Note: Last chapter was fun, wasn't it? Not only did Wolf face off against Krystal, but Krystal managed to win the fight. It's not something you would usually see in a fanfic, but it happened. Perhaps I should include more moments like this in my other stories. Before we move on, I have something to say to four reviewers.

The White Wolf named Alex: Krystal might not be the one they do the tests on. Keep in mind that she's not the only vampire in the story.

Big Bossk Man 92: It's a mystery, to be sure. Chances are, she could have an updated version of her telepathy. As for Wolf, he definitely has something big in mind for the Lylat System. Now, the question remains: Will Star Fox find it out before it's too late.

Ron: I wouldn't say that it was a Flawless Victory. Wolf actually managed to overpower Krystal at the end of the battle. Had she not teleported, Wolf's lasers would have annihilated her.

King Tutanfoxenkhamen III: I wouldn't necessarily say Krystal learned how to shoot eye beams. Rather, it's the first time she used them, as her power increases from the formula. If she has any other abilities, she'll see for herself. As for Fay and Miyu, curing them will be hard. All Star Fox needs to do is make sure that their cure works.

Now that I've said all of that, it's time for chapter fifteen.

Chapter 15: Working on a Cure

A day had passed since Star Fox and Fara fought off against a rabid Fay. The five knew that she was a vampire, and that Star Wolf had turned her. With that in mind, they felt that they had to do something. If Star Wolf was building a vampire army, then the Lylat System would be in grave danger. There would be monsters all throughout the galaxy, hungry for the blood of those around them. It would get to the point where there would either be no one left to feed on or no one left at all. Both outcomes were something that Star Fox didn't want to happen.

It was nearing dawn, meaning that the sun would be going down at any moment. When that happened, there would probably be vampires swarming Corneria City. All Star Fox needed to do was run some tests on the sample they had taken on Fay's blood. Fara and Orlando were with them, offering a hand. Once the tests were done, the team would have the two vampire hunters work on a cure. They were all in the lab of the detective agency, which made work easier.

Seeing the technology that Star Fox was using, Orlando didn't know what to think. He was a vampire hunter and a detective, but he was prone to using state of the art technology in his job. The coyote liked to keep his work old-fashioned, from writing down his notes on paper to photographing crime scenes with a camera. While it didn't stop him from accepting cases from those who used newer technology, the canine preferred to use what he had on hand. As he watched Star Fox experiment on the blood sample, he hesitated to give them a hand. It wasn't because he was afraid of their technology, but because he felt that they would handle it.

After a few more minutes, Star Fox stopped testing Fay's blood sample. They turned to Orlando and Fara, showing the two vampire hunters their progress.

"Here we are!" Peppy spoke.

"Were you able to find anything that could lead us to a cure, guys?" Fara asked.

"Sadly, no." Slippy said. "It seems as though there's no cure to be found. By looking at Fay's blood, we can only conclude that a full-vampire can't be cured."

"We have to keep working!" Orlando said. "I have my doubts, but there has to be some way to cure your two former teammates!"

"For now, we don't have a way to cure them." Fox said. "Even if we did, we don't know if injecting a vampire will cure both them and the individuals they had bitten."

"The only way to turn a half-vampire back to normal is to stake the one who turned them, right?" Falco spoke. "Why are we even trying to make a cure if it's only for two people, let alone traitors to the team?"

"They might not be the only ones, Falco." Peppy said. "For all we know, there could be a poor sod who Wolf and his team turned into a vampire who we can get the cure off of."

"Or maybe we could get the cure off of Star Wolf themselves." Fara suggested.

Thinking about it for a moment, Star Fox figured that it wasn't a stretch to say that Wolf, Leon, and Panther were more likely to have the cure to vampirism in their bloodstream. From the experiments the team had done on Fay's blood sample, they could tell that she hadn't been a vampire long enough for her blood to contain a cure. As much as they wanted to fight Wolf in order to get it, they knew that it would be a suicide mission. Now that the one-eyed lupine was a vampire, he likely had a few powerful soldiers on his side. If those soldiers weren't Leon and Panther or Fay and Miyu, then they could be a secret weapon that Star Wolf had been working on for quite some time. Knowing Wolf, he would do anything to bring down Star Fox.

As they knew what Star Wolf was like, primarily before they had become vampires, Star Fox ruled out simply going to them. Even if they could ask Fay or Miyu to take them to Sargasso, the team felt that their former teammates wouldn't do it. None of them knew what to do. With Krystal not with them at the moment, the mercenaries were in a rut. Falco in particular was speechless, feeling worn out by recent events. It only seemed like yesterday that he discovered that Krystal was a vampire, but it felt like it was nearly a month since he found it out.

Before Star Fox could get themselves ready for a search in Corneria City, they heard what sounded like something being pushed through the mail slot in the agency's door. Orlando went to it, only to see an envelope fall through the mail slot. He picked it up, carrying it back into the lab with him. Peppy took the folded paper out of the coyote's hands, deciding to open it up. Inside was a small card with writing on it, (along with a vial full of liquid) and Star Fox began to read it as soon as they got it out.

My friends,

I have provided you with the SW-42 formula that Star Wolf had used to turn themselves into vampires, along with several other individuals. Study it when you have the time. As for me, I will be in the forest, keeping an eye out for anyone Wolf might have sent out. If you don't hear from me again, then don't give into despair. Carry on, and fight in my stead!

