And I feel fine.

Chapter 68: The End of the World

As Fox approached the planet, he checked his navigation system. Their flight path appeared on a 3-dimensional map. Thanks to Lucy's hard work, they would safely enter through the arethansphere and reach the other side just over Kezamat. She was an incredible astrophysicist, Fox thought. He regretted not getting the chance to see her skills as a pilot as well. No time left for that though.

"Okay, Krystal. We didn't have time to practice entering a planet's atmosphere, so listen closely and do exactly what I say."

"Is it really that hard?" she asked. Fox only had to imagine a scuttling ship to get his point across. Alarm flared inside Krystal. "How do pilots do this so often?!"

"By being very careful and sticking to the flight plan. Now, slow down to cruising speed and follow me."

Decelerating irked him when they were already so late to the battle. However, precision was more important here than speed. Fox wasn't much more confident than Krystal at the moment either. His first time landing on Cerinia hadn't been pleasant, and he hadn't yet cleared all the rust from his skills. When they neared the entry point, Fox guided Krystal onto their correct trajectory: a gentle slope into the upper atmosphere.

"McCloud, can you hear me?" Andross spoke through Krystal's ear. She confirmed for Fox that he did. "We should be able to drift in from this point forward. Power down your ship before we get too close to the arethanite."

Fox killed the engines and switched off every electrical system. His every instinct as a starship pilot hated it.

"Thene, Krystal, get ready to protect the ships," Andross then instructed. "We can't afford a single speck of dust to get through this time."

Fox peered behind his seat. "Andross says…"

"I heard him," Thene cut him off sharply. "I have my own link with him, thank you." She drew her staff, which she held collapsed in her hand. On the Star Tank, Krystal began to concentrate. However, she realised something.

"Fox, I'm going to need your help controlling our ship," she said. "I'm not going to be able to sustain the barrier and steer at the same time."

Fox swallowed. This wasn't part of the plan. "How do I do that?"

"Don't worry. It's simple. I'll give you control of my movements using our ehn. You just need to imagine us moving at the same time like a mirror image."

They had some time left for Krystal to teach him. Relaxing, she let her arms and legs fall limp. Fox focused his awareness on her body. He imagined her right hand clenching into a fist with his own. He felt no resistance from Krystal, nor did he disturb her from preparing the barrier spell. Crude as the idea seemed, she effectively became his puppet.

Assuming full control, Fox grabbed Krystal's yoke as Cerinia's atmosphere closed in. Krystal and Thene each erected their barriers just before contact.

Fox sucked in a breath. He tried to stifle the panic that struck his chest. Memories of fear and anguish awoke from deep inside. Fox swallowed it back down. He reinforced his resolve. He had chosen this path and would see it through. He wasn't lost anymore.

"How are you holding up?" Fox asked after a few minutes.

Thene grunted, strained. "I'm fine. Didn't get much time to charge more mana though."

"Don't run out before we get there."

"Fortunately, this is a much smaller ship. I can handle this. What about Krystal?"

Fox worried for her more than himself. "She's okay for now. Seriously, don't push yourselves too hard. Both of you."

"We can't drop the barriers, and you can't speed up. So, stop worrying about what you can't help," Thene growled.

"She's right, love," Krystal added. Fox sighed. He could only resign to that.

Painstaking minutes passed as the ships rocked and shuddered in the dust currents. Fox fought against the currents to keep them within close proximity. Splitting too far apart from Krystal carried genuine risk to the mission. If their ehn stretched beyond its breaking point, the shock alone could knock both Fox and Krystal unconscious. The Star Tank's crew might still have a chance, but Thene would not be able to take control of the Sky Bunny and prevent them from crashing.

Finally, a burst of green appeared beyond the pink screen. The arethanite clouds began to disperse, and the surface below became visible. Fox saw forests and mountains below. Yet, they were still too high up for him to recognise anything.

"Don't restart the ships until we're clear of the arethanite's radiation," Andross cautioned. Fox resisted the temptation deep inside him. The ground closed in swiftly.

They fell for many more minutes. Krystal resumed control of her body, though that gave her small comfort. Her nerves fed into Fox's. Only he kept her from succumbing to terror. She was out of her depth right now, and Fox regretted that her first planet entry had to be this dangerous. He continued to guide her through a controlled descent, assuring Krystal that they still had a long way to go before they needed to worry.

