Families

Marcus McCloud let out a cheerful yelp. Freed of the heavy and soggy diaper, feeling fresh air against his bare fur, the toddler giggled and wriggled, attempting to squirm out of his father's grip. Fox's left hand was busy keeping his one year old son on the change table, while his right hand tried to clean the kit and dispose of the biohazards into the diaper recycler. He was quite grateful for the rented device, unable to understand how parents had dealt with all the waste that came out of such a small baby before the contraption's invention.

"Da-da-dad," said Marcus, making his father smile and blush with pride.

Though, the hardest was yet to come. Marcus enjoyed his freedom and every time Fox tried to fit a clean diaper, his vulpine offspring seemed to evolve into a slippery octopus, paws multiplying and moving at ludicrous speed.

"Hey Krystal," Fox called out, struggling to fit the last clasp over the kit's tail. "Can you give me a hand?"

He heard footsteps approaching from outside the main bathroom and turned to face his wife. His sensitive ears picked up two faint clicks, but his brain took a fraction of a second too long to register what the sound was: the attachment mechanism for Krystal's bionic hands. One hand holding the other, she launched it with a swift flick of her wrist.

It hit him square on his muzzle.

"Ouch," he yelped. She hadn't thrown it hard, but still. "What was that for?"

Krystal only glared at him, leaning on the doorframe with arms crossed over her chest. "I've had him all day. You can do your bit."

"I know, I try...," said Fox. Krystal had not adjusted all too well to motherhood. The first few months had been hard for both of them, with interrupted nights until Marcus had started sleeping through. Both of them had grossly underestimated the endless needs of a little baby. Fox tried to change the topic. "Have you found any interesting jobs?"

"None that I qualify for," she grumbled. That was another problem: of course she had no records of any education from Cerinia, and even if there had been, they probably wouldn't have been recognised by Corneria. Her lack of a pilot licence had not been a problem in Star Fox, where Fox called the shots anyway, but now she was stuck in a tangle of bureaucracy. It was near impossible to find time to study for an official flight certificate, picking up from when she had left the Academy prematurely to join Star Wolf.

Fox tried to smooth it over. "I think it's a bit early for you to go to work anyway."

"Easy for you to say who gets to escape to a cushy office every weekday." Fox wanted to say that his Academy job could be stressful enough, but she gave him no chance. "I want to feel useful." She pointed towards her bosom, fuller than usual, but for the time being out of bounds for Fox. "Not just a bloody feeding machine."

"Have you been to therapy lately?" Fox ducked mentally, preparing for an incoming barrage that didn't come.

"Please don't patronise."

Worst of all, Krystal had been hit with postnatal depression. Neither of them had heard of such a thing, only jokes about 'baby blues', but now they knew how sleep deprivation and hormonal changes after childbirth could wreak havoc on the state of the mind. Her mood swings were wicked at times.

Krystal bit her lip and looked over Fox's shoulder with a thousand yard stare in her eyes. Lacking her abilities, he couldn't tell what she was thinking about, but he knew her well enough to know that she was fretting over something.

"What's bothering you?"

"My dreams." She let out a deep sigh.

"No new ones?" He knew how important the dreams were to her, hoping that they were the key to getting her memories back and answer the crucial question: who was she?

"Only the small fragments I cannot make sense of." She shook her head. "Except the same old ones: when I got the tattoos, the burnt down village and the old wolf approaching me in the forest."

"Your father?" That was pretty much all that either of them had gotten out of Kamuy and The Protectors, that there had been two races on Cerinia-Vixon and Wolven-and that Krystal had ties with the latter despite being a fox. 'Daughter of Randorn,' it was said, and Krystal was certain he was the wolf in her dreams.

"Allegedly..." She shrugged. They could only speculate that he had adopted her after her parents were killed in whatever happened to the village, but what had happened to it, and if the Wolven had taken her in, how had she ended up back with the Vixon?

"I get two weeks off in-between terms during the winter break, and can probably stretch it out to three." Fox scratched his chin. "I know it's a few months away, but if memory serves me right, it will be autumn on Papetoon then. That's a nice time of the year. We could go there and try to find out where my mom got her amulet from, and what it means."

