StarFox Fan Fiction ❯ The Shards of a Broken Krystal ❯ Broken Ties by Shattered Hearts ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Surprise. I don't own the Star Fox series or any of its characters. I do, however, own the story. Keep that in mind before you steal it.

 

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The Shards of a Broken Krystal - by Staindgrey

 

Chapter II - Broken Ties by Shattered Hearts

 

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Fox... Krystal's mind began to wander as she lost track of where her body itself was wondering. Her eyes were focused on nothing but the things she imagined- most of which in some way involved Fox taking her in his arms and telling her everything was okay. But even her resolute mind couldn't shake the image of the polar opposite- Fox telling her to go away, that he didn't need her anymore, that she was a nuisance and that she should leave. Her prodigious mind could paint the picture perfectly... his normally thoughtful, bright green eyes glaring at her with nothing but disgust and malice, his lips curling into a spiteful snarl with his sharp, white teeth fully exposed as if to bite right through her heart... The gruesome image played itself over and over in her thoughts, and hard as she tried to disregard them, she couldn't help but wonder... were her telekinetic powers showing her something?

 

Her imagination portrayed Fox down to every chiseled detail as if he were standing before her. His russet fur was soft and velvety with a small breeze blowing through it like wind through the grass of an open field. His large ears pointed towards the sky, though now she imagined them they way they always lowered at the sight of her. His eyes were like small emeralds in a sea of white, and in her mind's eye, they now beheld her with as much love and affection as they could possibly display. She felt his strong, jacketed arms wrap snugly around her smaller form, pulling her closer as if he would never let go. She felt his burly chest as she rested her head against it, feeling the faint beat of his heart with every passing second. His breath smelled of warm root beer as it lightly brushed against the top of her head and ruffled her fur with a small tickle. She giggled flirtatiously within his grasp, snuggling closer and resting her head beneath his chin with a content sigh. Her entire world stopped while her heart raced within her chest. He was here, he was really taking her in his arms and... loving her. The inner Krystal leaped and cried out with tears of joy soaking her indigo fur. Now, after all this time of waiting, he was here... The wait had been worth it after all, worth all the lonely nights and upsetting days... This was what it was like to finally be loved...

 

Reality came back and smacked Krystal in the face with the surprise and ferocity of a sucker punch as her sensitive ears caught the sound of a nearby door unlocking and sliding open. She blinked as her vision came back from its blurry focus, taking in her surroundings and reminding her that she had been walking for quite a ways without realizing it. Her attention was quickly turned towards the sound she'd just heard, however, and her eyes beheld what she had just envisioned- her tan and white hero marching through the doorway as if on cue. Her heart skipped a beat as a smile crept across the vixen's lips with the speed of a launching Arwing. Fox...

 

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“What am I going to do?” Fox muttered to himself as he strolled through the halls of the newly remade Great Fox. Since the former version of the Great Fox had been destroyed by the Aparoids, the majority of their funds had to be put into the rebuilding of it, along with repairs to their Arwings. Since then, money had been scarce with the peaceful times, and even the brand new spaceship was beginning to show more age than it should. Fox examined the walls of the corridor only for a brief moment before his mind reverted back to the task at hand: what to do about Krystal? He cared for her a lot; he couldn't hide from that fact. But was it possible to care about her too much...? He couldn't let feelings for her ever get in the way of a mission, and, even worse, he had no idea how he could live knowing that she had been injured or killed during one of his missions. Could it be possible to let her stay onboard but keep her out of an Arwing? No, Fox knew better. No matter what his mission was, she would be determined to accompany him, even if it required sneaking out through an escape pod. Falco was right; he had to make a choice. Should he let her stay on the team and suffer the consequences later or make her leave for her own sake?

 

His mind played out every scenario, starting with the worst possible, of course. If he told her to leave, she could go into one of those girl-fits, crying and yelling and throwing a tantrum... Or, even worse in his mind, she could give him the silent `how could you do this to me...?' stare and slowly walk away, urging him to change his mind and plaguing his heart with that last image of her forever. But, if he gave in and let her stay... what would happen? She could be seriously injured, or even killed. He himself might be the deciding factor between her life and death, just like he was just three days ago...

