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Chapter 11: How to Fly Like a Fox

Upon arriving home, they made their way through the underground tunnel from the garage and stopped at the laundry room where they stripped themselves of all clothing. "Spirits, it's so good to finally be free of all this clothing," Fox thought to his wife, reverting back to her native language.

Krystal giggled at her husband's thoughts. "Thinking like a true Cerinian."

As they ascended the spiral stairway to the main floor, Fox let his hands freely caress her beautiful rump. "All I can think of now is to fondle and grope you like I promised this morning."

Krystal's tail lifted of its own volition, welcoming her husband's intimate touch. She began to breathe heavily in anticipation and reached down to her lover's crotch just as they reached the main floor. They barely made it to the living room couch before they were both breathlessly kissing, fondling, and groping each other.

Their passionate foreplay naturally progressed to an intense love-making session where Fox sat on the couch and his wife rode his maleness until they climaxed together with his knot lodged inside her. Both groaned in blissful relief, basking in their mutual afterglow.

Content to remain comfortably sheathed inside his wife and feeling her pleasure at being wonderfully filled with his maleness, Fox leaned back onto the couch, letting his love lay her weight on his front. Krystal herself experienced her lover's sense of comfort at feeling her on him and wrapped her legs and arms about him while letting herself go limp, letting him take her full weight like he wanted.

Fox took a moment to reach for the entertainment center's remote and turn on the news feed. They then both continued to languidly kiss and nuzzle each other while remaining tied by his knot, only half listening to the goings on of Corneria and the Lylat system in general. The news feed did draw their full attention when Walter Kent made one announcements.

"...and in other news, the CDF Press Office has confirmed ongoing rumors that former Star Fox mercenaries, Fox and Krystal McCloud, have agreed to work for the CDF as flight instructors to train their pilots on the new Arwings, Mk3s recently acquired from Space Dynamics." The news hound briefly glanced down at his notes before continuing. "When I questioned General Peppy Hare earlier today about the CDF decision to hire the McClouds, he stated the following."

The news feed then cut to a recording of an interview with Peppy in his office answering Walter's question. "Regardless of what any may think, there is no doubt that Fox McCloud is a top ace pilot and has the most experience of any in Lylat piloting the Arwing in combat. He also trained his wife, who herself became an ace pilot and now matches her husband's flying skill in every way. The two have agreed to impart on our pilots all the tactics and manoeuvers that the Arwings are uniquely capable of, which were in part the reason for the success of the now disbanded Star Fox mercenary team."

The scene cut back to Walter Kent at his desk where he continued. "As many of you may recall, General Hare was once part of the original Star Fox team and was the wingmate to famed Star Fox founder, James McCloud. Both piloted the original Arwing, Mk1s in several stunning victories against Andross in the Lylat War until Mister McCloud Senior's betrayal by ex-Star Fox member Pigma Dengar. Peppy Hare would go on to mentor James' son who would eventually become the successor to his father, leading Star Fox to a final victory against Andross, not only avenging the murder of his parents, but the genocide of his wife's people, who's world was destroyed."

Fox and Krystal felt nothing but satisfaction and a professional sense of pride at the glowing review. "Well, isn't that wonderful," thought Fox with a grin. "It's good that they recognize both of us as the best there is when it comes to Arwings."

"It sure is. It really felt great flying together today, even if it was only simulators," Krystal thought back while lazily kissing her soulmate._ "With us flying as one mind, we felt unstoppable. I can't wait to fly those new Arwings for real."_

"Oh yeah. The sky will be ours." Fox hummed happily while losing himself under his wife. He plowed his nose into her cleavage, breathing deeply her alluring, musky scent. "One Heart, One Mind, One Soul." He then felt her inner muscles clench tightly around his knot, eliciting a deep, heart-felt moan. "And One Body too."

His hands drifted down and he dug his fingers into her hips just before thrusting up into the vixen that he loved beyond anything else in all of creation. With the news feed all but ignored, the happily married couple made love to each other again.

Around sunset, they finally separated and got up from the couch to walk over to the kitchen. Since moving into their home, this had become a daily end-of-day ritual for the two of them. They would team up to prepare for themselves a simple by tasty dinner with whatever meats, vegetables, and seasonings they mutually were in a mood for. They would then sit together eating their meal in the corner nook, each with one hand under the table to fondle the other. The foreplay was gentle enough to not completely distract them from their meals but it would invariably lead to love-making in their bedroom or bathroom.

They were finishing off their meal when ROB-16 walked in carrying a package and announced in his usual mechanical voice, "A package has arrived through the post."

"Thank you, 16. I'll take it here." Fox answered. The robot deposited the package on their table and waited for further instructions.

Together, they examined the non-descript package and immediately recognized the return address. Fox felt his heart flutter with a nervous excitement, recalling the items his wife had ordered for him just the week before. The vixen, who had been groping her husband under the table, gave his maleness a firm squeeze, eliciting a hum of pleasure from the tod. She addressed the robot who stood by impassively. "Please leave this package on our bed."

When ROB-16 left with the package, they quickly finished eating while still fondling each other under the table. This time though, her hand left his crotch when they got up after finishing their dinner. While at first confused about the momentary absence of her comforting touch, Fox didn't complain. The last thing he wanted to do was take her loving attention for granted.

Krystal's heart was naturally warmed by his thoughts. She definitely had a reason for letting go of his maleness. When he turned to give her a kiss, he stopped dead in his tracks and watched her, mesmerized, while she slipped her two middle fingers into her muzzle and suck them while humming sensually.

His mouth went dry and he felt blood surge into his loins. Seeing such an overt sexual display, Fox couldn't help but be reminded of the regular oral pleasuring his wife so loved to give him. When she withdrew wet, glistening fingers from her muzzle and curled her tongue about the digits to coat them further with her saliva, he saw in her mind what she intended to do just as her hand started to drift towards his rear.

She giggled when he read her mind and whined needfully. Her gentle laughter then turned to a coo of delight when he raised his tail while moving his feet apart with his hands on his knees. "That's right, my love. Tonight is the night you'll give me your anal virginity," she thought to him while her hands drifted under his tail.

Fox closed his eyes and groaned from the wonderful sensation of her two fingers easily slipping into his rear passage. His eyes then snapped wide open and he straightened his back with a gasp when he felt her fingers curl upwards to rub directly against his prostate. He leaned against her for support with his arm over her shoulder. "Oh please yes, Kurisutaru."

Krystal kissed and nuzzled him affectionately, and nudged him with her hand on his rear while keeping her fingers deep inside him against his male sweet spot. From the pleasure she was experiencing through their bond, Fox's soulmate already knew that he would very much enjoy being anally taken on a regular basis.

In their bedroom, they sat together on the bed where Krystal opened the package she had mail-ordered the prior week. From within, she withdrew a set of black leather wrist and ankle cuffs. Each had large, wide buckles and a D-ring on the opposite side. Krystal looked up and met her husband's eyes. Behind his bashful smile, she could sense his nervous excitement. She held one of the wrist cuffs open in front of him.

Fox immediately stretched out his arm and watched, mesmerized, while his wife buckled the wide, leather cuff around his wrist. This was followed by the other wrist cuff. He then brought his feet forward to let her buckle each ankle cuff in place. He sat there for a moment, admiring the quality of his cuffs and how comfortable they were. A fifth cuff was also slipped around the base of his tail.

While her husband was focused on his wrist and ankle cuffs, Krystal withdrew from the box a black leather slave's collar. She could feel his heart flutter with an aching desire and smiled fondly at her tod when he scooted forward on his knees. Without any further delay, Krystal lifted the collar, looped it around his neck, and buckled it snuggly in place.

Feeling the weight and snugness of the collar around his neck invoked feelings of reassurance and belonging in Fox. He was Krystal's kept and well-cared for fox. He met her gaze and smiled bashfully. "I love you, Kurisutaru."

Krystal leaned forward and gave her vulpine a loving smooch. She then looked inside the nearly empty box. Besides an extra leather cuff, all that was left was a head and muzzle harness with attachable ball gag and blindfold and several carabiners and extra leather straps of varying lengths.

Fox of course knew what was in the box. Seeing the blindfold through her eyes, a thought occurred to him at that moment. "Damn. I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but that blindfold is not going to work. I see everything that you do through our bond."

"Normally, you would be right, but there is a way around that." Sensing his avid curiosity, she went on. "Do you recall how you lost awareness of our surroundings that first time I probed your mind on Sauria, and again when we became bonded on our wedding day?"

Fox nodded and frowned. "But I could still see and hear."

"True, but you were no longer aware of what you perceived around us." Krystal affirmed_. "And your total trust and acceptance of what I can do to you with my telepathic powers also allows me to control your perceptions of our surroundings._

Fox sat back on his knees, finding himself once again amazed at his wife's mental powers. "So you can actually control my senses and block my perceptions of your senses?"

Krystal was once again reminded of one of the reasons she loved her soulmate so much. He was completely devoid of any fear of her powers over him._ "Actually, I cannot block you out of my mind, nor would I want to. Our telepathic bond is built on a foundation of the total trust we have in each other."_

Fox nodded, gaining an even deeper understanding and appreciation of the special bond he had with his soulmate. He was behind any mental barriers she could raise and was free to go through her thoughts and memories whenever he wished, just like she was free to do so in his own mind. Krystal had made them truly equals on the mental plane when she linked their minds on their wedding day.

"That's right, Fox. We are equals." She raised the blindfold up between them._ "And just as you freely let me collar you and dominate you, this blindfold and much of any bondage play we try will only work if you freely let me tune out your perception of my thoughts and senses."_

"So I'll only become aware of what you think, see, hear, and smell if I focus on reading your mind and senses." Fox smiled. He had always loved what she could do to him with her mental powers. And ever since she had awakened his submissive side, he had wanted to try submitting to her. The idea that he could do so mentally as well as physically made it all the more special.

