SchmEthan here:
Before I reveal the results of the little poll, I'd just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has read this story! It started out as a little idea from Wolf's advice as I was replaying Assault, and now it's turned out to be quite good! And to all those who reviewed: thank you very, very much! I shall take a moment to name all my reviewers from day one: VENOMDARK, Captain Fox McCloud, Agent Houndeye, cari la fenix, Skatepunk172, notfromearth7, StarFoxAddict93, and the incredibly comprehensive Assassin-CLT. Actually, the results are NOT in favour of your choice, Assassin, sorry!
And here we go!
In 3rd place, we have Kew with a grand total of 1!
Barely trailing in 2nd is Corneria with 2.
Leaving the number 1 spot, the setting for the final chapter of Don't Hesitate, to Sauria! Well, I say Sauria, I mean orbiting Titania, Venom, THEN Sauria. But either way...
Again, thanks to all who've read, reviewed, faved, alerted, voted and anything else! Appreciated!!
And so, the final chapter of the trilogy is here. Although, I may do an epilogue or two, if any of you wish it to be so (might, just might, detail Fox and Krystal's initial day out to Sauria...)
Oh, by the way, this vaguely follows the Command story of Fox deciding, but most of it's my own thoughts and actions. Also, Star Wolf's there, just for effect and general plotting and stuff. Please don't kill me?
Enjoy!
SchmEthan.
PS- The tail end of the chapter was a bit rushed; I am writing this 6 hours before I leave for a trip to Germany. There may be some errors and the sentence structure may be slightly dodgy, but forgive me.
"Don't hesitate. When the time comes, just act..."
Fox's Final Heeding: His Own Consequence
She was seated on a grassy mound in Sauria's lush grasslands with her legs brought to her chest, thinking. Thinking about all the things that were, that had been and what could be. And the reason behind it all. Fox McCloud. True, without him she would perhaps be dead, forever sealed inside an impenetrable crystal or having plummeted to her demise. But, in truth, she felt dead without him. He gave her everything; a family, a home, a job. Someone to love. And he threw it away.
There was no doubt, even in her mind, that she had overreacted on that day- they both had- especially when she ran into Panther in the coffee shop. Although, I'm glad he was there...
For just one moment, she cleared her mind of everything but one person. The person that meant everything to her. He was her life, even though he was no longer part of it, and she let memories, good and bad, overcome her mind and body and fill her with innate happiness, omniscient need and ever-spreading love.
Subconsciously, she began to desperately search for Fox using her telepathic abilities. For a good while, nothing registered. Until-
The Anglar Blitz was taking its toll on Fox. His mind was spinning around with thoughts and emotions ranging from protecting his teammates to ending the war to finding her.
It had been tough. At the very beginning of the war, when Star Fox was but an empty title, Fox had decided to take on the Anglars alone. During the course of his campaign, he was forced to make many challenging, somewhat life-changing decisions, but none as big as the one he faced now.
Krystal had been on his mind throughout the course of the fighting; she had never left his thoughts since she left. Against her will. Against his will.
His mind cycled through everything that they'd done together, memories, thoughts, love beyond comprehension, and his mistakes. Two mistakes, one brilliant, one devastating, and both had changed his life forever. And now all of it was gone with the one person who truly meant everything to him. The one to whom he could turn for any sort of advice, on any sort of occasion, or just for a bit of a laugh. She really was everything he needed, and more often than not, everything he wasn't.
There had always been something missing in his life; he barely knew his mother and his father was declared 'missing in action' while he was still quite young. His mercenary career was fuelled by the determination to avenge his father through the medium of Andross, which he succeeded in doing, twice. After that, he probably would have retired, or stopped flying for a long while. And then Krystal strode into his life, more than likely changing its course dramatically from what it could have been. He had been entrusted with the training of the vixen in arms, physical and piloting. In this time, Fox took the chance to get to know Krystal a little better, and soon they became very good friends, shortly before becoming very good lovers. And on top of that, the all-consuming void within Fox, barely kept satisfied by the ordeal of avenging his father, slowly became tamed by that angel in blue.
When the Aparoids devastated the lives of many, it fell upon the shoulders of Star Fox to minimise the damage and destroy the enemy. However, Fox should have had little or no motive to continue his mercenary work; Andross had nothing to do with the bloodshed for once and, unlike the mission on Sauria, the team weren't desperately in need of cash. So, where did Fox gain his motivation to continue piloting?
