ㅤ

Mission No. 44

Cerinia
Altaira Valley

"The Lines Between"

ㅤ⦲ㅤ

The day of the festival drew to a close—but the celebration continued on into the night, with the rest of the villagers feasting and drinking inside homes and taverns. With everyone snug indoors, central street and side paths were left clear. No tail or whisker of a Cerinian was in sight: perfect for sneaking out…

Fox hunkered at the edge of the field just outside the woods. The sun had set behind the mountains, but a purple fire burned on the edge of the horizon, bathing the trees in an amethyst glow. He wrung his hands in worry, breathlessly waiting for any sign of Krystal to appear on the edge of the forest. It had been so long; was she even coming? Had she gotten lost? Caught? Or worse… had she decided she didn't want to meet him at all?

Eventually, however, another mind did brush against his. 'Fox?'

'Krystal!' he thought back. 'You made it!'

'Where are you?'

'Near the edge of the field. I'll come find you!'

Fox ducked through the tall grass and emerged on the other side, where he spotted a dark form sitting beneath a tree. "Over here!" he called in a loud whisper, waving.

At once a blur came rushing towards him, emerging from the shadows of the trees into the blue wash of the starlight covering the fields. When the vixen reached his side, she grabbed his hand and stared into his eyes, winded. "Fox, are you sure it's safe?"

Her vice-like grip surprised him. She seemed frightened, whether of treading so far outside the village unaccompanied, or of the ensuing night she was about to share with him. It wasn't only fear, however, but excitement, too; the same way someone might be intimidated by the ocean, or a deep lake, yet still be filled with the desire to dive in.

Fox strengthened his grip on her hand. "We'll be safe," he assured her. "No one will catch us out here in the dark; I'm sure everyone's still back at the village."

Gently, he led her into the field. The landscape was a mix of flatlands for crops and spacious rolling hills—all the way back to the mountains on the eastern side of the valley. Soft, wispy blades of grass covered the plains in front of them. At first they grew up to waist height, but some patches were so tall they stretched above their heads, completely enveloping them. The grass brushed their cheeks and tickled their arms and legs as they passed.

Eventually Fox guided Krystal through a wall of blades into a clearing around a large pond. The surface lay placid, only broken by leathery green lily pads with white flowers. Cattails and reeds grew in bunches at either end, obscuring where a creek fed the pond and subsequently exited on the opposite side. Willow trees dotted the shores, their leaves draped like silken hair over the water.

"Care for a walk?" Fox asked, extending his hand again.

Krystal glanced from the pond back to him and nodded, taking his paw.

Intertwining their fingers, the pair of vulpines set off at a relaxed pace around the water. Krystal's anxiety seemed to have subsided, evident in the way she no longer squeezed his fingers for dear life. Fox's own giddiness, however, continued to flutter in his stomach like butterfly wings.

They weren't exactly alone; constellations of lights hovered over the grass and the lakeside. Hummingbird-like insects buzzed around, dangling glowing bulbs from their noses—almost like hanging lanterns. Butterflies with multi-colored, phosphorescent wings flitted from flower to flower, which likewise shone with pink, blue, and golden petals of their own. The glowing bugs reminded Fox of a vibrantly-lit city street, with no intention of surrendering to sleep that evening.

Hand-in-hand, the foxes strolled around the edge of the pond. Neither dared speak and risk breaking the magic of that fragile moment. Fox forgot he was walking on solid ground for a time; it felt more like clouds beneath his feet, all thanks to the simple, electric contact between their fingers, and the gentle brushing of Krystal's mind. He relished in the fact that, for once, it was only the two of them together. It was a treasured rarity to simply be at her side, breathing in the fragrance of wildflowers and honeysuckle, and taking in the beautiful sight of the pond with her.

While Krystal let her hair down from its elaborate bun, Fox finally broke the silence. "I wanted to ask you; how's it going in the village? We've been in Altaira for a few weeks now. You made any friends?"

Her face lit up. "Oh yes, several! Of course there's Māra, who's really devoted to me. We wouldn't be together now unless she kept our secret."

Our secret… Fox repeated in his head.

"Then there's Hana and Marika and all the other orphans who share the house with me—but you haven't met them yet. They're so much fun! I don't even mind doing chores when they're around. And they were so quick to accept me, just like you were."

Fox smiled, relieved to know she was fitting in so well.

She squeezed his hand. "But… you don't have anyone like that, do you? Aren't you lonely out here, all by yourself?"

