Chapter 72: New Commitments

Disappointments.

Nothing but disappointments!

None of this was what Oikonny envisioned – what he strived towards! He stormed down the bleak, white hall. His teeth ground fiercely inside his skull. Disappointments and incompetent fools! That was all his efforts bore him!

"We don't have enough manpower." "The locals won't support our cause." "We don't have the funds for new ships." "Those weapon designs are still in the research stage." "The science is beyond us." "Our men are already rationing supplies!" Excuses! Excuses! EXCUSES! And who cared about the air's toxicity dropping drastically overnight?!

This was NOT the way things were supposed to be! He once had power; wealth; the authority owed to the great successor of Emperor Andross! An army at his disposal. The best munitions to arm his followers. A mighty warship that would have paved his path to victory! All of it gone!

Disgraced, he fled Fortuna to one of the Empire's other remaining strongholds. Alas! Those too were soon compromised, as those filthy Cornerian dogs systematically raided and destroyed one after another! But Oikonny watched them. Watched them, he did! Whenever he whiffed their scent approaching, he vanished again before they could close their snares. He kept one step ahead of them. Always. Yet each time he slipped away, another Androssian base fell. Each time, his options grew fewer.

Now all he had was a small safehouse in the barrens of Venom. The soldiers guarding it numbered a meagre 20, armed with whatever equipment they could scrape together. Two of them were former researchers from the Empire's prime, who Oikonny ordered to pad their ranks. Next to worthless in combat but better than nothing.

Mercenaries were too expensive. Too fickle and treacherous as well! Better for Oikonny to surround himself with those still faithful to Andross's ideals. Unfortunately, the ingrateful masses of Venom have forgotten everything that their proud, benevolent emperor had given them in his decade of absence! Drivel of 'peace' and 'non-aggression' tainted the voices that should still be swearing vengeance and fealty to the greatest man to ever grace the Lylat System. Oikonny's blood boiled at the mere thought of it.

Shutting the door of his private quarters with a vicious slam, he planted his palms atop a crate that he crudely converted into a dresser and table. His breath seethed through his gritted teeth. The sheer drabness of his surroundings mocked his status! He was the great Emperor Andrew Oikonny! Not some beggar squatting inside a squalid broom closet like this! He deserved a palace, and he once had one. He once had it all. How did it go so wrong?

The answer to that question came to him quickly. Dash Bowman. That wretched snake! Oikonny dug his nails into the wood. They were supposed to have been blood. Kindred spirits! Yet all Bowman gave him were lies and betrayal! For too long, he wormed his way into the Empire and robbed Oikonny of every precious resource he could get his grubby, little paws on! It infuriated Oikonny that he failed to see the truth until it was too late.

Bowman should have been the one to taste defeat during that storm! It should have been him crushed into the mud and left for the maggots to feast! But nothing ever worked out how Oikonny wanted. Not the Lylat Wars. Not Star Wolf. Not even Andross's destined return from Purgatory!

Oikonny had been hopeful – so hopeful – when he heard rumours that his Uncle Andross struck a bargain with the Cornerians. Fox McCloud's rescue for his own. But of course, it was too good to be true. Months later, there was no McCloud and no Andross! Star Fox and the Cornerians returned from the Balvan System emptyhanded. Robot bugs caused them both to go back to Purgatory? What lame excuse of an obvious cover-up was that supposed to be?!

There was no one else he could count on, Oikonny thought as he hunched over, his chest tightening. No Uncle Andross. No family. No soldiers. No followers. Just him. Only him.

Fine then! He'd show them. He'd show them all by clawing back into power on his own. Then the entire universe would learn to rue the day that they looked down upon Andrew Oikonny!

His door burst open. "Sir! The base is under attack!"

"How dare you…!' Oikonny's rage cut short as the soldier's words chilled his bones. He suddenly became aware of gunshots coming faintly from the distance. "What did you just say?"

The man, a lemur, licked his lips. His eyes were wide with panic. "Enemy forces are at our gate, sir! They're trying to break through."

Wrath came back with a vengeance. "Why didn't you pick them up on radar?!" Oikonny accused.

The lemur shook his head. "We don't know. The radar switched itself offline somehow."

"Why didn't you tell me over comms instead of barging into my quarters?!"

"Communications are down too. Someone's hijacked the jammer and scrambled all our channels!"

