StarFox, Krystal's view

[Var† 0]

I noticed that since I arrived on the GreatFox, my hero had a miniscule ability to keep himself from staring at me. Now, after I had said my piece in thanking Fox Macloud, he seemed star-struck, almost statue-esque standing before me. I giggled, I couldn’t help it! I realized the poor fox was inexperienced in the realm of girls, and felt almost a sense of power, if only for a moment, at being able to turn my handsome hero into jelly with one wink of an eye. But I only felt that for a moment, because an old hare who sat behind Fox spoke up.

“Are you from Cerinia, Krystal?” The aged man asked.

“Yes, I am,” I replied, “how did you know?” I asked.

“Well,” the hare said, stroking his beard (which made me smile. The man was of a gentle, almost fatherly nature, and I liked that), “over the years I’ve studied planets and their cultures, and Cerinia was one of particular interest.”

“How,” Fox asked, trying to compose himself, “then did you get mixed up on Sauria?”

I sighed, feeling a little sad at bringing back the story again. I tried to sound composed as I said, “My home, Cerinia, was destroyed two years ago.”

The room was silent, everyone showed concern. I sighed. Great, now I have a pity-party following.

“I’m so sorry, Krystal,” Fox said after a pause, apparently having drawn up strength to speak normally. “If, if there’s anything we can do, we’d be happy to accommodate.” I looked at the faces in the room; even the obnoxious avian seemed to affirm what Fox said.

“Well,” I said, feeling like I’d rather refuse than inconvenience anyone, “I would hate to inconvenience anyone.” I said, feeling it would be better to return to my ship.

“It’s too late for that.” The avian said.

I cocked my head at the remark, and the rest of the team gave the young man glares. The words were offensive in and of themselves, but the man was trying to make a point, skewed as it may be.

“Falco!” Fox said, looking quite angry at his mercenary companion.

“What?” Falco said, “you weren’t planning on saving her, were you? It was a mission rabbit-trail,” then he turned and addressed the hare. “No offense old-timer.”

“All of it taken, Falco,” the hare said, looking affronted by the man’s statement. I wasn’t sure I understood the man’s intent, based on the two separate sides of his sentence, and until the falcon shrugged off further ridicule from Fox and retired to ‘unpack’, I would have possibly inquired about what the man meant.

“Don’t mind Falco,” Fox said, back to his normal self, “he’s always like that.”

I nodded, understanding.

“If you want to stay with us,” Fox said, seeming to weigh both sides evenly in his mind, “We’d be happy to get a room ready for you, and your things unloaded, if you have anything more.”

I paused. Fox was being genuinely concerned here. I sensed this was a main aspect to his character. A genuine gentlemen, not a typical mercenary at heart. I thought for a moment, then answered by saying, “There’s a few things in my ship I would need here, if you could help me get them. Thank you,” I said, addressing the remainder of the team, “for letting me stay.”

“The pleasure is ours.” Fox said, then followed Krystal back down to her ship via the elevator.

 

I looked at Fox, who was looking at me. This man saved my life, in addition to saving a whole planet. Though Falco seemed sour about Fox’s ‘side-mission’, I could sense Falco wasn’t even part of the ground mission, and that Fox had no sour feelings about me. Though, Falco was trying to be positive in his own way, I could sense; which made little sense to me as to why he said things the way he did.

Regardless, Fox had just given me my life back and a chance to start again. I leaned over and pecked him on the cheek in gratitude, which was received with much enthusiasm from Fox’s part. I cocked my head to the side and smiled at the man struggling to keep himself calm. I giggled to myself; things told me he had had no relationships before now. Wait, ‘now’? What was I saying? I turned aside and blushed. Was I already having feelings for this man? Well, why not, I told myself, he did save my life.

Once we reached the ground floor, which was in the docking bay, the two of us moved wordlessly to my ship. I activated the door controls to open it and after looking at Fox, entered. I looked around and found my staff, which I had stowed in an overhead compartment, and was about to exit when a thought came to me. I was walking from the world I knew into a new one, whether I stayed here or not. I stopped, and must have been visible in the light of the open door, because Fox asked, “Krystal?” I looked up. “Are you ok?” Fox asked, looking concerned.