He shrugged. "Not really. I have Itoro to talk to, and I don't mind spending time by myself. I like it; it lets me clear my head. But… I'm always grateful for your company. It's been so long since we could talk like this. Moments like the ones we shared earlier today and yesterday are so rare…"

At the mention of the previous day, Krystal tensed. She stopped beneath a willow tree and turned to face Fox, the leaves cascading around them like a canopied bed. Biting her lip, she took both his hands in hers and looked up at him. "Fox, there's something I've been hiding from you. I-I feel ashamed for doing it—"

He raised his eyebrows. "For doing what? What could you possibly have done against me?"

"Well…" She scuffed her heel against the ground and looked down. "Yesterday when I was out fetching water, I saw you."

"You… saw me? I mean, we both ran into each other—"

"—bathing," she quickly blurted out.

She cringed as Fox's confused expression turned to realization. "Oh," he finally breathed.

"At first it was just an accident!" she added. "I tried to look away, but, I couldn't! Well, that's not true; I could have turned away, but… I didn't want to, so I stayed and watched you from behind a tree."

When their contact became too much for her, she let go of his hands to wring her own. "I knew it was wrong," she continued. "You don't like it when we see each other without clothes. I should have…" She paused for a moment, looking up and to the left as she searched for the proper phrase. "I should have… 'respected your privacy.' But I didn't want to, and I gave in. I was so curious, I just wanted to know more about you."

Fox waved his hand. "Hey, don't beat yourself up over something like that. What you're feeling is… natural. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"But it's more than that," the vixen said, shifting on her feet. "There are so many times when I didn't understand what I was doing: like when I bathed with you in the hotel, or slept in your bed that night, or cornered you in the shower and tried to do the things that other girl did with you. When I tried to kiss you and make you touch me that time, we were so—so close to…!"

She slapped her paws over her face. "Ohhh I'm so embarrassed! I'm sorry for the position I put you in; I didn't know what I was doing yet. But… you held yourself back. Each and every time, you wanted me; I could feel it in you, but you turned me down. I never understood it at the time, and I let your rejection hurt me." She looked up at him. "But you held back because you knew I wasn't ready; because I didn't understand yet—didn't you?"

Fox licked his lips. "I did," he confessed, "but I wasn't really ready, either. I was… scared of you, and what you could do. No one's ever been inside my mind before, and everyone who's seen my secrets is long gone. There were things I held dear to myself and was afraid of letting anyone else see. I was scared to let you inside, and risk hurting and scaring you away from me, too."

Krystal nodded. "I understand, Fox. I was trained for so long to do exactly that; to read people's minds. And now that I've talked with my sisters, I know better. It was just as bad as… as seeing you unclothed! I wanted you to share too much with me. I was just desperate to hear someone else's thoughts; to know someone—anyone—was there with me. I'm sorry for losing control like that."

She looked down guiltily, feeling ashamed of herself… but Fox reached for her chin, gently brushing it till she curiously raised her head back up.

"Don't be sorry. I was just as lonely as you, but I wanted to do things on my own like I always have. A lot has happened since then. You've saved me, and you've cared for me when I was at my lowest. If I had to trust anyone with the things inside my head…" He raised his hand to caress her cheek. "…I know it should be you. So, be honest and don't worry about me. Forget everything I said in protest to you before. Forget everything Namah and the other elders told you; they just want to control you. What do you want the most?"

Krystal couldn't look away from him. Her eyes opened wide as they met his, like they could swallow him whole.

"I've thought about that a lot," she admitted. "You've taken me to many wonderful places: that beautiful ballroom in the sky, the enchanting purple sea, the green island surrounded by blue waters, and now this valley. I've met so many new people, tasted so many new foods, and done so many new things. Still… of everything in this big, wide world you've shown me, I want only you," she finished, lowering her voice to a whisper. "But from you, Fox, I… I want your everything: everything you have to give."

He swallowed. "Krystal, are you sure? 'Everything' is a lot to handle. Are you really ready to accept it?"

"No," she admitted, "…but I want to try."

Fox's heart skipped when her arms snaked over his shoulders, but his unsurely found their way around her back all the same. As their heads tilted closer, both vulpines closed their eyes. But the instant Fox's lips touched hers, Krystal's head continued forward and passed through his like a ghost, surprising him. The shallows of their minds crossed, mixing together in ethereal space.

It was an alien experience, as if stepping into someone else's shoes. Like what had happened the first time they connected in Venom's wasteland, they sensed what the other felt as if they'd interfaced with a second set of nerves. In this moment, Fox could feel his own neck through Krystal's fingers, as well as his strong body pressed against hers. And from the way she passionately kissed him, it felt like she was trying to devour him from the inside out.