"That should be enough," Andross declared at last. "Restart your engines now!"

'About time!' The Sky Bunny purred to life at Fox's command. It took a while for the engine to build up power. Once it had enough, Fox hit the boosters. The ship shot forward, eliciting a stunned yelp from Thene.

Excitement filled Fox. He whooped loudly. He almost couldn't believe that worked. Krystal managed to get the Star Tank flying as well. Her relief became immeasurable.

"This is Fox, testing comms," he said into the radio. "How's everyone doing?"

"We read you, Fox," Vixy responded. "We're all fine here."

Fox exhaled. He opened the channel more. "Ground team to Great Fox. Come in. We've entered the lower atmosphere with no issues."

"Glad to hear it, Fox," Falco replied. "We're trying to find you on the satellite feed. What's your location?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Fox checked the error message displayed on his nav system. 'No signal,' it read. And the map he had preinstalled didn't contain enough detail to even be called one. "Looks like GPS isn't working down here."

"It's tough to get a decent signal through with all the dust between us," Slippy said. "You might have better luck if you get closer to the P-POS's sinker. Try flying lower and see if you recognise any landmarks."

"You read my mind, Slip. Cheers."

Dropping their altitude below the cloud line, Fox made out more details. He spotted several fishing villages along the coast. A lake amongst the trees caught his eye. Thin rivers stretched further into the mainland, cutting through what looked like a dirt road.

"I think I know where we are," Krystal spoke up. "This looks like Muhganoa territory. Kezamat should be north-east of here."

Fox agreed. "Let's head that way now."

They flew low, hoping to avoid the Aparoids' notice for the time being. The trees became close enough to see the branches. Birds took flight as their noisy ships passed. Cerinia's landscape rolled by like it were alive.

"It's beautiful up here," Krystal remarked. Her soul hummed with dreamlike wonder.

Fox smiled. "It sure is. It'd be nice if we could fly around like this whenever we felt like it. Say, Andross? What are the chances of refuelling the ships later?"

"I'm sure I can replace the fuel tanks to run on something more common if you're desperate enough."

Behind Fox, Thene made a troubled noise. "McCloud. How far do you think we are from Muhganoa City?"

Fox furrowed his brow. He delved through Krystal's knowledge. "Well… If that was Lake Gow we passed earlier, it should be coming up on our left now. Why do you ask?"

"Fly over it. There's something I want to check."

Realising what she meant, Fox directed Krystal to change their course. A minute later, the forest gave way to fields and orchards. Muhganoa laid past them. The city spread wider than Kezamat without defensive walls to restrict its growth, though its population was roughly the same in size. At least, it was before…

"Oh no…"

Buildings all throughout Muhganoa laid smashed and burned. Almost nothing left stood intact. Horrified, Krystal scanned for survivors with telepathy. Fox tried to spot movement on the ground. They flew over two more times to make sure, yet the situation was clear.

"There's no one left," Krystal trembled. "They're all gone."

"Sabre was right," Fox frowned. "The Aparoids attacked the people here too. This is where they got their thralls from."

Andross grumbled. "We would have heard word about this from the merchants' guild before we left Cerinia. This must have happened recently. The Aparoids are spreading their conquest faster than we estimated."

"We should make our way to their nest and stop them immediately," Thene suggested.

"Not yet," Fox shook his head. "Let's take down the ones attacking Kezamat first."

"McCloud, Kezamat is the only settlement that can hold out against the Aparoids," Andross contested. "Anywhere else they target will fall in no time at all. We can't put other Cerinian lives at risk just to aid the few who can protect themselves. The Aparoids will only make their forces larger while we waste time."

"It'll only take us 10 minutes to fly to Kezamat from here. Not a huge detour. We go in. We clear out the Aparoids in the area. Then we hit the nest. That easy."

"Might I remind you that there are hundreds of Aparoids attacking Kezamat?" Andross growled. "We only have two ships. Our odds are slim enough as it is without engaging in a fight to the death."

Fox hesitated a bit. "I know that, but…"

"We can't afford to charge into a battle we are not equipped to win. The best course of action is to take down the queen as quickly as possible. That means we need to attack the nest first."