Oikonny froze. Fear and bewilderment ran rampant inside him. "We still have security drones guarding the base, don't we?"

"They won't respond to our commands. Some of them even tried to restrain our men. We're almost completely compromised!"

How?! Oikonny shook. Had another spy gotten in? Were they peeling away their every defence until he was ripe for the picking? No! Not again! They won't take him!

"Get me out of here!" he ordered, panicked. "Get me out of this place right now!"

The lemur nodded and stood guard outside the room. Slinging an emergency pack that he'd learned to always keep handy, Oikonny followed him through the base. The gunfire's volume became clearer. Men shouted to each other. The confusion in their voices stoked Oikonny's fury. Useless, the lot of them! He'd be rid of them soon enough.

As they ran, Oikonny's thoughts flew with questions. The base's location was top secret. The surrounding cliffs obscured it from both satellite and the naked eye. How had an enemy discovered it? And how did they disrupt their defences so easily? Were they the Cornerian Army again, or traitors following the false Venomian Federation?

Whatever the answers, Oikonny knew one thing for certain. Whoever was attacking them did not know about the base's secret escape route. His escort opened a janitor's closet and pushed the fake wall in the back. It swung on hinges to reveal a tunnel carved deeper into the cliffs. Oikonny flicked on a torch. A wicked grin vanished under the respirator he placed over his face.

The lemur closed the door behind them and led their path through the darkness. Oikonny turned his mind to where they would go. Which safehouse should he retreat to? How many were left? Nowhere else on Venom may be safe. His footholds on Zoness and MacBeth were all gone already. Perhaps the dinosaur planet, Sauria, would be a better place to lay low? Only dim-witted lizards lived there. Lizards who he could maybe convert under his rule? Yes. That would have to do.

The tunnel twisted and turned, leading them to a hangar hidden just as ingeniously as the base. There, a shuttle waited to carry him off to safety. Oikonny could almost smell freedom over the acrid cave air. Just a little bit further…

The lemur barged through a door at the end. Three energy shots then nailed him in the torso. He dropped his rifle and sank to the floor in a convulsing fit. Oikonny skidded to a halt. Horror turned his blood to ice.

"Freeze! Put your hands in the air!" a woman's voice barked in Cornerian. Three figures stepped into view. A pink rabbit; a grey cat; and next to them… Pointing a handgun at him…!

"Bowman!" Oikonny snarled.

"Long time, no see, Andrew," the vile runt said calmly. Not a speck of emotion on his charlatan face. "Put your hands in the air. You're under arrest."

Oikonny's blood then burned. It spread strength and malice through him. Never! If he died here, he'd take Bowman down with him. He pulled a pistol from his hip. A savage scream tore from his throat.

Bowman's barrel flashed first. Agony struck Oikonny in the gut. His every muscle spasmed and ached as he lost all control of his legs. He collapsed onto his back. The gun fell from his fingers. Oikonny gasped and spluttered as his lungs struggled to take in enough air.

A stun round. Curse him!

The rabbit girl kicked his pistol away. She then grabbed his wrists and tied them together. Oikonny tried to beat her away, but his arms refused to obey him. The rabbit then ransacked his pockets, pulling out everything until she left him with nothing on his person.

"Ge… off… me…" he croaked.

"Target secured!" she said, ignoring him.

"Good job, Lucy," the cat responded, rising from the lemur after tying him up as well. She raised her comm device. "Bravo Team to Alpha. We've got Oikonny, as well as one of his goons. We intercepted them in the second hangar, just as we expected."

"Great work, Katt," Falco Lombardi's voice replied. "We're making quick work on our end. Bring both captives in, and we'll meet you back at the rendezvous point."

"Copy that." Monroe then dragged the lemur onto his knees. "Come on, you. Up you get."

The rabbit gave Oikonny the same order. He refused to be taken captive, especially by Star Fox's B-grade hussies! The rabbit grabbed his arm, but he thrashed out of it. "Get up!" she barked.

"Never…" he rasped. Bowman then grabbed Oikonny underneath the armpit on his other side. Together, they lifted him onto his feet. Their grips became like iron. Oikonny could barely wrestle against them for a few seconds before the stun round's aftereffects depleted his strength.

"You're a traitor," he hissed at Bowman. "Scum! A living piece of shit! You dishonour Andross's proud name!"

Bowman pushed him along. "Funny you should mention Grandfather. He sends his regards."

