Fox and Krystal treaded carefully around the ledge that led to the treasury entrance as the battle above clashed. They were quickly greeted with two SharpClaw soldiers guarding the entrance. Knowing there was no time to waste, Fox and Krystal both made use of the ice blast, freezing the two goons solid. A single stroke was all it took to shatter them into shards. Running past the piles of gold coins, the duo ran further and further into the treasury. The tod and the vixen heard voices coming from a grate that led to a room below. The two of them peeked through.
"Have you secured whatever spoils you can carry from the treasury?" a masculine voice asked. It was General Scales.
"No sir, we're still removing a ton of valuables," the voice of a common grunt answered.
"We are evacuating shortly," Scales informed the trooper, "Secure the spellstone along with the rest of the treasure, and prime the bombs scattered around the treasury. If I cannot hold CloudRunner Fortress, it will no longer be of use to me." Scales departed as his minions continued to plunder the treasury.
"So that was the 'insurance' the SharpClaw were talking about," Fox whispered, "They intend to blow this place up and evacuate with the spellstone."
"We need to hurry," Krystal urged Fox, "We can't let them destroy CloudRunner Fortress and get away with the spellstone!"
The chambers up ahead were pitch-black, bereft of light. Fox and Krystal brought out their usual sources of light and navigated through the labyrinth of darkness. They soon came across a lift leading down into more darkness below. The two boarded the platform and descended into the deeper stories of the treasury.
Fox and Krystal pressed on after they arrived at the bottom; torches mounted on the walls casting a feeble glow on the ancient stone walls. A large, steel box with a visible timer was positioned near the bottom of the lift, the numbers on the timer ticking down. Scales' army must have already primed the bombs! Fox scanned the modern explosive with his PDA.
"I know this bomb model," Fox determined, "Yet another Lylat Wars-era weapon. Scales isn't very original in where he gets his extra toys." He tapped on his PDA to contact Peppy.
"Alright, Fox, what do you need help with this time?" Peppy grumbled.
"This is no time for jokes, old man!" Fox growled, "Scales has CloudRunner Fortress rigged to blow! I'm gonna need you to scan the fortress treasury for any more bombs before they go off!"
"Got it Fox," Peppy nodded, his demeanor becoming as serious as it ought to be, "You remember how to defuse those old charges, right?"
"Yeah, I remember," Fox sighed, "Just cut the wires attached to the timer. Fox, out." The video uplink stopped.
Fox opened up the hatch to the bomb. A cluster of various colored wires was underneath the casing, only four of which were attached to the timer on top. Fox reached into his backpack and brandished a utility knife from his utility kit. Grabbing all the relevant wires, Fox severed the connection between the timer and the explosive material in the case. The timer display went offline.
"You certainly came prepared!" Krystal was impressed by how much Fox managed to fit into his backpack.
"Yeah, I brought as much as I could, except for a real weapon," Fox still lamented the sorry state of his blaster back on the Great Fox.
"I assume that knife wasn't enough to pass your standards?" Krystal joked.
Fox's PDA rang. Peppy was back on the channel.
"There are two more bombs planted in the treasury," the hare informed the tod and the vixen, "I've sent their locations to your radar. Peppy, out."
"Let's spread out," Fox proposed to Krystal, "We'll go after one bomb each. The map data should be visible on your PDA." Fox passed his knife to Krystal, "Remember, cut only the wires attached to the timer. We'll regroup back at the lift once we're done."
"What are you going to cut the wires with?" Krystal asked.
Fox held his hand on the hilt of the sword on his back as he smiled. "Your brother's sword should be sharp enough to do the trick."
Fox and Krystal darted in different directions in pursuit of a different bomb. Fox navigated through the stone labyrinth towards the bomb he was after, and within a few minutes he reached his target. Fox remembered defusing a bomb much like this back in the Lylat Wars on the frigid world of Fichina, a planet so icy that the Cornerian science division set up a laboratory there to study a means of controlling its climate to make it inhabitable to the public. It was one of many worlds caught in the Lylat Wars, being the target of Andross' army and even one of Star Fox's most potent rivals, Star Wolf.