I licked my lips and swallowed, then nodded. “Yes, yes I am,” I lied, “I’m just remembering what else to get…” I felt nauseated as I turned away from the door. There was NOTHING ELSE to take, and I felt sure that Fox was getting that memo very quickly through deduction. Oh mother and father, where are you? They were gone, everything was gone; if I left the shelter of this humble ship, my past would really be the past. There was no way, even when trying to imprison what memories I still had to give the illusion of life, that I could do that. I sat down, feeling tired, sad, and overheated all at once.

I figured I had about twelve seconds longer to recover before Fox would get more concerned, and tried to stand. I felt like I was on the verge of heaving, and my legs were more focused on my stomach than themselves and I fell, my staff clattering to the ground. Fox walked quickly to the door, looking in on me. “Krystal? Krys-” He stopped, then ran over to me, “hey, are you ok?”

I got up, swallowing my vomit back, then shook my head. “What’s wrong?” Fox asked.

I couldn’t look at Fox. How foolish of me to act this way. No one ever said I had to stay permanently with Fox and his team, but….I wanted to. “I’m frightened.” I said simply.

“Frightened?” Fox asked, as though it was some fictitious word. “Of what? Of me? You don’t have to be scared-”

I silenced him by saying, “no,” then once he quieted, continued with, “I’ve been traveling for almost four years now, and all I’ve known is my parents and my home. Part of me doesn’t want to stay here.” Fox withdrew internally immediately. He had already misunderstood. I saved him the trouble of speaking by explaining. “I’m not afraid of staying, I’m just afraid to let my family go. I never knew how my parents died. They were found dead before Cerinia’s destruction. I’ve been traveling around since then trying to find an answer as to why. I’ve come up empty.”

Fox softened. But as I looked into his face, I could see understanding, understanding in a less-than-desirable fashion. He’d experienced something similar. Perhaps with his own kin? Fox sighed. “I know how you feel. I lost my parents years ago. My mom died in a car bombing while my father was betrayed and murdered by Andross, the same guy who was keeping you captive on Sauria.”

I shuddered. Andross. He and his forces were part of Cerinia’s destruction. “No…” I said, aghast, “then our murderer is one and the same.”

Fox looked amazed by the prospect, then licked his lips and looked like he wanted to change the subject. “If you don’t want to stay, we can help you get to wherever you want to go.” I stopped. Things were going too fast. I wanted to search more about my parents, but four years in my life were spent for nothing, all the while poisoning myself with memories of a life that was now dead. Suddenly everything flipped on itself. Fox, this team of his, was all I had now. No, I couldn’t leave. Not now.

“Fox, please,” I said, putting a hand on his shoulder, making Fox stop, “I can’t leave. I have nothing to go to.” Fox composed his features to that of concern once again, then looked quickly at the door.

“Let’s talk about this sitting, ok? I think it’d be easier.” I nodded. Sure, may as well since things were getting much more complicated. We went to the front of the ship and sat in the two seats up front, and I sat down, but couldn’t bring myself to look at Fox. I swallowed again, coughed once, then force myself to look at him.

“This is all I have, here.” I said, motioning to the ship around me. “If I go out there,” I continued, looking out the bay window at the front of the ship, “I don’t know what will happen to me. I have no means of providing for myself, I have no identity, just what I have right here.”

“Well,” Fox said, “why don’t you stay with us then? We’re going to be going to Corneria city tomorrow, should arrive a little late. Then maybe we could figure out something for you.”

I looked at Fox, smirked, then grinned. Fox smiled in return. “I,” I started to say, “I can’t thank you enough.”

“You don’t have to.” Fox said. We stood up and I hugged Fox. I was quickly drawn to hold him as tightly as I could, and caress his face. This man was giving me life. He revived me from death. I met his lips quickly, and felt that I would never return out of that embrace.

[koshi† 0]

Yeah...I already told you what I thought of this on FA

Great story.