Krystal's heart swelled with the deep love she had for her soulmate. Then and there, she knew she was going to rock his world and leave him wanting for more. When she heard and felt his breath quicken and his heart beat faster, she gently admonished him, speaking out loud. "Ah-ah. No reading my mind now."

Fox grinned bashfully, breaking eye contact and looking off the side. "Sorry. So used to letting myself rummage through your head." He paused and chuckled. "Feels kind of odd now, talking to you out loud."

Krystal gave a small giggle and raised the head and muzzle harness up to his eye level. "Let's see how this fits you."

Seeing what she intended to do, Fox sat passively and let her slip the harness around his head. Three short leather straps laid flat against the base of his muzzle, one on each side at the top, below his eyes and a longer one under his jaw. All three muzzle straps were linked by metal rings from which three other leather strap were attached. One strap went around to each side of his head and the third went up over the top, between his eyes and his ears which were folded back submissively. The three head straps converged to a metal ring behind his head at the nape of the neck. An additional strap also went across each temple from a metal ring half-way along each side strap to a metal ring in the middle of the forehead strap.

Krystal set the ball gag and blindfold aside. "Dearest Love. I'd like you to get that masturbation sleeve you used to use before we reconciled and became engaged."_ _ Fox frowned in confusion. He didn't think he'd ever need that toy again, but dug through his dresser drawer. He found his old silicone sleeve and tossed it on the bed.

Krystal withdrew from her dresser drawer the double-ended dildo and its harness, along with a bottle of lube. Once she had the dildo secured in place, she stepped into the harness and started to pull it up her legs when her fox stopped her. "Wait. Let me put it on you."

Seeing the adoration in his eyes, Krystal could not deny him. Letting go of the dildo harness, she watched her vulpine drop to his knees in front of her.

Wrapping his arms behind her thighs, he buried his muzzle in her crotch to lose himself in her musky feminine scent. He then drew his tongue against her slit to pleasure her, feeling her quickly become wet from within her nethers.

Krystal rested her hands on his head and hummed in pleasure, basking in his loving attention. Through their telepathic bond, she experienced how much he loved the taste of what flowed from her feminine treasure and feeling her pleasure from his probing tongue.

When her inner walls were thoroughly soaked, Fox drew back and lifted the harness up her legs. Twisting the front portion of the harness inside out, he slid the inner dildo into his muzzle and coated it with his saliva. He then pointed the dildo back and slowly pushed it into her slit, making the vixen coo happily. Once it was fully inside her, he brought the harness straps up over her hips and tightened them snuggly in place.

Seeing her husband still kneeling in front of her and gazing up at her and at the outer dildo proudly extending out in front of her, she sensed Fox becoming deeply submissive. With a profound fondness for the vulpine she loved above all else, she laid her hands on his head and gently guided his muzzle to her strapped-on maleness.

Fox let the rubber phallus slide past his lips, sucking it all the way in to coat it with his saliva, and happily let his wife hump his muzzle. Closing his eyes, he let himself be lost in the moment, worshiping the dildo that continued to slide in and out of his mouth. He moaned around and sucked on the thrusting toy in his muzzle when he felt her fingers dig in and grip his head, wanting nothing more than for his vixen to have her way with him.

With the business end of her strap-on dildo now thoroughly coated, Krystal withdrew from her lover's muzzle and slid a finger under his chin, lifting his gaze up to meet hers. She guided him up off his knees to stand before her.

Before she could do anything, his muzzle met hers in a deep kiss full of love and devotion. They stood there exploring each other's mouths for a minute before Krystal again took the initiative and guided him backwards towards their bed. They climbed upon the bed together, still keeping their muzzles latched to each other's for a moment longer before Krystal broke the kiss and picked up the ball gag.

She slid it into his mouth, which willingly opened to accept it. The ball had a small clip on each side, which she secured to the metal ring on the sides of his muzzle. She then picked up the blindfold.

Seeing it, Fox turned his thoughts inward and away from his soulmate's active thoughts and senses. He could still feel the caress of her mind in his and basked in her love and approval while he let her slip the blindfold under his forehead strap and snap its edges to the straps below his eyes and to the sides of his head. With the blindfold now secured in place, its padding pressed comfortably into his eye sockets, allowing no light to enter. Fox was truly blind, and yet never alone with his wife's love filling his mind.

Krystal gently guided her tod to his hands and knees on the bed. "Put your hands between your knees, Dearest," she instructed.

When he complied, his arms were drawn down between his legs, forcing him to lay his head down on the pillow. The wrist cuffs were each attached to an ankle cuff. He then felt her hand grip his tail and the fifth leather cuff buckled snuggly around the base. Moments later, tension was applied between his tail cuff and collar by what he realized was one of the leather straps linking the two together to keep his tail elevated over his back. With his head on the bed pillow and his rump forcibly exposed and up in an elevated position, Fox felt truly vulnerable and helpless.

As indomitable and strong-willed as Fox McCloud was known to be throughout Lylat, in the privacy of their home, he found himself loving the predicament he was in for his vixen. He then thought the same words she had spoken on their wedding night, "Take me, Kurisutaru."

Krystal was deeply touched. She ran her fingers through his tail fur with one hand. With her other hand, she picked up the lube bottle, pressed the nozzle against his rear opening, and squirted a copious amount into him. The coolness of the lube elicited a brief shiver from the prone tod, who then let himself become very relaxed under his wife's loving touch.

She then coated her strap-on dildo. Even though it was already slick with his saliva, she wanted to make sure it was extra slippery. Krystal was determined to make his first time being pegged as special as he had made their wedding night. Kneeling behind her fox, Krystal lovingly caressed his upturned rump with both hands.

Fox closed his eyes behind his blindfold and remained passive, content to give full control to his vixen. His breath only deepened when he felt the tip of the rubber phallus press against his anal opening. With little effort on Krystal's part, she penetrated him. He uttered a groaning sigh in an expression of both his pleasure and a sense of fulfillment upon feeling the entire length of the dildo fill him and his wife's hips press against his rump.

Krystal cooed in delight at feeling her lover's physical and emotional bliss. "Oooh. I can sense that my Foxy is enjoying this."

"Uh-huh," was all the submissive vulpine was capable of murmuring at that moment. When he felt her begin to thrust in and out of his rear, Fox quickly slipped into a blissful delirium from the wonderful sensations running through his back passage.

Krystal herself hummed and whined in pleasure. Each time she thrusted into her lover, the opposing dildo lodged inside her would also slide in deeper, which only added to the pleasure echoing in her rear passage from her lover through their bond. When she shifted the angle of her thrusts, both moaned.

Fox's own maleness was now fully extended and dribbling onto the silk sheets. He couldn't get over how wonderful it felt to be anally taken, and feeling his wife's pleasure from the other opposing dildo inside her intensified the experience. Without realizing it, he started to rock back against her. "Harder....Oh yeah....Take me...." He breathlessly groaned around his gag.

A profound happiness filled Krystal's heart from just hearing her soulmate's mental cries of joy. She hunched forward and wrapped her arms around his belly while she continued undulating her hips. "Oh yes...Hold me..." she heard him mentally cry out. The sense of emotional fulfillment in his heart drove her on while she tightened her arms about him. She briefly paused in her thrusts to grab her husband's silicone masturbation sleeve with her left hand and quickly slipped it onto his aching length while driving her dildo hard and deep into his rear passage.

Fox gave a guttural moan when the ribbed silicone toy slid snugly around his length, causing his knot to begin to swell with each pounding heartbeat. When that familiar delicious tightness began to build up in his loins, his moans turned into a deep whine full of a need to climax, conflicting with a desire for this special moment to not end. His soulmate quickly sorted through his contradictory emotions and slowed her thrusts and the strokes of his maleness down to a crawl.

Krystal knew she had correctly gleaned through his desires when she sensed the intense happiness bloom from the depths of his soul. "Just like you want it. I'll draw this moment out for you." She then kissed him behind the ear and continued to very slowly make love to her soulmate. Her heart was also warmed by his mental cries of gratitude. "Oh Kurisutaru! I love you with all my heart."

With each passing moment, Fox grew more and more delirious with a desperate need for release despite his desire not to climax quickly. He felt his vixen's right arm tighten around him and heard her soothing voice. "Relax....Be still."

His vixen continue to very slowly slide the dildo in and out of his rear, gently rubbing against his prostate while slowly masturbating him in his silicone sleeve. She felt him go limp underneath her. With each slow thrust, she squeezed the hand pump with her right hand and slowly inflated the knot in both dildos until they were locked together.

The growing pressure against his prostate and the sensual massage of his maleness brought him teetering to the precipice of release. At that moment, Krystal slid her right hand down to wrap her fingers around the jewels that were swollen with his essence and gave them a gentle squeeze to finally push him over the edge.

The exquisite tension in his loins built up to a crescendo to finally release in one long, powerful throb that had Fox uttering a guttural scream around his gag while his eyes rolled back in his head. With each subsequent spasm, his rear passage clamped down tightly around the dildo now sliding in and out of him in short, powerful thrusts. At the same time Krystal slid the silicone sleeve around his maleness in long, steady strokes. Feeling his mind slip in such an intense state of blissful ecstasy brought joy to her heart, reminding her once again of how deeply she loved her tod. Krystal concentrated all her telepathic powers into projecting her boundless love for her soulmate into is mind.

Fox joyfully let himself be completely overwhelmed, letting his mind slip into her telepathic embrace while every muscle in his body froze except for his loins which continued to repeatedly throb powerfully. With each thrust of the dildo, he felt the knot squeeze past his prostate, further intensifying his orgasmic pleasure. That pleasure suddenly doubled, exploding through his very being when his soulmate's climax surged through him.

For what felt like an eternity to them, female and male pleasure surged together to intermingle with anal pleasure in a climactic moment that echoed back and forth across their telepathic bond to such intensity that both lost consciousness with the last spasm running through their bodies.

When Fox regained his senses, he found himself on his side, spooned by his wife with both her arms wrapped around him from behind and the strap-on dildos still tying them together by their inflated knots. His wrists had been unbound from his ankles and his blindfold and gag had been removed. Krystal was nuzzling and kissing him behind the ears while both her hands were caressing and gently fondling him intimately between the legs.