"How did you even find this place?!"

Bowman chuckled. "I actually had a lot of help from Andross with that. He gave me the locations of all his bases and such. And right now, the various governments across Lylat are targeting the rest."

Oikonny's rage slipped. "You lie…" he gaped.

"How else do you think I got the access codes to shut off your radar and hijack your security drones?" Bowman gloated.

"Impossible!" Was it though? Oikonny knew that only one account existed with those codes, and it was the only one that superseded his own. Which meant…. Which meant…

"Face it, Oikonny. Your uncle sold you out," Monroe spoke. "He's got a new heir now."

"Could you please not say 'heir'?" Bowman said squeamishly. "It makes me feel dirty."

"Well, what other word do you want me to use? Andross pretty much gave you the keys to the kingdom."

They rambled on, but Oikonny heard no more than that. His mind refused to hear more. Shock and disbelief consumed it, dragging him into the depths of horror. It couldn't be true. Had Uncle Andross really forsaken him? In favour of Dash Bowman? A Star Fox pilot?!

"No… No… No… No…" He sank to his knees. "No… No… No… No… No… No… No… No… No… No… No… No…"

"Hey, Alpha team? This is Bravo. I think we're going to need a stretcher or something over here. Oikonny's having a mental breakdown."

Dash felt better hours later after a hot shower and a fresh set of clothes. Venom's air was now safe enough for off-worlders to breathe, but it still stank like rotten eggs mixed with less pleasant odours. It took him ages to scrub the smell out of his skin; not to mention half a bottle of lavender soap. How did the planet's natives live like that?

It wouldn't matter. Not for long anyway. For now, Dash was happy to be clean. And he was happy to finally close the book on Andrew Oikonny and his evil, wannabe empire. He felt better. He felt freer.

A knock came at his door. Dash found Peppy smiling on the other side of it. "How are you doing?" the old hare asked.

"Better than I was expecting," Dash replied honestly. "I thought I'd be more anxious about seeing Andrew again. You know, because he tried so hard to kill me last time. But… when we had him in front of us… I just felt calm. He didn't have any power over me."

Peppy nodded. "I'm glad to hear it. You played a big part in that. Thanks to you, his group didn't have any power left to bother anyone. And now, they never will again."

Peppy's smile widened. He then placed his hand on Dash's shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Dash."

Dash's heart swelled. "Thanks."

With a single squeeze, Peppy released him. "Now, I guess I'll share the other thing that I wanted to tell you. The Federation just called. They've agreed to your proposal."

Dash's eyes could have popped. "Really? Already?"

"I suppose you cleaning up Venom's air and seas so much has left a good impression. They're willing to see what else Andross's tech can do in peacetime; on the condition that peace is all that it's used for," Peppy said, adding that last remark with a smirk. "They've also agreed to let you lead the program."

That was… incredible! "Thank you!" Dash exclaimed. He then caught himself. "I mean, thank you for telling me. I just… I didn't think they'd agree to that. After all… They hardly know me, aside from who I'm related to."

"They know that you're someone who works hard to try and help people. Plenty of folks will attest to that. Myself included. I know that you'll take what Andross left behind and use it for better things than he ever could; things that will make the world brighter for everyone. You're kind, Dash. And anyone who gets to know you for a moment will see that."

No longer trusting his feet, Dash sat down atop the foot of his bed. "Leading a whole terraformation program though…" he shook his head. "It's a lot to take on. Maybe it was too ambitious when I suggested it."

"Rescuing someone from Cerinia was also something people thought was too ambitious, yet you already helped make that possible. You didn't do it alone though, and you don't have to do it alone now."

"Right," Dash nodded slightly. He thought about Harvey, Chantelle, Josh, and a bunch of others he met through the Empire. Good people from bad situations who needed a helping hand. People who he wanted to help now and use their skills to transform Venom into a haven. They probably didn't trust him anymore, given how he spied on them for Corneria. But Dash hoped to earn that trust back. He was willing to work for it.

Even so, it might be better to have a truly friendly face around. Someone who Dash knew would have his back. He looked up to Peppy. "Would you help me then?"

Peppy's brows shot up. "You'd like my help? With something like this?"

"I've always been able to rely on you, Peppy. The guidance you gave me over the years… It's helped me through some really rough patches. I'd feel a lot better if you were there with me. Even if it's just for moral support."