Fox remembered the dogfights he and his wingmen had against the infamous pilots of Star Wolf. Consisting of the pragmatic, yet ruthless leader Wolf O'Donnel, ambiguously sinister assassin Leon Powalski, heinous turncoat Pigma Dengar, and nepotistic neophyte Andrew Oikonny, they nearly turned the Cornerian installation on Fichina into rubble with their interference. It was only due to quick thinking on all of the Star Fox crew that they ended up on top and saved the day. Compared to that stressful mission, defusing the bombs on CloudRunner Fortress was a piece of cake! Fox sliced the wires of the bomb connected to the timer with his sword.
Krystal followed the directions provided by Fox's on-lease PDA, weaving around the maze's walls. Upon arriving at the bomb, she remembered what Fox did and followed his example. Opening the hatch, she identified the wires she needed to cut and grabbed them all in one hand. She held the utility knife in the other and slashed through the wires. The clock on the timer went out like a light, much to her relief.
Regrouping at the treasury lift, Fox and Krystal caught their breath. Krystal passed the knife to its original owner.
"CloudRunner Fortress is safe," Krystal gasped in relief, "Now for the spellstone…"
Fox and Krystal advanced deeper into the treasury. The duo found themselves in an opulent hall. Golden statues were placed next to the walls with many a shining carving of CloudRunner ancestors placed on top. Piles of gold coins were heaped across the vault, almost dense enough to swim in. Fox's mind immediately thought of Pigma Dengar diving through the ocean of coins, laughing maniacally as he became overwhelmed with his avarice.
Four SharpClaw soldiers were busy ransacking the vault, placing whatever they could grab into duffel bags. One of them had the spellstone on hand. Fox attempted to sneak up on the thieves, but his foot collided with a bronze cup, knocking it over into the gold coins. The noise alerted the heisters.
"Grab the loot bags and start driving!" the head thief holding the spellstone shouted to the others, "We gotta book it with the spellstone!"
The SharpClaw burglars boarded their hoverbikes with their bags of spoils in tow, one by one and sped away. Fox set his sights on the slowest one and shot a fire blast at his skull. The projectile went clean through his head!
"Come with me, we need to get that spellstone!" Fox called to Krystal as he hijacked the hoverbike, "Hold on tight!" Krystal hopped on board and held onto Fox as he ignited the bike's engines and gave chase after the thieves.
Fox and Krystal rode the hoverbike through a mine shaft lit by torches, held up by many a wooden beam. The steel buckets that dropped from the beams would not distract them from their goal; they needed to stop these goons from alerting Scales and Thorn before it was too late! As the bike sped down a spiral, one of the enemy bikers came into view.
"Fox, if you can get me close enough to that bike, I'll try to take control of it," Krystal informed her driver.
"You know how to drive one of these things?"
"I can try…" Krystal replied nervously.
Knowing they had little alternative at this point, Fox figured it would be beneficial to have two hoverbikes chasing after the thieves than just one. Fox drove the bike to inch closer and closer to the SharpClaw biker. Flamethrowers spewed cones of fire from above, but Fox remained focused. As Fox slammed his bike into that of his opponent from the side, Krystal took this opportunity to leap onto the SharpClaw's bike, knocking the driver off and taking the bike as her own. Krystal held onto the bike's handles as tightly as she could as the bike swerved under her shaky guidance. Catching a deep breath, she continued to accelerate as Fox watched approvingly. There would be two more heisters to dispatch.
Fox and Krystal, now each on their own hoverbikes, raced through the dimly lit mine shaft, the walls echoing with the roar of their engines. The next biker came into view. Noticing her pursuers, the SharpClaw threw several mines behind, attempting to demolish the foxes' bikes with some hastily planted traps. Fox and Krystal avoided colliding with the explosives as the tunnel twisted and turned. Krystal accelerated, closing the gap between her and her target. She could see the panic in the thief's eyes as she realized the inevitable confrontation. With a swift move, Krystal slammed her bike against the enemy's, causing sparks to fly. The SharpClaw biker struggled to maintain control, but Krystal was relentless. With one final push, the enemy bike veered off course, crashing into the wooden beams of the mine.
