CHAPTER FOUR

Marcus James McCloud

July 28th, 2035

Cornerian Marital Chapel

"This is it, Krystal." said Amanda. "The day you've been waiting for."

Krystal gazed at herself in the mirror. "Yeah…I guess it is…wow, is this really me?"

"Ah, don't sweat it. You look lovely!"

She was dressed in a fantastic white wedding gown that seemed absolutely perfect for her. A translucent veil covered her face. Amanda was helping her tie up the back of the dress.

She had to admit that she looked particularly more beautiful than ever. But she had something else on her mind. She was remembering about being Kursed. It was like a nightmare that she couldn't wake up from. She never slept. She barely ate anything. All night she kept screaming for someone to just kill her. More than that, she wanted someone to want her again. She remembered feeling as though she would be miserable for the rest of her life…that her tainted decisions were swallowing her very soul.

Because of that, she felt like she had to drag everyone else down with her. But thanks to Fox, she was herself again: kind, loving…and ready for what lay ahead. Now, however, she worried less about herself and more about Fox. She could sense his thought patterns just a few rooms away, and he didn't seem calm at all.

"You seem a little tense." Amanda suddenly spoke up. "Are you okay?"

Krystal shook her head, bringing her mind back to reality.

"I'm…I'm just a little nervous. I can't believe this is really happening. And I've just been thinking, 'What would Mother and Father say if they were alive?'"

"I'm sure they'd like Fox, too."

"What about his parents…James and Vixy? Do you think they'd approve of me?"

"Don't get your tail in a knot, girl! They'd absolutely adore you!"

"But I think there might be something bothering him. I feel like something…just something is going to happen…something that might set him off."

Krystal closed her eyes for a moment and tried to visualize about what Fox was thinking about.

Suddenly, she saw someone in her head; a tall, muscular figure with gray and white fur, sharp claws and an strange ocular system where his left eye should have been.

Krystal's eyes snapped open.

"What's wrong?" Amanda asked.

"…Wolf is here."

Wolf O'Donnell was two years older than Fox and had only crossed paths with him a small handful of times, but they knew each other like the backs of their own hands by now. Wolf had been Fox's enemy for quite some time. No one really knew what set Fox off about him, but it was rumored that Wolf may have had some connection with Fox's father James. What kind of connection, nobody knew.

Wolf now led the renegade group called Star Wolf, which consisted of him, the wanted assassin Leon Powalski, and Panther Caroso who Krystal had some bad blood with. Each of them had large bounties on their heads, mostly for theft, (in Leon's case) murder, attacking Star Fox, and once even assisting the evil Venomian Army. Although Wolf considered Fox to be his rival, however, he admired Fox's bravery and had developed a certain respect for him.

But things were so tight between the two right now that if Wolf really was at Fox's wedding, he could have been willing enough to storm in and start a fistfight in ten seconds flat.

"Hey, don't worry about that. If Wolf does something stupid, he'll get his ass handed to him in less than a minute. The fact is you and Fox are getting married. That's one thing that isn't going to change." Amanda said finishing the last knot on Krystal's dress.

Krystal smiled and looked up with the uttermost confidence.

"Yes! That's right! By the end of today, whether anyone likes it or not, my name will be Krystal McCloud!"

Meanwhile...

What Krystal didn't know was that Fox wasn't angry about anything. He was just rushing at the speed of light. In another room in the chapel, he, Falco, Bill and Slippy were slipping their tuxedos on.

"I ain't even gettin' married and I still have to wear one of these monkey suits?" Falco whined. "This James Bond get-up just isn't my style!"

"Hey, quit your yappin', Falco." Slippy said, snapping on a bowtie. "Seriously, you're the one who's always tryin' to look good. This is one way to do that."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, frog boy."

"Phew! I can't believe the day's finally here." Fox beamed excitedly.

"Take it easy, bud." Bill said. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

"Sorry. I'm just so excited!"