 

His face scrunched into angry wrinkles as the recent event replayed in his head. The sight of Krystal, helpless, her eyes pleading for her hero to come and rescue her... yet he was unable to. He knew he couldn't do a thing to save her; he wasn't a god. He was mortal just like she was, just like the filthy thief that held her life in his hands. He could make a mistake, he could miss and be the cause for her death... Would he even be able to make himself live on with that knowledge? The image of the helpless, fear-stricken face of Krystal was burned into his memory, and no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't shake it. He knew what he had to do, though he absolutely hated to do it. She meant a lot to him, a whole lot, and he didn't want her to ever leave. Did he love her? He wasn't entirely sure himself, but he knew for certain that he had never before in his life cared for someone as much as he did for Krystal. Every single time he saw her graceful, dainty form, it was just like the first- his heart leaped, skipped a beat, then continued at a much faster pace than before. His ears would heighten in surprise at just how striking the vixen was and then lower in affection, though he would hardly ever notice it himself. Her smile would cause his heart to melt as her eyes sparkled like two sapphire suns amidst a bright, white sky... Everything about her was perfect in Fox's eyes, and he didn't want that image of her to ever change. Maybe it was best that he let her go now, before something happened to her to change that memory... or even before something happened to him. He never wanted her to bear his death just as he never wanted to bear hers. This was the only way... Pick your poison, Fox, he thought to himself, you gotta do this.

 

At the end of the forlorn hallway was another door which Fox unconsciously opened and continued through. His thoughts paid no attention to his surroundings as they focused on the imaginary Krystal standing before him. “Fox...” Her voice sounded so real, so incredibly real...

 

“Fox! Are you alright?”

 

Fox snapped to attention, his eyes taking a double take as he saw a running Krystal rapidly approaching him. When I said I had to do it now, I didn't mean `now' now... Fox heaved an inward sigh as he forced a smile despite the war his emotions were waging inside him. “Yeah, sorry, must not have heard you.” Krystal's concerned expression was quickly replaced with that of adoration as she sauntered towards him. She's so beautiful when she looks like that... Fox thought.

 

No! rationality yelled back. You can't fall for her now; you've got to tell her the bad news now before it gets even harder! Fox took rationality's side as his smile faded into a grimace. “Krystal, I need to talk to you.”

 

Those words caused Krystal's smile to do the same as all her happy thoughts from before fled from her mind. “Y-Yes, what about?” she stammered.

 

“It's about... um...” Fox never did have a way with words around her, and now proved to be his most difficult try. “Well, I, uh... You see, Krystal...”

 

“Fox,” she interrupted, taking his gloved paw in her much smaller one, “it's alright, you can tell me. What is it?”

 

Beep! Beep! The annoying beep of Fox's comm. link couldn't have been anymore convenient. He took his paw gently from Krystal's and reached for the tiny projector, held it out and pressed a button, causing a hologram of Peppy's fifty year-old head to pop out of it. His gray fur was matted with age from his drooping ears to his chin. Around his exposed buckteeth were strands of white hair that formed a ragged goatee. His eyes were old and tired; his glasses looked like they were about to fall right off his tiny pink nose.

 

“Fox, there's a transmission from General Pepper. Come to the briefing room right away.”

 

Fox gave one small glance to Krystal, who was still waiting with anticipation for his answer, then looked back at the image of Peppy. “Alright,” he answered in militaristic fashion. “Krystal's here, too. Do you need her?”

 

“Yes, it involves the whole Star Fox team. Er, sorry if I was interrupting something...”

 

“Nothing at all,” Fox replied, this time refusing to look over to the blue vixen. “We're on our way.”

 

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The quiet hum of the hologram projector was all that hindered the awkward silence filling the briefing room. Fox and Krystal sat in their normal seats next to one another, but they were sitting on opposite edges as if the other had some sort of disease. Falco was relaxing on the sofa with his feathered arms crossed behind his head and his feet kicked up onto the arm of the couch, twiddling back and forth in impatience. Peppy decided to stand on the opposite side of the projector while glancing at his watch every few seconds and following each time with a small sigh or cough. The image of General Pepper hovered atop the silver platform; even his aging features showed quite a bit of irritation. He was quite an old hound dog, the rolls of skin beneath his chin hanging just as low as his matted ears did. His standard bloodhound creases seemed even more antique now at his age; it was only a matter of time before he decided to retire. After seeing two great threats from Andross along with being infected by an Aparoid himself, he'd seen about all a single general could before he called it quits. The projector's speakers gave a loud “Ah-hem!” as the General cleared his throat to try and fill the silence best he could.

