CHAPTER THREE

A Step Further

May 28th, 2035

Downtown Corneria

After the incident that occurred a few weeks earlier, Fox and Krystal started dating again, and they couldn't have been any happier about it. Fox no longer stuttered when he spoke to Krystal unless she brought up something that really embarrassed him. Krystal still had a fringe of her hair hanging down over her eye (she thought it made her stand out, and she was right). Better still, no one ever found out about the incident, as Fox and Krystal had sworn an oath that they would never speak a word of it to anyone ("Live our lives and let it die." they both had said).

Fox had been considering asking Krystal something very meaningful for a long time, and now he was sure of it. If all went according to how he was planning it, this particular evening would by one of the ultimate highlights of Fox's life. They, Falco, Slippy, Slippy's fiancée Amanda Lily, and Peppy's daughter Lucy were headed down to a bar downtown. When they left, Fox would take Krystal to the lake near his house (technically THEIR house because Krystal had moved in with him) and ask Krystal a question that would change their lives forever.

The group stopped walking in front of a large building. They had arrived.

"OK, guys." said Fox. "This place is supposed to be kinda rough, so… don't be surprised if one of us gets smoked in the face."

"Aw, c'mon, Fox!" said Slippy. "Just live a little, will ya?"

"I'm just saying. Take it easy in here, OK?"

Fox clutched the door's handlebar in one hand and pulled the door open.

The room was about twice as crazy as he thought. Almost everyone seemed to be break-dancing to the loud techno music and the lights flashing inside were enough to give someone a seizure if they stared too long.

"Son of a gun." Amanda said with her hands on her hips.

"This is gonna be one helluva night." Falco muttered.

"Hey, Fox!" called out a voice. "You made it!"

Fox looked at the top of the stairwell and saw a familiar face.

"Bill!" he shouted as a wide grin spread across his face.

Bill Grey, (a tall, muscular bulldog) had been Fox's classmate and good friend when they were in the Cornerian Flight Academy. While Fox dropped out to form the new Star Fox team, Bill became the Commander of the Husky and Bulldog units in the Cornerian Academy.

Bill slid down the banister and gave Fox a high-five.

"Man, I haven't seen you in months! How've you been, buddy?" he asked.

"Krystal and I just got back together and…"

Fox made sure that the others weren't listening. Krystal and Lucy were now talking amongst themselves. Falco dozed off in a corner while Slippy and Amanda ordered drinks.

Fox turned back to Bill. "I'm gonna do it tonight."

Bill covered his mouth and stifled laughter.

"You mean you're gonna…" (Here he made a thrusting motion with his arm)

"Wha…no! I meant the OTHER thing!"

"Oh, you're gonna pop the question. My mistake."

"Yeesh! Talk about missing the nail's head by a mile, pervert!"

"But hey, way to go! I'm proud of ya, dog!"

He whispered in Fox's ear.

"You wouldn't mind introducing me to Lucy, would ya?"

"You sure Peppy wouldn't have a chauffeur go with you everywhere? It's you, after all." Fox joked in response.

Speaking of Lucy, right at that moment, she spotted Bill.

"Hey, Krystal. Who's that?" she asked.

"Eh?" Krystal looked over, stifled a laugh and then turned back to Lucy. "That's Bill Grey. Commander of the Husky and Bulldog units in the Army. He's Fox's friend."

Lucy couldn't help but stare at Bill. Just a few seconds and already she had become smitten with him.

"Is he…nice?" she asked.

"I guess so. I don't really know a lot about him, but Fox really likes him, so he must be."

Suddenly, Bill looked from the corner of his eye and saw Lucy staring at him. She panicked and looked away.

"Oh, no! He saw me!"

"Come now. I'm sure it's perfectly…"

"Don't look at him! It'll only draw his attention!"

"Hey, are you nervo…"

"Don't look at me, either!"

"Alright, alright. Jeez!

"Oh, God, I just hope he doesn't…"

Lucy turned to look again. Bill was standing right in front of her, smiling at her.