The head thief wasn't too far away. The blue spellstone shined as he sped through the tunnels. Fox sped up to the biker, the nose of his hoverbike bumping into the engine of the SharpClaw who held the spellstone. The rider panicked, seeing as how he was now the only one left. The terrain of the mines circled upon itself, spiraling downward. Fox and Krystal followed the trail, taking care not to crash themselves. A devious idea came to the SharpClaw; he made a u-turn, changing his trajectory completely and catching Fox and Krystal off-guard. The SharpClaw sped in the opposite direction, hoping to give the two foxes the slip. If he could retreat back to the entrance of the treasury, he could board the transports back at the skydock and make his escape! The realization shortly came to Fox and Krystal as well, reminding them that they could not let the SharpClaw get away! Fox and Krystal gave chase on their bikes, determined to obtain the spellstone that the CloudRunners were meant to protect.
Leaving nothing to chance, Fox slowly pulled out his sword with his dominant hand. Aiming the blade at the rider, he opened fire with several fire blasts. Some managed to strike the enemy's bike engines, causing him to spiral out of control. The SharpClaw tumbled across the ground, dropping the spellstone in the process. Fox and Krystal stopped their bikes and dismounted. Before the SharpClaw could react, Krystal threw her staff like a javelin, striking the SharpClaw square in the chest, impaling him against the wall. Fox walked to the spellstone and obtained a well-earned prize for his and Krystal's efforts and placed it into his backpack.
"At least this time I was able to park smoothly," Fox chuckled.
"Let's head back to the others back at the royal chambers," Krystal smiled as she retrieved her staff from the SharpClaw's corpse.
The tod and the vixen rode their bikes back to the treasury entrance. The gilded halls of the vault soon came into view, but another threat stood between them and the way back to their friends…
"Scales!" Fox shouted. General Scales stood menacingly in the hall, pulling out a flintlock from his hip. With Krystal's bike in front of Fox's, she made a sharp turn, tumbling on her bike as Scales unleashed a blast from his pistol, the shot hitting the bike. Krystal was sent sliding across the vault floor while Fox hit the brakes, determined not to crash his bike a third time on his adventure. Fox dismounted and charged against Scales, sword in hand.
"Fox! Krystal! You will pay for your meddling with your lives!" Scales roared, brandishing his sword from his back, "I have been granted powers you could only dream of!"
Fox attempted to end this swiftly with a fire blast from his sword. He aimed for the head for a clean kill. Fox pulled the trigger, yet the projectiles bounced off his forehead, the general didn't even flinch. His body shined with a bright blue hue as it refracted each shot. Scales wasn't kidding; that shield at the very least rendered him immune to direct fire. Fox should have seen this coming; of course, it wouldn't be that easy to kill the big bad honcho of the SharpClaw. The pilot closed the distance, the swords of both parties generated sparks with how intensely they binded against one another. He was far more dangerous than the many SharpClaw soldiers Fox confronted on his mission.
"Scales!" Fox scowled, "What's your endgame?! What would you have to gain by tearing your own planet to pieces?!"
"The secrets of the ancient Kamerians who populated this world are within my grasp," Scales sneered, "I will not allow the other tribes to stand in my way, thus they needed to be segregated and pacified by making an example of the planet itself! With control of the spellstones, I can carve and patch Sauria at will."
"Kamerians?" Fox recognized the name from one of Kyte's little history lectures.
"The Kamerians were our ancestors; all the tribes on Sauria evolved from them since their war against the Krazoa ended," Scales informed the ignorant fox, "The Kamerian civilization houses many secrets, ancient technology that will finally allow our world to roam the stars. The other tribes opposed our ambitions into repurposing Kamerian tech, claiming that they were too dangerous to be used by our people. Such cowardice! It was thanks to the diligent work of my benefactor, Dr. Thorn, that we finally made significant breakthroughs. The other tribes would never permit this; thus, I needed to coerce them by force. By seizing the spellstones and holding the heirs of the two dominant dinosaur tribes, I aimed to make them understand my greater vision, and to show them the consequences of not falling in line!"