Bill finished getting dressed, and then helped Fox get his suit on. He started giving Fox instructions on what to do.

"OK, remember, you go in there. When Krystal shows up, you take her hand. Try to pay attention to what the priest is saying. If you need to tell Krystal something, talk in a whisper out of the corner of your mouth."

"I don't really know how YOU know what to do, but it all checks out from the way I see it."

Slippy finished getting his suit on and checked his watch.

"OK, we've got 4 minutes. Let's go!"

The four men ran out of the room and into the main hall. Sprinting up the aisle, they bent over and took a breather.

"Right on time, boys." said the 'priest'.

Fox was in for quite a shock when he looked up and saw...

"Peppy?"

"No time to talk." Peppy said, though cracking a smile as he spoke. "Krystal will be here any second. Take your places."

Fox stood next to Peppy, then Falco stood next to Fox and so on. Then came the most shocking part of that minute: out of the corner of his eye, Fox could see Wolf O'Donnell standing with his arms crossed in a shadowy corner where no one could see him. Fox's rival was at his wedding, wearing that same ready-to-kill look that he knew far too well.

'What in Grimm's name is he doing here?"

He couldn't do anything right there where everyone could see. He decided to deal with Wolf at the reception if he was there.

Suddenly, the church door opened. Everyone turned to look. The three bridesmaids (Amanda, Lucy, and Slippy's 13-year old niece Barbara.) came walking down the aisle. Following behind them, looking more radiant than ever, was Krystal.

Everyone stared with bright smiles on their faces. Lucy's 2-year old cousin even asked "Mommy…is that an angel?", and when his mother said no, he replied, "Well, she looks like one!"

Hearing the child's words made Krystal smile. She loved children, because they reminded her of when she was young and carefree. Hearing the little boy call her an angel made her feel warm and tingly inside. She got an even greater feeling when she saw Fox.

"This is it…just a few more minutes…and it'll be a done deal!" she thought excitedly.

Fox himself smiled.

"Wow, she's even more beautiful than ever." he thought.

Amanda, Lucy and Barbara stood on Peppy's other side. Bill winked at Lucy, who blushed and quietly giggled in return.

Krystal stood next to Fox. They both turned and face Peppy and took each other's hand. Peppy started speaking, and Krystal whispered to Fox out of the corner of her mouth.

"So this is it."

"Yeah."

"Fox, please don't get angry, but I think…"

"Wolf is here?"

She sounded surprised.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"He's standing in the corner over there."

Krystal nearly turned her head.

"Don't look." Fox said.

She turned her head back to Peppy.

"But even if Wolf is here, I still love you with all my heart. You know that, right?"

"I do." Krystal said aloud.

'Do you, Fox McCloud," Peppy said. "take Krystal to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health so long as you both shall live?"

They turned their attention to Peppy.

"I do." Fox said proudly.

Krystal smiled and brought up her veil, revealing her face.

"By the power invested in me," Peppy said, "I now pronounce this couple 'Husband and Wife'."

Krystal hugged Fox and kissed him with the strength of a bear, not wanting to let go of him for anything in the world. Everyone stood up and cheered for their dear friends. After four years of love, pain, and hardship, the two were finally married.

Krystal drew back. Both she and Fox had smiles on their faces and even small tears of joy in their eyes.

'I love you, Fox."

"I love you, too, Krystal."

Later...

At the reception, literally everyone was talking. The children kept staring at Krystal, still thinking she was an angel from Heaven, but nevertheless, they didn't dare to approach her. They knew that only Fox deserved that fine creature. Speaking of Fox, he and Krystal were talking to each other about something that Fox wasn't quite prepared for.

"Fox…do you think having a child would be a good idea?" Krystal asked.

Fox thought for a moment. His father had always told him that raising him was difficult at times, but when Fox grew older and learned to take care of himself, it always seemed good for James and Vixy (Fox's mother) to see how they raised him.

Fox smiled. "It may start off being a pain at first, but trust me; it'll all be worth it in the end to see his bright smiling face."