Damn it! Fox gripped the ship's yoke tighter. Andross argument made logical sense, yes. But it did not sit right with Fox. Krystal worried terribly for her family, and he couldn't turn his back on Kezamat in good conscience. If there was any chance…

"Fox…" Vixy spoke up. "I loathe to say this. But I agree with him. We can't wipe out the Aparoids attacking the city with just two ships. They'll overwhelm us."

The protest on Fox's tongue died there and then, as did the fire in his chest. He and Krystal were both prepared to risk their own lives to save their home. However, Fox could not take that risk with his mother's life as well. He treasured it more than his own. That was how he made the tough decision to adjust his course away. As much as it pained Krystal, she followed Fox close behind.

"I'm sorry," he told her.

"I understand," she sighed. "Let's finish this quickly."

"We will. I swear on it."

"I doubt we can get close enough to Kezamat to recalibrate the maps," Andross said. "Fortunately, I held on to a paper copy. I'll chart our course to give us the best chance to reach the nest undetected."

"You do that," Fox grumbled. He offered a silent apology to Thalse and the others, as well as a prayer that they all survived until they returned.

As Fox followed Andross's directions, he observed the scenery beneath them. Cities and villages were not the only places ravaged. Trees laid toppled and burned in patches across the forest, and scars gaped along the rocky ridges where energy weapons had cut through like hot knives through butter.

Fox's heart leaped as Aparoids suddenly burst from behind the cliffsides, opening fire. He soon realised that they weren't targeting their starfighters. The Aparoids flew in reverse, as though fighting to repel something hot on their tails. An instant later, a landslide erupted into view. Like a serpent made of stone, it closed its fangs around one Aparoid, crushing it easily. The remaining drones fled further away. Bird-like creatures of lightning and flame chased after them.

"What is that?!" Vixy yelped.

"Spirits," Krystal grinned. "They're fighting the Aparoids!"

"And kicking their asses," Fox gaped. Traces of a grin tugged the corners of his lips.

"Spirits are immaterial," Thene said. "There's no way to infect them; and if the spirits' vessels are destroyed, they'll just create new ones. The Aparoids can't harm them."

"They're the perfect predator," Andross mused. "Spirits will destroy any threat to the planet's ecosystem like white blood cells. It's their nature."

"Incredible…" Vixy breathed, awed by the sight below them. "It's like we needn't have done anything."

"Not quite," Andross replied. "If we don't stop the Aparoids' propagation, they'll overtake the spirits eventually. We need to stamp out the infection at its source before that happens."

Thene hummed behind Fox's head. He looked behind and saw her close her eyes. Her hands came together around her staff. Its jewel twinkled brightly on its head.

"What are you doing?" Fox asked.

"Trying something. If the spirits act like white blood cells, then maybe we can guide them to where they can do the most good."

"Where would that be?" To the remaining Cerinian settlements?

"Just keep your eyes on the sky. I need to concentrate."

Fox looked forward again, just in time to see the giant land snake smash another Aparoid into the mountainside. The spirit was easily a mile long. It must have been ancient to build up enough mana and earth to become that big. The final Aparoid of the group flew higher to escape its wrath.

Right into Fox's line of fire. He rained laser bursts into the bug until it smoked and fell. The spirit's tail slammed it into the deep river below. Water flew high enough to spatter upon Fox's windshield.

"That spirit's not going to turn on us now, is it?" he worried.

"I think between Thene and me, they'll understand that we're not the enemy," Krystal answered.

"Even so, I would feel better giving them a wide birth, myself," Andross remarked.

Fox watched the serpent drag itself in the other direction. He swallowed as its body carved new slopes in the rocky terrain beneath it. "I'm with you on that."

Strangely, it reassured him a little to fear something more than the Aparoids.

"Doesn't look like Fox's team is heading to Kezamat first."

"Do you think they've run into the Aparoids already, Slippy?" Peppy asked.

"Can't say. But I am still picking up a weak signal from their starfighters. It's possible that they've decided to hit the nest instead."

Peppy nodded. "You could be right. I suggest we move the satellite there. We might pick up Fox and the others before they arrive."

"On it," Slippy said, promptly typing away at the controls before him.