Dash meant every word. Since the day he joined Star Fox, Peppy became like a mentor to him. Someone he could confide in; seek his counsel. He felt like he needed someone like Peppy for this. And now after retiring from the mercenary life – and after losing Vixy and Fox a few months ago – Dash figured that Peppy needed this as well. He just hoped Peppy saw it that way too.

Peppy seemed to contemplate the idea for a long time. In the end, a small smile appeared across his face. "I'd be happy to help then. Even if it's just for moral support."

That simple response made Dash happier than he'd ever have guessed. He reached his arm forward, sealing the promise with a handshake. "Glad to have you onboard, Peppy."

"Glad to be onboard, Special Planetologist Bowman."

Dash chuckled. He found the title somewhat absurd, especially since he wasn't a proper scientist. Not like Vixy was. He just had the tools left behind by someone more brilliant than he was. Maybe that was where the 'special' part came in.

Peppy settled himself onto the bed next to him. A sigh left his lips. "Strange, really. This isn't what I thought I'd do after leaving Star Fox. But you've got me interested." He smiled. "What about you, Dash? Are you going to miss the team after you leave?"

"Of course," Dash said immediately. "Sure, it's… going to be different not being around the others… and going on adventures together. But I think I've done everything I needed to here. There's so much more that I want to do now."

"Like changing Venom," Peppy noted.

"Like changing Venom." Dash nodded. "But I don't want to do that just for the sake of it. I want Grandfather's work to be more than just a legacy of pain and war. I want people to know about the side of it that we've seen, the part that changes lives for the better. I want to make it so that the Lylat Wars are just a distant memory, and even Venom is a place where people can be happy."

Pride gleamed in Peppy's eye. "That is a good dream, Dash. I'm happy to help you with it in any way I can."

Dash felt more at ease. Hearing those words helped him believe that he didn't simply have his head in the clouds – that there were others who believed in it too. He wasn't sure if he could pull it off, and he was certain there'd be people who will never accept a peaceful Venom. But with Peppy in his corner, Dash reckoned it was still worth a shot. Because it will allow him, his family, and all the trillions of people across the Lylat System a chance to finally heal the scars of that awful war.

"To our next story: Former general, Cornelius Pepper, will face the Supreme Cornerian Court on October 6. The case begins after Mr Pepper publicly confessed to his role in a major conspiracy that concealed the truth about the Catalyst, the most widespread disaster in the Lylat System's history. Pepper and at least eight other co-accused now face charges including perjury; fabrication and destruction of evidence; and mass manslaughter. Pepper also faces separate charges for breaching global security laws, which Channel 12 understands he will challenge under whistle-blower protection laws.

"If a conviction is decided, the case could exonerate disgraced former Chief Scientist, Simon Andross, of his own conviction relating to the disaster. While Dr Andross will not appreciate such an outcome personally, surviving victims of the Catalyst are expected to seek justice from the Cornerian Government for the pain inflicted upon all parties.

"Experts say that Pepper's testimony has unveiled the darkest chapter in Corneria's history, as the Government's actions would have directly led to the Lylat Wars commencing years later. The current administration has been quick to distance themselves from the folly of their predecessors, condemning the conspiracy as a shameful show of cowardice and callous recklessness towards all people in the Lylat System

"When asked about the case, Mr Pepper told journalists that it was long overdue, and that 'revealing the truth is a must. Not only to all people across Lylat, but also to myself and a man who I once called friend.' Pepper has expressed no fears about his fate, proclaiming that correcting history and upholding justice were far more important than an old man's future.

"More to come."

Falco took that opportunity to approach the couch from behind. "I kind of feel sorry for the old dog."

"Yeah," Katt sighed, sprawled out below him. "I hope Pepper doesn't have to spend the rest of his life in prison or something. He's not a bad guy at heart." Falco hummed as his only response. Legality and morals were a gnarly mess in this instance, and he'd had enough of his own troubles to last a lifetime.

Instead, he looked to Katt. "Can I talk with you about something?"

She muted the television and sat up. "What is it?"

"I've just been… thinking about some things." Falco sat down beside her. He swallowed. "We've been together for a long while, haven't we?"

"Yeah… We have…" Katt replied. Her tone was hesitant, as though wondering where he was going with this. Probably didn't have the best impression to start with. Falco decided to address that quickly.