"Uh oh!" she whimpered.

"You're Lucy Hare, right?" Bill asked.

"Um…yeah."

Bill held out his hand.

"I'm Bill Grey. I couldn't help but notice that you were staring at me."

Lucy nervously shook his hand.

"Uh…you kind of caught my eye for a second…umm…I didn't creep you out, did I?"

"Of course not. You don't need to be so jittery. I'm cool with it. And let me say one thing; you're pretty attractive yourself."

Lucy blushed. Krystal giggled.

"I am?"

"Sure!"

Lucy slowly smiled. Krystal steered clear of them so she wouldn't interrupt their impending conversation.

"Go get 'em, Lucy." she thought, smirking.

On the other side of the room, Falco was snoring. He didn't really have anything to do besides get some rest. He normally stayed up really late, even when he wasn't partying or palling around with Fox, Slippy, or Bill.

His eyes snapped open when he heard a feminine voice say his name coyly.

"Hi, Falco!"

Falco's stomach jolted when he saw who it was. It was Katherine Monroe (known better as simply Katt, considering that's what she was), a friend of his from his days as a vigilante. She secretly had a crush on Falco, despite him not returning her feelings. The reason for that was because her untimely appearances nowadays threw him into a bad mood when it was the wrong moment (which it often was).

This, however, wasn't the wrong time at all.

"Katt! Is that you?" he asked joyfully.

She giggled.

"Who were you expecting? Andross?"

Falco rolled his eyes. That was another thing that he didn't like about her: she liked to take him for a fool…a lot!

"How've you been?" Falco asked.

"Just fine. You?"

"Good. Real good."

Katt grinned and leaned in closer to him.

"Damn, if Fox thought he was shy around Krystal, he ain't seen nothin' yet!" Falco thought.

"So…uh… what have you been up to? Staying out of trouble, I hope." he said.

"You could say that. I've been just…y'know…workin' for the Army. The Labrador unit, to be specific."

Falco took that as a wake-up call.

"The Army? Holy crap, you've grown up since I last saw ya!"

"Hehehe! C'mon, big guy! Let's dance!"

"Uh…OK, sure."

Katt grabbed his hand and pulled him out onto the dance floor. Hesitating, Falco took her hand and started dancing. When Fox got an eyeful of Katt and Falco, he became jealous. Slowly but surely, Lucy and Bill, along with Slippy and Amanda, joined the other couples dancing.

"OK, here goes nothin'." he thought as he walked over to Krystal, who seemed a little left out.

"Krystal?" Fox asked.

Krystal's ears pricked up and she looked at Fox with a big smile on her face.

"Yes, Fox?"

"Do you wanna dance?"

Krystal smiled even more.

"Sure." she said softly.

They walked out on to the floor. Right as they stepped out there, a fast-paced Latin pop song began playing, and soon they, all long with everyone else, were dancing the tango.

Fox thought about what he had been planning that night. Had bringing Krystal to a bar been the best idea? She seemed happy just being there in his arms and seeing her friends again.

He smiled.

"I can do this." he thought. "This'll work."

"What'll work?" Krystal asked, panting as she quickly moved to the beat.

"Crap."

He had forgotten one of Krystal's Cerinian mind powers: she could read the thoughts of the weak-minded. And since Fox got weak-minded a lot, it was easy for her to read him.

"Uh…nothing. Nothing"

Krystal smirked and rolled her eyes. She knew he was lying, but if it was a surprise for her, she didn't want to spoil it for herself.

After a few minutes, the song ended and the rap music played again. They parted, but still clutched each other's hands. They were both smiling and panting after their impressive dance.

"Thanks, Fox. I really enjoyed that."

"Heh. Yeah, me too."

They leaned toward each other and were inches way from touching their lips together when suddenly an extremely tall wolf with bloodshot eyes (likely from drinking too much) shoved Fox aside. He and his two buddies surrounded Krystal.

