"Unchained Memories"

Intro

"Destiny. Is there any other word as widely used to discribe the unknown? People use it to accept life, love, even death. Is there truly a force that guides us down a set path in life? Or dose a person create their own destinies based on his choices through life...many have followed their lives fearing that this "destiny" could play them an unfair hand but then again...when has life ever been fair?"

(two years after the fall of the Angalar...)

The Great Fox simply drifted in space, there was no work in Lylat for a lone mercinary. His team had left him, his faith had been shattered, and there was an emptiness that he couldn't explain. He had no memories on the years that had past, he knew of some things but others were...unclear. He was driven by the fact that he knew he was searching for something, but...it's purpose and what it truely was escaped him. The lonesome vulpine could only travel while repairing what parts of the ship he could and hope that somehow the answers would find him...

3:28am 3121ad Sep 22nd

Chapter 1

It was particullarly hard to sleep this particular night, the ac in Fox's room had broken and the only other room available that wasn't packed full of things and it depressed him for reasons he could no longer remember. At the time he decided to continue his work of repairing the ship's com system as it had been malfunctioning lately. The work was hard and long as this was usually a two person endevor, but because of his own foolishness he had no one accept for a barely functioning robot, who's only working program was as a bridge hand. The sweat rolled down his golden orange fur, he had no idea how long he'd been working at this but, he knew it was not a short while...his thoughts were his only companions now and even they seemed to taunt him for his negligant stupidity. As he finally replaced a few more wires he shouted, "Computer...intercom, bridge." He paused for a moment, "How's that ROB?"

A monotone voice sounded back, "Communications system at 97.326percent..."

Fox wiped the sweat from his face with the white shirt he'd been wearing, "That'll have to do for now. Say were are we anyhow?"

The intercom answered with ROB's voice, "Our current possition is in the Danjus system...five sectors from Varsac Prime, advise refuling as cells are currently at 38percent."

"Good idea ROB, get us clearance in advance. If i'm needed for anything I'll be in the shower for a while. Fox out."

Fox had just reached his room when the intercom sounded off an alarm followed by ROB's voice, "Captain...I am detecting a dead vessal...one life form on board...lifeform is vulpine. Current status...unconcious...cause unknown. Vessal appears to be of arwing class though slightly modified, it's fuel cells have run dry."

Fox sighed thinking for a moment that he should just leave this perosn be but, having someone to talk to seemed to good to pass up, "Clear the docking bay doors I'll bring 'em in."

Fox rushed to the docking bay just happy to have a reason to get off the ship...when he got to his arwing he looked at it sickeningly. It was once so beautiful, but now the paint had faded, rust had set in and he found himself constantly repairing it's drive systems. He was just glad there were no enemy fighters as he had not yet repaired it's faulty weapon system, nonetheless he boarded the craft and turned his usual rock music on before heading out into the voids of space. The blue colored craft he found was as ROB had said, a modled down arwing with gull class wings and a rounder body. He hovered over it for a moment before he initiallized his arwing's towing system and carefully guided the craft into the waiting docking bay of the Great Fox. He leapt out of his arwing and hesitated before walking to the other craft's cockpit, he used the craft's emercangy override panel beneath it's hull to force the cockpit open. He climbed up the small rungs that formed a tiny stepladder to it's passenger, there was blood covering the comand console of the ship and a vixen lay huddled over in the seat, wearing a type of blue body armor and helmet with a dark visor. He lifted the surprisingly heavy stranger and cradled her in his arms holding an arm under her back and one beneath her legs. "ROB...trasfer all transmissions to the medical bay, she's banged up pretty bad." After his words the intercom sounded with the word "Affirmative", ROB's standard reply, and Fox headed down the halls.