Throughout the battles, it was not uncommon for Falco, Slippy and Krystal to be tailed by the enemy. With Falco and Slippy, it was usually a case of getting the bogeys with a sigh, a quick thank you from the party concerned and say no more. Of course, when it came to Krystal, Fox would shift his concentration solely on her safety, shooting down the danger in record time. As well as that, he would almost always double-check if she was OK, a rarity with his other teammates.
It was Krystal who helped him fight his battles; it was for Krystal he would defeat anything that stood in his way.
It was Krystal with whom he fell totally and everlastingly in love.
.:.
The Blitz and bloodshed had guided the Star Fox team, consisting of Fox McCloud, Peppy Hare, Slippy Toad and Falco Lombardi- Krystal was still out of contact with the team after Fox's regrettable (and indeed thoroughly regretted) resolution- as well as the Star Wolf trio to the planet Titania. According to General Peppy, there was a device hidden within the desert sands that could terraform the hostile Venom environment. It would have many effects: clean the somewhat unhealthy gases in the atmosphere, enhance the fertility of the soil and, most importantly to the mercenaries, neutralise the acidic seas of Venom, enabling them to face and defeat the Anglar Emperor and end the dreadful war. But Fox wasn't worried about that.
As he lay on his bed, he felt her, not even for a second. That warm, fuzzy feeling in his mind that he had missed so much. He knew it all too well, and it brought back so many memories as he yearned for the reality behind the shadows once more. In that short, incomprehensible space of time, everything that Fox was fighting for simply disappeared, only to be replaced entirely by the blue vixen who he loved more than anything else he could imagine. It was more than that, however; he needed her. For the few years prior to the war, Fox found that he was barely coping without Krystal flying by his side. The only reason he chose to take on the Anglars was the simple fact that they were destroying Corneria, the planet upon which he spent most of his time.
Now, thus far in the war, Fox was waging his own battle inside his head, between his life, his job, his friends, and his love, his needs, her life. Weighing up the pros and cons, Fox was completely and utterly indecisive.
This is what you've been doing and wanted to do for as long as you can remember! Are you gonna give all of that up?
But Krystal... I can't live without her... I can't fly without her either...
You've been doing fine so far! And what are the rest of them going to do? Where are they going to go without their leader?
Slippy's got Amanda now; they have a house on Aquas, and I think she wants him back soon! I reckon Falco's working his way closer to Katt... Despite the circumstances, a smile crept its way across Fox's muzzle. And Peppy's the General of the Cornerian Army! And me? Well, I'm stuck in a tin can with nothing and nobody while the only one I ever loved is out there somewhere!
What about all those people you save? If you quit now, so many people will die if something like this comes up again!
...Krystal is out there, right now, floating about on her own with absolutely nobody with her, surviving on God only knows what and if she dies, then... then...
Fox was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the voice ringing over the PA. "Could Fox, Falco and Slippy please come to the bridge immediately? Repeat: to the bridge immediately? Thanks, Peppy, out."
So, what's it gonna be? Your life-?
Or my life...
Your job! Your income!
There's other ways to make money.
All this stuff; the Great Fox, the Arwings, Landmasters, everything!
I'm sure Peppy'll let me store them somewhere.
Falco, Slippy, Peppy, all those people.
Krystal...
The door to Fox's room opened, words were spoken and the person who spoke them walked around to the side of Fox's bed without catching his attention.
"Fox!"
That did it, though. Fox rubbed his eyes and sat up, only to be staring into Wolf's face. Had he not been so stressed and torn, he probably would have had room to be slightly unnerved. But there was too much going on inside his head to even care about the lupine's presence in his room.
"Get up, you lazy furbag," chided Wolf, without too much enthusiasm.
"Maybe some other time," Fox retorted.
"What's got into your backside?"
"One, you wouldn't know anything about it, two, none of your business!"
"And how do you know that I wouldn't know anything about love?"
"Because, you-" And then Fox realised, a blush seeping through is orange fur. "I didn't say anything about love."
Wolf chuckled, only a slight darkness tainting the laugh. "Yes, but when you've spent the past few years living with Mr. Ladies' Cat, you kinda pick up a few things. And a good guess would tell me that you're suffering from lack of Krystal."
"I... She..." Fox sighed in defeat, his blush reddening. There was no point in trying to hide it; it was obvious that Wolf already knew.