"Hey, baby." he said to her. "How's about you an' me go somewhere quiet and spend some time together, huh?

"Uh…I don't know if you noticed, but I've already got a date, so no thanks, pal!"

Krystal tried to step toward Fox, but she was blocked by the other two guys.

"Aw, c'mon! Don't be like that! Ditch him and we'll go have some fun!"

Krystal had only one response: "Why don't you go shove your thumb up your butt?"

"Hey, nutcase!" Fox said. "Did you just blow in from stupid town? I can hear everything you're saying!"

"Yeah, well vamoose!" the drunk said. "A chump like you doesn't deserve a fair maiden like this."

"Does he even know who he's talking to?" Fox thought angrily. "Drunken bastard…"

With those last few words, the drunk turned around and laid his giant hand on Krystal's bust. She shrieked and pulled away from him.

"YOU PERVERT!" she screamed.

Krystal slapped the guy across the face. He grabbed her wrist. Fox had seen enough. He threw the drunk's hand off and stepped in front of Krystal with his arms spread out defiantly.

"Keep your filthy paws off her, you son of a bitch!" he shouted.

"What're you gonna do about it?"

He seized Fox's neck. The other drunks proceeded to hit Fox in the face. Krystal screamed in horror. The punches stopped when Falco's voice rang through the air.

"YO! PAWS OF MY PAL!"

He gave a clean shot to the first guy's jaw, then pulled out his stun blasters and shot the other two in the butt. Falco crouched down next to Fox who was gasping for breath on all fours. Krystal knelt down and hugged Fox tightly.

"You OK, buddy?" Falco asked.

Fox rubbed his Adam's apple for a second, and then nodded. Krystal breathed a sigh of relief.

"Alright, that's it!" the drunk shouted, standing up. "You're all goin' straight to hell when I'm done with you!"

"Hold it right there!"

Bill stood next to Fox.

"You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!" he said.

"That goes double for me!" said Katt as she came up next to Falco.

Fox was already having his doubts about tussling with these guys. It was true that he, Falco and Bill were some of the toughest guys in Corneria City, but could they handle THESE monstrosities?

Of course they could! They were mercenaries!

He grinned and taunted the drunks.

"Alright then! C'mon!"

The first one (the one who had violated Krystal) ran at Fox. The drunk threw a heavy punch at Fox's head, who ducked and punched the fiend in the face faster than you could say "Finish him! Fatality!"

Krystal tapped Fox's shoulder and cocked her head back. Several more drunks (probably more of the first one's buddies) came rushing right at them.

"Ah, crap." Fox muttered.

The drunks gathered around Fox and Krystal, who both smirked as they both got the same idea. Fox grabbed Krystal's wrists and spun her above his head. She managed to give nasty kicks to teach one gathered around them. She landed in front of Fox. They smiled, but then Fox's eyes widened.

"DUCK!" he shouted as he pushed her head down and punched the guy behind her.

The entire room had broken out into pure pandemonium. Everyone was either trying to get in on the fight and help the drunks or Fox, Falco and Bill, or they were taking cover behind tables.

Falco kicked one drunk in the chest and sent him careening back into his friends. One nearly had him from behind, when Katt cracked a bottle over the drunk's head and knocked him out.

Falco looked at her.

"Not bad for a woman!" he shouted.

"Guess I just wanted the pleasure of doing that myself!" Katt replied.

Falco did a roundhouse kick and knocked away another drunk.

"Damn it! These guys are all over us!"

"Here," Katt said, grabbing his head. "You could use a little perk."

She kissed Falco's beak. His face flushed. He felt like he had the strength of ten men!

A drunk came up behind him. Falco grabbed the guy's middle and flipped him head over heels. Then, he gave several punches to the other ones coming for him. Slippy took Amanda and hid her under a table. Then he grabbed an empty bottle and started fighting along with the rest of his friends. Bill had his hands full with several other guys. He ducked underneath the punch of one and cart-wheeled away from the kick of another.