Tears welled in his eyes and he sniffled when he felt her arms tightening around him and the comforting touch of her fingers giving his maleness and pouch a gentle squeeze. "Oh Krys.... I've never felt so..."

Krystal was deeply touched by the heart-felt emotions coming from her soulmate and wanted to do nothing more than to comfort and love him.

Letting his fingers drift up to his neck, Fox felt the leather collar still buckled there and again thought of the hidden room underneath their bedroom. It evoked in him such strong submissive desires that he now desperately wanted to be her slave. "I so want to give myself to you."

Krystal herself was also moved to tears. She didn't think of herself as dominant, but seeing her soulmate so submissive and vulnerable, all she wanted to do was make him feel safe and cared for. _"Such a warm and tender soul you are. How could I ever deny your submission? I love you as my husband and my soulmate, and I'll love you as my slave too." _ Her heart was warmed at feeling the burst of joy from her fox, coupled with an emotional exhaustion.

Feeling herself also becoming sleepy, she wrapped her legs about his and rolled him onto his stomach to lay her weight on his back, keeping the strap-on dildos deeply imbedded in them. Fox had always loved falling asleep with his maleness buried deep in his vixen. For the first time in his life, he discovered that he also loved falling asleep with their roles reversed, with his vixen buried deeply in his rear as well as having his maleness still comfortably sheathed in the silicone toy. The two drifted off to sleep peacefully, to a night filled with shared erotic dreams.

*****

The following morning found them once again on their way to the CDF base. When they arrived at the training facility, they were met by Vanessa. "Good morning you two."

"Good morning Vanessa," replied Fox, sounding markedly chipper.

The snow vixen eyed the male vulpine, who had a spring in his step. "My, aren't you cheerful today?"

Fox briefly gave bashful smile that turned coy when his only response was to give his wife a loving smooch.

The snow vixen huffed and rolled her eyes at their open display of affection. "Oh you two! Completely hopeless the both of you."

"Oh I sure hope so," Fox murmured while his vixen giggled and stroked her husband under his chin, eliciting a besotted smile. For a brief moment, he stretched out his neck under her touch with no reservation about letting others see such an overt display of his wife's power over him.

Vanessa shook her head in bemused exasperation. "Alright. That's enough you two. We need to get ready for Husky and Bulldog Squadrons' first lessons on the Mk3 Arwings."

Fox took his vixen's hand in his and kissed it, and then the two of them turned the white vixen and straightened their shoulders. "Right! Let's get cracking."

Bill Grey and his squadron mates were all seated around the training auditorium. There was an air of anticipation among all of them while they chatted about what it would be like to fly the new Arwings. They all immediately quieted down when Vanessa Chambers walked in, followed by Fox and Krystal McCloud.

With all eyes on them, Fox addressed the members of Husky and Bulldog Squadrons. "Good morning everyone. I guess we all know why we are here, so let's get started." He and his wife paused to gather their thoughts before Fox continued. "As has been agreed, I and my wife will be imparting upon all of you our knowledge on how to effectively fly the Arwing against all known opponents."

Krystal continued, "We will show you maneuvers that capitalize on the Arwing's unique capabilities."

"We will also share with you tactics that made use of those same abilities." Fox went on to say.

"Tactics that were key to the success of Star Fox." Krystal concluded.

"But before we can show you any of this, you will need to first understand the Arwing inside and out. So this week's training will be presented by Vanessa Chambers from Space Dynamics.

The white vixen stepped forward and nodded to the other two foxes. "Thank you, Mister and Missus McCloud." She then turned to her audience. "So, let's begin with rollcall."

From his roster, Fox called out the names of the twelve pilots of Bulldog Squadron, whose call signs were Bulldogs 1 through 12. "Commander Bill Grey, Lieutenants Ernie Green and Eric Tawney Lieutenant Commander Nena Gordon, Lieutenants Evelyn Woods and Kira Ashlee, Lieutenant Commander Les Sterling, Lieutenants Kristin Pepper and Roger Brown, Lieutenant Commander Bella Silvers, Lieutenants Kenneth Patches and Philip McDuff."

After getting a reply from each bulldog, he turned to Krystal. She in turn called out each of the twelve names for Husky Squadron, whose call signs were Husky 1 through 12. "Commander Rachel Summer, Lieutenants Julie Ambrose and Jack Row, Lieutenant Commander Phyllis Spruce, Lieutenants Micah Ash and Sylvester Black, Lieutenant Commander Alex Growly, Lieutenants Thomas Stone and James Rusty, Lieutenant Commander Foster Winters, Lieutenants Roger Elwood and Mark Reed." After each husky replied, Krystal and Fox as one turned to Vanessa and nodded.

Over the days that would follow, Vanessa would introduce Bill Grey and his fellow pilots to the basic operation of the Arwing, going over propulsion, avionics, weaponry, maneuverability, navigation, and so on. Fox and Krystal would assist her in answering their questions and explaining to them practical applications of each concept.

By the middle of the week, they had progressed to simulators with Fox, Krystal, and Vanessa walking around each simulator pod to help trainees familiarize themselves with the Arwing. On the last day of the week, Fox and Krystal also got into their simulators. Multiple instances of the same obstacle course were set up with a pair of fighters assigned to each. Fox and Krystal would each separately jump from one instance to another and lead two pilots through, showing them how to manage and take out multiple targets while weaving through rings and around barriers.

Though all were already accomplished pilots, they quickly came to appreciate that what made the Arwing nimble and highly maneuverable also made it quite a handful to fly, that this was a fighter that required a certain finesse to successfully master. Bill was waiting his turn when Fox's Arwing appeared in the same instance, pulling up next to the dog's craft. Fox glanced over at his friend's virtual fighter and grinned. "Ready to give it a go, pal?"

"Let's do it!" With that, the bulldog accelerated towards the first set of obstacles, with Fox flying along behind and to the right of his friend. He flew through the first ring and made to bank to the right but ended up doing a full aileron roll before he could stop himself, forcing him to brake and weave around the obstacle in front of him. "Shit! The controls are really sensitive."

"That they are, but good recovery." Fox observed. "Slow down to half speed this time around. You need to get a feel for how responsive your fighter is so you don't overcorrect." He kept on following his friend while they flew the obstacle course at a slower pace, letting the dog become acquainted with the Arwing's handling.

Bill wove and banked through each turn, missing only one ring while taking out each target. The bulldog grinned, pleased with himself when he felt confident enough to fly a nearly full speed near the end.

Fox's grin matched his friend's when they cleared the last obstacle and he pulled up next to the bulldog's simulated Arwing. "Way to go, Bill. You got it. Keep practicing while I check in on the others." He then jumped to another instance to assist other members of Husky and Bulldog Squadron.

By the end of the day, every pilot had mastered the Arwing and were buoyed by a new sense of confidence. At Krystal and Fox's request, Vanessa brought them all to the same instance in open space. The McClouds now flew in a loose formation with the 24 Arwings of both squadrons. "Congratulations guys. You are now ready to learn combat in the Arwings," Fox announced.

"Starting next week, we will teach you how to fly like Star Fox pilots...." Krystal added, she then paused and sensed mischievous intent from the other pilots in the simulator room. "Fox, get ready. I think they may have made another wager amongst themselves."

Fox did sense their intent through his wife's telepathy and got ready. He was well aware that there was a friendly rivalry between Husky and Bulldog Squadrons as to who was the best. When Bill's Arwing, along with the other 11 Bulldog Arwings vanished, Fox and Krystal broke formation, flying at full speed in opposite directions just moments before the Husky Arwings attacked.

Rachel Summer called out, "Husky 2 through 6, you're with me." She then called out to Alex Growly, "Husky 7, you and the rest go for Krystal." She and her wingmates than set off to pursue Fox McCloud.

While both jinked to throw off the aim of their respective pursuers, Fox and Krystal looped around until they were racing towards each other. On their comm, they could hear multiple calls.

"Husky 3, aim high."

"Husky 2, cut him off low."

"Roger Husky 1."

"11 and 12, slew away and set up a crossfire."

"Roger that."

"Husky 8 through 10, try to hem them in."

"Trying, Husky 7."

While they were trying to coordinate their attack, Fox and Krystal started to barrel roll while simultaneously braking hard.

"Don't lose them!" they heard both Rachel and Alex call out to their respective groups. While most followed them through the roll, none of them expected their quarry to at the same time slow down so suddenly to a complete stop and found themselves overshooting both McCloud Arwings and racing towards their squadron mates.

Frantic calls from multiple Husky pilots squawked over the comm, "Watch out! They're on our six!"

Rachel frantically called out. "Full shields aft! Break off!" But Fox and Krystal each immediately took out two of their formerly pursuing Arwings with charged shots before the Husky pilots could redirect power to their rear shields and evade.

"Shit!" They heard Commander Summer swear.

Unfortunately for the rest of them, it had left less power to their forward shields to protect from the onslaught of the opposing McCloud Arwings in front of them, and four more were taken out, including Rachel's Arwing.

Alex called out, "Husky 1 is out! Husky 2, 5, and 12 with me!" The remaining four Husky Arwings grouped together to take on the two former Star Fox mercenaries who raced towards them in a head-on attack while simultaneously corkscrewing about each other and combining their firepower on Julie's Arwing, battering through its shield to take it out. In short order, Alex, Micah, and Mark's Arwings were taken out. In less than ten minutes Husky Squadron was wiped out.

Each Husky pilot sat in their simulator, stunned at how quickly they were beaten, even with their six-to-one advantage. Bill and his fellow Bulldog pilots sat in their simulators waiting for their turn and were shaken to hear how quickly Rachel and her wingmates had been taken out. Bill had not been surprised though. He had seen them already destroy the AI fighters a few days before and was aware of the tremendous advantage of their combined minds.

