It's about time I posted this chapter! Again, I don't own Star Fox or its characters.
Star Fox: Outlander- Chapter 2
22:19 PM, Cornerian Time.
The sandstorm buffeted Heather's eyes, causing her to blink frantically just to see where she was going. Falco was limping at her side, breathing heavily and coughing every time he breathed in sand.
Heather squinted. She could see a forested area up ahead. Most people who would come here might think it were a mirage, but Heather knew it was real.
She walked quickly into the forest, the sandstorm subsiding.
"I never knew there was a forest here," Falco wheezed.
"Not many people do," Heather replied. "They think its either an illusion or they don't come far enough to see it. A long time ago, scientists came here and built a climate control center. They wanted to turn Titania into a forest planet, but it malfunctioned and only turned a small area of the planet into a forest."
Falco nodded, then suddenly stumbled, and fainted. Heather propped him up. He must've passed out from exhaustion and blood loss, Heather thought.
She hoisted him over her shoulder, grunting as she found out he was heavier than he looked.
She continued to walk through the forest, until she finally came to a cave; a gaping hole in the face of an enormous rock. My home, she thought.
Heather entered the cave, spotting a spare bed in the far left corner. As much as she wanted to just dump Falco on the bed without giving any thought if he'd be okay, she gently placed him on the bed. She pressed her ear against his chest. His heartbeat was slow, and his breathing was shallow.
She took a small bottle filled with green fluid down from one of the rock shelves on the walls, removed the cork, and poured a decent amount of the viscous liquid into his mouth.
He swallowed, and began to splutter and cough.
"The heck was that for?!" he demanded.
"It was for the good of your health," Heather retorted. "Now shut up and let me tend to your wounds."
She washed the wounds gently with a cloth and water, ignoring his winces.
"Now this next procedure will probably sting, so don't say I didn't warn you."
She took a bottle filled to the brim with thick blue liquid down from the shelf, poured some of it into her hand, and slathered it on the wound on his arm.
"Ow!" Falco cried, hitting her hand away. "That seriously hurts!"
Heather narrowed her eyes, and wrapped gauze around the wound, clipping it in place. "Stop whining. I have to do the same thing on your leg, anyway. Now sit still."
She saw Falco's jaw tighten when she did the same thing to his leg wound. "Sorry about your uniform, by the way."
"That's okay," Falco muttered. "I'm getting a new one anyway."
"One that looks exactly the same?"
"Maybe," he replied, looking away.
They were quiet for a moment, when Heather suddenly shivered. "It gets so cold here at night. I'm going to start a fire."
She gathered some dried leaves and branches and left the cave for about five minutes. When she got back, she had gotten several logs and placed them next to a medium-sized hole. She made another circle around that one with stones, arranging them so they would protect the fire from the wind.
She then placed the dry branches and leaves in the center and formed a small cone using this material. She gathered the logs she had collected earlier and made a square around the cone, putting the ends of two logs on the top of the other two. She repeated this process of making the cone and square until she had formed what looked like a pyramid.
Falco was about to ask where she learned all this, when she said, "My father taught me how to make a fire when I was young."
She took a box of matches from one of the shelves on the walls, lighting it and reaching carefully through one of the empty spaces of the pyramid. She burned the inner cone, and the pyramid set on fire. The fire was a safe distance from where the herbs and beds were, so they wouldn't get burnt, and there was a hole in the roof of the cave, where the smoke billowed out.
Heather walked around the fire, then sat down in the bed beside Falco. "Where are you from?"
Falco looked up. "I'm from Corneria. I'm a part of the famous mercenary team, Star Fox."
"Never heard of them," Heather said. "But... I do know of the Cornerian Army."
Falco cocked his head. "How have you heard of the Cornerian Army, but not Star Fox?"
Heather stared at him sadly. "The Cornerian Army is what brought me here."
Falco nodded slowly, urging her to go on.
"I was born on Corneria. I had gone to the Cornerian Flight Academy to become a pilot, at the same time my mother decided to teach me how to use medicines and stuff like that," she began. "I was kicked out of the Academy when I was 15, because I was letting my grades slip and didn't do anything about it. So instead of becoming a pilot, I decided to become a medic. But after the Lylat Wars, when I was 17, a murder was comitted, and I was the prime suspect for being around the scene of the crime when the murder happened. I expected my parents to back me up, but they only confirmed the rumours, and the Army took me here, to Titania, not expecting me to survive."
Falco nodded drowsily. Heather narrowed her eyes. "Am I boring you?"
"A little," the avian replied. "But it's mostly because I'm exhausted. You can go on."
"Anyway," Heather continued. "I found this place, and some food, and I decided to make it my home. After 8 years, the Cornerian Army found the true culprit, or culprits, and as it turns out they were my parents. I found out they were killed, and the Army came back to get me. But since I was exiled here, I've begun to hate other people, whether they're good or not. So when they came for me, I hid and didn't come out until they left. Then about 4 months before I met you, a sorceress came and gave me all these healing goods, so after that I continued to work on becoming a medic."
"Is that all?" Falco asked sarcastically.
"Yeah, that's about it," Heather replied. "And... uh, I'll admit, I actually thought about whether I should have saved you or not before I actually did."
"Well, I sort of did the same," Falco admitted. "Was that because of your hatred of other people?"