He was just about to get smoked in the face when Lucy jumped on the drunk's back and started strangling him.

"Phew! What a woman!" Bill thought as he punched the drunk's lights out.

Fox and Krystal jumped up onto a rafter, and when the first drunk and one of his buddies passed underneath, they dropped down on them.

Suddenly, a shotgun was fired off. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at the entrance. Peppy was standing there.

"What in the hell is going on here?" he shouted.

Everyone was silent.

Peppy sighed. "I don't have all night so just cut it to me straight: who started this?"

The first drunk pointed at Fox. Fox pointed at the drunk.

Peppy sighed again and wiggled his finger.

"C'mere, Fox."

Fox blushed bright red. He walked over to Peppy.

"What's the matter, Fox? It's not like you to outburst like this."

"I…I was just being protective."

"Of what, may I ask?

"Of Krystal, that's what!" Falco spoke up as he stepped over to Peppy. "It ain't his fault! That…(He said a few words that made Peppy go "Falco!")…Krystal! You don't honestly think Fox was gonna take that lightly, do ya?"

"I see." Peppy glanced at the lead three drunks. "You boys! Out!"

The drunks left, but not before sneering at Fox.

"That should take care of everything." Peppy said.

He turned to the other people in the bar. "Carry on."

The music started up again along with the lights, the chattering and the break-dancing. Peppy holstered his shotgun and shook his head.

"Damn kids these days." he grumbled as he left.

Fox walked over to Krystal.

"Are you OK?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." she said, but as soon as she saw Fox, she gasped. "Oh my God! You've got a black eye!"

"What?"

Fox looked in the mirror nearby. Sure enough, his left eye was bright red and slightly puffing up. All of a sudden, he got angry.

"Well, that's just great." he growled.

"Can we leave?" Krystal asked.

"OK."

Krystal didn't feel very good about herself anymore. Because of her, Fox had gotten hurt tonight. She felt that this would just keep happening if she stayed with him. But she loved him so much. And she was sure he felt the same. She wasn't going to give up on him. Not now, and not ever.

They left.

"Well, I may have messed that up, but I'm not quite done yet." Fox thought.

"Come on." he said. "There's something I wanna show you."

"Okay."

Later...

A few minutes later, they were in front of Crescent Moon Lake. Fox had put some ice on his black eye and the puffing had gone down. They sat down by the bank and gazed at their reflections in the sparkling water, with the billions of stars shining above them.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? This just feels so much more…real than Cerinia." Krystal said.

Cerinia had been Krystal's home planet. It was destroyed several years ago when she was 19. She had been the only one who survived its apocalypse, because she escaped to Sauria before it exploded. She only talked about it every so often, and from what Fox knew, it was covered in vast jungles and populated all by blue-furred foxes.

"So she wasn't the only one." he had thought when she told him that.

"It IS beautiful. Just not as much as you." Fox said.

Krystal smiled at him and giggled. Then she stood up and took her jeans and sweater off. Underneath she wore a pink tank top and pink, skin-tight leather shorts. She jumped into the lake.

"What are you doing?" asked Fox. He was slightly confused.

"I'm swimming." Krystal said cheerfully. "Come on in! The water's fine!"

You couldn't really call it swimming, because she was in the shallowest part of the lake, which was only a little less than a foot deep.

"Uhh…I'm not sure." Fox said.

"Aw, come on!" Krystal pleaded, with a puppy-dog pout on her face. "Please? For me?

Fox shook his head, but stopped when Krystal splashed him with some water. He shook it off, then looked at her. She was mischievously grinning.

Fox smirked. He took off his jacket and sneakers. Underneath the jacket, he wore a black muscle shirt.

"C'mere, you!" he said, running in after Krystal.

Krystal playfully shrieked and started running. Fox came after her. When he caught up, he leaped forward and grabbed her legs. She fell along with him. They both stood up and laughed. Then they started splashing each other with water. For a few minutes, they played together like two newborn puppies, who thought everyone was their friend and thought that every day was the best day ever.

