Corneria was undoubtably the most habitable planet of the Lylat system. Not only did it have the best water-to-land ratio of all the planets but unlike its brethren, it was the hub for nearly every advance in the fields of both science and technology.

Cornerians were taught at a young age to be peaceful and accepting, something that had recently been forgotten given the events of the past few years. After Andross' invasion and the Aparoid's attack, the planet had finally remembered what peace had felt like.

And they had Star Fox to thank for that.

In between numerous interviews, assaults from the paparazzi and marriage proposals from strangers, the quintet and their robot companion had settled into a large house on the outskirts of the Capital. The great fox was destroyed after all, and after risking their necks in the face of danger, a place to live was the least the government could do to repay them. Having been living together for so long, no one was opposed to once again sharing living space. They took great care in keeping their place of residence secret from the public, a task easier said than done.

Not only because of their fame but because of the time of year.

The sixth month of the Cornerian calendar was affectionally dubbed pride month, where people of all species and origins would gather to celebrate their differences. Everyone, whether into boys, girls or something in-between was welcomed with open arms. They held parades, did talks and hired out entire buildings for conventions. These lucky structures were converted into a temporary sanctuary from hatred. Everyone in the community was accepting of everyone.

"Awfully busy out here, isn't it?" Krystal whispered to her lover, both shielded under fur dye and clothes that were much too concealing for the warm weather.

She was a bright red, he was a dark green. The sun beat down over their hooded tops, a mandatory fashion choice to protect their identities.

"It's always like this," Fox replied, hauling a bag of food shopping back home. "People go nuts this time of year."

The two of them eyed another parade passing through the streets. It stretched further than they could see, people cheering, shouting and kissing as they walked past. While Fox had no interest in the festivities, the latter stopped in her tracks, watching with curiosity.

Back on Cerinia, men married women and that was the end of it. The very idea of two members of the same gender falling in love was completely foreign to her. She had no interest in becoming a lesbian herself, yet the freedom expressed during this time was something to behold.

"Krystal?"

The green vulpine looked back at her, plastic bags heaving with groceries.

"You wanna stay and watch?"

She nodded.

"I'll be back soon, Fox. I just have to see more of this," Krystal muttered.

She sounded calm enough, yet her face was similar to a child who'd been interrupted from their favourite TV show. Fox thought it was rather cute.

"Alright, alright. I'll see ya later." He smiled, kissing her goodbye.

Some of the crowd waved to her. The vixen waved back. Everyone looked like they were having the time of their lives, despite the carnage that happened just a few months prior. Corneria City still had a lot of construction ahead of it, but the willpower and strength of its citizens were speeding up progress.

Everyone just looks so happy… Krystal thought. It's as if they've known nothing but peace.

Secretly, she was a little jealous. For most of her adult years, she'd known nothing but conflict: Her planet's destruction, her fight against General Scales…

Yet the spectrum in front of her gave her hope. Girls were kissing girls. Boys were kissing boys. Some men were dressed in outfits obviously made for the opposite gender and vice-versa. Birds, Dogs, cats and even the odd reptile strode forward together, like a big happy family.

Maybe there's hope for the universe yet…

Krystal was just about to leave when she noticed a tuft of blue near the front of the crowd. The texture wasn't fluffy enough to be fur… A bird perhaps?

Stubborn by nature, she stood on her tip-toes. The red markings around the eyes and confident smirk were unmistakable.

"F-Falco?!"

He hadn't noticed her, thank goodness. As soon as she felt her heels touch the concrete, she perked herself upright again for a second glance. No doubt about it: It was him.

Krystal shook her head in disbelief and turned to head home.

Out of everyone in the team, it made sense that he'd be into boys to some degree. He'd never shown any interest in women after all. While the other boys would at least comment on the admittingly good-looking supermodels when they came on TV, Falco would just shrug.

Did the rest of the team know? Probably not. To her knowledge, the avian had never told her about his…Preferences. Best not to mention it.

Krystal was still mulling the situation over when she got to the front door of the large house. Slippy and Fox were in the living room, watching some crappy daytime movie.

"Enjoy the parade?" Fox asked.

"Yes," She replied. "I didn't know there were so many people in the community."

Slippy nodded and pointed to the small, beat-up TV.

"They're even playing movies about gays!" He announced. Then, a sudden blush appeared on his big green face. "Am…Am I allowed to use that word?"

"Relax, Slip, it's fine. Besides, no one here's gay or anything."

Except for one of them… Krystal thought.

Falco didn't return to the house until late that night. At that point, Peppy, given his old age, had retired to bed. Fox had gone out for a drink, Slippy was in the basement working on some contraption and Krystal had busied herself with her new novel. At this point, she had showered, sending the dye out of her fur and down the drain. Although she'd enjoyed the colour red, it always felt like a relief to be back to her original hue.

She didn't even jump when the door slammed shut.

"You're back late," Krystal said, slipping a bookmark into her novel and putting it down on the table beside her.

"I was busy," The bird replied, slipping off his boots.

"Doing what?" Krystal asked before she could stop herself.

The bird shot her a glance, folding one wing over the other. He grinned in a 'You know what' kind of way. At that moment, the vixen's red face was touched with pink accents. He'd seen her!

"Oh…Um…Well…"

It was ironic at best and hypocrisy at worst; Krystal could stare down heartless mercenaries and showed no fear in the face of danger. Yet now, having her secret (Or rather, Falco's) uncovered, stole her tongue.

"It's cool, I thought you knew," Falco sighed, sitting down beside her.

He wasn't angry, that was a good start. At this point, the entire room seemed like a minefield: One false move would blow the vixen's self-esteem to smithereens.