"Oh yes, please!" Krystal's eyes lit up and she relaxed, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She moved close, ran her hand through the fluff behind his cheek and gave him a soft kiss.

"And I'll look after Marcus." Fox wrapped his arms around her and went in for another smooch.

"Speak of the devil." She broke free from his embrace. "Where is he?"

Fox panicked, his ears swivelling. The kit was quiet, too quiet, and that usually meant trouble. He can't have gone too far, Fox thought and looked around. After a quick search, they found him hiding in the small gap between the toilet bowl and the wall, happily chomping on the hand Krystal had thrown at Fox.

"Naughty boy," Krystal scolded and scooped up Marcus with her other, still attached hand. "Who's a cheeky kit?"

"M-m-mum," said Marcus, his little maw sucking on a thumb made from metal and composites.

"Your slobber is all over the connectors. Now, mummy has to clean it."

Marcus only grinned. Krystal's eyes betrayed her grumpy face. They were filled with pride, and the love for her son was undeniable. She nuzzled his neck, resulting in a high-pitched and delighted squeal from the toddler. She turned to Fox, and her face cracked up in a wide smile. He leaned in to steal a kiss, only for Marcus to grab his nose.

Yes, life was all about their kit now, but he wouldn't want it any other way.

The kettle beeped twice, signalling that the water was hot enough. The leaves released their aroma as Kayuq slowly poured the hot liquid through the strainer. She savoured the delicate smell of the tea, and her ears picked up the sound of the brew falling into the cup like a miniature waterfall, until the cup filled up. She let it draft for a couple of minutes, before picking up the beverage and moving from the kitchenette to her favourite spot.

Leaning on the armrest with one hand, she felt the worn leather as she lowered herself into the large chair, tucking her tail beside her. The seat was comfortable without being too soft and the backrest reached over her head. Built for large bears rather than her lithe vulpine frame, she sat like a queen on her throne.

As usual, spent a minute, clearing her head by tasting the tea, flavoured with bergamot, and taking in the scents of the room. No matter how well it had been cleaned, a whiff of bear was always there, mixed with a hint of that distinct smell of an old person's dwelling.

Fishing up an earpiece from a pocket, she inserted it into her right ear and said, "Communicator, search for Cerinia."

"Twenty-three new hits since yesterday. Do you want me to read?" the device answered, and Kayuq tapped the earbud to make it continue. "The renowned cellist Serena Emmental has announced a third concert at Nordvik Opera House the coming..."

"Refine search," Kayuq interrupted, mentally cursing the basic model communicator, which she had bought cheap secondhand. While she found the Ursian language simple enough to learn, the device struggled with her accent, though for the most part it did what she needed it to do. "Search for Ce-ri-nia."

The digital assistant returned a handful of search results this time, reading them out, and as every day before, none had anything to do with Kayuq's homeworld. Still, she continued the daily routine she had maintained for the past several months, browsing the Arctos networks for any clues about Cerinia, Lylat or Krystal. Her discrete searches of peoples thoughts whenever she mentioned either of the names-which she did as often she could, wherever she ventured-had been as fruitless, but she told herself she must not lose heart. She had patience. After all, she had waited years for the right moments to overthrow Kamuy, and several months to escape Eldey. Besides, she thought and leaned her head against the soft leather, she had time to kill.

A bell ring interrupted her. Smiling to herself at her elderly landlord's peculiar but charming habit, she walked across the room and opened the door.

"Miss Kayuq, your car is here," the red panda called from the bottom of the stairs. The widow had let Kayuq rent a first floor room in her house, since her knees were too worn to walk upstairs anyway, and she was most grateful for both the contribution to her meagre pension as well as the company.

"Tack, Mrs. Stenmark," said Kayuq and grabbed her thick overcoat and walking stick from a hook by the door, holding on tightly to the railing as she walked downstairs. They made some smalltalk about the weather and whatnot, until Kayuq stepped outside. The snow creaked under her boots, a telltale sign that it was several degrees below freezing, as she walked down the familiar path across the front yard.