Near the living quarters he stopped at a small elevator and stepped aboard. He pressed a button labled medical and the lift sped to it's location on the ship's second deck. The medical bay was just feet from the elevator...it'd been so long since he needed use of the place that everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, he sat the injured vulpine into a nearby chair and worked all of the dust off of the metal operation table. As soon as it was clean Fox lay her on it and removed her helmet; she was a stunning creature, with blue hair that was slightly long in the back and only eyebrow length at the bangs he tilted her head to one side, there was a small almost invisible scar on the lip of her muzzle...her face reminded him of something, his heartbeat increased, but he couldn't recall who she reminded him of. Then again she was the first vixen he'd seen in "God only knows how long", and he had to admit, she had a very appealing body. He unhooked the armor about her chest and removed the hard blast aromr peice that covered her breasts, beneath was a blue jumpsuit revealing a large cut between her breasts and a blaster wound near her right shoulder. He was forced to pull away part of her one peice jumpsuit, he unzipped it slightly and rolled it down her blue furred shoulders until the cut on her chest was expsed, it didn't need stitches but, he needed to disinfect it or the wound could become serious fast. He went to a metal cabinet and retrieved a bottle of alcohol and some cotton balls, he lightly covered the wound in the clear liquid then went to the blaster hole in her shoulder. This needed to be taken care of but examined first, he took out a small device with a cone shaped head and a tiny ligh this allowed him to inspect the insides of the wound, a nicked or severed artory would need a hospitol...but in her case she was lucky there was no immense damage. He went to the same cabinet and retrieved the stitching kits, he dipped a needle into the alcohol then using a small lighter he carried for emergencies he burned the needle making sure it was properly disinfected. The wound was closed up in no time and for extra precaution he poured a bit of the clear liquid on the wound. After he was done he fixed her uniform back around her body and lifted her off the table. He took her to his bedroom and lay her in his bed, then casually walked back to the docking bay where he'd continue his work...

000

Her vision blurred as she opened her eyes to a foriehn environment, the blue vixen was taken by the sights. Red sheets and blankets kept her warm, the walls were a metalic sliver color, and about the walls several weapons hung, she reached for her blaster to find it was still there...whoever had found her obviously had no intentions of harming her or they'd have taken it from her. As she rolled out of the bed she noticed that her wounds had been dressed and a small digital clock on the nightstand read 8:14am. She staggered as she stood up, she'd lost a lot of blood but, she was recovering. She didn't know who had done all this but, she own them one...she made her was out of the room and into the hall. There was a loud music coming from down the hall toward a large set of doors, figuring that this was where she'd find her helper she went ahead and found herself in a large docking bay, a jutebox near the door was playing a very loud fast paced rock song, the walls seemed to have a tinge of rust to them, extra parts lay all over this massive room, and just a few yards away were four arwings and her fighter...as she approached the docked fighters she noticed a pair of boots and a slightly baggy pair of camo pants sticking out from under one of the ships, a bushy red-orange tail swished back and forth to the tune of the music that filled the room. She sauntered over to see a well defined set of furry abs the person's upper torso hidden under the ship a hand reached out and seemed to scout about the floor for a moment...

The hand pointed to a small wrench near her foot, "Think you can kick that under here for me?!" A voice shouted over the music.

She did so but, a little too hard as the wrench shot under the arwing with a loud thud. "Son of a..." Fox managed to stifle saying the word "bitch", as the wrench had struck him in the side of the head. The vixen stood by waiting for him to finish and soon he slid out from under the vehicle laying on a small board on wheels holding a small glass cylinder.

"Fuck! The most expensive part and the damn thing blows out!" He cursed studying the object.

The blue vixen was a bit stunned she hadn't expected to find a fox here. She noticed he had green eyes and a well defined chest and arms to go with his abs, a pair of metal dogtags hung from his neck, the fur on his entire body was the same color as that on his tail, spare for a strip of white hair on his head and the tip of his tail. He sat up on the dolly and began to run his fingers over with a rag removing a large amount of black oil. He strode over to the vixen and much to her surprise began to inspect his work on her shoulder...

"You're pretty luck, I was traveling this sector..." Fox said pointing at the blaster wound, "...blaster shots like those can go from bad to worse just like that." He finished snapping his fingers.

She simply stared at him with her peircing blue eyes as though she was searching for something.

Fox started to walk off toward the door to the hallway, "Look your ship's a wreck...so if you'd like, you can stay aboard but only until we get to Varsac Prime." He said coldly.

The vixen's face froze, "You can't leave me down there!"

"Humph...watch me." Fox said walking out of the docking bay.

She quickly caught up to him and pulled his arm forcing him to look into her eyes, "Where do you think this happened? You leave me on that rock and I'm dead."

"Sorry but it's not my problem..." Fox said, "...I've got my own to deal with."

"Then how about this..." She said attempting to bargin with him, "...I'll work for you on this ship just until I can fix my ship...then I'll just leave."

Fox gave her an uncertain look...which tuned to a bit of a grin as she pulled close to him rubbed ran a knee against his thigh, "Pleeease." She begged in a rather seductive voice.

Fox rolled his eyes with a very frustrated sigh, if she was willing to go that far for a ride, he figured he may as well let her ride along. It wouldn't hurt to have a living person aboard to talk to, plus he could use an extra pair of arms to help with the meinial repair tasks around the ship. He honestly didn't even take her offer seriously, he may have lost a lot of who he was but, he was still a gentlefox and would never have taken the offer anyhow. "Fine...but you'll work when I do and you'll stay in your own room."

