Note: Okay, I kinda messed up when I said that An Unforgivable Sin was the only Star Fox story I had to finish, as I had forgotten about this one. Then again, I'm essentially rewriting this. I was hoping to get this story finished this year, primarily around October. But, given my schedule of stories to write, it might take longer than expected. If it does, I'm sorry. Before we move on, I have something to say to two reviewers.
Big Bossk Man 92: In my defense, I was trying to get the chapter done. Though, Wolf/Volk might want to make his monsters stronger if he wants to get Star Fox out of the way. As for Fox, I don't think that he'll go down without a fight. Krystal could try to turn him, but she might have a different idea. I can't say too much without spoiling what's about to happen, but I hope you enjoy it.
King Tutanfoxenkhamen III: I bet we can all imagine how Falco would react to Katt being in the dungeon. As for Krystal, that all depends on what happens during the chapter. If Fox actually dies during the battle, then she'll do what she'll have to. If he wins, then a crisis is averted. Stay tuned for what happens next.
Now that I've done that, it's time for chapter nineteen.
Chapter 19: A Tough Battle (Part 1)
Slippy's eyes blurred, slowly opening up. He let out a moan of pain, feeling a headache come on. Once the toad was awake, he saw that he was not with Fox and the others. Rather, he was now in a dungeon that wouldn't feel out of place in a fairy tale or a movie set in medieval times. With that in mind, the Aquatian knew that he was not alone. If he was in this dungeon, then there had to be other people imprisoned here.
Looking to the right, Slippy saw that Peppy was in the same cell as him. The toad tried to wake his teammate, carefully shaking him. Letting out a groan, the hare began to open his eyes. Upon seeing his younger teammate, he figured that they were in safe hands. However, the Zonessian's outlook soon changed when Slippy moved aside, allowing him to see the dungeon's ceiling. As he sat up, Peppy could see that, along with his teammate, he had been imprisoned.
"What happened?" Peppy asked. "Why are we here?"
"I think that monster we were fighting teleported us here." Slippy said.
"That makes sense." The hare said. "But then that means that Fox and Falco are alone!"
"Not exactly!" The toad said. "We came with Fara and Mr. Helsing, remember?"
"And Mr. Helsing's grandson, too!" The Zonessian cried.
"Ugh, what's all the yelling for?" A voice groaned.
Upon hearing that voice, Peppy and Slippy looked over to the cell opposite of them. They saw Katt laying down on a bed, presumably having just woken up. To their relief, she was alright, though it appeared that she was there before they were. However, the pink cat was not the only prisoner in the dungeon beside the hare and the toad. On the next cell Slippy saw, he saw Bill sitting on a bed. It would appear that Star Wolf had gotten to them before Star Fox and the vampire hunters had gotten the message from Krystal.
"How did you guys get here?!" Peppy asked.
"I don't know how, but I remember the front door of my place coming open." Katt spoke. "After I closed it, however, I felt something enter my nostrils. Then, I started to feel sleepy, and I saw a blur before I fell asleep!"
"And I was only walking down the hallway, when something grabbed me by the throat!" Bill said. "I couldn't see anything, but it had a hold on me! Before I could even get free, something kind of gas smothered me!"
"Is Lucy with either of you?" Peppy asked.
"No, Katt and I are the only ones down here, aside from you and Slippy!" The gray hound said.
With the fact that they were locked in a dungeon, Slippy knew that Fox, Falco, and the vampire hunters would have a harder time fighting any evil that came their way. If he, Peppy, Bill, and Katt were unable to get out, then their allies could be killed. For all the toad knew, there could've been more monsters waiting just outside the dungeon. However, that did not mean that they couldn't fight. All they needed to do was fight until they were unable to. Even if they got killed or turned into vampires themselves, Slippy was intent on getting himself and his comrades out of the prison.
"Katt, Bill, do either of you have your weapons on hand?" Slippy asked.
"I don't." Katt spoke. "Sorry, hon."
"I only have my blaster, but I'm limited on ammo." Bill stated.
"Looks like we'll have to improvise in some areas." Slippy said. "Alright, everyone, listen up! I'm not the best person to come up with an idea in situations like this, but I have a plan!"
"Well, what is it?" Peppy asked.
