Cerinian Sweetheart [Krystal; Romance, Vacation, Celebrity Life, Star Fox Fanfic, Lewd]: Anon is the luckiest man in Lylat with the world's most popular vixen as his girlfriend. When she's not acting on the hit show "Star Fox", she's never far from her beloved significant other.

[[ CHAPTER 1: Krystal ]]

>Do you keep it, or do you take it back?
>Well, you actually can’t take it back, considering it’s custom made
>For the last ten minutes you’ve been staring at a gift box with an extravagant golden swimsuit inside, complete with a silky white loincloth
>It wasn’t cheap, but the biggest concern you have is if she’ll like it
>When you’ve had to wear such an iconic, skimpy outfit for years as part of a job, do you really want an identical bathing suit for leisure?
>So, do you spring it on her, or hide it as a surprise?
>Where would even be the best spot to leave it?
>You look to the framed picture on the nightstand and imagine the box sitting underneath
>That might work
>In the photograph is you with your blue-furred goddess at your side
>Krystal
>The grinning vixen’s turquoise eyes are closed from bliss in the picture, standing before a lush forest and a roaring waterfall in the background
>[Greetings from Fortuna!] the postcard version of the photo said when she sent them to all her friends
>It wasn’t that long ago the two of you were on vacation
>One year, in fact
>But work has been rough and now that the season’s coming to an end Krystal’s about ready for some more relaxation time
>Just a few more reshoots and a couple of live events, and she’ll be finished for a while
>Your head twists as the faint sound of the elevator rumbles closer
>You’re frozen for a few moments, trying to wrap up your plans as well as the gift
>”Anon? I’m home!”
>You hastily cover the box and fling it under the bed in a panic
>Maybe later
>You run out to the living room to greet your vixen
>Even after an excruciating day of work, she still manages to radiate beauty
>Though that still doesn’t stop her face from looking a little haggard
>She’s also still in the blue jumpsuit you’ve only ever seen at work
>”I know, I know,” she groans. “I’m sure I’ll hear about it tomorrow. ‘Bringing your work home with you,’ and all that.”
>Obviously tired, but her gentle tone with that subtle, posh little accent makes you smile nonetheless
>You had always hoped it was genuine, and wasn’t just part of her character
>”Costuming was a mess today, and I just couldn’t bother to wait around for someone to help me with this.”
>She turns around and points to the discreet zipper of her jumpsuit
>”It’s stuck.”
>It would definitely be near impossible for a single person to undo her outfit alone, but with an extra pair of hands you manage to work the fastener down
>Her blue fur puffs out a bit as the vacuum-sealed suit is peeled off
>She’s left in a tank top and pair of cottony shorts
>You follow her over to the couch where she flops over and kicks her feet up on the blocky ottoman
>”What a day. And that was the cherry on top as well. I was locked in the Awring display for a good while, Leon was driving everyone up the wall as usual with his method acting, and Wolf’s replacement must have blundered his lines three dozen times.”
>She curls her toes as she vents about her day
>You sneak in close and grab her feet
>She recoils and yips in surprise, pretty ticklish when it comes to her soft paw pads
>The vixen relaxes as you work your fingers in tenderly for a massage, and she deflates entirely in seconds
>”Much better. Thank you, love.” 
>You knead the bottoms of he feet and rub the spaces between her toes
>Krystal is fully disarmed by your miracle hands
>Some days it’s almost impossible to believe she chose you above all others
>Even more difficult to accept she’s not the snobbish, fake celebrity you feared she would be in person
>You tell yourself each day not to squander your good fortune
>It wasn’t until a few seasons into “Star Fox” that the two of you formally met
>She was a new addition to the show, though fairly notable even before coming onboard thanks to her stunning looks and cheery personality
>That didn’t stop her from getting an unfair amount of criticism originally for ruining the “boys’ club” and bringing “needless romance” to the series
>But she soon became a massive fan favorite, and now she’s an intergalactic megastar
>You, on the other hand, never progressed far past your humble role
>You were an extra, one of the few human soldiers in the dog-dominated Cornerian Army
>The amount of actual military training you had to do for the “authenticity” was staggering
>And in the end, you were killed off a few episodes in
>However, you stuck around long enough to meet Krystal and hit things off with her
>You consoled her through her initial backlash, and she was forever grateful to you
>Once she got some clout with production, you were secured a new role in the show
>Well, the same role, but a new name
>It became a running joke your character was killed off every few episodes, only to be brought back as a “new recruit”
>Not a stellar part, but your vixen brings home more than enough credits for the two of you and your pretty well furnished, roomy flat in the heart of the city
>Amazing view of the streets, the buildings, and the occasional bright holo-ad for “The End of Katina” or some other new film
>It’s an amazingly scenic backdrop, day or night
>It was her choice taking a cozy little place close to the studio, though all that extra money goes to some nice vacation getaways
>”Mmm, I can’t wait for Zoness,” Krystal sighs. “It’s going to be gorgeous. Just the two of us, and three weeks of the greatest resorts in Lylat.”
>She chuckles dryly
>”And hopefully the writers know what they’re doing with the new season by the time we get back. You should hear some of the ideas they’ve pitched. None of them are very flattering. We might be looking at a reboot in the near future.”
>All you can think about right now is the trip
>This might be the best time to give her your gift
>She pouts as you finish the massage, but raises her brow when you bring out the gift
>”Oh?”
>You have to admit, it’s just as much of a treat for you as it’s supposed to be for her
>Krystal opens the box carefully
>Her face scrunches up, but then shakes her head in amusement as she holds up the swimsuit top
>”I should have known. The outfit you fell in love with. Alright, just as long as you don’t make me speak dinosaur.”
>There’s a look of guilt on your face
>Not even for old time sake?
>”You’re something else, do you know that? Fine then, a little bit of roleplay when we settle in, just for you.”
>You bend over and kiss her toes in gratitude
>The vixen giggles at the tickling feeling

>The trip is still a couple days away, but your packed luggage waits patiently in the corner of the bedroom
>Krystal’s voluminous bushy tail sweeps the bed as she undresses
>It’s her mind that’s on Zoness right now
>”Monroe passed along the names of some classy 3-gold-ring restaurants for us. We can book the reservations on the shuttle over. Oh, and hopefully we can avoid the naval set as much as possible. I want this trip to just be about the two of us.”
>You don’t need to wait for the vacation to be intimate
>Her tail floofs out even more when she removes the decorative bands
>You tug on her tail playfully
>”I sense someone’s a little eager,” Krystal chides
>She backs into bed with you
>Wearing nothing but her azure pelt of fur and her warm smile
>She cuddles into your chest, with her tail nestled in the middle of your bodies
>One of your arms is under her head while the other stretches down along her side
>Your finger runs along the spiral tattoo on her bare hip
>Even without looking you can trace the marking perfectly, having done this countless nights
>Krystal turns her head to look at you and you tap her on her petite snout affectionately
>She gives you a quick kiss in return
>”Let’s not be wasteful now. You should conserve some of that energy for our vacation. Or, at the very least, the trip there.”
>She manages to move in even closer, your skin electrified by the smoothness of her coat
>Her forehead touches your own
>”The shuttle has small beds, so we will have to be practically inside each other. And when we get to Zoness, I’m sure we will be.”
>The vixen nuzzles you, touching your nose with hers
>Years of stunt work and preparation for public appearances has made her body supple and her fur immaculate
>But she still feels small and delicate in your arms
>You soothe her to sleep with the touch of your fingers and a low hum
>You make sure to caress every curve and every vulpine feature of your love
>Krystal has countless fans out there, but to her you’re the only one who matters
>Still, you expect some inevitable photos and autographs along the way, but you’ve learned to share her attention
>To an extent
>When you’re tucked into the cabanas or swimming along the shores of Zoness, she’ll be all yours.
>”Love you, Anon,” she says dreamily
>That’s all you need to hear at the end of the night



[[ CHAPTER 2: S.S. DePon ]]

>Corneria Intergalactic
>Lylat’s premiere spaceport
>The station handles trips of all magnitudes, and it’s the only one on Corneria to supply shuttles that leave the planet’s orbit
>So when you’re making the voyage to a world like Zoness, you’re going to have to go through Corneria Intergalactic
>You and Krystal have pre-approval to bypass a lot of security and waiting, but there’s only so much of the crowds you can avoid
>You’re waiting on the space elevator up to the Orbital Gate when you notice a young female cat creep slowly up to Krystal
>The girl’s parents are nearby, looking worried for their daughter
>”M-Ms. Krystal?” the kitten says, holding up a scrap of paper and a pen. “C-can I have your autograph?”
>Krystal gives you a humored smile
>Nearly every day has someone looking for a chance to meet her, and not all of them are respectful (especially to the Anon often in held tightly in her arm)
>But her heart is too kind to ever turn someone away, especially little girls fawning over their idol
>”Of course,” the vixen says cheerfully
>Blue makes up even her casual attire, but today she’s also wearing the silvery pilot’s jacket most of her fellow Star Fox heroes have
>It’s great for needing large pockets, and Krystal reaches into one of them to pull out a small card
>It’s the kind she often gives to her younger fans: an “honorary pilot license” stamped with the Star Fox logo and a space for a signature to “authenticate” the title
>Krystal uses her best penmanship on the card and hands it back as the parents rush over
>”Thank you so much,” the mother says
>The young cat bounces excitedly, giving the card to her mother for safekeeping
>”No trouble at all,” Krystal says. “Always a pleasure to meet a fan.”
>The father’s been staring at you during the exchange
>He suddenly breaks into a grin with almost the same amount of enthusiasm as his daughter
>”Hey! Anon! I love your characters! Reminds me a bit of myself when I served in the Cornerian Army. Well, minus the dying part, haha!”
>It’s not the first time a fan of Star Fox has been eager to meet YOU, but it always feels like it is
>The father pulls his daughter in and ruffles her fur
>”My daughter and I always watch the show together. Do you think we could get a group picture?”
>The mother takes a photo of the four of you, and soon the happy family heads off to their seats
>A few more jealous onlookers line up even as the space elevator docks at the Orbital Gate
>”A small price to pay for some time to ourselves,” Krystal whispers into your ear
>It’s a little too optimistic to think the whole three weeks will go unbothered
>However, the moments you do have alone with her are still going to be much more intimate than just being isolated in the apartment
>Even the shuttle to Zoness should be a little romantic
>It’s the classiest vessel out there short of getting an actual space yacht, with almost all the amenities of a full vacation cruise
>FTL travel in Lylat isn’t quite as fast as the “plot speeds” of Star Fox, but in a little over 24 hours you should be seeing nothing but ocean and islands
>The space elevator reaches its destination, and you’re standing before a massive commercial vessel
>The S.S. DePon
>An even larger bay door stretches behind it with a stunning view of space
>Waiting by the shuttle doors with a perpetual salute is a cleanly uniformed dog
>The ship’s captain
>Makes you think a little bit of General Pepper
>He only breaks his salute when the two of you approach
>”Excuse me, ma’am,” he says to Krystal in a deep, authoritative voice
>He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a pen and pad of paper
>”Would you mind?”

>The S.S. DePon is like a small city
>An enclosed city you can’t run far from if you’re swarmed with paparazzi
>Krystal is less concerned about it than you are
>”Perhaps we should start with a tour of our quarters?”
>She wasn’t wrong about the smallness of the beds
>It’s a snug room, though for a couple of lovers practically joined at the hip it’s more than enough space
>”Hmm, looks like I booked a stateroom meant for a single passenger,” she says with fake concern. “I suppose we’ll have to make it double occupancy ourselves....”
>Her jacket comes off and she sits on the bed, patting the sheets beside her
>”If you’d like to rest up first, we can explore the deck when the rest of the passengers are tucked in.”
>The bed’s just big enough for just you, and it’s going to be a close fit to get a vixen under the covers with you
>Perfect
>Krystal lies by your side, with the luggage abandoned in the middle of the room
>You run your fingers through her hair, picking at the tips of her ears
>They twitch reflexively as you touch them
>She cocks an eyebrow at you, then leans in close and nips at your earlobe
>”Play nice. We have three full weeks of each other’s company, starting now. We don’t want to tire one another out, do we?”
>She gives you a quick kiss on the lips and giggles
>”Like I could ever be tired of your company.”
>You don’t think you’ll even need the blankets with how soft and warm her tail is when it covers your legs
>The rest of you is cozy from her furry vulpine form
>You can’t wait to try out the bed for real
>Though as you rest with Krystal by your side, you feel as though you could spend the entire day’s worth of the trip just napping with her
>Her hands work their way under your shirt
>You can feel her nails glide over your skin, giving you a sensitive chill to offset the toasty comfort of her body
>She’s rubbing circles on your chest, turning into a firm massage after some time
>She mumbles something affectionately
>Whatever it was, it’s something you think you can agree with
>The vixen buries her head against your neck, with her ears right by your face
>The opportunity is too good to pass up
>You nibble a bit at her ear
>She just laughs

>There are passengers milling about the shuttle at all hours
>That’s to be expected when there’s no true “night” in space
>But there are still fewer crowds around the deck than there were at the beginning of the voyage as travel fatigue hits
>You and Krystal take this opportunity to take a stroll around
>There are stores, theaters, gyms, full-sized restaurants...
>Your foxy sweetheart has her hand on your neck the whole time, scratching it gently
>”Oh, there it is! Wait here a moment, love.”
>She trots off to one of the ritzy clothing stores you pass by
>Only a few minutes later she returns with a fairly large, flat box
>”Thought I would surprise you when we got to Zoness, but since we’re here already....”
>She got clothes that fast?
>”Ordered ahead of time,” she says, patting the box. “You don’t get to see it until later, though.”
>You try to take a peek, but she holds it away from you like she were protecting her favorite toy
>”Ah-ah, not so fast. I want to see your face when the time is right.”
>Fair enough
>You take a lap around the nicer stores, but part of what you love about Krystal is her enjoyment of the simpler things
>None of the fancy restaurants here appeal to her
>More than anything she wants just a no-frills sandwich
>The ornate gift box looks the most out of place propped up against the table of the burger joint
>You have to admit, indulging in quick, cheap food is sometimes even better than high-class meals
>Doubly so with your significant other at the table
>Poor Krystal doesn’t even get a bite in before a few other diners gather around to meet her
>Early on in your relationship you worried about the day you’d see her finally snap from the constant attention
>But now you don’t think she’s even capable of such hostility
>She looks a little glum for not being able to enjoy her meal right away, but she’s in a good mood by the time she returns to it
>She just shrugs when you ask her how she manages to do it
>”Iff eyh can mafe....”
>She swallows her mouthful of sandwich with an embarrassed cover of her lips
>”Excuse me. If I can make their day special with just a little greeting and maybe sign a thing or two, then it hardly feels like the burden you might think it is.”
>Krystal smiles proudly with a dollop of sauce on her chin
>You clean it off, giving you enough of a distraction to sneak a few fries
>”Nice try, Anon,” she says, pinning your hand to the table
>Her turquoise eyes flutter at you
>”But feel free to continue rubbing my cheek. Maybe you’ll earn yourself a treat later, anyway.”
>You barely move a hair before she moves her drink away from your side of the table
>She managed to thwart your plans before you could even think them up
>How DOES she do it?

>Krystal teases you the rest of the trip
>She’s an incredible flirt, but for you and you alone
>You don’t think she’ll be spoiling “the moment” until you land, but her mischievous streaks are just as endearing as her beauty is sensual
>The two of you watch the stars from your stateroom as the shuttle approaches Zoness’ orbit
>Her head is resting on your shoulder, with her tail curled all the way around your back and into your lap
>”Not such a bad little cubbyhole, is it?”
>The blue vixen pulls your hands between the two of you, fingers intertwined
>”To be honest, I planned it this way. I just had a feeling we’d enjoy the trip more this way.”
>You kiss Krystal on the cheek, then rub it with your thumb
>”I knew you would. I think I’d be content with just this little bit of our vacation.”
>So it’s all over, then?
>”Don’t be cheeky. Do you know how many reservations I’d have to cancel?”
>You don’t even realize how much she’s leaning into your until you’re toppling over with the vixen on top of you
>”Of course, that only means more free time to do whatever we wish.”
>You’re thoroughly disarmed by the fox draped on you
>Her legs rub up against you while her fingers run over your scalp
>A docking announcement rambles over the whole ship’s audio system, but Krystal reaches to the wall and turns the volume down
>”Just a few more minutes,” she sighs. “It’ll take a while for the others to disembark.”
>The Zoness space station looms out of the corner of you eye, its lights blinking like the twinkle of other stars
>You have to agree with her: just this time together would be more than enough to satisfy you
>Luckily, you need to make a return trip back to Corneria in a few weeks
>It’s not like you’re looking forward to the end of your vacation, but at least you have something to look forward to for the way back home



[[ CHAPTER 3: Zoness ]]

>Zoness
>A world of mostly water and clusters of islands speckled throughout
>In spite of this, it’s the second most populated planet in Lylat
>Corneria may boast countless awards for “Best in Lylat” in a variety of fields
>But it never beats out Zoness for having the best vacation resorts
>The reputation of Zoness is so pristine that several episodes of Star Fox intending to shoot on location were almost scrapped
>The Board of Tourism didn’t want their shores “tainted” with green dye to simulate the pollution in Episode #64: Toxic Waste Area
>Can’t really blame them
>As your space elevator descends to the planet you see coastal waters as clear as glass
>Clear as a perfectly cut gemstone
>You could even say they’re...
>Krystal clearly can’t wait to reach the surface
>Her arms are shaking in anticipation, like a young star-struck girl
>”Check in, quick lunch, dip in the ocean,” she repeats over and over like a mantra
>The vixen is so used to her daily life being scheduled you think maybe she forgot how to take it easy and enjoy things spur-of-the-moment
>You hold on to her, and your body vibrates along with her fidgeting
>Even the other passengers look a little concerned for her
>She’s first to bolt out the elevator on touchdown
>The ground terminal alone is packed with enough things to do and places to eat you could almost spend your whole vacation here
>But Krystal’s eyes stray to every window you pass, looking out at the plentiful islands in the distance
>You didn’t spend hours in the confinement of a space shuttle just to stay cooped up indoors
>If anyone in the terminal recognizes her, they wouldn’t be able to see her for long before she dashes off to the arrivals gates
>The archipelagoes of Zoness are each their own interconnected web of luxury
>Some are themed, most are at varying levels of expense, and all of them are magnificent in their own way
>Every single one is accessible via plane, boat, or even an underwater railway
>It’s the railway that’ll take you to the archipelago where your private suite is waiting: the Todora Islands
>The two of you are carried through a transparent tunnel surrounded by coral reefs and aquatic life
>The shimmering of the water reflects on Krystal’s beautiful turquoise eyes
>Her head rests on your shoulder the entire ride
>She’s not even looking out the tunnel, but instead gives you a loving look the whole way
>”We made it,” she whispers
>Every tunnel from the terminal passes through the “capital island” of Zoness
>It’s the closest thing to a mainland on the planet, where most business and government operations are carried out
>But more importantly it’s where the greatest shows and “downtown” entertainment exist
>It’s a stop on your list of things to do, but you both need a chance to unwind before you tackle the public crowds
>You wonder if any passerby at any of the stations notice the blue vixen as the two of you race by
>It won’t be long before word gets out that she’s here, unfortunately
>However, if there’s another thing Zoness can brag about, it’s having the safety of its guests in mind
>Paparazzi aren’t tolerated here
>Once you and Krystal reach the “hub” of your archipelago, you check in with the concierge
>A bubbly hare is waiting to serve
>The closer you get, the more you notice she’s shaking ever so slightly
>”W-welcome to the T-Todora Islands, m-m-miss Krystal!”
>She’s trying as hard as she can to remain professional, but you can see her shifting things around the desk
>Looking for a blank sheet of paper, no doubt
>”W-would you mind...?”
>”Of course,” Krystal smiles
>She signs the paper and the hare immediately swaps it out with a voucher
>”P-please take this! The two of you can have a meal at the Garoas Grill. It’s all-inclusive; no charge!”
>”That’s very sweet of you,” Krystal says, “but you don’t have to do that for us.”
>”I insist! I...uh...my sister works there in the evenings, and she would love to meet you! P-please?”
>The vixen takes the voucher and puts it safely into the pocket of her silver jacket
>”Alright, we’ll stop in sometime later. It sounds like a lovely place for dinner.”
>”Thank you! Thank you!”
>After you pick up your resort keys, Krystal leans in close to you
>”I didn’t have the heart to tell the poor girl we already have reservations for the whole stay.”
>After a few moments, Krystal squeezes your arm
>”I suppose we could always cancel one of them. Would you mind if we did?”
>All these fancy restaurants blur together after a while anyway
>It’s not like you had your heart set on any particular one
>”Thank you. I’m sure it’ll make her happy.”
>And what about Krystal?
>This was supposed to be a vacation away from all the rabid fans
>But the vixen just smiles
>”I’m happy to see them happy. I didn’t honestly think we were going to escape detection the whole vacation, but I’d much rather be found by the fans than by the press.”
>She gives you a peck on the cheek
>”And if all we have to do is eat at a restaurant to make someone else happy, it’s not too much of a bother, right?”
>Always the optimist

>Your vacation starts now
>Like she planned, you and Krystal grab a quick bite at the hub before heading over to the docks
>From here, your private suite awaits
>Taxi boats make continuous circuits around the smaller islands to pick up guests as needed
>”Your” island is on the farthest edge out from the archipelago, giving you an unobstructed view of the ocean
>The suite was built harmoniously into the island itself
>Chiseled rock walls jut through several rooms
>Luscious trees grow through the ceiling
>A tiny stream of water snakes through the living room
>The whole space is shared with some sleek, modernized furniture
>All in all, it’s a wonderfully cozy space
>Bigger than your apartment, and probably bigger than you really need for your vacation
>But you and Krystal take the smaller home so you can treat yourselves with these kinds of moments every now and then
>Your luggage is already waiting inside besides a welcoming basket
>Krystal tears her suitcases open to grab your gift to her
>”Why don’t you grab your bathing suit? We’ll take a quick dip in the water to celebrate.”
>She runs off into the bathroom while you change out in the bedroom
>It’s a breathtaking room with a massive sunroof opening to the cloudless sky above
>It’s sure to give an incredible display at night
>You throw on your swimsuit and lounge on the bed for a while, enjoying the view
>A few minutes later you hear Krystal clear her throat
>There it is
>She’s leaning against the doorframe in that iconic golden bra and white loincloth
>The outfit she was introduced in
>The one that captured the hearts of millions
>And now she’s wearing it just for you
>”I can tell from your expression you must like it,” Krystal says proudly
>She saunters over to you, and brushes you with a flick of her bushy tail
>”Much more comfortable than that costume as well. You really got the measurements down to the point. I suppose you know my body just as well as I do...”
>She gives you a mini show, giving you a chance to look at every angle of her and her stunning outfit
>”I suppose there was one more part I have to indulge you with, hmm?”
>She wraps her arms around your neck
>”But you’ll have to carry me first. Down to the beach. Fair enough?”
>She hops into your arms
>The two of you make your way out the suite and down to the water
>”Let’s see...it feels like ages ago since those episodes...”
>The vixen rubs her head into your chest, then gazes into your eyes as if meeting you in person for the first time
>{“M0 xohe, m0 rhulo Anon. A um veholoh ad 0eih tork. Neict 0ei kubo mo nakx 0ei ushejj kxo jkuhj?”}
>She’s still got it
>You don’t exactly know what she said, but the sultry inflection makes it seem like a “yes” kind of question
>Krystal nips at your ear
>{“A kxadb jemoedo tojohloj u jfosauc honuht cukoh.”}
>Whatever she said that time, you think you can agree with it
>She sets herself down at the water’s edge and removes the loincloth part of her bathing suit, leaving just a bikini bottom the same golden color as her top
>Then she leads you in by the hand
>It’s the absolute perfect temperature
>You wade up to your shoulders as the vixen grabs hold, locking her legs around your waist
>The buoyancy of the water keeps her up to your eyes
>You and Krystal just twirl in the ocean together
>She stares unblinking at you with her face in full bliss
>She mouths three words, and this time you completely understand her
>The only time you don’t see those radiant eyes is when she closes them for a kiss
>Your lips touch with a prolonged demonstration of passion
>Her fingers glide over your back, and her legs pull you in tighter
>When you break the kiss, she inhales deeply
>The two of you submerge into the water
>The rays of the sun break the surface to make narrow spotlights
>Krystal opens her eyes again, like twinkling jewels
>Any concerns over holding your breath are gone
>The two of you continue staring at one another
>Her fur waves softly with an ethereal motion
>She beams at you
>The tenderness of her face makes your heart beat faster
>Though that could also be your body fighting against the lack of oxygen
>You have to resurface at last, taking in large gulps of air
>But Krystal gracefully rises out of the water, climbing up your chest
>She sneaks another kiss and wicks the water out of your eyes
>The vixen darts off through the water, teasing you with splashes and luring you around with her tail
>”I’m afraid you’ll have to be faster than that if you want to catch me!”
>You joke at her to say it “the right way”
>She just rolls her eyes at you
>{“0ei udt 0eih noaht badbj.”}
>That’s...better?
>The two of you swim around for a while before she’s ready to head back in for the afternoon
>”Looks like we left our towels back in the room,” Krystal says
>She doesn’t sound terribly heartbroken about it
>”I suppose that means we’ll just have to dry out in the sun....”
>The emerald grass is a toasty blanket for you to rest on
>It tickles your bare skin, though not as much as her fur does when you lie together
>You and Krystal spend the next hour enjoying the sound of the ocean
>When you look over to her at last, she gives you a coy smile
>That’s when you notice her top is untied
>She leans on her arms and gives you only brief peeks at what she’s hiding
>”Don’t worry,” she says with a laugh, “I’ll wear your gift again.”
>You’re perfectly fine if she doesn’t for a while
>Or at the very least a few more minutes
>Krystal rolls into a seating position with her tail shielding her from your sight
>She slips her swim top back on and sticks her tongue out at you
>Oh well, maybe later...
>The two of you walk hand-in-hand back to the suite
>The inside feels brisk after being out in the heat for so long
>The vixen runs her nails over your back
>Your skin feels much more sensitive
>”Oh my. Perhaps you got a little too much sun out there already?”
>She blows air onto your back cutely
>”Don’t worry, we’ll be inside for the rest of the evening.”
>Krystal leaves you to get dressed, and when she returns she’s carrying a familiar box
>It’s the one from the ship she picked up at the clothing store
>”Now here’s MY choice in outfits for the night.”
>She removes the cover, and then holds up the prize inside
>It’s a gorgeous black dress
>Exquisitely designed, but at the same time doesn’t distract you from the one wearing it
>If anything, it makes the blue in her fur pop out all the better
>She holds it up to herself and gives it a little shake
>”I know it’s technically a gift for myself, but I was hoping you would enjoy this, too.”
>You give your answer with one more kiss
>”I expected as much,” she giggles.
>She lays it out cleanly on the bed and pulls you in for a hug
>”I know I promised that nice girl we’d go to her sister’s restaurant, but for tonight I thought we could go someplace special.”
>The vixen picks up a computer tablet and thumbs through a few screens
>She holds up the screen for you to see lush green decorations and carved stone structures
>There’s no mistaking it: it’s a restaurant designed in the style of Sauria, where her debut on the show was shot
>”Who said you were the only one who reminisces about those days?”
>You can already hear the roar of the waterfalls and the noises of jungle wildlife
>”Don’t worry, this won’t be the only bit of ‘adventure’ we’ll have on our vacation, but I figured why not kick it off with where it all started for us?”
>Krystal gives you a wink
>Then she taps her petite black nose on your own
>She could have easily been the type to never want anything to do with the show when off the camera
>But it’s her good spirit about it all that made you fall for her
>And if she’s willing to humor you a few times about it, then you know she’s the one
>”How about we rest up a little longer before we head out for the evening?”
>She leads you over to the bed, and soon she’s in your arms again
>The two of you lie together and watch the sun make its slow departure toward the horizon
>It’s tempting to call it a night right here, but you DO want to see her in that dress
>You rub Krystal behind the ears as you relax for a quiet nap
>She says those three words again, but this time they are much more audible
>Followed by another nip on your ear