"You're delusional," Fox barked, "If you wanted your world to get caught up with the rest of Lylat, you only needed to contact Corneria to negotiate!"
"Negotiate?" spat Scales, "To be subjugated under a different authority? That which belongs to me? Not likely!"
So that was it. Scales was just another typical tyrant who wanted to be a big fish in a small pond, no matter the consequences that came from ripping apart an entire world.
"So, where did you get all that Andross empire tech?" Fox asked one final question, "How did you come across weapons from the Lylat Wars?"
"I know not of this 'Andross' you speak of; you waste your breath," Scales scoffed.
Krystal regained her footing as Fox and Scales blades clanged. She remembered how formidable a foe Scales was back when she had rescued Kyte, and this was when she fought along her more experienced brother. Here, they would fight to the finish; there would be not one step back. Krystal sprinted into the fight, staff in hand, and thrusted her weapon at Scales when he wasn't looking. The evil general anticipated this move, stepping aside and grabbing her staff with his metal hand in the process.
Scales was outnumbered two to one, yet he continued to hold his ground against both his opponents, alternating which weapon of his dealt with which combatant. His strength proved potent enough to deal with two foes, let alone what he was able to do with a sword in one hand and a hand with sharp fingers in the other. Scales parried Fox's broad cuts with his metallic hand.
"Stories of your actions have spread throughout Sauria," Scales addressed Fox, "You fight as a mercenary, do you not? You would stand in my way for a mere monetary reward?"
"I'm no stranger to standing up to bullies like you!" Fox shot back, "It's not just about the money for me!"
The intensity between each sword strike increased, as did their frequency. Fox had no idea he was capable of such swordplay, but he knew better than to question a coincidence in his favor. Scales turned his animosity towards the Cerinian.
"You had no chance of defeating me back within the storms of Warlock Mountain, and you had your…brother, was it? He was assisting you," Scales taunted Krystal, "What hope could you possibly have to stand a chance now?!"
"I've honed my skills since we last fought that night," Krystal barked, "I still remember how you bullied Kyte."
"If I knew that princess and the rest of her royal family would continue to remain in my way, I suppose I should have just killed them all to make an example to the rest of their tribe!"
Scales attempted to punch Krystal with his metal hand. Krystal, remembering what happened last time, parried his fisted strike with her staff, deploying her magical barrier for good measure. Krystal followed up with several swings from her staff, but Scales parried each of them without breaking a sweat. She attempted to envelop Scales in an icy mist from her ice blast, but Scales was unaffected thanks to the barrier that protected him. Krystal attempted to gain the upper hand with telepathic focus, but Scales' mind was fortified against this trick; she would not be able to gain the advantage of foresight against him.
"You're nothing but a spineless coward, Scales!" Krystal howled, "You would put innocent children in danger all for your selfish desires!"
"Insolent brats, just like their parents!" Scales retorted, "They will grow up to become no different from the parasites who limited Sauria's greatness with their petty moralities!"
The self-proclaimed leader of the SharpClaw jumped into the air, directed his metal fist downward, and slammed it into the floor of the treasury. A massive shockwave emerged from the impact, sending many gold coins flying in its wake. Fox was able to react in time, deploying his sword's shield to avoid getting blown away, but Krystal wasn't so lucky. Her body was knocked some distance across the hall, her back slamming into a wall.
