Well here is chapter 25 of the fic. Some of Dash and Peppy's pasts are also revealed.

Chapter 25

Scars from the Past

About fifteen minutes into the flying practice, Fox was giving some instructions to Dash of how to work an Arwing while many of the other flyers were practicing their maneuvers and testing each other's speed. Dash tried to pay attention as much as he could, but he still couldn't help but feel extremely nervous. Not for the flying lesson, he'd be honored to learn how to fly these ships, he was actually nervous because he was super close to Fox as he was sitting next to him. He did sit next to him a few times before, but this felt different because he's in love with him now.

"Are you understanding this so far?" Fox asked.

Dash perked up at him and said, "Oh, yeah. Sure thing."

"That's good," he said. "If you plan to sign up to fly an Arwing and join the military, you might be willing to try out for the flight academy here in Corneria."

"Like you and your team did?" the monkey asked.

"Yeah, though it was a long time ago," he replied. "It was before the Lylat wars, before I took the position as the new leader of Star Fox team. Before my… my…"

Fox gave a small sad look, like he remembered something from long ago that left a scar in his heart that wouldn't go away. He shook it off, trying not to get off topic.

"Anyways, it wasn't until after my team and I saved Sauria from General Scales and defeated Andross for a 2nd time, when he found a way to revive himself, that Krystal was offered to join the team and take some classes herself. She was able to graduate early due to her knowledge and her skills, as well as earn her spot on the Star Fox team. She's one heck of a warrior I tell ya, like she was born to be one."

"Really?"

"Yep! I felt really happy that she joined our team," Fox said with a smile, which then turned to a nervous smile impression. "Even though she was starting to become a little attached to me for a little bit."

Dash remembered when Fox snapped the other day, when he felt used after he admitted a stunt that Krystal tried to pull on him. He felt like he wanted to say something but chose not to for Fox's sake.

"So, were we about to talk about how to use the G Fusers?" he asked to get back to the training lecture.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Fox laughed a little bit when Dash remarked that and got back to showing the ropes.

Dash smiled and blushed when Fox tried his best to be serious but was actually a big softy. He'd be the kind of friend that anyone would want to have growing up with. He would've felt a little happy back then…

Flashback, Lylat Wars. Venom.

Dash Bowman was sitting on a chair, looking out a window from a dark room. Other than the chair, the only other furnishings of that room consisted of a bundle of blankets and a pillow on the floor, which might consist of a bed, a ceiling lamp, and a drawer along the wall across the "bed" that might be where his clothes could be. On the chair, he was in a pair of ruby boxers, looking lonely, afraid, sad; could possibly be depressed. Outside the glass of the window were iron bars, and the only door of the room he was staying in was made of metal that can only be locked from the outside, which could indicate that he was being held as a prisoner.

As he looked out the window, his desperation was slowly consuming him, and he wanted to get out of that hell-of-a-place. Maybe, even in a gruesome way…

Then, he heard the sound of the door unlocking from the outside and started to feel more terrified. When the huge, metal door opened up, a familiar face that he did not want to see walked in, holding a crate full of cabbages and lettuce that looked a little burnt as if they'd been out in the sun for too long. The monkey couldn't see his face in the hood, but he knew who the unwanted visitor was, and he was not happy to see them.

"Dinner time, ya little runt," said the hooded figure with a seductive laugh.

He tossed the crate of veggies onto the floor, which made Dash rush in to take a bite instantly before it goes to waste. The hooded man could only tisk in disgust and disappointment.

"Such a filthy excuse of a grandson," he said. "Ever having his daughter give birth to a disgrace to the emperor's family such as yourself! You're even lucky to be his relative, otherwise he'd kill you instantly with his bare hands!"

Dash looked up to the man with fear, and perhaps a hint of anger, in his eyes. He could see that the man began to have a wicked smirk on his face as he was enjoying the torture that he was putting on the little monkey. He almost wishes he could admit how much he wants to kick his sorry ass if he could, however his fear is holding him back.

"Pathetic…" the man spat coldly.

The mysterious man grabbed onto his hood and pulled it down to reveal Dash's captor; Andrew Oikonny. His own second uncle, as well as his grandfather's nephew and heir to the empire.

"I'm outta here," he groaned. "This room smells like trash!"

Andrew turned around and exited the room to get some fresh air, leaving the minor alone to eat away at his food… Or so he thinks. As soon as he could, Dash grabbed something from underneath one of the blankets. As he pulled it out, it looked like a small, thin piece of wood that looked like it could be used to be placed between a small space, like the crack between a door and its wall. As quickly and quietly as he could, Dash swooped by the door and placed the wood between the door and wall so he could keep the door from closing on him completely which would give him a chance to escape.