'I want to get closer,' Krystal thought without leaving Fox's lips. 'Closer than I've ever been to anyone before.'

Like they had tried earlier that day, her hands found their way to his tunic and tugged the flap open. But this time, Fox quickly answered by helping her pull the hem over his head, finally breaking their kiss. Taking things from there, he unwrapped his shendyt and let it fall at his feet, leaving Krystal to watch breathlessly—but he hesitated before he moved to his loincloth.

"Krystal… do you understand what you're doing? Do you know about… all of this?"

She nodded vigorously. "I know! Māra taught me about everything: about females and males, and how you're different from us, and what we're m-meant to do. So please…" She rested her fingers on his waistband. "Please, show me."

Fox exhaled, and momentarily the silk loincloth followed his other clothes to the grass at their feet.

In the dark of her room, Fara's eyes poured over him. It was the first time he'd disrobed for someone, presenting his all. She soaked up his golden yellow coat and the pure white down fur covering his front, which glowed in the moonlight seeping in from the window—yet for some reason, she'd managed to position him so that the shadows fell across just his face, masking it from her.

Her eyes glinted with fear as he towered over her. She seemed just as enamored with the passion burning inside him as she was afraid of it; afraid she'd lose control of his reins and let his lust consume her.

Fara closed the distance between them, but while he stood in the windowlight, she remained safely on the edge of the shadows. With trembling hands she reached out and grabbed his fur, rubbing the tufts between her fingers. Her digits traced the lines etched in his torso, feeling the strength concealed beneath his coat. Her cold hands pressing against his chest sent tendrils of tickling energy rushing through him.

Fox felt awkward and exposed beneath her eyes and fingers, as if she were only tolerating his needs as a matter of course. She was trying to be brave and do everything in her power to calm his young, tortured soul within: her caresses soothed his scars; her hot touch burned the festering from his open, emotional wounds; her lips sucked the poison from his veins. Together the pleasures she gave him kept his attention off the painful past. It was all just a one-sided, nurturing act—and it felt like she imagined him as someone else.

Fox blinked.

The vixen exploring him now was… different. He was more than just a scarred soul for her to save, or a substitute for someone she loved more. Her hunger for him was obvious—but it wasn't merely a hunger for his flesh. For just as her fingers explored his external features, her mind searched deeper within his—and every door that lay in her way he unlocked and opened, letting the vixen wander in and see exactly what made him tick.

While his physical senses tingled beneath her touch, her soul brought memory after memory to the surface, releasing all the warmth and good feelings bottled up within. Together they witnessed recollections of when he'd experienced similar intimacy: watching romantic movie scenes he couldn't relate to; dating girls when he was younger; making love to Fara—any moments where he'd drawn close to someone else. But Krystal's presence recontextualized each memory, as if she were helping him solve a puzzle, placing all the pieces in their logical order: a chronology that led straight up to the moment he shared with her now, as if it were the climax they'd all been building up to.

Fox was so distracted by the internal that he almost didn't feel Krystal's fingers brushing down his stomach to discover where he was most vulnerable. He was wrenched from their shared thoughts as Krystal's cool paws cradled his burning embers. But her delicate fingers held him with just as careful an embrace as she had treated his memories, and Fox rewarded her with his trust. Her twinkling eyes and curious digits traced over the length of his flesh, testing the alien members which were so foreign to herself.

Fox tried to control his reaction, but grimaced when he twitched, and the muscle flexed towards her.

The sudden motion scared Krystal. Her hands retreated, and her eyes grew wide. Had Fox done that on purpose?

"S-Sorry, it has a mind of its own," he joked sheepishly.

"Strange, I don't sense any thoughts coming from it… but I can feel how much it aches. Or is that…"

Confused, she realized the aching came from within herself just as much as it emanated from him. She placed a hand over her groin, feeling how much they mirrored one another, even with their differences.

She noticed Fox swallow again; so loud she could hear it. Strange. Her simple gesture had summoned a wave of fantasies that broke over him like a wave. She watched the fuzzy images with wonder, surprised how she starred in every single one. So this was the carnal dance Māra had tried so hard to describe to her. Her descriptions didn't do it justice; the activity seemed so much more violent than she'd anticipated…

But before she could clearly make them out, Fox threw himself between her and the visions, trying to dwell on anything else besides her. He bit his tongue, clenched his fists, and stared at the rocks and flowers at their feet, controlling his thoughts.