She tuned in on the taxi driver's mind and recognised a familiar species. Using her powers, she dove deeper to give the bear a mental suggestion.

"Here, let me help you," said the man and hurried out of the car. "The sidewalk is quite slippery. They really should sand them better in this county."

Kayuq gratefully received his assistance, and was soon on the way to the clatter of studded tires against asphalt, commonly used on Arctos to keep their old-fashioned vehicles on the icy roads.

"Where to, Madam?"

"61B Birchwood Crescent, please," said Kayuq and pulled the coat tighter around herself, since while not as cold as outside, it was hardly warm in the car.

"Excuse me for asking, but have you arrives on Arctos recently?" The curiosity in the driver's mind was obvious to Kayuq's sense. "I couldn't help noticing the thin fur on your hands, like your winter coat hasn't grown out yet."

"I come from a warmer planet," she answered. "I guess my race doesn't moult, because we never needed to."

"Hmm, interesting..." The bear grunted and snorted, as they seemed to do a lot. "We get a few foxes and other canine species here on Arctos, but I haven't met one with a year-round pelt yet."

Kayuq's thoughts wandered. During her travels on the starship, she had come across the same species as had inhabited her home planet-foxes and wolves-so they must have some common ancestry, but the history thereof had been lost in time. She harboured a nagging thought, that it was not by chance that Lylat had so many inhabitable planets. Perhaps there was a grain of truth in the legends about the World Builders?

"May I ask where you're from?"

"A world called Cerinia," she answered, keenly scanning for reaction from her driver, but there was none.

"Warmer, you say? That sounds lovely. Winter is too long on Arctos."

The driver stopped and looked at a row of semi-detached houses, painted red with white corners and trim around the windows. A dusting of snow covered the small front yard and the bare branches of a birch tree.

"Well, here we are."

"How much do I owe you?" She pulled out her purse containing some cash, a monetary system which seemed quite popular on Arctos, since small business transactions could be made without trace, thus avoiding tax. A wave of pity streamed from his mind into hers, as he assumed she was a retired person trying to get by on a small pension. She used the opportunity to let her thoughts mingle with his, nudging his considerations in the right direction.

"Nothing, at all," he said. "I'm on my way to the space port to pick up a wealthy business man anyway, and it was just a small detour."

"Are you sure?" She flooded his mind with gratitude, making him feel pleased with himself "Oh, thank you so much!"

The driver even helped her out of the car and through the little gate in the fence before he left. She walked up the garden path, but misjudged her steps and nearly fell on the porch, saving herself with her walking stick. The front door promptly opened after she gave it a rap.

"Mrs Maremma, I presume?" She scanned the canine's mind, trying to use her reactions to make a good first impression.

"You must be Miss Kayuq? Please, come in, come in." The dog was in too much of a rush to worry about how the vixen presented herself anyway. "We have two children, I think I said that on the phone, and they're good and don't argue too much. My son needs to catch up on school work, and just make sure my daughter doesn't spend too much time on her tablet, and just call me Maria." She paused, racking her brain for something. "Oh, my husband Simon will be home after dinner, and there's a pot roast in the slow cooker."

Kayuq's sensitive nose had already picked up a herbal aroma. "You seem awfully busy despite the winter holidays."

Arctos had a very elliptical orbit around its sun Polaris, but very little tilt, so the entire planet went through the seasons at the same time. Currently, it was midwinter everywhere and activity among the bears was low, practically hibernating like their wild ancestors used to aeons ago.

"We recently took ownership of a cafe at the space ports," said Maria and threw on her overcoat. "Interstellar trade doesn't stop for winter, so it's always busy. It's hard but good work."

Kayuq made a mental note as Maremma left. Perhaps she could offer the couple her services? Her powers would be helpful, sensing the moods and desires of customers, persuading them to buy that dessert or second coffee they were thinking about. Besides, working at a spaceport would give her a chance to meet more people from other systems, and perhaps someone knowing about Cerinia or Lylat.

Feeling the sensation of prying eyes and curious minds, she turned around to face the two children. They looked at her and then at each other, not quite sure what to think of this strange person who had entered their home.