The vulpine tapped his head. "I felt her. Her... telepathy... sort of... but she was there! Not for very long, but. And then I just remembered everything." Fox rubbed his brow between his fingers. "Why the hell am I telling you this anyway?"
Wolf shrugged in response. "Don't ask me. But your team kinda want you on the bridge, now!"
Fox's ears drooped. "Oh yeah. The team."
Wolf snorted and casually wandered off, his errand fulfilled. "Oh, and if you have any doubts about how she feels, I suggest you talk to Panther. They had a little... encounter on Corneria."
Fox's emerald eyes snapped open, almost alight as he immediately leapt upright, bolted out of the room and grabbed Wolf by the shoulders. "What do you mean 'encounter'?"
"Look," breathed Wolf. "All I know is that they were both in a café in Corneria before Panther... brought her back to Sargasso."
Fox's jaw couldn't hold itself up as his brain was pouncing to conclusions, all the while terrified that Panther got his paws on Krystal.
"WHAT?!"
"If it's any consolation, she didn't stay the night..."
Before he could be consoled any further Fox stormed off, his target clear and focused in his mind. Panther.
Fox was snarling through his firmly clenched teeth. "If you've done ANYTHING to Krystal..."
The vulpine, completely oblivious to anyone around him, slammed straight into Leon.
"What's your problem, you flea-ridden, mother-"
"Where's Panther?" Fox interrupted.
Leon stopped for a moment. Fox's heavy breathing, clenched teeth and burning eyes could only mean trouble. And he wasn't having any of it.
"I think he was in the garage..."
Without another word, Fox diverted to the garage and continued, his rage only intensifying as his mind was screaming two things. 'Krystal' and 'what did Panther do to her?'.
As the door opened, Fox found the feline polishing his Wolfen, humming a tune which only seemed to make the vulpine more angry. He marched up to Panther, his heart beating savagely, his breathing becoming growling and his eyes turning near-homicidal. Panther noticed Fox behind him.
"Fox? What's the-"
Before he could say another word, the feline was slammed against his ship as Fox grabbed his collars, seething with raging love and protectiveness.
"What... did you do... to her...?" Fox asked between breaths.
Panther chuckled nervously. "Who... who might you be speaking of?"
That really got Fox. "YOU KNOW WHO I'M TALKING ABOUT!" The vulpine calmed down a bit as he said her name. "Krystal."
A moment passed before realisation rose over Panther's face. "Oh! Are you talking about our fateful meeting in that café?" The feline's eyes bored through Fox's mind as much as his words. "The day you forced her away."
The endless possibilities, conclusions both wrong and right, slashed through Fox's head as his grip tightened around Panther's neck. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER?!" he screamed, only wanting to know if Krystal was alright.
Panther smiled. It wasn't a wry smile or a suggestive grin as Fox expected, but a gentle, somewhat understanding smile.
"Right, I can explain everything, if you just let me go."
After a few moments of deliberation, Fox reluctantly withdrew from Panther's collars, but still watching him intently. As Panther led him towards the far end of the garage, he placed a paw on Fox's shoulder, no doubt causing Fox to flinch, but he needn't have feared, since all Panther did was give him a pat on the back.
"Take a seat, Fox."
Reluctantly, Fox complied. As he sat down, Panther with him, the feline sighed. "You know, she was distraught after you forced her away. She bought a mug of coffee and didn't touch a drop. And if I know anything, when people don't drink coffee, they don't want it."
"Gee, Panther," Fox half-gasped, sarcasm and loathing lingering in his throat. "How'd you figure that one out?"
The feline raised his paw, unaffected by the vulpine's interruption. "They don't want the coffee because they want something else. And she wanted you."
Fox rested his muzzle in his paws, in turn supporting his elbows with his knees. "Well, if she wanted me, why did she leave?" Of course, he realised the answer to the question as soon as he asked it.
"Because you told her to." Panther's response was in nothing but straight solemnity.
"Well, yes, but that's besides the point." Fox turned his head to look directly at Panther. "What happened after you saw her in the café?"
"As I said, Krystal was looking miserable, so after asking, of course, I pulled up a chair. Normally, I would have let my charms flow freely, but after spying the tell-tale coffee cup, I began to sympathize. In essence, I asked her what was troubling her, which undoubtedly earned me a 'why do you care?'. But as I explained, I simply hate to see any lady cry, and wondered if I could help."
Fox listened carefully as Panther detailed his conversation with the vixen; how she told him what transpired between the two vulpine, how she thought that she meant nothing to him and, perhaps the most important factor, how much she loved him.