[[ CHAPTER 4: ThornTail Haute ]]
 
>ThornTail Haute
>One of hundreds of themed restaurants on Zoness
>One of dozens specifically designed after key locations or even specific episodes of Star Fox
>But more significantly, it’s modeled after what’s perhaps the most iconic setting related to Krystal’s debut on the show: ThornTail Hallow
>It’s not technically where her first appearance was set, but it’s definitely one of the most beautiful and memorable vistas from her premiere days
>A lot of the places themed after Star Fox are admittedly pretty kitsch
>Popular with low-budget vacationers and families with young ones in their groups
>But ThornTail Haute is one of the rarer examples of restaurants that appeals to diners regardless of their interest in the show
>Due in no small part to the extravagance of the establishment
>Verdant overgrowth with towering Dumbledang Trees everywhere
>A shallow river with rafts to float through the whole restaurant on
>Stone pyramids and shrines where some of the difficult-to-reserve tables give an amazing vantage of the diners below
>All of this under a massive ceiling that slowly changes from blue skies to a starry night
>Even though you and Krystal are perched on the top of one of the shrines, the ceiling is still far out of reach
>It’s a breathtaking view no matter where you look, but there’s only one sight Krystal is interested in
>She stares at you with dreamy eyes from the moment you sit down
>As you browse through the menu, she looks up every few seconds with a wholehearted smile
>Her plush tail rests off to the side of her chair, swinging to and fro
>When the waiter brings some fresh bread for an appetizer, Krystal doesn’t hesitate to slice a piece off and lean over the table to feed it to you
>She takes a piece for herself, but you intercept it and do the feeding this time
>It becomes a back and forth gesture
>With her dark dress and the dim lighting, her vibrant blue fur really does pop out
>Not as much as her amazing turquoise eyes, though
>The two of you talk about your plans for the vacation while waiting for your meals
>No doubt the food will take no small amount of time to prepare
>The only time Krystal breaks her endless gaze with you is when she looks out to the restaurant scenery with fondness
>Nostalgia for the early days
>Or rather, the days when she first met you
>”Hard to believe such a rocky start turned into something so magical,” Krystal sighs
>The vixen looks up to the darkening “sky” while her hand seeks out your own
>She gives it a squeeze to get herself through the rougher memories
>”A fresh new season and my first time on the show. And all those...angry fans.”
>It’s unthinkable that there was a time Krystal was so unpopular
>In her defense, she was just an unfortunate casualty of the initial backlash of the direction Star Fox was heading
>A victim in many ways and a scapegoat in others
>”Locked in a contract with no way to escape without ruining my career in acting.... So many miserable nights spent crying, dreading the next airing and afraid to see what viewers would say....”
>Krystal turns back to face you
>You don’t know why you expected to see tears in her eyes, since she’s shown incredible bravery for as long as you’ve known her
>The only tears you’ve ever seen have been from joy
>”And then I met you, Anon. You were there to keep me company between shoots when nobody else wanted to. You gave me the kindest words and the courage to make it through the next day. You were never far off when I needed that extra support.”
>In truth you had little reason to be hanging around the studio so much, since none of your own scenes were filmed at the same time as Krystal’s
>But you wanted to rise above just being an extra, so you had to make your presence known
>Your motivation soon changed, however, when you got the chance to meet Krystal
>Suddenly, getting a bigger role was overshadowed by the desire to befriend the blue vixen
>It was out of sympathy, sure, but you’d be lying to yourself if you said her attractiveness didn’t play a small part in getting you to talk to her in the first place
>Then again, practically everyone SAW her as attractive
>You were just the first one who took the time to talk to her rather than simply ogle her
>And she would never chastise you for being superficial either
>”Not to mention...you weren’t such a bad looking guy either,” Krystal says with a sly grin
>She brings her other hand over to hold yours extra tight
>”But I’ll never forget what it was you truly did for me—what that no one else would. I’m grateful of all the fans I’ve gained over the years, but only one has been there from the beginning.”
>The vixen stretches over the table to give you a kiss
>You meet her halfway
>When you try to part, she grabs the back of your head and keeps you locked to her lips for just a little while longer
>She finally lets you go after a tap on the nose with her own little black dot
>The vixen runs her nails through her hair and smoothens out her dress
>Any semblance of a frown she might have had from the bitter memories is completely removed as she reverts back to her cheery way
>”Well, that was quite enough negativity for one vacation. That time in our lives is long past us.”
>Your food comes after a bit more waiting
>As expected, it’s worth every Gold Ring of the restaurant’s reputation
>Like the bread, Krystal eagerly leans over the table to let you sample her own plate
>Your meal thankfully goes uninterrupted by fans
>Even the waiter seems to restrain himself from interfering
>Though you get a few warm smiles as he checks up on the happy couple he’s serving
>Krystal acts as though she’s flirting with you for the first time, all over again
>She giggles at every joke
>She flicks crumbs at you playfully
>She slips a shoe off to rub her bare foot along your leg
>You’ve both had a reasonable amount of drink, but nothing unmanageable yet
>Still, between what was in her glass and how smitten she is with you, you imagine Krystal’s cheeks would be a little red under that azure fur
>You’re slowing down by the time dessert arrives, and the two of you have to share just to get through it
>A band of drummers sets up on a dais below to give a short performance
>It’s welcome entertainment while your meal settles
>Krystal grooves to the beat, looking to you to join her
>”We’ll have to do some proper dancing while we’re here,” she says with a clap and a sway
>There’s certainly no shortage of clubs on Zoness
>Though there are just as many places where you can share a private dance
>Nothing’s stopping you from doing both
>”That was wonderful!” Krystal says once you’re both ready to leave
>A great way to cap off the first night on the planet
>Every meal could probably be like this for the vacation, but Krystal has other plans
>”I wouldn’t mind a few quick, cheap bites during the day,” she says. “Something to get that real ‘tourist’ feeling. Just the two of us aimlessly wandering around, seeing what catches the eye....”
>She gives you a wink
>Obviously already finding something that “catches the eye”
>She does have a point, though
>You were hoping Krystal could put aside all the schedules and itineraries, and open up to a bit more spontaneity
>The only thing you want to worry about making on time is the shuttle back home
>The maitre d’ gives you a graceful bow as you walk with Krystal out of the restaurant
>Hand in hand, with her head on your shoulder
 
>The theme of the restaurant extends a fair distance outside
>More leafy Dumbledang Trees populate the sandy shores and hunks of carved stone jut out from the water’s surface
>You and Krystal take a stroll down a boardwalk that leads to your water taxi back to the suite
>Passing vacationers give the two of you awestruck looks, but only a few stop you for a chance to meet the vixen
>Content with the excellent meal, Krystal’s more than happy to talk to a few fans
>You always have a nagging curiosity about whether some of them supported her from the beginning as you had, or if they warmed up to her after a while
>Maybe they were some of the ones who even hated her at first
>But Krystal has always been ready to forgive even her harshest critics
>After all, having ill will toward her decriers would only make them see their attitude as justified
>”You seem lost in thought,” Krystal says to you once you’re alone again
>She seems to have a knack for catching you like this
>”I have a sense for it, I suppose,” she says coyly
>Sometimes your ruminations get the better of you, unfortunately
>You always reassure her that any worries you have are for her sake; her protection
>”That’s very sweet,” she says, giving you another quick kiss
>She doesn’t lecture you, but you’ve heard her own assurances several times before
>”You don’t have to worry so much about me, though. I think after all this time I’ve figured out how to handle a little criticism.”
>She rubs your back and then up to your neck
>”All thanks to you, of course.”
>It’s a long walk to the water taxi, and Krystal begins yawning along the way
>”I guess that nap wasn’t enough to keep me going.”
>It really has been a long day for the two of you
>Her eyes droop as you ride the taxi back to your island suite
>The slow, gentle rocking of the boat lulls her into a deep relaxation
>Once it docks, you pick Krystal up and carry her the rest of the way
>Her fluffy tail dangles like fruit from a tropical tree and swings like the waves of the water
>”After a rich meal like that I’m surprised you can still lift me,” she giggles into your chest
>Another good reason not to overindulge with every meal
>Though you can’t imagine ever having trouble holding Krystal in your arms
>”I wouldn’t mind going for another swim in the morning,” she says
>A yawn gives her a change of heart
>”On second thought...maybe we could sleep in a bit, after all we’ve been through today,” she hums
>Sounds like a great idea
>You’ve had to wake up by an alarm the last few days
>That’s something that should never have to happen on a vacation
>You make it to the bedroom before Krystal finds a little energy left to stand on her own
>You’re the first to get into bed while she removes her jewelry
>Krystal takes an exceptionally long time with her dress
>Sliding it off with deliberately slow movements
>You would think it’s just the fatigue holding her back, but the subtle glances she gives you say otherwise
>The moonlight from the sunroof surrounds the vixen as the dress drops to the floor
>The entire room takes on a blueish tone, and the whiteness of her markings glows brightly
>Krystal gives a performance of her own, evidently not tired enough yet
>Stretching and turning with fluid elegance
>Dancing without structure—just wherever her momentum takes her
>A declaration of love, rather than a demonstration of skill
>You start to think she might have actually fallen asleep, instead possessed by some spirit of the nature around you
>You’re tempted to rise out of bed and join her
>But when you sit up she’s quick to glide over and push you back down with her delicate fingers
>She then slips under the covers with you at long last
>”Did you enjoy yourself?”
>You nod
>”I meant the whole day.”
>You nod again
>”Good. The first of many.”
>Krystal caresses your cheek and presses her body against yours
>The warmth from her fur feels as though she captured the very radiance from the moonlight during her dance
>Stored within her, only to be released and shared with you
>”I was hoping we could do a little something...special for our first night here.”
>The vixen’s eyes flutter sleepily as you play with her ears
>”You wouldn’t mind waiting a little longer, would you?”
>It’s as she said: it’s only the first of many days here
>You kiss her on the forehead, and she buries it into your chest
>”Thank you...for everything, Anon.”
>Not even the masterwork quality of the bed can match the softness of the vixen in your arms
>The sound of her breathing is in rhythm with the roll of the ocean waves outside
>An unusual paradox crosses your hazy mind right before sleep
>You can’t wait until morning arrives, just so you can wake up next to Krystal and enjoy a lazy morning doing nothing together



[[ CHAPTER 5: Blue Subs and Bafomdads ]]

>Krystal lets you sleep in, but when you open your eyes she’s right there waiting you
>Watching with a wide smile and squirming like someone ready to start the day
>”Morning, love” she hums
>Her hand slides along your bare skin
>The brush of her fur jumpstarts your nerves with a tickling sensation
>”I hope I didn’t wake you. If you want to sleep a little longer, go ahead.”
>You can’t exactly doze off again with this bundle of liveliness beside you
>Regardless, you still feel refreshed enough to get the day going
>It was a magical night and you’re looking forward to everything else Zoness has to offer
>”Why don’t you get cleaned up, and I’ll see where we can grab a quick breakfast?”
>You try to catch her puffy tail as she swings out of bed
>It’s like a blue fishing lure, and you’re hoping to take her with you into the shower
>She whips it out of your reach and wags a finger at you
>”There will be plenty of time for that later, but if we’re heading out we should do it soon. The longer we wait here, the longer we’ll have to fight the crowds.”
>Zoness has more than enough to do for couples who want to spend their entire vacation in private
>But those who seclude themselves will be missing out on the biggest and best shows on the planet
>In order to see it all, you have to put up with the others guests
>Even though your trip is meant to get away from all the fans and gawkers, avoiding them will be impossible for the things Krystal wants to do
>That won’t stop her, though
>You get dressed and washed up while Krystal checks the vacation guide on her computer tablet for planning out the day
>You can hear her talking to herself and the tapping of her nails from the next room
>”Hmm, there’s a decent looking breakfast buffet at the hub near the check-in. Wouldn’t have to wait for our food that way....”
>*tap tap tap*
>”Ah, D-Wise is performing tonight! Should grab some tickets while...they’re...still up....”
>*tap tap tap*
>”Oh, the theater is close to the restaurant that hare girl’s sister works at. I suppose we could change the reservations for tonight....”
>*tap tap tap*
>You hear a gasp, followed by a giggle
>*tap tap tap*
>Krystal looks pretty proud of herself when you’re done getting ready
>”That should be our whole day, then!”
>Wait, the whole thing?
>Did she leave ANY room for some spontaneity?
>”Of course! I left us sixty-four minutes today to do what we please!”
>She must notice the look you have on your face, because she moves in for a kiss to reassure you
>”Only joking! Apart from the show later, the whole day is ours. If there’s anything you want to do, just say the word.”
>The blue vixen drapes her arms over your shoulders
>”Anything you want,” she says again, tapping your nose with her own 

>Krystal wasn’t kidding yesterday about wanting to get the “real tourist feeling”
>It feels like ages since you’ve seen her in such casual clothes
>Typical shorts, shirt, and sunglasses
>None of it is emblazoned with the Star Fox logo that’s stamped on a large percentage of your wardrobes
>Not that you necessarily have to wear any of it, but the quality is impressive and Krystal is always eager to show her pride in her work
>However, wearing such standard clothes on this trip might be a better idea
>She doesn’t stand out nearly as much compared to walking around in her costumes
>Though it’s still hard not to stand out when you have such vibrant fur like hers
>Even the young vixens who dye their own coats to be like her can’t quite pull it off
>There’s just something about Krystal that’s one-of-a-kind
>The two of you are spending the day around the hub of the Todora Islands
>No shortage of things to do and places to eat
>A lot of them are quick and quaint, but the lowest budget stops are still better than a lot of the standard fare on Corneria
>Which is good, because just like Krystal said she’s looking for a fast, cheap bite
>Like a Blue-Sub-Marine
>It isn’t a Star Fox themed restaurant—thankfully—but it shamelessly has a few very recognizable menu options
>And with the show still on the brain, it draws Krystal’s attention in
>Getting her away from work is probably going to take up the whole vacation...
>The Blue-Sub-Marine is the restaurant’s top seller: an impressively large submarine sandwich
>”Doesn’t look too much like a boat, does it?” Krystal says, lifting the bun
>You already have half of yours eaten, and she hasn’t taken her first bite yet
>She’s too busy sticking fries into it to make proper rudders
>”Much better. Fire a homing torpedo!”
>Krystal rips a pickle slice from the sandwich and sticks it to your cheek
>Well, she seems to be enjoying it in any case
>Next, the two of you shop around for a little while
>Window shopping, more aptly put
>You can find just about any type of gift on Zoness, and the only thing stopping Krystal from loading up on souvenirs is knowing your apartment doesn’t have the space for everything
>But every so often she’ll take an extra long look at something in particular
>Then she disappears, only to be found minutes later up at a cashier
>”Just sending something back to our suite,” Krystal says innocently when you confront her about the purchases
>She grabs you around the waist and leans her head against you
>”Someone’s birthday isn’t too far off, you know....”
>Around the hub you continue to explore
>It’s a full-day event that barely lets you scratch the surface of what just the Todora Islands have available
>Krystal makes a mental note of all the shows and activities you pass, as if storing them for later
>You could be doing any of them right now, but instead she pulls you into a multi-story arcade
>You wanted her to leave some room to be impulsive, though you were expecting her to pick things you couldn’t do back on Corneria
>But it’s an arcade, and you’re not complaining
>Especially if this is what she wants
>”Here, in here!” Krystal says, pushing you into a two-person cabinet
>It’s a cooperative tank game
>Krystal takes the turret while you pilot the vehicle
>She’s a bit of a backseat driver, though
>Barking commands and chastising you for running over landmines
>Yet at the end of each level, she leans in to give you more kisses as a reward
>”You did really well!”
>Your joint efforts don’t get you too far into the game before you run out of continues, but as the two of you watch the high score names scroll by you just sit together in each other’s arms
>Alone in an arcade machine
>Finding peace in the strangest of places
>It’s your turn to poke fun at the vixen for picking such mundane activities
>”Are you having fun, at least?”
>She looks a little concerned, as though worried you’re disappointed in her
>Could you ever be?
>You pull Krystal in for a hug, and her concern melts away
>You could be stranded on a remote planet with her and it wouldn’t diminish the love you share
>And if this is how she wants to spend her vacation, then so be it
>She hops onto your lap and you scratch her under the chin
>So soft...
>She really takes care of herself in a way very few other vixens can compete with
>If you never met Krystal, you couldn’t see yourself dating a regular human
>Even the billions of Cornerian dogs out there don’t do enough for you
>Good thing you never have to go on that kind of hunt ever again
>Speaking of finding people, it’s incredible nobody has discovered both of you yet
>The tank game screen loops over and over while you share an intimate moment with your blue vixen
>Her ear swivels toward the sound of other gamers entering the room, and that’s when you eventually decide to head out
>Seems Krystal has gotten her fill of games for the day
>She pulls a pamphlet out of her pocket and waves it around
>”Well, if you’re looking for something we can’t get back home, I have something in mind....”
>You try to grab the pamphlet from her, but she dances out of your grasp with her tongue out

>Krystal doesn’t tell you what the next destination is
>Judging from how beside herself with excitement she is, it must be good
>At least for her
>She makes all kinds of delighted noises as you ride an underwater railway like the one you came to Todora on
>Once you hit land again, she’s not the only one making noises
>You’re on an island full of squeaks and trilling
>An island with only a single park, which consists almost entirely of one type of inhabitant
>Bafomdads
>You’re not far into the park before Krystal runs up to you with one already in her arms
>A small, red lump of fur with large ears like a rabbit
>Tiny black eyes dart around as Krystal hugs the creature tightly
>”It’s so adorable!” Krystal coos
>Hundreds of little Bafomdads bounce around the leafy park, free to be held and played with
>They’re all identical, but Krystal hunts them down like each one is a new experience
>Each time she picks up a new one, she shoves it into your arms to free up her hands for the next one
>The poor things look downright frightened by the vixen’s exuberance
>Krystal doesn’t notice one bit that she’s spooking the creatures
>She snatches up any that come into her reach and rubs her snout into their fur
>Babbling nonsensical baby talk as she continues to juggle them with you
>And then she spots it
>The food dispenser
>Krystal skips over to the machine and pops a few credits in
>A pile of food pellets spills out into her waiting hands, and immediately she becomes a lot more attractive to the park full of Bafomdads
>In an instant she’s swarmed by the fluffy red critters
>It’s like a mob of fans, albeit much softer and with fewer demands for autographs
>Krystal topples onto the ground and she’s soon covered by the Bafomdads
>Her cheery blue face is barely visible among the heap
>She’s in absolute bliss
>Though when she’s finally had enough you have to bait the Bafomdads off her with more food
>The vixen has one left in her arms after you free her
>”Maybe someday we can take one of these little fellas home with us,” she sighs
>It’s no surprise that Krystal has wanted a Bafomdad as a pet ever since she had to handle one on Star Fox
>But neither of you has enough time to take care of one
>And when you have free time, it’s usually spent on each other
>Not that either of you ever complain about that
>You take a walk around the park with Krystal’s captive Bafomdad for the next hour
>It’s a good substitute for having one of her own
>When she’s finished, she lets the little guy hop off
>”Well, now I’m going to need to get cleaned up,” she says, brushing the stray hairs off her
>You help her out, picking the hairs off her back and out of her tail
>”Thanks, Anon.”
>Can’t have your girlfriend’s beautiful coat looking less than its best
>You can feel her eyes on you as you pluck the red away to leave only the immaculate blue fur remaining
>You look up into the vixen’s face and see an expression that makes your heart leap
>The first time you saw that expression was shortly after you met Krystal
>Every date with her felt like the best day of your life
>She seemed to be having a great time herself, though you never quite knew just how great it was to her
>Until that night
>It was after the wrap party at the end of Krystal’s first season on the show
>She was constantly thanking you for being her emotional support day after day
>Once the two of you were alone, however, she became much quieter
>She also wouldn’t stop staring at you
>Not when you left the studio
>Not when you walked her back to her place
>Not until that brief moment her eyes were covered by her shirt as she pulled it over her head
>And even after that, she continued to lock her gaze on you as she waited for you to take in her whole body
>The gasps and cries that followed that night didn’t add up to the number of times Krystal confessed to you that you were the one for her
>That night is as ingrained into your mind as her markings are on her fur
>”Thinking of something nice?”
>Your heart leaps again
>She’s right there, mere inches from your face with that unblinking allure
>”I feel like I haven’t given you much of a chance to do what you want to today. The offer’s still on the table, you know. Anything you want.”
>Her eyelashes flutter