The vixen stood up straight and extened a hand to him, "People call me Kursed."

"Fox...Fox McCloud." Fox answered shaking her petiet yet strong hand. "Follow me and I'll show you your room. Then I'll get us both some food."

She followed him down the halls until they came to the living quarters, "My room's to the right, you can take that one there at the end of the left hall. The galley is at the end of this main hall before the lift that leads to the bridge on either side."

As he said this Fox strolled further on down the hall and Kursed made her way to the room he pointed out, it was perfectly maintained and clean. A light blue comforter lay across the bed, all else was bear, as she sat on the bed her memories overcame her and the tears began to fall which quickly broke into heartbreaking sobs...

He dosn't even remember me.Did I make a mistake when I refused to come back? I still love him but, why would he forget? Did it truly hurt him that much to watch me leave that he gave everything up? Or is this what he really wanted...to be alone? Next chance I get I'll try my hardest to jog his memory...still...She said calming herself down...What are the odds that we'd meet again like this? He saved my life again. We truly must be bound by destiny to find one another.

000

Fox at meanwhile was now cooking breakfast for himself and his new temporary crewmember, pancakes, eggs, and bacon, he was moderately good at cooking but, something at the time was sticking to the back of his mind. He was certain he knew Kursed from somewhere before, he wanted to remember, he tried everything foxly possible to force himself to remember...but there were what seemed to be missing spots in his memory. He couldn't explain it. It was driving him nuts as he sat there cooking enough food for two. He went over in his mind what he'd say to her hoping to pry some sort of information out of her, at least without having to do so physically. It was as he finished with their meals that she walked into the galley, Fox was surprised to see her wearing a very tight gray tank top and a pair of jeans a bit lighter blue than her fur. He also noticed a small green gem hanging from a gold chain on her neck...

Fox walked to the table she sat at and slid her a plate of food, "So...Kursed, where you from? What were you doing out there?" He asked in a rather impolite voice as he sat across from her.

She was taken by his tone, she wasn't used to being talked to like that, "Well...captain..." She retorted putting a sarcastic tone to the word "captain". "...my home world was destroyed over four years ago, and I was in my particular situation because some bounties don't give up without much of a fight."

Fox swallowed a large peice of bacon, "I'll say..." He said pointing his fork at the still visible wound between her breasts, "...that's a pretty odd place for a cut. So you're a bounty hunter?"

"Yeah...most seem to give up easily enough but...you always manage to find one who's gonna give you trouble." She replied taking a bite of her own food, "I got these from a big ape on Varsac Prime named Nallek..." She started to laugh a bit, "You know it's kinda funny...he had six of his goons hold me down to give me this cut. As big as he was you'd figure he'd have the guts to do it himself

"Well you're part of my crew for the time being so...no visits..." Fox said, "...we're here to refuel, get some supplies, then we're gone. I don't wanna waste anymore time than I have to on dry land."

A confused look washed over Kursed's face, "Why is that?"

"I'm...not sure..." Fox said, "...I've been looking for something for the last three or so years...but..."

"What?" She asked now more interested in the story than the food.

"I can't remember what it is that I'm looking for...but I know it's very important to me...and I won't stop until I find it."

Both of them fell into a silence for the rest of the meal, a sound that Kursed was not accustomed to; it made her feel vulnerable for some reason. She wanted to simply tell him how they knew each other, but she could tell something was wrong as she attempted to scan his mind with her telepathy. She found no memories of the past years from her rescue on Sauria, even the defeat of the Angolar and the aparoids...Fox would never have forgotten those things.

Something must have happened to him.But what could have wiped out so many memories? She looked him over noticing that he was a bit lager and more musculine than she recalled. And he's obviously been using the weight room...Wait a second could he be looking for me subcontiously? It makes a bit of sense...maybe the com systems on the ship still works, then I could contact the others. Maybe they know what's going on...

Her thoughts were cut off prematurely by Fox's voice, "Well...there've been some issues with the hyperdrive engines so I'm gonna see what I can do about getting them back online. You know anything about replacing converter cupplings?"

"Yes some things." Kursed said realizing it was this very fox that had taught her.

"Good there's a panel that's been loosened in the floor of the hall by the living quarters, there's a good deal of them that need replaced." As Fox made his way out of the room he stopped at the door, "And be careful in there it can get a little hazardous."

She smiled at the bit of the old Fox that showed through if even only for a moment...perhaps there was a way that she could force him to recall, even if it took drastic measures. She finished off the last of her own food and with a deep sigh headed to the task Fox had set to her...