A tear came to Fox's glossy eye as he replayed everything that Panther said and cursed himself for being such an idiot.
"I decided to take action," Panther continued, "I had to take her back to Sargasso."
Fox's ears perked at the statement. "If you've so much as TOUCHED HER, Panther, your tail will be-"
"Relax, my friend, I would, and could, do nothing of the sort after what she went through." Panther chuckled a little. "What kind of a gentlecat would I be then, hmm?"
"Well, uh..." As much as Fox didn't trust him, the feline had a point. "So, what did you two do?"
"I took Krystal to our office, of sorts, and asked her a question."
Fox was growing more and more exasperated. "And what was that question?"
There was a short pause before he revealed the truth. "I asked her if she wanted to join Star Wolf."
"What? There's no way she would want to fly with you! I mean-" Fox cut himself off as he figured out an exception to his statement. "Unless she wanted to get back at me."
"Exactly. And you wouldn't have a very good chance of making up with someone who tries to get revenge."
Fox desperately refrained from strangling Panther there and then. "It doesn't matter what she does, I still love her."
"That's another thing, but we'll get to that later." The feline ensured that Fox was paying attention before continuing. "She declined. Straight away, in fact."
The vulpine was taken completely off-guard by that. "She... she what?"
"I believe she said, 'why would I ever want to fly with Fox's rivals? What would he think of me then?'"
Almost immediately, Fox answered her previously posed question. "You'd still mean everything to me. I'd still love you."
Panther sighed a little. "That aside, I had no intention of letting her join Star Wolf. It was simply a test of her commitment to and her feelings for you. And she passed."
"...But why hasn't she come back?"
"Well, you've never told her to..." An exceedingly nervous expression washed over Panther's face. "And, I might have said something to make her do otherwise."
Almost as quickly as it left him, Fox's seething rage returned. He suppressed it, however. "What did you say?"
After an uneasy laugh from the feline, he cleared his throat. "Word for word, I said, 'Krystal, if he truly loves you, and wants you back, he will come and find you'."
Both vulpine and feline sat in silence, the former deliberating the latter's words. "Well, you're right, Panther," admitted Fox with a sigh. "I need to prove that I still love her. I need to go and find her."
There was only one thing opposed to this decision, and it launched a fully fledged attack on his head. "But, to prove that I love her, I'll have to devote myself to her. Entirely. And that means leaving mercenary work... leaving Star Fox behind." Fox buried his head in his paws as he physically struggled to make his mind up. "I couldn't leave them, but I can't ignore Krystal. I... I just don't know..."
Panther shrugged slightly as he rose to his hind paws. "Your decision, Fox, not mine. Good luck, though."
As the feline began to walk away, he felt a paw on his shoulder. "Yes, Fox?"
He turned around to see the vulpine smiling at him. "Thanks. For everything."
Panther couldn't help but return the smile along with a little joke. "Anything for Krystal. By the way, once you're finished, can I have her?"
Fox's smile vanished before Panther could blink, causing Panther to defensively raise his paws. "I kid, I kid! You know I didn't mean it."
Although not fully, the smile returned to Fox's muzzle. "Hmm... I'll be watching you..." he told the feline. After a chuckle from the pair, Panther went back to polishing his Wolfen while Fox left the garage, his mindset renewed as he marched straight into the bridge. He found Peppy, Falco and Slippy seated around a table with a map of Titania's surface. All three looked up at the vulpine as he casually stepped in and took a seat. He took a look at what his teammates were doing.
"Started without me then?" asked Fox with a grin.
"Frankly," replied Falco, "we were bored waiting."
"Yeah!" Slippy confirmed, "Where were you, anyway?"
"Oh, just having a little chat with Panther," he told them, not revealing the subject of their conversation.
"With Panther," Falco repeated. "Who repeatedly tried to hit on Krystal..."
Falco stopped himself when he realised that he had touched a tender topic, indicated by Fox's lowered ears and miserable face.
"But why?" he simply asked, for fear of saying anything else to upset the vulpine.
"Never mind that!" Peppy interrupted. "Now that you're here, Fox, this," he pointed to a spot on the map, "is where we think Andross' terraformer is hidden. We believe that he wanted to make Venom hospitable, which is understandable, and that he..."
Krystal...