Bill opened a private comm channel to the 11 other pilots. "Alright Bulldogs, we can't use conventional tactics here. Fox and Krystal have flown together as a team and can think as one like no other. So we have our work cut out for us. They are also very unconventional in their tactics. So we must be just as unconventional and think outside the box. Here's what we are going to do..."

In their respective simulators, Fox and Krystal had their own mental conversation. "Bill's going to try to be unexpected. I know him. He's aware of how I fly, and that we are mentally bonded."

"And he's seen us fly the simulators a few days ago," Krystal thought back. The two unified minds quickly came up with a battle plan.

The moment Bulldog Squadron appeared, Fox and Krystal took off in opposite directions like they had for the Huskies. Bill though didn't let his squadron fall for the same tactic. As they had pre-planned, the 12 Bulldog Arwings split into four groups of three. Nena Gordon led Evelyn and Kira in pursuit Fox while Bella Silvers led Kenneth and Philip to pursue Krystal. Bill Grey led Ernie and Eric in a wider loop to cover Nena and her wingmates while Les Sterling led Kristin and Roger in an opposing wide loop to cover Bella and her wingmates. Bill hoped to cover the two pursuing groups against whatever coordinated maneuver Fox and Krystal would make when they looped back towards each other.

Bill and Les, with their two respective wingmates were still looping around in their wider arc while waiting for Fox and Krystal to race towards each other in some sort of simultaneous attack. They were thus caught completely off guard when Fox and Krystal each went on an immediate offensive against their respective pursuers, and doing so in such an unorthodox manner.

To their pursuers, it looked for just a brief moment like the McCloud Arwings were angling into a tighter circle, and they automatically began to turn in tighter. To their confusion and then utter shock, they realized that even though their respective quarry were each angling into a tighter circle, they were in fact on a straight trajectory out of the turning circle, slewing sideways so that they were facing the Bulldogs who had continued turning right into their gunsights.

"Break off! Evasive!" They heard both Nena and Bella call out frantically.

Fox and Krystal each let loose with a barrage of rapid fire at a close distance, blasting through shields. Fox took out both Nena and Kira's fighters while the Evelyn did an evasive barrel roll. Krystal took out two Bella and Kenneth's fighters and managed to damage Philip's when he was a bit slower to respond.

Bill cursed under his breath, having watched nearly half his squadron being taken out before his and the other group could cover them. When he saw them form up and accelerate to full speed towards Les, Kristin and Roger's Arwings, he knew he had to act fast if he had any hope of saving them. "Bulldogs 2 and 3 with me," he commanded his two wingmates. While the other two began firing rapidly at the distant Arwings, Bill let his build up a charged shot and sent it to Fox's Arwing, but because they were so far behind, his shot dissipated before it could reach its target.

Fox and Krystal built up for charged shots while weaving about each other, evading the energized bolts of energy streaking toward them from the three Arwings they were racing towards. They locked onto Les' Arwing."

On his VR HUD, Les saw the two target locks on him and called out, "Bulldogs 8 and 9, they've locked on me. I need cover fire!"

Kristin and Roger were frantically trying to hit the McCloud Arwings. "Trying Bulldog 7!"

Fox and Krystal were jinking madly, while they simultaneously let loose their shot and followed up with a series of rapid fire on his forward shields, which combined with the simultaneous impact of two charged shots took him out. They then corkscrewed about each other while keeping up a continuous stream of fire on Roger's fighter, taking him out just as they were reaching the decimated group. They then slewed sideways, facing each other and peppered the Kristin's fighter as it flew between them, damaging it.

With Bulldog Squadron now reduced to five Arwings, two of them being damaged, they quickly succumbed to the relentless coordinated attacks of the former Star Fox mercenaries. When it was over, Bill and the other Bulldogs sat in their simulators, stunned. They had been annihilated just as quickly as the Huskies. He considered himself and his fellow squadron mates to be very good fighter pilots, but what he had seen from his two vulpine friends just now was beyond anything he had ever witnessed. "Okay everyone," he heard Fox over the main communication channel. "This concludes today's intro lesson in combat maneuvers and tactics, Star Fox style."

Fox and Krystal each took off their VR HUD helmets and got out of their respective simulators while their trainees around them were doing the same. He made eye contact with each pilot and waved them over. "Okay. Gather round everyone....Right. As fun as this impromptu fighter combat exercise was, we hope that it impressed upon you that standard tactics are not what we'll be teaching you."

"No kidding," Bill barked. "I've never seen such off-the-wall crazy maneuvers in all my years of fighting."

"None of our adversaries have either in all our Star Fox years," Krystal affirmed.

"And starting next week, we will start teaching you how to fly like Star Fox pilots, using maneuvers and tactics like what you've gotten a taste of just now."

In the weeks that followed, Fox and Krystal would drill their students in exercises to hone their skills, showing them one maneuver after another, explaining their different tactics, and leading them through simulated multi-team wargames. Peppy would occasionally drop in to quietly observe the training sessions, becoming very pleased to see both squadrons as they started to fly like Star Fox.

A month of intensive training had gone by. Fox and Krystal were both highly pleased with how well Bill and his fellow Husky and Bulldog pilots had progressed. They had all gathered in the training auditorium that morning. The McClouds gazed up at their protégés. "Guys, you're all doing really great," Fox praised them. "Krystal and I now feel the time for simulator training has come to an end."

"So we will take the Arwings out to fly today and practice maneuvers in the Mateo Asteroid Belt," Krystal concluded to the resounding cheers of the two squadrons.

Fox grinned to the CDF pilots. "Class dismissed. Let's get suited up."

They immediately made their way to the squadron locker room. Krystal was at first confused as to if she should follow her husband in. Fox, reading her thoughts, turned back and beckoned his soulmate to follow. "The pilots of Husky and Bulldog Squadrons are a close-knit group. So they are much more lax about keeping the genders separated. They'll not make a fuss if they catch glimpses of each other naked."

Krystal was relieved and quickly followed her vulpine. "Oh good. I really didn't want to repeat the same social blunder at the base gymnasium during our first day working here."

Inside, lockers for each pilot were arrayed in rows with benches in between. Female pilots were loosely grouped together and so were male pilots. Fox and Krystal had adjoining lockers at one end of a row. Krystal opened her locker and saw her flight suit for the first time, along with her cooling vest, and another undergarment that made her giggle. Fox also saw the same undergarment and chuckled when he heard Philip McDuff in the next row groan. Bill quipped, "Yes, Lieutenant, a maximum absorbency garment is required. Get used to it."

Fox laughed and shouted over to Bill. "Oh pluhease! Let's not couch it in fancy words. We're wearing diapers. Plain and simple." He unfolded his diaper and slid it between his legs, taping it closed over his tail in the back. "It's a two-hour flight to Meteo, and we'll be practicing maneuvers there for a good six hours before flying back, which will also take two hours." After applying talcum powder to his crotch, he pulled the absorbent underwear up over his front and carefully taped it in place. He then marched over to Bill's row of lockers in nothing but his diaper and glared defiantly at the younger male pilots with his arms folded across his chest. "That means we'll be in our spacesuits for at least ten hours, and I for one will be glad that I'm diapered."

Bill gave a barking laugh. "Well said, Fox. So everyone, no more complaining like babies about having to wear a diaper."

This of course brought on a series of jokes about baby bottles, rattles, and other childish paraphernalia while everyone continued to suit up.

Fox walked back to his locker and winked to his wife, who had stepped around her locker, standing in nothing but her own diaper. She briefly posed for him in her absorbent underwear and blew him a kiss.

He mouthed the words, "I love you," while thinking them to her at the same time, and then went back to his locker to begin suiting up. Fox took out of his white spandex cooling garment. After a quick examination, Fox found the zipper going down the back, from the neck to just above the base of the tail. He also saw in Krystal's mind and through her eyes that she had also found the back zipper in her bodysuit.

Krystal took her tail rings off, stepped into her cooling garment, and pulled it up over her shoulders, sliding her arms into the sleeves. She was pleased that the bodysuit provided comfortable support for her breasts and giggled mentally at finding that her soulmate was just as pleased.

Fox, having also slipped on his spandex garment, stepped around to her side of the lockers, giving only a brief glance at the other female pilots in their various states of undress. He presented his back to her. "It will probably be easier if we zip each other up."

"Agreed," she mentally replied. She brought the two halves of the separating zipper together just above his tail and zipped it up his back to behind his neck. She then turned her back to Fox. "My turn."

Fox couldn't resist copping a grope of his vixen's diapered rear though, eliciting a giggle from her. He then finished off by pulling the zipper up her back to her neck.

They also helped each other to slip their tail sleeves on. Taking his tail in hand, Krystal gently tucked the fluffy fur into the sleeve and pulled the zipper down its length, careful not to get any of the soft hairs caught in the meshing teeth. With the same care and devotion, Fox combed her tail with his fingers and tucked it into the sleeve. They then each went back their lockers and withdrew their pressure suits.

Fox sat down at his bench. Just as Vanessa Chambers had demonstrated a few weeks ago, Fox twisted the top edge of the neck ring, allowing the underlying ring to separate. He then unzipped the shoulders to open up the outer Kapton and Kevlar layers, revealing the airtight inner layer of latex-impregnated spandex.

Stretching the neck opening wide, Fox pulled the pressure suit up his legs and over his tail. He continued squeezing his way into the pressure suit's neck opening, guiding his tail into the attached cylindrical sleeve. Once he slid his feet into the boots, he worked the suit up his waist, squeezing one arm and shoulder into the neck opening and into its sleeve, followed by the other arm and shoulder. With his fingers sliding into the attached gloves, the pressure suit's neck opening slid up comfortably around his neck, leaving only the top edge of the underlying cooling garment showing. The cooling supply and return tubes rested against each side of his neck. He then pulled the shoulder zippers closed and snapped the neck ring halves back together, locking them in place.

Fox stretched and moved about, delighted in how comfortable and form-fitting his new flight suit felt. He could sense through their mental bond that his wife felt the same way. "After today's training session, I'm calling Falco. He needs to know about these pressure suits and have some made for himself and his....team...."