Suddenly, the door closed in front of him. He could hear the sound of footsteps passing by from the other side, which could mean that Andrew and his guards were leaving at this very moment. It would make sense, considering that Andrew's taken over Venom since his grandfather has been defeated, he's gotta go and fulfill his duties, as well as plotting his revenge on Star Fox and Corneria. When Dash tried to pull the door open, it opened. Just as he expected. So, without hesitation, he opened the drawers and pulled out his clothes and put them on and gathered as many essentials as he could and sneak out of the room. He quietly ran down the hall, avoiding any security and guards that were along the way, until he was able to sneak to a bunker that had huge crates. He heard that Andrew started making some illegal deliveries for shady people from the black market to help keep the empire going for a little longer.

Looking around, a few guards are placing some of the crates onto a big airship, probably to deliver the "goods" that are being illegally sent, and he thought that that ship could be his only opportunity to escape. People outside of Venom never knew that Andross had a grandson, so he'll be lucky that he'd be handed over to the authorities. At least, for now when he goes into hiding from his second uncle Andrew. As soon as there were enough crates to hide behind, Dash dashed past the guards without alerting them and swooped inside the cargo hold of the ship. He ducked behind a few of the crates to keep himself hidden and waited until the crooks got as many of the other boxes in the hold, and off they all went.

End of Flashback

Despite everything that he went through when he was younger, Dash was feeling completely happy now. He now has everything he dreamed about doing and having while he was a prisoner. Friends, his own place, his freedom. He felt as though he was at home now.

Although he would've wanted to see the look on Andrew's face when he found out he escaped, he was very grateful that he left that all behind him. He was also grateful for meeting Fox, since he admired all the knowledge, they had about the Arwings and how great he was for doing what he did.

...

Meanwhile…

In another one of the ships, Peppy was in his Arwing. Out of all the other pilots that were in the air, he was the oldest one out of them.

However, even at the age of 50, he hasn't lost his touch. After the Lylat wars, he had only flown his ship only minimal times; like a few months ago when he saved General Pepper during the Aparoid invasion, a few days ago when he and the other Star Fox members came to the planet to take their vacation, and this time being his recent time of flying.

Being in such a situation made him remember his early days, not only as a pilot, but his family life. He remembered the day of his wedding with his wife, Vivian, very clearly. It was a beautiful time and celebration for him, even with his close friends were present as well; James and Vixy McCloud, General Pepper, Beltino with his wife, and his brother Grippy, Phillipe and his wife too, and Pigma Dengar. The women were all pregnant at the time. Peppy was quite nervous during that day, he was afraid that something would happen that would ruin it all. But fortunately, nothing bad happened and after the wedding they went to Zoness for their honeymoon.

One of the happiest days of his life was when he became a father. When his daughter Lucy was born, she was a spitting image of her mother and she always liked spending time with her parents. Even as a child, she was interested in being a pilot like he was, and he would always see Lucy and Fox trying to imitate their respective fathers when they were at that young age. They'd play around, pretending that they were defending the Lylat system from the villains who planned to attack any planet.

His life as a pilot was pretty good too. He met James and Pigma when they were in middle school. What united them was their interest in flying ships and flying in the skies, which is why when they reached adulthood, they entered the pilot academy and later the army. Although they were there for a few years, they later formed the original Star Fox team where they'd be recognized and admired by many in life. But, when Pigma betrayed them for Andross, and the evil dictator killed James, it broke his heart. He just couldn't believe that one of his own best friends would do that, after everything they've been through. Even after all this time, he still blamed himself for not being able to save James, hardly lucky to escape with several damages to his Arwing. When he reached Papetoon, he was a little hesitant, but safely gave Fox the heartbreaking news about his father.

It was a great pain for Peppy to see Fox's reaction, from learning that he had been orphaned after losing his mother since childhood, and now losing his father. Peppy was very supportive of Fox from then on, and they began to grow to have a father-son relationship. It was even at this time that Fox went to live with Peppy and his family in Corneria so that he wouldn't be alone. It's more thanks to the support that Peppy gave to Fox, that he and Lucy were given that same support back from when they lost Vivian a few months after the Lylat wars ended.

Peppy hoped that with the Aparoids defeated, Lylat would finally be safe, and peace would begin for all its inhabitants. At that moment, he turned his gaze and saw how Slippy's Bullfrog flew to his side while Falco's Sky Claw flew to the other side. Definitely, although he missed a lot of the old days, he also lived each day and was happy with what he had in the present, his daughter, his old and new friends, and his home.

Here ends the twenty five chapter. I hope you liked it.