Fox clambered out of his Arwing, followed by the rest of his team and Star Wolf. They had successfully retrieved the terraforming device from the sands of Titania after defeating Andross' 'ghost' in the form of a bioweapon. Fox brought the device out of his cockpit and into the bridge, where everyone else was waiting, and threw it to Slippy, who just managed to catch it.
"Right, that's that!" Fox admitted. "So, what is it and what do we do with it?"
Slippy took a good look at the device before replying. "It definitely looks like Andross' terraformer, and all we need to do is fire it into the Venom Sea!"
"And then we can get in there and kick the emperor's tail!" Falco said with an accompanying kick to the air.
"And then..."
"And then what, Fox?" asked Wolf, knowing exactly what he was thinking, but whether or not the vulpine would follow through, he couldn't tell. Of course, this attracted everyone's attention and deposited it on a quivering Fox.
"Uh... n-nothing. Nothing."
"Whatever you say, Foxie," scoffed Falco, before joining Slippy and Peppy in planning their assault on Venom.
Fox half-stumbled over to the captain's chair and collapsed, on the verge of tears.
Panther and Wolf knowingly looked at each other before making their way to the frayed vulpine.
"What were you going to say, pup?" Wolf asked him.
"Do you have to call me 'pup'?" replied Fox, recovering.
"It's better than 'Fox'," he joked.
"Hmm. Anyway, you know what I was gonna say. But I just wasn't thinking; how could I possibly go through with it?"
"Well," Panther began, "what's stopping you?"
"Them!" Fox half-snapped. "Slippy and Falco and Peppy! You seriously expect me to just take away their jobs and lives and just leave them here?"
"They were coping fine before," he reminded the vulpine.
"...Good point. But now they're all back together now. And, look at them!"
Panther and Wolf both complied and cast a glance at the table around which the three Star Fox members sat. Falco was enthusiastically plotting his attack run on the emperor, Slippy was delightedly explaining how the terraformer would allow them to enter the sea and Peppy was happily planning the entire operation for the team. All in all, they were loving it.
After a sigh, Wolf spoke again. "I suppose they are happy. But, what about Krystal?"
"Exactly! I can't just leave her floating about on her own! It was me who saved her and gave her a home, and I took it all away from her. Never again..."
"So," Panther spoke up, "you can't quit the team because you'd hurt them, and you can't leave Krystal because you'd hurt her." Panther tutted slightly. "I thought you loved her."
"You know I do, Pa-" He cut himself off since Panther had walked away, leaving Fox with the lupine.
"Well, tell me this," Wolf said, leaning an arm on the back of the chair. "You don't wanna leave these guys cause they're happy, right?"
"Yeah, I couldn't do that to them again."
"And you don't wanna leave Krystal hanging because you know she's not happy without you."
"That's all I ever wanted: to make her happy. But I can't leave the team. But I have to go and find her... ARGH!" He slammed a fist of the chair's arm as he clenched his teeth and used his other paw to support his head.
"Right..." Wolf cleared his throat in preparation to work his magic. "Have you tried asking yourself what you want?"
"I..." Fox was stumped. In all his confusion and rage and indecision, he had constantly thought of how the others would be influenced by his decisions.
"Don't get me wrong; I suppose it's good that you're thinking of everyone else, but when I have to face a decision, I always go by what I want."
"If I'm perfectly honest, I want Krystal. I just want to hold onto her and never let go. I mean, just being with her is like-"
"Yes, yes, spare me the romantic crap." After a chuckle from Fox, Wolf continued. Point is, you want Krystal, you go and get her! Simple."
"Not that simple, Wolf." Fox sighed before continuing. "When I try to make a decision, everything that could possibly happen afterwards just flashes in front of me. And this really is a big one."
"And that's another thing: remember that advice I gave you in the War?"
"Oh yeah. Blessing and a curse, Wolf, I've followed it one too many times."
"Really?" Wolf wasn't expecting that. "Oh, well, it's your call then. Do what you want. Key word: you. Got it?"
"Yes, Wolf," replied Fox in a student-to-teacher voice, a smirk beginning to return to his face.
Wolf left Fox alone to weigh up his options. Which is far from what actually transpired inside Fox's mind.
Oh, Krystal. I need you! I'm guessing that you're not happy without me, but I'm worse without you. But would you want me to abandon the guys like this?
"Fox! Get your tail over here a minute!"
The vulpine groaned at the sound of Falco's voice as he forced himself out of the chair and around to the table. "What's up, guys?"