Krystal felt frustrated that he still insisted on keeping secrets from her. She reached out, laying a paw on his chest. "Don't," she breathed. "Please, don't stop. You've shielded me from them for so long, I don't want you to guard your thoughts around me. You're lying to yourself—to both of us—if you continue to. So, Fox McCloud, don't be afraid. What is it you wish to do with me?"

Fox's breathing became haggard. He licked his lips and struggled to begin. "Well…"

Krystal huffed. "You're still blocking them!" She frowned, realizing she'd have to figure it out on her own. There had to be something she could do to make those visions return…

Taking in a breath, she reached behind her back for the bow tying her robe in place. The sash fluttered to the ground, and her robe fell open in front. The garment's two halves parted like the curtains to a stage, revealing a swathe of her soft, moon-colored fur. Her breasts peeked through; soft hills of white crowned in rose-colored jewels. Then she shrugged her shoulders from the robe and let it fall to the grass as well, bunching around her feet. Her fingers hovered around the straps to her loincloth, but she paused. Her heart beat faster, and she looked up at Fox nervously. Sure enough, his feverish visions had returned to his mind ten-fold, exciting her as much as they did him. What would she see in his head if she took that last leap?

Working up the courage, Krystal pulled the thin undergarment down her legs, wobbling a little as she stepped out of it. For a moment she guarded her nakedness with an arm over her chest and her tail wrapped around her waist.

But they grabbed her arms and pinned them back, and she was no longer able to hide herself. They lay her stretched out on a table, beneath a ceiling of bright lights and lenses that dispelled every hope of a shadow to cower behind. White-clad figures hidden behind masks and bug-like eyes bent over her. They poked and prodded her with harsh, insectoid feelers: their touch cold. Insensitive. She could never see her own eyes reflecting back from their lenses: only a tuft of white fur, a claw, her mouth, the crook of an elbow, as if they were missing the forest for the trees. They acted as if she didn't exist—like the sum of her parts didn't make her whole. She wasn't much more than a corpse or a statue: a blank canvas for their little games and tests.

She felt worthless.

Krystal looked back up at Fox with fearful eyes, afraid she'd find him leering back through a similar mask; that he'd ignore her; that he wouldn't accept her; that he'd be devoid of warmth and want. But her fears proved unfounded. He wasn't like the Watchers at all. He stood before her nearly as scared as she. She felt a heat emanating from within him: a yearning desire for her. That warmth radiated straight into her through their shared connection, but she had to be sure. She had to test him.

Krystal inhaled a deep breath, chasing away the icy shards in her stomach, and slowly released it. In one anxious movement, she unwound her bushy tail from her legs and let her arms fall to the side. She closed her eyes and swayed in place, arching her back slightly as if offering herself to Fox, trying to feel confident that he'd never betray her.

This was it. She longed for someone to return her affection after being starved of it for so long. If only he'd reciprocate; if only he'd want her as much as she wanted him—but it was up to Fox now to make the next move, and there was nothing else she could do but anxiously wait.

Fox's heart nearly stopped beating. While he'd seen her like this before, her striking effect hadn't diminished a single iota. He still found her just as captivating and radiant as when he'd first seen her floating in the cryochamber—yet now there was so much more meaning in revealing herself to him, after all they'd been through together and learned along the way. She wasn't naïve of the effects her nakedness had on him; now she knew full well the implications of undressing, and had forged ahead and done it anyway.

Her cerulean coat shone a deeper blue than the bright night sky; Fox still had a hard time believing it was natural, even in comparison to the rest of the Cerinians here. After eating solid food for a month from Fox's stores and the village's excellent cooks, she was no longer the skinny, frail thing he'd discovered in the labs. Her body had filled out; rounding off its sharp edges, but still retaining her elfin litheness.

All the time he spent gawking at her, Krystal wavered patiently in place, trembling more the longer he did nothing. He couldn't help it; he just couldn't believe this moment was real. He'd denied himself this pleasure ever since he'd met her, but now it truly dawned on him that she was giving herself to him.

Finally accepting her offering, Fox closed the gap between them and reached up, laying his trembling hands on her breasts. The girl released a sharp gasp and opened her eyes again, gazing down at his hands. Afraid he'd acted too swiftly, Fox made to pull back, but Krystal leaned forward and pressed herself into his paws. She locked eyes with him as he cupped her breasts, letting him know everything was alright with just one look.

