VIII

A Great Fox in the Sky

"Well, grill me on a skewer," said Toad with a chuckle. "I don't believe it."

Luigi collapsed to the ground and the tension seemed to melt away. "We're saved," he sighed.

"Simmer down, skippy," Toad shot back. "We still gotta get outta this cave."

Daisy wore a great smile from one curly lock of hair over her ear to the other. "I saw another green pipe on the other side of this hole. It looked like it headed to the surface," she said with a giggle in her throat, her excitement bubbling over.

"Good lookin' out, Daisy," said Toad. "Well, what're y'all staring at me for? Let's move."

Luigi rose to his feet. Toad climbed onto his shoulders to catch the ledge of the pit and pulled himself out. He offered a hand to Luigi, who shook his head "No" and then leapt from the pit in one great bound. Toad smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. Mario wobbled on his feet and went to follow his brother before stumbling, his feet smacking on the stone. Daisy turned at the noise and rushed to his side.

"Mario? Are you okay?" She hooked an arm under his to hold him up.

"I don't know. I don't think so. Daisy, there's something big out there. And it's coming straight for us." His voice was small and shaking. Suddenly, his strength left him and he collapsed completely, his weight pulling Daisy off her feet. His body seized as he gasped for air. He wondered if it was the cold of deep space that was getting to him or the fear of what was in it. Daisy knelt beside him and placed the palm of her hand flat against his chest. She was steady as a rock and her stillness brought him comfort even as his head was spinning.

"One thing at a time," she said gently. "First, we get out of here. Then, we worry about whatever you saw. Okay?"

He gave a small, almost imperceptible nod.

"Now," she said, hooking her good arm under one of his and pushing with her thighs. The dislocated arm was still snug in its sling. "I need you to get… up." Her voice came as a grunt and she lifted him to his feet. "There, nice and steady. One foot in front of the other." She led him to the ledge of the pit in a slow, shuffling gait where Luigi was waiting with an extended hand. He grabbed his hand and with the effort of three, climbed out of the warp pipe hole. Daisy followed after.

Toad stood looking at a massive green pipe that was embedded into the side of the cavern and shot straight up carving a line through the jagged blue stone. "What took ya?" he said, not taking his eyes off of the colossal pipe.

"Sorry, just a little winded," said Mario through gasps.

Luigi bent down to inspect the pipe. He placed a hand at the opening and it felt like a rushing wind pulling at his glove. "There's an updraft. I think we can get out this way. It'll be a bumpy ride, though."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," said Toad with a smirk and without a second thought, dove into the pipe, which sucked him up and away. Luigi turned back to Daisy, who blew him a kiss. He raised his hand to catch it and then turned back to the pipe and followed his captain.

Daisy and Mario shuffled to the opening, his labored breath echoing through the chamber. "You first," she said. "I'll be okay." He nodded again and entered the pipe and was gone. Daisy rubbed at her dislocated shoulder and grimaced. She placed a foot on the lip of the pipe, allowing herself to get used to its pull. Then, she entered.

The ride was bumpy indeed. She collided off of the pipe wall, banging her shoulder with great force. She yelped but her voice was lost to the suction. She exited the pipe in a tumble, falling head over heels before coming to halt in a seated position and noticed her three squadmates standing in a line with their backs to her staring up at something overhead. Whatever it was was blotted out by Luigi's cap, the tallest of the bunch. She stood and rounded beside them to see a massive aircraft carrier hovering low in the atmosphere. The jet engines glowed with blue flame and were deafening. Daisy threw her visor off and plugged her ears but it did little to help.

A porthole opened at the bottom of the ship and a round platform descended, white light from inside encircling it. Two figures stood upon the platform, a fox and a falcon, bickering among themselves.

"We shouldn't be out here," said the falcon for the fiftieth time. "This is a mistake."

"Falco, it's a distress signal," said the fox named Fox. "It's our duty to investigate."

"Nobody answered the comms," first-mate Falco Lombardi protested. "If anyone was out here, they aren't any longer."

"We don't know that for certain, that's why we're going on foot."

"For the Odyssey of all ships? It's a bucket of bolts. And its captain is a total scoundrel."

"I know Toad's reputation but he doesn't deserve to be stranded on an outer rim planetoid like this dump." Fox had a knack for remaining calm. He was older with years of service to his record that he wore in the gray strands of fur that formed his sideburns.

"And we do?" Falco persisted. "What if O'Donnell and his team find us?"

"Falco, I'm not going to live in fear of Star Wolf."

"I'm just saying to consider the possibility. If he finds the Great Fox and we're out here, he could raid and destroy us. Then, we'll be no better off than that scoundrel!"

"Enough, Lieutenant Lombardi," he barked. He had reached the limits of his patience. "I am your Commanding Officer and this is the mission."

Cresting the hill came Toad's bobbing mushroom head. He waved both arms like a child running home for dinner. He was screaming but he was still a ways off that his voice was garbled on the wind. Still, Fox strained to hear what he was saying. Falco unclipped his blaster, mostly for show. He could tell it was Toad by the ridiculous silhouette and not something dangerous but still he wanted to make the point. "Hey," said Toad, finally close enough to be heard. "Over here!"

"Scoundrel," said Lombardi pointing the blaster at him. Toad raised his hands on instinct and froze.

"Come on," said Fox, drawing out the words lazily and he pushed Falco's gun arm down.

"Boy, are we glad to see you," said Luigi, huffing and puffing as he caught up. Daisy and Mario followed shortly after. Luigi and Daisy formed something of a pair, one with his arm ripped off and the other with her arm in a sling.

"You've seen some trouble," said Fox, regarding the arms.

"More than our fair share," said Daisy, wiping a sweaty lock of hair away from her forehead.

"You can tell us more about it on the ship."

"McCloud," said Toad, "that is music to my ears."