"No, no one ever told me," She replied, deciding to play it safe. "H…Have you found anyone?"

Falco looked at her in confusion. Krystal stared back at him.

"Did I say something wrong?" She said quickly.

"Krystal, what are you talking about?"

"Have you found… Um… Another man?"

Falco stared at her for a moment.

"Krystal, I'm not gay; I'm asexual."

Now it was Krystal's turn to be perplexed. She knew about people dating the same gender, sometimes both theirs and the other. Admittedly though, she didn't know much about the whole scene and it was in her best interest to learn about it.

"What's an…Asexual?" She asked eventually.

Falco put a wing to his beak in a typical 'Thinking' pose. His pupils darted around for a bit as if thinking of the best way to explain it.

"It means I'm not interested in guys or girls," He said. "Never have, never will."

"Are you sure?" Krystal replied. "How do you not know you've not found the right one yet?"

The bird's wing moved to his forehead, the feathers pinching his nostrils in frustration. A sigh escaped his mouth. Krystal didn't need a second guess to figure out how he was feeling.

"Sorry…" She mumbled. "I just…I don't…I didn't know it had a name."

It was a flimsy apology but it was the only one she could muster. Without much knowledge of the subject, there was very little she could do to soften the blow.

She still thought the name rather strange though. She'd read that in the past, men and women had both been jailed, even killed for something they couldn't control. Those who ignored the possibility of romance altogether were never in any danger.

Were they?

"Is…Is it…"

"Difficult?"

It was as if he'd read her mind; ironic since she was supposed to be the team's telepath. With no other option, the vixen nodded.

"Yeah, kinda. Believe it or not, some assholes love to hate us for it."

"How so?"

Falco suddenly stood up, muttering something about a drink. He disappeared out the door, reappearing a few seconds later with an open bottle of beer. He took a long gulp of the sweet nectar before turning back to Krystal.

"Have you ever felt like part of you just…wasn't there?" He muttered.

"What do you mean?"

The bird took another drink.

"When I was growing up, everyone was into dating, relationships… You know what I mean?"

She nodded and motioned for him to continue. He didn't need to be asked twice.

"I…I went on a few dates, both with guys and girls but I just… I couldn't feel anything, you know? I thought I was broken."

Broken. That last word had a weight that the other ones didn't.

"People said that I couldn't keep a date, that I was unapproachable. I ended up breaking more than a few hearts. Then, I learnt what I was and… It was a relief, y'know? Just to know that for once, I wasn't alone."

"But you're not alone."

Krystal smiled and slung her arm around her comrade's shoulder.

"You've got us."

It could have been her imagination, but she was sure she could see Falco's face light up slightly. Then she saw him turn away from her.

Falco Lombardi; ace pilot, hard as nails and hopeless at hiding his feelings.

"Yeah, yeah, I know…"

She giggled and removed her arm. Falco's face returned to its original hue.

"Sorry I didn't tell ya earlier but… You never asked," He chuckled.

Krystal just shrugged.

"It was really none of my business anyway. I wouldn't like it if someone started grilling me over my…Preferences." She smiled.

"Fair enough."

That's when she noticed something sticking out of Falco's pocket. A leaflet perhaps? He caught her gaze and plucked it out.

"There's some more stuff going on all month. You wanna come?" He asked, handing it to her.

"Is anyone else going?"

"If they want," Falco shrugged. "You're the one who wants to learn more."

Krystal told him that she had plans the next day but yes, she'd make room for a visit at some point.

Over the next few days, Falco's attendance at home became rather spotty. Most days, he would spend little time with his team, making the most of the event while it still lasted. Having to hide his identity was a pain, but among these people, he could at least have one part of him open to the public.

Even if his own identity was hidden behind a pair of sunglasses and a refusal to talk. Peppy always told him his accent was a dead giveaway.

On this particular day, he was attending a 'Friendly chat for Aces'. Though with the bright letters over the door and promise of crappy coffee, everyone knew that 'Friendly chat' was just another name for 'Support group'.

"And…And that's when I finally came out." Whimpered a small coyote.

"And how did that make you feel?" An iguana asked him.

The small dog stopped for a second, eyes scanning the room. A few of the people within the circle nodded. The small vulpine clutched his fists together and continued.

"I…I felt relieved, you know? Like I could finally show my true self. I know I'm different but… I'm still me. And I like me."

The room was filled with applause, Falco himself even joining in. The small dog smiled sheepishly and took his seat again.

After the chat, Falco busied himself with drinking lukewarm coffee and watching the other people in the hall. The entire building was coated with flags of all colours and symbols. Everyone seemed happy to be here, now that the prejudice that kept society afloat were locked out.

"You seem happy."

Falco spat a mouthful of coffee back into the paper cup.

"Krystal?"

There she was, dressed in all-too-casual clothing, a fresh coat of red dye applied to her fur. She smiled and held up a handful of fliers, each representing a different sub-culture.

"Well, you can't say they're not welcoming, can you?" She smiled.

"Took you long enough to show up. Something you're not telling me?" The bird chuckled.

The fox rolled her eyes and smiled. If she was at all flustered or embarrassed by the comment, she sure wasn't showing it.

"No, I just figured that if I have questions, I should people who know how to answer them," She replied. "Besides, you invited me, remember?"

She placed the leaflets into her purse, replacing them with a cup of the lukewarm beverage her friend was forcing himself to drink.

"There's a talk by some other ace in fifteen minutes. Wanna join me?" Falco asked.

"Is he another ace pilot?"

Falco screwed up his face for a second but managed to see the funny side of the joke.

"Who knows?" He grinned. Only one way to find out."