Further thoughts were banished from Fox's mind upon seeing Krystal standing in front of him, wearing her own flight suit.

*****

Brigadier General Gordon Striker cared about only one thing. That was to make Corneria's military the most powerful in all of Lylat and the surrounding star systems. The bullmastiff prided himself on his physical strength and combat prowess, and demanded a good deal more than just 110% from his soldiers. He swore that he'd never let himself be saddled with an inferior force under his command, like he had during the Anglar Blitz. He'd also never forget the bitter defeats he suffered as a captain during the Lylat War. Gordon Striker didn't like to lose.

So when General Peppy Hare pushed the appropriations committee to acquire the highly advanced Arwings, he put in his full support for the request. It really irked him that in all their past conflicts, that upstart Fox McCloud was the one who bailed them out and won those wars for the CDF. He had been deeply envious of all the premium military hardware the vulpine had at his fingertips. Even now, he was pushing those bureaucrats to pony up the money for several battalions of Landmaster tanks.

As much as he disliked the ex-mercenary, he grudgingly had to admit that General Hare had made a brilliant tactical move by suggesting to the appropriations committee that Fox McCloud could be the Arwing flight instructor. The Cornerian government was enamored with the famed Star Fox leader. He was sure that that was a contributing factor to getting the approval for the Arwing purchase.

It was with that idea in mind that he now came to the Arwing training facility. He wanted to see for himself this Fox McCloud and how well he was training the pilots of Husky and Bulldog Squadrons. If he liked what he saw, he would see if he could convince McCloud to become a Landmaster tank instructor.

By chance, Peppy Hare was also visiting the training facility to check up on the progress of his pilots. Even though they were of similar rank, Gordon was not one to deviate from military protocol and gave the old lagomorph a crisp, military salute, snapping his booted heals together. "General Hare! I've come to see for myself the progress of Husky and Bulldog Squadrons."

Peppy gave the mastiff a relaxed salute. "Good morning General Striker. I too am here to check on their progress. Today will be their first time actually flying the Arwings. Fox will be taking them on a training exercise in the Meteo asteroid belt. They are suiting up now." He eyed the brigadier general as the large canine walked in step with him. "Something tells me that it's more than just curiosity that brings you here."

"Yes. I thought it was time I met this Fox McCloud. I'm thinking I'd have a better chance convincing the appropriations committee to approve funding for the Landmaster tanks we so desperately need if we have him as an instructor for the tanks."

The old hare had to suppress a smirk. He was aware that the career military dog didn't have a high opinion of mercenaries. He wasn't worried though. He knew that Fox was not one to be intimidated by officious authority figures, and that Fox could care less about military protocol. So he was not surprised by the sight that greeted them when they entered the pilot locker room.

Vanessa Chambers had not been exaggerating when she had said that the new spacesuits were form-fitting. The physique of male pilots were clearly outlined under the latex-coated spandex, Kapton, and Kevlar suits. The flight suits were especially flattering on the female pilots, showing off their feminine curves and the outline of their breasts. And it was apparent that Fox also thought so, especially with regards to Krystal, as the vulpine was overtly showing his appreciation.

Fox McCloud was lovingly caressing the vixen's hips, running gloved hands along the lustrous surface of her spacesuit, while his muzzle was latched onto hers in a deep kiss full of adoration. Gordon Striker was outraged. Fraternization and such open displays of affection between members of the military while on duty was against regulations. When he saw the tod reach up and grope her breasts amid whistles of approval from the other male pilots, he had had enough. "ALRIGHT! THAT'S ENOUGH YOU TWO."

When he failed to get a response from Fox McCloud and his love interest, be became incensed. They were ignoring him as if he wasn't even there, not even flinching. Before he could reach out and break up this indecent scene, he was interrupted by an unexpectedly loud, commanding voice. "BELAY THAT, GENERAL!"

Peppy Hare didn't care for this pompous martinet's behavior. The top ranking officer of the entire Cornerian Defense Force rarely threw his rank around, but he here felt compelled to put the lower ranking brigadier general in his place. Stabbing a finger into the large canine's chest, he drove him back. "Fox McCloud has every right to kiss and touch his wife however and whenever he pleases, and you will not interfere with any display of affection between them."

Gordon Striker had not expected to be verbally disciplined, and had been taken completely off guard by the normally easy-going hare. "Wha...His wife?"

They then heard the other female pilots whistle their approval. Both generals briefly glanced to see that the blue vixen had reached down to grope the tod's rump. Peppy smirked before turning to stab his finger into the mastiff's chest again. "And Krystal McCloud has just as every right to kiss and touch her husband however and whenever she pleases."

At first completely nonplussed, the brigadier general recovered and snapped to attention before his superior officer. "I respectfully ask for your forgiveness General. I did not know that Fox McCloud was married to the vixen."

Peppy sighed and relaxed his posture. "At ease, General. You are forgiven." He then paused and briefly stared off with a blank expression, as if he were listening to some unheard voice. In the next instant, the aged lagomorph refocused on the brigadier general. "Anyhow, as you can see, Husky and Bulldog Squadrons are just about ready to deploy for their first training exercise."

Fox and Krystal had ended their display of affection. Together, the two generals watched the McClouds address their trainees. "Okay everyone. Today, we will be practicing maneuvers through the Mateo asteroid belt," Fox began.

"Obstacle courses comprising of gates and targets have been set up" Krystal continued.

"for you to fly through as fast as you can" Fox added.

"without missing a target." Krystal concluded.

"You will also practice the defensive" Fox also said.

"and offensive maneuvers we taught you during simulator training." Krystal finished.

They went on explaining each of the tasks that were the goals of their first practice flight in the Arwings. While the pilots of Husky and Bulldog Squadrons seemed to take it in stride, Gordon Striker couldn't help but notice how unusual it seemed that Fox and Krystal kept completing each other's sentences, sometimes even speaking simultaneously. He also noticed that Fox and Krystal never seemed to be speaking to each other, though they would occasionally share a glance. He quietly commented about that fact to General Peppy next to him.

Peppy frowned. He had taken it for granted that it was common knowledge that Krystal McCloud was a Cerinian, the purportedly last survivor of a race of telepathic foxes. While the depth of her telepathic bond with Fox was a secret known to only to himself and the close friends who were there the night before their wedding, he knew the fact that the vixen was a telepath was generally known. "General Striker, don't you follow the News? You didn't even know that Fox and Krystal McCloud were married."

"Bah. I never trusted the news media. They often sensationalize things and make up stories."

"That may be true, especially of the tabloids, but respectable reporters like Walter Kent do report actual facts. If you would have paid attention, you'd know that Krystal McCloud is the only known survivor of a race of telepathic foxes that were wiped out by Andross less than two years ago and that she married Fox McCloud about two months ago."

The bullmastiffs' eyes widened. "A telepath, you say?"

The old hare smirked. "Why do you think they didn't even flinch when you shouted right in their ears to stop kissing and groping each other?" Peppy had to suppress a laugh when the large dog actually tilted his head in a very canine expression of bewilderment. "She sensed you coming and not only tuned you out, but used her powers to prevent Fox from even hearing you."

Gordon's jaw dropped. "How do you know this?"

Peppy tapped his temple with a knowing smile. "She told me, after she thanked me for preventing you from interfering with their make-out session."

The brigadier general was gobsmacked. This blue-furred vixen was actually mentally communicating with others. He eyed Fox and Krystal more closely. It was subtle, but now that he knew what to look for, it was obvious. They were completing each other's sentences because she could read her husband's mind and mentally think to him. It also explained why they never spoke to each other. They were mentally communicating all the time.

In that moment, Brigadier General Gordon Striker had an epiphany. Here was the most secure form of communication that there could be. Nobody could monitor their conversation, and there was no possibility of their communication being jammed. The potential for intelligence operations was incalculable. He imagined telepathic Cornerian Security Agency spies keeping tabs on other governments, especially on Venom. Information gathering would be a matter of one of their agents being able to read their target's minds. If this vixen was the last of her kind, then she was a resource that had to be tapped and jealously guarded at all costs. He nodded to Peppy Hare. "Well, I've seen enough. This has been very illuminating General. I best be off."

"Good day, General." Peppy absent-mindedly nodded. "Let me know if you have any other questions."

With thoughts of the Landmaster tanks pushed to the back of his mind, Gordon Striker left, his mind now focused on a new mission.

*****

Fox and Krystal concluded going over the training exercise plan and asked, "Do any of you have any questions?"

When none came, Fox announced. "Alright then, finish suiting up and get ready to head out." He and Krystal then picked up their life-support backpacks and slid them over their shoulders, clipping the chest harness and belt to secure them tightly in place. They then pulled on their balaclavas, tucking in their vulpine ears snuggly back against their skulls. Lastly, they each put their helmets on.

Once his was snuggly in place, Fox locked his helmet to his pressure suit's neck ring. He then lifted his visor and reached inside his helmet. He carefully pulled the supply and return tubes to his cooling garment, tucked them into the slots inside each side of his helmet, and connected them to their respective ports next to the air vents on each side of his muzzle. Krystal quickly followed suit. Both twisted their heads back and forth, quite happy to find that their helmets turned easily about their neck rings.

Krystal then connected the air hoses from her husband's backpack to the port on each side of his helmet next to his muzzle. Each hose also had integrated into it the cooling fluid line, with the left air hose also having embedded into it the drinking water tube. She then plugged into the back of his helmet the auxiliary datalink cable.

After Fox had connected Krystal's air hoses and auxiliary datalink cable to her helmet, all that was left was to activate their life support backpacks. In the middle of the chest harness was a small control panel comprising of a switch to turn on the system, a dial to adjust the fluid temperature to their cooling garments, and volume control for the built-in transmitter. Together, they brought the visors down on their helmets and activated their life support system.

At once, they felt their inner ears pop as the atmosphere in their helmets pressurized. They also sighed in relief, having not realized that their suits had slowly been getting stiflingly hot until the coolant started flowing through their cooling garments. Seeing the others also fully suited and ready, Fox activated his transmitter. "Husky and Bulldog Squadrons, system comm check."