"I'm grateful to have had you here this whole time. Honestly, you've made the last few years a lot easier for me to deal with."

Katt finally smiled. Worries averted. "Happy to help. Are you…? Is everything okay, Falco?"

"Yes. Sure! Everything's fine!" he said, perhaps too quickly. 'Come on, Lombardi. Be cool.' He took a slow breath. "You know… I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do after… if we rescued Fox. We kind of talked about stuff, but nothing concrete. I just wanted to focus on one thing before I bothered thinking about the next."

He sighed. "But since Fox went back to Cerinia… I guess I need to finally decide what I want to do for myself."

"And that is?" Katt asked gently.

"Well… Obviously, I'm still going to lead the team. That's not changing. I mean, I promised Fox I'd take care of everything for him. And I still want to be a mercenary. It's good work, and I…"

Falco then realised he was rambling. Katt seemed patient enough to let him speak at least. He needed to get his mind back to the mission. "When I saw Fox give everything up for Krystal's sake… I guess that… affected me. Like in a 'Wow! You really love this chick, don't you?' kind of way, right? You have to respect the guts that took him."

A wistful smile graced Katt's expression. "Yeah. It was really sweet, wasn't it?"

Falco nodded. He sucked in another breath. Time to take the shot. "I guess seeing Fox and Krystal made me want more of what they had. They were… like… fully committed to each other. Like how I want to be with you."

He reached into his pocket. Katt's brows lifted as her eyes followed the little, black box that appeared in Falco's hand. He revealed a glittering, white ring inside. "What I'm trying to say is: Katt, I want to be your partner forever. Will you marry me?"

There were seconds – gut-wrenching seconds – after Falco spoke where he felt like he'd stepped on a landmine, and it was too late to lift his foot off again. Katt then looked away and laughed softly. God, Falco's insides started to self-destruct.

"Took you long enough," she finally said. She pounced on Falco, enveloping him in her embrace while he sat completely stunned.

"So… is that a 'yes'?"

"It's a yes!" Katt laughed again. She then kissed Falco on the side of his beak. "I'd love to marry you, Falco."

"Oh!" he sighed. "That's a relief. For a second there, I thought…"

"What? That I'd say no? Tough shit, bluebird. You're stuck with me now."

She made Falco laugh. "Glad to hear it," he said. "Thanks, Katt. I love you."

"I love you too, Falco."

Katt finally released him. She then looked at the ring again and practically bounced on her seat like a giddy schoolgirl. "Can I try it on?"

"That's kind of the point," Falco said as he pulled the ring out of the case. He slid it carefully onto Katt's finger. A good fit. "How's it feel?"

"It's perfect! I love it!"

Falco felt his chest lighten with another wave of relief. He worried that Katt would hate the colour, or that he'd get the measurements wrong. She didn't have a lot of other jewellery for him to get a baseline from. But seeing Katt so happy right now… it made Falco the most content he'd ever been. As did holding Katt once more when she lunged back into his embrace.

'Katt Monroe updated her status to: Engaged – with Falco Lombardi.'

A photo on Katt's social media profile showed the diamond ring adorning Katt's finger. Slippy smiled as the heart reacts and congratulatory comments piled up under the post. He left a quick message of his own before sliding his phone back into his pocket. Just in time too, as Amanda returned to their table with a numbered flag.

"Falco just proposed to Katt," he informed her.

"Oh, lovely," Amanda brightened. "Did she say yes?"

"Already showing off the ring," Slippy chuckled.

"I'm glad for them. They're such a great couple."

"I've always found it funny. They've known each other their whole lives, but they're polar opposites at times. Yet they still make it work somehow."

Amanda giggled. "Some people are like that."

Slippy agreed. He then sipped from a glass of water, chilled perfectly to beat Aquas's tropical heat. Another bright and sunny day. It made most of the universe's troubles seem far away. Except bugs though. Slippy swatted one that landed on the back of his hand. He didn't even feel like snacking on it. Resurfaced too many bad memories.

"Slippy? Is everything okay?" Amanda asked, catching the shift in his mood right away.

He straightened himself. "Oh? Yeah! Just fine. Nothing to worry about."

Amanda frowned. "Are you sure." She touched his hand. "You can tell me, you know."

Slippy caved. He couldn't keep up the façade. Not in front of Amanda. She had a magic touch that could always cut through him. "I'm just trying not to think of things back with the team."