At this sign, Fox guiltlessly unleashed his desire, allowing his fingers to gently squeeze and fondle the twin mounds offered to him. They beat with warmth and life beneath his palms, feeling soft when he kneaded them. Krystal giggled at his touch, amused by the childlike joy with which he played with her.

Fox couldn't help but smile as well. His hands roved down her body, brushing her slender sides and soft ventral fur, trying to feel more of the warm life that pulsed beneath her skin. She laughed pleasantly at the ticklish sensation, but sucked in a breath when his fingers finally slid along her stomach and came to rest between her legs.

Before venturing further, he glanced up at her face again. To his chagrin, she now kept her expression as neutral as possible, not cluing him in either way if she wanted him to continue. Her message was clear; it was up to him.

Tentatively, Fox brushed his fingers over her silken flesh. A tremor wracked through Krystal's body, and her eyes snapped closed. When Fox continued his caress, she rose up on tiptoes and fell against him for support, clenching her thighs tightly around his hand.

As Krystal's touch had done for him, Fox's unlocked a similar trove of intimate memories, though hers were much more recent. He saw himself through her eyes when he dressed her wound in the darkened halls and placed a lab coat over her shoulders. He saw himself giving her food, tasting how delicious it was through her tongue. He saw her climb into the shower after him, eager to share the warmth. How late at night she crawled into his bed, eager to dispel her nightmares in the comfort of another. And more recently, he saw her watching him bathe from afar, knowing every little place on his body her eyes lapped up.

Finally Krystal shoved his hand away, and Fox's fingers came away damp. "Wait!" he felt her whisper into his chest. "This isn't fair; I shouldn't be the only one to feel this way. It's like a one-sided kiss. I-I want to make you feel good, too. I've heard of a way we can get closer; we can kiss, but with our bodies… down here." She hugged her hips against his, trapping his member between them. "So… can we kiss like that?"

Fox swallowed, realizing he'd reached the point of no-return. He had so much doubt questioning his recent decisions every passing moment. But a special someone had told him to always follow his instincts, so in that moment, he did. Like magic, the words sprang to his lips so fast they surprised even him—

"I'd love to, Krystal."

Tail wagging, the vixen excitedly took his hand and pulled him towards the pond. She led him a few yards out, but the water still only came up to their ankles. She let go of his hand and turned to face him, clasping hers behind her back. "So, would it help if you laid down, before our bodies… kissed?"

"Um, yeah…"

Fox complied with her suggestion, lowering himself onto the lakebed. The algae-covered sediment felt soft beneath his seat and back. The water was shallow and only rose up a couple inches. At first it chilled him to the touch, but it sure helped soothe his burning flesh.

Once he'd settled in, Krystal sat on his lap, straddling him. She leaned over his chest, arms planted in the water on either side of his shoulders, her head framed against a backdrop of stars as she looked down at him. They were so close, but still Fox felt something holding him back. Once consummated, could this moment with her ever be undone? Could they ever go back to the way they were before? With her being just another girl he was protecting?

He swallowed, the lump in his throat bobbing in the water. "Krystal, we don't have to do this. If you're repaying me for rescuing you, or trying to comfort me, or even because you're just curious… please, don't."

Her shimmering blue hair hung down to his face, softly tickling his nose. "Repay you? But I already have; the two of us are even. This isn't about a debt or a reward or me feeling sad for you. It's because I trust you… and you trust me. We're intertwined like that. So, if you give everything to me, I'll give my all to you."

"Alright," he exhaled. "You ready?"

"Mmm," she hummed, smiling. Then her cheeks flushed and she looked away. "Um, y-you'll have to help me with the next step…"

Casting off the last of his doubt, Fox reached between their legs, guiding himself upwards. She let him in—

—And he entered her.

Krystal cried out as he pressed inside. His presence sent tickles of energy running through her parting petals, and she arched her back. The fact that someone else's body was literally inside of hers was almost too much; she was used to entering his mind, but this was so different and alien.

Gingerly, as if wading inch-by-inch into a frigid pool, she lowered herself onto him, taking his brawn deeper inside. With every jolt a wave of heat erupted within her, and she clenched her eyes shut, grinding her teeth together. Like water boiling so hot it felt cold, could one experience so much pleasure it felt like pain?

She doubled-over from the sensation, nearly toppling onto Fox, but he caught her in his strong arms. "Whoa, easy there!" he chuckled. "It might hurt at first. Here…"

The vulpine took her paws in his, offering them in support. Gratefully Krystal intertwined her fingers in his and pushed herself up; he held her in a firm grip as she teetered atop him.

