. "I just want to talk to you."
Slowly opening the door, Fara entered the room. Inside, she saw Krystal sitting on the bed. The cobalt vixen was curled in a ball, hiding her face in her legs. She cried quietly, letting out an occasional sniffle. Fara sighed, walking over to the Cerinian. She sat down with her, trying to be gentle.
"Hey, Krystal, I'm sorry for what I said." Fara said. "It was stupid stuff, and I didn't mean any of it."
"And I'm sorry for getting mad at you for it." Krystal said.
"But, I have to ask, what was Cerinia actually like?" The fennec asked.
Krystal didn't say anything, only wiping her eyes. She then pulled out a photo album and handed it to Fara. Curious, the fennec opened it up, wanting to see what it was in it. To her surprise, each page showed a photo taken on Cerinia. What really shocked the long-eared vixen was that the planet seemed to have modern day technology and housing. There was even a large castle in one photo, which looked familiar to the vulpine.
"This is what Cerinia was like?" Fara spoke. "It was kinda like Corneria, wasn't it?"
"Well," Krystal said, "I wouldn't say that. Unlike Corneria, Cerinia was ruled by a monarchy, even though the King hailed from Katina."
"Did it have magic?" The fennec asked. "I mean, is your staff magic?"
"Magic was on Cerinia, but it was only used for certain things." The cobalt vixen said. "The staff is used for offense and defense, but my mom rarely used it."
"Your mom owned that staff?" The long-eared vixen asked.
"Yes, but she gave it to me before Cerinia -!" The Cerinian started to speak, but winced.
A terrible pain started to surge onto Krystal, making her hug herself for comfort.
"Are you alright?" Fara asked in concern.
"My back." Krystal groaned.
"Want me to check it?" The fennec asked.
"No, that's fine!" The cobalt vixen said. "It'll go away in a few minutes!"
"Don't be silly, I'll be as gentle as I can." The vulpine said.
Fara then looked at Krystal's back and began to massage it. While doing so, however, she lifted the fur on the cobalt vixen's back. The fennec could not help but gasp. Under the Cerinian's fur were several scars. The scars were massive, looking like they had been inflicted with a whip. With that in mind, Fara struggled to keep herself from screaming. Krystal could feel it, her telepathy sensing that the long-eared vixen saw what was bothering her.
"My God, Krystal, what happened?!" Fara spoke.
"I got beat up long ago." Krystal said.
"Who beat you up?" The fennec asked. "Were you bullied at school?"
"I wasn't a huge target for bullies, but there was one I remember from grade school." The cobalt vixen said. "She would often pick on those around her, and would occasionally throw a punch to intimidate her victims. No one would stand up to her, until I stopped her from picking on one of my classmates."
"Did she beat you up?" The long-eared vixen said.
"No, but she made a few nasty comments." The Cerinian said. "In return, I made her eat those words. A lot of people didn't think that I would be capable of hitting someone, but I proved them wrong. After all, a Princess deserves a chance to throw a punch."
"You were a princess?"
"Yes, and you reminded me of the bully I was talking about."
"That would explain why you lost your cool on me. I'm sorry for opening old wounds, Krystal!"
Krystal only smiled at Fara, showing that it was okay.
"I can't believe you actually stood up to a bully like that!" Fara said. "It's not everyday that a princess punches a jerk in the face!"
"Definitely not." Krystal said.
"Man, your parents must've been proud of you for doing that!" The fennec said.
All of a sudden, Krystal's smile faded. She felt the pain on her back surge again, causing her to cry out. Concerned, Fara caught the cobalt vixen.
"Krystal?" Fara asked. "What's wrong? Is your back hurting again?"
"It's not just that!" Krystal said. "I'm thinking about the time I got these scars on my back!"
"How did you get them?" The fennec asked.
"My father p-punished me with a cane!" The cobalt vixen whimpered.
"He punished you like that?!" The long-eared vixen asked, mortified by what she heard. "What did you do?! Why did he do that?!"
"I didn't do anything wrong!" The Cerinian cried, sounding on the verge of tears. "All I did was go to school, and he whipped me across my back for it!"
"He didn't allow you to go to school? Why?"
