Note: I don't have a whole lot to say here, other than how I need to think of certain scenarios before I write chapters. By doing that, I could probably save a story from going downhill in terms of quality. I don't know, but I just want to prevent each of them from turning boring and bad. Before we get on with the story, I have something to two reviewers.
Big Bossk Man 92: He really made an appearance, didn't he? I wouldn't get too comfortable, because I have a feeling that he'll appear again. As for Falco and Katt, they need to keep their eyes open. Even if they know that Krystal and Leon are vampires, that doesn't mean that they're the only ones. We can only hope that Krystal restrains herself and doesn't feed on them. Stay tuned for what happens.
The White Wolf named Alex: Yeah, Krystal's not having an easy time in this story. She didn't have an easy time in the original version, either, considering how much darker it got overtime. This time around, she's being forced into killing her teammates. Will she do it? Stay tuned to find out.
Now that I've gotten that out of the way, it's time for chapter eight.
Chapter 8: Tense Dinner
As soon as he landed his Arwing in the docking bay, Falco was eager to confront Krystal. Helping Katt out of the ship, the pheasant led her to the elevator to the Great Fox, opening it up. The two walked in, deciding to take it up to the main room. While the elevator was moving, the avian and the feline had a small conversation.
"Man, I hope that Fox hears that message I sent him!" Falco said.
"He will, hon." Katt said. "For now, we need to confirm our suspicions on Krystal."
"There's nothing else to throw us off." The pheasant said. "It's clear that Krystal's a bloodsucker now, and we need to either stake her, or find whoever turned her into one!"
"Let's stick with the latter, because I don't think Fox will be happy to see us staking his girlfriend in the heart." The pink cat said.
"Krystal and Fox aren't going out, Katt." The avian said.
"Whatever." The feline said.
The moment the elevator opened up, Falco and Katt stepped out into the main room. Shortly after doing this, Katt heard something in the kitchen. Alarmed by the sound, the pink cat gestured for Falco to come near her. Drawing out their blasters, the two slowly approached the entrance, ready for whatever was in the kitchen. Before they could take another step, however, the door came open. This was followed by a familiar Estuary English-accented voice greeting them.
"Hey guys! I see that you've gotten back from your date!"
Seeing Krystal standing in the doorway didn't cause Falco and Katt to put away their blasters. Instead of that, the two looked at her with quizzical looks. The pheasant and the pink cat could see that the cobalt vixen didn't look happy to see them, despite the enthusiasm in her voice. Rather, she looked sad, almost as if she were reluctant to do something. The Cerinian's left eye was twitching, looking like she was about to cry. Her hood was up, leaving only her face visible to whoever wanted to speak to her.
Katt slowly approached Krystal, still holding her blaster out. The cobalt vixen didn't seem to be alarmed, only looking the woman in front of her straight in the eyes. Her lack of reaction surprised Falco, to the point where he started to lower his blaster. The pheasant knew that it was wrong for him to lower his guard towards someone who could be dangerous, but he felt bad for pointing a weapon at one of his teammates. As cautious as he wanted Katt and himself to be around Krystal, he didn't want their encounter with her to end in a bloodbath. If possible, the avian just wanted to know who turned the vulpine into a vampire, even if the answer was an obvious one.
"Hey, Krystal, what's wrong?" Falco asked in concern, still holding up his blaster.
"I've been sensing suspicion from you, and you're right to feel that way." Krystal said.
"I am?" The pheasant asked.
"Yes." The cobalt vixen said. "I'll admit, I've been acting strange for the last day or so."
"You definitely have, hon." Katt said. "How you've been acting has gotten everyone concerned."
"I didn't mean to worry everyone, it's just that I haven't been feeling good lately." The vulpine said.
"Are you sure that it's not something else?" The pink cat asked.
"No, but thanks for asking. I'm going to head back to my room now, if you don't mind."
Stepping out of her way, Falco and Katt went over to the couch. Once Krystal was out of earshot, the two had a conversation, speaking mainly in whispers.