Indeed, it hurt—but at the same time, it awakened something within her, finally pulling aside the curtain to reveal a hidden realm of rapture that had teasingly whispered to her for so long. Weeks of imprisonment with her desire for Fox only caused this final release to be that much sweeter. Quickly, the pain was giving way to pleasure.

She gazed down to see her growing ecstasy mirrored on his face as well. The todd gazed up at her with a dumb smile tugging at his lips and a slight wince over his face.

She couldn't believe another person could make her feel this good. There was no doubt in her mind; it hurt at first, but she needed to taste that again. With Fox's help she raised off of him, the motion creating a tingling feeling as he slid out of her like a sheath. Then, before he completely left her legs, she lowered herself once more—but she was prepared for the shock this time, and instead of crying out she simply whimpered. Even Fox released a gasp; it wasn't like anyone else was around to hear them way out here.

Krystal repeated the cycle, growing more and more daring with each bounce. She threw her head back and moaned to the heavens in bliss, letting her song of rapture carry over the wavering grass. The skyward rush of pleasure made her feel weightless. Fox lifted her up as if on a cloud, spreading his wings and soaring with her. The water around them perfectly mirrored the heavens; star for twinkling star, galaxy for spiraling galaxy, to the point where she couldn't tell which way was up or down—if it weren't for the increasingly agitated ripples their furious dance wrought on the surface of the water.

She felt herself rising higher and higher… but then she began to sink again. Already, Krystal's legs began to tremble and tire beneath her, and her arms shook each time they pushed against Fox. She felt herself slowing down, which was the last thing she wanted. Her brief taste still wasn't enough, but riding his wings had become such a chore…

Panting breathily, Krystal flopped over Fox, and he caught her in his arms. "I'm sorry Fox, I—"

"Hey, it's fine; it's your first time, after all."

For the moment he held her, brushing her hair to let her know it was okay—but he couldn't forget the fire in his blood as he poked between her legs, and he felt a similar throbbing answer from inside her. "Here," he added, "let me take over."

The stronger vulpine sat upright, getting his legs beneath him before lifting Krystal from the water. He picked her up with one arm around her back and another beneath her rump so that the two of them stayed linked. At first Krystal instinctively wrapped her legs around his torso and clung to his shoulders tightly, but soon relaxed, entrusting herself fully to the arms that had never dropped her before.

Carefully, Fox carried her back to the edge of the lake and lay her down atop the shore so that her legs still dipped in the water. The two paused to catch their breaths for a moment.

Looking down at Krystal now, Fox remembered when he'd first found her. She was so frail and helpless, not long rescued from the clutches of those that wished her harm. Up to the point he escaped with her from those horrid labs, her life had been little more than one unending nightmare; only waking long enough to endure more suffering before being sedated into a deep sleep again.

He'd secretly made a promise to himself; to undo the harm done to her; to cover over the haunting memories with newer and brighter ones; to outweigh her bad experiences with a mountain of good. At the moment, he felt like the only one in Lylat—well, wherever this place was—who could do that for her. He felt frightened of messing it all up—of only making it worse—but he had to try.

Growing impatient, Krystal lifted her arms up to him, hands grasping out. A look of longing colored her eyes with anguish as her paws grasped for him.

Finally he leaned down so she could wrap her arms around his neck. They kissed again, and Fox resumed sinking into her. He mimicked Krystal's motions from earlier, as if trying to spark a flame with a piece of flint. Together they caught fire, recapturing the soaring feeling from mere seconds ago. Fox had never seen Krystal look so ecstatic before; tears of joy sprang to her eyes as she received him. It felt like every little gift he gave her, she returned to him ten-fold just from the way she smiled.

Strangely, the more they made love together, the more their minds overlapped as well. Their movements synchronized in tandem. They breathed with each other's lungs, felt with each other's fingers, beat with each other's hearts, and thought with each other's minds.

Now that he hovered over her, Fox could make out every tuft of fur in Krystal's coat. Even through their violent motions, he found himself focusing on the hyper-detailed lines of her body. The outlines of clenched tendons beneath her fur, the curves around her dancing breasts, the dimples in her stomach, and the V-shape that joined between her legs. They were the lines that defined her; that told him from a glance who and what she was.

While the todd repeatedly thrust into her core, Krystal's hands wracked desperately over his chest, tracing the hard-set lines between his pecs and the taught tendons of his straining muscles. They were solid and physical: harsh and impenetrable. They bound him together and separated her from him. They were the lines that kept him, Fox, and her, Krystal.