"My father, the King of Cerinia, didn't like it when I did stuff that he didn't want me to do! He hated the idea of me reading, going to school, getting a job, or doing anything that didn't meet his idea of 'good'! That wasn't the worst of it! Not only would he severely punish me for minor things, but he would also yell at me! But, the beating and yelling didn't compare to what he tried to do to me when I was a Junior! A day after I had turned seventeen, he came into my room, yelled at me, and tried to-! He tried to-!"
Unable to speak anymore, Krystal broke down crying, hiding her face in her hands. It didn't take long for Fara to find out what the King of Cerinia had tried to do to the cobalt vixen when she was younger. The fennec felt sickened by hearing about such a thing. She had no idea what else to feel, whether it was sympathy for Krystal, or anger for what her bastard of a father did to her. No parent should do what he had done, and he clearly wasn't fit to be a father. How someone like him got away with his actions was baffling.
"God, Krystal, I'm sorry that you had to deal with that!" Fara said, wrapping the younger female in a hug. "You didn't deserve that! No one deserves that!"
"I just wish that I could've escaped from that hell and went somewhere where I wouldn't be found!" Krystal sobbed.
"Did your mother do anything about this?" The fennec asked.
"She didn't have the power to stop him!" The cobalt vixen sniffled. "Once they had married, my father disliked how a woman was in power, so he stole all of the power from my mother! Despite that, she would often yell at him for his behavior and comfort me when I was alone with her. It was the same role my older sister, Jewel, had."
"How old were you when Cerinia exploded?" The long-eared vixen asked.
"I was barely nineteen when it happened." The Cerinian said. "I wanted to get on the same ship as one of my mentors, Randorn, and his grandson, Sabre, but my father put me on a ship that took me to Sauria. I tried to get away from him, but he dragged me to the ship! He wouldn't even let me see mom, Jewel, and Beryl one more time!"
"At least you won't have to see him again."
"I feel like the worst thing about him was that he wasn't even my real father!"
"The King of Cerinia wasn't your real father? Then who was your real father?"
"I don't know, but my mother told me about him. She told me that I would meet him one day, but didn't know how when that time would come."
Now that Fara had heard everything Krystal had said about herself, she didn't know what to say. The cobalt vixen had a terrible childhood, which likely explained her behavior. Adding that to the fact that she lost her home planet, it was clear that she was in need of help. Fara didn't know if she could be of help, but figured that Star Fox's new member needed a positive environment. She put an arm around the Cerinian, trying to give her more comfort. Krystal smiled from this, wiping tears from her eyes.
"I don't know if you'll find your real father, Krystal, but I can assure you that he'll show up someday." Fara said.
"I hope so, because I really want to meet him." Krystal said.
"I'm sorry you had to go through all that on Cerinia." The fennec said. "Also, I'm sorry that I said all of that stuff."
"And I'm sorry that I attacked you in a fit of rage." The cobalt vixen said.
The two vixens hugged it out, with Fara being gentle. Krystal let out a chuckle, feeling charmed by what was happening. Her telepathy sensed that someone was approaching the room. The cobalt vixen only smiled, knowing who this person was. All of a sudden, the door came open, followed by a familiar voice.
"I see that you two made up!"
Breaking apart, Fara and Krystal saw Fox standing in the doorway. The orange tod smiled warmly at them. In response, the two vixens blushed. They looked at each other and turned back to him.
"Yeah, we worked it out." Fara said.
"And don't think that we haven't." Krystal said.
Nodding, Fox walked away, leaving Fara and Krystal by themselves. Two hours later, Fara left the Great Fox, promising to see the team again. Before leaving, the fennec told Krystal that she could call her in case she wanted to talk. Other than that, Star Fox was happy to hear that the two had become friends. Falco and Fox even agreed about showing Krystal around Corneria City, promising her that she would love it there. But there was something that crossed Fox's mind: How would the CDF react to Krystal?
Note: If any of you have been through abuse, I'm sorry if I opened up scars when Krystal revealed her crappy childhood. No one deserves to be put through abuse, especially if they're an innocent person. It's sickening to hear that people can harm their loved ones for power or dominance. People like that should not be allowed near anyone until they learn how to treat people with respect. True, not every abuse victim can fight back. But, if they can, they should give their abusers whatever they deserve.
I think that this might be the longest chapter of the story. I don't usually write long chapters, but, when I do, it's to really tell a story. I hope that you don't mind if I write chapters like that. Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!