>The sun sets and you’re both about ready for dinner
>You swing by the suite just long enough to change into some more formal clothes
>Packages from the stores you visited wait in the living room
>Krystal races forward and shoves then out of sight
>”No peeking!” she scolds. “These are for when we get back home!”
>She definitely knows how to keep you in suspense
>You throw on some dressier clothes while Krystal brushes her fur
>Guess you didn’t get all the Bafomdad off her
>”You did just fine,” she laughs. “Don’t worry! Just tidying up a bit before we go out again. I hope I can get through one more night like this without a full grooming. There’s something I have planned for tomorrow I think you’ll enjoy.”
>Already?
>”Trust me. I’ll even bring my gift from you.”
>Krystal slips back into her black dress and takes your arm
>”Alright, off we go. We should have just enough time to grab some dinner before the concert.”
>Back at the hub, you head to Garoas Grill
>More of a two-gold-ring sort of restaurant than something like ThornTail Haute, with no particular theming or run by any notable celebrity chefs
>And it’s still not a cheap place to eat for the typical vacationer
>Good thing you got that all-inclusive meal voucher from the hare at the concierge
>Krystal has it in hand as you approach the restaurant, but stops before you get to the doorway
>A young canine couple is reading the menu board hung on the wall outside
>On their faces is a familiar look of disappointment
>The look of someone who wants to treat their date well, but doesn’t have the means to do so
>It can take someone’s entire vacation budget just to arrive at Zoness, leaving little left for anything aside from a one or two silver-ring restaurant or simple fast food stalls
>Krystal strides over to the couple, voucher in hand
>At first they’re shocked by the celebrity speaking to them, then by the voucher as the vixen hands it over to them
>Even from where you are, you can hear their gratitude and see the mist in their eyes
>Krystal returns to your arm with a smile on her face
>”We were planning on paying anyway, right?”
>Her body is not nearly big enough for the heart she has in her
>And the surprises don’t stop there
>Once inside, Krystal spots a female hare waiting tables
>”Could we have one of her tables?” Krystal says to the maître d’.
>You’re seated in the back with a fair amount of privacy
>After a few minutes, the hare approaches
>”Good evening, I will be y—“
>Her exclamation startles you
>”Ms. K-Krystal!?”
>”Hello!” the vixen replies. “You have a sister who works the check-in for Todora, correct?”
>”U-u-uh huh!”
>It’s a while before you order is finally taken, what with all the autographs and photographs
>But luckily you’re included in a few of them
>Even when your reputation on Star Fox doesn’t earn you respect, Krystal’s secondhand stardom is usually enough to make you seem like a celebrity all the same 
>The hare’s service is more than exemplary; enough to earn that third gold ring
>All in all, worth the cancellation of the other restaurant
>”I think so, too,” Krystal beams
>A few more pictures and a nice chat later, and the two of you head out
>One more activity on the list
>The day ends with the concert
>Breathtaking music by D-Wise in a stunning theater
>The orchestral performance has both intense moments and mellow moments
>The latter is enough to almost put Krystal to sleep
>Looks like you’re going to have to carry her some of the way to the suite again
>Another busy, fun-filled day for Anon and his blue vixen
>She leans her head against your shoulder, with her grin never leaving her face



[[ CHAPTER 6: The Flying Galleon ]]

>You have dreams about Krystal fairly often
>Usually good ones
>Though like any dreams, they can get pretty crazy sometimes
>But even the most outlandish visions don’t compare to the confusion you have when you wake up
>On more than one occasion Krystal woke up describing her own dream, and a chill ran up your spine
>She had the exact same one as you did
>Not just similar dreams influenced by a movie you watched together or something, but scene-for-scene copies
>Krystal always thought it was cute how closely the two of you are bonded
>She teases you about reading your mind or sensing your feelings all the time because of it
>It shouldn’t bother you so much, but you can’t help but think about Star Fox
>On the show, she’s a telepath
>Of course she would make jokes about this off the set whenever something unusual happened, but it has long since become far more than just a humorous coincidence
>And yet, you tell yourself it’s no big deal
>Even if she really had some kind of psychic abilities, it doesn’t change how you feel about her
>It actually gives you yet another reason why you love her so much
>The vixen stirs shortly after you wake up
>”Good morning,” she yawns
>Now it’s your turn to let her sleep in if she needs it
>Yesterday was another busy one for both of you
>”No, I’m ready to get back out there,” Krystal says with a groan as she stretches
>She reaches for her tablet on the nightstand and taps away on it
>Planning out your day already, no doubt
>”I had another really funny dream last night....”
>You freeze up
>”Just you and me, fighting through jungles...."
>Exploring ancient ruins...
>"...You with a blaster....”
>And her with a staff...
>”A little like the episodes from my early days, huh?”
>No kidding
>Except Krystal spent a lot of her debut as the damsel in distress
>And it was Fox McCloud who was the hero, not you
>”Hmm, I suppose I still just have the show on the brain. Must have been because of that game we played yesterday...or the food we ate!”
>There was probably a good reason why Garoas Grill didn’t have that third gold ring for their rating
>Krystal hops out of bed and goes to pick up her gift from you: the golden tribal swimsuit
>”You should wear your swimsuit as well,” she says, tying hers on right in front of you and throwing a shirt and shorts over it. “I have a surprise in store us later today....”
>She struts up to you and lets her puffy tail brush over your body
>You normally see the blue vixen in all her natural beauty when the two of you are alone at night, but there’s something about her fully clothed that makes the promise of what’s underneath all the more tantalizing
>Especially when she’s wearing that unforgettable outfit
>You get changed while Krystal loads up her bag for the day
>You hear her giggle as you pull your pants up
>She’s not even looking at you, so what is she...?
>When you’re all set, Krystal slides her arm under yours with her bag slung over her shoulder
>”Shall we?”
 
>Today’s adventure extends past the Todora Islands
>There is still a ton to do back at the archipelago you’re staying at, but Zoness has far too much to offer to stay confined in one region
>You could pick a spot by dartboard and find something amazing for your whole vacation
>But Krystal did her homework already, and she knows exactly what to look for
>The Sculpin Isles are a bit more entertainment focused than Todora, with bigger clubs and grander shows
>Though that means it’s not as quiet for peaceful getaways
>You’re both pretty hungry by the time you get over to the Sculpin archipelago
>Not wanting to rush your morning TOO much, Krystal didn’t bother planning out any meals except for dinner
>”A PukPuk omelet sounds good,” she murmurs to herself as you pass a few breakfast menus. “Though it’s getting close to lunch, so maybe we should—“
>Her stomach growls loudly
>”Fine, we’ll eat something now!”
>Krystal shuts her eyes and has you spin her around so she can randomly choose a restaurant
>”T-that one!”
>She stumbles into your arms
>”I’ll...let you choose next time,” she says, hanging onto you for support while she waits for the dizziness to pass
>A quick bite in a little café later, and it’s another day of taking in the sights and sounds of the downtown hub
>Punctuated by the occasional group of tourists who are bold enough to approach Krystal to meet her
>You’re sure she budgeted your days with enough time for taking autographs into consideration
>She also picked a few places to go to where you can take a break from the crowds
>There’s a huge galactic museum and planetarium nestled deeply among the shops and theaters
>Clearly not high up on the list for many vacationers, but it’s perfect for a little bit of privacy
>[Recently Renovated] the posters say
>Looks like they added some displays from a certain popular show...
>There’s just no escaping it
>You and Krystal walk through exhibits of the entire Lylat system
>Stars above and below all around with a mellow “space ambience” echoing through the halls
>Like walking through the universe itself
>Every “planet” is one big room, filled with displays of its geography and plaques about its colonization history
>The educational stuff goes largely ignored by the two of you
>But the flickering lights and the prismatic auroras draw out Krystal’s gorgeous features
>It’s worth the admission just to see the reflections in her eyes
>You take a seat on a space-shuttle bench, hand-in-hand with the blue vixen
>Watching projections of shooting stars streak along the ceiling
>There’s only so much either of you can take, though
>”Not that exciting, is it?” Krystal sighs
>At least the solitude gives the two of you a little intimacy together
>Her fingers glide over your scalp as yours run through her hair
>Some shoulder massages, some kissing...
>”That’s lovely,” she purrs as you work your hands into her back, “but you don’t have to hide it. It’s a little dull in here, I know.”
>Dull can be good
>It won’t be long before you’re both wishing for more time off
>”I think I can brave the crowds again,” she chuckles. “Why don’t we go and have some fun?”
>Her little “surprise?”
>Krystal shakes her head, flicking her little black nose against yours
>”Nooo, that’s even later. But no sense in waiting that long for some enjoyment, hmm?”
>Agreed
>Krystal locks her fingers with yours and leads you all the way out of the museum
>You get some strange looks as you and her jog through the streets, but at least you’re moving too fast to be stopped by bystanders
 
>In the heart of the downtown is a casino with a large nautical vessel breaking through the roof
>The Flying Galleon
>The name sounds familiar to you, but you can’t quite put your finger on it
>It’s one of countless casinos scattered about Zoness, and not even one of the larger ones
>But Krystal seems to want this one in particular
>And it’s close by, so that’s good enough for some spur-of-the-moment fun
>A blast of cool air hits you before you even step through the doors
>Lights draw your attention all over the casino floors
>From the rows of machines, to the bars island-like bars, to the performers scattered throughout
>It’s already a lively place for only being midafternoon
>”A few games, a few drinks...how about it?” Krystal says, bouncing on her heels
>Could be a dangerous route to take
>After all, the two of you don’t exactly have an UNLIMITED amount of savings to waste on gambling
>Krystal isn’t that concerned about it
>”I’m feeling rather lucky today. Call it a sixth sense.”
>You laugh along with her, though your thoughts snap back to this morning for a brief moment
>”What do you think? Start with some cards, or some slots?”
>You begin with a quick lap around the casino to see what’s all available
>The short answer is: everything
>All varieties of games and betting tables, including a massive wall of monitors each showing something to make wagers on
>Wildlife races, sporting events, gambling on gamblers...
>The most popular displays seem to be for the G-Zero Grand Prix
>A couple of monitors are even turned to the galactic news, albeit with significantly fewer interested viewers
>Guess nobody wants to hear about the odd radiation patterns spotted on the edge of Lylat
>When your tour of the place is just about finished, you and Krystal are stopped by a familiar voice
>”Now ‘ere’s a pair of faces I ‘aven’t seen in a while.”
>Approaching you is a burly, towering emerald raptor in a pretty snazzy suit
>You almost didn’t recognize him without the horned helmet and the metal hook claw
>”I was wondering if we were going to run into you, Scales,” Krystal says with amusement
>Now it’s coming back to you
>The Flying Galleon is Scales’ casino
>He was technically one of the few actors introduced on Star Fox who was already somewhat a “celebrity” coming in
>The show got a nice little boost in ratings for his premier—which was at the same time as Krystal’s—and his casino got some free publicity
>”How’ve things been around here?” Krystal says
>Having several Star Fox actors together at once draws a number of onlookers, in addition to the posse already following Scales around
>”What can I say?” the raptor shrugs. “Good business ever since my stint on the show.”
>”Do you ever miss it?”
>Scales swirls the drink in his hand around
>”Guess I do a bit,” he grumbles. “Would ‘ave been nice to stick around for the rest o’ the season at least.”
>Or have a better end to his character arc
>The guy got shafted pretty hard having his role cut before the end of the season, just so they could bring back a dead villain who wasn’t even played by the same original actor
>That’s what happens when focus groups beat out the writers’ wishes
>”Was a good run, I’d say,” Scales continues. “I ‘ad my fun, but my life’s not in actin’.”
>Same could probably be said for a lot of Star Fox actors
>He did a pretty decent job hiding his natural accent for the show, though
>Even if he had to comically enunciate his words
>”All in the past, it is. Got much bigger stakes in the cards for me, eh? HAWH!”
>Scales slaps you on the back with force that rattles your whole skeleton
>He reaches into his suit pocket and drops something into your hands
>It’s a stack of casino chips wrapped up in a few entertainment tickets
>People really don’t want you to spend your own money on Zoness, apparently
>”We can’t accept this, Scales,” Krystal says. “We’re more than happy to pay for ourselves here.”
>”Nah, don’t you worry one bit. You an’ Anon are good company. You’d be surprised ‘ow many times I’ve seen others from the show just walk on by without stoppin’ for so much as an ‘ello.”
>You’d say “poor guy”, but he’s probably worth a dozen of you and Krystal combined at this point
>Then again, “money can’t buy happiness” and all that...
>Krystal puts an arm around your waist, reminding you where your own happiness comes from
>”Well, it was a pleasure running into you again, ‘General’,” she says coyly
>Scales gives you a bow and strolls off with his posse
>You roll the chips around in your palm
>Krystal picks it up and starts to peel the tickets off
>Each chip inside is stamped with a scarab logo and an impressive credit value
>”Here’s our entertainment for the rest of the afternoon, I suppose,” she says with a smile
 
>The rest of the afternoon doesn’t last all that long
>You burn through all Scales’ chips pretty quickly
>And a little of your pocket money as well
>So a net loss
>”But it was a good time, wasn’t it?” Krystal says sheepishly
>You had a few unlucky streaks, but it was Krystal who had a little trouble knowing when to stop
>At least you got to see more lights dance in her beautiful turquoise eyes as the machines flashed their “loser’s” messages
>The two of you finish up your drinks and appetizers at the bar, then Krystal pulls you to your feet
>”Come on. I think you’ve earned that surprise now. Ready to cash in?”
>The evening sun is sinking into the ocean, guiding you to the outskirts of the island hub
>It’s a lot more serene than you would have expected from such a bustling place
>Around the base of a Sculpin mountain is a trail leading to some hot springs
>But you pass them right by
>”Not those,” Krystal says, tugging you along
>What she leads you to is a building carved into the earth itself
>[Alpine Root Cove], the sign reads
>The structure is covered in what looks like fake snow
>Likely a gimmick to make guests wish for the warm waters contained inside
>It’s a spacious place, but there aren’t many visitors yet
>”I believe we have a reservation,” Krystal says to a female bear at the check-in counter
>Another fan
>You’ll get your admission when she gets a picture
>You and Krystal split off into the changing rooms so you can strip down to your swimsuits and grab a few towels
>You reconvene at the mouth of a tunnel, where doorways are slotted into crevices along the way
>That’s when you notice she’s also carrying a basket with some bottles inside
>”Here we are,” Krystal says when you get to your door
>You pictured a room like your suite behind the door, but not an actual cove
>Steamy, pure waters fill most of the room
>Gorgeous luminescent flora lights up the rocky walls with a soft glow
>It’s your own little pool—your own hot spring—tucked away in the mountain
>Krystal spritzes some of the bottles into the waters, and your nose is immediately filled with wonderful aromas
>Nothing overly potent, but they rush deep into you
>Suddenly things feel a little warmer in the room
>The vixen leads you into the pool, and the waters come up to your chest
>Every muscle in your body relaxes as you float with your lover
>Gently listing around in circles, taking in her beauty
>Her blue fur radiates with the glow of the flora
>You float for some time, ending up near the edge of the pool
>Krystal pats the smooth stone lip of the pool with her hand, motioning for you to sit on it
>She slides her basket over while you lift both yourselves out
>Your legs still dangle in the waters
>Krystal only looks away from you for a brief moment as she dabs some liquid from one more bottle into her hand
>Then she locks her eyes with yours
>It’s that look again
>The dreamy, endless gaze
>The prelude to that first night of passionate lovemaking
>”Do you remember that night after the wrap party, at the end of my first season on the show?”
>Krystal speaks in a clearly rhetorical tone
>Her words following the ones that pop into your mind seconds before
>Is she...really reading your thoughts?”
>The corner of her mouth curls back into a lustful smirk
>Her hand strays out of your peripheral, but you’re unable to look away from her face
>”That was truly a night of firsts,” she coos. “First end to a season. First time having you over to my home....”
>You can feel the waistband of your swimsuit being pulled away
>The fur of her hand brushes against your stomach
>”First time having a lover. First time having a connection to someone in...certain ways....”
>You weren’t even aware of how much your arousal was building until Krystal closes her hand over you
>Whatever she has on her hand sends a tingling surge of pleasure through your groin
>You hear her hand splash into the water as she rinses it off, then she cups your chin
>She turns your head to follow her as she straddles your lap
>Your hands instinctively rest on her hips
>Her fingers trace your jaw and up to your cheek in slow, delicate strokes
>The only time she lets go of you is to untie the top of her swimsuit
>The stunning golden bikini top falls into the pool and drifts out of reach
>And yet you can’t pull away from her gaze
>”What an amazing trip it’s been so far. We’ve been so busy these last few nights, and yet....”
>Krystal lays her hands on the top of your shoulders
>She lifts her thighs off of you, hovering over your lap
>”When we think back to this vacation, I want this to be one of the memories we...think...of...first.”
>Krystal eases herself down onto you steadily
>Neither of you break eye contact
>The sensation in your groin turns to pure heat as your full length is engulfed by her swollen, quivering folds
>Her hypnotic expression melts to bliss as she bites her lip and moans
>You can feel her heartbeat; not just from contact, but something more ethereal
>The two of you nod in unison
>Krystal lifts herself up, only to be guided back down by your hands
>An electrifying sensation ripples through you, starting where your loins connect and spreading out through your body like a shockwave
>Again she lifts up and drops back down
>She bounces on your lap, but it’s neither jarring nor uncomfortable
>Her furry rump cushions the contact, and her tail whips at the surface of the pool
>Her cycle of motions is as fluid as the waters themselves
>Every shift of your bodies is in sync
>She anticipates how you plan to move, counterbalancing your weight with hers
>Without saying a word, she takes a hand from your shoulder while you remove one from her hip
>Your fingers intertwine and your palms touch
>From the first time you and Krystal made love, it feels as though you’ve had a lifetime of experience to know exactly how your bodies work
>What your needs and desires are
>How to maximize pleasure with every sway, every rock, and every thrust
>Are you just that attuned to one another?
>Or is it Krystal who knows what you both want, and she has the subliminal power to make it your realities?
>Whatever the case, you’re made for each other
>You used to scoff at how clichéd such an expression was, until you discovered it firsthand
>Now you’re an expert on the matter, and no lovers can hope to match what you and Krystal share
>You breathe together, you pant together, you gasp together
>And your energies build toward climax together
>Krystal’s chest heaves in her final seconds, as does yours
>With a cry of ecstasy the two of you release at once
>Your voices ring out inside the cove, lingering
>Your vision blurs for a moment, and all you can see are the vibrant glows of the mixing colors of light
>An azure blue shines through them all
>You gradually come down from your high, feeling your sweat mix with the balmy temperature of the room
>You can finally take in Krystal’s whole body as your spellbound hold diminishes
>But in an instant Krystal has her hands on your face once more, pulling you into a deep kiss
>A vigorous spirit is breathed into you from her lips
>There’s a heavy feeling of mysticism in the air, flowing around the room and then ebbing into the waters to settle
>When your mouths part, Krystal puts a finger on your lips as though holding all the magic inside
>She fidgets on your lap, grinding down to keep you rigid
>Though her kiss alone seems to be doing an effective job
>”We still have this room for quite a while,” she whispers, “so we’ll have another go as soon as you’re ready.”
>Her turquoise eyes glimmer
>”...And I’m sure you’ll let me know exactly when that is.”



[[ CHAPTER 7: Fortunes ]]

>You wake up sometime in the middle of the night
>Not out of sleeplessness, but because of the gentle stirring from the sleeping vixen huddled up against you
>Krystal slumbers with a smile on her face, comforted and protected by her Anon
>Her vacation continues even into her dreams
>The whole experience has been a blur of excitement, entertainment, and fervent emotion
>It takes you a moment to think about just how many days have passed and how much you’ve accomplished during them all
>It’s hard not to fall back asleep due to how drained you are by the end of it all
>The sexual escapades in particular take a lot out of you
>Ever since that first night in the cove, Krystal has set aside time each day for a little more intimacy
>Each passionate romp leaves you lying in bed completely spent, yet fulfilled
>Then you look to the blue fox, and it’s as though all your energy and love has culminated into an aura that surrounds her
>You’ve made sappy, poetic statements like that before, but this time it’s almost more of an observation than a cheeky expression of your affection
>She truly seems to radiate the more affection you give her
>Your connection to Krystal has been oddly stronger on this vacation than ever before, and it has an ethereal feeling to it now
>But that just has to be the “magic” of such a beautiful, relaxing location, right?
>You’ve seen couples whose love endured years of togetherness and never lost a shred of potency, but the love you and Krystal share seems to have only increased over the years
>Calling her a soul mate doesn’t even do it justice
>You shift your body slightly and Krystal nestles in even closer
>Her plush tail covers both of you under the sheets
>You fall back asleep peacefully and still, and when you wake up with the sun the vixen’s right where you left her
>Krystal’s eyes flutter open along with a cute yawn
>”Morning,” she hums, trying to squeeze just a little more warmth out of your body
>You can tell it’s already going to be disappointing not waking up like this once vacation’s over
>The vixen pouts when you joke about this
>”It’s never going to be over,” Krystal mumbles stubbornly. “Not as long as we agree to take it home with us.”
>Having a little piece of Zoness to take back to Corneria would be nice
>Especially for days when work on the show gets a little hard to put up with
>Krystal has had to dodge calls from her agent the last few days just so nothing would spoil your time off
>Unfortunately, they’ve gotten a little more frequent as the days have passed
>Like now, when Krystal’s phone beeps loudly for her attention
>She picks up her phone and immediately groans after seeing a few messages waiting for her
>She scans them quickly and taps a hasty response
>”It’s just Kevin,” she says. “Wants to talk about the new contract, apparently. He knows full well we’re still going to be away for a few more days. Honestly, it’s not our fault they waited so long to sign us on for the next season.”
>You thought that was a little weird as well
>The studio has always been so eager to look ahead to the future, so it’s strange how much they’ve been dragging their feet about the new Star Fox contract
>Sometimes you have brief worries that the show has been cancelled, but you haven’t heard even the faintest of rumblings that’s the case
>Chances are the writers are just struggling to come up with the next big story arc, like Krystal hypothesized
>You’d rather they take their time on the script instead of jumping the shark with some terrible new direction
>The vixen sets her phone down firmly
>”We’ll deal with him AFTER we get back home, and not a minute sooner.”
>She looks rather proud of herself
>She also looks like she wants to be rewarded for sticking to her guns
>You give her a kiss, and her tail swishes around happily
>”I suppose we should still accept that our time here is almost over, but that just means we need to enjoy it as much as we can, right?”
>Krystal traces a finger down your chest
>”We’re going to pack so much in these last few days we’ll be sleeping the entire trip back to Corneria.”
>Her finger continues down your stomach and stops just at your waist
>She gives you a sly look and another kiss

>You’ve done just about everything you set out to do on Zoness at least once
>Dinners, shows, gambling
>Swims in the ocean and sunbathing on the beaches
>Casual stops like museums and arcades
>Shopping galore
>And making love against some amazingly scenic backdrops
>There’s still so much left to discover on the planet, and every activity or sight seems to be fighting for you
>It would take up too much time to carefully plan out every minute of the rest of your stay, so you and Krystal elect to do whatever looks entertaining as soon as something piques your interest
>”Oh! This looks fun!” Krystal says at least a dozen times back on Todora
>”Wow, we should watch for a while...erm, just a few minutes maybe....”
>”Mmm, that looks delicious! Ah, but dinner’s not too far away....”
>Outdoor rides, street performances, food vendors
>You really do try to pack as much in as you can
>Krystal sprints off when something crosses her eye, but when you catch up to her she’s sitting on a bench fanning herself
>”Maybe I’ve been overdoing it...” she laughs weakly
>You can’t disagree, though you can’t be upset with her
>As long as she’s enjoying herself, where’s the harm?
>You lift the vixen up and let her ride piggyback for a while
>Her legs clamp around your waist and her arms interlock over your chest
>Between her relative lightness and athleticism, her weight is barely a hindrance
>You can feel her tail swing behind you, as though your own
>Every so often she’ll tap on your chest and point toward something, directing your movement
>”What a gorgeous water fountain,” Krystal says as you walk through a busy city block. “You know, we both have our swimsuits on. Maybe we could get away with a quick dip?”
>She quickly picks up your lack of enthusiasm for the idea
>”Bad idea, perhaps,” she sighs. “We’ve been so fortunate to stay out of the media’s eye this whole trip. I wouldn’t want to be the reason that changes.”
>She hugs you tightly with her whole body
>It’s not quite the enveloping softness of her entire nude, furry body, but the silky hairs of her arms and legs tickle your senses whenever they make contact with your own bare skin
>It’s a stimulation that makes you completely forget the encumbrance her body puts on your back
>”If it’s getting to be too much, you can put me down at any time,” she whispers
>You tell her it’s the best way to keep her from running off again
>She turns your head just far enough to plant her lips on yours
>You continue the slow tour of the city, meandering toward the outskirts
>Krystal gives you another directional gesture to a small tent tucked between two much taller buildings
>”Fortune teller? Could be cute.”
>Seems like something you could do back at Corneria, if you had literally nothing better to do
>”Come on, maybe they have some better quality ones here?” she says
>So you steer yourself toward the tent and let Krystal down
>A green, robed lizard plays around with a stack of tarot cards as the two of you approach
>”Say, doesn’t he remind you of—?”
>The show, again?
>Krystal sticks her tongue out
>On the table next to the fortuneteller is a sign listing all his “services” under a massive [YOU PAY THIS MUCH] header
>Everything from horoscopes to dream interpretations to relationship consoling
>Krystal giggles at the prospect of you two being like budding lovers once again, so you offer some credits to the lizard for his input
>His brow arches intensely as he sets the cards aside
>He rubs his temples with clawed fingers and moans loudly
>This goes on for some time
>As he continues his noises, he reaches under the table and pulls out two little ruby heart tokens
>The moaning stops, and he holds the hearts out for you
>They’re actually fairly well crafted, considering what you “paid” for them
>Krystal gasps in surprise, but also looks slightly disappointed
>”Is that...our reading?” she says
>”What’s more to say?” the fortuneteller squawks. “You’re both an adorable couple, and I don't see anything that could change that!”
>”Oh,” Krystal says with a smile. “That's wonderful to hear, I suppose. Thank you!”
>Well, back out to the city, you guess
>”WAIT!”
>The fortuneteller startles you and Krystal as you’re about to leave
>He slams a cracked, cheap looking crystal ball down on the table
>He tries to keep it from rolling away on the uneven surface while his claws explore his temples again
>”I see...a trial in your future. A challenge of your devotion to one another every bit as great as it is against your physical strength. Strangers...adventures...subtle references....”
>What?
>The lizard is putting way more effort into this than the assessment of the love you and Krystal share, but it still feels like a cheap performance
>Krystal at the very least seems to be humoring him
>”What can we do to prepare for the trial?”
>The fortuneteller reaches over and closes your hands and Krystal’s over the heart tokens
>”It’s as I said...what’s more to say?”
>That was...something
>But Krystal, ever polite, thanks the lizard for his divination
>Or whatever it was supposed to be
>She hooks her arm with yours, still clutching the heart token
>”Alright, shall we go looking for that adventure?”
>You give her a nod and the two of you turn to leave
>”WAIT!”
>Now what?
>The fortuneteller pulls out a stack of coupons from under the table
>”If you’re hanging around the island for a while longer, I have a few deals with some of the local businesses.”