"He? How do you know it'll be a boy?"

"…a little birdie told me."

Fox's ears pricked up when he felt as though he were being watched. He turned to a shadowy corner. Wolf was standing there, glaring at him with a look of near-venom. He cocked his head. A signal for Fox to come to him. He did.

"What are you doing here?" Fox asked roughly.

"Making sure you don't screw things up for yourself." Wolf answered in his gruff, Southern voice.

"I didn't ask you to come!"

"I came anyway. Have you ever considered that you're a little too touchy?"

Fox grimaced. He couldn't stand being ridiculed, especially in front of Krystal.

"You have to realize that you've put yourselves in danger by getting married." Wolf said.

"Why do you care?"

"I don't, but I recommend you disband Star Fox."

"Why should I?"

"If you don't, Krystal, or maybe your future kid, could get hurt… if you know what I mean."

Fox grew extremely angry in what seemed like a nanosecond.

"Are you threatening me, O'Donnell?"

"Not at all. But I still say that, for once, you should listen to me. Your enemies can use those your love as a way to get to you."

Fox was silent.

"Funny." Wolf smirked. "I figured that the death of your father would have taught you that already. Guess I was wrong."

He began walking out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Fox asked.

Wolf stopped. He didn't look back.

"That's no concern of yours. Where I go and what I do is my own problem. That's the way I've always lived and how I always will live. Just take my advice, pup. You may be sorry if you don't."

With that, Wolf left. Fox grumbled.

"Quit calling me that."

Krystal walked over to him and touched his face.

"Fox, just ignore him." She said. "We're married and that's all that matters."

"I don't know….maybe he's right…but now I wish he'd get back here so I can punch him in the face!"

"Don't worry. He's just being the idiot that he is. It's not like if you don't listen to him, you'll drop dead on the spot."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

A microphone crackled. Bill's voice was heard over the crowd.

"Quiet down, everyone." he said. "It's time for Fox to come up and make his speech. Come on up here, bud."

Everyone applauded. Fox kissed Krystal, then got up on the stage and took the microphone from Bill, silently cursing his friend for making him do this.

"Uhh…well, first off, I want to thank you all for coming. I want to thank my friends, Bill Grey, Slippy Toad, Falco Lombardi, Amanda Lily, Peppy and Lucy Hare for helping me every step of the way."

Everyone applauded again. Amanda smiled and kissed Slippy, who gave Fox a thumbs-up in return. Fox meekly smiled before he continued, knowing those smiles would be wiped away in a few seconds.

"I want to thank their families as well for coming on such short notice. They barely know me, but thanks anyway….and lastly, I want to thank my new wife, Krystal. We met 4 years ago and literally fell in love at first sight. She's also a great pilot…and a great friend. We've both been through the same difficulties of losing our parents when we were still teenagers…and soon we may have a child who will look up to us in the darkest moments. Because of that, I swear to protect her at any cost even if I must sacrifice my life...this leads me to something very sincere that I must discuss."

That was it. Wolf had gotten to him. Even if Wolf was the last person Fox would normally listen to, he had to admit that the renegade was surprisingly intelligent at times. Sometimes more intelligent than Fox himself.

"You all know me as the head of the commando-for-hire group, Star Fox. Though we save entire planetary systems on a regular basis, most of the dangers that this planet, and many others like it, have been forced to suffer, from the Venomians to the Anglar Empire, is because of us. And I understand that we're loved here and all across the Lylat System, but as of now…I'm disbanding Star Fox."

Everyone gasped. Fox bowed his head. Just as he expected.

"I'm terribly sorry, but soon, Falco, Slippy and I will have families that we'll need to take care of. We don't want them going without parents like I did. Remember, my father was a pilot, and when he was sent to investigate Venom, that was the last time I ever saw him…can you believe that? I never got to say good-bye to my own dad...but still, we do not want our children to be submitted to the dangers of their parents' profession. So that's my final word on the subject, and no one can change my mind."