"Fox," Peppy began, "this is our plan of action for the Venom assault. First, we're going to shoot this here terraformer into the sea. Once we've done that, we'll be able to fly into the sea and attack the Anglars. So what you've gotta do is..."
The hare's voice trailed off inside Fox's mind as his thoughts took over. I've gotta decide now or I never will. And I can never go back once I've chosen... but what should I choose? If I go back to Krystal, these guys are gonna have to go back to their old lives... well, not so bad for Slippy and Peppy, but Falco.... He's my best friend; I can't just leave him hanging... But I stay with the team, Krystal's never gonna forgive me. And she'll never be happy. Never have a proper home. Never be loved. DAMMIT!
"And then we can take out the emperor. Lylat will be safe again! You got that, Fox?"
"Huh? Yeah, yeah," came the half-hearted reply.
"Something wrong?" asked Slippy.
"Yes." Fox's head was overloading with every emotion and thought imaginable. He just had to let it out. "I'm not even gonna lie; I have two options. I can stay here with you guys-"
Falco didn't let him finish. "As opposed to?"
Fox's gaze pierced the avian. He swallowed, knowing the look all too well.
"As opposed to hanging up the Arwing gloves and... and going to find Krystal. You know, settle down."
As Fox expected, Falco's mind was set. "Well it's obvious, isn't it? You bring her back here and everyone's happy?"
A scowl grew upon Fox's muzzle. "Oh, you think I can just waltz up to her and say, 'Hi Krystal! Sorry I practically dumped you a while ago, completely trashing all your love and respect for me. Wanna come back and fly with us again, so I'll probably have to break your heart some more?'"
"But... you..." Falco knew when he'd been beaten. "Well if that's the case, why don't you just stay here?"
"Because if I stop flying completely, I'll be able to show her that I mean it and that I'm never going to leave her again."
"But..." for perhaps the first time in his life, Falco looked genuinely sad. "What about me?"
"I know, I know, that's why it's so hard." He groaned before gesturing to the mission plans as well as his teammates. "I looked at you earlier and you were all having the time of your lives. Believe me, I love this job as much as you do, and it's just as hard for me to pack it in, but frankly, Krystal's more important than my job. But, before you beat me up, you guys are really important to me as well." He offered a warm smile as proof. "You guys are my best friends, and Peppy," he looked him straight in the eye, "you're practically my second dad! Granted, you have your post as General, and Slippy," he turned to face the frog, "you have Amanda, and I'm guessing that you miss her already, if my feelings for Krystal are anything to go by." Slippy nodded in response as Fox shifted his attention to Falco. "And you, how's things with Katt?"
The vulpine smirked as Falco squirmed and writhed. Fox knew that he had hit the jackpot. "Well... see... I... we... uh..."
"We shall assume that you're 'getting on well'?" Fox accompanied his last three words with his own inverted comma fingers.
The avian, not knowing what else to do, simply nodded. "Well, I suppose that makes it a bit less weighted to staying, but tell me one thing: did you miss this?"
Falco shot his beak in first, not hesitating for a second. "You know it! I love this job and I don't really wanna leave again."
Slippy was next. "If I'm honest, I do enjoy all this action..."
Fox turned to Peppy, knowing the answer. "I love it just as much as you do, but it's your choice. If you want to throw in the towel, we'll follow suit."
The vulpine stood up and began pacing around the bridge. "But I can't! That's the thing: I can't decide! It's too hard."
He wandered over to the window and gazed out to the stars, knowing that the unchanging love of his life was out there somewhere, waiting.
What would you have done, dad? He wasn't expecting an answer so, needless to say, he was astounded when he got one.
A familiar voice crackled over the PA. "Don't hesitate. When the time comes, just act."
"Wolf?" Falco yelled down the corridor. "What's that about?"
"Ask Fox." With a chuckle, the PA fizzed out as every pair of eyes in the room became trained on Fox, including his own.
As he stared into his reflection, fingering a small piece of paper in his pocket, Fox knew what he had to do. I know what I need to do. I didn't hesitate when I told her I loved her, I'm not gonna hesitate now. No matter which path I choose, there's gonna be good and bad consequences. It doesn't matter what happens, I'm trusting my instincts.
"Well?" asked a wondering Falco. "What did he mean?"
"He just made my decision," Fox replied, still looking out over the stars.
"Huh?" Slippy asked, confused. "How'd he do that?"