Listening to them, Falco glued his gaze to the P-POS's camera feed. The image shifted as the satellite drifted out of its fixed orbit, gradually losing sight of Kezamat. Falco tapped his fingers atop the arm of his chair. This didn't feel right, and it frustrated him.

"Are you okay?" Katt asked over his shoulder. Concern lined her lips.

Falco huffed. "I feel like a spectator. Fox and Vixy are down there fighting the Aparoids all on their own, and we're practically twiddling our thumbs."

Katt touched his shoulder. "There's not a lot we can do from here."

"I know. But I can't help feeling like I should at least be trying."

They watched the rest of the crew mill about the bridge. Of them all, Slippy seemed to be the only one being somewhat productive. Lucy and Dash stared at the monitor as well; like their lives depended on it.

Falco sighed. What would Fox do in his position? Trying to answer that only lead Falco back to the reason for his frustration. Fox sure as hell wouldn't sit around doing nothing like this.

"Will they be alright?" Lucy spoke up.

Peppy tore his gaze from Slippy to her. "I'm sure they will be." Too bad that Falco heard the old hare's uncertainty behind his words.

"I'd feel better if they weren't just using two ships," Dash fidgeted. His tail would not sit straight behind him.

"I know it looks like bad odds, but there's some advantages to having a small force," Peppy tried to reassure. "It's easier to slip through an enemy's defences with fewer fighters, and you're able to move more nimbly than a large army can. That was how we won in our last battle against Venom."

Dash only chewed at his lip. Falco couldn't blame him for still harbouring doubts. Even that battle had been dicey as hell. Fox's team didn't have the benefit of someone else taking their place if they failed. Who would make that same sacrifice to enter Cerinia's atmosphere? Sadly, voicing such thoughts wouldn't help anyone, so Falco held his silence as well.

After another 20 minutes, Slippy leaned back from the console and wiped his brow. "Okay. The satellite is hanging over the nest."

The camera feed began to clear again. A massive crater became visible between several mountains. Easily two kilometres at its widest. Its rim was too smooth to be natural.

Only one thing stirred Falco more than the pit's sheer size. The Aparoids positioned around it numbered in the thousands. All standing guard. Not a single point left vulnerable.

"Oh my god," Katt balked.

"There's so many…" Lucy paled.

"Way more than when we last surveyed the place," Peppy said. He straightened his glasses. "We need to warn Fox right away."

Slippy placed a set of radio headphones over his ears. "I've got it."

Falco gritted his beak. "There's no way they'll get inside the nest with all of that waiting for them."

Lucy clutched a fist to her chest. "Should we tell Fox and the others to pull back and find another way?"

"No good," Slippy replied. "Fox said that they're almost there. The Aparoids are also attacking other parts of the planet, so there's no time to try anything else."

"Damn it!" Peppy growled, pounding the console.

"They're going to get themselves killed!" Katt exclaimed.

"Unless we get a miracle, they'll get torn apart like cannon fodder," Dash grimaced.

Cannon fodder… Falco touched a knuckle beneath his beak. "Hey, Slip. The Great Fox's cannons can hit the surface at full force from here, right?"

Slippy blinked at him, baffled. "Well… Yeah… They've got an effective range of 450 kilometres. But Andross said using them could cause earthquakes."

Falco remembered. "If we hit the nest a few times, would the impact still affect the people underneath Kezamat?"

Slippy's eyes rolled back as he thought. "Assuming the magnitude doesn't go over 6.0, I think the bunkers should be fine."

"But what about Cerinians who are closer to the nest?" Dash asked.

"If the Aparoids have been lurking around for a whole year, I'm guessing that they're already dead," Falco shrugged. Cold as that was, Kezamat was the only settlement with arethanite weapons. Any place near the nest would have fallen too quietly for anyone to notice. "ROB, charge the main cannons for orbital assault. Targets are those bug-eyed bastards."

"Context for the AI, Falco!" Katt rebuked. "ROB, he means target the Aparoids around their nest." ROB acknowledged her clearer instructions before raining hell upon the native insect population.

"Our targeting systems aren't going to see through the planet's dust layer," Peppy warned.

Falco nodded. "But we still have an eye on the surface. Can we use the satellite to aim our shots?" Slippy and Dash looked at each other in surprise.

"I guess so," Slippy replied.