Alarmed at the state of his friend, Fox remained focus on stopping the general at any cost. Fox felt the pressure mounting as Scales' sword flashed with lethal precision. His sword clanged against his blade in a symphony of conflict, each strike resonating with the intensity of their duel. Despite his best efforts, Scales' dexterity and brute force kept him on the defensive. Fox's determination blazed in his eyes as he redoubled his efforts, pushing Scales back with a series of aggressive slashes. Scales, however, was quick to recover, his stamina allowing him to push back against whatever Fox threw at him. Fox would eventually find himself open after unleashing one too many thrusts than he could handle, allowing Scales to deliver a devastating punch with his artificial fist. Fox felt a sharp pain pierce his abdomen. He looked down, gasping as the sharp appendages of Scales' metal fist found their mark as his vision briefly lost color.
"Oh…" Scales smiled as he stared into his victim's eyes with sadistic glee, "That must have hurt."
"Fox!" Krystal watched in horror as Fox's body was lifted by Scales with a single arm, the one that held him pierced through the torso. Scales effortlessly tossed Fox across the opulent hall, the blood from Fox's midriff flying. The maniacal general taunted Krystal with his metal hand, now stained with Fox's blood. Motions of grief, rage, and determination overwhelmed her as she regained her footing. She felt a surge of mystical energy flow through her body as her tattoos began to glow. It was another awakening!
"Scales! I'll kill you! You'll pay for what you've done!" she roared as she charged against Scales, gripping her staff. She attacked Scales with an unbridled fury, striking with ungodly speed. The general, with his brute strength, attempted to overpower her with heavy, crushing blows. Yet, Krystal danced around him, her movements a blur as she deftly avoided his attacks. Scales was taken aback by the Cerinian's newfound power. In this state, Krystal truly felt like she could take down many enemies at once.
"This power, is this the power of the almighty Krazoa?!" Scales could not believe what he was seeing as he was now forced to try his hardest against a single foe. Sword and staff clashed against one another as the vixen and the reptile were now evenly matched.
"Kyte, Lilith, Fox, you'll pay for what you've done to all of them!" Krystal began to lose her sense of self in utter umbrage, her hatred fueling her awakening, her energy almost boundless. It was enough to continually fuel her every action with unparalleled strength and precision. "How many people must you hurt to satisfy your ambitions?!"
"Only as much as I need to!" Scales shot back, "Any who fall to my rise to power is merely a statistic! The other dinosaur tribes only have themselves to blame for standing in my way!"
"Fox wasn't afraid to make a stand against you!" Krystal thundered, "And neither am I! I know your type: You would put your own homeworld at risk just to rise above your fellows even if it kills you in the end! I've fought monsters just like you where I came from, and they're just as foul as you are!"
"Clever girl, but how much longer can you maintain that anger within you?" Scales sneered, "Surely it must come at a cost?"
Parry after parry, riposte after riposte, each retaliatory strike was countered by another. Between Krystal and Scales, it seemed that neither party was able to break this violent stalemate…
Fox struggled to look up as he still reeled from Scales' devastating strike, his abdomen bleeding out slowly. Blinking heavily, he witnessed Krystal continue holding her own against the relentless offensives from the SharpClaw tyrant. Her tattoos shined brightly as her warrior spirit did not waver. But he couldn't just watch her fight, he needed to do something, anything to turn the tide! He began to think. Could that gadget work? Could strike from behind while Scales was distracted by Krystal's onslaught? With no other options in his weakened state, Fox clenched his toes from within his boots. A fiery barrier surrounded Fox, the soles of his boots began to shake, preparing to expel a lot of force from within. This was his chance!
Fox was launched into the fray, his Mozilla boots turning Fox into a blazing projectile soaring towards Scales! Scales was taken aback before Fox's fiery body tackled his chest!
Scales was set ablaze by Fox's unexpected maneuver, attempting to douse out the fire that enveloped his body. Krystal unleashed an empowered ground quake. Scales was blasted away, the gale force extinguishing the fire, and his grip on his sword lost as it was scattered into a nearby treasure pile.
"No, impossible!" Scales ranted, "That isn't fair!"
Krystal approached the SharpClaw general, pointed her business staff at him, and declared the following.
"You will know the suffering you caused the CloudRunners and Fox!" She was just about ready to stab Scales with extreme prejudice.
