Wolf: The following is a non-profit fan based adventure. Star Fox, Star Fox 64, Adventure, Assault and Command, Are all owned by Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto. Please Support the official release. Now who do I talk to about getting paid?

Storyteller 2013: Um, Give me a moment. This chapter contains some language. Viewer Discretion is advised.

Wolf: Now is my paycheck ready?

ST: Uhhhh… Bye! (Runs for his life from Wolf O' Donnell)

Chapter Ten

Starting afresh;

Is this the beginning of love?

*Drip… drip… drip*

Cyrus woke as some thick liquid fell on his cheek, he wiped it off and sat up only to bump his head. "Ouch damn it what was…" He stopped short as he looked at the exposed engine core of an Arwing. "Oh that's right I was working on that problem with the flow… thing. How long was I out?" Cyrus walked over to the computer terminal and yawned the last of his nap away as he looked over the star fighters systems but the repairs he made were not there. Cyrus rubbed his eyes then remembered.

"There wasn't anything wrong with the flow regulator or whatever it's called. So it's not the plasma conduits or the intake valves, so what could the problem be?"

Cyrus looked over the system again this time taking a closer look at anything out of place he soon noticed the problem "Well the Dutch would be proud Slip."

He reached over to the side table for the energy drink that he had left there but his fingers met not with the cold aluminum can but with a lukewarm metal. He turned his head and saw a medium sized thermos with a small note that read. "Thanks for saving me back there, it's not flow camber. But you might want to take a look at the G-Diffusion system though. Miyu,

P.S. Shooting Star just makes you crash, try this if want you want to wake up and stay that way M."

Cyrus looked about the hanger and spotted Miyu working on her Arwing which looked slimmer in comparison to the one that he was working on. While she was working Miyu was listening to Metallica's Enter Sandman. She turned and smiled at him Cyrus smiled back. I'm glad I have my disguiser on me right now. Cyrus thought as he turned his attention back to the thermos and opened it, a rich sweet aroma rose from the container. He put the drink to his lips and drank. Whatever he was drinking was delicious, he looked over at Miyu and raised the thermos in thanks.

Cyrus was working on the G- Diffuser when Slippy and Roxy walked in. Roxy hurried over behind Cyrus and shouted, "GOOOD MORNING SEXY WANDERER!" Cyrus jumped and hit his head on the open hood he reeled round to face the cheeky raccoon.

"RA-DAMN IT ROXY! Did you have to do that?"

"Yes I did because I like to see you get all cute and blushly."

Cyrus harrumphed turned around and continued his work. Slippy came over to him and used a toolbox to see what Cyrus was doing, "Is there something wrong with the G-Diffuser?"

Cyrus just smiled, "When the Dutch feared they would become obsolete, because machines could do their work efficiently, they threw their wooden shoes called sabots in to the cogs of the machines to damage them." He paused as he pulled out a small plasma shunt, "Hence the word; Sabotage. I must say quite the wild goose chase you sent me on."

"I told you he'd find it!" Roxy exclaimed with pride. "You're the one that said he would never think about looking there." Muttered Slippy in a low voice then smiled proudly, "But I'm glad you found it. You've just past your first test Cyrus!"

"Well to be honest," He looked over at Miyu. "I had a little help." Slippy did not seem to care he pressed his hand on the fighters hull and the hood closed up. "Well no matter from what I see you managed to figure it out without taking the Arwing apart. Now we'll run a diagnostic and then give her a quick tune-up then move on to other things." The three of them moved about the Arwing preforming basic maintenance to the vessel to make sure that it was ready for space travel when Roxy asked Cyrus. "So how did training with Krystal go this morning go?"

Cyrus guilt slammed into him like a sledgehammer as he membered his fight with Krystal. "It didn't I don't think that they will be picking up any time soon."

Slippy looked out from the cockpit and asked "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Roxy looked out from under the Arwing's nose, her brown-gray lubricant covered face had a quizzical look. "You don't just say that your classes with Krystal have been dropped and then shut up because your friends ask why. What's wrong?"