Bill Grey heard Fox's voice in his helmet and looked to his fellow pilots who had finished suiting up and were all gathered around. They all gave a thumbs up and nodded to their leader. Bill activated his transmitter. "Reading you five-by-five, Fox 1."

Krystal activated her own transmitter and replied, "Reading you five-by-five, Bulldog 1."

"Alright everyone. Time to go flying. Let's head out!" Fox grinned and led the way out into the morning sun onto the tarmac where all their Arwings awaited them.

The first 26 of the 50 Arwings on the tarmac were now being prepared for flight by ground crew, each Arwing with the name of one of the pilots from Husky and Bulldog Squadron inscribed upon its side below the canopy window. Bill was standing, gazing up at the third Awring with a bounce in his stance. Fox called out to him over his helmet comm. "Excited to finally fly one of these beauties for real?"

Bill turned around to see his friend, the grin just visible through the lower edge of his visor. "You damn right. I've wanted to fly one of these in like forever."

Krystal gazed at the other pilots who were all ascending into their assigned fighter. "Then let's do it. Time to rock-n-roll!"

Their canine friend gave a casual salute, with index and middle fingers against his helmet. "Right you are." He then turned to climb into his Arwing.

Without further delay, Fox and Krystal each climbed into their assigned Arwing. Both were pleased to see that the inside frame of the canopy and edges of their dash has been neatly painted in the orange and blue corresponding to their fur color. Fox was the first to get into his seat. He reached behind and pulled the main datalink cable out of the back of the head rest and connected it to the back of his helmet. At once, the VR HUD in his helmet activated, the edges illuminated in the soft orange glow Vanessa had programmed into it. Through Krystal's eyes, he could see the blue glow around the edges of her visor.

Fox then leaned back until his life support backpack nestled into its cavity in the backrest. A second later, magnets snapped the quick-disconnect fittings to their two connection ports in his life support backpack. Glancing down at his dashboard, he got confirmation that he was now fully connected to his Arwing's built-in life support. He proceeded to secure himself in place with the five-point harness and lap belt.

It then sank into both of them. They were finally going to fly again. "Oh Spirits, I had forgotten how much I missed this," Fox thought to his wife. "Right back at you, Fox," was Krystal's mental reply. She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath of purified, filtered air. Fox followed suit, letting his mind relax and synchronize with his soulmate's. Once again, they ceased to be two individual bonded minds and became one united mind acting together.

Bill and his wingmates had by now become familiar with their instructors' routine of mentally preparing themselves before flying, though none of them except Bill himself knew exactly why. The first time they had witnessed it, both Fox and Krystal had spoken simultaneously in one voice. A few had laughed at Bill's groaning reply to what he had called their 'double speak.' Since then, the McClouds had decided that the part of them that was Fox would be the one who would primarily speak for them with Krystal only voicing out whenever necessary.

Fox activated his communication. "CDF Flight Control, this is Arwing Training Squadron, requesting clearance for ascent into Corneria orbit on flight plan filed this morning."

"Arwing Training Squadron, you are cleared for ascent and orbital insertion as filed. Take ascent inclination vector heading 105 at best climb angle. Contact Corneria Orbit Control upon achieving orbit velocity."

"Acknowledge CDF Flight Control. Ascending on inclination heading 105 at best climb angle. Will contact Orbit Control once in orbit," Fox replied. As one, Fox and Krystal activated their Arwing thrusters, lifting off the tarmac. They were quickly followed by Bill Grey and the rest of the squadrons. With their instructors leading them, all 26 Arwings surge forward, skimming across the airfield until they reached the center.

When the McClouds reached the center marker, they angled their Arwings along the assigned heading and pitched up into a near vertical climb, followed by Husky and Bulldog Squadrons. The two vulpine hearts soared with joy into the stratosphere, barrel rolling tightly about each other while the 24 other Arwings followed in a loose formation.

Bill could only grin at his friends' exuberance. They were definitely in their element. They continued climbing, pitched up at 80° until they cleared the troposphere. At that point, they reduced pitch and accelerated eastward, climbing up through the stratosphere and into low Cornerian orbit. Krystal signaled all of them to switch to the Orbit Control frequency.

Fox then announced their flight group. "Corneria Orbit Control, this is Arwing Training Squadron, requesting clearance to break orbit on flight plan to Meteo."

"Arwing Training Squadron, we have you on tracking scanners. You are cleared for transfer trajectory to Meteo."

"Thank you, Orbit Control. See you in ten hours." Fox then switched frequency and addressed their squadron mates. "You heard them everyone. Let's move out!"

Every pilot then keyed in the trajectory pre-programmed into their flight computer and followed Fox and Krystal, accelerating through escape velocity and on course to the Meteo asteroid belt. Along the way, their two vulpine instructors had them practice formation flying in a series of maneuvers.

Two hours later, they were approaching the asteroid field where they found two parallel obstacle courses waiting for them. "Okay everyone. This will be just like in the simulators, except that we're going to be playing 'Follow the Leader.' All of you did really well in your training so far. So Krystal and I feel like you are ready to fly in tight formation while going through this obstacle course at our pace. Bulldog Squadron, line up behind me."

"And Husky Squadron, line up behind me." Krystal chimed in.

"In groups of three, we want you to follow us through the course, flying through each gate and taking out each target," Fox went on to explain, "and you must keep up with us while doing it."

Bill, Ernie, and Eric formed up behind Fox's Arwing while Rachel, Julie, and Jack lined up behind Krystal's. When they were ready, Fox and Krystal took off, using their boosters to accelerate quickly. The Husky and Bulldog pilots were soon doing all they could to follow their vulpine instructors who were flying at full speed through the obstacle course. With beam weapons tuned down to 1% power, each of the six pilots-in-training began shooting their targets as they flew by them.

Once they were all through, Fox and Krystal formed up with their respective trainees in a loose formation. "Well done, all of you. You managed to keep up with us for the most part."

Krystal could sense their strong emotions. "You need to relax though, and let yourselves fly on instinct. All of you are tense and your hearts are pounding."

"Of course we are!" Bill gave a barking laugh. "You two crazy foxes are flying at such insane speeds through those gates."

Fox grinned. "And once we are done with you, you'll be flying like us crazy foxes too. This is another reason for our success in Star Fox. The faster you fly, the harder it is for the enemy to follow, much less target you."

"Yeah, as long as you don't collide with anything," Jack Row quipped.

"Which is why we have you fly through these courses Husky 3, away from any of the local asteroids." Krystal replied. "The Arwing's shields can take an impact with these barriers. They look solid, but are just energy walls."

By then, the McClouds had flown back to the beginning of the course and were each leading the next group of three Bulldog and three Husky Arwings through the course. For the next three hours, they trained them relentlessly through various, progressively more difficult courses and had them do the offensive and defensive maneuvers they had practiced in simulators.

They then took a mid-day break. With all their Arwings loosely floating together, each pilot took the time to eat their high-energy protein bar and drink some water. In his Arwing, Fox lifted his helmet's visor for the first time since suiting up. His nose wrinkled at the stale scent of his pressurized cockpit. Krystal did the same, and like her husband, she shoved her protein bar into her muzzle and quickly closed her visor, sealing herself securely inside her pressure suit. She pressed the switch on the left side of her helmet to extend the straw into her muzzle and took a gulp of water. "Thinking back to our Star Fox days, I can't believe we ever flew these things without pressure suits."

"Yeah. These suits are great," Fox thought back, feeling the reassuring sensation of his inner ears popping once his visor was sealed shut and his suit slightly pressurized again. He suddenly felt a warmth spreading between his legs that was not his own. That warmth was accompanied by a sense of relief from his soulmate. Fox could only chuckle at the unusual experience he was having through their telepathic bond of wetting himself like a vixen. Sensing her embarrassment, he reassured her. "Don't worry Dear. That's what our diapers are for."

"I know. I've worn them before under my flight suit during our Star Fox days when we went on long flight missions. It's just that this is the first time I've done this since we've bonded."

"Eh. It's no big deal. Besides, I'd rather share with you the sensations of wetting your diaper than wetting the inside of your spacesuit." Fox shivered with her at the thought of having to deal with a damp, clammy spacesuit instead of the warm, absorbent underwear that kept their crotch fur dry. With all the water he drank to keep himself hydrated, it was not surprising to the tod that he'd now also need to relieve himself and did so without a second thought, very much aware that his wife was experience that same sensation through their bond.

With that business taken care of, Fox activated his comm. "Alright everyone. Break's over. Time to resume flying."

For the remaining three hours, Fox and Krystal conducted a wargame with all the pilots against each other, staring with two against two to begin with. It then progressed to three against three, and kept involving larger numbers. The McClouds would sit back and watch while each team would try to ping each other with low-powered lasers. Each Arwing's flight computer would record the number of hits until a critical number was reached, upon which the losing pilot's console would light up announcing that they had been 'destroyed.'

At random times, Fox and Krystal would dive into the fray, acting as unexpected reinforcements, and take their opponent out. At times, Fox wasn't sure if he was using his instincts to predict his opponents' actions or tapping into his wife's telepathic awareness of their minds, but the McClouds were unbeatable. Fox and Krystal eventually decided to no longer jump in, realizing that their merged minds gave them an overwhelming advantage. They instead flew among the group with their weapons off, observing and giving guidance to each side. The final wargame had the two entire squadrons going against each other.

Each squadron was aggressively attacking their opponents while defending their wingmates' six so well that very few laser hits were made. After 30 minutes of dogfighting with no Arwing recorded as 'destroyed,' Fox called an end to the wargame. The former Star Fox pilots were so pleased with the performance of Husky and Bulldog Squadrons that Fox offered to buy them a round of drinks at the CDF Base pub when they got back.