 

Just then, the welcomed sound of an opening door rang in everyone's ears as their eyes darted toward its source: Slippy hurrying through the now open doorway, beads of frog slime and sweat covering his brow and large breaths heaving in and out of his even bigger mouth. It was obvious he had just run the length of the ship, but a rather lengthy piece of toilet paper indicated a pit stop somewhere along the way.

 

“Hey Slip,” Falco said, already in the process of rolling his eyes, “I see you let your buddy there tag along.”

 

“Huh?” Slippy's expression showed nothing but a question as he tried to comprehend what Falco meant. Krystal was giggling beneath her paw, Fox along with her, and Peppy was shaking his head in embarrassment. Slippy looked at every one of them for an answer, but none was received. Finally, Falco intervened.

 

“There's toilet paper on your shoe.” Short, plain and simple- just enough to flush Slippy's green face with a deep shade of crimson. His oversized eyes quickly found the source of the problem as one slick, green hand snatched the strangling white ribbon and threw it back behind him. Slippy never was the most coordinated one of the group- mishaps like this came all too often- but he nevertheless felt a looming sense of shame to add to his tardiness.

 

“Sit down,” Peppy instructed, trying to resolve the situation with haste. Slippy instantly complied, finding his seat on the right side of Fox and plopping into it, all the while his head still looking like a huge cherry. “Alright, everyone's here and accounted for, General.” Peppy finished.

 

“Good.” The General's voice sounded rough and faint, not at all like the deep, powerful tone the team was used to. “Star Fox... I've brought you all together today to congratulate you on all of your previous missions. You've kept Corneria, as well as the entire Lylat System, safe from the evils of outer space, and I speak for all of Corneria when I say that you have our gratitude.”

 

“Well, that's nice,” Falco replied mockingly, “but I'm sure you didn't just bring us here to give us a big pat on the back.”

 

“Falco!” Peppy hissed. The blue falcon simply shrugged the comment away, still relaxing nonchalantly in his sofa, his red-feathered eyes barely open.

 

“Ahem,” Pepper once again cleared his throat, though he did nothing in retaliation to Falco's insubordination. Instead, he continued, “True. But I am not giving you a mission. Rather...” He hesitated for a moment, as if he was trying to find the right way to word it- or muster up the courage. “...I'd like to announce my retirement from Supreme General of the Cornerian Army.”

 

“What?” a simultaneous shout came from everyone but Falco; he remained just the same.

 

“Yes, it is now time for me to step down. I'm far too old to command an army anymore. Besides, I've done my duty. It's time to take a rest.”

 

“But General,” Fox stood as he began to speak, “who's gonna replace you?” The same question was running through the minds of everyone else in the room; their leader merely vocalized it. General Pepper had always given them just about every privilege possible during his time as commander, not to mention the large reward bonuses they could talk him into. He had become their ally, their friend, and there was no telling what his substitute would be like.

 

“Relax, Fox. I've got a perfect replacement set up. Peppy?”

 

Peppy's rabbit ears stood straight up at the sound of his name. “Yes, General?”

 

“Peppy Hare,” he started in his deep, militaristic voice, “I would like to extend you the offer of becoming the new Supreme General of the Cornerian Army.”

 

“M-Me?” Peppy adjusted his glasses as both anxiousness and perplexity overcame his elder body. “But General, I'm not that much younger than you are, and I'm obligated to Star Fox! I can't leave my friends behind-”

 

“You have every requisite a general could need: flight experience, familiarity with the battlefield- lots of it- and you're a level-headed commander, as you've shown in your years with Star Fox. You're the only one for my job. I'm trusting you with the safety of the entire Lylat System, no one else.” The hound paused for a moment, then said in a hushed, almost urgent tone, “You're the only one I can rely on, Peppy...”