Everyone was nervously chattering. Fox sighed again.

"Anyway, again, thanks for coming."

Fox stepped down. He sat down and covered his face with his hands as everyone began chattering again. He felt small again.

"Lord have mercy on me for being so faint-hearted." he muttered.

Falco, Krystal, Slippy, Bill and Peppy came up to him. Falco sat next to him and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"It's OK, Fox." he said. "We would have done the same thing if we were you…well, I wouldn't, but you know what I mean."

Fox uncovered his face.

"Thanks…but you don't need to feel sorry for me...goddamn it, I'm so stupid."

Krystal stooped down in front of Fox and hugged him.

"You'd disband Star Fox just to keep me safe?"

"Yes, Krystal."

Fox gazed into her eyes…her hypnotizing, deep blue eyes that warmed his very heart just staring into them.

"Now, your safety is my highest priority. I'm not going to let you get hurt...not again."

Krystal smiled and kissed him… one of the millions of times she did during their marriage, which remained for the rest of their lives and never weakened for even a moment.

But now, let's skip ahead two years to their next life-changing event. Unfortunately, said life-changing event didn't come with some severe physical pain.

Two years later

"Krystal! Wake up!" Fox said loudly with a tone of panic in his voice, frightened that she had been writhing in pain seconds ago and had now steadily shut her eyes.

"It's alright, Fox." said the doctor. "She's just sleeping. She deserves it after all of that. I swear, there's just no way to make that less painful. Even painkillers don't work, and that's what the damn things are supposed to do!"

Fox breathed a sigh of relief. There he went again, getting overly panicked about one of his loved ones. The doctor held up a bundle of blankets and handed it to Fox, whose trembling hands pulled a bit back and whose wide eyes looked inside. To his hidden delight, two tiny eyes stared back at him.

It was the same baby from his dream. He had Krystal's blue and white fur, but other than that, he looked almost exactly like Fox when he was a baby, save the fact that his eyes were hazel.

Another thing Fox noticed was that the baby's eyes had the same hypnotizing gaze that Krystal had, and was using it right now to study the tall creature that was holding him.

What was it? Why was it looking at him? Was it going to hurt him? Why did it look so much like him?

Fox held out his pinkie to his newborn son. The little boy slowly grabbed it. He laughed.

Fox smiled.

"Hey, there, little fella." he whispered. 'Y'know who I am?"

The baby laughed again. Only alive for a minute and he already knew his own father just by looking at him. The tall creature's voice was smooth and soft…the voice of a gentle friend. The tall creature wasn't going to hurt him. It was his father. He was safe in its arms.

"Krystal, wake up." Fox gently nudged his wife.

Krystal stirred, then slowly opened her eyes. Fox handed her the baby. She was overjoyed.

"Oh, he's so precious!" she said.

The baby laughed when he saw Krystal. He knew his mother, too. The creature that held him now was the most beautiful thing he could see. It had his stare, and the more he looked into the creature's big blue eyes, the more he knew he was safe. The beautiful creature was his mother.

"Wow, we made one good-looking kid. I just wish Mom and Dad could see this." Fox said.

Krystal smirked. "You wish your parents could see everything."

They smiled at each other and kissed. Fox sat down next to Krystal.

"What should we call him?" Fox asked.

"…how about…Marcus? It was my father's name." Krystal said.

"Sounds great." the doctor said, scribbling the name onto what would soon be the child's birth certificate. "How about a middle name?"

Fox and Krystal looked at each other and smiled.

"James." they said together.

Fox gazed happily at his baby and hugged Krystal. This baby...he was one of the most amazing things Fox had ever seen, and it only made it better when he realized that he had created him. Bringing him into the world was one thing, but raising him and watching him grow up in it would be the greatest joy of all.

Marcus smiled up at the two beautiful creatures, who smiled back at him. He was in the world now, breathing and alive. Now, he could see what was out there for him.

Now, his story began.