The return journey to Corneria was a leisurely one. Fox and Krystal relaxed in their cockpits, gazing out at the stars and watching the other Arwings drift about their two crafts. Both were immensely pleased at how comfortable their pressure suits were, even after being in them for over eight hours. Krystal had also mentally let themselves drift back to being two individual bonded minds instead of two minds merged into one as they had when flying in combat maneuvers. In all the flying they had done, both in simulators and here in deep space, they had come to the point where they could merge and synchronize themselves mentally in seconds.

Fox looked over at his wife in her Arwing next to his and thought, "I wonder how far apart we can be and telepathically still hear each other."

"It varied with couples on Cerinia. The stronger and more profound the bond, the farther apart they could be and still feel like they were next to each other. Some could mentally talk to each other even when on opposite sides of our world." Krystal immediately sensed her soulmate's curiosity and banked her Arwing away from his. "And with how easily we think to each other and how completely our souls have merged, I think we could be quite far apart."

Fox likewise drifted further in the opposite direction. Bill noticed them fly away from Husky and Bulldog Squadrons and activated his comm. "Fox 1 and 2? What are you doing?"

Krystal replied, "Fox and I are doing a telepathic experiment between us." They were soon 13,000 km apart, which was slightly more than the diameter of Corneria. Krystal thought out to her soulmate, "Can you hear me, Fox?"

In his Arwing, Fox never lost his awareness of his soulmate's presence as part of their telepathic bond, but still felt a sense of relief when he heard her mentally call out to him. "Yeah. I can hear you, though not as strongly as I usually do."

Krystal's heart was filled with joy. "This is wonderful. It confirms how strong our bond is."

"We seem to have to focus a bit more to hear each other, but yeah, I'm happy too. I never thought about it until now, but how can we be mentally speaking to each other when we aren't even touching?"

Krystal closed her eyes and thought back to her telepathic training on Cerinia under the guidance of her home village's elder when that same question came up. "Part of our link is spiritual. Souls exist outside of time and space. It is partly why our parents were able to visit us in our dream from beyond the grave. Since our souls are merged, we'll always be aware of each other, even if we were on opposite ends of the Universe."

Fox saw the same recollection of Elder Hoshi in Krystal's mind while she thought of him. "But being able to mentally speak to each other is more about the strength of our bond and of our telepathic powers, or in this case your powers."

"Yes, and our bond is very strong since you are still able to read my mind through our link." Krystal was now burning with curiosity. "I want to see how far we can be from each other before we have difficulty hearing each other telepathically."

Fox was uneasy at the idea of being further separated from his soulmate. This had been the furthest they had ever been apart since that day on Sauria over three months ago when he had won her forgiveness and they had reconciled. He could sense that she didn't like being this far apart from him either, but still wanted to test the strength of their mental bond. He also didn't like the idea of her going alone by herself further from their group, this deep in interplanetary space.

Krystal could also sense his unease and it brought to the fore of her mind that she was just as uneasy with the idea of her love being by himself. Both immediately recognized their mutual need to ensure each other's safety and came to a simple solution to ease both their minds. Krystal opened her comm. "Bulldog 1, Fox and I want to find out how far we can be apart and still hear each other mentally, but we both think it would be a good idea to not wander further away by ourselves."

Bill Grey had been keeping track of the McClouds on his scanner while they flew apart in opposite directions, away from their group. He too had been a bit uneasy at seeing them go further from the safety of their numbers and was gladdened that they had the common sense to ask for an escort. "Got ya, Luv. Husky Squadron, go out and provide escort to Fox 2. Bulldogs, with me. We'll be keeping Fox 1 company."

Each with a full squadron of Arwings to protect them, Fox and Krystal flew further apart. By the time they were 50,000 km apart though, they could barely hear each other telepathically and could not stand being further apart. Bill was at first alarmed when Fox suddenly swung his Arwing around and accelerated with full boosters back the way they had come. "Fox! What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's....I just need to get back," was Fox's agitated reply.

"Why? What's going on?"

"Arh! Dammit! Krystal and I can't stand being so far apart anymore! Okay!?"

Over his comm, Bill heard the lead Husky pilot say, "Bulldog 1, Fox 2 just did an about turn and is speeding towards you. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, they just have a bad case of separation anxiety. Don't worry about it." Over a private frequency, Bill contacted his vulpine friend, "Fox, what happened? Will you and Krystal be alright?"

A somewhat calmer Fox replied, "Yeah. We'll be fine. We're finding that we don't like to be alone in our heads and unable to hear each other mentally." They could not fly back towards each other quickly enough and were soon in very tight formation together. Krystal sighed happily at feeling her soulmate's love for her radiating brightly like a bonfire and basked in that heat.

Fox ached to hold his wife in his arms. He briefly contemplated opening his canopy to climb out of his Arwing and into his vixen's to physically hold her, but knew it would not be enough since they would still be separated by their pressure suits.

The remainder of their journey back proved to be uneventful. After contacting Orbit Control, they soon decelerated into orbit around Corneria. A course adjustment later and they were decelerating out of orbit and blazing across their world's stratosphere, their shields on full to protect them from the reentry heating.

The 26 Arwings streaked towards their home base, decelerating and making their final approach towards the training facility. Maintaining a close formation, Fox, Krystal and the two squadrons touched down upon the tarmac where they had left just over ten hours ago. Once landed, each of them went through the procedure to power down their Arwing.

Fox depressed one final switch on his control panel and the canopy of his Arwing lifted. He gazed out at shimmering air rising over the hot tarmac in the late afternoon sun and decided to keep his visor down and remain sealed in his spacesuit. Krystal was of the same mind, preferring the cool, regulated air of her life support, which also pumped cooling fluid through the tubes in her undergarment.

Each unplugged the main datalink cable from the back of their helmet and stood up, causing the quick disconnect to uncouple the life-support hoses in the back of their seats from their backpacks. Both climbed out of their Arwing and came together in a heart-felt embrace. With his arm around his wife's waist, Fox turned to face Bill and the other pilots, grinning to them. As a group, all 26 Arwing pilots walked across the tarmac and inside the training facility.

Upon entering the pilot locker room, Fox and Krystal finally broke the seal on their spacesuit, lifting their visor up to breath Cornerian air for the first time in over ten hours. Helmets came off, followed by hoods, freeing vulpine ears that had been pressed flat against their heads. Fox and Krystal each slid out of their neck-entry spacesuits and then helped each other out of their cooling garments, removing their tail sleeves and fluffing up their tail fur. Soggy diapers were disposed of in short order in garbage pails at the end of each row of lockers. Both naked, Fox and Krystal came together in an almost desperate embrace, the memory of their brief separation during the return journey having unnerved them.

Though reluctant, they parted ways to each go to their gender-segregated showers. Fox closed his eyes and leaned his head against the shower wall, letting the warm water cascade down to sooth his agitated nerves. Through his telepathic link, he could sense that Krystal was doing the same.

Bill was washing up next to his friend and eyed the vulpine. He leaned close to the tod and asked in a quiet voice. "Fox, you okay?"

Fox opened an eye and glanced at his canine friend with a wan smile. "Yeah. We're better now." He couldn't help but smile when Bill tilted his head in a very dog-like expression. "It's been two months now since our bonding, but Krystal and I can no longer imagine a life without being in each other's heads."

Bill frowned. "You mean that your bond would break if you were too far apart?"

Fox shook his head. "No. We could be on opposite sides of the universe, and we'd still be aware of each other. Souls exist outside of time and space. But there would be no sharing of thoughts and feelings, or seeing through each other's eyes and so forth."

Bill nodded and paused for a moment, his mind whirling as he connected the dots. With eyes wide, he gaped at his vulpine friend. "Wait! Are you saying that even now, you see everything that she sees?"

Fox was perplexed by the question. "Well, yeah? It's been like that since our wedding. You were there. You saw how I was learning to adjust to the duality of our senses."

The bulldog huffed. "Well, yeah. But I didn't know you'd be seeing everything she sees all the time." It then dawned on him what Fox was seeing at that moment through his wife's eyes. "Oh shit! That means you are seeing the insides of the females' shower!" A moment later, Bill began to blush furiously under Fox's impassive gaze. "And Krystal is seeing all of us naked too!"

Fox chuckled and shook his head. "It's not that big of a deal."

Bill rolled his eyes. "Not a big deal, he says."

The tod closed his eyes and resumed washing himself while seeing the naked female huskies and bulldogs through his wife's eyes. "Yes. I see them, but really don't pay any of them that much attention. Krystal is the only one I desire, and the same goes for her." He briefly open his eyes and glanced down at his canine friend's crotch and passively noted his sheath. "I glance at you and she sees what I see, but it does nothing for her."

Bill blinked and frowned. "I don't know if I should be relieved or insulted."

Fox laughed at his friend's comment while rinsing off his fur. They made their way to the other side of showers where they could dry and brush out their fur. "Oh, she sees that you are an attractive male." The tod struck a pose in front of the mirror with his arms behind his head. Those who didn't know about the depth of his telepathic bond with his wife would think Fox was being vain, but Bill knew better. "But this is the only view Krystal really is interested in." He licked his lips hungrily, seeing through his wife's eyes her reflection while she also posed in front of her mirror.

*****

Afterwards, they were all gathered at the CDF Base pub where Fox and Krystal bought everyone the first round of drinks as promised. Bill sat with his two vulpine friends, joined by Peppy who had shed his general's uniform. Fox slowly nursed his glass of ale, having decided already that since he'd be driving them home, he should remain mostly sober. When he was not sipping his brew, he smiled to his wife and enjoyed the taste of her fruity mixed drink on her palette through their bond.

Peppy set his drink down and leaned back in his chair. "Word has gotten to me that both Husky and Bulldog Squadrons are turning into ace Arwing pilots."

Fox grinned to Bill while answering the old lapine general. "They sure are. Bill and his crew are almost Star Fox-grade pilots as it is. They've come a long way."

"Almost as good as Star Fox, you say?" Peppy rhetorically asked while he stroked his chin.

With input from Bill, Fox recounted the training flight to Peppy. They talked about all the maneuvers they learned, the obstacles course they flew through, and the mock combat exercises. Krystal listened in and offered a few comments, but mostly enjoyed her fruity mixed drinks, ordering a second, then a third, and a fourth as the evening progresses.