"You heard what he said: 'don't hesitate... just act...'. And that's exactly what I'm gonna do. No more worrying, or holding back. I'm just gonna go with what my heart says."
"Trust your instincts..." Peppy recited the words of his friend and partner, James McCloud.
"And, right now, my instincts are screaming Krystal." He turned around to face his former team. "I'm sorry guys, but my mind is set. As soon as this war's over, I'm going to find Krystal, and that's that. No more mercenary work for me. I need to prove that I love her, and this is how I'm gonna do it. No ifs, ands or buts." Slippy noticed the tiniest of tears form in the corner of Fox's eye. "I'm so, so sorry, and I'm gonna hate this as much as you will, but Star Fox ends with this war."
Krystal was hurled out of her mind-numbed state as she touched Fox's consciousness. A simple touch was enough to allow nostalgia and love to flood from Fox's mind into hers in torrents. She enjoyed it but, at the same time, loathed it. The vixen didn't want her memories of him, she wanted Fox himself. After what Panther had said, all she could do now was wait and see.
She allowed herself to fall back on the full, cushiony grass as she waited, and hoped. Hoped and prayed that Fox would come back. That Fox would still love her. Something inside her told her that Fox would return, pretty much unchanged and tell her what she wanted to hear, but another was hissing something she could barely understand about the vulpine leaving her all alone on Sauria. As she closed her eyes, she allowed sleep to engulf her; with no real home, the vixen no longer had the luxury of a good night's sleep. She closed her eyes and dreamt solely of her heart's desire. Her dreams were plastered with orange and blue as her life played back inside her head in brilliant Technicolor from the day she met Fox McCloud.
After what was, in Krystal's head, no time at all, Krystal woke from her slumber to look out at the setting Solar. She supported her weight with her elbows as she pushed herself up to, once again, be reminded of all that Fox had done, everything concentrated to the single point in Krystal's existence that defined her, that she would, and did, remember until the end of it all. That day out to Sauria was the most important day of her life.
She delved into her small rucksack and pulled out a folded photograph. It was of the vixen, held in the arms of the one she loved. Her eyes glanced down at the writing in the corner.
"Always and forever, above and beyond, orange and blue, Fox and Krystal..." she read aloud. Always and forever... The vixen held back a trickle of tears as she wished to the heavens that Fox would hold true to this promise.
Krystal shoved the photo in her pocket and curled up, draping her fluffy tail over her body as the chills of impending night began to creep in. Fox... please... I need you...
Where are you? C'mon, where are you!?
The vixen shot upright as she heard his voice in her head. "Fox!" she called out, but she received no reply. She closed her eyes as she concentrated on her telepathy to try and locate the vulpine.
That's the Cloudrunner! You're here! You're here, Krys!
He was above her. Fox McCloud was in his Arwing, coming to find her, just like Panther had promised. He does love me... Krystal scrambled to her hind paws and frantically scoured the sky to try and find the Arwing.
She heard it before she saw it; the decreasing humming, indicating the craft landing behind her. She found herself closing her eyes as she turned around to face the subject of her dreams. As she opened her eyes, they were met by the silhouette of her saviour, sprinting towards her. She inadvertently brought her paws to her muzzle as a smile grew on his. His figure grew closer and closer as his grin grew bigger and bigger, all the while Krystal's heartbeat racing with overpowering happiness at seeing him. And then... he stopped.
Just a few feet from the vixen, he stopped dead. In Krystal's mind, she saw him hugging her tightly and never letting go, so it came as a surprise to her. And then he spoke.
"Hey, Krystal," he simply greeted.
"Hi, Fox," she replied.
Silence. Of course, it was to be expected; the last time the pair encountered each other was when Fox forced Krystal away. They both stood there with nervous looks on their faces until Fox broke the trend, along with the silence.
"Listen," Fox sighed, "We could stand like this for ages and worry about saying something wrong, or we could speak our minds and just see what happens."
To Fox's surprise, Krystal laughed, causing Fox to smile. He'd missed that laugh. "Since when were you all for openness?"
"Since I decided that enough is enough."
Krystal looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"Please don't beat me up for this, but I've talked to the guys, and..." He took a moment to look into her aquatic eyes, and all the wonder, relief and love which they contained. "I've decided to disband Star Fox. For good."
The vixen was genuinely shocked by this news. "What?! Fox, you love that job! And... where are we going to go back to now?"