>Your last dinner on Zoness is on the beach
>Krystal deliberately stayed away from the stuffy restaurants for this one, though it isn’t any less cheap
>This place owns a huge stretch of the coast, so much so that you need a pair of binoculars just to see the next closest diners on the sands
>Food needs to be driven out to each table and prepared on the spot
>So it’s just the two of you and the occasional checkup of the waiter, watching the sun setting over the vast ocean
>Curtains of water rise from the surface and dance around, lighted up and colored in a beautiful display
>There’s no denying the bittersweetness of the moment, or the melancholy the vixen is likely feeling
>But she doesn’t let it ruin the moment
>”This really was the best trip we’ve ever had,” Krystal says
>She leans up against you while you two watch the aquatic show
>The little heart tokens sit beside your plates
>”You know, I’m alright with it,” she says confidently
>She must mean the whole “getting back to reality” part
>That gloom that follows every great vacation
>”Think about it. We enjoyed ourselves so much because we felt rewarded after putting in so much work together. Now we can return home and tackle those ‘challenges’ all refreshed. By the time we feel the drain and the fatigue, we’ll be ready for another trip, right?”
>She never stops planning, does she?
>And yet, she’s entirely correct
>The work you do is amazing in comparison to jobs you’ve had in the past
>It’ll feel good to get back into the swing of things with such incredible memories and experiences still in your thoughts
>”I had a feeling you’d see it the same way I do!” Krystal laughs
>You share a toast to the unbelievable evening
>Then to Zoness
>Then to your never-ending love
>The water displays eventually die down, replaced by floating wisps of light that run up and down the length of the coast
>It’s worth staying and watching for a while longer, though Krystal gets restless after some time
>”I think they’re telling us something,” she says in mock disbelief
>She follows the path of one of the balls of light with her finger
>”It’s leading us back to our suite, don’t you think?”
>You ask the blue vixen what that could mean, in a similarly jovial tone
>”I think they’re saying...we should start packing our things.”
>Oh
>Krystal is quick to take up your hands and lock them with hers
>”Come now. If we get everything ready to go for the flight, that means we can maybe squeeze a little more time in for fun. Say...one more bit of excitement on our final night here?”
>That sounds a little better
>You manage to beat her to the second “I had a feeling you’d see it the same way I do” line
>You call for your waiter to square things away, and then you call for a driver
>It’s a smooth ride, but a fast one
>Seems even your driver understands your urgency
>Not much later, you’re back at your personal island suite
>Never have you packed a suitcase so quickly before
>Your luggage is promptly stacked near the front door, along with all the other belongings and souvenirs you’ve collected over the trip
>”There’s just one more left!” Krystal calls out from the bedroom
>When you hurry over to meet her, the vixen’s sitting on top of her final suitcase
>Looks like she packed away all her clothes already, too
>Not a single garment is left on her azure body
>She doesn’t have a witty quip for this one, just outstretched arms
>Once more you have the vixen lifted completely off the ground, though this time she’s even lighter
>Her legs straddling your sides and her hands on your shoulders
>Looking down at you as you have her hoisted up so high
>You open your mouth to say something, but Krystal silences you with a wag of a finger that’s then placed on your lips
>”You haven’t finished yet. You still have some packing to do.”
>She tugs at the hem of your shirt
>”First we’ll get rid of this...”
>Her hand wanders to your pants, tugging at your waistband
>”And this’ll be next...”
>Her hand returns back to your face, cupping your chin
>Krystal pulls you in for an invigorating kiss, instilling you with more energy than you knew you could store within your body
>”Are you feeling a little lively tonight, too?” she asks
>Rhetorically, you can imagine
>That glimmer in her eyes gives it away
>”Well, we need to be at the gate early tomorrow, so it’s best if we get to bed soon. Agreed?”
>Once more she’s steering you where she wants to go
>Over to the bed, where you can deposit her long enough to disrobe
>Under the covers, where you can feel that full furry embrace you were teased with earlier in the day
>Into her arms again, where the two of you knead and strokes each other’s body
>Into her again
>And again
>You hear every breath she takes from the moment you begin to the quiet panting at the end
>”Anon...” she sighs
>By now it’s getting late, and you’re fighting almost too hard to keep yourself from the sleep you know you should be getting
>But you wait for what Krystal wants to tell you
>You gaze into those turquoise eyes intently
>She opens her mouth, and the corners pull into a sly grin
>She jokingly shapes the words of the fortuneteller
>What’s more to say?
>”There’s always ‘I love you’,” she purrs
>You share one more kiss for the night
>Her fur is cooling to your senses after such a heated night, but that soon turns into the warmth you know well
>With her mission of confessing her love complete, Krystal seems just about ready to doze off
>You shut your eyes and hurry your body to join her in sleep
>Join her in her dreams, like so many nights before
>And if you DO sleep the entire trip home, then that’s more time you have to spend in them
>You stay conscious just long enough to hear her say “I love you” one more time
>”In case...you weren’t convinced the first time,” she says quietly
>Her tail folds over your bodies like a bridge needed for your dreams to stay connected
>You hug her securely, just to be sure they do



[[ CHAPTER 8: Cancelled ]]

>Corneria City may be the crown jewel of Lylat, but it feels a little less special after returning from a planet like Zoness
>It’s not as clean or as cheery, and definitely not packed as densely with things to do at every corner
>More than once you’ve thought about moving to Zoness for good after Krystal implanted the idea in your mind
>It’s not a feasible reality as long as you’re working on the show, but the blue vixen has made it abundantly clear she wants to keep the possibility open as a place to live post Star Fox
>In fact, almost all the discussion she made in the terminal prior to boarding the shuttle was about returning to Zoness
>The rest of the time she was solemnly quiet
>Guess there’s only so much she can hide her sadness for your vacation’s end
>Even with the shuttle itself being like a luxury cruise, you and Krystal slept most of the trip back home
>One minute you were looking up at the stars through the sunroof of your island suite, and the next you were looking out at them from your stateroom on the shuttle
>You were both pretty tired after the business of the last few vacation days, but part of you suspected Krystal wanted to nap on the shuttle ride back thinking if you overslept through the departure you’d end up returning to Zoness
>Like missing your bus stop and going all the way back to where you started
>The times when you were both awake you flipped through all the photos you had taken
>Not that you needed to be reminded of what an amazing time it was...
>One smooth flight later, and you’re back in Corneria amidst the bustle of city life
>Her fans don’t waste time swarming her, but at least it makes the vixen feel better about coming home
>Even the doormen to your apartment look thrilled to have both of you back home
>Boxes of souvenirs and extra luggage are already waiting for you in a stack inside, sent over from the spaceport
>Krystal does her best to keep you from looking at the goodies for too long
>”Some of it you get to have now, but the rest you’ll have to wait for!” she says with a tap of your nose
>Looks like you’ll be getting bits of Zoness for the next few months
>You’re almost at a loss for what to do with yourself now
>The blue vixen seems to feel the same way, wandering around the small apartment in a daydream
>You unpack little by little throughout the day, taking frequent breaks to do pretty much nothing but laze around
>When Krystal gets to her swimsuit she holds it up on herself for you
>”This really was a nice gift, Anon,” she says sweetly. “Thank you. I think this just might be my go-to suit from now on!”
>No objections from you
>Anything to see her in that stunning golden outfit 
>Evening rolls in and life begins to feel normal once again
>Your modest dinner is finished with Krystal’s phone going off frantically
>You can see “K.B.” lit up on the screen
>”I figured as much...” Krystal sighs
>She picks up her phone and looks to one of the larger holo-monitors stationed around the apartment, but then looks back to her phone in confusion
>”Hmm, ‘audio only’. I’d wager he doesn’t want to look me in the eyes when I chew him out for bothering us so much.”
>The vixen answers the call with a roll of her eyes
>”YES, Kevin,” she says with exasperation. “How are you?”
>...
>”It was very lovely, thank you. I assume you’re calling about the new contract?”
>Not even a full day home and you’re already back to talking about work
>Krystal paces around the living room as she listens to her agent’s spiel
>”...Uh huh, yes...I...w-what...?”
>Her puffy blue tail goes perfectly still
>Something’s terribly wrong
>Krystal’s ears fold back slowly, and she brings a hand to her mouth
>”O-oh, I see...r-right, I understand....”
>Her voice cracks, and you see the bulge in her throat as she swallows heavily
>Light twinkles in the building moisture around her eyes
>”N-no, I’ll be fine...please let me know if something changes. Thank you, Kevin. H-have a goodnight....’
>Krystal sets down the phone shakily, then stares at it is though it were a pet that died right before her
>She hugs her arms to her chest and gives you the most forced, painful looking smile you’ve ever seen
>It takes her a while before she can work up the strength to speak
>”They’re rebooting the show,” she says hoarsely. “And...I’m not going to be in it.”
>Your heart plummets, and a hundred questions rise to the surface
>”The studio wants to start from the beginning,” Krystal continues. “To get a new audience on board and...make changes, I suppose....”
>But WITHOUT Krystal?
>The one star who is arguably even bigger than Fox himself?
>Your mind swims with theories and explanations
>Money could always be the driving factor here; they simply might not want to pay the vixen as much anymore
>Then again, you know Krystal would willingly take the pay cut just to keep working on the show, and they didn’t even bother negotiating with her
>So was it someone in the studio with an axe to grind?
>It’s pretty common knowledge that there have been staff members who have been jealous or downright antagonistic to Krystal, and a couple of them have managed to gradually ascend through the ranks to make some of the more questionable changes to the show already
>If those are the kind of people in charge right now, then nothing about the future of Star Fox looks good
>You move in closer to the vixen, who is trying her hardest to keep herself together
>”W-well, maybe it’s just a temporary thing,” Krystal sniffs. “Maybe they’ll add me back in sometime later? A-at least I can still talk to fans in the meantime. It won’t all b-be bad....”
>She’s trying to convince herself more than you to look on the bright side, yet it’s unmistakably distressing to her
>When you pull the vixen into your arms she begins to sob quietly
>It’s not even about the money; you’d easily bet Krystal would do the show for free from here on out if it meant keeping her role and the ability she has to interact with her fans
>Now, someone’s taken that away from her and there’s no certainty if she’s ever going to be brought back on the show
>You’re more than a little angry about it
>This has to be corporate sabotage of some sort; it’s borderline suicide to drop one of the most popular characters of the show and toss out years of canon, even if it IS some shallow ploy to bring her back sometime later for a boost in ratings
>You stroke Krystal’s back and give her reassuring words while she clings tightly to you
>All that you can do for now is simply let her cry it out

>The fate of your role on Star Fox isn’t looking good either
>It was Krystal who pushed for your contract renewals, and now that her own clout has been stripped away there’s little chance the studio would hire you back on rather than just cast some other human extra to fill your spot
>Her agent has been silent since he broke the news several days ago
>The media, on the other hand, has been anything BUT silent
>The idea of a reboot immediately soured a lot of fans
>When the whole cast except the blue vixen started confirming their status for the new season, Krystal’s fanbase feared the worst
>It didn’t help how uncharacteristically absent from social media she was being either
>Likely a suggestion from her agent, however
>She finally ended her silence to placate her most rabid fans when death threats started getting hurled toward some of the writers and executives of the show
>Guess someone in the studio might have had it out for her after all
>The well wishes and encouragement Krystal has been receiving puts a weak smile on her face, though she continues to stay out of the public eye
>Too many nosy journalists and competing studios have already tried swooping in to seize the opportunity for interviews or new job offers
>So the two of you are laying low for a while, with you providing emotional support for the vixen
>Krystal’s been in a bit of a shirt-and-sweatpants kind of funk
>She lounges around the apartment, typically on the couch watching anything on TV that doesn’t remind her of Star Fox
>Sitting on her lap is usually an empty bowl of something comforting, like DarkIce Cream
>Anytime you walk past the vixen she holds out her arms and tries to pull you next to her
>Naturally, this means you spend almost as much time on the couch as she does
>The crying hasn’t been as bad at the day Kevin delivered the news to her, fortunately
>But Krystal still sniffles into your shoulder every so often and you have to wipe the occasional tear from her eye
>Her knees are constantly pulled up to her chest as she balls up against you
>She’s more responsive to your touch than ever, wanting the constant feeling of your fingers in her fur
>You brush her tail and scratch behind her ears until your hands go numb
>Neither of you have really been in the mood for serious bedroom action, but you’ve been physically connected to each other far longer than even when you first started dating
>After a while, Krystal begins to feel a little guilty about it
>”I can’t keep you here on this couch forever, can I?” she sighs
>You give her a kiss on the forehead
>She shouldn’t stay here like this either
>”No, you’re right. It’s not fair to either of us...or our fans.”
>Krystal gingerly stands up, as though she’s learning to use her legs for the first time again
>”I think I can stand facing the world long enough to get to the gym. No sense in giving up our exercise routine just because of a little job setback, right? I don’t want to greet our fans looking like a completely different fox.”
>She laughs feebly
>A few weeks of vacation definitely makes you want to work out again
>Never mind the days of being a shut-in
>”Though now we have more time off than we know what to do with,” Krystal muses. “So...perhaps we’ll be planning our next getaway much sooner than we thought?”
>What, another vacation already?
>Krystal opens her mouth to debate, but then she looks away shamefully
>”It wouldn’t feel right, would it? Our time in Zoness together felt so magical because we earned it. I don’t want to spoil things by making the occasion be something we have out of pity.”
>Leaving the city or even the planet right now for an undeserved vacation would just feel like running away from the problem
>It’s not like the two of you have to worry about financial obligations anywhere in the near future, but you know for a fact Krystal wouldn’t be happy if she wasn’t getting the chance to really pursue work she can feel proud about
>Maybe you’re projecting a little bit of yourself as well
>Krystal grabs her gym bag and starts throwing her stuff into it
>“Just a little bit of sweat to get us back into the swing of things,” she says confidently. “Who knows, perhaps it’ll help put us back in the mood for some more ‘physical training’ later on?”
>Her tail whips side to side slyly
>You’re already starting to see spirit in those turquoise eyes once more

>A few days pass and the two of you are getting used to the unemployed life
>Krystal almost seems as though she’s forgotten all about Star Fox at times
>Which is probably for the best, because the drama surrounding the reboot has only escalated further
>Fans and Star Fox cast alike are angry at what sounds like is going to be a complete retreading of the original few seasons, but worse (if the script leaks are to be believed)
>Boycotts are inevitable, and some of the crew has been tossing out rumors of strikes
>Despite the backlash, the studio hasn’t caved in yet and reversed their poor decisions
>Most surprising of all, Krystal has moments where she looks genuinely relieved
>Liberated from the worst aspects of the job and grateful she’s not in the middle of the madness currently unfolding at the studio
>However, she also retains a soft spot for her costars
>Most of them are legitimately upset to hear she hasn’t been signed on for the new series, and a few have come over to express their sympathies in person
>Which can be just as heartbreaking for them, like in the case of Slippy
>When the frog came over to visit he ended up bawling louder than Krystal at her worst
>For better or worse you’re missed just as much, locked in a crushing hug as the poor guy blubbered for a good hour
>Krystal kept her chin up through the whole thing
>To her, the most important part was knowing she still had friends from the whole experience
>More importantly, she still has you
>The two of you are sitting together on a tranquil evening, watching the lights of the city outside
>”I haven’t been that considerate of your own future,” Krystal says sadly. “I really haven’t been thinking of your situation as much compared to mine. I should have fought more to keep you on the show. Just because my time with Star Fox is over doesn’t mean yours has to be.”
>You’ve long since come to terms with reality
>Krystal has always been and will always be the more popular one of you two, and that’s not a deal breaker
>You’re thankful she’s managed to keep you along for the ride as long as she has, and you’ve gotten a respectable following of your own to show for it
>She’s not the only one who has gotten sympathies and support through this mess
>You pull Krystal in for a deep kiss, reassuring her you don’t blame her for a single second what happened to you
>She holds your head and nuzzles you with her nose after your lips disconnect
>“Thank you, Anon,” she whispers. “You’re still my hero after all these years. My selfless, brave hero.”
>The two of you move in for another round of kissing
>Ringing from Krystal’s phone suddenly jolts you back to the apartment
>It’s a contact number you don’t recognize, though Krystal appears to know who it is
>She’s familiar enough with the number to accept the request for a video call, albeit after trying to tidy herself up a bit first
>The dreary sweatpants have been thankfully stowed away for now
>The holo-monitor lights up, showing a full display of a heavily decorated trophy room and a droopy-eared hound in a red uniform front and center
>”Pepper?” Krystal gasps
>Indeed, General Pepper himself
>”Krystal. Anon,” the hound says gruffly. “I hope I haven’t interrupted anything important.”
>The blue vixen can’t help but giggle
>”If this is your idea of trying to cheer me up...” she says, motioning to his uniform
>Pepper clears his throat and tries to look dignified
>Though part of him looks equally uncomfortable
>”Yes, well...truth be told, this was not my idea,” Pepper says. “I don’t mean to alarm either of you, but I’m calling you because of a crisis.”
>That...seems like an unusual thing to admit, even for someone like Pepper
>Krystal’s eyes go wide
>”Pepper, is something wrong?”
>”It’s...difficult to explain, I suppose,” the hound says. “I am in no immediate danger, but I’m contacting you out of necessity. There’s something I’ve been forced into asking of you, but in order to fully explain myself we will need to meet in person.”
>Krystal looks to you, then back to the monitor
>”Pepper, if someone’s threatening you—“
>The camera view on Pepper pans to the side, showing a view out of the window in the background
>You see the massive hull of an unmistakable ship, one you’ve become acquainted with more than any other because of the show
>The Great Fox
>Not just a model, a careful recreation, or part of a set piece, but...the real deal, full scale and all
>How?
>Pepper looks out to the ship, then turns and faces both you and Krystal
>”As I said, we need to speak in person, please. Meet me at the studio lot as soon as you can.”
>He inhales as though preparing a line from a script, something you recognize from the countless times you’ve seen it over the years
>”We need your help, Star Fox!”



[[ CHAPTER 9: Season 2 ]]

>Krystal paces from one room to another
>Each time she walks by she has a different expression on her face
>Confusion, excitement, worry...
>”What’s gotten into Pepper?” she thinks out loud. “Are they cancelling the whole series? Are they throwing everyone a surprise party? Oh, no...I hope it’s not one of those prank shows....”
>You try to catch the blue vixen in your arms, but her troubling, buzzing thoughts keep her moving in erratic ways and dodging our of your grasp
>”Well, I can’t go out looking like THIS, anyway....”
>She disappears into the bedroom for a while to change clothes, and then comes out with her hands exploring her body
>”Does everything look alright?” Krystal says with a soft whine, poking tufts of fur and giving a pinch here and there. “It feels like it’s been ages since we’ve had to do any serious work, and I don’t want to be seen—“
>You use the moment of distraction to swoop in and give Krystal a comforting hug, reassuring her that she looks just as beautiful as she ever has
>She’s done an amazing job keeping her spirits high after everything that’s happened recently, you tell her as you stroke her head 
>And you don’t doubt for a second that everyone will be happy to see her out in public again, even if she stayed in her sweatpants and tank top
>Krystal hops up onto her toes and brushes her little black nose against your own
>”Thank you, love. As long as you’re there with me, I suppose I can venture back out there and see what all the fuss is about,” she says
>The vixen grabs some of her belongings and throws them into a purse, but right before you head out the door she gives you a concerned look
>”Should we tell someone about this?” she says. “If this is some kind of trap...if Pepper really IS in trouble, should we let someone know where we’re going?”
>She has a point
>You don’t usually have to worry about bringing security with you when take Krystal out around the city, but you’re not typically given cryptic instructions to meet people places on such short notice this late in the evening
>Pepper has always seemed like a guy you can trust, but who knows what’s really going on with him?
>”I’ll send a timed message to Kevin,” Krystal says, tapping away on her phone. “If I don’t cancel it later tonight, it’ll be sent out and let him know we’re in trouble. Hopefully ONE of us will remember to delete it before then.”
>It’s not a bad idea, though you try to convince yourself that maybe you’re overthinking this whole thing
>After all, it COULD very well just be a surprise party thrown for Krystal to make her feel better
>Krystal looks up from her phone, but even though she’s facing you it’s like she’s looking beyond you, lost in thought
>”I know, but...something just doesn’t feel right about this....”
>You ask the vixen if she’d rather not show up, but she shakes her head
>”No, I still feel like...we need to be there.”
>She’s even more cryptic than Pepper at this point, but her mind is made up
>The two of you decide to take your own vehicle over to the studio rather than call for a ride, just in case
>If it weren’t already so late in the day, you might not be as tense about all of this
>You stay vigilant on the ride over, keeping watch for any other cars that tail you for a little too long or seem to be waiting on the side streets
>”Oh, how are we going to get into the studio lot?” Krystal muses
>Another good point; unless someone’s watching the gate you’re not going to be getting through with your vehicle
>You pull up to the studio guard station where a portly, veteran watchdog would normally be checking people in and out in-between handfuls of snacks and commercial breaks 
>Nobody seems to be inside...but a radio crackles to life as you try to peer around
>[GREETINGS, KRYSTAL, ANON. PLEASE PROCEED TO THE STAGE 16 LOT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.]
>The gates swing open automatically, leaving you and Krystal to look at each other dumbfounded
>”That voice...” the blue vixen says. “Was that...?”
>Yeah
>It sounded like ROB 64 for sure, the robotic custodian of the Great Fox
>But ROB has always been an animatronic puppet with a voice actor dubbing his lines, and not an actual robot or costumed character
>So why would you be hearing his voice right now? Does that mean the voice actor is here, too?
>This has to be some kind of special production or stunt or something...like as a way to thank Krystal for her time on the show, but perhaps something not officially organized by the studio itself
>Why else would you be asked to appear at the filming lot by actors of Star Fox with no context or warning?
>You park outside of the iconic Stage 16 lot and exchange worried looks with Krystal
>She takes your hand and gives it light squeeze
>”Ready?” she sighs