"If we can blast the bars on each cell, then we'll be able to escape!" The toad said. "If not, then we can play dead and get taken somewhere! That is, of course, if they don't see through the ruse! Once we are in the clear, we can strike back against the monsters who inhabit this castle, met up with the others, find Krystal and Lucy, defeat Star Wolf, and save the Lylat System!"
"Are you sure that this will work?" Bill asked.
"Not exactly," the Aquatian said, "but, if we work together, and manage to fool our captors, then we might be given the opportunity to strike back!"
As they had no other option, Peppy, Bill, and Katt decided to help Slippy carry out his plan. Taking out their blasters, the toad had the hare and the gray hound aim at the bars. Katt didn't have her blaster on hand, but that didn't stop her from contributing. She began to shake the bars of the cell she was in, hoping that one of them was flimsy enough to be broken. With his plan in action, Slippy hoped that it would work. If it didn't, then Plan B would have to work.
Once they had reached the third floor, Fox and Falco had the vampire hunters get behind them. While neither one of them doubted their skills, they just wanted to be safe. Not only that, but this mission was a personal one for Star Fox. Star Wolf had been a thorn in their side for the longest time, not counting when they teamed up against the Aparoids. Getting rid of Pigma Dengar and Andrew Oikonny didn't do much to improve relations between the two teams, and it only introduced everyone to the new members of each. However, that only paled in comparison to what Star Wolf was doing now.
Nodding at each other, Fox and Falco agreed to storm the room and fire at anything that came towards them. If nothing attacked, then the two mercenaries would hold back from firing their weapons. For all they knew, their allies could have been on the other side of the door. Whether it was Krystal or Lucy, it didn't matter. All that mattered was fighting whatever Star Wolf had at their disposal, even if Fara and the Helsings had to lend a hand. Even if they had to use explosives, Star Fox was going to triumph over whatever horrors waited in the room.
Pushing the door open, Star Fox and the vampire hunters found themselves looking at a throne room out of medieval times or a fairy tale. On the opposite of them was Star Wolf, who were eerily calm about what was going on. Wolf, Leon, and Panther were sitting down, their eyes transfixed on their visitors. They were in different clothes, having switched out their normal uniforms for more formal wear. It gave the space pirates-turned-vampires the appearance of gentlemen, even if it was a ruse to lure in more victims. Fox didn't care, as he was intent on getting rid of the monsters as quickly as possible.
"Star Wolf, this ends now!" Fox shouted.
Looking forward, Fox saw that Krystal was sitting down with Star Wolf. While he was glad to see that she was alright, that was overshadowed by the fact that she was sitting down with their enemies. The cobalt vixen was even in different clothing, which gave her the appearance of a proper lady. However, she had a shocked expression on her face, looking like she had seen a ghost. As the Cerinian had telepathy, Fox knew that her having an expression like that could not have meant good news. Hopefully, he would be able to calm her down.
"Well, this is a pleasant surprise!" Wolf spoke. "Not only did the Pup himself come, but he brought his teammate, his former bitch, and two mangy mutts!"
"You're one to talk, O'Donnell!" Orlando said.
"Stay back, Mr. Helsing." Fox warned.
Walking towards Star Wolf, Fox approached Krystal. She still had her shocked expression, letting out stammering. Holding out his hand to her, Fox hoped to get the cobalt vixen to leave the castle with him. Instead of taking his hand, she slapped it away. The Cerinian's expression changed from shocked to angered, her eyes looking like emeralds that were surrounded by fire. While Fox was taken aback by this, he wanted to talk to his teammate-turned-vampire. Krystal, on the other hand, was trying to throw her leader off his guard, so that she could make it seem like she was rejecting him.
"Krystal?" Fox asked.
"You shouldn't be here, Fox!" Krystal spoke. "You cannot stop Volk's army from taking over the Lylat System!"
Everyone in the room was shocked, except for Star Wolf. Before Fox could try to reason with Krystal, he noticed her winking at him. That was when he knew that the cobalt vixen was only setting up a ruse to fool Wolf and his men. Deciding to play along, the orange tod took a step back, then let his acting skills show.
"Wolf, or whatever he calls himself, will not succeed in the end!" Fox spoke. "Krystal, must you be on the wrong side?!"
"I have no choice!" Krystal said. "As I am a vampire now, I have no other option than to be with the only people who can help me!"
"And we're going to help her better than you ever could, Fox!" Volk gloated.
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" The orange tod said, aiming his blaster at his rival.