"This isn't over! We'll meet again!" General Scales tapped one of the buttons on his large belt, causing him to disappear into thin air. Krystal's staff ended up thrusting into nothing. She did not sense Scales' presence anywhere. She cursed herself for not acting sooner. Krystal ran to her furry friend's side as Fox was still lying on the floor. She looked to where Scales had stabbed him; he was bleeding badly.
"Krystal…" Fox struggled to speak, his eyes quivering like that of a hurt puppy.
"Fox! What can I do to save you?!" Krystal cried out.
Fox reached into his backpack and showed Krystal one of the first aid kits he brought for the mission.
"Bandages…wrap them…"
Krystal nodded; she knew how bandages worked. She undressed Fox from the waist up, taking off his vest and the upper portion of his flightsuit, then wrapped a thick layer of bandages around the injury on Fox's midsection.
"That should stem the bleeding a bit," Krystal took some deep breaths, "But it won't be enough, I need to get you back to the surface…"
Fox's heart thumped quickly despite the bandages delaying the bleeding. Whatever Scales did to him was truly severe. Fox's eyes constantly drooped over and over as he struggled to keep his eyes open. His very focus pulsated as Krystal carried him onto the lift that led back out of the treasury. His sense of hearing was also impaired, an echoing hiss ringing in his ears as Krystal brought him back up to the royal chambers. All the CloudRunner inhabitants plus Tricky and Gradabug stared at him with increasing worry. He felt his body being placed on a soft surface and saw Krystal shout in various directions, unable to decipher what she was saying, if only because Fox could barely hear a thing in his condition. Fox could feel his life force fading away, his body weakening, his vision fading.
"Krystal…Krystal…" he struggled to speak as he coughed up blood, "I..." He attempted to reach out to his loyal friend. He wanted to comfort Krystal before he would meet his parents past this mortal coil. It was the most he could do. Krystal held onto his hand before Fox closed his eyes…
"Where can we find another bafomdad?!" Krystal called to the Queen CloudRunner as everyone else looked at Fox with deep concern, "He's barely clinging to life!"
Queen Lilith knew there was no time to waste. "There should be one hidden inside the fortress infirmary. I will deliver you one myself!" She owed the duo her life, and it was time to repay that debt. The Queen CloudRunner soared towards the fortress infirmary without delay.
Krystal turned back to Fox; his body gently placed down on one of the royal chambers' beds. "Hang in there, Fox," Krystal couldn't bear the thought of losing him. The two shared many memories together in the short time since they met. She had already lost her village, her parents, and her homeworld, and her brother remained in terrible danger.
Lilith returned with a bafomdad in her talons, delivering it to Krystal. Krystal placed the bafomdad next to Fox. The gerbil released its healing energy on Fox, then vanished into pure light. Krystal peeked underneath the bandages wrapped around Fox. The grievous wound on Fox's midriff began to close, but Fox remained motionless. Was it too late?
"Fox?! No, please don't go!" Krystal pleaded as she shook Fox's limp body by the shoulders. "Wake up, Fox!" Endless tears began to fill her eyes. Minutes began to pass, minutes that felt like hours. Fox's body did not move. Was he truly gone forever? "Fox…don't leave me…"
"Fox?" Tricky couldn't believe what he was seeing. The hero who saved him, was this the end for the mighty warrior Fox?
"Krystal…" Kyte approached her friend. Krystal let go of Fox's body. As difficult as it was, she needed to accept the possibility that Fox was dead.
"I've lost so much over the past few years," Krystal sobbed, "My brother and I hoped we would find new hope in the Lylat System, but now I'm all alone…"
"You have me and Tricky, at least," Kyte attempted to comfort Krystal, "And I don't know if I'd still be here had it not been for your help."
"Kyte, Tricky…" Krystal could barely hold herself together. How would the three of them return to Sauria's main body?
Just as Krystal brainstormed many desperate options in her head, she heard a coughing fit. She turned around. Fox gasped for air as he turned to his side. Relieved that Fox drew breath once more, Krystal hugged him with all her strength. Everyone around them cheered.
