Chapter XXIII Nothing but a liar.
Falco saw Fox Sitting at a corner of the motel when he came back. It was at night, Falco just came back from the club, and Fox just finished killing a person to save his lover.
The blue creature then looked at Fox, who seemed to be having something wrong.
He went near him, and sat down beside Fox.
"What's the matter with you?" Asked Falco, He knew that he had to sensitive at times, furthermore, Fox (and Hyacinth) is the only person whom he can be sensitive to. He was afraid that others will betray him.
"I...killed someone for Krystal...I had no choice but to do so...really...why must I be selfish?..."
"You are not...the analyzer said that who you killed is a criminal in the Earth Federation and Coneria. I'm sure everyone will..."
He suddenly staggered. He could not speak anything. Killing a person is wrong, and if you were not given the permission, even the one you kill is Satan, it's crime.
The two then remained silent. Not until Falco thought that he found something that can turn Fox out from his criminal identity.
"I found the evidence that you are not the killer. It's simple!" As he took the receipt out of his pocket in his shirt.
"Do you live in Gewehr street downtown? No! You live in the countryside! Far away from the stupid town where all the cars emit their freaking smoke and poison everyone on their way! I can't believe that Pigma did this to me...treating me like a no one!"
"Falco...all this talking is useless right now. Krystal is in danger, saving her is all that matters now..."
The tempest has gone strong again. After he finished his sentence and he cannot stop his tears coming out anymore. The thundered cracked. And rain fell. His hands covering his face, as he cried in despair.
Falco did not know what to do. He had never seen Fox cry. If he were younger he would have shouted: "Cut the rubbish and get to the point!" But Hyacinth has taught him, imperceptibly, that people are people and they have feelings. So one should care and be sensitive to other's emotions. He did not do much. But did a thing which Hyacinth would have done to himself if he were to be crying like that.
Falco hugged him.
"There, there, don't cry." He said, as he shown his face of sympathy for Fox. He knew that the last time he showed his feelings to Fox it was not fake. He treated Fox as his very best friend. The last time he instantly hid his personality, but this time, he cannot hide it anymore. He wanted to care for Fox, he wanted to care for him.
Fox, knowing that Falco is hugging him, hugged him tight, and cried even harder. Leaving Falco having an empathy expression on his face. He hoped that Hyacinth was here- he is much better to these situations than himself does.
Falco could hear Fox crying. It was a sad cry. He had experienced so many things. So many that made him lose a lot of things. Yet there is a chance that he could not save her.
"Why did I hug the sun at the first place anyway?" He thought.
"I just do not have a choice...why I am forced to do these things and suffer? Why can't I and Krystal live happily?..."
Down was Fox's complaint when crying. He sniffed and whined as worse as a person could be. However, Falco did not have the slightest conscience of telling him to shut up or cut the mush. He just patted Fox's back, who wept bitterly. And remained silent. He looked sad too.
There they sat on the floor at the side of the bed, one weeping, one trying to give comfort, and both are hugging.
Soon Fox went asleep when he was crying, and Falco brought him up to the bed in the room.
When he took Fox up, he felt that there was a big force acting on his arms.
"You're heavy...your Vulpine skeleton, is it made of Osmium?..."
He then slept at the side, which, he went asleep quite quickly. He just wanted this to end quickly.
He still remembered why he wanted to be an agent. It was his instincts. When the lover's killer appeared not long after Fox's accident happened, he knew that the killer will set its sights to Fox and Krystal. Even as the reserve Lieutenant General of the Federation First army- after he helped the conflict with the federation allies of the Beehive cluster and the crab nebula and Hyacinth granted him this position, he wanted to suspend a little while. He knew that Hyacinth will always protect his hide and grant him no matter what he wished.
The next day it was still raining.
Fox woke up, and Falco was still sleeping.
The first thing that appeared in his mind is:
"Seems like Hyacinth has taught him well. Oh well, he went so sensitive... yet Falco is the only one I can trust..."
Fox needed to do the last job to get the address of where Krystal is.
He opened the last heart, which is blue.
Inside was a girl, crying in front of a grave. It was in the tempest, which is similar to the weather.
At the back, it was written: "Are you now brave enough to sacrifice yourself to save your lover?" With a GPS device again.
"Bye, Falco," Fox whispered, as he went to take his coat, which is on the seat.
As Falco put his coat on Fox's one, he had to take it away. But when he took it, the analyzer fell out.
Fox, curious, took a look on the analyzer.
The analyzer was set to not make a sound as Falco did not want it to emit sound at night, so it did not say anything.
Inside was the analysis of different pieces of evidences. The coat, Mr. Mars which Falco examined on, the motel room's analysis, and Fox's face. Plus some evidence that Fox doesn't know. It also appeared that in Falco's profile, he is a Free-Lance Lieutenant General. However, Fox had never known that. He impulsively thought that Falco wanted to ascend his position, so he got into the investigation. Plus getting more fame with it- the lover's killer case is so famous, that every civilization that is allied with the Earth Federation knew about it. And also, more money. The book is going to be a top seller. All of this, Falco had betrayed him, he thought.
Fox then said: "I should have known that...I should have known that!"
That sentence made Falco woke up, and seeing Fox taking the analyzer, he made a surprised expression.
"Fox..." said he.
Fox then looked at the analyzer, and looked at Falco again.
"After all these things, I thought you are the one whom I can trust. But no! You are being a liar!..."
"I didn't..." Falco wanted to speak, but Fox threw the analyzer to him. It missed. And created a small dent in the wall which it bumped to.
"All the time you just wanted to live with me, so that you can be a good investigator?! Huh? What do you want for this?! Write a stupid book? What should we call it? 'My life with the lover's killer?' Or 'paper hearts in the tempest'?" Yelled Fox.
Falco never saw Fox being mad like that. He did not want to counter Fox's point of view, but he just wanted to say words from his heart.
"You lied to me! Falco Lombardi! Quit hanging around here in Coneria and go become famous in the Earth Federation! Be your Free-Lance Lieutenant General and attack Coneria whenever you like! Huh? What destroyer will you be commanding? Corsair or The Summer Horizon?! So that you can kiss Hyacinth's ass and he will give you the position of a general!"
Falco cannot bear anymore. He had never heard Fox shouting his full name. And especially in a situation like that.
"Fox! Please! Just, listen to me."
Fox stopped, his hands crossed, facing his back to Falco.
"It is true. Hyacinth likes me, so he gave me fame and prosper. He followed what I wished, and he rebuild Coneria with his own hands and money in my demand and his approval. I wanted to control an army whenever I want to, so he gave me this position of a reserve general. But, I wanted to help you because I feel that you will be one of the victims. Now my instinct went true, you have to believe in me. I only wanted to save Krystal. So that you can be happy again, that's all."
Fox felt Falco's sincerity. But how, he thought, would he do if he spilled his secrets? He was surrounded by this conflict of friendship and unwanted betrayal, love, and mutiny.
Finally, Fox hugged Falco.
Falco then said, with Fox embracing him. "I'm sorry, Fox. I'm so sorry." Seems to be like Fox has forgiven Falco.
Then, they went down to the car park, and drove their cars. Both of them smiling to each other when they left.
The rain weakened. The winds are slowing down a little bit.