000

It was darker than she cared for below the halls of the ship and there was a horrible smell, that of burnt wiring and old dust. The hologen flashlight in her hand was her only true source of light as she checked the panels one by one replacing the small metal cupplings as she found the ones that were blackened or weathered. This took longer than she would have liked but, she realized she was done and Fox had yet to check her progress. She took this as an opportunity to go to her ship and check things, she crawled into the cockpit and activated her control console then after a few minutes of key presses the communications screen turned on blankly, it's picture was unclear but, there was a blue figure who was trying to say something...

"Krys...you...how...where are you?" It was Falco's voice but, the image was snowy and his signal kept cutting out.

"Falco I'm on the Great Fox."

A few seconds went by before his picture came in clear, his wides blue eyes which matched his feathers showed a glint of surprise, "Say again..."

"I am aboard the Great Fox...but something's wrong, Fox dosn't seem to remember anything."

His signal died out for a moment and cut back in, "Kry...this is important...he has amneisia. We don't know what caused it but, he has a blank spot in his memory about six years wide..."

Krystal was speechless, here she believed that he actually forgot about her when he was really just sick.

"Listen keep him on a striaght train of thought...we tried to jog his memory but he ran off...he's been gone for two years claiming that he's looking for something but he dosn't even know what it is..." Falco paused for a moment, "Where are you right now?"

"We'll be landing on Varsac Prime soon...it just seems to be taking some time to get clearance."

Falco let out a huge sigh of relief before talking again, "Look we don't know what caused his memory loss...but, we can't come to help you. As soon as he sees use he jumps to hyperspace and it's impossible to know where he's going since no two ships can occupy the same hyperspace zone. Just keep him safe and happy until we can figure something out alright?"

Krystal hesitated for a moment, "No problem Falco..."

"And Krys...it's good to see you back. Falco out."

000

Fox at the moment had just finished repairing the hyperdrive engines' gravitational ruflux module, this is the peice of a hyperdrive engine that works a bit like a G-diffuser keeping the extra g's of light speed from demolishing the ship. He had worked up quite a sweat, he figured that he should probably check on Kursed and looked toward the roof. "Computer locate living crew member..."

There was a silence before the ship's main computer sounded, "One life sign designated to crewmember Krystal located in the docking bay." It was obviously still programmed with her name.

The name hit him like an pulsar shotgun, forcing him to his knees with his hands grasping the sides of his head, his screams echoed through the halls in endless waves ushering the blue vixen to his side, who was breathing heavily from the effort of running there from the docking bay. She knelt beside him and quickly lifted his face to meet hers...the pain was unlike anything he'd ever felt before and his vision was failing, just before he fell unconcious into her arms he managed to whisper a single word in a painwracked voice...

"Kry...stal."

His breathing was labored as was the sweaty vixen who was forced to carry his muscular frame to his room where she as well collapsed on his bed. She rested there until her strength returned to her, he was much heavier than anything she was accustomed to carrying but, this was possibly due to the mucular nature of the vulpine. After a few minutes the golden orange vulpine began to grimmace, tossing and turning while saying her name in a hardly audible murrmuring voice. Krystal wiped the perspiration from his forehead...he was running a dangerously high fever, she pulled a chair beside the bed and went to the bathroom where she got a cold, wet cloth and folded it onto his forehead. It wasn't long sitting there that she finally fell asleep against the side of the bed barely sitting in the chair. She was suddenly awakened by ROB's voice over the ship's intercom...

"Ship's captain incapacitated...second in command will take temporary control..." His unemotional voice droned on, "We are approaching alloted destination...please select course of action."

"ROB, Fox could be really hurt...just set us into orbit and send for a physician." Krystal ordered.

There was the sound of metalic fingers hitting computer keys before a voice transmitted over the intercom, "This is Doctor Pheonix Whilde can I help you?"

"Yes doctor...I am with the Star Fox team of the Lylat system..." Krystal answered hoping this particular doctor was a fan, "...Fox McCloud recently fell unconcious and is yet to wake...he has a very high fever and amneisia to a small extent we really need your help up here."

There was a pause, "...I have a lock on the Great Fox's signal, I'll be there as soon as possible." With those words the transmission cut out, and ROB voiced another anouncment.

"...Now entering gravitational orbit." As his voice cut out the ship hit heavy turbulance for a moment and settled as it's engines cut out.