"Fox! I…I'm so grateful that you're still alive!" Krystal's tears of sorrow quickly transformed into tears of joy, though they never ceased. Fox, still regaining his stamina, hugged back weakly.
"Is…is it all over?" he wheezed as his eyes slowly opened, "What happened?"
"You retrieved the spellstone of CloudRunner Fortress, that's what Krystal told us," Kyte informed Fox, "We can head back to Sauria to deposit it back at the Ocean Force Point Temple whenever we're ready."
"Fox, do you need time to rest?" Krystal wiped the tears from her eyes, slowly regaining her composure, "That injury sapped a lot of your strength."
Fox slowly stood from the bed, stumbling in the process, but determined to stand. "There's…no time…can't delay the…mission…need to save your brother."
Krystal rushed to catch Fox before he lost his balance. "I don't know if you're in any condition to fly the Arwing back…"
"You can…give it a try," Fox looked to Krystal, shocked at what he had to say, "I trust…you. You told me how you…flew your transport shuttle, right? It's time to…take your flight skills to…the next level."
Tricky and Kyte gulped and looked to each other nervously.
With the occupiers from Scales' army driven out of the fortress, its citizens gathered around the lower landing pad where the Arwing was parked as Fox, Krystal, Tricky, and Kyte walked to their ticket back to the rest of Sauria. Fox had placed his entire flightsuit over his body once more, damaged and stained with blood as it was, and had placed his vest in his backpack.
"You've done a magnificent job," Gradabug congratulated Team Fox, "You now have CloudRunner Fortress' spellstone!"
"And with Scales and his army gone, our tribe can now start rebuilding their lives," the Queen CloudRunner bowed with Aizel, Hogard, Trish, and Eilis following her example, "We are forever grateful!"
Krystal and Kyte curtseyed back, and Tricky bowed back. Fox attempted to bow as well but stumbled in his crippled condition. Krystal grabbed Fox before he could hit the floor.
"Kyte, I assume you will have no objections to accompanying Fox and Krystal for the rest of their mission?" Lilith addressed her daughter and crown princess.
"They saved our nation, our tribe, and our family," Kyte smiled, "It's the least I could do." She looked to her siblings. "Aizel, Hogard, Trish, Eilis, when this crisis has been averted, I will return to you as soon as I can."
"My daughter, I know I haven't spent as much time with you as I should," Queen Lilith spoke to Kyte, "I apologize that we only ever focused on preparing you for the throne. You should seize the opportunity to enjoy yourself with your newfound friends."
Krystal, knowing the sorrow of losing parts of her family, was taken aback by Lilith's unusually lax attitude towards having her daughter continue to accompany a band of adventurers who attracted danger wherever they went. "Your majesty, you and your daughter have only just been rescued," Krystal interjected, "I was tasked with protecting Kyte until she could be reunited with her mother. Are you sure you're okay with the risks that come with her being on our team in the long run?"
"It will be for the greater good," Lilith said calmly, "While my gratitude for Kyte's rescue and my own is immeasurable, I know that while Sauria remains in danger, all of our lives are still at risk. Your fellowship has proven itself to be our greatest hope of restoring the planet, and you must all do your part." Lilith turned her attention to Tricky. "I must also thank you for your bravery, young prince. Trish told me of your daring rescue."
"I was merely tagging along!" Tricky smiled, acting surprisingly humble, "Kyte scratched my back, so I scratched hers!"
Krystal could sense emotional warmth from Queen Lilith as she spoke to who was once the heir to her rival tribe. Could it be that Lilith had an interest in renewing their alliance with the EarthWalkers?
"Don't forget, as soon as you get back to the surface, you need to find the Ocean Force Point Temple," Roald reminded the team, "It is there that you must return our spellstone."
"A lot has happened since you entered the treasury," Gradabug got Fox and Krystal up to speed, "Those large space transports that the SharpClaw left at the skydock, we were able to capture them for ourselves!"