Love,

Krystal

Now that they had a vial of the SW-42 formula on hand, Star Fox proceeded to experiment with it. Orlando and Fara oversaw the operation, with the former providing the team any materials they needed. Slippy wrote down the results of the tests they had done, handing each note to Peppy. Falco read each one, deciding to base the cure off the research he got off of them. Fox had everyone focus on what they were doing, all while he kept an eye on their progress. He lent a hand on the tests, providing Slippy whatever he needed.

After reading the notes his teammates had taken, Falco began to work on the cure. He used anything he could, from bunsen burners to the chemicals Orlando had on hand. The pheasant mixed together what he thought would be the right chemicals for the cure. Once he got done mixing everything, he took the beaker he had been using off the bunsen burner and set it to the side. This allowed the mixture to cool down, completing its creation. With Star Fox having gotten done making it, all they needed to do was test it on someone.

Krystal was sitting alone in the forest, keeping an eye out for anything unusual. Her telepathy had been enhanced by her vampirism, but she wanted to focus on using her vision at the moment. The sun was going down, which meant that the cobalt vixen would be unable to see anything in the next hour. She wasn't night blind, but that was only for when she had a light with her. The Cerinian's eyesight felt a bit stronger, presumably from when she had fired lasers from her eyes. Regardless of how much her body had changed, she couldn't abandon where she was, unless she wanted someone who was working for Star Wolf to slip past her.

As she sat, Krystal heard a noise, her telepathy having warned her that something was coming. It was close enough for the cobalt vixen to detect, causing her to get out her staff. She stood her guard, deciding to not let whatever was approaching her take her down. The thought patterns were getting closer to the Cerinian vampire, and they were loud enough for her telepathy to hear. The bushes rustled, hinting that the specimen was about to come out of them. Krystal kept a tighter grip on her staff, intent on blasting her aggressor to oblivion.

The bushes were then pushed apart, allowing Krystal to see whoever was coming towards her. Standing in front of her was a jackal with blue eyes and claws. The canine was dressed in a seductive white dress and high heel shoes. Her mouth appeared to have blood leaking out of it, but she was quick to lick her lips. Krystal couldn't detect a heartbeat from her, so it was clear that she was one of Wolf's vampires. The blood had no doubt come from some poor sod that the jackal had fed on, having been killed before she even approached the cobalt vixen.

"You must be the Cerinian Lord O'Donnell had turned." The jackal spoke. "Ha! Traitors like you must be slaughtered!"

"I didn't betray Wolf." Krystal said. "He had turned me into a monster, so I've decided to help my team kill his army."

"Say what you will, but you won't be getting past me!" The canine said.

"We'll see about that." The cobalt vixen said.

Jumping into the air, the jackal dived at Krystal, swiping her claws. Krystal blocked each attack with her staff, hoping to keep her enemy back. The jackal didn't let up, as she ran at the cobalt vixen with her claws. She attacked again, only for her opponent to dodge and return the favor with her staff. Instead of giving up, the canine kicked the Cerinian vixen, only managing to get her attack blocked. However, the heel of the jackal's shoe shot out a razor blade, narrowly missing Krystal by an inch. While she didn't get hurt, Krystal knew that she had to be careful.

"I'm gonna enjoy this!" The jackal chuckled ravenously.

"Or so you think!" Krystal snarled.

Throwing the jackal off of her, Krystal got her staff ready for an attack. Before the canine could run at her, she fired a beam. Said beam threw the vampire off her balance, allowing Krystal to gain the upper hand. The cobalt vixen impaled her opponent with her staff, making her scream. Knowing that her teammates would need her alive, the Cerinian froze the jackal, deciding to see if she were bitten or injected with the SW-42 formula. Upon finding no bite marks, she took out a piece of paper, deciding to write another note for them.

Fox,

I've sent this vampire to you and the others. Be careful with her. Use whatever you can to restrain her. If you've made a cure, then test it out on her. If it doesn't work, then take a sample of the vampire's blood and make a new cure based off the sample. If the cure does work, then make enough of it for an entire army. Remember, don't get reckless around this vampire!

Krystal

Using her teleportation powers, Krystal took the frozen jackal and her note to the detective agency, ringing the bell so that someone would answer. Once that was out of the way, the cobalt vixen teleported back to the forest. However, it didn't take her back in the part she was at. Rather, it took her to a part of the forest that wasn't covered in trees. The Cerinian vampire was about to walk away, but that was when she saw it. It was something no would expect to find in a forest, let alone one that was accessed daily.

Standing in the middle of the forest was an enormous castle. It was like the castles one would see if they were reading a fairy tale or researching kingdoms of the past, complete with a drawbridge. There didn't seem to be any windows or passages that allowed its residents to step out in the sun. By looking up, Krystal could see that it was almost as big as the General's tower. Nothing about it felt right, and she had a feeling that it was worse on the inside.

Note: It looks like a castle has shown up in the forest on Corneria. Where did it come from? Did Star Wolf have a hand in its creation? As for the cure, is it going to work? How will Star Fox hold the jackal long enough to get it into her system? Can they make enough of the cure in order to help them take down Wolf's army?

Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!

I apologize if the chapter was a little quick.