X-X-X-X

A/N: Hey Folks! Just cranked this bad boy out as I needed to clear some headspace. EA and WWC are coming up this week, next week at the very latest. This will be my last post command fic for a good long while other than EA which is a continuous story. Hope you all enjoy this one as I'm quite happy to be done with it and have the idea out of my brain. This was an attempt at humanizing Wolf and Company a bit more and delving into their pysche as well as toying around with the original ending of Command. Yea, yea, I hate it to. But, I wanted to try something different and make a less fluffy story... WELL I failed that task spectacularly. Just wait till about midway-just past midway through. You'll see what I mean haha.

See you next update!

Star Fox is owned by Nintendo

X-X-X-X

Reflections of The Mind and Heart

The mission was an easy one. Go in, snag Andrew, subdue any and all threats to bring the stupid ape back to face Cornerian justice.

Wolf snorted, that was a joke. Cornerian justice? Their idea of justice was throwing a man in prison with three hots, a cot, and a glorified health spa. The lupine looked down with his cybernetic eye that had replaced his visor piece. Corneria was such an oyster for someone like him. Able to exploit and work his way around getting the best jobs and deals. Wolf loved the fact he had companies and contractors alike lining up to get the business from him, and it made getting money and equipment that much simpler. Regardless, with the information on the job before him, he saw that a few of his old accomplices had signed on with that idiot Oikonny. More than likely he could turn a few of the goons around since a few served him when he was a pirate. The Anglar's themselves, however, would be an issue. Wolf had his combat armor done up in red and black just like the rest of the squad's. Panther was busy flirting and chatting up Krystal in the corner, Leon was playing with his knives. Each of them had their emblem placed somewhere on their armor. Panther with his Rose, Leon with his blades crisscrossed and Krystal wore a yellow ascot still to spite McCloud.

McCloud. Wolf thought to himself quietly.

Until recent events, Fox had been a ghost. Not one soul had seen hide nor hair of him. But to their surprise, Fox was put on the mission. He would meet up with them at the station. Things had been different during the Aparoid Invasion; they had achieved a sort of mutual understanding and worked together on a couple of contracts afterward. That had been short-lived and thrown out during The Blitz. They had tricked Fox into helping them on titania which resulted in Star Fox being ousted as heroes of Lylat and relegated to nobodies except for their most staunch supporters. It was a lesson Wolf learned quickly, Lylat did not care for its heroes. They only cared about who kept them safe and were convenient at the time. Panther of course cracked some joke about Fox being a little pansy and needing their help. Everyone laughed, well, everyone laughed but two of them. Wolf and Krystal remained silent whenever the joke came around. They knew what they did and how hollow the victory felt. Such a feeling of dissatisfaction was enough to make each of them want to vomit. The shame they bore was like a great set of weights tied to their feet. The silver lining was Fox had returned an in fighting form to boot. It made sense to have Star Wolf and one of the best mercenary commanders to team up together.

A gentle buzz in his private comm unit that was attached to his ear came through. Krystal wanted to ask him something. Usually, all they needed was a gentle whisper, and you could have full conversations almost right next to each other without anyone ever hearing.

"This is going to be awkward isn't it Wolf?" The voice of Krystal while a nearly a wisp, yet still it conveyed her concern at the upcoming job.

"Understatement of the century Blue…" Wolf grumbled in his gravelly voice. "Hopefully he's gotten his mojo back."

He heard the smirk more than saw it in the corner as Panther continued to blabber on about something while ignoring Krystal as she spoke out of the corner of her mouth. "More than likely he does, Fox doesn't do jobs if he feels they're too risky… he'll channel all that hurt and anger we put on him into something good, it's what he does." She sounded almost resentful, or was it remorse? Wolf couldn't tell these days.

Wolf had to admit that Fox had been stupid for what he did to Krystal, but even worse was what they had done to him. Wolf had few rules in his life, being a pirate often left you with a lax set of morals. Using a man's love against someone was lower than low, and the exotic vixen had been their key to defeating Star Fox once and for all. But just like it did now, it felt worthless, empty. He felt no joy or satisfaction like he once would have at the thought of rubbing it in. He knew exactly why as well. They had not used an ounce of skill. All that had been used was deception and Krystal had been the weapon in the plan. It destroyed Fox as a man on every level which was evident when he tried to make things right on more than one occasion only for the vixen to toss it back in his face. It was god damn wrong, and Wolf knew it. His reverie was interrupted as the comms crackled to life and Ruffians' voice filled the cabin.

"Boss! We're docking now; enemy defenses are non-existent. It's bizarre, a lot of the station lights are off, and the main landing bay is sealed up tight, but the guns are inactive. Wasn't this supposed to be a stronghold?" His voice easily conveyed concern at the current predicament.

That is odd. "Did you scan the base?"

"Shielding boss, I can't see anything through that plating."

Krystal's ears twitched as she tried to reach out and scan the base with her mind. Krystal found it strange that the station seemed to be protected against psionic intrusion. "I can't get through either. Andrew must have found a way to block my telepathy."

"Guess we're going in blind then. Great." He grumbled. That dumb ape was too smart for his own good at times. Clumsy as hell and a worthless pilot, but he had the brains. Just the lack of focus to use them as Andross did.

"Grab your weapons and let's go. Ruffian, take us in."

"Got it, boss!"

The hiss of the shuttles umbilical connecting with the airlock filled the cabin as the tube pressurized. Wolf primed his plasma rifle and held it across his chest while the rest of the squad stacked on the door ready to breach and clear with Wolf standing out in the middle. He always did like to make an entrance. Krystal checked the other side, but not even faint signatures came through the metal portal.

"Ready?" Wolf muttered. His team nodded and readied. Krystal hit the button to open the door, and it slid open. With a sudden jolt and shock, a body flopped forward with arms outstretched and into the grey lupines arms.

"Son of a bitch!" Wolf shouted. The other three members of Star Wolf quickly took defensive positions with expectations of more resistance. Only to their surprise to find the hall was strangely empty. Eerie and quiet as a tomb.

Wolf held the body and then laid it on the ground chest down It was a lizard from all appearances. Probably a gecko of some nature. Wolf wasn't entirely sure but what did catch his eye was a rather vicious knife sticking out of his back. The thing had been thrown so hard it had perforated the suit and buried in all the way to the hilt. "Damn, who threw that in there?" He mumbled.

Panther and Leon looked at each other before their gaze turned back to the body and wolf. Leon was the first to speak. "Whoever did it was a professional. Look how it was aimed perfectly at the heart. And from behind to, that's impressive." The Chameleon explained. "Whoever did it meant to kill."

Both Krystal and Wolf turned to each other with their ears perked. A signature among canines to express concern and the pair were most certainly troubled. Fox didn't use knives, not if he could help it. He always resorted to his blaster or other tools. The todd did not like getting his paws dirty like that.

Panther was the first to ask the obvious question. "McCloud got here before us?"

Wolf grunted. "Possibly…" He whispered. "Let's go; we gotta clear the rest of the base. Don't want McCloud getting to Andrew first and hog all the credit."