000

It was about twenty minutes later when ROB informed Krystal of a ship that was docking in the docking bay. She met the doctor just outside the docking bay doors. He looked almost exactly like her avian friend Falco, spare for his blood red feathers and squared glasses that sat on the bridge of his beak, he wore blue kakies a white lab coat and had a stethiscope hanging from around his neck and a black leather bag in on hand.

"Hello there my dear..." He said extending a polite feathered hand, "...I am Pheonix Whilde MD...where might our sick hero be?"

Krystal smiled pleasantly at his politeness, "I am Krystal and he's just down here follow me please."

The bird seemed taken by the interior of the ship as they made their ways down the many halls that would lead to Fox's room. Both she and the doctor entered the room. The ruby avian sat in Krystal's chair and sat his bag on the ground, he removed the wet rag from Fox's brow and felt his face with the back of his hand, with a "mm humm" the bird placed his stethiscope's hands over his ears and placed it's listening end to the sleeping vulpine's chest, he removed the device with a dissapointed "humm", then he reached into his bag and produced a small machine and a seringe. He used the needle to effortlessly penetrate the vein in Fox's arm and draw a small portion of blood which he then held up to the light. He placed a few drops of blood on the slide and set it on the small black machine he had set on the nightstand. It hummed for a moment before displaying a hologram, small round red disks with tiny specs of white on them. "Hold the phone..." The doctor stated in amazement, "...what in the name of creation is that?"

As he finished his sentance the avian touched a part of the holograhm with his index finger and one of the disks now covered the entire veiwing space; this was a blood cell but, it had dozens of tiny things moving about it's surface. Pheonix increased the image again and quickly removed his glasses. The small things on the blood cell looked like tiny spiders made on metal each with six legs.

"This is amazing." The doctor said as if he'd discovered the foundtain of youth, "They're nanomachines...but their technology is beyond anything I've ever even heard of...Beltino Toad himself would be amazed by this."

"What dose it mean?"

"Well I'll need a bit of time with Fox to myself if you don't mind." The crimson foul said standing up.

Krystal grimmaced at the ideal of leaving Fox alone but gave in, "I'll be in the galley. When you're done just ask the ship's computer to patch you in through the intercom and let me know what's going on."

She sat in the galley for hours long after the ship's lights dimmed imitating the setting sun. She'd eaten several times and couldn't stop drinking coffee to keep herself awake, but there was still no word from Fox's room she was becoming very nervous...she used her telepathy to hone in on what was happening but, being unfamiliar with the bird his complex thoughts were hard for the blue vixen to desipher, and at the moment Fox's were a bendled mess of random images and visions. One part of this brought a tear to her eye as she could hear his weakened mind calling out to her, as if to chase away the incredible pain she felt inside of him. It was about another hour later that Pheonix's voice rang out over the speakers.

"Miss Krystal...I'm done back here."

Before she even realized it herself she was moving down the halls at a rapid pace before she finally came to a stop as Fox's door slid open. Fox was sitting up and holding the side of his head, he cringed at the hollow echo of Krystal's boots on the metalic floor. When she reached the opposite side of the bed Krystal placed a furry hand on his which he quickly tightened into his grip.

"Now then Mr. McCloud..." The avian started pushind his glasses up a bit, "...the small bugs that I've showed you are nanomachines called Nanites. They seem to have integrated themselves into your entire linmbic system, as well as your neural network and your muscular structure...they may be even slightly to blame for your current loss of memory. Luckily enough your memories seem to be coming back to you slowly. Now there is no telling what these things can do to your body...could be weapons planned to kill you at a moment's notice, then again they could be like internal medics that work along with your fibren cells to heal cuts and wounds. I've also seen Nanites used to increase strength in people with muscular deficiancies...but, I've never seen Nanites like these they seem to actually comunicate with one another and work together as if they themselves were alive. The A.I in those things alone must be worth trillions."

Fox broke a cocky grin, "So...I'm a walking gold mine? Is there any way to find out what these things are doing to me?"

"Well you can just go about your average day to day and guage how you feel different to all your normal activities...then see if it goes any further..." The doctor said locking his things into his bag, "...for instance you seem rather well built; you could see to your normal physical training and see if there are any odd happenings. Let's just all hope these particular Nanites are helpers and not killers."

The two vulpines saw him off and both waved good-bye as his small ship pulled out of the docking bay. As they stood there Krystal glanced over at the vulpine that was standing at her side. "Fox? Do you...I...mean? Can you remember?" She asked in a hopeful voice. Fox mearly looked at her from the corner of his eye and a cocky smirk spread across his face. In a fit of excitement she leapt into his arms hugging him tightly...she was reunited with the one she loved, after three years of lonliness and solitude she didn't have to be alone anymore...