"Well, she apologized for making everyone feel concerned." Katt quietly said.
"That doesn't change the fact that she's in danger now." Falco whispered.
"In danger how?" The pink cat whispered.
"Well, if she actually is a vampire, then we'll have to keep her away from anyone willing to stake her in the heart." The pheasant stated.
"Falco, no one believes in vampires." The feline said. "Besides, who really carries wooden stakes with them nowadays?"
"Have you heard of someone named Orlando Helsing?" The avian asked.
"You mean the guy who works at the detective agency? I haven't spoken to him, but people have told me about him."
"Well, he told the guys that he's eager to prove the existence of the supernatural, and I'm worried about what he would do if he found out that Krystal was a vampire."
"Hon, I highly doubt that she would be outed just by being in his proximity. Even a vampire would be more cautious around a vampire hunter."
"I just think that it would be better if she never spoke to Mr. Helsing."
"Well, I don't think that they'll talk to each other any time soon. After all, it's not like Mr. Helsing's going to come to the Great Fox at some point in the future."
All of a sudden, Falco's communicator rang. In alarm, he looked through his jacket, trying to find it. The pheasant was quick, to the point where he muffled the noise with his hands. Upon seeing who was calling him, the avian answered the call, wanting to get it over with. Before he could even speak, the caller prevented him from doing so, their high voice catching him off guard.
"Falco, I got your call!" Fox's voice came out of the communicator. "You said that we would need all the help that we can get, but why?"
"Well, Katt and I encountered Leon while we were down on Corneria, but he wasn't like how he usually was." Falco said.
"What do you mean by that?" The orange tod asked.
"I mean that he was avoiding sunlight, using psychic powers, using magic, and threatening to drain us of our blood." The pheasant said.
"He's avoiding sunlight, too?" Peppy asked. "What the hell is going on in the Lylat System?"
"I don't know," the avian said, "but I think that there might be vampires in space now."
"Vampires?" Fox sounded aghast. "I can understand if there was a new trend going around, but I'd be surprised to actually see a vampire."
"Could Mr. Helsing have been right about the murders being caused by vampires?" Peppy's voice came out of the communicator.
"If we're going by the holes in the neck of each corpse, then it makes sense." Katt spoke into the communicator. "In that case, we need to start looking for vampires and staking them in their hearts before they can kill anyone else."
"We will, but we have something else going on tonight." Fox stated.
"And what would that be?" Falco asked.
"Remember Mr. Helsing?" The orange tod spoke. "Well, we've invited him over to dinner. Fara wants us to get to know him better."
"She's bringing him here?" The pheasant asked.
"Yeah," Peppy spoke, "and he's interested in offering our services to us."
"I don't see how he could help us." The avian said. "After all, the guy is after vampires and other supernatural creatures."
"Fara just wants him to see where she worked before getting a job with him." Fox's voice said.
"Should we cook dinner before they get to the Great Fox?" Katt asked.
"Yeah, but get Slippy and Krystal to help you out." The orange tod said.
"About that," Falco said, "Krystal told us that she wasn't feeling good, so we probably shouldn't have her help us out."
"Okay, well, then get Slippy to help." The vulpine said.
"Will do." Katt said. "We'll see you guys when you get to the Great Fox!"
Upon hanging up his communicator, Falco walked to the kitchen. Before he was even out of sight, the pheasant turned his attention back to Katt, telling her to go get Slippy. The pink cat complied, walking into the elevator. Once he was alone, the avian got food out of the fridge, the pantry, and cabinets. He preheated the oven, turned on burners, and opened cans, intent on pouring their contents into pots and bowls. When Katt returned with Slippy, Falco had them prepare other parts of the meal. The rest of the team would arrive with Fara and Orlando at any minute, and they were eager to get it done before they arrived.
Meanwhile, in her room, Krystal was laying on her bed again. The cobalt vixen's stomach was growling, almost sounding like a vicious beast from a fairy tale who the hero would have to fight. Her head was throbbing as well, giving her a slight headache. Both feelings became unbearable for the Cerinian-vampire, as she found herself curling in a ball. Tears ran down her cheeks, pain surging through her body and making her sore. To her, it was like she had been exercising for too long, or if she had just completed a grueling training program, with the effects only kicking in a day after she had done it.
