So here is chapter number two. I don't know how I was able to get it done so quickly, must have been the Christmas spirit.
A merry Christmas to you all! Enjoy!
Dexter stared at the ceiling of the Great Fox's spare room he was in. His headache kept him from sleep. When he would finally fall asleep he'd wake up again, so he figured he might as well stay awake. He couldn't stop thinking about what happened a few hours ago. He idled through space and suddenly witnessed Andross' rise and fall. Although he was somewhat happy about that ape being dead he knew that it could not bring his brother back from the dead. His mind went back to the life before that tragic moment when his brother was crushed beneath Andross' fists. He was happy back then. Not the pariah he was now. He remembered he had friends, too.
Dexter recalled him and his brother, Terry, playing hide and seek through the entire village they lived in. He smiled at that, it took him almost half the day to track Terry down and the other half of the day he was chasing him in order to catch him.
But all his happiness, his very life was destroyed when Terry died. The worst thing about his death was that it was impossible to get a grip on his corpse. It was torn into pieces and burned severely. Dexter was unable to even bury his brother properly.
After that horrible event Dexter fell apart, he withdrew himself from his friends and the other people in his village, his days were all gray in color. At some point he decided to leave his home, the memories of Terry were too much to take for him. Everything reminded Dexter of him. A few months later he found himself chasing the worst scum the galaxy had to offer. That was how he started his career as a bounty hunter, how he became an outcast, a wanderer with no place to call home. He wanted to put some sense in his brother's death.
As he lay in bed he thought about how welcome he felt on the Great Fox. It was as if he belonged here, as if he finally found home. He cast the thought away, probably just the aftermath of the concussion. He sat up on the bed, he needed something to do, something to calm his mind. He peeked around the dark room when an idea came to his mind. He hadn't done it for quite some time but now he felt it was the right thing to do. He stood up and walked over to where he placed his dark brown leather jacket. He reached for a pocket inside it and found what he was looking for. He moved his hand out the jacket and looked at the wooden flute he held in his hand. The flute his mother gave him shortly before she died. He vowed at her grave that he would learn to play it properly. And he had, he was actually quite good at it. He took the flute to his mouth and began to play a melody he knew by heart, a melody that spoke of sadness and grief. What he didn't know was the fact, that ROB activated the intercom in his room so the others could react quickly should his condition get worse. Now the melody Dexter was playing could be heard all over the Great Fox.
Across the hallway Fox was unable to get to sleep as well although it had nothing to do with any injury he might got from his fight with Andross. He found it hard to sleep because Krystal slept soundly across his room in his bed while he was on his couch. His heart was beating so hard against his chest that he feared he might wake his sleeping beauty from her slumber. As much as he wished to get to know her better he thought she could use some rest after being held prisoner in a strange crystal for god knows how long. And he surely not wanted to rush things on her, heck, he didn't even know whether his feelings were reciprocated or not. All he knew was that he acted like a complete duffer around her; he could not even talk to her casually without blushing because he either said or did something foolish. But this told him that his feelings for her were genuine. He was around women before and he could not recall doing anything nearly as awkward as his behavior around Krystal.
He turned to his other side so he could watch Krystal sleeping. The mere sight of her in his bed sent a strange but yet comfortable warmth through his entire body. Again he was struck by her simple beauty, she didn't have to make or dress herself up in order to look gorgeous. And as she turned around in her sleep and Fox was able to see her sleeping face he felt him falling even harder for her. She looked peaceful, at ease, as if nothing in the world could hurt her. Fox secretly hoped that her face had this expression due to the fact that she was in his bed, that she somehow she felt his presence around her to protect her. He knew for certain that he would do anything to keep her safe and comfortable. He got the impression that she never really had anything like a family and he was determined to give that to her.
As he turned around again for another hopeless try to fall asleep he noticed something. His ears twitched and he listened more carefully. As he concentrated on the strange noises he noticed them to actually be related to each other. A melody! And it sounds like they come from a flute. No one on this ship knows how to play any instrument and Krystal is sleeping so…then realization hit him Dexter! ROB had activated the intercom so we could keep an eye on him, that's why I can hear him. He focused his ears completely on the melody Dexter played on the flute and you didn't need to be a musician to tell that this certain melody expressed extreme sadness. Fox couldn't help it but tears made their way silently down his cheeks. He heard of the effect music had on your emotions but he never believed that it could trigger such extreme reactions. I'm definitely not the most sensitive guy around here but…hell…that tune could make a stone cry. He turned onto his back again and his thoughts wandered off again. The last time he felt as sad as now was when Peppy told him that his father died. In that moment he felt like some part of him died as well and as a new wave of tears forced itself onto his now bloodshot eyes he noticed Krystal stirring and moaning in her sleep.