Firing his blaster, Fox hoped that it would hit Volk in the heart. However, the one-eyed lupine raised his hand, letting it take the rounds. Despite it proving non-lethal, he let out a scream of pain. Once the space pirate-turned-vampire drew his hand back, Fox was ready to shoot him in the heart. Krystal gestured for him not to do so, wordlessly telling him that it was too risky. Seeing that, the orange tod lowered his blaster, watching Volk hide his damaged hand.
"Give up, Wolf!" Fox yelled. "If you don't, we will make sure you get turned into a burnt corpse!"
Volk only smiled, clearly planning something. Fox watched as Krystal gained a worried expression, having sensed what was on the one-eyed lupine's mind. Her telepathy was never wrong, which made Fox much more tense. As far as the orange tod knew, Volk could have been planning to either have Krystal kill him or drain him. The space pirate-turned-vampire could have even been planning to kill all of his visitors, or to have his men do it. Nothing was ever simple with Wolf O'Donnell, and everything was much more complex now that he was a bloodsucking creature of the night.
"Why, Fox, you wouldn't want to kill me without a fight, now would you?" Volk asked.
"It would be rather unfair, given how you're a vampire." Fox said.
"In that case, why don't you fight one of the others?" The lupine vampire asked.
Looking at Leon and Panther, Fox didn't know who he could fight. Star Wolf was now a team of vampires intent on conquering the Lylat System with an army of the undead and monsters. With that in mind, battling the space pirates was going to be much more difficult now. Not only could vampires fly, but they also had various powers. For all Fox knew, Leon could have the ability to petrify those around him. Panther's was likely plant manipulation, given how he used rose-based rhetoric and metaphor. Either way, it was going to be hard to fight either of them.
"Can't decide?" Volk said. "Well, fear not, because I have the perfect opponent for you!"
Volk held his uninjured hand out, with an odd aura coming off of it. All of a sudden, Krystal levitated from where she was sitting. She was being put near Fox through psychokinesis, presumably because of Volk. Once the cobalt vixen was opposite of the orange tod, Panther went to give her the sword she had been gifted. Reluctantly taking it, the Cerinian faced her former leader. Fox knew that she did not want to fight him, and neither did he, but they didn't have a choice.
"Begin!" Volk said.
Fox and Krystal looked at each other, deciding to fight in order to trick Volk.
"I hope you brought something better than a blaster, Fox." Krystal said.
"Actually, I have." Fox said.
Reaching into his backpack, Fox searched for the weapon that would help him counter the sword Krystal had. Pulling his hand out, the orange tod revealed a familiar artifact: her staff. The cobalt vixen had wondered where it went, considering how she woke up in her "room" without it. Volk probably had it put up somewhere she couldn't find it, or thought that she wouldn't be concerned about it. Either way, it was a surprise to see that Fox had it with him. Not even Falco and the vampire hunters expected him to have it.
"I thought I lost it!" Krystal spoke. "I mean, it wasn't with me when I woke up in this outfit!"
"I was searching the rooms." Fox said. "Now, are you ready?"
"Ready!" The cobalt vixen said, grinning.
Fox began the fight by swinging Krystal's staff at her, only for it to be parried by her sword. The orange tod then thrust it forward, with the cobalt vixen dodging it. Colliding their weapons, the two then fought more vigorously, intent on fooling Volk as long as they could. In order to make it more convincing, Krystal decided to use some skills she had practiced with her staff. She had trained with practice swords on Cerinia, so she thought of those occasions. While it wouldn't have translated well to her current situation, the Cerinian vampire knew that she had to throw Star Wolf off their guard.
Swinging her sword again, Krystal had managed to catch Fox off guard. Her attack was quick, she nearly knocked her staff out of her leader's hands. Knowing that the orange tod would go to pick it up, the cobalt vixen refrained from doing a finishing strike. Even if her plan was to trick Volk into thinking that she was on his side, the Cerinian vampire only wanted to ward Fox off for the time being. Once the Papetoonian was out of the castle, she hoped to help him in-secret. If she had to sneak out of the castle, then so be it.
Knowing that Krystal had used actual swordplay against him, Fox knew that he would have to use some skills of his own. He never trained in swordplay himself, but he occasionally used Krystal's staff whenever she let him borrow it. With that in mind, the orange tod knew that the staff had multiple abilities. If using the weapon to block attacks didn't work, then using the staff's powers would. Even though the Papetoonian didn't want to kill his teammate, he worried that it would turn out that way. The Cerinian vampire was not afraid, though she was clearly reluctant about anyone dying in the fight.