>The door to the studio building is unlocked, which is both extremely fortunate and a little surprising
>Someone else is clearly here if they didn’t lock up the building
>You were hoping to see Pepper by now, or ANY friendly face for that matter
>The lights inside are dim, but it’s enough to see where you’re going through the maze of sets and scenery
>Some of the most frequently used backdrops of the show are stored in Stage 16, from the cockpits of the Arwings to rooms aboard the Great Fox
>Not too far into the building — holding your vixen’s hand from the moment you left the car — you start to hear voices
>Voices that, thankfully, you recognize
>Krystal picks up the pace and pulls you along right behind her, running toward the source of the talking with her tail whipping side to side frantically
>The voices subside as you approach with echoing footsteps, and as you round a corner to wind up on the set of the Great Fox’s command bridge, you see a quartet of shocked, but familiar faces
>A team Star Fox reunion
>”Krystal!? Anon!?”
>A squat, lump of green barrels over to you, grabbing you around the waist and lifting you up in a painful hug
>Slippy Toad
>For such a small guy, he’s no pushover in real life
>Being the butt of the joke since the beginning of Star Fox, Slippy has had to take a lot more criticism and backlash over the years than even Krystal, but that has ended up making the frog constantly trying to better himself
>He’s obviously working out more — if your crushed sides are any indication — and he’s currently the head of the official Star Fox fan club, which he runs with great pride
>A pretty admirable, positive fellow for someone who has had to deal with so much crap in his career
>”We thought we’d never see you two again!” Slippy blubbers, on the verge of having another breakdown like after he heard about Krystal’s removal from the show
>You and your spine get the feeling Slippy’s probably YOUR biggest fan 
>Then there’s Falco Lombardi, who is also so removed from his role on the show that he’s an entirely different kind of bird in real life
>Hotheaded, loud, and arrogant when on screen, but an easygoing, soft-spoken sort of beatnik once the camera stops rolling
>It’s like night and day; either he uses the show as a way to vent his entire supply of anger into his character, or he expends so much of his natural energy that there’s nothing but good vibes left over
>Or he’s just that good about turning the acting on and off
>Falco kicks back in his seat and lazily waves a wing at you and Krystal
>”Heeey...good to see those smiling faces again,” he says with a relaxed, droning voice
>Sounds like he might have been in the middle of a pretty chill evening before he came over here
>The laws of the universe state that all the displaced negativity and anger from the two Star Fox boys need to go somewhere, and unfortunately it all coalesces around Peppy Hare
>A seasoned actor and pretty fatherly sort of figure overall, Peppy has a bit of a grouchy streak to him
>However, that’s entirely understandable; when your entire career’s worth of film and television achievements is reduced to a single, overused catchphrase that follows you everywhere, the bitterness will inevitably set in
>Every time he gets a new script and sees THOSE four specific words, he threatens to leave the show for good
>But the money’s just too good to pass up, and it’s the young, adoring fans that still manage to melt his heart from time to time and keep his temper under control
>It’s frankly not too hard to stay on Peppy’s friendlier side, just as long as you never utter that certain combination of words within earshot of him...
>”How ‘bout that?” Peppy grunts, drumming his fingers on a table. “Looks like they even roped the two of ya’ in on whatever’s goin’ on here, huh? Well, pull up a chair an’ wait for our host, I ‘spose.”
>Finally, there’s the man himself: Fox McCloud
>The face of Star Fox, the king of hokey acting, and maybe a little too easy to flatter for his own good
>You get the feeling his place in the show was largely the result of nepotism, favors, or just some dumb luck in a “rising star” gamble, because as far as his acting chops go you sincerely think YOU could do a better job than him
>But in the end the show means more to Fox than probably anything else in his life
>He relishes the attention and fandom, never missing a beat in showing up to any public appearances or Star Fox conventions
>If he were in Krystal’s position right now — jobless — he probably would never leave his home ever again...or maybe do something even worse
>He barely seems to notice you or Krystal, instead burying his nose in his phone while he taps a novel’s worth of conversation out
>”Fox! You even gonna’ say ‘hello’ to your friends?” Peppy hollers at the oblivious vulpine
>”...Huh? What? I said ‘hi’ already...didn’t I?” Fox mumbles, looking at you and Krystal sheepishly. “Uh, yeah, good to see you guys again!”
>”Trouble brewing at the McCloud household?” Falco says, rocking on the legs of his chair
>”No, no, nothing like that,” Fox replies quickly
>”Fara kicked you out again, din’ she?” Peppy says
>”W-what!? I...pfft...no, nothing like that! She just asked for a little bit of alone time — and maybe a little more space than usual — a-and I actually was already planning on coming out for a walk around the city. You know, to take in the fresh air every once in a while?”
>Everyone coughs and looks around uncomfortably
>The drama you might typically find in the production of a high-budget television series is nothing compared to the drama Fox has brought to the studio on occasion, always involving his girlfriend in some way
>Makes you feel a little bad for the guy; no wonder he considers this job his whole life
>Krystal clears her throat
>”Well, it really IS wonderful to see you all again,” she says. “I suppose Pepper called all of you...uh, most of you...over here as well?”
>The rest of the Star Fox cast looks from one to the other, shrugging and nodding
>Slippy, who had been clinging on to you this whole time, finally gives you some room to breathe and readjust your spine
>”Pepper said he needed us over here as soon as possible,” the frog explains, “but nobody’s seen the guy since we got here! We were just about to leave before the two of you showed up.”
>”An’ we still are!” Peppy says, cracking his back with a stretch. “If this is some kinda’ joke, then he should be out here getting’ his laughs before I get the chance to sock him one! Otherwise, g’night to you. I’ll see y’all when we start shoo—”
>The rabbit freezes in place, them his ears droop down like flags with no wind
>He can’t look either you or Krystal in the eyes
>”Ahhh shucks. I, uh, didn’t mean to leave either of you out, or....”
>”It’s quite alright, Peppy,” Krystal says, forcing a smile. “We’re still in the city. If any of you are in the neighborhood, you’re always welcome to stop by for a visit.”
>”Wait!” Fox yells as everyone gets up and gets ready to leave. “He might show up any second! Why don’t we just give him a little more time? Nobody has anywhere important to be tonight, right?”
>”If you don’t want to be alone, you just have to say so,” Falco says coolly
>”Yeah, we’ll hang out with you, buddy!” Slippy chimes in
>”I told you guys already,” Fox mumbles. “It’s not like that. I was just taking a walk....”
>The stamping of heavy military boots silences the group
>”Thank you all for being here on such short notice,” Pepper says, walking up to the set with a salute
>He’s still dressed in his General’s outfit like he was in the video call, and seems to be in full acting mode
>”Since it looks like everyone’s already on their feet, if you would follow me to the backlot, please.”
>”Hold on there,” Peppy says. “Why don’ you tell us what we’re here for first? You go an’ drag us out here this late in the day and for what?”
>”I would think you of all people would understand the idea of, ‘Show, don’t tell’, my friend,” the old hound dog responds. “It’s admittedly far too bizarre of a thing to try and explain with words. I’m sorry for leading you all under a shroud of secrecy, but I was specifically instructed not to divulge too much too soon.”
>When he speaks like this, he really does sound as though he’s getting into his character
>General Pepper of the Cornerian Army
>”Pepper, please,” Krystal says, trying to reason with him again. “If someone’s threatening you, we can help!”
>The hound puffs out his chest and beckons everyone to follow
>”I promise, nobody’s lives are in danger. Or rather, none of OURS seem to be at this very moment. But again, it would be much easier to let you see for yourselves.”
>He marches off to the rear of the building where the backlot is accessed, with everyone hesitantly following after one final exchange of confused looks
>Krystal hooks her arm under yours, keeping close to your side as you trail at the back of the group

>The Great Fox
>It’s so massive and true-to-life that you almost don’t notice it despite looking directly at its gray hull
>The ship is parked outside Stage 16, barely fitting between the other nearby studio buildings
>For all the success and budget Star Fox has had, there’s never been a reason to make a full-scale replica of the Great Fox — let alone a working vessel — when carefully placed set pieces and computer-generated graphics got the job done
>But now...it’s really right here in all its spacefaring glory
>”Geez,” Falco whistles. “These fan giveaways are really getting elaborate.”
>”This can’t be for a contest,” Slippy says with a huff. “I would be the first to know if it were!”
>”Easy, Slip. It was a joke.”
>”Are you two finished?” Peppy snaps
>The bickering dies down, but all that’s left is more silence as everyone watches General Pepper stand before the ship expectantly
>The only sound to be heard is the faint tapping of Fox’s claws on his phone, followed by the sound of him getting his paw slapped
>”Are we waiting for something, Pepper?” Krystal speaks up at last
>”Yes,” the hound says. “I...don’t know how to get inside, unfortunately. We’ll have to wait for someone to open up for us.”
>”Did you lock your keys inside?” Slippy asks. “Yeesh. First Fox, now Pepper....”
>”I didn’t lock my keys in my car that night, Slippy,” Fox says. “I was sleeping in it...I-I MEAN, uh, yeah...locked them in, heh....”
>Before the rabbit can scold his costars again, the Great Fox hisses loudly
>The cargo bay door creaks and a loading platform slowly lowers down to the street before you
>Everyone holds their breath in anticipation
>”It’s about time they showed up,” General Pepper mutters
>Once the platform reaches eye level, you see several occupants riding down on it
>One by one, jaws drop open
>Aliens, if you can even call them that
>They’re about half the size as you and come in a variety of animal species much like the rest of Corneria’s inhabitants, with vibrant, almost neon colors
>But the strangest thing about these creatures is how...”polygonal” they are
>One of them looks like a small green fox, but its head is extremely pointed with sharp, diamond-shaped ears
>No fur, just flat surfaces
>It reminds you of old 3D graphics for models, like the kind in games that are so old they’re in museums by now
>When it speaks, its mouth opens and closes almost like a puppet would
>”Greetings, friends!” the polygonal fox says in a male, though childish voice. “It’s so incredibly exciting to make the legendary Star Fox after all these years! Please, come inside the ship and meet with our leader! There’s something we must discuss with all of you!”
>The look General Pepper gives as he peers over his shoulder seems to partially say, “I apologize in advance”, and partially, “I was just as speechless as you”
>Everyone gingerly steps onto the loading platform, though a reluctant Fox has to be pulled on by the others
>”H-hang on! Shouldn’t we tell someone about this!?”
>”We have it covered already, Fox,” Krystal says, very obviously getting tired of his attitude
>”There you go, so c’mon you ninny,” Peppy says. “We’re all in this together, and it’ll do you some good to get away from that girlfriend of yours for a while.”
>Fox can only squirm as the rest of the Star Fox cast holds him in place, surrounded by all the bright little aliens looking up at the actors in awe
>In reality, everyone seems to be nervous about what you’re getting into
>Nervous, but also very curious
>Years you’ve spent pretending to be a soldier on the most popular sci-fi show in the Lylat system, and now you’re getting to see the “real” Great Fox with the entire team
>While everyone’s busy hanging on to McCloud, there’s only one fox you’re holding in your own arms
>Krystal leans into your body as you brace yourselves for what lies inside the ship



[[ CHAPTER 10: Good Luck ]]

>The loading platform lifts you up into a blinding light
>Going from the darkness of night to an intensely illuminated spaceship so suddenly messes with your sight, and it takes a moment to adjust to the change
>”I don’ remember the Great Fox ever bein’ this bright,” Peppy scowls, shielding his eyes
>Fox whines from the harshness of the light and pulls out his designer sunglasses
>”Apologies, Mr. Peppy Hare,” the small, green polygon fox says. “We wanted to give you all the best possible visibility of your ship to show the careful attention to detail we put into it! We have studied the intricacies of your engineering and have replicated a spacefaring vessel to 99.984% likeness of your own.”
>”Well it ain’t doin’ anybody any good if we can’t see nothin’!”
>”Again, sir, my apologies. Once we transfer ownership of the Great Fox to your team, you will be able to adjust the lights to your preferences!”
>Everyone looks around to one another as you’re lead through the giant ship’s sleek corridors
>Ownership?
>”Oh, I get it!” Slippy pipes up. “This is all a big surprise, right? We’re finally getting a working ship to use for the show?”
>Now it’s the aliens’ turn to look at each other in confusion
>”Show?” they whisper to themselves
>You’re marched through the Great Fox in silence and awe, with the little aliens constantly looking back at you to gauge your reactions
>Blueprints of the ship have been made and circulated among fan sites and official merchandise for years, but since all of the filming sets have been mere segments of the whole thing you’ve never gotten to really “explore” the completed flagship
>And yet, every corner you turn and blast door you pass through you get the feeling everything is right where you would expect it to be
>You can visualize every room before you even enter it
>Whoever built this vessel certainly did a better job than the regular writers, especially the ones responsible for many of the show’s hilarious continuity errors that have occurred over the years
>Your heart skips as you’re taken down the corridor leading up to the main command bridge of the ship
>Krystal’s grip around your arm tightens at that very moment, sharing your apprehension
>The automatic doors slide open with a hiss, and you’re greeted by another dozen of the vibrant, short aliens spread throughout the bridge
>Some with canine-like features, some more feline, some clearly birds...
>Most of them have clothing designed like the sleek, stylish attire of Corneria, but the oddest part is that the clothes look just as polygonal and flat as their bodies, giving the impression that the shirts and jackets are simply "painted on” their simplistic bodies like a two-dimensional texture
>However, not even their unusual, neon shapes can distract the rest of the group from looking around the command center in utter amazement
>It really is a 1:1 recreation of the Great Fox; not a single chair or monitor is out of place, and most of the wear-and-tear of the equipment looks eerily similar to what the show set has suffered through over the years
>If you hadn’t just come from the actual set back in Studio 16, you’d think someone took the whole thing and stuffed it into this ship
>And in the corner standing before a keyboard is the ship’s primary AI robot: ROB 64
>Several of the aliens are circled around what’s supposed to be Fox’s chair, though none of them dare to touch it as though it’s some venerated throne
>General Pepper, who had been silent the entire tour, salutes the aliens and then steps off to the side
>”Team Star Fox, Commander,” the hound says, somewhat unconvincingly
>Closest to Fox’s chair is a dog that looks oddly enough much like General Pepper himself — right down to the same uniform — albeit in the same toy-like body shape as the rest of his people
>In spite of his blocky appearance, he’s able to beam at everyone with a smile that you would never think the real General Pepper could be capable of
>”Greetings to you, esteemed friends!” he says, his voice lower than the other aliens but still sounding as though he is as young as a Cornerian adolescent. “Thank you for answering our call. I am Commander Shigmoto, and we are the Snesens. We have traveled a great distance to seek the aid of the lege—“
>The commander suddenly stops talking
>”James? James McCloud!? YOU ARE ALIVE?”
>The Snesens gasp in unison and everyone turns to look at Fox, hiding in the back, who looks just as surprised himself as he glances around to see what the deal is
>”It was our understanding that you had died in the Lylat Wars at the hands of the sinister villain Andross!” Commander Shigmoto exclaims. “How did you survive all these years as a prisoner on Venom?”
>Fox just points to himself cluelessly
>”...Do you mean me?” he says
>”Yes, James! How could we not recognize one of the famous McCloud pilots, and especially with you wearing your signature pair of sunglasses?”
>The commander’s mouth drops and his eyes go wide, like the shocked expression a hand puppet would make
>”Oh no...were you perhaps stricken with amnesia during your separation from your team? Does your son know you’re still alive?”
>”What in the NAME o’ hell are you goin’ on about?” Peppy snaps
>The rabbit snatches the sunglasses off Fox’s face and waves them around in the air
>”There’s no ‘James McCloud’, ya’ nutters. It’s just this goof in shades!”
>The Snesens exchange blank looks
>”We do not understand....”
>Fox grabs his sunglasses back, checking for damage before sliding them back onto his muzzle
>He clears his throat and drops his voice deeply
>”’Never give up. Trust your instincts.’”
>He folds his arms and makes a heroic pose, and the Snesens clap politely at the display
>”See? I, uh, play both characters,” Fox says, reverting back to his usual, somewhat whiny voice, “My real dad isn’t involved in the show at all. He...wasn’t exactly supportive of me being an actor in the first place....”
>”Show?” the aliens whisper amongst themselves again
>”Save it for the biography, big shot,” Slippy mutters under his breath
>Krystal steps closer to General Pepper, hoping the old dog can shed some light on the bizarre situation
>”Pepper, what’s going on?” she hisses at him. “Is this for the show or not?”
>The old hound, looking rather fatigued about the circumstances himself, sighs heavily and tries to get the Snesen commander’s attention
>”Shigmoto, perhaps you could clarify what it is you say you’ve gathered us here for...and why you showed up at my doorstep for this afternoon without consulting my agent first.”
>”An’ give us the back-o’-the-box version,” Peppy grumbles. “It’s too late in the night to read a whole script.”
>”Yes, certainly!” the alien commander says
>A hologram projection creates a scene in the middle of the bridge, showing a rather low-poly looking city and many miniature Snesens milling about
>More and more it makes the Snesens look like something ripped directly out of an antique video game
>”Our people come from a world not far outside of your Lylat system. It is an aesthetically primitive yet technologically advanced world accessible via a small pocket dimension. Although our existence has spanned millions of years, we have recently been threatened with an inexplicable form of entropy that has been deconstructing our very reality.”
>As he says this, several of the tall skyscrapers in the hologram erupt into little triangular shards, scattering the tiny Snesens in a panic as the city is sporadically destroyed
>”Man, where do these writers come up with this stuff?” Falco chuckles to himself, looking like his mind is still back at the studio
>”We have pinpointed the source of the entropic force to a sector that intersects the Lylat system and our own world,” Shigmoto continues. “Unfortunately, we have been dissuaded from investigating ourselves, as any attempts to approach the sector have resulted in complete destruction of our ships and...crew.....”
>The other Snesens hang their heads in a moment of grief
>”Our only hope is to enlist the aid of life forms who do not share our biological limitations, and who can thus voyage into the sector without fear of being negatively affected. That is where you come in.”
>The obliterated hologram of the city is replaced with multiple screens, all of which are playing a scene from a television show you know all too well
>”In our search for aid, we have intercepted archives of the exploits of the renowned team of mercenaries known as Star Fox. With only your small group, you have saved Lylat from peril in ways not even the combined forces of your military could overcome, which itself is far greater than the forces we have left on our own home world. You are legendary heroes of your people, and now we ask for you to be heroes of ours. We need you to investigate the sector where the anomaly is originating from and find a way to help us stop it. Please, Star Fox. You are the only hope for our world.”
>It’s hard to take the situation completely seriously when their plight sounds like something taken directly from an episode of the show, but even in the Snesens’ flat eyes you can see genuine fear
>There’s uneasy emotion in those eyes that make you look away, but you end up looking into your blue vixen’s worried eyes instead
>”They’re telling the truth, aren’t they?” Krystal’s gaze seems to say
>The realization that this isn’t all just some publicity stunt for the show or a rehearsal for a new episode dawns on the whole crew
>Instead of frustration or confusion, everyone is left with nagging guilt
>None of the Star Fox actors want to be the one to break the news
>So it’s up to Krystal, perhaps the bravest one of them all at this moment, to step forward and begin to explain things to the vibrant alien animals
>”I’m afraid...we’re not who you think we are,” she says solemnly. “We’re not heroes...not in the way you saw us.”
>”We do not understand...” Shigmoto says
>”We’re ACTORS, ya’ loons!” Peppy shouts, following Krystal’s lead. “What you were lookin’ at was just a TV show!”
>”Don’t you have anything like that for entertainment where you come from?” Krystal jumps back in
>It seems as though the Snesens indeed understand fiction, at the very least, but their expressions are filled with a mix of doubt and disappointment
>”But the archives...they looked so real,” Shigmoto says
>”A good team of special effects artists will do that!” Slippy says
>”Too bad the rest o’ the budget stinks,” Peppy says
>The team takes turns giving their thoughts and feedback about the Star Fox production to the Snesens, some obviously more gentle and rational about it than others
>You give your own two cents as well, and it’s at this point that the Snesens actually give you some attention not unlike your costars
>”Is that Ensign Anon from the battle at Katina?” one of them says
>”No, that must be Private Anon from the attack on Corneria City,” another offers
>”But HE died for real, did he not?”
>Well, at least it’s recognition...
>Ornery ol’ Peppy hits his breaking point, stamping his rabbit foot impatiently
>”ALRIGHT. Well, it was nice talkin’ to you folks, but it’s gettin’ way too late now. We best be going.”
>”Yeah, uh, maybe we can set up a meeting another day to go over this stuff?” Fox says, scratching his neck
>”Sorry we weren’t the big heroes you thought, little guys,” Falco shrugs
>”Hey, Pepper...” Slippy says. “Maybe you can hook them up with some of your army friends? They would be a lot better prepared for this sort of thing.”
>”I’ll see what I can do,” Pepper responds, sounding very noncommittal
>Krystal turns to you with heartbreak in her eyes, but with everyone else already throwing in the towel there isn’t much you can do now
>”Friends, WAIT!”
>The Pepper-like Commander Shigmoto throws up his square hands in a panic, looking to each of the Star Fox members in turn
>He beckons what seems to be a violet, female hedgehog Snesen forward, who gives a deep bow
>”Please, my friends,” Shigmoto continues, “before you go, would you allow us to show you the rest of the Great Fox? It would mean a great deal to us to have you at least see your personal staterooms, and observe how accurately we have recreated them.”
>There’s hesitation amongst the Star Fox cast, but the lingering guilt of leaving the poor strangers hanging dry wins over the desire to leave
>”I WOULD like to see what you guys pulled off...” Slippy says hopefully
>”Fine, just a quick peek o’ the place,” Peppy mutters
>The hedgehog lady rushes over to lead the way, shooing everyone out of the bridge
>”Off we go!” she sings
>The last thing you see before the bridge doors close behind you is Commander Shigmoto sending the green fox Snesen from earlier over to where ROB 64 is standing in waiting

>The Snesen hedgehog leads your team through the Great Fox — General Pepper strangely absent — stopping at each member’s room to let them in and explore their space on their own
>”An’ what am I supposed to do in here by myself?” Peppy says, stepping through the doorway to his room
>”Maybe you can take a nap, old timer,” Slippy says
>The rabbit turns around to chew the frog out but the automatic door slams in his face, completely muffling the angry ranting from the other side
>Doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to come back out, anyway...
>When you get to Falco’s room, the bird willingly strolls in as though he’s always lived here
>”Man, Falco,” Slippy says. “You look like you’re already up in space!”
>”I’ve been pretty high up there for the last hour, Slip,” Falco chuckles groggily, patting a pocket on his jacket and clicking his tongue
>He spins around dizzily and hits the button to close the doors for privacy
>Moving on...
>Slippy continues to be the one making the most noise all the way to his own stateroom, chattering excitedly all the while
>When you arrive, he darts inside before the door can open up all the way
>”It’s PERFECT!” you hear him exclaim right before he locks himself in
>Like a kid in a candy shop; he was obviously going to be the most excited to see the “real” Great Fox in all its glory
>Now there’s just four of you left: you, the Snesen hedgehog, and the two foxes
>”My apologies,” the guide says, looking up at you, “but we were not exactly prepared to have an additional member of the team join us so unexpectedly. We have no room designed for you, Private Ensign Anon III.”
>”Anon can follow us to my room,” Krystal chimes in quickly. “We can stop there after you’ve shown Fox to his.”
>The hedgehog looks from the blue vixen to McCloud repeatedly
>You can see the gears turning in her polygonal ursine head
>Fox doesn’t say much of anything, busily tapping away at his phone — likely trying to get a hold of Fara — as he wanders cluelessly through the doorway to his stateroom and closes himself inside
>The hedgehog at least has enough courtesy to wait until it’s just the three of you left before she voices her thoughts
>”Miss Krystal, the blueprints of the ship taken from the archives specified that you and Mr. McCloud had your own separate rooms when you first joined the team, which we have taken into account when designing this ship. However, we understand there were some...’developments’ in your relationship as time passed. Are the two of you no longer a couple?”
>The hedgehog looks to you with pity, likely knowing she’s making this uncomfortable for you but not so bothered by it that she would save you the embarrassment
>The blue vixen opens her mouth to explain (yet again) about the television show and the façade of her relationship with her costar, but instead sighs and chooses a more direct approach
>”We were never a couple, I’m afraid,” Krystal says. “I suppose what you saw was me repaying him for...rescuing me back at Sauria, and perhaps I may have sent out mixed signals. Fox is a sweet man, but he has always been too obsessed with his career — and himself to an extent — for my taste. In any case, there is already someone in his life, and as for myself...well, I have Anon.”
>Her fingers interlock with yours, and she boldly kisses you in front of the Snesen
>It’s a good enough answer for the hedgehog, who giggles and practically turns entirely red with a full-body blush
>Her hue remains brightly rosy until you reach Krystal’s room
>”H-here you are!” she says. “Please, let us know if you two need anything at all!”
>Then she skips off like a schoolgirl would eager to gossip with her friends
>You and Krystal gasp together when you step inside the vixen’s room
>”It really IS perfect...” she whispers
>Very few episodes of the show revealed what much of the Star Fox members’ personal spaces are supposed to look like, but from what little you’ve seen you can agree there’s nothing out of place
>Krystal pads over to a dresser and throws one of the drawers open, picking up a pair of underwear but quickly dropping it
>Someone as intimately knowledgeable about the vixen as you would know the dresser is stocked full of clothes tailored exactly to Krystal’s body
>”How did they...?” she laughs awkwardly, just as freaked out as she is amused
>Her ears perk up and she dashes over to a shallow closet
>”Does that mean...?”
>She throws the doors open
>It’s right there, hanging up a neat as can be
>Not just her iconic golden tribal outfit from her appearance on the show, which is even more authentic than the swimsuit you had specially made for her
>Not just her indigo jumpsuit from her induction into the team as a pilot, which has been her “modern” look for ages and the outfit of choice for many calendar pinups and photo shoots
>Nestled between the two is her staff, folded up and sitting on a cushioned pedestal like a priceless treasure
>This is no mere prop with safety tips or filed edges; it’s real metal inlayed with real gemstones
>Krystal gingerly picks the staff up, and in her familiar hands the weapon extends to its full length
>She tosses it to you out of surprise, and you catch the weighty staff reflexively
>It genuinely FEELS like you’re holding some sort of magical artifact...
>”They said they just copied everything from the show,” Krystal says in disbelief. “But how is all of this possible?”
>Before you have much time to think about it, a crackle and a squeal of the PA system echoes through the ship
>[GREAT FOX READY FOR TAKEOFF] you hear ROB 64 say, followed by silence
>You and Krystal stare at each other with mouths agape
>”T...takeoff!?” the blue vixen sputters