Fox concluded "and if I had not disbanded Star Fox, I wouldn't hesitate to invite you to fly with us, Bill."

"Thanks. I appreciate that." Bill mused, "I can just imagine both Fay and myself flying under your command and living together on the Great Fox."

"MmmMMm. Bill hazsh become a top notchss pilot." Krystal affirmed with a slight slur.

It had happened gradually, but Fox now became aware that his perception through Krystal's senses had become distorted and off balance. He even had difficulty thinking to her and realized her telepathy was not as focused as it usually was. At the same time, he got a flash of an image where he was mounting Fay from behind and making passionate love to her and realized it was coming from Bill's mind.

Krystal had been staring at Bill with a silly grin, who in turn began to blush furiously at realizing that the telepathic vixen had intruded on his erotic thoughts of Fay. Fox was shocked at his wife's indiscretion. "Krystal! What are you doing!?"

The urgent chastisement made her snap out of her silly daze and glance to her husband, immediately picking up on his concern. She frowned, finding that she now had difficulty concentrating. "Oh Shpirits! What'sh wrong with me?"

Fox eyed her drink, knowing it was her fourth one. He picked up the menu and noted the alcohol content. Chuckling to himself. "My dearest wife, you are drunk."

Having somehow been able to see through her husband's eyes the small print on the menu, Krystal groaned. "Un deezsh minds around me are sho loud." She glanced towards Bill and became mortified upon realizing she had invaded his privacy. Blushing through the pale blue fur of her face, Krystal pressed her face into her hands. "Oh Shpirritsh, Shpirish...Shit....Shorry Bill."

Bill laughed out loud, causing those nearby to glance in their direction. Getting his laughter under control, he leaned forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "If it were some strange telepath, I'd be mad, but you're our friend. Don't worry about it, Luv"

Krystal glanced up between her fingers. "But I do, Bill. Azsh a tellath, a telepatch, gotta keep my powerzsh under control and....control and....focushed."

Fox reached up and slid Krystal's diadem off her forehead. "Then maybe you shouldn't be wearing your focusing gem for now."

At once, the minds around her dimmed to a dull background murmur. Krystal groaned again and lay her forehead in her hands. "Why didn't I shink of dat?"

"Uh, because you are drunk?" Fox rhetorically asked in a teasing voice.

Without looking, the inebriated vixen grabbed a napkin, crumpled it and tossed it at her husband, beaning him on the nose, eliciting a chuckle from Fox and Bill.

Fox got up and went to the bar and soon came back with a large carafe of water and poured her a glass. "Here you go Krys. Drink lots of water. I love sharing your thoughts, emotions, and senses with you, but I think neither of us would want to experience a hangover."

Krystal gratefully took the glass and drank deeply to rehydrate herself. She also ordered from the bar a pasta dish for herself to help further. "Note to shelfts. Too much alcohol and telepashy don't mix."

Fox nodded, "Precisely my thought, but you knew that," he affirmed while kissing her on the forehead.

Bill scratched his ear and asked Fox, "What's it like for you when she's drunk?"

While Krystal drank and waited for her meal, Fox took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Odd. It feels like I'm drunk, and yet I'm not drunk. By her fourth drink, I became aware that her senses were distorted and I was hearing so many random thoughts through her telepathy that it was getting distracting, until I picked up that thought you were having of Fay." A moment later, Krystal's dish arrived and the vixen began digging into the comfort food. Fox licked his lips and hummed. "And that pasta dish really tastes good. I think I'm going to order some too."

Peppy frowned. "What could Bill be thinking about regarding Fay that would embarrass you and Krystal so much?"

Fox finished ordering his dinner and waved off his old friend's question. "Eh. It's a private thought Krystal shouldn't have picked up on. So I can never tell."

Bill shrugged, having gotten over his embarrassment. "Eh. It's no biggie. Talk of my becoming Star Fox material made me remember that Fay is now part of Star Falco and that got me thinking of what it would have been like if we were crewmates on the Great Falcon, sharing private quarters. I was fantasizing about making love to her each night, taking her from behind and..."

Peppy quickly waved his hands. "Okay, okay. I've heard enough. You don't need to go into all the details."

Fox leaned over and kissed his blushing wife on the cheek. "There you go Sweety. Bill's not even embarrassed anymore. So you shouldn't be either."

Peppy and Bill ended up also ordering dinner from the pub's bar and the four of them passed an amiable evening chatting. After plenty of water and several bathroom breaks, Krystal could feel her mind clearing and her telepathy becoming easier to control again. Fox though could sense that she was not willing to wear her focusing gem and was happy to keep her diadem for her.

Fox and Krystal arrived home late that evening and decided to get ready for bed. After using the bathroom, Fox want to his office to transmit Falco a message, telling his avian friend about the much improved pressure suits for Arwing pilots. He had just finished and was closing down his computer when he became aware that his wife had fallen asleep.

The tod chuckled to himself and walked through the bedroom to the corner alcove where his wife had been meditating. He found her there, kneeling with eyes closed and muzzle resting against her chest. His beloved wife was slowly sagging forward while she slumbered. So Fox scooped her up in his arms before she could fall forward. In her sleep, Krystal murred happily and nuzzled her husband under his chin while he carried her to the bed. Fox gently lay her on the bed and snuggled up to her, pulling the red silk sheets up over them. He soon drifted off into a content slumber.

Fox was flying through the vast emptiness of space, far from Lylat or any other star system. He called out, "This is Fox McCloud. Anybody read me?"

There was no response. He scanned around him, but could not find his bearings. He had no idea where Lylat was located. A growing sense of unease began to fill him. That sense of unease quickly grew to panic when he realized that he couldn't sense his soulmate's thoughts. "Kurisutaru!"

There was no response. He was truly alone, cut off from all contact from any of his friends. Worst of all, he was cut off from his soulmate. An overwhelming sense of despair began to fill him and Fox McCloud completely lost it, curling up where he sat and sobbing. Why was she gone? Why was he even alive? He wanted nothing more than to die.

His despair was very suddenly and forcefully dispelled when the emptiness of space was in an instant replaced with a very familiar otherworldly forest and the void in his heart suddenly filled with the soothing presence of his angelic vixen who very quickly wrapped her wings about him. He found himself being fervently kissed by her and moaned with a sense of relief and unbounded joy...

...and woke up to his wife's muzzle latched onto his in that same fervent kiss. It was a kiss that he quickly returned with a desperate hunger and a sense of relief. Fox quickly realized that his soulmate had once again rescued him from a nightmare. He quickly wrapped his arms about her and pulled her down on top of him, in that moment never wanting to let her go. Tears were coursing out of the corners of his eyes and onto the pillow under his head.

Krystal broke the kiss and nuzzled her husband under his chin. "Oh Fox. I'm so sorry I let that nightmare happen. I fell asleep before I could meditate and was not dreaming lucidly enough to prevent it."

Fox caressed her, sensing her own distress. "It's because we flew too far apart yesterday. Not being able to hear each other in our minds was unpleasant for us both, and I guess more so for me." He focused all this thoughts and emotions on how much he loved her, and his heart swelled with happiness when she sighed happily, empathically basking in that love that radiated from his heart and mind.

Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, he saw that it was still the middle of the night, but didn't want to go back to sleep. He thought of the dream she had planted in his mind to override his nightmare. He thought of what would have happened if he had not awakened from that pleasant dream and felt an aching need bloom in his heart. "Kurisutaru, my dearest angel. I...I need to feel your love. Could you use your powers on me...and project all your love into my mind?"

Krystal lifted her head and gazed wide-eyed into her soulmate's eyes. While Fox had happily surrendered himself to her telepathic powers whenever she used them on him, he had never so overtly asked her to use them on him in such a way. Gazing into his eyes and his mind, she could plainly see the desperate need he had to feel her love.

"Please...as strongly as you can...even if it's too much and I pass out," Fox mentally pleaded.

Krystal was moved to tears and nodded while reaching down to fondle him. "For you, my dearest....Always. I'll give you all my love, telepathically, emotionally, and physically as well."

Fox closed his eyes and whimpered joyfully, going limp under his loving vixen while she pleasured him to full arousal. He remained passive and moaned loudly when he felt her shift on top of him and engulfed his length in the welcoming, wet heat of her body. His hands rested on and caressed her hips in heart-felt appreciation while she rode his length.

Krystal continued to undulate her body on top of her tod. She could plainly sense that he needed this and was determined to grant him his wish. She did not go slow or try to draw it out. When his knot started to swell, she forcefully settled down on him, engulfing his full length, and squeezed with her inner muscles. Wrapping her arms about and laying her full weight on him, she clamped her muzzle onto his in a deep kiss and projected all her love into his mind as strongly as she could.

Sensing from her mind what she was about to do just moments before, Fox surrendered himself completely to her powers. In the next moment, her love bloomed into his mind like a bomb, fully engulfing his very being and actually induced him to climax, causing another explosion, this time in his loins. Fox mentally cried out, completely overwhelmed by her intense love and throbbed his pleasure into his vixen, quickly passing out...

...and woke up in that same otherwordly forest from his soulmate's youth on Cerinia, still spasming into his angel while in the same muzzle-locking kiss with her. He was once again encircled by her wings and helplessly but joyfully overwhelmed by her love surging through his mind and soul, this time unable to pass out since he was in a dream which she controlled.

An eternity later, Krystal relented and just held her lover, keeping her wings wrapped around him and his maleness inside her, having climaxed herself before falling asleep and joining him in their shared dream.

Fox this time was aware that he was dreaming and snuggled into his wife's angelic embrace. _ "Thank you, my dearest angel. You are my salvation and my life."_

"I could sense that you needed my love. I could never deny such a request, and we'll always be together," Krystal thought back. Both knew then that they would never willingly be far apart again and took comfort in that while they continued to express their love for each other through the night in their shared dream, both emotionally and physically.