 

“General...” Peppy looked around at his colleagues to try and get a feel for their reaction. Not a whole lot of shock was displayed in their expressions; it was more eagerness for his answer. Peppy looked back at the hologram of the old hound dog, his feeble eyes once again showing the determination of a true soldier. “General Pepper... I accept.”

 

“Good.” Pepper's excess of wrinkles folded over one another as they formed a cheerful smile, a spectacle hardly anyone got the chance to witness. “I can rest easy knowing you will be my successor. Come to Corneria's capital tomorrow at fourteen-hundred hours. You will be sworn in and briefed on your duties at that time.”

 

“Sir!” Peppy was bottling his excitement rather well. Sure, he had always been a part of the Star Fox team, and that had been his joy for the past fifteen or so years of his life. But to be the supreme commander of an entire army... Just being worthy enough to be given the title was mind-boggling! Fox was much more mature now; he didn't need him as a mentor anymore. He was needed on Corneria. Team Star Fox would be fine without his ancient body onboard. He sure would miss being with them, though...

 

“Now, there was something else I needed to inform you of... Slippy?”

 

“Yes, General?” Slippy hopped out of his chair to attention, unsure of what he was about to be told. Would he be promoted too...?

 

“I'm sorry, but your father, Beltino Toad, has been taken ill in the past week. We're unsure of what the cause is, and he asks that you come visit him while he is recuperating.”

 

“What?! Dad's sick?”

 

“Yes. We have our top doctors working on him at this very moment, but we're still lost as to what the virus is. You can come with Peppy; the hospital he's being kept in is only minutes away from the army's headquarters.”

 

“Rob,” Fox called into his communicator, wasting no time.

 

“Yes?” was the monotone reply from the other end.

 

“Set a coarse for Corneria. How long will it take us to get there?”

 

“Approximately... nine hours and twenty-eight minutes.”

 

“Alright. Thanks Rob.” The fox turned off his communicator and looked up at the General's holographic image, saying calmly, “We'll be there as soon as possible, General.”

 

“Make sure Pop's okay!” Slippy pleaded. “He's gonna be okay!”

 

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Fox lost himself in his thoughts as he watched the mass of stars fly past. He sat in a small recliner, hardly relaxed at all as his mind continued to torture itself with every possible bad scenario of what was to come. Now, not only did he have the Krystal situation to deal with, but also the ordeal of Peppy and possibly Slippy leaving the team. Sure, Peppy was no longer a pilot, but he was a mentor and a huge moral boost for the team in any situation, and Fox knew he couldn't be replaced. Slippy's father was in critical condition with an unknown disease, and there was no telling how long Slippy would be out because of that. That meant their chief repair man would be gone, making repairing the Great Fox with limited funds all the more difficult. Fox couldn't keep up with all the problems inside his head, but as hard as he tried to relax and blow them all out like a flickering candle, he just couldn't do it; his problems were now a bonfire that he just couldn't extinguish. What else could go wrong?

 

“It's beautiful, isn't it?” an accented, feminine voice said softly behind him. Fox whirled around to see the normally gratifying image of Krystal sauntering towards him, her hips swaying in a seductive motion to match her flirtatious smile and alluring gaze. Fox rubbed the back of his head nervously, trying to find a good way to answer.

 

Right on cue... This is gonna be tough... “Yeah, it is,” he answered, returning his attention to the speckled portrait of black outside. Krystal found a seat next to him, also taking in the gorgeous picture painted in the window.

 

Silence filled the room as each of its occupants awaited the other for the first strike. They both knew what needed to be said, but neither of them wanted to face it. Instead, they stared into the blank darkness of outer space, waiting for an answer.

 

Then Fox felt the unexpected. Rather than hear a tender voice bring up the subject of their unfinished conversation, he felt an incredibly warm paw wrap itself in his, interlacing their fingers with gentle force. His eyes grew while his pupils shrank, each of them looking first at his now enclosed hand and then at the large, striking orbs staring directly at him. The vixen's eyes wrapped Fox in an aura of allurement, and it was obviously getting to him, shown by his newborn anxiety and wandering eyes.

 

Take your hand away! Pull it away! rationality screamed.