An uneasy joke and reference back to The Blitz. Krystal did not laugh nor did Wolf. Leon and Panther, however, found it hilarious as indicative of their laughter.

"Shut it you two!" Wolf snapped. "We're in hostile territory."

The pair silenced quickly and took on a much more serious tone as they went further into the base. The squad passed through door after door with no sign of security and nary a hint of the enemy. All around them the air was tense and unnerving. Only the gentle rush of air condition and life support running could be heard. The place was not unlike a graveyard, and for some reason, each member of the team felt as though they were in a tomb. Claustrophobic, caged in, like there was some great beast wandering the halls stalking them. Their fingers twitched on the triggers with their nerves fraying. They had expected a firefight or even a grand battle against what was left of Oikonny's old guard and the Anglar's. Instead, what they got so far was an empty station. The tension built to a crescendo until finally, they arrived at security door which had been sealed. It was the first actual sign of resistance beyond the dead body back at the airlock. Each member stacked up on either side while Krystal fiddled with the internals and got the right wires crossed. Shortly afterward the sound of hydraulics became audible with metal gears grinding together as the door opened and all four poured through. What greeted them on the other side could only be described as a scene from a horror movie.

(A/N Music Recommendation: Dance With The Dead - There's a Storm Coming.)

Beyond the portal was a charnel house. Every single member of Star Wolf gawked at what was laid out before them. Bodies of every make and species known to Lylat, Avian, Lizard, Ape, Mammal. Whoever had come through had been like a whirling dervish of death. Soldiers had been tossed into walls with enough force to bend the metal while their rifles were busted or so damaged they were beyond salvaging. A fully equipped Venomian security team replete with plasma shields and heavy combat armor lay cut to shreds by what looked like a well-placed grenade or some other blasting tool. It was impressive that even their gear was unable to stop what hit them.

The corridor continued like this, pasted in the blood of the fallen. More than a few had stab wounds while others had been shot or toted a combination of the two. Wolf's eyes were in awe of the mass carnage and destruction. He was no stranger to it, hell; he was often used to a large number of bodies. But not this, not wholesale massacres. Most of these poor bastards looked like they didn't even get a shot off. Those that did had done so in a panic. Scoring marks were pocked along the walls from blaster fire in erratic patterns. The soldier's morale having fallen to pieces during the onslaught.

"By the gods…" Krystal murmured. "Who… Did Fox do this?"

Panther scoffed at the prospect. "No way, Fox is not that good, nor is the little child this violent. We all saw how weak he truly was at the end of the Blitz." Panther spoke triumphantly. "Isn't that right my Rose?"

Krystal wanted to respond, but she was just too caught up in the massacre before her eyes. Soldiers, Scientists, Security. Everyone had been a victim of some great attack. The four moved through the slew of bodies with care until something caught Krystal's eye. The most innocent of things among all the blood and gore. With her rifle butt at rest on the metal floor, she reached over to pick something off one of the officers. It was a tuft of orange and white fur on the soldiers coat. The vixen swallowed as she anxiously brought it to her nose and inhaled the scent. Almost Immediately the familiar smell of vulpine musk rushed into her senses. Not just any musk, however, she knew it all too well from personal experience. Krystal couldn't be mistaken if even if she wanted to. Her stomach churned and balled up as pangs of guilt raced through her. Images of her and Fox curled up together as happy as could be on the observation deck of the Great Fox. The pair held in the others arms while his paw tenderly scratched behind her ear.

Krystal shook her head to dispel the memories, that life was over. He had ruined that chance and hope of them ever being happy together with his idiocy.

"Blue, what you got?" Wolf asked quietly.

"It's him, Wolf… no mistaking this scent. Fox… he did this. All of it."

"Pfft… Absolutely not. That pathetic little vulpine? Storming this base by himself and enacting such carnage? Panther does not believe it."

"What you believe Panther and what is do not always line up." Leon chided him. "Krystal, are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Here, a piece of his fur, someone might have gotten a lucky shot, or he's shedding."

Wolf inspected the fur with his cybernetic eye as it identified who it might belong to. Sure enough, it was 99% matched to McCloud with only a .000005% chance in error.

"Shit… it is him." Wolf confirmed.

Even Panther went silent at that. The black feline observed the slaughter that was around him. "This doesn't seem like McCloud's style, and he was never this brutal. Always so trusting and friendly. This? Panther refuses to believe it." Panther's tone carried within it a modicum of disbelief and a hint of terror. The mere concept of Fox becoming as they; efficient, ferocious and without sympathies. It was indeed a mind-boggling thought.

"Evidence is right here Caroso… This is his fur, and I can't find anything else that indicates he had anyone with him or someone else was here." Wolf said in finality.

Every member of Star Wolf suddenly got chills up their spine. The implications before them were not pleasant.

"C'mon." The lupine grunted. "We still gotta catch, Andrew."

No one said a thing as they progressed further into the base. That sense of unease and dread grew stronger with each audible boot step.

Wolf had begun to think about his past. All the things he had done in his life. The constant fighting, the murder, raiding, and thieving. That scene back there seemed to trip his mind into a repeating pattern of thought. Faces of those he had killed raced through his mind, too many to count. The Lylat Wars, the piracy between those wars and the Invasion. Then the Blitz. How much blood was on his hands? Wolf didn't feel guilty about it, at least not enough to a point where Papetoonian whiskey couldn't solve the issue, but, it was more his concern about what he may have done to Fox that came up.

He loved to fight that goody two shoes. Even with how many times he lost it was always a blast to put his skills to the test against Fox and his crew. Fox had always been a good sort, incorruptible, just, and fair. The vulpine took money for his job sure, but that didn't make him a bad guy. He took care of his team first before anything else. Just like himself. The todd always toted a smile or in the case of their rivalry, an almost gleeful grin on his face. It was a good-natured rivalry after the Lylat Wars. One dare might say they could be frenemies. Wolf's scheming during the blitz took all that goodwill and threw it all over the walls like some messed up modern art piece. His eyes trailed over the bloodshed caused by Fox. Wolf suddenly felt like a heel. In his desire to beat Fox once and for all he had thrown all pretense of being an honorable fighter out the window. He had resorted to deception and coercion like some shady fucking politician. The worst of it all, they had used Fox's heart against him. It was clear the orange idiot was still in love with her. He had tried on more than one occasion to get her to go back to him and stay, even after she betrayed him like that. It spoke volumes of his forgiveness and character.

Wolf could never be like that. Not that forgiving. However, doubts had begun to worm their way into his mind as the fruits of their actions were born before his very eyes; the grey and white lupine suddenly felt a pang of regret. Wolf tried to shut that part out while trying desperately to ignore the conflicted emotions and justify it in the fact that it was his job to break and destroy. Capture and kill. There was nothing more to being a Mercenary, and the rest was all sentimental bullshit. Try as he might, he couldn't ignore it. There was more to him than he cared to admit. Beneath his gruff hostile exterior was a beating heart. A mortal man, someone who loved and cried just like everyone else. He was just better at hiding it. Krystal knew it, even Leon to a degree in his Psychosis knew it. Panther didn't care. The cat didn't care about much if it didn't serve his vanity.