[[ CHAPTER 11: Mission Briefing ]]

>The ship is taking off; you can feel it rumble in preparation
>You race over to the door of Krystal’s room, but it doesn’t slide open at your approach
>”Oh, wonderful, they locked us all in,” Krystal scowls
>Feedback from the PA system whines again, and the sound of Commander Shigmoto’s voice shortly follows
>”Please make yourselves comfortable, friends,” he says apologetically. “We will release you from your rooms as soon as we’ve passed Corneria’s orbit.”
>For as cordial as the Snesens appear, they’re clearly not going to take “no” for an answer
>A light goes on in your head seconds later
>They’ve built this whole ship to be exactly like on Star Fox, didn’t they?
>If that’s true, then that must mean they’ve copied every flaw and every little “feature” they’ve seen from the show
>Like, for example, the specific episode when R.O.B. caught a computer virus and locked everyone in rooms throughout the Great Fox, and Krystal had to pry the door open with her staff...
>You look down at the weighty weapon still resting in your hands
>The hairs on your body stand on end as warmth spreads up the metal shaft and through your arms
>It’s a real artifact...THE real artifact in your grip, not just one of a dozen replacements from years of breaking them through stunts
>How...?
>The Snesens no doubt have a knack for replicating technology, but can they really do magic as well?
>The vibrating of the staff seems to travel down to your feet, but you soon realize that’s probably the ship getting even closer to takeoff
>Time is quickly running out
>You lunge at the door and jam the tip of the staff between the door and its frame, fishing around for the locking mechanism
>Sure enough, the door beeps loudly and hisses open
>You grab Krystal by the hand and the two of you race off toward the bridge of the ship, hoping you can reach it in time to stop the takeoff
>As much as you wish you could help the Snesens, you weren’t exactly prepared to take a trip out into space again on such short notice
>You can hear Peppy banging angrily on his room’s door as you dash by
>”We’ll get you out soon, Peppy!” Krystal calls back to him
>With just one tour of the Great Fox you’re already familiar with its true-to-life scale and layout, but the bridge is still quite a ways away from the crew cabins
>Your movement feels sluggish and uncoordinated for a moment as the ship adjusts its artificial gravity
>It even becomes harder to pull Krystal behind you, though after a few moments you realize it’s because she’s deliberately hanging back
>The vixen stops cold, watching the blue skies of Corneria fade away into the starry blackness of space
>Too late
>You’ve already left the planet’s orbit, and in a matter of seconds you’ll be hitting warp drive toward who knows where
>Krystal whines softly and looks down at her communicator, already too far away from Corneria’s communication satellites to get reception back on the surface
>”Forgot to let Kevin know we’ll be out for a while...” she chuckles weakly

>The trip to the bridge is much slower now that the futility of stopping takeoff has sunk in
>Not much later, you hear the livid shouting of the old rabbit as the rest of team Star Fox is released from their rooms and eventually catches up to you
>”When I get ahold of those pointy-faced, hostage takin’, squeaky voiced...!” Peppy roars
>”E-easy, old timer!” Slippy croaks, heels dragging along the floor as he hangs on to the rabbit’s jacket for dear life. “We don’t know what those aliens are fully capable of yet!”
>Fox and Falco bring up the rear, with the former stopping at each window as though it were a new painting to stare at, or maybe a passage back to the planet
>”Ground control to Fox McCloud,” Falco hums, patting his costar on the shoulder. “You’re looking pretty far away, buddy. Might as well enjoy the flight at this point!”
>”She’s going to kill me if I’m not back soon...” Fox moans
>The team makes it back to the bridge and you all storm inside, with Peppy at the head
>He takes a deep breath in preparation for his livid outburst, but that quickly turns into some pretty labored wheezing
>”H...hang on a moment,” he gasps. “Let...let me catch my breath...and THEN I’ll chew you out...!”
>One of the Snesens offers Peppy a glass of water, and the rabbit reluctantly takes it
>”Friends,” Command Shigmoto begins, sounding a little tired himself from having to placate the actors over and over again, “please, hear me out. I apologize profusely for any rashness on our part. However, we cannot allow you all to leave us yet. We...have no other choice. You truly are our only hope. We will all perish without your assistance. The millions of lives we have already lost are but a fraction of how many are still in danger.”
>The guilt hangs heavily on team Star Fox, and even Peppy can’t manage any more anger than a few soft mumbles
>”I promise,” Shigmoto continues, “we will repay you any way we can after this is over. As desperate as we are, we have no desire to allow you to go unrewarded for aiding us. As a matter of fact, we have already prepared a token of goodwill for all of you. To help you remain vigilant in your task at hand, we have removed some of your most troublesome obstacles in your past adventures. Please accept them as a trophy for your ongoing heroism.”
>One of the Snesens brings up an image on one of the monitors labelled “cold storage”
>Unfortunately, the reaction from the team isn’t what the small aliens were probably hoping for
>Everyone gasps in a mix of surprise and horror as the faces of five more of your show costars appear, each of them literally frozen in their own expression of shock
>Leon Powalski, Pigma Dengar, Andrew Oikonny, Panther Caroso, and the “leader” of the bunch, Wolf O’Donnell
>”They’re still alive...right?” Krystal says hoarsely
>”Of course!” Shigmoto replies, sensing the apprehension in the room. “We would not dispatch your fiercest rivals without your authority! They are, after all, criminals within your jurisdiction. We will continue to supervise them until you decide how you wish to punish them.”
>Peppy chokes on his water with renewed anger, but Slippy is quick to calm him down and play to the Snesens’ misunderstandings
>”When we get back to Corneria, you can let them go,” the frog says. “They’re been, uh, acquitted of their past crimes. We appreciate what you did for us, but these guys haven’t been ‘bad guys’ in a while now.”
>Falco teeters in close to you and whispers
>”Man, it’s a good thing they probably don’t know Andross is still walking around out there.”
>”Andross is still alive!?” the Snesens all gasp
>”NO!” the team shouts back
 >A couple medical Snesens leave the bridge to check up on the frozen captives, and Commander Shigmoto nods in understanding
>”We will release the Star Wolf mercenaries under your care upon our return to your planet. If you claim they have since been rehabilitated, we will trust your judgment.”
>Peppy scratches his chin thoughtfully
>”You can hang on to Leon a little longer, though,” he grumbles. “Creepy little idiot....”
>Slippy shoots the rabbit a look of disapproval and quickly steps back in before the Snesens can take Peppy’s words seriously
>”Alright, you got our hands tied,” Slippy says. “What do you need us to do to fix your problem?”
>The little neon aliens sign in immense relief, and they return to their stations as the green fox, Shigmoto’s lieutenant, pulls up some more images on the various monitors
>”We will be arriving at the wormhole to our dimension within two days’ time. From there, we will not be far from Sector FX, where the source of the entropic force emanates from. The Great Fox will allow us to approach the Sector where our own squads have failed, but we believe in order to stop the destructive effects of the entropy we will have to send some of you down to the surface of a planet located right in the nexus of the force. Our molecular composition is vulnerable to the entropy, but your bodies should be able to ignore it.”
>”Should be...?” the team mouths in unison
>”During the excursion,” the green fox alien continues, “we have prepared simulations of the controls for your Arwings for you to practice with. While some of you are down on the planet’s surface, the rest of you will need to protect the Great Fox as it waits in orbit. We do not expect heavy military opposition from the source of the entropy, but our forces have been badgered by seemingly intelligent adversaries launched from the planet’s surface in the past. If this ship were to be attacked while it is unguarded, then our whole mission—and our people—will be doomed. Sadly, we only have the four Arwings for you to use, so you will need to delegate your roles amongst yourselves.”
>The members of Star Fox look to each other silently for a while
>”So, who’s doing what, then?” Fox says
>The answer is already pretty clear to you, but your heart still skips a beat as Slippy gives you a bit of a nudge
>”Anon’s the only one with any real field training,” he says. “He’d be better off on the ground than hanging around up here. I-I mean, if that’s fine with you, buddy....”
>He’s not wrong
>If anyone’s going to have to face any sort of danger while down on the planet, it’s going to have to be you
>Hopefully your fate goes better than it does for your character in most episodes of the show...
>”Then I’m going with him,” Krystal says, looping her arm under yours. It isn’t until she places her hand on the staff—HER staff—that you remember you’re still holding the weapon as though already prepared for battle. “The two of us will go down to explore the planet, while the rest of you can keep an eye on us from up here.”
>Although there’s palpable relief in the eyes of the amateur actors, there’s no doubt your costars are still worried for your safety
>”You sure you want to be doin’ this?” Peppy says
>”We’ll be quite alright, as long are you’re watching our backs,” Krystal says with a smile
>”You can count on us!” Falco says, wrapping his teammate up in his wings
>”Just be careful, you guys,” Fox mutters
>If the Snesens haven’t been lying to you, then there’s clear danger in what you’re about to do
>But whether your costars haven’t let the gravity of the situation sink in yet or they’ve suddenly taken on their long-time roles for real, it truthfully feels as though you’re standing with the “real” Star Fox
>Just keep thinking of this as another episode, and everything will turn out fine
>Right?

>Fox, Falco, Slippy, and Peppy are taken to the Arwing hanger, where four perfectly replicated ships are waiting
>Each one has a simulation screen lowered in front of the cockpit, and a handful of Snesens help the team into their seats
>”Still has that ‘new ship smell’,” Falco whistles
>”That’s not an invitation to smoke up the place like yer’ trailer,” Peppy says
>Slippy is visibly vibrating in his cockpit with excitement, while Fox looks like he’s about to be strapped into the deadliest rollercoaster ever
>Practically the entire ship is crowded around the Arwings, eagerly watching their heroes and saviors get ready to “fly” their legendary vessels
>”It, uh, might take us a little bit to get used to things,” Fox says with a wince as he’s buckled in
>”Not me!” Slippy says
>”That’s ‘cuz you play those pointless games all the time, Slip,” Peppy growls
>”Please, let us know if anything feels not up to your standards,” one of the Snesen mechanics says. “We tried to engineer your Arwings as accurately as possible, but we could only do so much without having the TRUE pilots at their command.”
>”I’m sure any problems won’t be because of the ships...” Fox says, very obviously nervous about the massive audience looming nearby
>You and Krystal are taken to a separate room connected to the hanger
>The armory
>Dozens of familiar suits and armaments fill the room, and without even picking a single gun up you can tell they’re not just toys or props like in the show
>The green fox lieutenant pulls up a hologram checklist as a few other Snesens collect the equipment from the racks and trunks
>”We will provide whatever you wish to carry to the planet’s surface,” he says, “as well as several days of rations just in case. We will send anything down as a supply drop should you request more assistance.”
>The Snesens follow your gaze as you examine the armory, ready to grab anything you look like you’re interested in
>A bulky laser blaster is strapped to your waist, while Krystal’s staff is affixed to the back of her jumpsuit
>You wouldn’t be surprised if her tribal armor isn’t too far off, either
>In a way, everything about the scene feels humorous
>You feel like you’re surrounded by a bunch of tailors taking your measurements for some kind of wedding ceremony
>Your wedding with your beautiful vixen girlfriend
>The moment the thought passes through your mind, Krystal breaks out into a knowing smirk
>Someday, perhaps, after this is all over with...
>You find yourself leaning in slightly, and the vixen has to remind you of the many pairs of eyes nearby
>”Mr. Anon, Ms. Krystal...” the lieutenant says. “Would the two of you wish to head to the shooting range to practice with your armaments?”
>He makes it sound so much like a recreational activity, too, rather than preparation for some dangerous mission
>Even Krystal sounds as though she’s back on vacation
>”Yes, that would be lovely.”
>Her eyes don’t break contact with yours the whole way there


[[ CHAPTER 12: Sector FX ]]

>You’re almost ready to head down to the planet just so you can have some private time with Krystal
>Over the next two days, the Snesens barely leave you side for a second
>Even when you and Krystal retire to her room for the night, you imagine there are at least two or three of them waiting in the halls ready to cater to any request you have
>They’re clearly trying to be good hosts, though in a way it also feels as though they’re prison guards trying to prevent you from running away
>As if there’s anywhere you could even run away to on the Great Fox
>You and Krystal spend most of the trip training and exercising, while the rest of your team practices on the simulations
>It must be intense, because Fox looks like he saw a ghost after the first session in the cockpit
>Meanwhile, Slippy is ecstatic and Falco looks just as chill as usual
>Even Peppy has an unusual spryness to his step
>”I’ll be damned,” the old rabbit chuckles. “Didn’t think I still had it in me.”
>Par for the course, the Snesens still seem oblivious to the truth about the actors, even as they struggle to get used to flying actual Arwings
>They’re quick to take the blame as well, chalking up Star Fox’s difficulty with the simulations to their own programming shortcomings
>They’re so willing to please you and so hopeful in your success that failing them might be a bigger consequence than actually dying
>Regardless, you can’t shake the worry you have for your costars
>The more you think about it, the less you’re worried about your own safety—even Krystal will be fine with you at her side
>But the inexperienced and (in Peppy’s case) aged television stars can only be so prepared for genuine combat, and you have grim daydreams about them colliding with a meteoroid the second they leave the Great Fox
>All you can wish for is that the mission on the planet’s surface goes as quick as possible, so that your teammates have less chance of blowing themselves up or something
>The time goes by just as fast as it did on the S.S. DePon, and before you know it the Great Fox pulls out of warp drive
>Sector FX
>The Snesens collectively hold their breath as you approach the orbit of a rather lush, overgrown looking planet
>Countless rings circle the sphere, like a perpetual firework explosion of space debris
>The planet itself is a mix of many different, vivid colors; even the oceans have exotic shades like purple and orange floating in patchy spots
>The whole celestial body appears as though it’s a coalescence of strange shapes, hues, and biomes
>It would be a beautiful place to explore if it didn’t have such an ominous connection to it
>At that moment, the rings spin and the clouds of the atmosphere churn, and a pulse of static radiates from the planet
>You instinctively flinch as the wave of static washes over the Great Fox
>But nothing seems to happen
>The Snesens mutter amongst themselves with dark, hushed tones
>”We must hurry,” Commander Shigmoto says solemnly. “Each time the planet has done that, our lingering forces within Snesen-constructed vessels were instantly decimated. It will not be long before the wave spreads out and reaches our home world, and claims another fraction of our population.”
>You suddenly think back to your vacation with Krystal on Zoness
>The news was covering some sort of strange radiation patterns on Lylat’s edge, but you don’t recall the story ever developing beyond that
>Obviously it didn’t lead to some cataclysmic disintegration of the system, like it has with the Snesens
>All this time, their people have been slowly getting wiped away from the universe itself while Lylat’s own have been oblivious to the calamity
>Shigmoto turns to you and Krystal
>”We have almost finished preparing a small shuttle that will take you to the planet’s surface. Your teammates will be following beside you to clear a path through the debris as you pass along the rings.”
>You can hear Fox’s worried squeak without even looking at him
>”We will navigate you as close as possible to what we believe is the origin point of the entropic wave. Once you have landed, it will be up to the two of you to travel to the source and figure out how to disable it. We will keep an open communication at all times if you need any assistance. Please, do not hesitate to call if something is amiss.”
>Krystal takes your hand as everyone else holds theirs up to his or her foreheads in salute
>Their expressions range from concern to pride, even amongst your costars
>”Have fun down there, you two,” Falco says
>”We’ll be right behind you!” Slippy pipes up
>Team Star Fox splits up, with the four pilots heading toward the Arwing hanger bay while you and Krystal are taken to the shuttle
>It looks more like an escape pod than a luxurious travel vessel, but as long as it gets you down there in one piece you couldn’t care less about the lack of legroom
>You squeeze yourself inside with the blue vixen and your supplies, and up until the very end you can see head after head of the Snesens trying to get one final look at their heroes through the windows
>You keep your grip on Krystal as tight as you can while the countdown begins
>10...
>9...
>The voices of your teammates crackle on the communicators one by one as they test the signal
>”F-Fox here. How’s this sound to everyone?”
>8...
>7...
>”PEPPY HERE. YER’ GONNA HAVE TO SPEAK UP A BIT, FOX.”
>”Turn on the noise dampeners, Pep! Uh, this is Slippy!”
>6...
>5...
>4...
>”Huh? Oh, yeah. Falco here! Ready...to...goooo...hah....”
>3...
>2...
>1...
>Krystal leans forward and plans a kiss on your lips
>”Good luck,” she breathes
>You try to reciprocate, but you’re held back firmly by the propulsion of the shuttle
>This is it
>Time to be a hero

>The silence of space is broken only by the hum of the shuttle engine
>And then by Peppy as you see one of the Arwings zip forward past you
>”Slippy, get back here!”
>Slippy’s ship lets loose a bombardment of lasers to blast away some rocks hovering just outside of your trajectory
>”Just clearing a path for them, old timer,” Slippy says. “Geez....”
>”Way to get in the spirit of the show, Pep!” Falco laughs
>”It...just sorta’ slipped out...” Peppy says sheepishly
>”He’s got a point though, Slippy,” Fox says, his voice an octave or two higher than usual. “Don’t go charging ahead so recklessly! We need to get everyone home alive, you know!”
>”You got someone waiting for you back on Corneria, Fox?” Falco teases
>”N-no! I mean, yes! But...that’s not the point!”
>”Why don’t YOU take charge then, ‘leader’?” Peppy joins in. “I’m sure Fara’d appreciate the assertiveness, too.”
>Fox’s signal goes quiet, but his Arwing pulls in front of the pack with the same uneasiness you’re sure he’s feeling right about now
>”Poor guy,” Krystal sighs after making sure the others can’t hear the two of you. “He really does deserve better than her.”
>Not that you disagree, but at this point everyone’s tried telling that to McCloud at least once
>It’s something that only HE can figure out on his own
>Fortunately, the banter between the team seems to help them get acclimated to flying as a unit
>The Snesens did a fine job of sending you down an unobstructed path to the planet, but you feel safer anyway having the boys nearby to keep things away
>The team has done far more dangerous feats on the show, of course, but seeing the renowned Star Fox in action is something amazing
>Each time Shigmoto pops on the communicator to check up on you, you can hear the applause and cheers of his people in the background
>But it isn’t long before his voice becomes more serious
>”Anon and Krystal have reached the planet unhindered. The rest of you, please fall back and provide protection for the Great Fox now.”
>”You sure we can’t give them anymore help?” Slippy says. “We could drop the Landmaster down there at least!”
>”We’re not givin’ them a tank, Slippy!” Peppy barks back
>You can practically hear the disappointment in both the frog and the Snesens
>The blackness of space turns into a bright patchwork of colors as you and Krystal enter the atmosphere, and the Arwings pull back to rejoin the Great Fox and wait for you to complete your side of the mission
>The smoothness of the flight turns into a choppy entry, and you hang on to your seat as hard as you do Krystal’s hand
>The Snesens know their engineering, however, and the landing is as painless as you could hope for
>You hover off the ground for a brief moment before touching down with a minor jolt
>As delusional as it is, part of you hopes that was the most difficult part of the mission
>You pop the door open, and the sounds of wilderness fill the shuttle
>You look to Krystal, who jokingly wipes her brow with the back of her hand
>”Well...this is it. Are you ready, partner?”
>You take a breath and nod in approval
>The two of you step out of the shuttle, quickly checking that you have all your equipment ready to go
>Your communicator chirps; Slippy’s already worried about you
>”H-hey, you guys alright down there?”
>”We’re fine for now, Slippy,” Krystal says. “Thank you. We’ll keep you updated.”
>It’s going to be a lot more stressful if they keep making such a big deal about it
>”They’re just looking out for us, that’s all,” the vixen says when you roll your eyes. “It’s good to know they’re taking this seriously for once.”
>You look out to the landscape of the foreign planet before you
>Instantly, you notice that the terrain and the flora of this place seem rather...”low-poly”
>The rocks have smooth surfaces and sharp corners
>The trees have large, pointed leaves rather than hundreds of smaller ones
>Even the ground has subtle “angles” to it rather than gradual inclines or rolling hills, yet with each step you kick up a small cloud of dirt
>The whole world looks like what the Snesens showed you earlier of their home planet
>But when you give the scenery a more thorough look, you can find plants that are more “lifelike”—ones that would be more common somewhere like Corneria
>It’s as though there’s a “real” world sprouting up from this simplistic one that feels like it’s something straight out of one of Slippy’s older games
>The bigger picture, however, is what quite literally towers not too far in the distance
>Jutting from the horizon is a large complex of some sort, built with the same simplistic geometric blocks as the rest of the world
>And much like trying to discern a vague shape in an old game with some imagination, it’s not too hard to imagine that the massive cone-like structure at the top of the tower is what’s partially responsible for the entropy waves
>If nothing else, it’s a good place to start looking for a way to save the Snesens
>With your vixen soulmate at your side, you begin the trek to the tower


[[ CHAPTER 13: Th3 Pr!m4t!v3 W0rld ]]

>For roughly an hour, you and Krystal hike along the jagged landscape
>The stretches of terrain that are level with the planet are a breeze to traverse
>You try to stick to the flatter regions as much as possible, because each time the ground ramps up to a steeper incline it becomes much more tiring to continue on
>It wouldn’t be as bad either if the ground had decent friction, but despite feeling like dirt beneath your boots there’s definitely some slipperiness to the earth
>Maybe the tank wouldn’t have been such a bad idea after all...
>Krystal keeps up with you as best as she can, rushing up behind you when you look over your shoulder so it doesn’t seem like she’s lagging behind
>”Am I ever glad...I didn’t...COMPLETELY become a coach potato...after we were fired...” she huffs
>At least she doesn’t have to worry about sweat
>You’d guess that you’re about halfway to the tower by now, though who knows what the terrain is going to be like when you get closer
>You’re just about to mention how the journey has at least been pretty peaceful when fate decides to take offense to your optimism
>The two of you freeze in place at the sound of what you’d best describe as “mechanized skittering”
>”What’s that noise?” Krystal whispers over your shoulder
>From behind a particularly large, blade-like leaf, a cluster of polygons marches out into view
>They are quite literally polygon creatures, too, looking and moving like crabs made out of gem-like polyhedrons
>They don’t have faces or any visible eyes, but the way they pivot to regard you makes it clear they aren’t blind
>”As much as I want to assume good intentions,” the vixen says quietly, “those things don’t look very friendly—“
>The creatures screech loudly before bounding angrily towards you
>Your hand darts to your blaster, and with a buttery smooth draw you take a shot at the first one in your sights before it has a chance to touch the ground
>A solid hit directly on its “body” is enough to make the creature shatter like glass, and its pieces melt into the ground as though actually falling through the planet
>You line up another one, but the enemy manages to take a shot before you
>A blocky, diamond-shaped projectile is launched from a vertex on its body, slow enough to track with your eyes but not slow enough to dodge out of the way of
>You brace for the impact
>In the moment the shot would strike you, a pulse of bright blue shines from your body and repels the bullet right back into one of the creatures
>A reflector?
>It sounds vaguely familiar from when the Snesens briefed you on your equipment, but you still had your doubts about any of this stuff actually working
>Like when Slippy babbles on about some alien technology on the show using off-the-cuff (and frequently nonsensical) computer jargon
>The creatures fire another few rounds at you, and you volley their shots back with a reflection
>When they destroy half of their own units by accident they switch to a more physical tactic
>Three of them make a shockingly high jump in an attempt to pounce you, aiming themselves downward like drills
>You pick off one...two...but the third one comes in at too wild an angle to anticipate its approach
>You don’t think the reflector is going to shove those sharp legs it has away this time
>It’s close enough for you to barely make out your reflection in its body, just before it gets hurled back violently
>Its body disintegrates in midair, like a rain of little shards
>A puff of dark smoke dissipates where the creature had been struck, like the wisp of a snuffed fire
>The shot that hit it definitely looked a little like a fireball, and the one who fired it...
>”O-OH!” Krystal gasps, her hands trembling a bit as she clutches her staff. “I-I didn’t actually think...EEP!”
>The head of the staff kicks in recoil as she lobs another fireball at another creature ambling out of the cover of the pointed shrubs
>A few more run into view, though they seem to be making a hasty retreat instead of trying to ambush you again
>Blaster shots and fireballs chase after them, and after the last several crab-things are destroyed everything goes quiet
>There are almost no signs that a fight ever broke out here, save for the faint trails of smoke that linger for only a moment
>The blue vixen is speechless
>She just points from her staff to herself, back and forth
>Yeah, right, like YOU can explain how she just did magic
>Krystal gingerly hands you the staff, and you try waving the head towards a nearby tree
>Nothing
>You try cocking the shaft like a gun
>Nothing
>It does feel unnaturally warm to the touch—similar to how it felt back on the Great Fox—but even if the staff were genuinely a magical artifact you don’t think it just did what you saw all on its own
>Now that you think about it, Krystal touched the staff before you did back on the ship
>Did the Snesens actually imbue it with some mystical powers themselves, or was it passed on by...?
>Krystal gives you an unimpressed expression, like a kid who was just blamed for something her sibling did
>”Don’t look at me,” she says, “I don’t have an answer for you.”