"We'd need to reroute the feed through ROB and recalibrate the system," Dash added.

"Get on it," Falco clapped his hands. "Fox and the others will be at the nest any minute. We need to clear a path for them ASAP."

The pair got to work. Dash pried the console open, exposing its wires, while Slippy reconfigured the ship's software. Peppy took over the radio to notify Fox. Falco then directed Lucy and Katt to each stand by at the cannons' manual controls. If syncing them to the satellite didn't work, they'd try their best by hand. Before she took her post, Katt looked over her shoulder and gave Falco a long smile.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said sweetly. "Just admiring our captain."

She walked off before he could respond. Falco's eye trailed after her. His chest warmed inside. He watched the team hard at work together and felt pride. That was indeed what that warmth was.

He gave the Aparoid swarm a fierce glare. 'Let's make them wish they never came to this planet.'

"Fox, hold back a little bit. We're going to make an opening for you to enter the nest."

Finally, good news. Fox became a little worried after hearing about the army waiting for them. "What have you got in mind?"

"You'll see. Just stay away from the Aparoids so you don't get caught up in it."

"Caught up in what?" Krystal asked, growing more anxious.

"Be ready to move as soon as we tell you." Peppy gave no more information than that.

Fox bit his lip. "Andross? Your thoughts?"

"Only one thing springs to mind, so I suggest we do as he says."

Fox rolled his eyes. "Is it too much to ask for a straight answer?"

"It'll have to wait," Thene replied. "We've got Aparoids coming up behind us."

'Crap!' Fox engaged the Sky Bunny's G-diffusers. "Were we spotted?"

"If we weren't, we will be in a few more seconds."

Fox dashed the hope of evading a fight. "Sorry, Peppy. We're engaging the Aparoids now."

"Are you mad?!" Peppy barked. "We're not ready yet!"

"Krystal and I will hold out. Just do what you need to do as quickly as possible."

As Peppy alerted the rest of the crew, Fox lead Krystal into a full turn back the way they came. If they were going to be pincered, they might as well take out the side with the fewest enemy units first. By the time they faced the other direction, six Aparoids came into view. They were small compared to the ones that attacked Kezamat last year. Scouts, if Fox had to guess.

He picked a target and fired first. He ate away at one Aparoid's shield until it flew out of his line of sight. Fox switched to another unit and blew it into pieces. Through Krystal's ears, he heard Vixy take command of the Star Tank's mounted turret. One high-powered shot tore through a single Aparoid. Krystal's smaller front blasters inflicted decent damage to a fourth insect.

Their two sides then crossed and moved past each other. Fox chose not to turn around just yet. He hoped to gain a bit more distance before the Aparoids' friends near the nest joined in. Crimson lasers flashed behind them. Fox and Krystal ducked and weaved to spare their shields as best as they could.

Eventually, Fox got tired of the chase. He pulled up into an Immelmann turn, taking out a wounded Aparoid midway. A smirk tugged his muzzle. Even after five years being out of action, he still had it. Those gruelling hours training had paid off.

The Star Tank lacked the Sky Bunny's agility. Yet it possessed its own tricks. Its turret spun 180⁰. Locking on to a new target, the barrel flared. Another Aparoid exploded into smoking pieces. Two Aparoids remaining on their tails. Fox and Vixy each picked a mark. Both went down in a matter of seconds.

"Nice shooting, Mom," Fox said, impressed.

"I've had to use the Great Fox's guns to help on missions a few times," Vixy explained. "I got quite good at it."

"More incoming!" Thene warned.

Over the peaks, dozens of Aparoids flew into view. Some bigger than the last ones. They all began shooting in waves. Fox rolled out of the line of fire, taking a few hits to his shields.

"Krystal, follow me! Don't fly in a straight line!"

She complied quickly. They ascended over the Aparoids. The bugs altered course to give chase, but the pair changed their trajectories yet again before they could lock targets. Vixy provided some breathing room using the turret. However, for each Aparoid she slew, two more appeared in its place.

In the corner of his eye, Fox caught the swarm trying to flank them. He veered right sharply and opened fire. Two of three Aparoids fell to the ravine below. The last one fell back to regroup with more units. Fox then turned right around to rescue Krystal's ship from the bots creeping onto her left side.