But Wolf? Wolf was suddenly feeling a very acute sense of restlessness in the realization that even though he had won; he lost on a grander scale.

To Wolf's right, Leon was slowly contemplating things as they wandered the base. Never had he seen such wholesale butchery on a close scale before. Sure Leon had experience with close quarters combat, and it was his forte along with stealth and infiltration. A stereotype for sure, but one he embraced. The chameleon was impressed with Fox's brutality and efficiency. Unlike his fellows, the lizard had a knack for reading the flow of battle from the bodies. It was something he had picked up in a forensics course from a different life long ago. The path and trajectory of the bodies indicated the fight was never protracted or that it got bogged down in cover. It was always moving, ever flowing and it was always against the defenders. Not the attacker. Which meant Fox had never let up and pushed forward rather than let the attacker dig in. The fact the orange vulpine had such tenacity in him made Leon smile fondly. He'd always despised how kind Fox was and how helpful he could be. A fighter should never be that gentle, let alone someone with so much blood on their hands. Leon couldn't help but somewhere in his blackened heart feel a jolt of cost as to just what they may have done and what they just might have unleashed on Lylat. If Fox had this kind of brutality in him, imagine what he could do with an Arwing or that dreadnought of his.

The prospect did not thrill Leon in the slightest.

Panther, on the other hand, was confused as much as he was concerned. Though he did well in hiding such emotion, the cat was a master of theatrics. It was a gift from his college and high school days when he wanted to be an actor instead of his current occupation. He was a mercenary and apart of the premier team that defended Corneria. Life was grand; he had money, power, a beautiful woman in his life.

The only thing that was raining on his beautiful parade was the slaughterhouse of a space station. The Blitz had gone off without a hitch, deceived Star Fox, used the gorgeous Krystal against the idiot thinking he still had a chance with the woman after what he did. After all, who could resist his charms? No one, that's who.

Despite his thoughts, there was a tiny voice screaming at Panther, one that he had long since ignored since his early days as an assassin. A voice that nagged at him and informed him precisely of what he did. His actions were among the sleaziest things he had ever done, and he had done a lot of heinous shit in his life. Panther Caroso was many things, murderer, mercenary, bounty hunter. However, at the end of the day, he was still a mortal just like everyone else despite what his ego told him. He was used to being in the thick of it, accustomed to gruesome scenes at least when he enacted them. The jungle cat could not put his paw pad upon it, but the notion that Fox had caused all this mass chaos and death. It unnerved him. Yes, the man was a system-wide hero with hundreds of enemies deaths at his hands. But that was war, most of Star Fox's jobs had been cleaning up the mess left behind by Andross and his ilk. The Aparoid war being the massive exception to that rule.

Though these were Andrews goons, they were casualties outside of war. Each hall they came and went through told the same story. Slaughter, destruction, and ferocity unparalleled. Had this darkness been lurking within McCloud all this time and hidden away? The todd managing to keep it under lock and key for so long until the perfect storm came along to expose it and unleash it upon these poor souls? For the first time in a long time. Panther Caroso felt sympathy for the dead. It was compelling and nerve-racking. The feline wondered just how they felt before the constant murderous onslaught of Fox McCloud. How hopeless it must have seemed as he butchered his way through soldiers before their very eyes. Comrades and friends cut down by one man.

That very notion that Fox had this sort of power behind him. The amount of unbridled strength and destructive potential he seemed to hold within, both impressed and terrified Panther Caroso.

What if he levies that power against us? If an entire base worth of soldiers couldn't stop him? How could we? The only way we took him down was with deception and trickery. In a full-on confrontation like this? We wouldn't have a chance, especially if he gets the drop on us.

All the while the main three of the team had been whittling away in their minds, the fourth and newest member had been reeling at everything they had seen. Krystal had no idea what to do, or how to act. Fox was here but as a brutal, efficient beast of war. She could see it in the walls and on the floor. It was something she had kept secret from the other three. The echoes within were powerful. She could feel almost every single death, every shot in anger and desperation. But those were only from Andrews soldiers. From Fox? It was a different matter entirely. His was righteous anger, a savage ferocity that he unleashed upon his enemy. While Krystal and Wolf were a great source of that, the Oikonny line had taken so much more from him. Fox's mother, his father, countless millions of others who had left loved ones behind not of their own volition. He took his rage out upon them for himself and for those he felt he had personally failed.

He always did take the weight of the system on his shoulders...

The cerulean vixen watched on Fox threw himself upon all the soldiers he came across. With blaster in one hand and a vicious knife in the other while his body was concealed behind potent combat armor the likes of which seemed to be cutting edge technology. Fox was an undisputed god of the battlefield.

Every single corridor and hall was the same; the defenders couldn't punch through the armor or the shields with their weapons. It was like shooting fish in a barrel as the Cornerians said. Even when the heavier gear came up, Fox brushed them aside with a myriad of tools at his disposal, grenades, monofilament fragmentation devices that shredded armor like butter. Flash bombs and flechettes from a shoulder mounted launcher. He had come for one thing and one thing only, to kill. Fox was not taking prisoners. Which meant if the todd got to Andrew before they did the ape's life was forfeit. Which given the trail they were following was an unconditional guarantee.

The vixen's emotions ran rampant through her mind. Should she be proud Fox got back on his feet and now as doing far better than he ever did?

No… no of course not! This isn't what I wanted! I didn't want him to become… this!

Then what did she want? She had betrayed Fox in the worst ways, slept with an enemy and still was dating one of his enemies. Krystal had never thought to see Fox in such a way, so full of piss and vinegar. Incredibly ferocious and yet, a more primal part of her whispered into her mind of how attractive it was. How much of a beast Fox had become.

Krystal immediately shut those thoughts down. There's no honor in…

The vixen paused and suppressed a burst of laughter. The amusement coming from the realization and ludicrous notion that she had any right to speak of honor after what she had done. Fox was doing as Fox did, channel his emotions into something constructive. But what lay before her eyes? It was far more than that. She could see it plain as anyone could look through clear blue waters. Fox had let loose a decade of unequaled rage that only a handful of people could quite understand. She recalled back to the mission briefing; Peppy had asked for her to stay afterward and much to her discomfort she acquiesced. The short conversation began to play over in her mind.

"Krystal, I know you and Fox haven't had any contact since the Blitz. Creator knows I haven't either until recently. A simple message that he wanted to get back in the saddle. Very curt and to the point."

"Peppy, I don't want anything to do with that…"

"Frankly Krystal, I don't give a fuck what you want."

Krystal flinched on the station slightly, and she had ever only heard Peppy snap like that once or twice. When he was that upset, you listened.

"I don't care that Fox hurt you, or you hurt him. I want my stepson back. He vanished without a trace, and now he comes back asking for the job to go after Oikonny? Not even a hello or how do you do? I hurt him, Krystal, when I had to hail you lot as Heroes? That broke my heart because I knew Fox did everything he could and what he thought was right. You betrayed him. You betrayed our family. So here I am, extending an olive branch to you. You don't have to kiss him or whatever. I don't want you anywhere near him like that. Especially since your choice in lovers is questionable at best in this stage."