Eventually, Fox stopped to catch his breath. One moment he never wanted to depart from had come and gone, but a new one was just around the corner.

"I better ask her know before I forget." he said to himself.

"Ask me what?" Krystal asked.

Fox stood in front of her. He felt so small, like a peasant boy trying to confess words of love to an immortal goddess whom only a handful of people could even come close to impressing, but somehow, he knew he could do it.

"Krystal, do you know why I took you out tonight?" he asked.

"Hmmm." she thought for a little while, then devilishly grinned. "You wanted to get me ready for some…special treatment."

Special treatment? Good God, first Bill and now Krystal?

"Uhhh…no. Much better than that. I brought you here so I could ask you something very important."

Suddenly, Krystal had an idea about what he might have been talking about.

"Fox…"

She gazed deeply into his eyes and didn't dare on her life to look away. Fox got down on one knee and reached into his pocket.

"I wanted to ask you sooner, but I didn't think I was ready…now I am."

He pulled out a small velvet box. Krystal's heart started pounding like a hammer. She knew exactly what he was going to do, but she said and did nothing.

"Krystal…you are the very reason why I'm still alive today. I want to protect you with every fiber of my being. More importantly, I want you and me to be happy together…which is why I ask you, the most beautiful creature I've ever known…"

Fox opened the box. Inside was exactly what Krystal expected: a beautiful diamond ring.

"Will you marry me?"

Krystal gasped and covered her mouth. Her heart starting feeling like it would burn itself out. Fox had proposed to her! But would she say yes?

Krystal picked up the ring and fit it over her left ring finger. A perfect fit. Fox stood up. Tears of joy welled up in Krystal's eyes. After a few seconds of complete silence, she lunged forward, clasped her arms around Fox and kissed him. The force was so strong that Fox fell down on his rear end. Krystal still clung to him like a newborn child to its mother. He closed his eyes.

He did it.

Krystal pulled her head back. Joyful tears were still streaming from her eyes.

"Yes! I will!"

Fox grabbed at her again and they hugged tighter than ever before. They stood up. Krystal looked down at the ring on her finger. It gleamed in the moonlight. Fox wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"How does 2 months sound?" he asked.

"Anytime is the perfect time. Today, tomorrow, the end of time. I don't care. As long as I'm with you, I'll be forever complete." Krystal answered.

"Krystal…you've made me the happiest man in the universe."

They kissed again. The moonlight illuminated them as they stood in each other's warm embrace.

It was one of the happiest nights of their lives.

Back home...

That night, the two lay in Fox's bed. Krystal, in her warm tank top and pajama pants, slept, dreaming of the wonderful day that would soon be there.

Fox lay awake, gazing at his fiancée and smiled as he thought about something. He was already twenty-nine years old. If his parents were still around, they would have said "Get off your lazy ass and get married already! You need children and we need grandchildren!" He nearly laughed at the thought, but he didn't want to wake up his sleeping vixen. She deserved as much rest as she could get.

"Krystal…as long as I'm here…you'll never be harmed. I swear it." he whispered.

Fox brushed some of Krystal's hair out of her eyes. Feeling Fox's touch, she smiled. It was the greatest thing she could ever imagine. One of them, at least.

Fox kissed Krystal's cheek, then rolled over and fell asleep.

As he slept, he dreamt of the coming day. Both he and Krystal were ecstatic. They spoke their vows to the priest, said "I do," and sealed the deal with a passionate kiss.

Suddenly, the dream changed. He and Krystal were at home. They were holding a handful of blankets and looked down into a small gap in them, smiling. A pair of sleepy eyes and blue, pricked ears were visible.

It was a baby. A baby that bore a striking resemblance to Fox.

Could that baby be…their child? Of that, Fox wasn't sure.

But he knew he'd find out eventually.

Not a bad introduction to our REAL main character if I do say so myself. Well, that's it for now. If the story gets some positive response I should have the second update ready in no time flat. Looking forward to hearing your opinions!