Yet with each plunge Fox took into her, reaching deeper and deeper, the lines between them seemed to cave. How difficult it suddenly was to separate the todd 's senses from her own. She was looking down upon herself through his eyes, seeing her the same way Fox saw her, feeling the same things he felt inside her. Did she really look like this to him? All she saw was a frail, helpless science experiment, her efforts to present herself as a properly-groomed Cerinian stripped away, leaving nothing but a naked mess of a vixen shamefully quivering from pleasure. Yet through his eyes she seemed like so much more. Did he really care this much about someone he had only just met?

As Fox looked down on her, he focused on her tattoos, remembering again where they came from and what they symbolized. He'd seen them before but had since forgotten their significance. The 28 marked plainly on her thigh like a cattle's brand; the bar codes on her thin arms as if she were merely a product; the harsh, Venomian words little more than notes jotted on her sides like margins…

Frowning at the markings, Fox brushed his fingers through her fur, spreading apart the individual hairs to find the skin underneath. To his surprise, he uncovered scar after scar lying just beneath the surface. He tenderly traced the lines, in awe at the scale of everything she'd endured. He wondered where they'd come from, and in the process he discovered a wealth of memories that weren't his own. Instead of searching his own mind, he retraced the neurons in Krystal's, triggering a rush of flashbacks that rose to the surface. They were disturbing visions of white-clad scientists—the "Watchers," as she called them—operating on her with glimmering silver instruments. When he found the laceration scars around her neck, her memories painted vivid pictures of the shock collars meant to goad her into using her powers. And in the crooks of her arms, a thousand dark points where memories of needles relentlessly continued to prick—even to this moment. Fox could only feel mere shadows of the fear and pain she experienced at the time.

Krystal's eyes widened; her roving hands having discovered similar marks on Fox's chest and abdomen. They were scars left over from his time as a mercenary. Curiously, she traced the jagged lines beneath his fur, following the path a shard of shrapnel had cut through him, or the discolored spot a laser blast had burned, or where a piece of equipment had accidentally lodged. Each new scar she touched unlocked a memory of Fox's, allowing her to feel just how close he was to death in each instant: the horizon spinning as his ship spiraled downwards, shadowed machines raining blinding flashes of light towards him, the fires bursting outside his canopy, momentarily painting his world in white…

Fox felt scared now. He hadn't intended to shoulder the burden of so many horrors and so much pain. The crimes enacted on Krystal loomed over him like a planet, their crushing force bearing down on him as well now. How could he ever hope to carry this when he himself sought respite? How could he ever hope to outweigh this with the meager love from his atrophied heart?

Krystal trembled at what she saw in his past. His life was a series of dangerous flights thousands of feet in the air, confronting monster after monster and barely besting each one. What kind of man could do this? What creature could possibly go up against so many abominations and live? The same man she was sharing her body with now? The one inside her?! Was she the last of Andross's monsters to face him? Was this how she was to defeat him? To lure him in?!

Fox realized that she'd had seen it all: every mission he'd flown, every hellspawn he'd put out of its misery, every enemy he'd killed, and every wound he'd received as a reward. He wanted to hide it all from her. It wasn't hers to see, nor her burden to bear. It was his. He couldn't possibly let her take on his scars as well; not when she already carried so much.

Krystal felt him moving inside her, every part of her being laid open for him to see. All of her failures to grow and learn, the constant punishments she'd received, the imperfections the Watchers had to burn away and excise from her flesh. She couldn't stop it; they weren't her memories now, they were his as well. He knew everything about her, had seen every weakness and fault, had touched every refuge and hiding place she kept dear to her heart. Yet still she wrapped her legs around him, unable to control the heavy gasps she released into his ear, begging for more.

Her hot breath washed over the side of his face; her gasps tender in his ear. He felt like he was melting into her; the vixen's soft, blue fur blending with his till it became a mix of ruddy purple. Their flesh fused together, conjoining loosely at the base of their sexes like putty. His hands sank into her chest, and hers into his neck. Their lines faded, bent, and re-fused together, until they formed a new, single shape.

Every second they continued their lovemaking, she felt herself slipping away, until she was nearly indistinguishable from him. There was nothing left to divide them; nothing left to keep them apart. They were becoming one mind and one body, approaching singularity at the same time the fire in their bodies neared its peak.

He suddenly felt anxious.ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ She didn't feel right at all.

Where had he gone to?ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤWhere had she gone?

Something's wrong.ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThis has to stop.