"Oh stop taking up for him, you had your choice like everyone else did! Also, my love life is none of your business!"

"You're right on that last part Krystal and the second. I did. I made the wrong choice. Do you know what the right choice was? One that would have ended my career and seen me likely persona non grata?"

Krystal recalled that reveal, one that shook her to the core. That Peppy even contemplated it…

"Arresting you, Wolf, Panther, and Leon the moment you set down on Cornerian soil for high treason. Fox was acting in full accordance with Cornerian authority and by extension that puts him under the protection of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. With you actively harming him and abandoning him to the Anglars like you did along with the rest of Star Fox. That makes Star Wolf traitors. But because you had popular support, my hands were tied. Either I destroyed my career and myself or upheld justice. I should have done the fucking latter and had you four thrown into prison. If it meant having Fox around, I would sacrifice this job in a heartbeat. I forgot the number one rule James and I had… Family comes first."

Krystal had been shocked by such an admission. That the only reason, she and the team were free because they had the support of the people. If Hare did not like them, then the rest of the government sure as hell did not.

"But I didn't. I had hope, and I hoped you and Fox would reconcile. That he would come back and be the man I knew him capable of being. Instead, he vanished without a trace for almost a year after everyone left him. And you remained spiteful like a child. I failed everyone, Krystal. You, Fox, Slippy, Falco and the rest. But you turned your backs on us. Nearly killed the ones you supposedly loved. You made your choices, and we made ours. Do not throw this olive branch back at me, because you're not getting another after this. As of now, these are your orders, and you're to tell no one. Check on him, poke into his mind and see how he's doing. If you can, convince him to come to Corneria or at the very least contact me. If you manage to put aside your childish bullshit for five minutes? All the better. Dismissed."

Peppy had ripped her a new one in that office. Rightfully so, out of everyone involved in Star Fox, the old hare showed the most remorse for his actions. Falco was unapologetic about flying off to do what he wanted with Katt Monroe and leaving his supposed best friend behind. Slippy went off to have a family which while understandable, severing ties with Fox either by accident or on purpose was not.

Krystal knew her actions were inexcusable. That conversation had opened her eyes to just how much damage she had done. Peppy was always a father to her since she arrived. After the Blitz, everything changed. Now, she was faced with the consequences of her actions. She wasn't sure what to expect, but the day promised one conclusion or another.

The cerulean vixen was ripped from her thoughts as shouting was heard down the corridor. Without a word, the four of them sprinted down the hall towards their destination. The group found themselves in the heart of the station at the control center. From just beyond a bulkhead the entire team could hear Andrew on the other side shouting and hurling insults. Only by the contents alone, it was clear Fox had arrived before they did.

"Blue! Get this door open now!"

A curt nod was her response as Krystal swiftly went to work trying to open the door. She pried the panel off and worked the circuitry to get what she desired from the metallic slab. The world came to a grinding halt as the portal opened wide and through it, they saw him. Fox loomed over Oikonny, a giant before an ant. Blaster pressed to the monkey's temple, and before anyone could react, the clear, sharp discharge of a blaster shot echoed through the chamber. Oikonny's chair tumbled back from the force and fell flat on his back. A borehole in his head that was smoking from the point-blank penetration. Four sets of eyes watched in surprise and awe as Fox McCloud stood over the body quietly. He didn't cheer; he didn't yell or anything. Just dead silence and that lack of noise is what made it so damnably eerie.

He didn't even seem to acknowledge them. Instead, he turned away from the now dead body and to the central computer. His finger pads typed away while the four of them moved in around the area and investigated the interior to make sure there were no traps or sentry guns.

"Took you four long enough." The todd spoke in a voice that was devoid of any emotion. Flat and barren. "Seems I was the one who beat you to the punch this time." That was a barb. A poke at Wolf and Krystal specifically. His fingers flew across the keys before a metallic thunk was heard and a pair flat object came forth from two of the rectangular slots. One of them pocketed. The other he gripped and turned around while making for the exit when Wolf moved up to intercept. With a hard slap to the lupines chest, Fox locked eyes with him. In his palm was the other drive.

"The copy is for you shit boot. Since you're familiar with betrayal and stealing shit to take credit. Thought I'd cover my ass this time." It was a challenge, a dare. Fox wanted confrontation. He wanted Wolf to give in. "This way, we both get paid, and no one has to go knocking on death's door."

Wolf was staring not into the eyes of the Fox he once knew. This Fox was done playing nice, and he was done being the nice guy. Those eyes were filled with conflict. Ready for a fight at the drop of a hat, and instead of giving in. Wolf took the drive and stood off to the side.

It was an answer that only got a sneer from Fox. "What's the matter, Wolf? Time on Corneria make you soft? That's alright. Those cowards do that to you. I used to be the same way." He chuckled sardonically, the first sound of actual emotion within his voice. "I used to trust people, to think love mattered. Well, you opened my eyes to the truth, Wolf. I should thank you, but you putting me in the hospital was enough."

Krystal watched the exchange from the door. It was like watching two personalities swap entirely around. Wolf the calm and collected leader, while Fox became the hot-headed brash pirate. It was almost comical if not for the trail of bodies he had left it in his wake. When it was clear Wolf would not respond or give in. Fox rolled his shoulders and made his way to the exit only for her to step in the way.

The air became charged with legitimate hatred and anger running off Fox like a lava flow. His energy glowed like that of a star.

"Out of my way traitor." He said coldly. Panther was near, primed and ready to leap if Fox made a move to harm her.

"Fox, what happened to you?" She whispered. Krystal never knew his capacity for being so cold. It was a personality trait that did not seem to fit him.

Silence reigned for what felt like a turn of the wheel. His green eyes, once so filled with love and trust and bursting at the seams with hope; were now empty and filled with a fire that threatened to consume all in his path.

"You did." He said coldly. A palm was placed upon her shoulder and roughly shoved Krystal to the side. That armor seemed to augment his ability quite a bit. Krystal watched as the todd walked down the hall and away. Something in her heart knew if she didn't pursue there would be no chance of at least easing tensions. Let alone delivering Peppy's message.

She took off after him with Panther hot on her heels leaving Wolf and Leon alone.

"We gonna go after them, Wolf?"

The lupine shook his head. "You want to mess with that? Be my guest. That's a man with nothing left to lose and I've only fought one of those before. It damn near killed me."

Leon looked after the cat and vixen as the pair departed into the blood-soaked halls after the man who had carved death into it.

Fox McCloud strode among the bodies, filled to the brim with enough hate to fill a black hole. But those damned past emotions kept rearing their heads. The desire to reconcile, to reconnect with those he once called friends and family.

No, never again. They abandoned me once, and the bitch betrayed me. I will not trust those bastards again. Ever. They made their choices. I made mine.

Calling someone that name was so unlike him, even in this new walk of life. Fox hated it, but he was bound and determined to this new path. A path of loneliness seemed to be his destiny. No one at his side, no friends, no family.

I have lost all. I will do what I need to survive. No more, no less.