She noticed a small smirk on Fox's muzzle as he stepped closer to her. "We're not going back," he stated, "we're going forward. I decided to pack it in because you're more important. This way, I can devote myself. We can settle down, never have to worry about losing each other ever again."
"Fox..." Despite her best efforts, a tear rolled down her face at Fox's plan. "But that was your job. Our job. And... what about the others?"
"Well, Peppy's still the General, you know, Slippy's got Amanda and Falco may or may not have Katt." He accompanied the bird's tale with a wavering of his paw.
Krystal chuckled. "So... you're saying we should settle down? As in..." The vulpine blushed just as much as the vixen as she said it. "Get a house? Live together?" Fox audibly swallowed, knowing what was coming. "Start a family?"
After a few nervous chuckles, Fox composed himself. "It didn't sound nearly as embarrassing as that in my head. Not that I'm embarrassed, or anything, I just..."
Krystal rolled her eyes as Fox sighed. "You know what? Sentences are so overrated." Krystal couldn't help but laugh at the remark. "How's this?" He delved into his jacket pocket as he pulled out a folded piece of paper. As he opened it, Krystal's eyes widened with her smile as she looked upon the one thing that she wanted to see. The photo.
"I kept it," he admitted. "I've always kept it. Because I've missed you so much it's silly."
"So did I." Krystal reached into her pocket and produced the duplicate photo, smiling as she did.
Fox's jaw fell open. He tried to say something sensible, but the jumbling mass of thoughts and emotions inside his brain wouldn't allow him. "Is it just me, or are we still very much in love with each other?" Despite his newly-found openness, he still didn't manage to ask such a thing without a blush glowing underneath his fur.
"Oh, no," Krystal began, sparking worry deep inside Fox that was instantly quelled. "I think it's a bit more than love now."
"Well, what is it then?"
"Does it even need a word?"
Fox thought about that for a moment. "Good point. Well, in that case, I'm sorry. Sorry for everything that I've ever done to upset or hurt you, especially forcing you away. I can tell you now that I'm never doing that again."
The vixen smiled at Fox's apology, knowing that it was sincere. "And I'm sorry for running away. I overreacted that day; as soon as I left, I just missed you."
And then a thought, previously floating aimlessly around his mind, occurred to him. "Did I mention that I love you? More than anything?"
Krystal sighed, half-laughing and shook her head. "And I love you. Always and forever. By the way, why haven't you hugged me yet?"
Fox raised a finger and opened his mouth to argue, before realising he couldn't. "I don't know... Well, let me make it up to you."
"Hmm?" Before Krystal could say another word, her capacity to do so was inhibited by Fox's muzzle as he pressed it against her own. He flung his arms around her waist, treasuring everything about her as he kissed her like he had never done so before.
Krystal, who was previously stunned by his sudden and unhesitant action, settled into the kiss and gripped Fox's chest tightly as everything they'd missed over the last two years was more than compensated for in the single action of love and affection that lasted for well over twenty minutes.
As they finally pulled away, each vulpine knew the smile on the other's muzzle all too well.
"I'd be lying through my teeth if I said I didn't miss that," Fox confessed.
"And now, we'll never have to miss it again," said Krystal. "Right?"
Fox flashed his trademark smile. "Never."
Krystal presently sat down on the grass, Fox following not long after. He placed an arm over her shoulder and stared out over the orange-tined landscape. she wrapped her arm around his back as she nuzzled up against his neck.
"Isn't it beautiful?" she asked.
"Oh, yeah," he confirmed.
At that point, Fox realised something.
"It's always at Solarset, isn't it?"
The two lovers, bound, estranged and reunited by a single thought, a whim even, from their enemy. The times were hard, the nights were long, and the heartache was unbearable. But now, with almost every wrong righted, they sit peacefully, admiring the landscape of the planet on which they met, free to wonder and hope and dream of their life ahead of them.
As of that day, they completely ignored the events and mistakes of the past years to focus on a brighter, happier future. Of course, as demonstrated many a time by Falco Lombardi, you can never keep a true pilot away from his aircraft for long. Perhaps Fox will decide to begin anew one day... Or maybe his friend and lover will take precedence.
If one thing is certain as this tale draws to a close, it's that Fox McCloud is a changed vulpine, his own consequence from his own decision. He is more caring, more daring, more committed. He is able to speak to the girl of his dreams without stumbling or blushing (too much), and he could love her like he could love nothing else.
And the words on the photos hold true: Always and Forever, Above and Beyond, Orange and Blue, Fox and Krystal...