Before weㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤㅤcompletely

loseㅤㅤㅤ

ㅤwho

we ㅤ

are

With his last shred of himself remaining, Fox yelled and jerked free from Krystal. He collapsed onto her body, lying atop her as they climaxed together, but… separate. They lay together, panting in tandem as their pulses subsided and their frenzied embers finished sublimating their heat.

Gasping like he'd just woken from a nightmare, Fox patted himself down, making sure he was still there and still… well, Fox. Thankfully he was once again back in his own skin, with only his own nerves to feel Krystal's body pressing against him, and only his own thoughts occupying his mind.

Eventually the girl seemed to wake from her stupor. She looked up at him with a new fear in her eyes, as if he were an entirely different person. She squirmed beneath his torso until he rolled off, freeing her. At once she scampered away on all fours, legs trembling and barely able to support her frame. When she was a few yards away they gave out completely, and she sank to her stomach.

Exhausted—and quite shaken up—Fox hoisted himself back ashore and collapsed, though he covered his spent loins in embarrassment. He studied Krystal across the grass, lying in the shadows of the willow tree. Now that she was a safe distance away, she had rolled onto her side to face him warily. Something about her seemed… off, yet eerily familiar. The way she lay naked in the grass, her mouth hung open and panting for breath, the fear and distrust in her aqua-colored irises while her fur dripped…

She looked exactly like the girl he'd saved so many weeks ago.

"I'm sorry," he blurted. "I-I didn't know any of that was going to happen. It never has before!"

But the blue-furred vixen merely stared at him, as if she couldn't hear his words.

Fox's brow narrowed. "Are you alright? Krystal?"

Her ears perked in recognition of her name, but the rest of his words seemed alien to her.

"Won't you talk to me?" he asked worriedly.

A determined look came over her face. She opened her mouth:

"Tashich nīe verkaru siekim—"

Surprised, she cut herself off, realizing she'd accidentally switched to Venomian.

"Mihi, ahau kāo mea i—" But she caught herself again, eyes widening as she raised a hand to her lips. No matter how hard she tried, it seemed she couldn't speak Cornerian.

Closing his mouth, Fox concentrated his thoughts instead. 'Krystal, can you hear me?'

He waited, but received nothing in reply. Regardless of how earnest he focused, he couldn't hear her thoughts. A wall had been placed between them—or more appropriately, replaced.

"Krystal, can you…?" He tapped his temple, inviting her back in.

Instead, she looked at him fearfully and shook her head—refusing to.

Why had she closed the connection they shared? He'd grown so used to hearing her inner voice it felt like he'd gone deaf, or she'd gone mute. Maybe… maybe she had shut him out on purpose, rejecting his memories and deciding she didn't trust him with her own. Maybe she wasn't ready after all—though he was the one who'd pulled out in the physical sense, at least.

Fox took a step towards her, but she drew back in fright. Her chest heaved as her lungs expanded and contracted more the closer he drew.

"Krystal," he begged, "I want you back inside my head. Won't you come in? I want to hear you again!"

The vixen slowly shook her head, her ears flattening. "Nīe," she breathed.

Fox swallowed, concerned she might never speak to his mind again. He'd become so used to her presence there—so reliant on it—that it felt like he was suffering withdrawal from a drug. To go from being so deeply united—body and mind—to being separated and trapped in his own skull again felt like violent whiplash.

He reached out. "Again, I'm sorry. I know you weren't ready to share those things with me, or see so much of me in return. But please, don't be afraid! I won't—"

"Nīe, nīe!"

Krystal scooped up her discarded robes and scampered into the tall grass, disappearing from view.

"Krystal!"

Fox took several steps towards the vanishing Cerinian, but even the snowy tip of her tail had slipped between the blades. He could certainly run after her, but he knew he'd only frighten her more.

Now the clearing around the pond was quiet again, leaving Fox alone with his thoughts. Sighing, he slipped back into the cool water and washed himself off, thinking back on their lovemaking.

What had just happened? He'd shared thoughts with Krystal before, but never to that extent: the extent of literally becoming one. Was that what sex with all Cerinians was like, or just her? And, more importantly, what had gone wrong? Was it something he did? Did he fuck it up? Was Krystal scared when she looked inside him… or was she more scared of what he'd see if he looked into her?

Fox sank down till the water rose to his shoulders, cooling him off. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. No matter how it went towards the end… he'd never had such a complete experience with someone like that in his life; never felt so much trust; never felt so much love. The moment was gone now, but it still happened, and still existed in his memory, and he clung to its radiant warmth in his heart.

And it was in that moment Fox realized he would never be able to live without her for the rest of his life.