FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

There was a crowd in front of Corneria City Hall; News reporters, journalists, other citizens, and so on, standing out in the daylight of what is going on. It was all unexpected, mostly because that team Star Wolf are three of the people sitting on top of the stage with General Pepper, his secret son Bill, and the General's agents and lawyers, who're standing tall and still next to the old canine.

The crowd was asking questions like: "General Pepper, what is the meaning of this?" or, "Why is Star Wolf here?" and even, "Are they getting arrested?" It was feeling like pure chaos out here.

Pepper had a feeling that something like this was going to happen. It started this morning, when telling Star Fox about the innocence of Star Wolf, now he has to deal with telling the entire city about Star Wolf's innocence, rehabilitation, and chance of redemption, that the three pilots have been owing for the last five years.

'Here we go,' he thought. He walked up to the pedestal, raised his arms up and gently lowered them to quiet down the crowd, and cleared his throat while tuning the microphone.

"Good afternoon, everyone," he started. "I have an important announcement to make. An investigator friend of mine has recently found unbelievable evidence regarding the death of our one hero, and best mercenary pilot we've ever known, James McCloud."

The crowd had begun to go in a wave of silent gasps and whispers. Everyone was certain that James was killed by Star Wolf years ago.

"The evidence in question, was that of Pigma Dengar and Andross creating a vast of remote controlled pilot ships with pre-recorded and altered voice recordings of Pigma's voice in the amplified sounds to mimic Wolf O'Donnell and Leon Powalski to make it look like they were in the ships to help kill James." The crowd grew into a large gasp in shock upon hearing the news, in which General Pepper continued to address. "So, therefore, Wolf and Leon were framed by Pigma to share the blame with him in order to not be the only one to have the authorities on his twisted tail. This evidence proves their innocence."

The crowd was starting to get in a heated moment now. They were obviously shouting in denial that Wolf and Leon were innocent, like Fox was this morning.

"I know that this news and information is unbelievable, above all standards if I may add, but it's all true! Even Fox McCloud couldn't believe it himself..."

As Pepper was continuing to talk to the crowd, Wolf was in his own thought after hearing that part about Fox. Knowing him, Fox would probably be upset about all of this. Considering that two of his greatest enemies were finally proven their innocence and his depression over his dad dying, he'd be in denial as of all these people too. He felt amused that the pup was like a petrified statue during their meetup earlier, but he started to feel a little off about that. Fox probably wanted to talk with them, but he couldn't bring out the words that he wanted to say. He doesn't understand it himself. Why does he even care about that damn vulpine?

Of course! It's because that the pup might feel guilty for the whole blame game on Star Wolf being held responsible for his old man's death, and is probably gone down the guilt train when he was told that they were indeed innocent for his father's death after all, and just couldn't believe that he was blaming the wrong people. He's gonna have to have a proper conversation with Fox about this later...

...just wish that they could hurry up and let them get this redemption thing on the road already.

...

Twelve minutes ago, back with Fox and Dash...

The vulpine and monkey both entered a soda shop in the East Downtown, Corneria. There were a lot of great soda brands that almost everyone enjoyed. There were some seats to chill at while drinking, and a few TVs hanging up on the walls and ceiling for everyone to watch while enjoying their drinks. This place looked like paradise! Dash looked around the place with awe and amazement. He'd never seen such an awesome place like this in his entire life. He felt like he was a little kid living in a castle that was all meant for him. Fox looked at him and could only giggle. The sight of Dash looking so happy reminds him of himself when he was a kid. Great memories of him and his dad coming here came back in small fragments, as if a puzzle was being put together into one memory canvas.

'It's strange, I almost feel like I'm being some sort of father figure to Dash,' he began to think. 'He sorta does act like a child, even if he's a grown person. Wait, how old is Dash anyway?'

"So, what drinks are we gonna get, Fox?"

That question brought Fox back into reality at that moment. Dash was looking at him with a big smile on his face now, eager to try out one of these soda brands that look so good to drink. Fox blinked for a moment before he gave his answer.

"Well, I'm gonna get my usual here. A Diet Pepsi."

"That's cool. I'm gonna try out a Cherry Coke-Cola. It looks so good from the original!"

"Hehehe. They usually do."

Fox and Dash went to the counter to buy their drinks. While they're waiting, the news comes on and views the front of City Hall with General Pepper, Bill, and... Star Wolf.

Fox felt his heart beat faster. He can't believe that he's seeing his old rivals again on the Cornerian News, and they're not doing any bad things this time. Then again, unbelievable things have been happening lately.

He knows what'll happen next.

He began to listen to how General Pepper spoke about the information he received, this being the second time he had heard it that day. Part of him had a feeling of how everyone's reactions were going to be in the soda shop, and he knew it wouldn't be good.

But, he noticed something strange, and that's the look of fear on Dash's eyes when he saw General Pepper on television. Before Fox could even ask Dash what was wrong, they began to hear the part of the speech where he would give Star Wolf the chance to redeem themselves.

Then, negative reactions to the news began to be spoken by all inhabited corners of the planet. Some of them are angrier than others.

...

In one of the mansions belonging to one of the richest families in Corneria.

"This cannot be," said the brown fennec fox. "They don't deserve a chance!" She had green eyes, black nose, a pink and green pilot suit, a pair of pink gloves, a white coat, and a pair of silver boots.