"Thanks, love," she thought as he ran the Aparoids off.

Fox looked upon the reinforcements heading their way. "Peppy, we can't keep this up for much longer. We need support!"

"Dash and Slippy just need another minute."

"Make it 30 seconds!" Fox growled, boosting away from another laser assault.

He couldn't keep running forever. He braved an Immelmann turn towards the attacking Aparoids. Return fire cleared a few enemies from the sky. Then while the Aparoids concentrated on him, Krystal came in from below. She and Vixy took out six more in a single pass.

The sky suddenly became dark. Fox looked up. His eyes widened. Terror seized his every muscle. The Aparoids had sent more reinforcements. Thousands of them. Enough to blot out Balven's sunlight. And all of them with weapons trained upon their starfighters.

'Peppy… Slippy… Falco… Hurry!"

"Boys!" Peppy fretted. "Those Aparoids are on the move! A whole ton of them!"

Falco clenched his fists, watching the monitor. "We need to do it now."

"I've plugged the satellite feed through ROB," Slippy said, tense. "We just need to wait for him to process it."

"Fox doesn't have that kind of time!" Falco snapped. "Katt! Lucy! Get ready to shoot. We need to cut those pests off before they reach him!"

Lucy gaped over her shoulder. "You want us to eyeball it?!"

"Both cannons are at 95 percent charge. Ready to fire," Katt reported. Her hard tone betrayed no emotion.

"What if we hit Fox and the others?!"

"They'll be fine, Lucy," Falco insisted. "Peppy, tell him and Krystal to get their asses out of the way." Peppy practically shouted the warning through his microphone.

Lucy scowled, horrified by the situation. Yet she turned her tearing gaze to the left cannon's monitor. It showed her Cerinia's surface relative to the barrel's direction.

"Target sighted," Katt declared.

"Target sighted," Lucy added reluctantly.

Falco saw both their aims on his own display. Both were good.

"Fire!"

"Fox! Get your tails out of there now! Hell's about to rain down on your location!"

Thousands of Aparoid weapons began to shine red. 'You're telling me,' Fox grimaced. He jostled the yoke until his starship sped down the opposite direction. "Let's move, Krystal!"

They rolled their fighters onto their sides. Many of the lasers missed their smaller surface areas. Some still hit them. Alarms rang as Fox watched his shield meter drop rapidly. He tried to find a way to break free. Yet enemy fire surrounded him. There was nowhere to go.

A loud explosion suddenly came from behind. The onslaught weakened. A strange wind threw the ships forward. Steadying his, Fox chose not to waste the opportunity to move into a better position. He flew higher, giving himself greater freedom in the open air.

He saw behind them just in time as a second explosion scattered the Aparoids. Dust and stone erupted high into the air – superheated from the blast. Something smashed into the ground near the same site, decimating dozens of Aparoids in an instant. Fox looked upward. Shooting stars punched holes in the arethansphere clouds.

No. Not stars. Cannon fire. From the Great Fox! Fox grinned in ecstasy as the Aparoids scrambled to avoid the assault. Many weren't that lucky.

"Fox? Are you all okay?" Peppy radioed in.

"Thanks for the save, guys," Fox laughed. "Thene and I are fine. Krystal, what about your end?"

"We're okay," she answered. "A little bit rattled, but no one's injured."

Thene moaned in Fox's ear. "I think I'm going to be ill."

"Try to hold it in," he said. Fox searched the ground and found the nest's entrance. "Alright. I see a clear path inside. Great Fox, shift your fire wherever the Aparoids try to regroup. We're making a beeline into the nest. Don't let them follow us."

"Copy that, Fox. Be careful in there. From here on, you folks will be on your own."

"Will do, Pep. We'll be done and out before you know it."

The bombardment's angle shifted, now concentrating on a mass of Aparoids towards Fox's left. Their drones buzzed around erratically to save themselves. They fired energy blasts into the sky, but nothing seemed to slow the Great Fox's constant attacks. A dark grin pulled along Fox's mouth as he pushed through towards the nest's maw. After terrorising countless people who could never have fought back, those damned Aparoids were finally getting a taste of their own medicine. Krystal's heart raced from the satisfaction.

"Let's send these bastards straight to Yul, love."

"Every last one of them."