Falling

Several Years Ago - The Plight of Sauria


How had it come to this?

What a way to die, she thought as she felt her life force slowly draining away, trapped in her crystal cage hanging over the top of the Krazoa Palace.

And of course she knew how it had come to this. She had been tricked. She had been betrayed by her captor, who used her powers to channel the Krazoa spirits for whatever evil plan he had. She was sure it was a he, even though it was a spirit without body. She recognised him, but she had no clue from when or where. There was so much she didn't know.

He had disguised him self as a spirit, only revealing himself when she released him into the palace. She had carried that villainous thing inside her since acquiring it by completing the Test of Observation, which the dying Earth Walker man had said only the pure of heart could take. And she had only wanted to help. She wanted to help the inhabitants of this planet, all of the tribes, and stop whatever was breaking this planet apart. She had come to the palace because she had picked up a distress signal.

But on the say she had run into a fight with General Scales and his Sharp Claw army on their flying galleon. She had barely escaped from that tyrannous ruler, who wanted to control the planet with fear. If she'd had her staff, she would have beaten him, she was sure if it. Her staff. It was her most valued possession, her weapon and her defence. It could shoot fire and ice, it could be a shield, and it could even make the ground quake. A projectile from the galleon's cannons had knocked it out of her hand.

To be fair it was her first time riding on her friend Kyte, a magnificent flying reptile, which was hard enough without the howling wind, the torrential rain and the blinding lightning. Still, she had been too careless and losing the staff had been so unnecessary, so stupid and so disastrous!

When she had picked up the distress signal, she had been living Kyte and the Cloud Runner tribe, which took their name from their ability soar through the skies. It was with them, where she had learnt the ways of the tribes on this planet, which they called Sauria. They were so different people, from the powerful but gentle horned Earth Walkers, ruling the planet together with the Cloud Runners, to the small and reclusive Light Foots. Or maybe she was the different one? She had find that she could talk with her mind to them, and they could answer her, which is how she had learnt their language. But they didn't seem to be able to think to each other.

As different as she was to them in ways and looks, the Cloud Runner tribe had taken her in, especially the youngsters and her friend Kyte. Kyte was also the one that had found her when she had landed her ship on this planet. She had come here in search for her parents. At least she thought so.

Before that there was a falling sensation, a swirling vortex, a beam of light and ... nothing! Nothing except for a deep voice. Cerinia is doomed. Save the Dinosaur Planet, my girl, and you'll be safe there too.

It must have been her father, right? She liked to believe so.

She knew things. She knew about things. Kyte had asked how old she was. She had answered nineteen because, well, if felt about right. She knew she was young, yet a woman and not a girl anymore. She knew how to handle her staff. Oh, her staff, how she needed it back! But who was she? Where did she come from? A planet called Cerinia, yes, but where was that? What had happened to her? It was like nineteen years of memories had been erased from her mind.

And she knew her name was Krystal. Krystal locked up in a crystal cage. How ironic! It felt like her life had just begun and now she was about to die.

But she was desperately clinging to a final hope. Her staff! Oh, yes, it had many powers. She had a bond with it. It had a mind of its own and she could talk to it, talk through it. Someone had found it. She had tried to sense who it was, tried to talk to their mind, but it was far away and difficult. Yet it felt different. She was sure it wasn't a Saurian who had found it. So she had tried to talk one last time before she got too weak.

If you are receiving this message then I am in great danger.

After that she had sensed it from time to time, and it was moving around, but she was too weak to follow, and it was some time ago. How long, she didn't know. This was so wrong. She didn't want to be the one trapped, waiting to be rescued by some knight in shining armour. She wanted to fight!


She realised that something was changing. There were more spirits circling her cell than before and could feel a strange energy building. Suddenly they all surged through her and into the large statue behind her cell. And then there was a voice.

"What's going on? You said this would save her!"

There was desperation in it.

"No! Wake up! Wake up!"

And she did wake up and the crystal shattered around her. I'm free, she thought, but underneath her was just a gaping hole and she fell.

Then something unexpected appeared. Her staff! She reached out with her right hand, managed to catch the very tip of it, and a sharp pain shot through her arm as the staff broke her fall. She grabbed the edge of the well with her left hand and pulled herself up. Someone else's hand took her right.

"I've got you!"

She looked up to see who had spoken and then she drowned ... in his gaze. He definitely wasn't Saurian. Big green eyes, red hair with an unruly white tuft on top, a face shaped like hers and those pointy ears just like hers. Was he Cerinian too? A young man in scruffy jacket and red scarf around his neck rather than shining armour, but so ... handsome? Oh, he'd got her all right!

I AM REBORN! THE MIGHTY KRAZOA GOD!