Cyrus leaned against a G-Diffuser and explained his fight with Krystal when he finished Roxy said. "'There are no secrets that time does not reveal.' Jean Racine. I think that I don't I need to say that was a dick move Cyrus."

"I know, but I just- I didn't mean to hurt her we were going into a life or death situation I didn't want to upset her."

"Do you really believe that?" Slippy asked, "After she had told you to go to her if something out of the ordinary happened?"

"The truth? No not now, but I don't understand why she was so upset. I mean what I did was under handed but there was some kind of feeling that I can't put a name to."

Roxy crawled out from underneath the Arwing and stretched. "I'm no expert, but the Cerinians could use their telepathic powers to put their memory into the weapons that individual bore into battle as a farewell message to their loved ones if they fell in battle. By law these were recovered with the bodies of the fallen and returned to their families and passed along to its intended. Failure to do this was, well in this case is, considered to be a great slight against the tribe and the offender was punished harshly."

Cyrus felt his guilt multiply as Roxy gave this explanation now he realized that this was the worst thing he could have ever done to Krystal. She had given him probably the last memento of her brother and he kept that message away from her. That is what the rest of that massage is and why I couldn't understand it. I was such a fool. I, who knows some of the pain that she has. She has been like a sister to me and I just pushed her away, called her a bitch and ran away rather than go and apologize to her. "What have I done?" he asked aloud. "What can I say to her that will show her I'm sorry after what I've done to her?"

"We all trip up like that Cyrus, it's who we are. We say things we don't mean or that are hurtful because our pride gets hurt, but we must do the hardest thing any of us can do and that is humble ourselves and apologize then move on and begin to rebuild their trust again, otherwise you will lose their friendship. That will go a long way when it comes to relationships of any sort." Slippy advised with a kind smile. "Now let's get back to work the Gravity conversion unit is shot. It must be replaced before it can be flown. Roxy, could you get a spare unit from the storage containers? Cyrus you and I are going to remove the current unit, it's located at just in front of the cockpit."

As they worked Cyrus and Slippy had a many a conversation about life, how to care for the ships and the pros and cons of Arwings to any of the other star fighters that were on the market but Cyrus's attention would wander off to the lynx at the other end of the hanger. Miyu was dressed in light blue jean short shorts and a black sports tank top around her neck was her black spiked collar. She looks beautiful I don't think I've ever seen someone quite a pretty as she is.

"Cyrus, are you listing to me?"

"HUH?" Cyrus was called back to reality by Slippy's voice he turned his head back to the diminutive toad and to his horror he saw that Slippy was looking past him at Miyu he returned his gaze to Cyrus and gave a sly smile. "So that's what got your attention today. You should talk to her, she is a person not a pic in a girly magazine."

Cyrus looked back at the gravity unit that they were working on getting out. "I'd rather not get involved Slippy I don't know how long I'll be out here so there is no sense starting something that won't last."

"Ah ha," Slippy said raising a finger. "That's my point you could be here for months, years even, who knows. Come on you can't keep spending your time training you got to take some time to relax, besides it wouldn't hurt for you to look for a little…companionship. Anyway she's heading this way and I need to meet my Fiancé for breakfast so as your teacher I say that you will help her as today's lesson good luck." Cyrus looked up from his work with alarm. "Slippy no don't leave me here…." But Slippy was already gone Cyrus shrugged and thought about what he had said.

"Roxy is that you under there? If you have a moment I need a hand with something." Cyrus pulled the hood down and came face to face with a surprised Miyu "Oh good morning."

Cyrus gave her a smile but beneath it he was as nervous and a little scared. Inside his chest he felt a strange warmth spread, the same kind that he had felt on Macbeth. "Good morning Miyu, did you need something?" Ra, I sound like a car salesman or a waiter. So much for trying to stay cool. Miyu smiled in return but she was a little let down. She appreciated Cyrus because he saved her life and he had potential. Plus he was cute. However she wasn't ready to trust him based just on those facts. But he was working on this fighter by himself before Slippy and Roxy came in. Maybe he can help me. "On second thought could you take a look at my engine? There's something wrong but I can't figure out what it is."