Krystal was inside her parents' spaceship. She had been there often to play hide and seek with her friends or when she needed to be alone. The silence it offered always helped her to clear her mind. She spent hours in there studying all the gadgets and buttons that were scattered around the cockpit. It was a place she was happy at. But this time it was different, something felt not right about being here. Then she remembered why. Cerinia was falling apart, it seemed like nature itself had decided to end the existence of one of its own creations. The seas were boiling which cause all the fish to die, the forests died because of acid rain and the very air became more and more polluted. Earthquakes tore the landscape apart, separating areas and people that belonged together and they too perished under nature's raw brutality.
It was when her parents told her to go into the ship and prepare it for taking off. She and her father had often practiced it so she didn't really thought about what her parents were up to. She started the engine and sat watching her parents. She heard her mother crying but Krystal didn't understand why. Meanwhile her father was carrying all sorts of things inside the ship and amongst them was a tiny, metallic object she hadn't seen before. She knew she was supposed to sit and wait for her father but her curiosity got the better of her so she got up and walked over to the strange object. Just as she was about to touch it her father came back onto the ship and as he noticed her staring at her with an angry expression on his face. She flinched way from the tiny item, frightened, her father never was angry with her so she figured she clearly must have done something wrong this time. She started crying.
"Krystal you know you were to wait for me when the ship was ready to go!" He almost screamed which caused her to cry. "Sorry, daddy" she managed to sob through her tears and made her way slowly back to the cockpit. She sat down on one of the chairs and kept her gaze to the floor, ashamed that she upset her father.
"Krystal I need you to listen to me very carefully now, OK?" he asked her, now with his usual calm voice but Krystal also noticed a small amount of sadness in it. She nodded and looked into her father's eyes.
"You may not fully understand what is happening right now bur one day you will, trust me. Now what I need you to is to fly as far away from this planet as you can, can you do that for your daddy hmm?" he said which left the little vixen in front of him a little confused. "Why do I need to fly? Are you and mommy not coming along?" she replied at the edge of tears. Her father lowered his head. "I'm afraid we can't, dear. We don't have enough food for all the three of us. So your mother and I will stay behind so you can try to start your life anew somewhere more comfortable than here. Now go kid, know that we always love you. Farewell Krystal" he almost whispered the last part.
Before Krystal could do anything her father hit the automatic start button and left the ship as the loading ramp slowly closed. Krystal screamed and cried inside. "No, mommy, daddy, I don't want to leave home. I don't want to be alone. Please stop it, please" she frantically punched the metal hull of the ship not knowing what to do. As the ship left the atmosphere she still cried her heart out when she suddenly noticed a bright light outside the wind shield. She looked up and the last thing she before her ship went into hyperspace was the sight of Cerinia, her very home, exploding into a huge white fireball.
"NOOO! Mommy, daddy…" Fox was awake at an instant. He jumped from his couch and went over to the bed where Krystal was tossing herself from one side to the other. Her forehead was covered in cold sweat as Fox gently tried to wake her. "Hush, Krystal it's okay. You're safe; no one is going to hurt you." He tried his best to somehow calm her down. He scooped her up and held her tight to his chest.
Krystal was in horror. She hadn't had that nightmare for some time now. She tossed herself around the bed, screaming and feeling helpless. She knew that no one would be there for her. No one ever was. Just as that thought passed her mind she could make out a gentle voice that sounded familiar somehow. "Hush, Krystal it's okay. You're safe; no one is going to hurt you. It's me, Fox. I'm here Krystal, please wake up!" he said. Fox…
Her eyes flickered several times and when she opened her eyes and her vision became less and less blurry she found herself in Fox's arms while he was gently whispering comforting words into her ear. She put her arms around his neck, grateful that he was there in her time of need. She rested her head on his chest and began to cry her very heart out. She never had someone to just hold her and let her cry for a very long time, in fact since… just the mere thought of the destruction her home world forced her to sob heavily, her tears shaping a stream that went all the way down her cheeks and into Fox's shirt. He was gently moving one of his hands up and down her back to comfort her.
"Thank you, Fox" she whispered as her grip around his her neck became slightly firmer. She pressed her cheek against his and closed her eyes again, thanking fate that it brought her to him. They pulled apart from each other and as Krystal saw Fox's face her heart melted at an instant. She didn't need to use her telepathic abilities to see what was on his mind, in fact it was written all over his face. She could see concern as well as relief. But there was a hint of something more, something he had hidden a very long time. The slight smile that came across his face was enough to let her know that he would always be there for her. She let go of him and lay back onto the bed. With a smile on her face she fell asleep almost immediately.