The sounds of heavy armored boots caught up behind him as he drew his blaster and gazed down the hall with his eyes coming to rest on Krystal and Panther. Their mere presence caused his fangs to be barred in disgust. "The fuck do you two want? Shouldn't you be off in a corner fucking while Panther runs his trap about how great he is?"

It wasn't a good insult at all, but he was far from caring about the delivery.

Krystal narrowed her eyes at Fox. "Real nice, look. I have a message from Peppy."

"Oh, you mean the piece of shit Step Dad of mine who threw me and everyone else you betrayed under the bus? Keep your message. I'm done with him."

"You asked for the job, Fox." She shot back.

"Because I wanted Andrew dead. That piece of shit doesn't get to have anything after what he has done not only to me but to this entire system."

Krystal flinched. Even when he was out for revenge, he still cared about Lylats safety. Which was more than she could say for herself? The vixen knew why Fox was like this. Everything in his life had been destroyed or taken away from him. Family, friend, love, She was responsible for that last one. Star Wolf was responsible for taking away the one thing he worked hardest for in life and usurped him in one fell deceitful swoop.

"That's all, no more, no less. Now fuck off and leave me alone. You've done enough to me for ten lifetimes."

Don't throw this olive branch back at me Krystal. You're not getting another one after this.

It was all her fault. All of this, where they were now. It was all on her.

"Krystal, let him go, the man obviously wishes to hold onto his petty regrets."

"Panther! Shut up!" The vixen snapped so quickly that it even made Fox blink in surprise.

With a deep breath, she turned back to the man she once thought he would marry. "Fox, at least take Peppy's message. I don't care that you're pissed at me, you have every right to be for what I did. But Peppy's hands were tied, he was in politics, and sadly he had to make the wrong choice to keep the peace."

Fox grimaced at that very notion. "And that's why Corneria is always in trouble. They do what feels best, not what's right. They care only about what feels good, not what will better serve them." He growled.

"Pfft, funny coming from the fox who booted his own woman off the team to protect her. A real man would be able to protect her regardless. You took the cowards way out."

Krystal closed her eyes and was a second away from shouting at Panther again when an orange and white blur raced past her. The sound of Panthers voice becoming a surprised yell as the sound of fighting stormed the air. Metal ground together combined with the sounds of it being bent was heard as Cerulean eyes watched on. Panther was on the defensive, and he couldn't even press home the attack as every time Fox struck was another hammer blow to the armor plates. She could hear it clear as day. The sounds of servo motors whining and revving up every time he went to punch.

Oh shit! Power armor! No wonder he hits like a freight train!

Even if panther did deserve the ass beating that was coming his way, Fox could kill him with that armor by accident. In a split second decision and probably not her brightest moment, she ran over to try and break them up. Her concern for both men winning out against logic when the todd's arm swiped her away. Krystal had no warning or time to react as she was hit full force with the wound up arm and was sent back first into a nearby wall. The power of the blow had been enough to kill; luckily for her, she had been wearing armor. The loud bang of metal on metal followed by a sharp yelp of pain was the only indicator as she hit the wall and crumbled to the floor.

Fox turned his head to see what happened and that was the straw that finally broke him. His eyes drank in Krystal's form that was limp and bleeding from her mouth. The mere sight shook the man to the core, his narrowed eyes went wide, and the irises became pinholes. Fear ran through him like a runaway train on Macbeth. So much so that he forgot that he was in the middle of a fight. Such was the power of the emotion that he might have just committed the unthinkable.

Panther, however, did not, and ignored Krystal's well being as he drew a vicious knife and drove it into Fox's neck. The melee weapon slipped past the shields and dug deep into the meat and chorded muscle that was taut with adrenaline.

The angered todd snarled in agony as his nerves fired off and the system within his suit warned him of life threatening injuries. The adrenaline surged back into his body which was furthered by the power of his armor. Fox whirled around and backhanded Caroso clear across the floor plating and knocked him out cold. The strain caused Fox to fall on bended knee while gripping the knife lodged in his neck. The blade was serrated and he knew to pull it free would hurt like a son of a bitch. Fueled by adrenaline and pain, he drew the vicious blade out, splattering his life blood across the floor. Fox clutched the wound as the automated system within his suit hissed and dispensed nanites into his bloodstream. Not a second later he began to feel them attack the damaged tissue. The little mechanical marvels went about repairing vital arteries while coagulants pumped into his veins to prevent further loss of blood.

The todd righted himself and stumbled towards the limp body of the blue vixen. Tears welled in his eyes as every emotional barrier he erected just fell apart like chaff before the wind.

"No, no, no... please no." he croaked out in distress. His gauntleted hand reached for the blue vixen and touched the side of Krystal's face. Fox was terrified of what he might find. The fear of no pulse or the fact he might have killed her in his moment of adrenaline-fueled rage weighed heavily upon him. "I don't want this; I never wanted any of this. Please… please be alive." The todd loomed over Krystal as his heart ached and was wrenching itself apart at breakneck speeds. That he could even strike her; that wasn't him, none of it was him at all. Everything he ever was came roaring back into his mind. The vixen he loved was still, and he couldn't tell she was breathing through her armor. All that anger and baggage fell away as his concern overrode everything like a cleansing river. The angry persona he had adopted, the rage in his heart, all of it was purged as the love and sorrow her felt mixed until there was nothing but grief and concern within.

Fox knelt there next to Krystal as what felt like an age passed. Only for the vixen to suddenly cough and to his relief stirred lightly with her head thundering in pain. The sudden touch of a glove upon her cheek had her nuzzling into it. The vixen initially thought it to be Panther only for her eyes to be locked on Fox who was standing over her and… weeping with more than a substantial amount of blood on his neck that was healing quickly before her eyes.

"F-Fox?" She mumbled and spat the blood that had been pooling in her mouth onto the floor. The bitter iron like taste making her face scrunch up. Coupled with the fact that Fox was before her and in an unstable state. She was worried about the amount of danger she could be in. Only for her fears to be eased up slightly as the words that came forth from his lips

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! He whispered frantically. In her state and considering things, she was unsure if he was apologizing for the physical attack or other things. Could it be both? Still... The fact he had struck her made her want to lash out and hit him for what he did. What prevented her from enacting that plan was the knife wound upon his neck. He had already paid a price it seemed from the attack, and only one other person was nearby when the fight broke out, which meant…

Sudden motion caught her attention which made her eyes go wide. "Behind you!" She shouted.

Fox blinked and turned around only to get blindsided by a cumbersome piece of equipment and swiped to the side. His body hit the ground with an audible sound of severe impact.

"Krystal! Why did you warn him!?" Caroso snapped. "He hit you!"

"After I tried to break you two up." She hissed in pain and tried to get up but found that several bones were broken. She was damn near useless at the moment, and that pissed her off more than anything.

"Panther will take care of this... " The jungle cat hissed "Then we're going to talk."

Shit. Panther's ego is in full swing. "Panther, no! Don't escalate it further!"

Naturally, the feline ignored her pleas. In his mind, Panther was defending Krystal as well as his ego. To Panther, Krystal was territory, and the fact the vixen had taken off so abruptly after the exchange. He feared McCloud would pull some wiles and convince Krystal to leave him.