Aiming Krystal's staff forward, Fox fired an ice beam. Dodging it, Krystal slowly walked towards her opponent, choosing to avoid any attacks that came her way. Firing the staff again, the orange tod was careful enough for each beam to be non lethal. That did not matter to the cobalt vixen, as she dodged each blast. She even blocked some with her sword, knowing her staff better than her leader did. Cracking a smile, the Cerinian vampire showed Fox that she was ready to start trading blows again.
Watching the fight before him, Volk noticed that Fox and Krystal were holding back from killing each other. He was hoping for the cobalt vixen's victory, but it felt as though she wasn't going to win. In fact, it felt like she wasn't even trying to gain the advantage over Fox. Something was up, and the one-eyed lupine wanted to know what. He knew that the two vulpines were in Star Fox together, but he was hoping that the vixen had really sworn her allegiance to him and his army. If he had to make her kill her team, then so be it.
That was when he got an idea ...
Back to Fox and Krystal, they were still trading blows with their weapons. While Fox was somewhat exhausted, he did not give up right away. Rather, the orange tod ran towards Krystal, holding her staff in a defensive position. As for Krystal, she waited for her former leader to come towards her. Once he was near her, the cobalt vixen was ready to do an overhead slash, albeit one that wouldn't kill the Papetoonian. They were about to strike each other, until someone called.
"That's enough, you two!"
Looking over to the thrones, Fox and Krystal saw Volk get up. He approached them, all while they resisted the urge to impale him with their weapons. With her telepathy on, Krystal could sense that the one-eyed lupine had read both of their minds. She knew that he was up to no good, but she refrained from striking him. Fox only glared at his rival, the venom inside of him manifesting through his expression. Volk smiled, knowing that their fates would be in his hands.
"You two have fought well, but now it's time to decide the winner." He spoke.
"Gee, I didn't think that this was a competition." Krystal said out of sarcasm.
"You have both tried to fool me, and it nearly worked." Volk said. "While your acting skills were very good, I wasn't going to let either of you leave the fight without a victor."
"Stuff it, Wolf!" Fox shouted. "You only opened this castle to trap innocent people and either use them for food, or force them into your army!"
"That's Lord Volk to you, Fox!" The one-eyed lupine said. "You know what? I think I know who the winner is!"
"Really?" The orange tod asked. "Who?"
"Don't fall for it!" Falco shouted.
"Fox, take him down!" Fara cried.
Before anything could happen, Fox felt something pierce his flesh. Krystal's eyes widened as she saw him get impaled on something. That something was Volk's arm, who had shoved it through his rival's chest before anyone could react. Upon seeing that, Krystal was horrified, knowing that Death's warning had come true. She was unable to stop it, not that she could've. Everyone (except for Star Wolf) was shocked, if not upset by what had just happened.
"The winner is Krystal, Fox!" Volk said. "I AM the one who decides the outcome, not you or her!"
"Fox!" Fara screamed.
"No!" Falco cried.
"McCloud!" Orlando shouted.
"Mr. McCloud!" Owen cried.
Pulling his arm out of the wound he had made, Volk let Fox drop to his knees. The orange tod clutched his injured chest, only glaring at the one-eyed lupine. Krystal ran to him, hoping to catch her leader and hold him before he died. She put on a brave face, though the urge to cry was hard to resist. Volk only laughed, knowing that the cobalt vixen would be under his thrall after this. His luck was only getting better.
"Krystal ..." Fox said.
"It's okay, Fox, I'm here!" Krystal said.
"Ugh, my heart!" The orange tod coughed up blood. "Wolf punched a hole through me! He tore up my -!"
"Don't talk, you're only killing yourself!" The cobalt vixen warned.
"Krys, you have to help him." Falco said, walking towards them. "Turn him or something! Quick!"
"That's enough out of you, bird!" Volk spoke. "Leon, teleport him to the dungeon!"
His hand glowing, Leon used magic to teleport Falco out of the room. This left only Fara, Orlando, and Owen to face Star Wolf. Fox was going to die, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. Krystal cradled his body, hoping to comfort him as he died. Wolf approached her, along with Leon and Panther, hoping to congratulate her for winning the battle. The cobalt vixen's telepathy picked them up, but she did not care at the moment.