"Are you worried about them?"

"No. Just… guilty. About packing up and leaving." Slippy sighed, like he might purge his soul from his chest. "The guys are rounding up Oikonny's gang, and they're supposed to hit the Aparoid home world in a month or so. But here I am ordering frittatas and juice next to a beachside resort. I feel like the worst."

Amanda sympathised, yet Slippy felt even more miserable about making her look so sad. "Remember that they let you take time off," she said softly. "You had your reasons for needing it."

Slippy nodded. He knew. He still felt guilty about it. Even though months had passed, he still struggled with Fox's decision to stay behind on Cerinia. Because of that, Slippy lost a lot of his will to keep flying for the team. It didn't sit right with him anymore. And rather than drag everyone down with his sloppy performance, he took a break to try and… Frankly, Slippy didn't know what he was trying to do. Maybe find himself or something?

Amanda had been a huge help in that search. When she found out that Slippy still tinkered with gadgets, as he tried to distract himself, she suggested that he seek his father's help with focusing on that. For the past few weeks, Slippy lent a hand with some odd jobs for Space Dynamics. Here on Aquas, he occupied himself with maintaining old airplanes in one of the planet's main trading ports. It gave him a new purpose and kept his mind in better spirits. But…

"I still can't escape the idea that I flaked on my friends when they need me," Slippy confessed.

"Do you want to go back to them?" Amanda's tone didn't indicate whether she believed he should or not. All it seemed like was a question; one that Slippy thought over until their drinks arrived.

"I don't know," he resigned. "I probably should, but I don't think my heart is in it anymore."

Amanda nodded simply. "Maybe that's your answer then."

Slippy sighed, unsatisfied. He wondered how disappointed Falco and the others would be if he said something about quitting for good. "Am I the worst?"

Amanda took a long sip from her mango smoothie. "Slippy, I remember you once telling me that Fox was your main reason for enlisting. Is that right?" He nodded. That sounded familiar.

"I think that's truer now than it was then. The reason you stayed with Star Fox for so long was for Fox's sake. Now that he's gone and moved on with his life, you don't have the same reason to stay either. I believe your heart is telling you that it wants to do something else."

Slippy shook his head. "That doesn't make me feel better about ditching the team."

"They love you, Slippy. They'll understand and want you to do what's best for yourself. There's no shame in it."

He supposed she was right about some things. It didn't seem like enough to pull him from the uncomfortable fence he perched on though. Amanda noticed this and adopted a thoughtful expression. Then she smiled.

"You know, there's one thing that would excite me if you tried a new career."

Slippy blinked. "What would that be?"

"If you aren't travelling around space anymore, the two of us could maybe move in together. How does that sound?"

A raging blush besieged Slippy's face. "M-m-move in t-t-together?! As like…?"

"Well, we've been dating for a good while now," Amanda reasoned. "I think we're ready for that. Only if you want to though."

"N-no! That sounds great!" Slippy said quickly. His heart raced faster than his mind. Wow! Golly! The idea of him and Amanda sharing a house together? They'd get to spend so much more time with each other!

Although, flying around a starship carrier would interfere with that, Slippy considered. Star Fox's missions could take them from Corneria for weeks at a time. Maybe that was more reason for him to retire from the mercenary life. Maybe that's the angle that Amanda was going for. And maybe it was the extra push that he needed.

"Maybe I can ask my dad about a permanent job," Slippy said.

Amanda's smile widened a little more. "And what about the team?"

Slippy shrugged. "Falco might try to convince me to stay. But you're right. I think I need to try something different. Something that feels right for me."

"I hope it works out for you, Slippy. I support you 100 percent."

Slippy smiled, perhaps the first true time in months. "Thanks, Amanda. I really appreciate that."

Amanda then raised her glass. "To new dreams."

"To new dreams," Slippy agreed. He touched his own glass to hers with a soft clink.

Maybe he still didn't know if hanging up his flight suit was the best thing for him. But Amanda was the love of his life, and she was worth giving it a shot. Of that much, Slippy was certain.

Could anything be more precious? Soft, fuzzy fur. Tender, little ears. A cute button muzzle licking a precious, pink tongue. No heavier than a stone in Krystal's arms and as weak as can be. Yet, the tiny kit seized a hold on her heart that she couldn't break even if she wanted to.

"Aw. She's perfect, Sheld," Krystal cooed.