The next day Fox found himself unable to really focus his thoughts. He was constantly thinking about how frightened Krystal looked last night. He figured her nightmare was triggered by Dexter playing on his flute. He was pissed that Dexter's music put Krystal through such pain but he knew that he didn't do it on purpose. Heck, even Fox forgot that ROB turned that darn intercom on. But apart from these three no one had noticed anything during the night. They all seemed to have slept like a stone and for that Fox was grateful. He didn't have to explain anything to the others, he was sure that Falco would poke him around for getting soft. Only one thing remained to finish that was to speak to Dexter.
After he put the blanket around Krystal's shoulders again (followed by a sigh at how beautiful she looked) he walked over the spare room said raven was in. He knocked on the door and walked in. The room looked empty like no one ever had been here but he could hear the shower running in the bathroom. "Hey Dexter, when you're finished in there I'd like to have a word with you!" he shouted towards the bathroom. "Alright" was all that came back. Not a man of many words I see. Doesn't matter, he only needs to understand.
After a couple of minutes the flow of water stopped and Dexter walked out of the bathroom, already dressed with his brown leather jacket and black jeans. The only bright thing about his outfit was the white scarf he was binding around his neck before he spoke up to Fox. "So?" he merely asked. Fox was a bit startled by his taciturn demeanor.
"Someone was playing on a flute last night and since I know of nobody on this vessel who is capable of that, I figured it was you" the raven nodded but had a slightly puzzled look on his face "Well, in general I wouldn't care about that, but the tune you played last night happened to put Krystal through a really heavy nightmare. I don't know what it was about but she was crying and clearly in pain. Now, I know you didn't do on purpose but should you ever harm her in any way my fist will have the next talk with you, is that clear?" his voice turned into an angry growl at the end of his speech.
He didn't notice Dexter's face paling through his black feathers but could see the intimidated look on his face. The raven cleared his throat and lowered his head, obviously in shame "I'm truly sorry that I put her through this. But as you said, it was not on purpose. I simply needed to clear my mind after what happened with Andross. The flute was a gift from my mother before she died and playing on it always granted me some pace of mind. Seeing that monkey in person invoked some unpleasant memories of mine as well. I'll apologize to her as soon as possible" he replied still looking towards the ground. Fox was puzzled for he had expected Dexter to act like a complete smartass, like Falco would, but there was obviously more to that raven than met the eye. Fox noticed the sad look on Dexter's face and wondered what past this man might possibly had with Andross. I'll simply ask him later. Since Andross is finished there is no need to hurry. Not like I can't relate to it, Andross killed my father.
"So when you're done in here I'd like you to come to the bridge. There is something I want to discuss with the entire team and General Pepper before we reach Corneria." Dexter flinched at the mention of Fox's home planet. "Hey, you okay? Is something wrong with going to Corneria?" Fox asked, that bird was constantly puzzling him. "No it's okay, it's just that I don't feel too well around that place. Don't ask me why, I don't know, call me paranoid." Was all Dexter said and then turned around to store his few belongings into his backpack. Fox shook his head and walked away from the room and made his way to his room to check on Krystal.
Dexter felt like hell. He felt guilty for hurting Krystal. He resented people in general but he didn't wish them to be hurt, no one deserved it. And then there was Fox. He clearly cared a great deal for the blue vixen. Normally Dexter would shrug off that kind of threat but Fox had this fiery glow in his eyes that gave away how furious he actually was. Dexter knew from experience that this glow meant serious trouble. So it was better to back down, for he clearly didn't want to antagonize Fox. Dexter felt some kind of kinship with the vulpine, maybe it was because they both were connected through their hatred against Andross, he couldn't really put his finger on it. He finished packing his backpack and walked towards the bridge as Fox told him to, wondering what he could want to discuss. Especially with General Pepper in the picture.
As Fox entered his room he noticed that Krystal was already up and was starting to dress herself. He found her standing in the middle of the room with just a towel around her body. He immediately felt the blood in his cheeks and turned around, wishing she didn't notice how his eyes widened when he saw her.
Little did he know, she did notice his presence but not her eyes but with her being a telepath. And it was hard to miss his presence, it was a bright white beacon practically burning with bravery, care and a strong sense of justice. She also notices his embarrassment when he realized she was just wearing a towel. His modesty and clumsiness around her made her giggle. "It's alright Fox, I know you're here. But thanks for turning around" she said with a smile.
"But how did you..?" Fox was completely confused; he hadn't made any kind of noise, so how could she notice him. His confusion made her giggle even harder "No harm done. You must know I'm a telepath."
Fox gulped. That meant she could read his mind and possibly find out that… He was cut off by Krystal. "Don't worry Fox, I don't read minds if I can avoid it. I don't like prying one someone's privacy. So relax." She said in her calm and sweet voice that Fox found it impossible to resist.