"Gradabug's thinking of repurposing them for transporting the other dinosaurs in the territories ripped from Sauria back to the planet surface," Tricky was giddy about the possibilities, "Belina Te can finally reunite with her father, for example!"
"Me and my fellow BoneHeads will get these transports ready for use," Gradabug concluded, "The CloudRunners may not understand how to pilot these machines, but we'll give it a try."
Fox, Krystal, Tricky, and Kyte walked across the dock above the waters, passing by a platoon of CloudRunner guards who saluted them for their bravery. Tricky and Kyte, as per the usual protocol, entered the Arwing's cargo bay. This time, Krystal hopped into the Arwing's driver seat and helped Fox into the seat behind.
"Press that button to initiate the launch sequence," Fox pointed out to Krystal. He would need to guide her as much as he could for the journey back to Sauria. Krystal pressed the button that Fox referred to. The Arwing retracted its landing tripods and began to take flight. Taking hold of the Arwing's flight sticks, she directed the Arwing to the skies.
Krystal carefully guided the Arwing out of CloudRunner Fortress' magical field and directed the Arwing's flight path back to ThornTail Hollow. The alert on the communications screen interrupted the serenity of the experience.
"Tap the screen," Fox said weakly, trying to stay awake in the backseat. Krystal obliged. The hologram of General Pepper appeared once more.
"Oh? Is this not Fox's Arwing that I'm contacting?" Pepper raised his eyebrow, "Do you understand how to fly that thing, Krystal?"
"I've had experience flying spacecraft," Krystal explained, "though the kind I'm used to is merely a transport shuttle. Fox was recently injured when we obtained the spellstone, and he's resting behind me."
Fox attempted to speak, but collapsed and gathered his breath instead, sitting back in the passenger seat.
"Thanks to your efforts, the fortress is back in control of the CloudRunners," Pepper briefed Krystal, "You must now return the spellstone to the Ocean Force Point Temple. With a name like that, it must be located near the sea. Have you been anywhere like that yet?"
"The one place that comes to mind would be Cape Claw, where we rescued Queen Lilith from captivity. Once Fox has regained his strength, we'll inspect that beach."
"Very good. Do give my best wishes to Fox once he comes to. Pepper out." The hologram of the general disappeared.
Krystal remained focused on directing the Arwing safely to the landing zone in ThornTail Hollow. She dared not risk activating the Arwing's laser cannons without any real enemies to shoot at. "Fox, what you did back at the treasury, when you launched yourself in a blaze of fire, what was that?" Krystal asked her passenger without turning her head, still trying to focus on flying the Arwing safely.
"It was…thanks to my…rocket boots," Fox gasped as he explained to Krystal, "Fuel for them is…limited, so I can only…use it sparingly."
"It made a decisive difference in the end," Krystal smiled, "Even in my empowered state, Scales proved to be a difficult foe."
"Krystal…remember that button for the launch sequence?" Fox grunted. She nodded. "Press it again to activate the landing sequence." It seemed that operating an Arwing was quickly becoming second nature to her, thanks to her piloting the Cerinian shuttle. She could get used to a life as a space cadet.
Author's Note: In Star Fox Adventures and Dinosaur Planet, the main "boss fight" for CloudRunner Fortress' spellstone involves just the hoverbike race in which Fox/Krystal must dispatch a few SharpClaw bikers, the one in front carrying the spellstone. One fanfiction involves Fox going after the bikers and Krystal fighting General Scales, whereas the canon version of events has him simply disappear after ordering his minions to take off with the spellstone in hand. The bikers still carry the spellstone, but Fox and Krystal both end up fighting Scales afterwards in this story.
I chose to use Fox's rocket boots, commonly known as the "Fire Fox" or "Up Special" in Super Smash Bros, as the final blow to Scales before he would be forced to retreat. One fanfiction involves Krystal flying the Arwing after the Galdon fight, due to Fox spraining his ankle, but I moved that part to this chapter, after Fox gets critically injured in the fight. It was also an opportunity to use another bafomdad and add some drama to the end of the CloudRunner Fortress arc.