"Lead the way Miyu." He replied Ok Cyrus just keep it together don't do something you'll regret. Cyrus followed Miyu to her Arwing, which in comparison to the ones that Star Fox flew, was smaller and seemed to built for speed, still he liked it. "Nice curves." He commented Miyu turned and looked back at the young tod. "Excuse me?"

"Your Arwing. It's got some nice curves."

Miyu laid her ears flat against her skull as she continued walking toward her ship. "Mm-hmm that's what I thought, just like a man. Like how my ride looks and not how I look." She sounded annoyed like this happened to her a lot.

"No that's not what I meant…"

"OH so you were checking me out!" Miyu shouted as she spun to face him her amethyst eyes blazed with anger. Cyrus put his hands up in surrender. "Yes – No - I mean - Aww shit. I walked into this one." His ears drooped in defeat and tucked his tail in between his legs.

Miyu's face broke into a broad grin and chuckled. "Oh this is so easy it's not even fun! It's really ok I was just teasing you, I'm glad you like her."

Cyrus chuckled as well and inquired. She's tricky I'll have to stay on my toes. "So, she's having heart trouble? Slippy said that the NTD-FX1 engines rarely break down unless they have been neglected or critically damaged." Miyu Nodded "Yes that's right, but my Arwing Interceptor has an Event Horizon twin, the fastest engine in the universe."

"How fast does she go?"

"Mach 6.5, officially. But I have got to her go Mach 7."

Cyrus let out a low whistle. "That is so cool! I bet that makes it a useful for recon missions."

Miyu opened the engine core and brought over a work table. "It does since I have very little weapons to defend myself with, except for my weapons and Barrier Sphere, but she's tough enough." Cyrus powered up the workstation and pulled up a 3-D model of the engine. He spun the model slowly looking over it from all angles. She's taken good care of this engine I guess she's a gear head. Nothing seems to be wrong here but I can't just assume that. "So when did you notice that something was wrong?"

Miyu thought for a moment. "Well she was fine when I flew to Macbeth, I didn't fly her from Macbeth when I joined up with Fox because we transferred it here. So this morning when I finished a basic tune-up." Cyrus initiated a remote start up and watched as the engine core activated, charged for take-off and backfired in a shower of sparks, then shut down with a long whine. "Well that was fun!" Cyrus remarked in a cheery sarcastic manner.

"Let's review the data, it might give us some answers, do you mind if I put on some music?" Miyu asked as they hooked up some maintenance instruments to the core, "I like to do that when I work on my baby."

"Yeah go ahead."

Miyu tapped the workstation and cycled through till she found Metallica and hit play. As if someone playing some kind of sick joke the first song that started playing was "One." His thoughts instantly returned to his memories his abduction "Miyu could you skip this one please?"

"Why?"

"Because it reminds me of some very bad memories."

"What kind like nightmares or…"

"Please just switch the song!" He pleaded with a note of fear in his voice.

"OK you don't want to hear it, I'll skip it." As she did Miyu wondered what had he experienced that he would almost beg to have a song skipped. "Trust me you don't want to know." Cyrus said as if he was answering her thoughts. "I never answered your question."
Miyu knelt by his side and worked on the core with Cyrus in silence for a few moments then said. "I don't get it there isn't anything wrong with the core that would cause it to blow like that." Cyrus looked over at the lynx. "I think I found something. It looks like wires were crossed here." Miyu reached in and switched the wires back. "Ok I'm still getting some power fluxuations here and there. Should we start her up and let it idle. See what happens?" Cyrus said.

Miyu's eyes brightened at the idea. "Do it. I'll get a power stabilizer so we can manually control the energy output." She stood and walked over to the tool box while Cyrus charged up the core and tweaked the power levels until the engine let out a loud groan. Miyu found the stabilizer and hurried back to Cyrus just as he smacked the engine suddenly the groan replaced with a low humming. Miyu pointed and asked "What the hell did you just do?"