 

No, it feels so good... Just a little bit longer... his conscience retorted.

 

Fox was so lost in the fight against himself that he didn't even notice that Krystal's face was inching nearer. Finally, rationality won the battle as Fox snapped back to his senses, pulling his paw back and his body away from Krystal's. Krystal was taken aback to say the least; it seemed as though her heart had just stopped inside her chest, or even shattered like fragile glass. Fox hurried to find the right words to say, but that “how could you do this to me...?” stare wouldn't let his mind think straight.

 

“I'm sorry...” the vixen whimpered in defeat. Her eyes averted Fox's own, not wanting to see his aghast expression any longer.

 

“No, no... Don't worry about it...” He tried his best to console her, but he already knew comfort wouldn't help much with what he was about to force himself to say. It's for the best, rationality repeated. It's for the best... “Krystal, this is what I was meaning to talk to you about earlier... You see-”

 

“Am I not appealing to you anymore?” she interrupted. Her eyes were pleading for an answer, good or bad, anything but another empty silence.

 

Oh, boy... This'll be harder than I thought... “No, it's not that. I mean, you're... You're beautiful! But... That's just it. Someone like you shouldn't be here doing mercenary work. You're meant for a whole lot more than working as an Arwing pilot-”

 

“But I enjoy it! I really do! I love being here with you, with all of you. You, Slippy, Peppy, Falco... You're like the family I never had...” She was searching for answers inside herself, as Fox could easily tell, but none surfaced.

 

“Well, we're still not really your family... I mean, I'm sure yours is still out there somewhere... But, what I meant was that you risk your life every second you're aboard this ship. We could be attacked anytime, anywhere and by anyone. Every mission we go on, I fear for your safety. There's no use in someone like you risking your life so much.”

 

“But I risk it to be at your side!” she shot, “I know very well what dangers I face, but I do it anyway, because this is where I want to be. This is where I belong.” Her tone switched from pleading to authoritative in an instant. “I'm not leaving.”

 

“Krystal, when we went down to Corneria the other day... When that bastard had you against him and was merely moments away from killing you... I was even more helpless than you were,” he reminisced, sorrow overcoming him. “There you were, your life in someone else's hands, and I was merely a spectator. I couldn't do anything but drop my weapon and hope for a miracle.”

 

“And that miracle came! Falco saved me, so what's the problem-”

 

“The problem is what if it happens again? What if we go on another mission and you get killed right before my eyes? How could I live on knowing that I couldn't save you, that you died because of me?” Krystal tried again to interject, but Fox forcefully continued, letting it all spill out, “Yeah, we were lucky Falco came in for back up. But if he wasn't there, I couldn't save you. You'd be dead, and I probably would be too. Even if I made it out alive, I'd be dead from then on... I... I care for you a lot, Krystal, more than I ever have for anyone else, and I don't want you to get trapped inside the life I chose. I want you to live a happy life without risking it day in and day out. If you being a part of my life means you risking death everyday to do so, then...” He knew what he had to say, but he didn't want to say it. Do it! rationality commanded, Do it now!

 

“...then I don't want you to be a part of my life.”

 

Right at that moment, Fox could swear he heard the sound of her heart shattering inside her chest; maybe he heard his own. Tears formed at the corners of her beautiful sapphire eyes and quickly changed into streams running through her smooth, blue fur. As Fox watched the poignant waterfalls cascade down her perfect face, he found himself wanting more than anything to reach out and embrace her, to hold her close and tell her that everything was okay. He wanted to take back every word he had just said and throw them out into the depths of space, but the damage had already been done. He said it, the unforgivable phrase.

 

“Fine. Run away. Run away from all your problems. That just means she'll run away from you.” Falco's words echoed inside Fox's head like crashing thunder as Krystal's heartthrob stare continued to pierce him. What had he done? He tried to reach out for the indigo vixen but she instantly withdrew, then stood and slowly backed away from his outstretched arms. Fox continued reaching, wanting to say something, anything that could mend the hurt that both of them were feeling... But nothing came. Krystal finally shielded her overflowing eyes and ran out of the room, not once looking back at Fox.

 

“Run away... That just means she'll run away from you...”

 

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