"My name is Kayuq," she said, scanning the children's minds, sensing that a soft approach would be best. "What are yours?"

"I'm Gia," said the younger one, obviously the go-getter of the two. She had large, floppy ears and short brown fur with a white muzzle. "It's short for Gianna."

"I'm Luca," said the older brother quietly, seemingly more reserved. He was of the same breed as his mother, with a thick white coat.

"I am pleased to meet you."

They were seven and eleven years old respectively, their mother had told Kayuq, whatever that corresponded to in Cerinian years. A little bit less, she assumed.

"Want to see what I built in Blockraft?" Gia obviously referred to a game on her tablet.

"I want to go outside," said Luca. "It's a nice day."

"It's too cold," sulked his sister.

Although it was too cold for Kayuq as well, she knew it was a good idea to let the siblings run off some energy outside. Then they would concentrate better, that much she had learnt on Cerinia. While called 'Maven' and 'Prior' when she worked alongside Kamuy, teaching young Cerinians in their culture and traditions, on Arctos she would have been labelled a 'priestess'. In fact, she quite liked working with children. Babysitting and homeschooling suited her skill set, so it was a good way to earn some cash money, while staying incognito. So far it had worked out, references from one set of parents leading to the next job.

Behind the house, there was a clearing in the surrounding forest, and low hills sloping down into a basin. The children brought their toboggans and spent ages chasing each other up and down the slopes, until the race escalated into a snowball fight. Unable to keep up with the energetic youngsters, Kayuq just kept an eye on them and, more importantly, their moods. To her delight, the siblings were close friends, bantering in jest, accompanied by much laughter. She allowed herself to relax a bit, facing the afternoon sun. While still high over the horizon, it was far away and provided little warmth.

She had but a moment's notice, the pang of fear from one of the children alerting her, but the snowball still hit the side of her head.

"I'm so sorry," said Luca, the distress in his mind tangible.

"Don't worry, it didn't hurt." Luckily for Kayuq, the children could only make loose and soft balls from the cold snow, but she noticed that something was missing. "But can you help me find my glasses? I seem to have lost them."

Gia soon found them, intrigued by the coloured spectacles as Kayuq placed them back on her muzzle.

"Why do you need shades in winter?"

"My eyes are old and tired," Kayuq lied. "They cannot handle the glare from the sun on the snow."

She shivered, chilled to the bone from standing still for too long. Gia jumped at the suggestion to go inside, but Luca followed with reluctance. The children prepared three cups of hot cocoa, and while they were calm and content, Kayuq seized on the opportunity to persuade the boy to do some studying.

"I just need to finish reading this e-book," he said as they sat down at the kitchen table.

Kayuq spent a few minutes with the girl and her game, but the repeated scratching of a pencil on paper reached her ears. She felt Luca's thoughts wander as he doodled figures on a sketchbook. "Is it interesting?"

"Nah, it's boring," he sighed.

"It's 'cos you read so slow," Gia chimed in. "And your spelling is bad."

"Shut up," he growled. I guess I'm just dumb.

Kayuq's psionic senses dove deeper into his mind, seeing what he saw through his own eyes, but it intrigued her. From the pictures, it obviously was a textbook about Arctos economy, but words that should be crystal clear on the tablet's screen were blurry, seemingly swapping places with each other. She had seen dyslexia before, and had an idea of what to try.

"We're all good at different things. Just look at your wonderful artwork," she said, drawing a huff from the boy, but also a slight feeling of pride. "Let's use that. What's that word?" She pointed to a long word under a picture.

"Excavator."

"You're only guessing that because that's what the picture shows, aren't you?"

"Yes," he whispered, his mood darkening again.

"Try to write it down, imagine each letter as a little picture," said Kayuq. Painstakingly slowly, he followed her instructions, while she helped him break up the long word into syllables. "Now, write it again, and sound out each syllable as you write it... One more time... Now, try that word."

"Ex..., no es, es-ca... hang on!" There was a flash of delight in his mind as the penny dropped. "The second and fourth syllables are the same as the last word, so it must be... escalator?"

"Very good! Using several senses together will help you remember better."