Krystal, what are you doing? Wolf's voice echoed in her head.
I didn't feed on anyone! Krystal responded with her telepathy.
I figured that you didn't, but you have to. The lupine responded. You can't survive on the preserves forever, because there's not enough blood in a single jar to really satisfy you.
Wow, thanks for telling me that. The cobalt vixen sent a sarcastic message with her telepathy. You could've told me that when you handed me the first damn jar, but you held off such an important piece of information until now.
Don't get sarcastic with me! The one-eyed mercenary scolded. I'm trying to help you as best as I can!
Well, I don't think it will really matter when I get staked in the heart. The Cerinian said via telepathy.
Honestly, with your luck, you would just be interrogated. The canine said.
All of a sudden, Krystal felt her telepathy pick up someone near the Great Fox. To her relief, it was only Fox and Peppy, the two having gotten done with their personal business on Corneria. However, there was someone else with them. This person was flying a black Arwing, having a passenger with them as well. It didn't take long for Krystal to see that the pilot of the ship was Fara, with her passenger being her new boss, Orlando Helsing. The cobalt vixen gasped, knowing that she was in trouble.
Shit! Krystal thought to herself. I'm going to be near Mr. Helsing now!
Looks like you'll need to postpone feeding on someone until after he leaves. Wolf responded via telepathy. If you want my advice: Act like you're normal.
I'll try, but I doubt that it will fool him. The cobalt vixen telepathically said.
Just keep the moron off of your tail! The one-eyed lupine's voice echoed in her head. I'll talk to you later, Krystal, depending on if you're still alive!
After that, Krystal decided to play it cool during Orlando's visit at the Great Fox. It wasn't hard for the cobalt vixen to do, seeing as she would speak to anyone who she could trust. Now that she was a vampire, all she needed to do was act like she wasn't one. Even if Falco and Katt knew, the Cerinian could tell that no one else did. However, she was tempted to tell everyone in the team that she was a vampire, even if Wolf would punish her for it. Krystal's fears were starting to go away, despite dreading the idea of her friends getting killed by the one who turned her into a creature of the night.
There was a knock on the door of the elevator, signaling that there was a visitor. Krystal was willing to answer it, but, Falco beat her to it. She didn't mind, however, as she decided to walk to the kitchen. Taking her seat, the cobalt vixen waited for everyone else to come into the room. Katt and Slippy were standing up, watching over the food that hadn't finished cooking. Everything else was on the table, along with plates, silverware, napkins, and glasses of water. It was almost like stepping into a fancy restaurant during a social gathering.
Hearing the elevator close, Slippy, Krystal and Katt saw a few silhouettes coming up to the kitchen. The first person to step into the room was Fox, who looked surprised at the scene before him. Peppy was next, and he wound up sharing Fox's reaction to how the table was decorated. Fara and Orlando came after him, with the latter letting the former enter before he did. As Falco entered the kitchen, he saw how surprised his teammates (sans Slippy and Krystal) were when they laid their eyes upon the table, while also noticing how stoic Fara and Orlando were.
"I'm impressed by this!" Peppy spoke.
"How were you guys able to do this?" Fox asked, looking at Katt and Slippy.
"We had help from Falco." Slippy said.
"Should we sit down?" The orange tod asked.
"Well, yeah, dinner's just about ready!" Falco said.
Once everyone was in the kitchen, they took their seats at the table. From there, Star Fox and their guests waited for the dish in the oven to finish cooking. Katt was still standing, so she would be the one to get it out. As they waited, the team discussed what they were doing before now. While there was some humor in their conversation, they kept a majority of it professional. Fara in particular was calm and collected, as if she were a nurse watching over one of her patients. To her, being around her former teammates was just like another day at the office.