"I agree with you, my daughter," said an older fennec fox. He was also a brown fox with green eyes and black nose. He's wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, a purple button-down vest, a red-colored bowtie, some black pants, and brown shoes.

...

In another one of the mansions in Corneria, which was close to the first, belonged to another one of the richest families.

"Chance of redemption? For them?! Is this universe going crazy?!" asking a white-colored female dog with blue eyes and a black nose, who was wearing a light blue pilot suit, red scarf, a pair of pink gloves, a white coat, a pair of gray boots, and a red bow on her head.

"I respect General Pepper a lot, but that decision he made makes me doubt his good judgement," said an orange female lynx with black stripes, blue eyes, and a black nose wearing a purple pilot suit, a turquoise blue-colored scarf, a pair of pink gloves, a white coat, a pair of gray boots, and a yellow-earring in her left ear.

...

In the nurses' restroom of the Cornerian Central Hospital.

"Uh-oh. I have a bad feeling about this decision," said a green, female toad with blue eyes, who's wearing a nurse uniform that consisted of a white button-down shirt, long white pants, white shoes, and a white nurse hat with a red cross in the center.

...

Finally, on a bus, which has a television built in the front.

"What? This is incredible! Poor Fox, he must be shocked by this news," said a pink rabbit who's eyelids, muzzle, and the inside of her ears were yellow, dark pink within her eyes, and she's wearing a yellow, orange, red, and green suit, green gloves, and black shoes.

...

The news wasn't only taken by surprise in Corneria, but on other planets too. But, there were three inhabitants on three different planets that had the most surprise.

One was a light brown wolf with dark brown stripes, green eyes, and a black nose. He was staying on the planet Zoness.

Another was a pink cat with white fur on the snout, and in a tuft that she had on her head, blue eyes, and black nose, who was on planet Macbeth.

The last one was a female toad of the pink and cream colored scales, and indigo eyes, who was on the planet Aquas.

All three of them were speechless after hearing the information given by General Pepper at the press conference.

...

Back in the soda shop on Corneria, everyone present was angry and criticizing what they had just heard on TV, even though General Pepper had not finished the conference yet. Dash began to feel nervous and scared by all of this. This situation has brought back bad memories of his past. Things that he wanted to put behind him. Things that he wanted to forget completely. At that moment, he was afraid that Pepper would know he was in town, know who he was, and would also talk about it at the conference. Fox noticed Dash's reaction and was about to ask what was wrong, he ran off without speaking.

He didn't stop running until he was outside of the city. When he finally stopped in a field, completely far from civilization, he dropped to his knees with his hands on the grass and his head lowered, letting tears fall from his eyes. Because he had to live this life, even because he had to be born in the first place. He couldn't even believe the taunts from destiny. He was finally able to find someone who didn't judge him just by knowing where he came from, and perhaps he was willing to be his friend. His first friend. But now, he possibly wouldn't want to know from him if he ever found out the truth.

At that moment a strong wind began to blow near him, as he listened to the sound of a ship landing nearby. The wind almost made him fly, but he managed to hold on tight. When the wind finally died down, he raised his head and saw Fox descending from his arwing. Seeing him, he lowered his head again.

"What happened, Dash?" asked the vulpine. "Why did you leave like that without saying anything?"

"At this time," the monkey began, in a dark voice without looking at him. "You should already know and you're going to reject me like everyone else."

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "I won't reject you."

"Don't give me any of your fake sympathy! I know you were upset like those other people upon hearing about Star Wolf!"

Fox was shocked by Dash's change of attitude. Did he really think that he hates him now?

"Stop pretending to care now that you know who I really am."

"Who you really are?" Fox asked in confusion. "General Pepper didn't even mention you in his speech. What could there be something that I know about, but I really don't?"

Dash could only gasp for a moment. He looked up at Fox and saw the sincere look in his eyes.

"He...didn't...really mention me?" the monkey asked.

Fox shook his head. Dash could only have a confused look on his face. Because of his past...

"Sorry," he said, looking back down. "I just...get scared when people would criticize my past on Venom. If everyone in Corneria found out about my family, then I...wouldn't know what to do at this rate."

Fox offered him the Cherry Coke-Cola he ordered back at the soda shop. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The monkey sighed and got up. He faced Fox, with tears still in his eyes, and with a broken voice full of fear and nervousness, he said, "The truth...is that... I... I'm... the grandson of... Andross."

Silence. Fox has seen some unbelievable things today; Wolf and Leon being innocent, Krystal trying to seduce him with his emotions to her advantage, his introduction to Dash being from Venom, and everybody going off in that frenzy about General Pepper's speech. Now, learning that his new friend is the grandson of the most tyrannical dictator that the Lylat System has ever known? Things just got a whole lot messier.

"You're...Andross'...GRANDSON?!" Fox let out in a shout.

Dash just flinched in fear over Fox's reaction.

"Sorry about that," he breathed. "Didn't mean to shout like that."

"It's alright," replied Dash. "It's been happening a lot since my travels."

"Is that why people on other planets were giving you a hard time?"

Dash took his pop and looked down again. "Yeah. In case you haven't noticed, no people that's related to Andross can be mostly everybody's favorite since the Lylat Wars."

"I figured." Fox opened his Diet Pepsi and began to drink, the sweet taste touching his taste buds. "Happens to a lot of people when they only care for themselves over everyone else. Even if they're some of your teammates."

"Teammates?"

Fox only sighed, though he needed a talk.