Luca made better progress with his homework, and after a while, Kayuq decided that he should be rewarded with more playtime.

"I like to play chess," he said.

"But you always beat me." Gia pouted and turned towards Kayuq. "Do you play, Miss?"

"I'm afraid I don't know that game," she said, knowing a way to lure the girl into playing. "How about you play first and show me how it's done?"

They set up the board, while Luca explained how each piece could move, and Kayuq soon picked up on the game. Of course, it helped that she read how Luca planned his moves ahead, and used that to plant little ideas in Gia's head. Kayuq didn't cheat too much, letting the boy win while just making the match a bit more even, which seemed to delight both children.

They took turns playing a few more games, and before they knew it, it was dinner time. In good spirits, the children set the table and dished up for all three of them. Kayuq certainly wouldn't pass up on a free meal, and the roast tasted as decision as it smelled, though Gia wasn't a fan of everything on her plate. She tried to smuggle some vegetables under the table when Kayuq turned her back.

"Aww, how did you see that?" the girl complained when Kayuq pulled her up.

"Oh, I know your little tricks." With her psionic senses still tuned in, the vixen smiled and said, "I was a child too once, you know."

Kayuq reminisced about her youth, going through her training, graduating from acolyte and becoming a master herself, and how she had always enjoyed working with young foxes, passing on her knowledge and Cerinian traditions. The children turned the table on her, picking up on her mood.

"Why are you sad?"

Kayuq sighed. "I guess I just miss my home planet."

"Please tell us," they demanded, so she did. While they finished their meals, she spoke about her home: its plants and animals, cities and jungles, seas and mountains. The children's eyes boggled in surprise to hear that many plants had cyan foliage, and that there were as many blue foxes as red. She even spoke a little about The Shield protecting it, how the skies would light up in spectacular planet-wide auroras, visible even in daytime, when the solar flares from Kandesca hit.

"Why don't you go back?" An innocent question from the young girl, with such a hard answer.

"There was a natural disaster." Kayuq's heart sank. "Too many perished, and the planet became unlovable. The few of us that survived scattered throughout the galaxy, like dust on the stellar winds. I'm looking for a friend named Krystal. I've heard she went to a system called Lylat, but I don't know where that is."

The children listened with intent, but as usual there were no signs of recognition. The storytelling was interrupted by the front door opening and closing.

"Kids, I'm home."

The children rushed to greet their father. Grateful, Kayuq stifled a yawn. It had been several hours, and using her psionic powers all day taxed her mind. She was awfully tired and longed for her bed.

"Have you behaved?" said the father, a beagle like his daughter, as the trio returned to the kitchen.

"They have been exemplary."

"Lady Kayuq has been telling us all about her home, Cerinia," said Gia with excitement in her voice.

Being called a lady amused Kayuq so much that she nearly missed the fathers reaction: the briefest sensation of remembrance, followed by a pang of fear. Her instincts kicked in, slipping into his mind, willing him not to lose his train of thought. Cerinia, where have you heard of that?

She saw an image etched into the man's mind by raw fear. Glaring back at Kayuq were a pair of sea-green eyes set in a vulpine face, framed by long messy hair a violent shade of violet. The bounty hunter, Kursed, I researched her. She claimed to be from a place called Cerinia. The vixen in the memory played with the matte black knife in her blue-furred hand, repeatedly tossing and catching it. But then she came for me. Her face looked just like Krystal's, but the eyes were cold, devoid of emotion. I still don't know why she just didn't kill me instead of sending me away.

Oddly, the recollection was blended with the images of a close encounter with a naked feline, a memory within a memory, no doubt from the other telepath digging through his mind at the time. He pushed it away and pulled out his wallet. "Here are two hundred. I hope that's enough."

"That's more than we agreed upon," said Kayuq, still trying to dig deeper, but to no avail.

"See it as a bonus. I was late anyway."

"Thank you kindly. I'd be happy to do it again any time you need," she said and received the money. Something else intrigued her. The children had spoken a little in a different language. "If you don't mind me asking, were you born here on Arctos?"

"We moved here a few years ago," he replied, his voice still uneasy.

Excited, Gia burst out, "We're from Kew."