Panther will not suffer that humiliation. Panther will remove him from the equation altogether. Him working with us was a bad idea! We don't need him! We beat him. Panther will be the one to kill the great Fox McCloud.

Krystal watched everything unfold before her eyes and hit the emergency comms on her suit that quickly chimed Wolf and Leon. It let the two know extreme danger was afoot and should bring the two running. The vixen knew full well Panther wouldn't listen to reason when he got like this. Krystal had to avert bar brawls more than once due to Panther's easily offended ego. The fact she couldn't get up and move was causing her to become irate. Forced to sit and watch as Fox and Panther continued to brawl in the hall. Panther at the moment did have the upper hand from having dazed Fox with that blow, but the vulpine was swiftly coming around with his legendary stamina combined with his power armor. Krystal knew it was only a matter of time before he broke Panther like a twig.

The azure vixen felt she needed to find out if she was clairvoyant because right as that thought crossed her mind; Panther went sailing across the room with Fox not far behind and murder in his eyes. The Fox she saw minutes ago, the one that she knew from another lifetime was gone. Here and now was the beast they had created, unrestrained and unfiltered he held up the same item Panther had bashed him over the head with earlier. Fox was going for the kill; If only she could get through to him and try to help. The cerulean vixen felt she owed him that much.

"Fox!" She snapped through pained teeth. "Don't! Please! It's not worth it! The Cornerian's will want blood if you kill him!"

At first, he seemed to hesitate. The very same pipe from earlier in his paw held high in the air ready to strike down. His fingers clenched the metal so hard it bent from the power armors grip. Wolf and Leon rounded the corner and saw Fox over their teammate on the ground and Krystal against the wall a crumbled mess.

Wolf barked at the todd. "Drop it, Fox! Don't make me fuckin' shoot you!"

"Wolf don't! Panther started it, he couldn't keep his big mouth shut! Don't do anything that'll aggravate him, he's not himself!"

Just as she finished those words, Panther began to move and climb up, going for one of his other knives. "Panther, you idiot, don't!" Krystal shouted. "He'll kill you!"

"Not if Panther kills him first!" The feline hissed.

Wolf for a brief moment saw how it all would play out. Panther would try something stupid, and then Fox would crush his head like a ripe melon with that pipe. Wolf had one shot to stop the idiot's death, and he took it. A swift flick of a button and the rifle Wolf carried became a stun weapon. Twice he pulled the trigger and hit Panther right in the shoulder blades, stunning him on the ground and rendering the jungle cat defenseless. Fox still loomed over the now immobile feline with the weapon tight in his grip and ready to deliver the killing blow. To end the life of one who had dared to touch the woman he loved most.

We're here because of me. It was all because of me. If I hadn't pushed her away, we would have been happy and safe. We'd still be together… maybe… maybe I do need to use it. But I should kill him.. I should punish him for the shit he's done!

No, no! That's not us! We aren't judge jury and executioner!

Then explain that shit we went through when we got here!

That was different! They were rebels and would harm innocent people. Panther is a scumbag and has his fair share of shit, but at the very least he's defending Corneria and keeping an eye on Krystal.

That was a mistake his conscience made. Reminding the todd that this piece of filth was laying his disgusting hands on Krystal. That rubbed Fox wrong in all the ways that served to fuel his sour mood. He loved Krystal, knew her better than anyone had, or, at the very least he did at one time. Krystal had been spot on; Fox indeed was locked in an internal struggle, ready to kill, prepared to die. His want was so great to slam down that pipe and end Panthers life. It would be an immense catharsis for him. But in the end, what would it achieve other than a temporary feeling of relief?

"Fox." Came Krystal's voice loud and clear, working its way deep into his thoughts.

"This isn't you Fox. This is nothing like you. I get it; you're mad. You're angry at the whole universe. You above all else have every single right to be, but killing him won't make things better."

Fox bared his teeth. She was right, gods he hated it when she was right. The telepathy, the intellect. He loathed and simultaneously loved it.

But he needed to know; there was a way back, a way to fix all this. Fox reached down and patted his armored right leg. Perhaps now was the time? First thing though, he needed answers.

"Why him?" he spoke suddenly, catching Krystal by surprise.

"W-what?"

"Why. Him." Fox repeated. "You could have had anyone in Lylat. Why settle for this piece of trash? His rap sheet is a mile long, and I know damn well you can do better than this fucking blowhard."

Krystal couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you judging me on my choices of.." she almost said the M word and that could cause things to spiral further out of control. The vixen knew she was on thin ice and the smallest thing could set Fox off. "Of lovers? After what you did?"

"After what I did because I loved you. You forgot that part; you always forget that part."

Krystal swallowed some more of the blood within her snout as she contemplated on his words. He's right about that. I always did conveniently forget that part whenever I tried to hurt him.

"Was it because he was the nearest body that would take you? Or was it because he had something I didn't? The fruity accent, the womanizing ways?"

Is he… he's comparing himself! He's trying to figure out where he went wrong!

It was hard to believe Fox would do such a thing. But she felt the need to answer, lest she give the wrong impression. "No… no, it's none of those things…." Come to think of it why did I even start dating Panther? I mean, he's not a bad guy, a bit up his own ass… but not bad. Every breath she took was agony, the broken bones and internal bleeding causing pain to flash before her eyes. Yet it did not silence or keep her from talking with Fox.

"Then what? I'd be less pissed off if you dated Wolf. At Least he has standards and some respect. But this piece of shit?" He muttered.

"Fox… I am in no shape to answer these kinds of questions right now. I need a doctor. You broke some of my bones, and yes by accident I know. Don't keel over in apology."

Dumbass! You're going to piss him off!

She saw Fox tense, still ready to swing.

"Do you love him?"

"Are you going to kill him if I say yes? Or will you still kill him if I say no?"

"I just want the truth. Do you love him like you used to love me?"

What is going on in his head?

Wolf and Leon were watching the whole exchange, ready to open up with everything they had on Fox but it seemed Krystal was at least managing to talk Fox down slowly.

"If you want to talk, can we do it when I'm on a biobed after getting my bones reset? These broken bones are rather painful."

"No." he stated flatly. "I need to know if he's some tool to you or if there is something legitimate there."

Why does he need to know?

"Fox, why does it matter, why does this need to be answered now?"

"Why do you keep dodging the question?"

Krystal was getting fed up with the line of questioning. "Is this some affront to your ego? Is that it? That I chose to date Panther after you? That you put me on some pedestal and think that I've sunk lower than your expectations? News Flash Fox, not everyone holds to your worldview."

You might have just killed Panther with that stunt.

"Do. You. Love him?" He snarled, terse as ever.

He's so insistent on that question, so focused on it. Krystal felt herself wondering if he had something in mind? Something he wasn't willing to talk about. But the issue was there. Did she love Panther? Or was she "In" love with Panther? The excruciating sensations coursing through here did not help matters any, but through sheer force of will she powered through the burning agony.

It was ludicrous, now was hardly the time for the pair of them to be reopening old wounds, especially when she was bleeding and wounded.