The booming voice and evil laughter broke the spell and the man pulled her up. The huge and still growing head of the Krazoa statue was floating high above their heads.

KNEEL ALL THOSE THAT STAND BEFORE ME!

"We will never kneel to you!" shouted Krystal. Then she recalled her staff and snatched it out of her saviours hands. "Give me that!"

"Hey! ... Wait! Well, thanks for nothing. If it wasn't for me you wouldn't be standing here at all."

"My Staff! You're back!"

Then she pointed it towards the ascending and shape changing head and fired round after round of red energy blast towards it, but it did nothing. The Krazoa God kept rising, off to whatever evil doings it had planned. She turned and saw her saviour running away. Here goes my hero, she though, and I didn't even get your name.

Soon she could hear the high-pitched whining of engines and a dart shape ship screamed across the sky, leaving blue streamers behind it, through the rain and up towards the clouds. She stood there for a long time, letting the rain soak her, until the clouds lit up, not from lightning but from fire like a shooting star. There was an overwhelming sensation of anguish, then peace. She understood the villain was dead.


"Star Fox?" said Krystal.

"Yes, and they're all like super pilots," said Tricky the young but already massive Earth Walker prince excitedly, jumping up and down so that the ground was shaking. He had been telling Krystal and Kyte all about his adventures with Fox McCloud, which was the name of Krystal's rescuer. "And they're still up there in their great ship, and they're from a different planet called Corneria, which is like on the opposite side of the Day Star."

Corneria? So not Cerinia then, contemplated Krystal.

"And Fox said there are other planets and people too, but we don't have anything to do with them," continued Tricky and looked up towards the skies. "I wonder what it would be like though, on a ship flying between those worlds."

Lonely, thought Krystal and looked up too. Unless you're not alone. Kyte saw her day dreaming.

"You're not thinking about going with them, are you?" said Kyte. "Everyone would miss you so much!"

"Yeah, me too!" Tricky blurted out.

"I was just wondering if they'd know anything about my planet Cerinia".

"They do look a lot like you. Well, Fox does," said Tricky and his broad forehead wrinkled into a frown. He thought long and hard and then said solemnly. "You should go!"

"You really think so?"

"I'm afraid Tricky is right for once," sighed Kyte. "They might know. There is so much more out there."

"Thank you my friends!" said Krystal and embraced them, tears beading in her eyes.

"You should hurry before they leave!" said Kyte.

"And if I can get myself one of those fast ships," finished Krystal, "then I'll be back in no time."


She had gathered her few belongings and boarded her little ship, which had taken her here to Sauria. She marvelled at the sight, as she broke thorough above the atmosphere and could see the lush planet under her. She had no idea how she had gotten that ship, but somehow she did know how to work it. She was just letting her fingers touch the controls without thinking about it, and somehow it opened a communications channel to the large ship called the Great Fox, which was orbiting Sauria.

A man appeared on the hologram, but to her disappointment it wasn't Fox, but an older man with grey hair, long ears and small spectacles on is nose.

"Hello! My name is Krystal." she said.

"Krystal? Yes, of course you are. I've heard so much about you," said the old man. "Sorry, I'm Peppy Hare."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Peppy Hare!"

"Oh, stop! Everyone calls me Peppy," the old man chuckled. "But I assume you really want to talk to Fox?"

"Well, actually, yes...," she said. The older man seemed so nice.

"He's around here on he ship somewhere, but not right here right now. Can I take a message?"

"Yes, please!"

"Ok, I'm recording."

She started talking, but then she trailed off, because she just had an idea on how she really could impress Fox. She asked Peppy to relay the message and signed off. The Great Fox came into view. She slowed down as she got closer, manoeuvred through the plasma gate and touched down. She stepped out of her little vessel and took in the marvel of the huge ship. She could sense people in high spirits and made her way in that direction. She stopped outside a door from which she could her several peoples voices, and then her own from the message being played back.

"Hi, Fox! I really appreciate what you did for me. I'm just so sorry we didn't get much of a chance to talk. I'm left with just one thing to do..."

She opened the door and stepped in. The crew of four and their android were there, but she only had eyes for Fox.

"And that's to say, thank you."

Fox was lost for words and blushed, his face matching his red hair.

"...Well, uh, OK. I mean, sure, no problem!"

The short stumpy man who must be the one called Slippy laughed.

"You're not shy, are you, Fox?"

"My sensors indicate Fox's temperature is rising," buzzed the android. "Are you OK Fox?"

There was more laughter and Krystal couldn't help giggling too.

"I'm gonna be just fine," said Fox. He scratched the back of his head, thinking for a while.

"Hey...," he started. "I mean... Would you like to come with us for a while?"

She contemplated.

"I'll join you if you kiss me!"