>You take a short rest after the skirmish, though your eyes are peeled for any more of those polygon crabs
>With any luck, they’ll think twice about attacking again after you wiped out their first assault
>The mission at hand is the focus, but your thoughts keep going back to Krystal’s new little talent
>For all the years you’ve dated her, you’ve both joked around about her “psychic abilities” from the show
>Every once in a while she’d do something that seemed a little more than just coincidence or clever trickery
>And thinking back to Zoness, it truly felt as though she was tapping into your very essence...or soul...or something
>Despite how virtually inseparable you and Krystal have been since the beginning, you’ve never demanded a serious answer about whether she really had these magical abilities or not
>It’s not like you’re going to just walk up to her one day and ask, “Are you a witch or something?”
>That’s apparently how Fara broke up with Fox the first time
>But that day in Alpine Root Cove when you connected with Krystal—in more ways than one—it undeniably felt like you passed any remaining barriers the two of you would have had left
>There shouldn’t be any secrets left between either of you, nor should you feel too afraid to hide anything
>You ask Krystal the question, and her ears droop a bit
>”I...don’t know what to tell you,” she says weakly. “It’s not as if I grew up like this as a child. I was as normal as I could have hoped for up until I joined the show. They gave me my part, and I tried my best to fit the role. Sometimes I’d pretend to light candles with my fingers, or I’d stare intently at my pet fish and try to read their thoughts. Heh, when you were as lonely as I was with all the...you know...negativity of the fans in the beginning...you would do some rather juvenile things to liven the spirits.
>”I didn’t think much about it after I met you. I didn’t need to play such silly little games with myself anymore. But...once we became more comfortable with each other, and we started joking about my ‘powers’ from the show...suddenly, it felt very real to me. I never wanted to outright SAY anything because...well, I didn’t want you to think of me as a ‘nutter’, as Peppy would put it....”
>Krystal looks into your eyes with her perfect, wide turquoise gems
>”Do you think this is too unnatural? What I can do...?”
>You don’t have to mull it over for even a second
>You just pull the vixen close and let her head rest against your body
>Out of all the crazy things that have happened in the last few days alone, you’d never let some mysterious powers your girlfriend has be the thing that damages your relationship
>If anything, that just makes her all the more unique, as sappy as it 
>”That’s a relief,” Krystal says, her voice cracking ever so slightly. “I was hoping I could confess to you sometime when we didn’t have our lives in danger, but...I’m just glad to finally have that off my chest. Thank you.”
>A snarkier, more naïve Anon would probably make a joke about actually getting off this planet alive before you can fully enjoy the vixen’s emotional liberation
>But now that you’re certain Krystal actually CAN read your mind when she wants to, things will have to be different
>And you don’t mean in a way where you have to shield your thoughts from her, either
>But instead just trying to be more optimistic, and being the support she needs when she’s unsure about herself
>So, in a way, not much different than you’ve always been with her
>”Don’t worry, I understand what you mean,” the vixen says with a giggle
>Still, this might still take some time to adjust to...

>The confession invigorated you more than the short rest did
>By the looks of it, the heart-to-heart did wonders for Krystal as well
>You have to (playfully) reminder her that you aren’t exactly on a picnic on Zoness
>”That DOES sound lovely, though,” she says, giving you a sneaky jab with her staff. “I’ve already been thinking of a list of things to do for our next trip. Something to celebrate when we get back home.”
>Yes, “when”...
>More and more of the tower’s base comes into view as you’re now only a few minutes jogging distance away
>But as you approach the final stretch, your worst fears come to fruition
>The terrain here is more dangerously sloped and jagged than anywhere you’ve crossed so far, with deep crevices and maw-like trenches surrounding the lowest portions of the massive complex in what undoubtedly has to be consciously designed defenses
>Losing your footing here could mean a lot more than sliding into a few smooth rocks
>You step to the edge of what has to be the steepest incline you’ve encountered yet
>Far too hazardous to just sit down on and let gravity do the rest
>Krystal pinches the back of your jacket and pulls you away from the edge out of concern
>”We’re so close, too...” she sighs
>Nothing left to do but find another way down, then
>The polygonal plant life nearby rustles
>Not now, dammit
>Four more crab creatures line up, cornering you and Krystal and cutting off your escape
>They’re far more coordinated this time around, and they fire their diamond-shaped bullets in unison
>You reflect a few shots, while Krystal blocks the others with a magical aura
>It’s a good thing she’s instinctively picking up on her new abilities
>When the creatures cease fire for a moment, Krystal drops her shield to try and get a shot of her own off
>But the ceasefire is a ruse
>The creatures resume blasting, and the vixen barely has time to bring her defenses back up
>The sudden, focused effort of the crab creatures sends Krystal reeling, and your heart drops faster than her body does as she falls over the steep cliff
>You make a lunge for the vixen, but she’s already tumbling out of sight
>You can’t even hear when—or if—she stops falling over your own yelling
>One shot from the crabs ricochets off your helmet, while another strikes you in the shoulder
>Your jacket soaks most of the energy, but you can feel the skin of your shoulder sting like a bad sunburn
>Blaster in hand, you roll onto your back and blow each crab away with one well-placed shot apiece, your rage driving you to inhuman speed
>The shards of the slain foes haven’t even broken up yet before you return to the edge of the cliff and call out to Krystal
>KRYSTAL!
>No response except your own echo
>If you hadn’t been hit—and you weren’t afraid of incurring the vixen’s wrath for doing something stupid—you’d roll down the incline right then and there
>You scramble to your feet instead and begin running along the lip of the cliff, searching for even the slightest decrease in steepness
>KRYSTAL!
>You call out to the blue fox over and over, pausing only long enough to strain your ears for the sound of her voice
>Finally, you find a spot that’s going to have to make due
>It’s still a 45-degree angle down, but you can’t wait any longer
>You ride the slope down, narrowly dodging some trees and boulders
>The landing is rough, sending you into a roll but otherwise depositing you unharmed
>KRYSTAL!
>You wait
>ANON!
>Your heart skips, but you won’t be satisfied until you know she’s safe
>You run back toward the way you came from, this time at the bottom of the cliff
>ANON!
>It’s much louder now
>You turn a corner and see Krystal jogging in your direction, clutching her side softly
>You don’t see any blood yet, thankfully
>You’re almost afraid to even hug her until you know she’s alright, but your fear for her wins out
>”OOF, that smarts a little bit,” she chuckles with a groan when you embrace her. “I’ll be alright, though. I’ve done worse stunts on the show, believe me.”
>It’s a good thing she’s so soft
>”And what’s THAT supposed to mean, mister?” she says
>”Fuzzy,” you’re quick to correct yourself
>Krystal nuzzles her head into your chest for a bit, listening to your heartbeat still work fervently after the horrible scare
>”At least we found a way down, haven’t we?”
>You hum a response
>Jumping off cliffs wasn’t the way you’d have hoped for, but it doesn’t seem like you have to worry about getting down any lower than this
>Krystal opens her mouth to say something, but another rustling of the nearby flora stops you both cold
>Please, not now...
>You and Krystal arm yourselves and hone in on the source of the noise
>The leaves bow and sway as something works its way closer
>You try to keep an eye on the source as well as your peripheral; you don’t need another ambush to make things worse
>”Here it comes,” Krystal breathes just soft enough for only you to hear
>The leaves part, and emerging from the brush is...
>...a Snesen?
>It obviously looks like one: blocky body and appendages, like something out of an old game
>This one appears to be a cat of some sort, but she’s the exact same shade of blue as Krystal
>Even stranger, she’s wearing a tribal sort of dress and wielding a pointed staff
>”Hello?” the blue cat says
>You and Krystal slowly lower your own weapons
>”Oh, good, you’re friendly,” the cat sighs
>”Where did you come from?” Krystal asks, seeming to think the cat is a Snesen as well
>”I ‘live’ here, sort of,” the cat replies, taking a few steps closer. “I wasn’t expecting to meet anyone else, though, and when I heard you call out to me I came to investigate!”
>Krystal scrunches up her muzzle with an inquisitive look
>”What do you mean ‘when we called out to you’?”
>The blue cat points to herself, or at least “points” as best she can with a rather square-like hand
>”You weren’t looking for me? My name’s Krystal!”


[[ CHAPTER 14: The Second Krystal ]]

>What a coincidence
>Two Krystals, one a fox and the other a cat
>Both blue, and both known to run around as tribal-clad warriors with staves?
>Are the Snesens from some low-poly mirror universe after all?
>Is there a blocky looking Anon out there, too?
>Everyone exchanges some very confused looks
>You figure the best thing to do is start from the beginning and explain what you can to the blue cat
>Who, for the sake of your sanity, you’re just going to call “Crystal” from now on, short for “Cat Krystal”
>You tell Crystal about the visit from the Snesens, how you tried futility to explain that Star Fox is just a television show, how you were basically abducted against your will, and how you’ve come to this Sector to figure out how to stop the entropy wave from wiping out an entire civilization
>Crystal nods thoughtfully, then holds up a blocky paw
>”Could you explain the tell-a-thing show again?”
>Guess she’s not just “playing” the part of a primitive tribal warrior...
>The real Krystal is about to go over everything again when your communicator interrupts her
>”Star Fox to Anon and Krystal!’ Slippy’s voice squeals over the hazy connection. “You guys okay down there? We haven’t heard from you in a while!”
>”We’re fine!” both blue girls says together
>”Uhh, I think I’d getting an echo from your end....”
>Time for another story, then
>You quickly brief the team on what you’ve found so far, including the blue cat native
>When you bring up Crystal and her relation to the Snesens, Commander Shigmoto hops on the line to chime in
>”Very interesting...not one of ours, to the best of my knowledge, no. However, it is incredible that someone who shares our ‘biologically minimalistic’ body structure has been able to avoid the destruction of the entropy wave for so long. That is, of course, unless it only radiates outward from the planet’s orbit and thus would have no effect on anything within its own atmosphere.”
>It would certainly explain why this “old video game” looking world hasn’t been erased like the Snesens’ has
>”Tell me,” Shigmoto continues. “Are there any more of your kind on the planet?”
>Crystal leans in close to the communicator, talking a bit louder than necessary
>”No, sir,” the blue cats says. “It’s just me left. My...family and friends have been gone for a while...because of the creatures hunting us here.”
>Even with very simplistic proportions, it’s easy to see sadness in a Snesen’s eyes
>”I’m sorry to hear that...” Krystal offers
>”Yes, my sincerest condolences as well,” Shigmoto says. “It is a miracle you have managed to last as long as you have in such a hostile environment. If I may ask, do you happen to know anything about the entropic pulses coming from your planet?”
>You let the commander know he’s going to have to break things down to some simpler terms when it comes to Crystal
>Still, the blue cat appears to grasp the context of what he’s saying
>”There’s a creature who lives in the tower here, who calls himself a god. He’s not like us entirely, but....”
>The cat circles the outline of your face with her paw
>”...He actually looks a little like you. Plain face, but no eyes. I’ve seen him in my dreams, and my family would say terrible things about him. They told me it’s our destiny...MY destiny...to stop him and his minions from causing great evil. Somehow, we hold the key to vanquishing him. I’ve never been able to get inside, though, and whenever I defeat his creatures he just sends more out to chase me.”
>Plain face, but no eyes...
>That sounds very familiar, and you don’t like it
>”I see...” Shigmoto says after a long silence. “Perhaps a joint effort is needed, then. Anon and Krystal may be the ticket to granting you access into the tower where this...entity resides, and you would then have the ability to put an end to this terrible destruction of my people.”
>Another pause
>”Although....”
>The commander doesn’t follow up with any further comment, and Krystal interjects to break the tension
>”We will see what can be done, Commander,” the blue fox says. “We’re very close to the tower now. Though, if there’s indeed someone trying to stop us on the inside, we may need some help.”
>”Yer’ gonna have to wait in line, then!” Peppy grumbles
>”We’ve been dealing with some bogeys of our own!” Slippy adds. “Little geometric looking fellows have been bothering the Great Fox. They haven’t been too hard to deal with, but man are they persistent!”
>”Racking up quite a high score though, hah...!” Falco says with a hoot
>”We will see what can be done, however,” Shigmoto says. “For now, please be careful.”
>The communicator cuts out, and you’re left with the two Krystals
>You wouldn’t dare ask to put the blue cat in danger, but she seems already committed to helping your cause
>”He has a point,” Crystal says with a nod. “You two might be the help I need to finally get inside the tower!”
>”Are you sure about this?” your own Krystal asks. “You could be putting your life at risk for this.”
>”I don’t have a family left,” the cat says dejectedly. “I try to be strong for their sake, but...what good is hiding for the rest of my life? If I can help out in any way, then I think I’d be doing their memory proud. It’s just...so lonely here....”
>It’s almost uncomfortable how familiar this Crystal sounds to someone you know
>But the one you’re thinking of found her happiness, so why can’t this one?
>You promise to keep her safe...both of them
>Your hands meet for a good-luck shake, and the three of you set off for your destination

>With the pair of Krystals at your side, you circle the base of the tower complex to search for a way inside
>Your girlfriend seems to have taken a liking to her “shapely” lookalike
>”It’s amazing you’ve survived here your whole life,” Krystal says. “But I have to wonder, what do you do for food?”
>”It’s all over the place!” the cat says
>She points to one of the polygonal trees, where several orange cubes hang near the top
>”See? There’s fruit all over. Sometimes those creatures leave some behind after I defeat them, but that’s pretty rare. I can’t depend on them dropping food when I get too hungry!”
>You have to stifle a laugh at the absurdity
>This planet is full of surprises
>After a while, Krystal has a more serious question
>”What will you do after we’ve beaten this thing? Whoever he is?”
>”I...don’t really know, I guess,” Crystal responds. “I haven’t given it much thought beyond that. It’s my mission to defeat him, but...well, if he’s not around to make more of these creatures, things might get pretty boring around here. I’d be the queen of my own planet with nothing to do, heh....”
>That honestly almost sounds worse than fighting for your life day after day
>At least you’re living with a purpose in that case, not just sitting on a barren rock for the rest of your days
>But there are always the Snesens, after all
>They seem nice enough—and pretty similar to Crystal in a few ways—that you’re sure they’d be willing to take her in as one of their own if you asked them to
>First thing’s first
>Gotta find a way inside this thing...
>”There’s something up ahead I was never able to figure out,” the blue cat says, pointing to some spots on the outside of the gray tower walls that look like they’re a different color
>It has to be a door of some kind, the way it so conspicuously stands out from the surrounding parts of the wall in a lighter shade of gray
>But the real key is the protruding box next to it
>Carved into the box is the outline of a hand; a five-digit, humanlike hand that’s so meticulously shaped compared to everything else on this planet
>”That’s a HAND?” Crystal laughs when you point it out, holding up one of her own blocky paws
>She tries to touch the handprint, but nothing happens
>”I come back here every once in a while, but I can never figure out what this thing is!”
>You hold up your own hand and wiggle your figures
>The cat looks from your hand to the outline on the box
>”Well, I’ll be.... You guys are kind of strange.”
>Krystal giggles at your frown, taking the critique in stride a little better than you
>Carefully, you line up your fingers with the handprint, pressing gently
>A soft glow lights up at your palm, and you her a rapid beeping
>The lighter gray of the tower wall rumbles, then slides up until it disappears into the darker shade
>There isn’t much illumination coming from the inside, even after your eyes adjust
>”This is it...” the blue cat mutters
>”Stay on guard,” Krystal warns the two of you
>Weapons at the ready, you slowly pace inside the tower
>The whole place looks to be just a single room, lined with blocky monitors and extending into the pitch blackness of the ceiling
>For having no ambient light, everything seems perfectly lit up
>It looks like when one of Slippy’s games glitches out, and the lighting is all broken
>Darkness all around you, but you and the Krystals are fully visible
>Even as the door slams shut behind you, trapping your group within the tower
> [FOOLS]
>A gigantic object materializes out of thin air
>It’s a face-like shape, or possibly even a mask
>Perfectly white, with only plain slits for eyes and a mouth
> [WRETCHED BEINGS. YOU HAVE WANDERED TO YOUR OWN DESTRUCTION. NOW YOU WILL FEEL TRUE PAIN]
>The sheer size of the face and its dominating presence might be more terrifying if you weren’t internally groaning
>It’s him
>It’s always gotta be him
>It just wouldn’t be a true Star Fox adventure without HIM


[[ CHAPTER 15: Andross ]]

>The enormous ghostly face hovers before you
>Is it too late to go back to the theory that this is all just an elaborate practical joke from the studio executives?
>You’re not staring down just any old floating head
>The being in front of you is unmistakably Andross, the villain of virtually every season of the show when the writers have completely run out of ideas
>Granted, the Andross here isn’t exactly the disembodied primate from when the show actually has a budget to work with
>This one is more like the “original” version from before Star Fox was as big of a hit as it eventually became
>Unbeknownst to everyone but true fans of the show, the actual pilot episode of Star Fox started out as a sort of computer animated one-shot, using puppets for the characters rather than real actors
>The pilot episode had the team flying extremely basic looking ships through the Lylat system, until they ultimately fought...well, Andross
>THIS Andross
>The pilot episode was locked up after the show was greenlit, and only bootleg copies circulate the lost bit of Star Fox history
>All the pieces here are so familiar, but nothing is quite adding up into a comprehensible explanation
>”So...” Krystal says, taking a step forward with confidence, “you must be the TRUE Andross, then?”
> [I SEE THE BEWILDERMENT IN YOUR FACES, AND THE IGNORANCE]
>The reverberations of his booming voice shake you to the core, and only between his sentences can you faintly make out the shouts of disbelief from your team over the communicator
>Somewhere along the way, you must have turned your radio line back on subconsciously
>Good
>Even if the three of you don’t make it out of here, everyone else needs to know what’s happening
>The monitors around the tower turn on, and you see video loops of the lost pilot episode of the show
>The white-faced Andross is present in each shot
> [THE SEEDS OF MY INFLUENCE, TAKEN ROOT ACROSS THE UNIVERSE. I HAVE LIVED FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS, CREATING ALL THAT YOU SEE ON THIS PLANET FROM NOTHING. I CREATED LIFE. I CREATED MATTER]
>The head turns, looking at the blue cat
> [I CREATED THEM. THE ONES YOU CALL SNESENS. I GAVE THEM INTELLIGENCE, AND IN TURN THEY SPREAD TO OTHER WORLDS]
>The images on the monitors switch over to shots of Sector FX, as well as the Snesen homeworld
>The same footage of the planet disintegrating Commander Shigmoto showed you plays again and again
> [BUT WHEN MY APTITUDE FOR CREATING MATTER EVOLVED BEYOND SIMPLISTIC SHAPES, I SOON REALIZED MY OMNIPOTENCE HAD REACHED ITS LIMIT. I COULD CREATE NO COMPLEX DESIGNS...NOT WITHOUT MORE ESSENCE. NOT WITHOUT DECOMPOSING WHAT I HAD ALREADY BUILT. AS LONG AS THE SNESENS CONTINUED TO EXIST, THEY HALTED MY PROGRESS. ONLY AFTER UNDOING THEIR PEOPLE AND HOMEWORLD COULD I CREATE MORE INTRICATE OBJECTS]
>Come to think of it, you do remember seeing some more “natural” plant life when you first touched down on this planet
>This Andross look-alike must have started creating stuff that looked and acted more like “real” scenery, yet he had to abruptly stop when he ran out of building blocks
>But instead of just disassembling what he already created for more material, now he wants to destroy the Snesens and the whole civilization they’ve made for themselves just because they’ve made their own destiny
>Neither Krystal looks any more pleased about this false god’s selfishness than you do
>”You can’t just destroy these people and their home solely because you want a bigger sandbox to play in,” your blue vixen scowls. “We won’t allow you to do this!”
> [THE HOLLOWNESS OF YOUR WORDS IS ONLY ECLIPSED BY YOUR BLATANT THIEVERY] the white-faced Andross bellows. [YOU OWE ALL YOUR FAME, ALL YOUR TALENT, FROM ME. THAT POWER YOU POSSESS COMES FROM HER...AND THUS FROM ME]
>He turns to the blocky Crystal as he says this, then returns to you and your own Krystal
> [THE CHARADE YOUR PEOPLE PERFORM ON CORNERIA FOR ENTERTAINMENT IS THE RESULT OF MY INFLUENCE. AFTER I FIRST ATTEMPTED TO RECLAIM MY POWER FROM THE SNESENS, SOME OF THE RESIDULE ESSENCE WAS PUSHED BEYOND MY REACH. YOUR PEOPLE’S DREAMS WERE INSTILLED WITH INSPIRATION, AND YOU CREATED A PARODY OF ME WITH FALSIFIED RECORDS OF MY DEFEAT AT YOUR HANDS. WHAT YOU THOUGHT WAS CREATIVITY WAS TRULY A MOCKERY OF MY BEING]
>Everyone jokes about the lack of originality in television writing, but if what he says is true, then Star Fox’s creators really have no excuse
>Was the whole show really just some stolen memories from this megalomaniac’s attempts at taking back his powers?
>Then...what about Krystal?
> [THE BLUE ONE IS NO DIFFERENT. DO YOU NOT FIND IT PECULIAR THEY LOOK SO SIMILAR? THAT THEY SHARE THE SAME NAME? THAT THEY POSSESS ABILITIES NO OTHERS YOU HAVE ENCOUNTERED ON YOUR HOME WORLD POSSESS?]
>The fake Andross regards Crystal again
> [FOR YEARS NOW, THIS ONE HAS EVADED MY GRASP, EVEN AS I CONTINUE TO DECIMATE THE SNESEN WORLD. AN IMITATION OF HER NUISANCE—HER OWN “POWERS”—WAS ALSO SCATTERED TO THE REACHES OF LYLAT WITH EVERY ATTEMPT AT REGAINING CONTROL THAT I MADE. YOU ARE HER TWIN, BORN FROM STOLEN ESSENCE JUST AS SHE IS]
>Krystal’s ears droop
>You weren’t sure if you were actually ever going to discover the truth of where her magical abilities came from, but you didn’t want it to be like this
>Andross’ words clearly stung her
>The truth that the whole show was because of him, inadvertently inspiring the writers back home
>That the blue vixen’s role in the show was also because of him, inspired by this other Crystal and her own adventures
>It’s still a miracle that any of this even came to exist; that Krystal’s powers were somehow “pushed” to Corneria and manifested in her, and when the showrunners of Star Fox had a dream about putting some tribal vixen protagonist in their newest story arc they were drawn to cast the ideal person for the role, who had her own magical powers just sleeping within her
>It sounds just as outlandish as anything that the writers could come up with for the show
>So in reality, everything makes perfect sense
>But Krystal has always been her own woman, especially now after everything you’ve been through together, and no revelation from some floating asshole is going to make her any less of a person in your eyes
>You grit your teeth and tell Andross you won’t be handing him any Krystal, any Snesen, or anyone’s “power”
>What you CAN do, however, is “give him the Falco”, as your costars would say
>Andross doesn’t seem pleased at the finger you show him
> [A STUPID GESTURE AND A STUPID ACT OF BRAVADO. IF I DESIRE MY POWER BACK, WHO WILL STOP ME FROM TAKING IT?]
>Dozens—if not hundreds—of the polygonal creatures suddenly materialize around you
>You’re completely surrounded
> [WHAT YOU WILL PROVIDE ME IS INSIGNIFICANT, BUT I WILL TAKE WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY MINE REGARDLESS. SUBMIT FOR A SWIFT DEATH]
>The creatures screech and squeal in preparation for their assault
>Both Krystals try to keep the enemies at bay with their staves while you wait for the first creature to launch forward
>You could really use a bomb right about now...
>A deafening explosion rocks the tower, followed by another
>A large chunk of the building falls from the ceiling, crushing a large swath of the creatures as it crashes into the ground
>A beam of light spills in from the outside, serving as the perfect spotlight for an Arwing as it soars through the new opening
>The sleek ship drills through the foes with its lasers, ripping through wave after wave of the creatures as it circles the interior of the tower
>You and the Krystals pick off some stragglers with your own shots, though the Arwing cleans up most of them on its own
>Once the entire opposing force is obliterated, the Arwing pivots in place and slowly hovers down to the ground
>The cockpit hisses and lifts open, revealing probably the last face you were expecting to see
>Fox McCloud
>He looks completely shell-shocked with his hands shaking on the controls
>Commander Shigmoto appears from behind him, patting the pilot on the shoulder
>”Excellent marksmanship, Fox,” the Snesen canine says. “James would be proud to see his talents passed on to such a deserving son!”
>”B-buh...my d-dad...he’s n-not...o-o-oohhh...” Fox sputters, still shaken up by the entry
>It’s hard to read Andross’ blank expression, but you’re betting every credit in the bank he’s not happy right now
>Reinforcements have arrived
>Game over, pal