As he was sitting next to her, Fox noticed how different Krystal was acting. Earlier in the day, the cobalt vixen was quiet, almost as if she had lost her voice altogether. Now, she was talking to her teammates and the two guests they had for dinner. While he was glad to see her being much more vocal, Fox still had some concerns for the vulpine. From his experience, whenever someone acted happy after being down for quite some time, that often meant that they were hiding something. And whenever someone who suffered from depression was hiding something, that meant ...
No, she wouldn't do that. Fox thought to himself. Even if Krystal's been rather gloomy as of late, she would NEVER dream of doing it!
"I'm not thinking about that, Fox." Krystal spoke.
Fox was initially shocked that Krystal was able to hear his thoughts. Knowing that she was a telepath, the orange tod got over it. This wasn't the first time he forgot about the cobalt vixen's telepathy. A few months ago, the team was on a rescue mission that took place on Fortuna. While they were able to rescue the hostages, Star Fox was caught in a trap that disabled their communicators. Luckily, Krystal used her telepathy to signal where everyone was, which caught Fox off guard. He put it aside, apologizing for forgetting about the Cerinian's telepathy.
Now that the team was having dinner with Fara and Orlando, Fox felt that it was rude to act how he did. Before he could say anything to Krystal, she turned around and spoke to him.
"There's no need to apologize." The cobalt vixen said. "I don't mind that you forgot my powers, because I've had friends who forgot about them as well."
"I was just about to ask why you were so happy all of a sudden." Fox spoke. "It seemed like just yesterday that you were down."
"I just wasn't feeling well on that day." Krystal said. "All I needed was just a little rest."
"Good to know." The orange tod said.
The moment the oven beeped, Katt immediately opened it up and took a thermometer to the dish that was in it. After a few seconds, the red line on the thermometer went to the top, meaning that the dish was done. Pulling it out, the pink cat set it on a potholder. Once that happened, Falco pulled the foil off, revealing what was underneath. The dish turned out to be a rib roast, one that looked big enough to feed everyone. It also looked as black as charcoal, but it wasn't burnt to a crisp. This was proven when Falco sliced into the meat, revealing that it was brown in the middle.
With everything done, Star Fox, Fara, and Orlando began eating. Except for Krystal, everyone had a piece of the rib roast. The side dishes were rice, green beans, and potatoes, so there was plenty of food to go around. There was even a bag of bread rolls, which wound up being used by a few in an attempt to make a miniature sandwich with the rib roast. For dessert, Fara had brought a pan full of caramel brownies, which she had made earlier in the day. No one touched them, as they wanted to get dinner out of the way before digging into the brownies.
As the team ate dinner, Krystal was eating the vegetables and the rolls that she could get her hands on. Despite her guts telling her to stop eating, as they couldn't handle normal food, the cobalt vixen ignored them. She played it cool, knowing what would happen if she didn't. However, the vulpine caught the eye of Orlando. The coyote seemed to be focused on her plate, almost having a puzzled expression on his face. Krystal continued eating, not minding the odd look that she was getting.
"Not a meat eater, I see?" Orlando spoke.
"Of course not, Mr. Helsing." Krystal said. "I haven't eaten meat for the longest time, not even when I was in elementary school."
"So, you're a vegetarian?" Fara asked.
"Yes." The cobalt vixen said. "I have always found it wrong to consume a dead animal."
"If I had known that, then I would've brought you tofu or something." Orlando said. "For not speaking to you prior to this meeting, I apologize."
"That's alright," the Cerinian said, "I'm used to eating fruits, grains, and vegetables when everyone else has meat. I still eat eggs, though."
Moving past that, the group continued eating their dinner, wanting to finish it. Once they were finished, Fara stood up, pushing in her chair. She then walked to the front of the kitchen, so that everyone could see her. Orlando followed suit, standing next to the fennec. The moment they were standing side by side, the coyote picked up a glass and tapped it with a spoon.
"Everyone," Orlando spoke, "I would like to thank you for letting Fara and I in for the evening. However, now that we're finished with dinner, don't expect us to leave just this minute. As we have revealed to you before, we are currently on the search for the creatures of the night. While you might find the idea of hunting for vampires in outer space silly, you might change your mind when we show you the evidence we have gathered."
