A.N.: hey I'm back after what seems like an eternity away Shadow Ax is back and is ready to finish this story even thought it's far from over for Fox and Krystal.

At the planetary structure Krystal and Fox were setting up for their next phase of their plan. Fox the scanners show that this structure is just like the one on the apariods home world. Fox launched a bomb into the structure creating the opening that they needed. Fox flew in first with Krystal behind him. The structure was a winding tunnel which would take them to the planet's center core.

"The resemblance of this tunnel to the one on the Aparoid home world is uncanny" Krystal stated, "wait whats that up ahead?"

"It looks like a dome, but we aren't even close to the core." Fox answered, the dome contained a city in ruins, covered in purple and blue vines. In the center of the city,

a spire erected from the ground and the vines that covered the city converged toward the center of the spire.

"It seems that, that spire is drawing power from the city and I bet it leads to the planet's core." Krystal reasoned,

"I didn't think it'll be this easy." Fox joked, "Careful what you say Fox." Krystal warned,

The arwings flew toward the top of the spire. At the top the arwings took a nose dive into the spire's opening. Fox and Krystal found themselves inside a complex network of tunnels.

"Fox, the sensor is starting to fade away we need to pick a path quickly."

"Alright let's take the southern path." Fox instructed.

The arwings flew south into the tunnel and continued on.

"We must be getting closer to the core but something is not right." Krystal worried,

"Like what?" Fox asked,

"Its like we are getting closer to the core but we haven't faced much to no opposition what so ever. The defenses on the aparoid planet were a lot more dangerous than what we experienced so far." Krystal responded.

"Now that you've mention it, it does seem strange. Guest they heard Fox McCloud was coming." Fox joked,

"Don't get to optimistic Fox we're far from finish here." Krystal warned.

The arwings finally came to the core's opening, It was another dome just like the one they found the city in but it was much bigger. At the bottom of the dome laid the energy core, it was the size of several Great Foxes and seemed to give the surrounding area a dark energy glow.

"Fox, how are we supposed to take something of that size out?"

Before Fox could answer he noticed a large lump staring to emerge from the energy core. It wasn't until the lump stared to take shape did he tell Krystal to get into battle formation alpha. The figure was twice the size of the Aparoid Queen but it took the figure of a General Fox knew all to well.

"Ah how the heroes have fallen, such a simplistic trap and yet the great Fox McCloud leads his teammate straight into it. There is no escape this time Fox!"

The upper body had formed but the lower body remained connected to energy core.

General Scales swatted at the two arwings with his right hand but missed.

"Krystal, split off to the right while I get his attention." The arwings spun in two different directions. Like Fox guess the General turned his attention on him, the General swung with his claw, but Fox rolled out of the way and put distance between him and Scales. Scales lifted his claw and launched it at Fox.

"Well this is unexpected." Fox said as he dodged to the right, the claw flew past him; he could see that there was a organic cord connected to it. Fox fired two shots into it severing the claw from the general. The General bellowed in response.

"That got to hurt!" Fox cringed at the sight of the claw falling into the planets' core but it gave Fox an idea.

Scales turned his attention toward Krystal and tried to bite down on the arwing only to get a mouth full of after burn.

"Krystal, concentrate your fire at the core while I distract him" Fox ordered.

Fox dived bombed the general's head causing it to explode only to reform in the most disgusting way Fox has ever seen.

"Nice try Fox but as you are now perfectly aware that I can not be killed, For I am INVICABLE!" Scales bellowed.

"Maybe but you obviously you must have slept through bad ideas for evil bastards 101, here's a free lesson, Never connect yourself to a highly volatile power core!" Fox said as he fired two smart bombs at the core.

Scales turned to see that Krystal had managed to break the core's shielding and that the bombs were making their way to it.

"NOOOOOOO" the General yelled, as Fox and Krystal made their way to the tunnels leading up to the surface.

Krystal didn't dare to look back at the following explosion "Fox we're going to need to go a lot faster if we are not to get fried!" "Agreed, punch to maximum burn and keep up."

As the two arwings sped thru the tunnel Fox and Krystal could see that aparoids were panicking and were also trying to get away from the fire ball.

"Fox I see the opening up ahead"

"Great lets get out of here"

The two arwings shot trough to the surface and had already clear the atmosphere.

Fox let out a sigh of relief and both Krystal and Fox took a look back to see that the planet that was once covered in bluish purple veins had now turned into a crimson red with bright yellow veins covering it before it burst like a super nova.

"Fox, Krystal come in" it was Peppy's voice Fox notice he sounded worried.

"hey old timer, Fox here"

"Krystal reporting in"

"Fox, Krystal, we need you to get back to the Great Fox immediately we receive a distress call around the time we lost contact with you."

"Were did it come from?" Fox asked.

"Corneria."

A.N. it's far from over. Again I'm sorry for not updating but summer does that to you. Stay for the next chapter "Long journey home."