"I know. But don't let her looks fool you," Sheld smiled tiredly. "Sara rarely ever lets us sleep through the night."

"If she's not hungry, she needs changing," Hiumart sighed. "If she's clean, she's squirming around in the bed. Some nights, she grabs a whole fistful of fur and pulls on us. Just because she can get away with it, I swear!"

Fox and Sabre laughed from across the table. "Parenthood sounds rough," the latter barked.

Sheld drank deeply from the cup in front of her. She then sighed, seeming to collapse in her seat. "No matter how much tea I drink, all I want to do now is sleep."

"Sorry to hear that," Fox said. "But we are glad that you guys came out today. It feels like we don't get to see each other anymore these days."

Krystal agreed. "Between work, council meetings, and helping my parents rebuild their house, Fox and I barely get time to spend with each other."

"Not even an ehn can fix that?" Sabre asked. Krystal shook her head. All it did was make her miss Fox's presence more.

"We know the feeling," Hiumart replied. "Looking after Sara takes up all our free time. This is the first time we've socialised in weeks."

Krystal giggled at the little, brown infant in question. "You're just so demanding, aren't you?" All Sara had to say for herself was a soft gurgle.

Fox reached over the table, grabbing a small, spiced bread ball from the tray in the centre. "On top of everything else, we've also been teaching my mom how to speak Cerinian. I've had to bring her along while I work just to save time in the day."

"Mind you, that has done wonders for her conversational skills," Krystal noted. Fox conceded with a proud nod.

"How is your mother doing these days, Fox?" Hiumart asked.

"She's earnest, to say the least," he laughed. "I think she's learning everything faster than I did when I first arrived here."

"She does have you and Krystal's family teaching her," Sheld smiled. "I'm not surprised she's learning so quickly."

"Mom's doing better over the past couple of weeks than I've let on," Fox said. "She's gotten good enough at the language to get by on her own. Randorn's taken her around the city a few times, which has helped us a lot."

Sabre made a disgruntled sound. "Dad also brought her home a few times too. They stayed up late at night talking about how magic works and lythan stuff. It makes me want to move out to my own place now."

Krystal chuckled. "I'm glad that they've become such good friends already."

He jabbed a finger at her. "You haven't seen the way Dad looks at Vixy though. It's so… goofy. Like, he tries to make her laugh every chance he gets." Sabre frowned. "I don't think I've seen him act like that since Mom was alive."

His description surprised Krystal. It certainly invoked a measure of shock within Fox as well. They both reviewed every moment they witnessed Vixy and Randorn standing in the same room, wondering whether they'd overlooked anything like Sabre had seen. They wouldn't… Would they?

Hiumart seemed to find the implication highly amusing. "The family keeps getting bigger by the day, huh Fox?" he guffawed.

Fox groaned, not wanting to continue this conversation right now. Krystal, however, smiled brightly. "It's funny that you say that, Hiumart. Because Fox and I have some news to share."

"You want to tell them now?"

"Might as well. We have to at some point."

"What's that?" Sheld asked.

Krystal shared a glance with Fox before turning back to her. "I'm pregnant."

The rest of the table erupted at the news. New life filled Sheld as she gushed, whilst Sabre's jaw practically dropped to his knees.

"Congratulations!" Sheld cried. "When did you find out?"

"I had my own suspicions, but Mama confirmed it for me a few days ago," Krystal replied.

"It was hardly a suspicion when we were trying so damned hard," Fox said silently.

'Oh, shush,' she smiled back.

"So, you're serious?!" Sabre exclaimed. "You and Fox are actually making a baby? Right now?"

Fox shrugged, grinning all the while. "Yeah. I guess we're compatible after all. It's a huge relief, to be honest."

"We're all happy for you," Hiumart smiled. He glanced at his daughter. "Good timing too. Sara will have someone to play with soon."

Krystal's heart grew as she looked upon the little kit once more. Yes. One day, she'd hold their own child like this. Maybe more to follow. And beyond that, their children would grow up to run, laugh, and play with other children their ages. She and Fox looked forward to those days.

Together, they'd walked a long journey since the day they met. Together, they experienced pain and joy; hardship and love; loss and many new treasures in life. After everything that Krystal and Fox had been through, all they wanted now was to raise a family. They had no need for anything else, and they were content with that.

End note:

We're getting close to the end now. Stand by for the finale next chapter.