"Well your engine core is roughly the same as a NTD-FX1 engine core. Sometimes they don't like doing what you want to do so you got to…" He punched his fist into his palm, "BOOM! Persuade 'em." Miyu rolled her eyes and stuck the stabilizer in the core and steadily turned up the power.

"Uh-oh." Cyrus said suddenly.

"What?"

"Um your reserves just kicked in."

"And that is bad because?"

"Well it's not except that it's been siphoned of about half. Is that even possible?"

"Yes it is just plug in a small transfer unit and bang, instant fortune. Zero point energy is quite versatile in means of its application. A small containment unit is worth millions on both the black market and the regular market." Miyu explained. "Check the fuel line, see any problems?"

Cyrus did as she asked and soon found the problem. "AH HA! Sabotage must be making a comeback. Somebody changed the conversion matrix so that the converted gravity would bleed out as fast as it went in!"

As Miyu shut down the core and accessed one of the four G- Diffuser units she surprised Cyrus by asking him. "So, where are you from?" Cyrus's mind raced to come up with a convincing lie The best thing I can do is tell as much of the truth as I can and lie about the rest. I wish I knew her as well as I know the others but until I know I can trust her I've no choice but to lie to her. "I was born in Corneria City but I and my sibs have spent most of our lives hopping from planet to planet, my dad was or rather is, a deep space colonist."

"Really? That must have been tough, always moving, saying good-by all the time but at the same time…"

"Somewhat excited about the adventure that is ahead of you and wish you were already there?" Cyrus said, finishing her sentence.

"Yes." So army brat syndrome I can relate to that but he's hiding something. "How many brothers and sisters do you have?"

"I have three siblings an older brother and sister then a younger sister," Cyrus said proudly but then amended himself. "Actually I just have my sisters my oldest brother is dead."

Miyu turned from her work. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's to be expected when you go fight in a war." He handed her a quantum wrench. "I know what you mean I lost my dad in the Lylat wars, he was a pilot in Wolf Squadron."

Cyrus couldn't believe his ears. "My brother was a pilot too!"

"No kidding! What are the odds huh, do you remember what squadron he was with….YEEOUCH!"

Miyu yelped and went rigid as an electric shock went through her body! Cyrus was by her side in a flash and pulled her from the G-Diffuser but tripped on one of the maintenance cords and both crashed to the deck. Cyrus pushed himself up the soft and uneven surface of the hanger deck. Wait the hanger deck is never this soft or…. oh shit. "I don't want to open my eyes do I?"

"Well now I know you like to be on top." Cyrus opened his eyes. Beneath him was Miyu with a mischievous smile on her lips and a flirtatious look on her face. Cyrus blushed both for the look on her face and the fact that his hands were pressing against her breasts. He sat there tense as a bowstring his hands twitched suddenly resulting in a squeeze, Miyu's face went from kittenish to an annoyed scowl. "You've got ten seconds to unhand my boobs before I kick your fucking ass into next week." Miyu growled at the tod that was straddling her. Cyrus stood up and offered his hand to help her up. "Sorry about that are you hurt?"

Miyu refused his help, stood up and dusted herself off. "No not at all my heart is pounding from that shock but that's about it." She turned to look at him feeling a little embarrassed Cyrus looked at the floor feeling the same way. "Well enough fun and games let's wrap this up I need to eat lunch before I help Roxy recalibrate the sensor array." It took about five minutes to finish the repairs but when they had everything fixed and put back Miyu recharged the core and fired up the main engine. The Arwing hovered into the air without so much as a backfire or a whine or groan of any sort.

"She's as good as new! Congrats to you Miyu. Ya got your wings back." Cyrus said with a smile. Miyu grinned like a cub at Christmas, she lowered her Arwing down to the floor. "I couldn't have done this without you. Man I'm starving what do you say, you want to get a bite to eat?" I was going to ask that! Cyrus thought but then he remembered something. "I have something else to do first and then I'll meet you in the rec room."

"Ok I'll see you soon and Cyrus, just be honest. That's the best way to gain favor with the fairer sex."