The long answer was a complicated one. The short and hairys of it though. Was a flat out no. Panther had good qualities in him, but not enough that she would want to marry and perhaps one day have children with Panther. But why did that matter to Fox?

"I'll answer if you tell me why you want to know."

Fox took a deep breath, that was only fair. With a sudden jolt of his arm, the blaster he held fired down the hall in Wolf and Leon's direction and hit the door panel which sealed the room from the two with a loud metallic thunk. With Panther stunned on the floor it was just him and Krystal.

"I need to know because of this." Krystal watched as the todd turned about to face her while reaching into his pocket. What was brought forth appeared to be a Key with a long nose and an intricate grip. It glowed bright and sparkled in the low light of the station with its golden tint.

"Fox, what is that?" It was beautiful whatever it was.

"The Krazoa gave it to me when I visited them after the Blitz. They called it the Key of Destiny."

Krystal examined the key closely from her spot. Fox brought it closer as he knelt next to her.

"What does it do?"

"Well, they said it could take me back… back to before this whole mess started." His voice wavered, something was scaring him a great deal, and it involved her. His surface thoughts were giving it away. Even with the bases shielding at this proximity it didn't matter.

"What? You mean like time travel?"

He nodded. "They said it would take me back to try again."

Krystal eyed the key and then back at him and the man he became. "Why would they trust you with such an artifact? I mean… look at what you've become."

She watched on as Fox's ears wilted and his eyes closed. His voice was but an octave above a sigh, if that. "I didn't want it to be this way." He whispered. "I never wanted to be this way."

The vixen breathed softly with the broken bones in her body as she whimpered lightly in pain.

"Here." He said tenderly, a syringe came out of a wrist shot and he delicately injected it into her exposed neck being mindful of her pain. "Nanites, Beltino's invention. They'll take care of the bones and wounds."

"Should have asked first." She grunted. "That's what got us here in the first place… Anyways, why tell me about this if they gave it to you and you could use it anytime you wanted?" The wonderful soothing feeling of pain relief swept through her body

"Because… I needed to know if what you had with Panther was real." That reply made Krystal pause. "I have to know if you truly love him or not."

"Why?"

"If I use this, no one will remember a thing. Only I will."

That's a lot of power and responsibility. He could change the entire course of Lylat's history with that thing.

"And you need to know if my love for Panther is real why?"

"Because I don't want to rob you of happiness a second time."

If there was ever a moment in her life that felt like she had been shot through the heart. That was it. As the nanites worked her body into better health, knitting bone back together and repairing the damage, he had done. Even in his most significant moment of despair Fox thought of only her well being and happiness and the overall health of Lylat. It was terrific the depths his love extended to...even when he was all but depleted of it.

"But if only you would remember?" It didn't make sense to her. "Talk to me, make me understand, why would you want to consult me?"

"Do you know how disgusting I would feel if I robbed you of love a second time to fuel my selfish desires? So that I could go back and have you again? That would be wrong on so many levels."

Her breathing became steady and even which allowed her to sit up. "So… you wanted to know if I loved him so that you would feel like it was a legitimate second chance. Rather than you being selfish and starting again because of your own mistakes. Forcing me and Lylat back to another point in time like a computer."

"When you put it like that…." He grumbled.

"It's an apt description of Fox. But, the fact you didn't use it the moment you got it expresses immense self-control and discipline. Combined with the fact you wanted to talk to me about such a massive decision, even if it came in its roundabout way." She had a question on her mind, one she was afraid to ask because in her heart and the way he behaved. She knew the true answer. "Fox… do you still love me?"

Without a moment's hesitation, his answer came forth. "Yes."

Her mouth dried up as her voice became shaky much like his. "Why? After what I did to you?"

"Because you made me feel mortal. Everyone thinks of me as some unfeeling unstoppable hero of legend. I'm not either of those things… You know it better than anyone else."

The answer was on the nose. Everyone saw Star Fox as galactic heroes, saviors of the weak and innocent. Never knowing just how ragged the team was sometimes with how much work they had to do to help Corneria keep things from falling apart. His explanation did not answer all, however.

"So, what do you want then?"

A gentle swallow in his throat when he looked down at the floor plating and then met her eyes once more. His nerves had to be frayed well beyond any sane person's endurance by that stage. Even Krystal could see it in his bloodshot eyes. They both knew the answer that was coming.

"Would you be willing to give me a second chance? I don't care about my name being big. The fame and glory can go fuck itself. All I want is you in my life; I can't go on without you."

It was that admission that made her heart throb. Even after all the pain and suffering he had endured through his life; some of which was inflicted by her very own paws. Fox still found forgiveness, somehow finding love within his heart to keep on going. But why her? Just as she could have any man she wanted in Lylat, he could have any woman.

"Why me though? Why come crawling back to me? So many people would think you were insane and stupid, even Peppy didn't want this for you. He… he doesn't think I'm good enough for you anymore."

"It's a good thing I don't care what Peppy thinks isn't it? He has no right to coach me on my life after he threw me and everyone else under the bus... As for why? You know damn well why Krystal. I love you. It's you and only you. Which is why I'm here, right now, asking for your blessing so we can try again… even if this wasn't my first intention… you're right." He muttered with a soft if somewhat saddened chuckle. "It is a rather roundabout way isn't it?"

Krystal couldn't help but smile a bit. "I guess Panther's loud mouth is good for something after all."

"Did you just...?"

"He's terrible at it… unlike you." She said with a flirty little grin on her lips before turning back to the significant question before them. One that would decide their past, present, and very future.

Fox's face lit up like a winter festival tree at the joke she had just made.

Still the same Fox as ever.

Her eyes drifted over to Panther and then back to Fox. "So, all of this will be forgotten?"

He nodded quietly. "Only I'll remember, though, I don't know what will happen if we use it together."

The cerulean vixen sat there, curious as to what might happen. "Not sure if I want to remember all this myself." She muttered.

"You think I do? Kicking you off the team was the dumbest move of my life."

"Besides trusting Falco with the spray cheese?" She said with an arched eyebrow.

"Okay, tied for the first dumbest thing in my life…" The pair of them shared a deep laugh just like they used to. The joyous sound filled the hall before it finally died down and the weight of the conversation came back down on top of them.

So…?"

Krystal bit her tongue as she searched her emotions, trying to find them and not let vindictive behavior that she had adopted come through.

"No Fox, I don't love Panther, not like that anyways. He's a decent guy, but not someone I would spend my life with."

She had thought about it long and hard for a while even before this whole mess. Panther had done right by her on more than one occasion. Sure he was scuzzy, but that was him. The third person talk was annoying, and she had been trying to break him of that to little effect. But, she saw the wandering eyes and knew of the wandering paws. It was only a matter of time before Panther went to new pastures. The fact he hadn't already was a miracle. Panther just wasn't meant for a mated life. Of that, she was sure, at least until he grew out of his immature ways. Her aquamarine eyes turned back to Fox and smiled at him with some amount of warmth.

The look on his face was priceless; she saw hope return to those eyes. A sliver of joy that things might work out, however, before things progressed she had one thing about all this.