>Andross is silent as Shigmoto and a shaky McCloud leave the Arwing to join you and the Krystals
>For such an “omnipotent” being, he sure seems at a loss for what to do
>At least he’s generous enough to give you time to catch up with your teammates
>”Command,” Krystal says, “what are you two doing here? What about the Great Fox?”
>”They will be fine,” Shigmoto says. “Shortly after we contacted you, the adversaries we faced dwindled down to more manageable numbers. I put my faith in the remainder of Star Fox, and my people are in good hands with my Lieutenant. However, I needed to come here after what this one said to us.”
>He points a blocky paw at the blocky Crystal
>”It was her people’s ‘destiny’ to stop Andross. Well...now we known for certain that her people and my own are one and the same, if this cretinous being speaks the truth. We have also been subconsciously receiving his visions as he destroyed our home world, and with the archival footage of team Star Fox’s victories in the past, I believe I know what must be done.”
>Shigmoto’s paw now extends to a spot off in the distance behind Andross, someplace formerly obscured by the darkness before the Arwing tore the hole in the ceiling
>A prismatic cube floats above a pyramid-shaped pedestal, with a massive telescope-like structure above it extending though the tower above
>The power source to the entropy wave, you presume
>”It took your people to grant us access here, Anon,” Shigmoto says gravely, “but it will take one of mine to finish the job. If we are truly born of this bastard’s power, then we must possess the ability to undo him ourselves. But a sacrifice will be needed, and....”
>The Snesen dog looks to Crystal
>”It cannot be you. You have too much of your life ahead of you, young one. I will help you fulfill your duty to defeat this evil, but once it is done I ask that you leave this place and life out your life happily. You do not have to be shackled to this planet any longer.”
>Crystal doesn’t seem to entirely know what to make of the commander’s words, but she nods respectably
>For you and your own Krystal, however, Shigmoto’s message is a littler clearer
>”Commander...what about your crew?” she says. “Your people?”
>The Snesen leader bows his head, but remains standing proud
>”It is as I said. They are in good hands. Everyone...thank you. It has been an honor to meet you all.”
>He shakes your hand, Krystal the vixen’s and the cat’s, and finally Fox’s
>McCloud’s muzzle scrunches up with sadness as the Snesen General Pepper lookalike enthusiastically pumps his hand
>”I hope everyone gets the chance to meet their heroes someday, just as I have,” Shigmoto says. “You have been an inspiration to us all, Fox. Thank you.”
>”Y-yeah...sure, no problem.”
>Shigmoto turns to Andross, whose eyes are narrowed to slits with his brow sharply angled
>”And as for you, Andross, this is the final time you will show your face to anyone in ANY galaxy. Good riddance to you and your tyranny.”
>The floating mask shivers with rage, and he summons more polygon forces throughout the tower
>Whether through weakness or distraction, however, the numbers he summons are significantly less than before
> [YOU WILL BE SENT TO OBLIVION WITHOUT ME TO JOIN YOU, SNESEN. ONLY I HAVE THE BRAINS TO RULE—]
>”We’ve heard it all before,” Krystal snaps. “Give it a rest already, you brute.”
>Star Fox stands at the ready


[[ CHAPTER 16: Season Finale ]]

>The start of the battle is signaled by a chirping of your communicator
>”You guys look like you could use a hand or two!” Slippy’s voice rings out
>He’s immediately followed by ROB 64’s monotone recordings
> <<LOCATION CONFIRMED. SENDING SUPPLIES>>
>Within seconds, several colorful crates are dropped through the hole in the ceiling
>They explode in midair, revealing tiny Arwing drones that immediately hone in on Andross’ forces
>All-out war erupts, with the polygon creatures launching into attack mode
>Their attention is too split amongst the various targets now scattered throughout the tower, though, making them sitting ducks for you and your teammates
>You blast a dozen or so without any sort of retaliation, and even when one focuses on you it’s quickly dispatched by a reflector shield or a well-aimed shot
>Krystal and Crystal creates tandem storms of fire and ice, enveloping waves of enemies with their magical staves
>It’s almost scary how naturally your vixen has picked up on this—as well as how much she’s enjoying the carnage
>Meanwhile, Shigmoto makes a valiant march toward the entropy’s power supply
>Andross tries to hover in front and cut off his advance, but a blur of orange averts his attention
>Fox McCloud in all his glory
>He may not be much of a fighter, but that boy can definitely dash around
>Fox’s feet patter along the floor at blinding speeds, carried by adrenaline and more than a little fear
>Andross takes a breath and then belches a giant slab of matter at the vulpine, but it’s deftly avoided and slams into the ground ineffectually
>Fox runs literal rings around the white mask, his feet never stopping even when he pauses to change his direction
>One of the polygonal crab creatures hops into his path, but Fox’s momentum is too strong to let him slow down
>Instead, he propels forward with a flying kick
>”TOHYAAA!” he blurts out, striking the creature and sending it flying into a cluster of its allies
>There’s just no stopping him
>Even Andross knows this, and he switches over to where you and the Krystals are fending for yourselves
>He inhales deeply and lets loose an entire barrage of large slabs
>They’re slow enough to dodge, but you’re not going to take a chance to even get nicked by one
>You and Krystal dance out of the way of the attack, but the cat Crystal has a harder time evading
>Just when it looks like she’s going to get crushed, Mr. Hero himself comes sliding in
>Fox grabs Crystal and pulls her out of the slab’s path
>The two get tangled up for a moment, with Fox stammering apologetically
>Crystal, on the other hand, just lets her wide, affectionate eyes speak for themselves
>The moment is broken by the thunderous anger of Andross
> [YOU HAVE MOCKED MY EXISTENCE WITH YOUR GRATUITOUS PERFORMANCE FOR YEARS, BUT NOW YOU ARE BUT A BOTHERSOME THORN IN MY SIDE. YOUR LEGACY ENDS HERE]
>The white face prepares for another attack, but a calm voice cuts him off
>”Words that I feel would be better delivered by someone like me, Andross,” Shigmoto says
>The Snesen commander stands next to the entropy core, his paw resting on the prismatic cube
>A stalwart demeanor is chiseled into his blocky face
>For once, Andross looks worried
> [YOU...YOU...WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?]
>Shigmoto looks to McCloud with an expectant look
>Filled with a newfound sense of confidence, the hero reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out his favorite pair of shades
>He slides them over his eyes and stands with his arms crossed
>”We’re Star Fox!”
>Krystal stifles a giggle
>Just let him have his moment...
>Shigmoto presses into the cube, and his whole body takes on the same prismatic light
>In an instant, Andross is filled with the same spectrum of colors
> [NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!] he roars, filling the tower with his final seething cry
>The remaining crab creatures dissolve into nothing, and blinding lights expand from where they once stood
>The light pierces everything, feeling like a tangible object as warmth builds all around you
>Your confusion is wiped away by a state of peace, and your ears buzz with literal white noise from the light
>Your senses dull, and you’re soon gently pulled into unconsciousness
>You remember falling, but not hitting the ground

>”...on....”
>???
>”...on...non....”
>Someone’s calling out to you
>You force your limbs to move, stirring out of your unconsciousness
>”Anon! Oh, thank goodness!”
>It’s Krystal
>Her face is hovering just over yours when your eyes manage to open
>And not a second later, she zips in for a deep kiss on the lips
>You run your hands through her fur and stroke the base of her ears
>Judging from her reaction, you must have made it
>You won
>All in all, not a terrible adventure
>Once Krystal gives you your face back, you assess the situation around you
>Which is to say, not much
>The tower is gone, as are the blocky trees and rocks
>Everything has been seemingly wiped away, except for the Arwing and your teammates
>It’s almost as if you’re lying on a blank canvas of a planet, with just the starry universe above
>Andross’ sandbox of geometric shapes has been erased completely
>So...what now?
>You look over to the side and see Fox kneeling over something
>Something blue and moving
>Crystal?
>But the blocky, Snesen-like cat isn’t there anymore
>Instead, a more human-proportioned, fully fluffy blue cat woman slowly sits up
>Yes, it’s Crystal, but she’s...not a Snesen anymore?
>She examines her new body in amazement, startled a bit when Fox moves in closer
>”You, uh, you alright?” he says right in her face
>”I feel...great!” the blue cat says with a wide smile
>She reaches out and touches Fox’s cheek
>”You were a real hero back there. Thank you.”
>”Y-YEAH! D-don’t mention it!” Fox says, his cheeks somehow turning from orange to red
>The two lovebirds are just fine
>Sadly, there’s one still missing from your team
>Commander Shigmoto
>”He really did sacrifice himself, then,” Krystal muses, placing a hand over her heart in respect. “Thank you, Commander.”
>Everyone gives a moment of silence for the Snesen leader
>The silence is promptly broken by good ol’ Slippy
>”Hey! Hey! You guys still alive down there?”
>You grab the communicator and nonchalantly reassure the frog
>He’s too excited to be calmed down, however
>”Ho boy! You guys aren’t going to believe what happened! We’re coming to pick you up now!”
>”What’s gotten into HIM?” Fox says with a chuckle, Crystal hanging on him in admiration
>Up in the vastness of space, you can make out the Great Fox rocketing towards you

>The iconic flagship has barely touched down when the cargo doors fly open
>Slippy, Peppy, and Falco are leading the charge, followed by an unbelievable sight
>The Snesens as you knew them are gone; instead, a colorful assortment of canines, felines, and other animals you’d normally find throughout Lylat are behind the team
>Even with different proportions, you can easily recognize the green fox Lieutenant as he leads his crew to meet you
>”Friends!” the green fox cries in joy. “You have saved our people from a great calamity! This is...certainly an unexpected outcome, I admit...but now, more than ever, we share the image of our heroes and saviors! We are forever in your debt!”
>The newly-proportioned Snesens seem to still be getting used to having longer limbs, more complicated heads, and actual digits on their hands
>They’re so wrapped up in their curiosity and the elation of defeating Andross that you’re a little worried how you’re going to break it to them that their Commander is gone
>Fortunately, Krystal steps in to take the burden off of you
>”Lieutenant...about Commander Shigmoto...” she begins
>A hush falls over the Snesens
>Although they look saddened, you can tell they were prepared for the worst
>”We...expected as much,” the green fox says. “Our Commander has had dreams for quite some time about how one of us would need to be the catalyst to save our entire race. Even though he did not know how or when it would be, he was prepared to make the sacrifice when the time came. He has given us ample warning, and....”
>The lieutenant’s face contorts into a pained, almost sheepish look
>He hasn’t gotten the hang of subtle facial expressions yet
>”...Our Commander can be very...’convincing’ if he needs to be. He has warned us not to dwell on his passing for too long, and even in his absence I do not wish to test the extent of his wrath should we disobey his final order. We will carry on with his blessings, and keep his memories alive with our people.”
>”Yeah, about that,” Slippy says, scratching his chin. “What’s going to happen to your world now that everything’s changed? There’s nothing left on this empty rock after Andross got fried, so what’s going to happen to everything on your own planet?”
>”I’m sure there will be much confusion,” the green fox says. “Our people will find themselves in new bodies, but most of our cities will be no more. Fortunately, we had already begun an arduous process of building new structures that could withstand the entropy wave, hence your Great Fox. We were losing far too many of our people at the moment to keep up with the construction needed to rebuild everything, but now that the peril is over we should be able to repopulate eventually.”
>”There’s plenty of room in Lylat, if you’d like to visit sometime,” Krystal says cheerfully
>You can see the sparkles in the Snesens’ eyes
>”In time, we will take you up on your offer,” the Lieutenant says. “There is so much about your planets we have appreciated over the years, but we will need to ensure our own kind are taken care of before we make such a move. However, we will return all of you to Corneria first, as I am sure you are all eager to share this victory with your own people.”
>”Pfft, like anyone’s gonna’ believe this,” Peppy says, surprisingly in a good humor
>”Why would they ever doubt the great Star Fox?”
>They still don’t seem to get it
>No sense in breaking their hearts now, though
>Speaking of broken hearts, the cat Crystal grabs hold of Fox’s arm
>”I wouldn’t mind coming back to your planet, if you’ll let me,” she says with pleading eyes
>”I-I don’t see why not!” Fox says, rubbing his neck
>His costars give him a couple of raised eyebrows
>He’ll figure something out
>He’s got a couple of days to mull it over, after all
>The Snesens help load everything back up into the Great Fox, and it isn’t long before the ship takes off back toward Corneria
>Back home


[[ CHAPTER 17: Roll Credits ]]

>Normally, the exciting part of any vacation is the trip to your destination, while the trip home is the worst part
>This time, it’s the exact opposite
>The journey back to Lylat has none of the tension or fear that the initial “abduction” had, and the Snesens constantly shower the Star Fox stars with gratitude and reverence
>Everyone has given up on trying to convince them of the whole “television actor” thing, and some of the “heroes” even play into the attention they get
>Peppy, the grouch who never wanted anything to do with anything Star Fox related when not behind the camera, constantly has an audience surrounding him as he belts out lines from the show
>Every catchphrase he repeats gets him excited applause
>Slippy makes several laps around the entirety of the ship, taking pictures for posterity and not-so-discreetly eyeing up some “souvenirs” to take with him before you reach Corneria
>This is a dream come true for him, and if the Snesens would let him have the whole ship he’d easily find some way to take it home with him
>Then there’s Falco
>Still chill as ever
>Honestly, it doesn’t seem like he was ever worried about being kidnapped and roped into fighting an enemy army the entire time you’ve been up in space
>He might even beat Peppy as the first one to a nap once you finally land
>The Snesens hold a grand dinner for you shortly before you make it back, where they also present a respectable amount of credits as compensation for your “mission”
>Nobody rushes to accept it, though
>”Why don’ you folks keep it?” Peppy says. “We got more than enough of our own.”
>”You guys are going to need it if you come to visit us for real sometime!” Slippy adds
>”Just...maybe call us first next time,” Fox says. “No more crazy surprises for a little while, alright?”
>The Snesens bow gracefully, moved by the humbleness of their “heroes”
>”There must be some way we can repay you for your deeds?” the Lieutenant says
>Slippy leaps to his feet
>”CAN-I-KEEP-THE-SH-MMMHHPHHPHHH!”
>Falco muffles the frog’s mouth with his wings
>”Jus’ get us home without spookin’ too many people down there,” Peppy chuckles

>The Snesens try their best, but there’s only so much they can do when they drop you off during the middle of the day
>An enormous crowd gathers to watch as the Great Fox lands in the middle of an open park in Corneria City
>Obviously, it’s just some publicity stunt for Star Fox in their eyes, but the excitement is palpable and the crowd grows to a few thousand in mere minutes
>You’re just about to remind Krystal of how many adoring fans she still has out there, when her phone goes absolutely nuts with alarms and notifications
>Some from her agent, some from the show producers, some from worried friends and family
>The rest of your costars’ own phones join in, though nowhere as wildly as Krystal’s
>”I suppose we’re back within satellite range,” she says sarcastically
>She takes a brief scroll through the flood of messages
>Looks like a lot of people were concerned about the Star Fox stars’ sudden disappearance, especially when everyone vanished together without notice
>A few of the messages even appear to be desperate pleas from the showrunners to get the vixen back on for the new season
>”I see a lot of long, serious conversations in our near future,” she says coyly, putting her phone back into her pocket with a pat
>Her fingers intertwine with yours as the loading platform lowers, dropping team Star Fox down to all the waiting fans below
>The Snesens try to give the stars some space, but most of them are eagerly approached by inquisitive fans who rush to the platform
>”They must be part of the new season!” you hear some fans shout to one another
>The Snesens are ecstatic to share in the glory with their idols
>Even if they still think this is all “real”
>But in the end, they share good company with the rest of the fans, who consider Star Fox to be just as real to them
>”Oh, we almost forgot about Wolf and the others!” Slippy whispers to the Snesen Lieutenant
>His hushed words get picked up by the fans, and soon there are dozens calling out for the mercenaries to make their appearance as well
>”Better go an’ thaw them out before things get dicey out here,” Peppy sighs. “If they ask questions...well, just make something up.”
>Autographs and photos last for a couple hours, as well as a spur-of-the-moment Q&A panel to answer the fans’ repeated inquiries about the show
>There’s only so much you can answer without knowing that yourself, but the fans are happy to get any sort of interaction with their idols
>Star Wolf eventually stumbles out of the ship, looking shaken and extremely perplexed
>”W-what the heck?” Wolf O’Donnell slurs, still disoriented by the freezing process
>Slippy and Falco are quick to intercept the villainous actors
>”Just play along for now,” the frog says. “We’ll explain everything later!”
>The spontaneous convention continues for a while longer until both the police and the publicists for the show decide to step in before things get too crazy
>You give the fans a final farewell, and you and your girlfriend take a taxi back home
>Krystal is then immediately hounded by her agents again, trying to get in touch about her contract while the buzz from the “marketing stunt” is still fresh on the media’s mind
>It’s a good thing you’ve rested up on the long trip back to Corneria, because the calls last well into the early hours of the morning
>You get a couple calls as well, often within seconds of Krystal getting off the phone with someone who she finishes playing hardball with
>”Remember, it’s either both of us, or neither of us,” she says with a wink to you
>You stand in silence for mere moments before your own phone goes off
>”H-hello, Mr. Anon?” the agent says when you pick up. “Do you have time to discuss your contract for the next season?”
>The blue vixen gently squeezes your hand
>”We’ll always be a team,” she mouths with a grin, before rolling her eyes at the next round of her phone’s incessant ringing
>The two of you stay locked in each other’s hands as you plan your futures together
>When the last call eventually ends, you fall asleep on the couch with your vixen snugly in your arms
>The show hasn’t even started up again, and you’re already dreaming of your next vacation getaway together


[[ Several months later... ]]


>You didn’t think you’d be taking the underwater railway on Zoness so soon again, but you’re happy to be proven wrong
>The shimmering, perfectly clear waters of the resort world light up Krystal’s eyes as she sighs happily
>Work is always tiring, but these last few months have given you a renewed appreciation for your job
>Krystal’s back on the show (after some of the more vocal writers responsible for her dismissal were reportedly let go), and you’ve even been given a little more prominent role as well
>Still Ensign Anon, but you haven’t had an untimely death at all so far this season
>It was a bit of a scramble to get a new plot arc drafted in time for shooting, but with the help of your other costars there were enough suggestions to make it happen
>Oddly enough, everyone seemed to have very similar ideas for what the new season should be about
>Something to do with blocky looking aliens and a big misunderstanding about heroism...
>Oh, and the return of Andross, of course
>Some things never exactly change
>Luckily, reception to the new season has been as positive as ever
>So with preliminary shooting complete, you manage to sneak in a quick vacation with your girlfriend
>Your soon-to-be-more-than-girlfriend
>You double check the small box in your jacket pocket, making sure it’s still safe while trying not to think about it too much
>Just in case someone’s peeking into your thoughts, after all
>The underwater ride is peaceful, and you’re almost completely alone in your railway car except for one other couple
>Your vacation “double date”
>Fox McCloud and blue cat Crystal
>The trip to space and back really changed Fox, and since then he’s had a load more confidence than you’ve ever seen him show
>So much so that shortly after returning to Corneria, he finally ended his unhappy relationship and broke up with Fara for good
>Or, she broke up with him, as some have gossiped
>It’s no surprise or big secret that she kept the house and a fair amount of money when the two split, but material wealth has never been Fox’s major motivation anyway
>He’s always put the fans above everything else, especially now that he’s found his #1 fan
>Him and cat Crystal are completely smitten with each other, with Fox patiently teaching the fish-out-of-water Snesen everything about Cornerian life
>And more than likely helping her “adjust” to her new body
>When your Krystal invited the two new lovers to join you on the trip to Zoness, they didn’t hesitate to come along
>You probably won’t see them much on this vacation once you part ways to your own private suites, but they deserve to have their alone time anyway
>Everyone deserves to have their own Krystal for happiness
>The railway reaches the Todora Islands, and the four of you say your goodbyes for now
>”Remember,” Krystal says, “ThornTail Haute, 8:00 sharp. I think you’ll both appreciate this place!”
>”Sounds great. Catch you two later, then!” Fox says, giving you a bump on the fist before taking his date off toward their suite
>The transformation of the once fidgety, meek lead star has been incredible, and he’s quickly become one of your closest friends even outside of work
>With two of the most prominent guys on the show dating hot blue girls, the effect on the fanbase has certainly been interesting as well
>Blue fur dye has been selling like hotcakes among the female viewers, for one thing
>The respect and recognition you’ve gotten has boomed as well with this past season, especially given that you’ve have a prominent role in the most recent story arc—the one you and the others have pitched in to write
>Life’s been good, and the rough patch when you thought your time with Star Fox had come to an end feels like a bad dream you look back on and laugh
>The show obviously won’t last forever, but if you can squeeze out a few more good years—and maybe a movie or two—then that would be fine with you
>And then there’s always the future to plan for, with Krystal at your side
>You’re almost looking forward to the end of the show, just to see what other escapades you both can get into

>You’re laying out some nicer clothes when you hear a whistle from the bathroom doorway
>You have to suppress a grin, knowing full well who’s waiting and why
>Your stunning blue vixen is leaning against the doorframe, but instead of her black dinner dress or her iconic golden tribal clothes, she isn’t wearing anything at all
>All of her curves and her flawless coat of fur are on full display, fresh from the shower
>She clicks her tongue and shakes her head teasingly
>”I thought I had you all figured out,” Krystal says, sauntering over to you. “When you said you had something special for me to wear before dinner, I thought you were going to make me put on the swimsuit again.”
>She lifts a finger and lightly taps your nose with her nail
>Then she traces a line up to your forehead when your eyes wander down below her neck
>”I even stopped myself from taking a little ‘peek’ and spoiling the surprise,” she continues, prodding you in the head at “peek”. “That’s not easy for me to do, you know. So...what’s this about? I’ve been very patient....”
>Living with Krystal ever since she’s fully embraced her magical abilities has been eventful, to say the least
>But she’s never malicious about using them, and she respects your privacy just as she always has
>And after all, there isn’t anything about you that she doesn’t already know
>Which is why you could never find a soulmate quite like her, and why you hope she’ll give you her word to stay by your side forever
>You pull out the tiny box you’ve been keeping safe the entire trip, and even before you open the lid she’s already misting at the eyes
>”O-oh my...” Krystal sniffs, covering her mouth
>You slide the beautiful, gem-adorned golden ring on her finger, then you rub her hand lovingly
>It’ll look good with the swimsuit, you think to yourself
>Another time, maybe...
>Krystal grabs hold of you and the two of you fall back onto the bed
>As irresistible as she is like this, you don’t think there’s quite enough time to get some lovemaking in AND clean up again before your dinner reservation
>The vixen just laughs into your chest between quiet sobs of bliss
>”I love you...so much...so much...” she whispers, curling up into you as much as her body can allow
>She plants another passionate kiss on your lips, and the world around you swirls into another realm
>Her unrestrained mysticism makes every touch, every kiss, and every nuzzle feel as though you’re bursting with energy
>She might be the one without anything on but her wedding ring, but the way she connects with you penetrates down past any layers to your very soul
>Only mere minutes go by in the real world as you spend what feels like hours in the private universe Krystal has made for you in this moment
>Maybe you can slip some extra fun in before dinner after all...
>But on the other hand, you can hardly feel your body as is
>Her slender form is a comforting weight against your own, like the second half of a shared pendant that makes you whole
>Your perfect soulmate
>Your Cerinian sweetheart
>Your one-of-a-kind telepathic vixen
>Your best friend, and now your wife
>Forever partners in life’s greatest adventures



>The end