Heather nodded slowly.
"You know, you shouldn't just dish out your hate to everyone just because of what two people did. I mean, sure they were your parents, but that doesn't mean that everyone will be just like them."
"I guess you're right," Heather said. She tossed Falco a fluffy tan colored blanket. "You should get some sleep," she said, noting the dark sky outside. "It's pretty late."
"Yeah, oh and Heather?"
Heather turned her head to face him.
"Thanks."
She smiled. "No problem."
Falco turned his back to her and remembered he had told Fox and the others he'd have been back. He rolled his sleeve down, revealing a metal cuff. He pressed a button on it, hearing a faint beeping sound. Falco smiled and shut his eyes, drifting off to sleep.
Heather stared at Falco for a moment. His side rose and fell evenly with every breath, and every now and then he'd twitch.
What am I doing? Heather shook her head to clear her thoughts. I can't be in love with him! Besides, even if we ever did get into a relationship it'd never work out!
Heather groaned and fell back in the bed, staring up at the ceiling of the cave. Images of Falco continued to flash in her mind. His cocky smile, his bright blue eyes... but it wasn't just that... there was something else that made her like him like this...
You crazy fangirl, Heather thought. Go to sleep.
Remembering the fire, she looked over at it. It was already dying out. It'd probably be gone by morning.
Heather wrapped the blanket tighter around her body. She looked over at Falco's sleeping figure again.
"Goodnight, Falco," she whispered, and, shutting her eyes, she fell asleep.
~o~o~o~o~
"Where is that crazy bird?" Fox groaned. "He should've been back by now."
"Well, you know Falco," Peppy responded. "Always late, no matter what the occasion."
Fox and Peppy stood in the control room of the Great Fox, staring out the windows for any sign of the avian.
The doors opened, and Slippy raced in, ROB trailing behind.
"We just got a distress signal!" Slippy panted.
Fox leapt up out of his chair. "From where?"
"The distress signal came from Titania," ROB reported in his monotone voice. "It came from Falco."
Fox raced to the controls. "We have to go back!"
"No, Fox!" Peppy grabbed his arm. "We can't go now!"
Fox whipped around, rage flashing in his eyes. "Why the heck not?!"
"For one thing, we don't know what we're up against," Peppy said. "And it'll take a while to get back anyway!"
Fox glared at the rabbit once more, then sighed. "I guess you're right. But we depart for Titania immediately."
"Yes, Fox," Peppy said. "We'll be there by 12:00, Cornerian Time."
"Okay."
Fox walked out the door and through the hallway slowly, his hands in his pockets. He opened the door to his room, and flopped down on the bed.
He picked up a photo album on his side table, and flipped through the pages.
Several pictures were of him and his father, others were him with Peppy or his mother.
He finally stopped at a picture of him Falco, when they were at least 13 years old. The two of them held their thumbs up towards the camera, their tongues sticking out.
Fox sighed, putting the album back on the side table. A knock sounded from the other side of his door.
"Come in," Fox called. The door opened, and Krystal's figure stood in the doorway.
"Are you okay?" she asked gently. "I heard your thoughts all the way from my room."
Fox sighed. "Not really. I can't sleep knowing Falco could be in trouble."
Krystal stared at the vulpine, then placed her hand on his shoulder. "Fox, you know as well as I do that Falco is a tough old bird, and can take care of himself. You have to have faith in him."
"But what if he's not okay?" Fox protested. "What if he's dying as we speak?"
The vixen giggled. "You're talking as though Falco's a reckless little child, never thinking before he acts."
"Well he often acts like one."
"Fox, listen. Falco is going to be okay. When we get him tomorrow, you'll see he's fine and ready to get back in the Arwing."
Fox looked up, staring into the vixen's eyes. "I guess you're right. Thanks Krystal."
Krystal smiled, then leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "You're welcome, Fox. You know I'm always here for you."
She stood up and made her way to the door, shutting it behind her.
Fox blushed, then changed into a pair of boxers and a white muscle shirt. Climbing under the covers of the bed, he shut his eyes.
Falco is going to be okay, he told himself. When we go back to get him tomorrow, he'll be fit as a fiddle and will be happy that we found him.
Fox repeated this in his mind, then slowly drifted off to sleep.
Okay three things:
One: I realize I may or may not be driving Heather into Sueville. I'm seriously trying to make her seem LESS than a Mary Sue than I already think she is. But hey, at least she's not a sparkly vampire who's beauty is noted in every single paragraph, right? Besides I never really imagined or drew her as being overly attractive. She's pretty enough, I guess, but...
And I can't believe I said "fit as a fiddle". Ugh, it just doesn't sound right, but at the same time it does!
Two: About the whole canonocity issue with Star Fox Command. I did like the game. But I don't think it's canon. With all these endings, I can't decide on one that I like, except for the Lucy and Krystal ending, but I don't really want to include many things from non-canon games. Maybe I'll mention Lucy once or twice in the fic, but right now I'm not going any farther into this issue XD
Three: I won't be able to work on this story OR my Mudpool's Path fanfic as much as I want to. I'm starting my freshman year in high school and want to get a good start. Therefore, I'll be extremely busy. I think. I'm not really sure yet. Not sure how much homework or projects we get.
Anyhoo, I hope you enjoyed my fanfic! Stay tuned for Chapter 3!