"It's okay. You can turn around again" she said still slightly giggling. He did and was (again) struck by her beauty. For a moment he completely forgot where or who he was and before he could really regain himself she walked over to him and pulled him into a gentle hug. "Thank you for being there for me last night" she said and gave him a slight kiss on his cheek. Fox was certain he had passed out if it was not for his heart that hammered against his chest. "Uh…uhm…well..don't…mention it" was all he was able to say. "See you on the bridge then Fox" she said and walked out of the room.
As Dexter reached the bridge he was greeted warmly by Slippy and Peppy, who smiled at him. Dexter just lowered his head. He didn't deserve this kindness; he was no one special, just another poor soul that tried to get by. Then he made out a voice. "So you're the great Dexter Raven, eh?" it was Falco who spoke up. Dexter immediately hated him. That arrogant and selfish note in his voice made his blood boil. A small growl escaped his throat. "What's it to you?" he asked back looking Falco straight in the eye. "Just wondered if got any fancy freelancer stories you could tell." The avian asked, his arms crossed before his chest.
"I don't" was all that Dexter answered, he didn't want to talk to Falco. His patience with him was stressed nearly to its edge. "Well, that's a shame, isn't it? If you want though, I could tell you something of Falco Lombardi, the best pilot in the galaxy!" the avian exclaimed.
That was enough, Dexter's anger got the better of him. "Why don't you tell your so called heroics to the wall, show-off, I doubt anyone wants to listen to your pathetic tales!" the raven growled back while he shot Falco a glare that could break steel walls. "Oh you'll be sorry for that, blacky" Falco responded and aimed to punch Dexter in the face.
Rookie. Aiming for someone's face to open a fight was the worst mistake you could make. Everyone expects the first hit to be aimed at the face. Dexter swiftly shoved Falco's fist away and wrapped his right arm around Falco's, forcing him to bow down. At the same time Dexter's knee shot up and hit Falco's face. The combined forces of Falco bowing down and Dexter's knee speeding up forced the blue bird into half a backflip that was accompanied by the sound of a breaking nose. Falco crashed to the floor and lay there for a couple of moments before he came to again and slowly tried to stand up.
The bridge was completely silent, neither Peppy nor Slippy could believe what they saw. Falco never lost a fight but that raven managed to take him down with one single hit. They could only imagine what damage that would deal to his ego. "You might want to consider your attitude, it obviously doesn't help you" Dexter growled to Falco. The blue avian stood up held his bleeding nose. Just as he was about to say something, door to the bridge opened and Fox and Krystal walked in. "What the hell is going on here?" Fox harshly asked at the sight of Falco's bleeding nose. Peppy was the one to answer it. "Well, Falco let out his usual attitude and Dexter clearly didn't like it. He didn't want to talk to Falco but our bleeding friend here couldn't drop it. Dexter told him to shut up and that's when Falco attacked him. A few moments later he was on the ground, his nose seems to be broken. So it's obviously not Dexter's fault, he merely defended himself. If you ask me, Falco had this coming all along" the elder hare said with a slight grin on his face.
Fox just nodded. "Seems like you found your match, old friend." He added t Falco as he walked past him. "ROB, open a com channel to General Pepper please" he ordered in his usual voice. A few seconds later the general's face appeared as a hologram on the bridge. "Star Fox. What's the matter of this call, Fox? We already spoke about your payment." The canine asked, obviously a bit puzzled. "It's not about the payment General. I want your permission to add Krystal and Dexter to the Star Fox crew." Fox answered and everything went silent.
Krystal was beaming on the inside. Fox asked if she could stay with him for good. It didn't bother her that he didn't ask her before, she was happy that she could be around her savior.
Dexter lowered his head again. He didn't deserve to be part of the Star Fox team. But he wouldn't object if Fox wanted him to stay. He started to consider Fox as a…friend.
Falco could not believe what he heard. "Do you honestly want to make this sorry excuse of a freelancer and this girl part of your team? The air on that weird dinosaur planet must have clouded your mind, McCloud!" the avian growled. "Nope, my mind is set. I want to make them a part of the team. Deal with it!" Fox shot back. "Fine! Have it your way, I'm outta here." And with that Falco walked out of the room.
Only moments later his arwing went past the bridge's wind shield.
"Well, Fox it's your team after all and if you think those two will fit into it that's just fine with me. Permission granted, I will fill out the documents but they will need to sign them personally, I'm afraid." The general said. "Alright, we already planned to stop by your office so there won't be a problem. See you soon general" the vulpine answered. "Alright, Star Fox! Pepper out!" with that the general's face disappeared.
"Everyone get ready, we are entering the Cornerian atmosphere!" Fox exclaimed rather happily while the Great Fox caught fire as it entered the skies above Corneria City.