"Evidence?" Slippy asked. "What evidence?"
Fara reached into her pocket and pulled out a small orb. Pressing a button on the orb, the fennec revealed a series of photographs in it. Star Fox looked through each picture, curious as to what she and Orlando could've found. The team (Katt included) was mortified by the amount of dead bodies in some of the pictures. Instead of one or two, there was around seven corpses in certain pictures. Not only that, but there were diagrams showing saliva samples taken from the holes on the neck of each body. Each sample provided enough proof that the murderer was not normal, and that the person was not alive.
"Just today," Fara said, "we found each of these corpses in the shade. In order to make sure that they were dead, Orlando staked each in the chest. After that, we collected samples from the bodies, taking them to the mobile lab that we brought with us. From there, we were able to determine that the samples were from an undead creature, which confirmed that the murderer was not alive."
"So, are you saying that the murderer is a vampire?" Fox asked.
"Indeed, but we don't have the identity of our undead friend yet." Orlando said.
"Okay, this stuff is just crazy!" Peppy spoke. "Even if the murderer is a vampire, then that doesn't mean that he'll be on the run for long! Someone will find him, won't they?"
"If they don't, then we'll have to be the ones to do it." Fara said, gesturing towards Orlando and herself.
"After all, who else would kill a monster and look good while doing it?" Orlando asked.
Star Fox only sighed as they heard that. They were somewhat dismayed to see Orlando acting all arrogant and tough, even in a situation where vampires were roaming around. While it was normal for a monster hunter to be eccentric and a bit crazy, arrogance didn't make them better. Fearlessness wasn't much of a virtue as well, given how it led to death under certain circumstances. Even though they wanted to respect Orlando's line of work (as well as Fara's decision to work for him), they were thinking that his attitude was going to get him killed, unless he was able to prove that he had something to back it up.
An hour later, Orlando and Fara had left the Great Fox, promising to speak to the team when they had the time. Falco decided to take Katt home, as she had arrived with him. Fox and Peppy had a conversation with each other, talking about whether or not to speak to General Pepper about the dead bodies that were found on Corneria. Slippy went to the lab, ready to work on the gadgets that he promised that he would. As for Krystal, she went back to her room. Once she had gotten there, the cobalt vixen collapsed on her bed, letting out a groan.
Now that she was alone again, Krystal was beating herself up. Seeing the corpses that Orlando and Fara had found on Corneria had reminded her that she was another creature of the night. The cobalt vixen didn't love what she was now, she hated what she was. No matter what Wolf had said to her, she wanted to be free of the whole thing, and she wanted to keep her teammates from being killed. How could she feed on her teammates, even after all they have done for her? Why would she sink to the low level of killing those around her for sustenance, with the knowledge that she was helping the leader of a rival team potentially create an army of the dead?
Fear was starting to evaporate from Krystal's subconscious. It was slowly being replaced by a rebellious spirit that told her to strike back against the man who turned her into a monster. The cobalt vixen was told to show bravery and courage in the past, and she was ready to show both of them again. No matter what happened, the Cerinian vampire wouldn't let Wolf keep her from helping her team. The one-eyed lupine said that she had to obey everything he said to her, but she only wanted to free herself from her undead position and keep her loved ones from falling victim to him and any other vampire. Her desires spread to anyone else who was fed on or turned into more vampires, wanting to avenge the dead and save those who were transformed like her.
If it's the last thing I do, I'll fight back against Wolf! Krystal thought to herself. Falco might know what I am now, but that doesn't mean that I'm betraying the team! No matter how powerful Wolf is, I'll make sure that Orlando knows the identity of the man who turned me into a vampire!
Note: Might want to be prepared for when Orlando decides to stake you in the heart, Krystal. Even if you're not evil, you're still a vampire. And let's just hope that Wolf didn't hear what you were thinking, because you might be in BIG trouble. Star Fox might need to build technology that can destroy vampires now. Will they be able to do it? Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!