"But… I have one caveat before I give my answer to this whole crazy thing."

"Anything." He said without thought.

"If I don't remember anything, don't hurt me again, alright? I don't think either of us will get a third chance."

"I'll kick my own ass if I make that mistake again." The todd spoke with a deep chuckle.

"I'd pay to see that," Krystal said with a smile as her eyes turned to the key. "So, how does it work?"

"Not entirely sure myself… the Krazoa weren't exactly specific."

The two looked at the key for a moment as Fox held onto it and gave it a tentative squeeze. The mystical item in question began to glow brighter than it had before suddenly; the world around Fox started to bend melt away like one of those strange modern art pieces. Stars and wormholes spiraled at breakneck speeds while he tumbled through what only could be time and space to land with a mighty thud on his bed aboard the Great Fox.

Almost immediately he was up and sprinting to the comms system. Fox did not care he was only in his boxers before staring at the digital clock next to the intercom.

January 12th, 8 Years ALW

With a press of the button, he called up ROB. "Rob, where is Krystal?"

"Pilot Krystal is in her quarters Captain, and I believe she is relaxing with some music at the moment."

Fox nearly lept out of his fur in joy. The fact she was relaxing?! He knew what he had to do. As quickly as he could the todd showered and cleaned himself up. As soon as he was at the very least presentable, he made his way towards Krystal's room.

If this is real and not some horrible hallucination… I don't know what I'll do.

Fox had no clue what was going to happen; but the next few minutes were crucial. He had to tell her, to show her he loved her with all his heart. That he would never force her away. Fox knew that his actions carried weight to them. The todd had to commit to the moment and show her that she was his everything. The life he left behind, the murder, the mayhem, and anger. He never wanted to descend into that dark pit so long as he lived.

His arrival was quick, and with a deep breath, he nervously buzzed Krystal's door. The music which was playing on the other side was cut short. Fox stood there before that very door and to him; it was the longest few seconds of his life. The door slid open with a hiss; and before him in a pair of black shorts and a purple shirt, was Krystal. Love of his life, and the most beautiful vixen in all of Lylat.

"Fox? What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." She remarked. The shocked and joyful face in front of her was lit up brighter than any sun in Lylat.

Commit, don't hold back.

That was precisely what he did. Without a thought to his actions; Fox went with pure instinct and reached out to tangle their fingers together within a robust determined grip. Krystal's cheeks flushed with embarrassment and surprise as Fox gently urged her back into the room with the door shutting behind them.

"F-Fox what-" Her voice was cut short as his lips pressed against hers in an all-consuming heartfelt kiss. Fireworks exploded within her mind. The simple contact sent delicious electrical tingles throughout her body and made her toes curl against the cold deck plating. Their palms squeezed and pressed together as Fox brought his athletic build up against her lithe frame. Deep reverberating purrs emanated from both of them as what had been building for so long was finally released. Animalistic noises of pleasure and passion flowed freely as the lovers gave in. Slowly but sure Fox urged her to the bed, swept up in his emotions as much as she was. The vixen did nothing to slow him down or stop him.

Krystal had always thought she would lead their dance to the inevitable conclusion, but this, this was a very welcome surprise. Gone was the bashful Foxy she teased and toyed with. Before her was a man; a man whose eyes were only for her and urging her clothing down her body. Exposed and bare before long and his attention began to rain down upon her. Incomparable bliss exploded through her body as the man of her dreams tended to her. For the next few hours, neither of them would remember what day or even year it was as their passions unfolded.

X-X-X-X

With the early evening well behind them, the two were resting fitfully into the night. Both vulpines were entangled with each other above messed sheets. Each fox wore a satisfied happy smile. However, all was not well; Fox stirred from his slumber and with open eyes stared at the ceiling. Those bright emerald orbs strayed down from the roof and came to rest upon the cerulean vixen in his arms. Curled against his chest and wearing an immensely pleased disheveled look; she was the vixen he loved more than life itself. To him, she looked peaceful, happy and in heaven. The idea that he had harmed her and succeeded in removing her from his life made his heart clench painfully. The thoughts of his previous life, and everything that had been left behind came to the forefront. The hurt, pain, and sorrow. So many things had gone wrong, and he would endeavor to ensure those mistakes did not happen this time around. But still, all of it stung deep, and tears leaped unbidden into his eyes. The tiny rivulets ran down his cheek fur as the emotion overwhelmed him, causing him to sob quietly, but with his chest heaving it caused his vixen to start. A soft dreamy smile upon her delicate snout turned quickly into a frantic look of concern.

"Fox? Darling? What's wrong?" She whispered and pulled him close, her arms encircling his head protectively while she kissed the top of his head.

The todd was almost inconsolable as he broke down and wept into her neck. Her neck fur becoming matted as she felt the weight of Fox's mind touch her own. There was so much guilt and fear within, the likes of which she had not felt in an eternity. She had heard stories about men doing this sort of thing but, she never believed them. With the tumultuous emotions wafting off Fox's mind, she knew there had to be more to what was happening. Instead of waiting for her loves permission; she pried into his mind. What she found there horrified her and made her want to throw up. The reflection of herself and what a horrible woman she became. How Fox had descended so deep into the dark only to be pulled back by his saving grace and the Key. Without the Key, all would have been lost. Gingerly she ran her paws through his head fluff and did her best to soothe her mate's fears.

"Hush now Fox, it's okay. That life never existed, not anymore. All of it was just a bad dream. Treat it like that; we're here and now, together as it should be." She murmured into one of his adorable ears, masking her own fear at what she had witnessed. She did not need to scare him further. Now was the time to be his hero.

"B-bu-"

"No buts darling. I'm not mad, if anything, how far you went and how things played out. I feel honored you love me so much." Krystal would have nothing spoiling their first night together as an official couple. "Go back to sleep Foxy, I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

Fox at first paused but then relented with a timid nod to his love and curled about her with his head nestled beneath hers. Neither of them needed to speak the words they knew to be true in their hearts. The soft rhythm of her heart beating against his ear was more than enough. Fox was lulled into sleep as Krystal sang to him tenderly in her language until he was far gone into his dreams. While Fox slept Krystal watched him worriedly, such pain and sorrow was still in his memories, and yet, somehow Fox came through it all. It scared her, worried her as it should have. But, she knew him; she knew Fox had been pushed to the very brink of despair and still he did not give in entirely. Surely he had succumb to his anger, but he never took it out on the innocent. The fact that his love and care for her was genuine and she could feel it as much as his remorse and sorrow is what kept her there. Fox never became a monster, not in the sense of Andrew or Andross. Krystal made a silent promise as Fox slept, she would never do any of those things to Fox so long as she lived. Even though she had watched as Fox harmed her and it disturbed her to no small degree; she would not hold that offense against him. That timeline no longer existed and as far as she was concerned; it never happened. Though it did raise a million different questions, but they could all wait. They would talk to about it when he was ready and not before. Even with all that on her mind, she would watch over Fox for sometime before joining her lover in slumber. The pair would sleep well into the night and the morning as happy as could be. Both foxes hoped to share many more nights like that for years to come.