With Fox slowly dying in her arms, Krystal felt guilt for being unable to stop Volk from punching a hole in him. Not only that, but she felt sorrow over his imminent death. Anger surged through the cobalt vixen as well, being fueled by everything that had happened. Star Wolf had done multiple bad deeds before, but turning themselves into vampires and creating an army of the undead was arguably their worst action, one they made the mistake of involving her in. The Cerinian vampire's anger soon overshadowed her guilt and sorrow, to the point where she started to feel different. In fact, Fox, while bleeding out, saw her surrounded by a massive dark aura.
"Stay back." Krystal coldly said. "All of you."
"Why are you clinging to that worthless piece of trash, Krystal?" Volk asked. "Aren't you ready to accept your place in our army?"
"You just don't get it!" The cobalt vixen snapped. "I'd rather be with mortals than be under your thrall! You have done many bad deeds, Star Wolf, but you have crossed the line! You have turned yourselves into vampires, killed many to feed on their blood, turned me into another undead creature, transformed my friends, and formed an army to help attack the Lylat System! But, by killing Fox, you have gone too far!"
"Panther, get her to calm down." The one-eyed lupine said.
Obeying his leader, Panther approached Krystal, hoping to talk her into letting go of the dying Fox. However, that only made the cobalt vixen angrier. A massive aura surrounded her, her eyes glowing a darker color. The Cerinian vampire let out a ferocious scream, a flash of light surrounding her body. With the explosion of light in front of them, Star Wolf couldn't see what was happening. It was the same for Fara and the Helsings, though they were able to make out Krystal's aura, albeit seeing that it was shifting and changing.
When it had dissipated, everyone could see Krystal standing, holding Fox in her arms. However, they could see a massive set of bat wings coming out of her back. The cobalt vixen had managed to sprout them when her emotions exploded, her anger being the cause of her massive aura. She had gained this power from the vampire she drained, though it had taken much out of her when the vampire's blood entered her system. Looking at Star Wolf, the Cerinian vampire wordlessly told them that they would pay. Then, she looked at the vampire hunters, still holding Fox bridal style.
"You need to leave the castle." Krystal spoke. "It's a bad idea for the three of you to take on Volk's army at the moment."
"No!" Fara said. "We're not leaving you and Fox here by yourselves!"
"Fox and I aren't staying, either." The cobalt vixen said.
Without warning, Fara, Orlando, and Owen found themselves engulfed in a bright light. It slowly faded, the area around the vampire hunters changing. They found themselves back outside the castle, with Krystal standing near them with Fox in her arms. Surprisingly, the sun was causing her no harm. Despite that, the cobalt vixen was still a vampire, given her dark aura. While that was so, Fara and the Helsings were lucky that she was on the side of good.
"The three of you," Krystal spoke, "try to find a hidden passage to the castle, so that you can free the prisoners."
"What about you?" Orlando asked.
"I'm going to take Fox somewhere." The cobalt vixen said. "For now, the only thing that matters is saving everyone and stopping Volk's army. Don't worry about me."
"Hopefully, you come back." Fara said. "We need you, Krystal."
Nodding her head, Krystal flew away from the vampire hunters. As she carried Fox through the sky, the cobalt vixen was lucky to have become resistant to sunlight again. If not, then she would have disintegrated the moment she teleported outside. This did not matter to her at the moment. For now, the Cerinian vampire was going to look for an area where the dying Fox could rest in peace. Swearing under her breath, she was intent on making Volk pay for what he had done to not only her, but her loved ones.
Meanwhile, Death was overlooking the living, searching for the souls of anyone who died. That was when he saw something flying by. It wasn't a soul, but rather a living creature. Said creature was a cobalt blue vixen with green eyes who was dressed in fancy clothing and had a massive set of bat wings. Knowing who this was, the Grim Reaper could see that she was carrying a familiar face in her arms: Fox McCloud. He was slowly bleeding to death, it being halted by his wound being covered.
"Looks like I'll have to lend a hand here." Death said, flying after them.
Note: Looks like Fox is about to die. Will Krystal be able to find a place she can put him? As for Death, what will he do? Will he collect Fox's soul, or do something to help Krystal out? If the latter happens, what will happen to Fox? Can Fara and the Helsings find a way into the castle without Star Wolf noticing?
Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!