Krystal sat in her quarters wearing her favorite white sweater and skinny jeans, looking out at the stars a glass of white wine within her reach. The day had been shot to hell. Krystal felt like not doing anything today mostly from her fight with Cyrus last night she felt troubled that Cyrus might try to leave or do something else stupid, so she had decide to go look for him when Katt and Amanda came to chat with her about Cyrus. Apparently he hadn't shown up for any of his training and they were worried, Krystal explaned what happened and convinced them that he should be left alone for now. When they left she felt drained so she collapsed in to a chair after a while she began to sound of her door bell shook her awake. Could that be Amanda? Did she forget something? She thought as she reached for the door panel. The door opened to reveal Cyrus standing in front of her looking like crap he was still wearing the clothes from last night but now his clothes had oil splashed on it here and there instead of blood from Macbeth. Krystal stood up straight and crossed her arms in front of her chest but her face remained expressionless "Hello Cyrus."

"May I have a word with you?"

"You may."

"May I come in?"

She moved to one side and gestured for him to enter. "You look terrible did you even try to get some sleep?"

"No. Well, yeah but it was more of a nap."

"Can I get you something? Some water or some wine?"

"No thanks." He sat down in a chair and laid his head back then took off his necklace, deactivating the hologram that surrounded him. Krystal sat down as well then said "I see that you're keeping your word and not using your Gift."

"Yes and I think I'm…." He stopped himself then sat up and looked her in the face. "Krystal I'm sorry I… I know that I can't apologize and make this all go away but I was wrong to lie to you it was not my place to hide your brothers message from you."

Krystal looked a little surprised then her eyes softened she reached out and took one of Cyrus's hands. "You're right. Saying you're sorry will not make everything better. I'm not mad that you lied to me but I am mad that you didn't stop to think about what could happen to you."

"What do you mean?" He asked confused.

"Once the memory has exposed to the new Aren or Bearer it bonds with him or her so they can use it. If it once belonged to a warrior who died in battle and had a message stored in it, they would be compelled to return it to its rightful place anyone who refused to do so would eventually go mad and then, if it had not been returned, die." Her tone became even more stern as she spoke. "I've seen this happen too many times to people when I was growing up. To make matters worse you carry a Cha'ha weapon and have been marked by them if they found you through the blade you would not hesitate to take you. You were playing a dangerous game with your life and couldn't stand by and let you do that." Cyrus looked way ashamed to look her in the face. Krystal reached out with her mind and touched his mind. Cyrus I love you like you are my brother and I was wrong about you. I know it wasn't easy for you to come here and admit that you were wrong but I am just as much to blame; I didn't take the time to really tell you about the blade or the ways of my people and for that I'm sorry can you forgive me?

"Yes I can." He started to ask something but she looked at him with reassuring eyes.

"Do you really need to ask that?" She replied, smiling. He reached out and gave her a hug when they parted she reached out from behind her and placed the Shor' Mu in his hands. "But…."

She raised a hand forestalling whatever was going to say. "Despite the fact that this was a milestone in your training, it was a gift for you. Keep it."

"Don't you want to see your brother one more time?" Cyrus proffered the hilt but Krystal made no move to take it.

"You're exhausted and you promised someone to meet her for lunch. It's best if you rest before we try something like this. Besides," She gave him a sly wink. "I wouldn't want you to miss your date."

Cyrus blushed. "It's not a date! I'm just having lunch with her. Nothing more and no strings attached."

"OOOOOOH! I didn't know you operated that way Cyrus."

"Wow look at the time I'm running late!" Cyrus turned to the door as quick as he could and slammed in to it. The door opened and Cyrus scampered out calling out "Goodbye Krys!"

Krystal sat down in one of the chairs and laughed till tears fell from her eyes. "Katt was right, he is to cute when he is rattled!"

Storyteller 2013: Hmmm well now this is an interesting development. Anyway we are in the home stretch of my little story here next chapter will be a little more action packed. Thanks for taking the time to read this latest chapter. Pleases leave a review with your thoughts on Cyrus's love interest (Miyu) and if you have any thoughts on how it will end let me know and if you have tips on writing please share, to help me help you enjoy it better! I'll see you…. Next time!