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Chapter 32: The Death of Fox McCloud

The news of the brutal death of Jack Conley took up most of the bandwidth on media sites. Respectable outlets like Lylat News reported on the paparazzi's death dispassionately. Walter Kent pointed out in his editorial that Mister Conley failed to take seriously Fox McCloud's warning that he had posted on his property wall and paid the price with his life. He reminded his audience of the abduction attempt of Marcus McCloud, and that the pup's father had garnered many enemies during his Star Fox career, which was the main reason for the 'kill on sight' warning posted on the wall around the McCloud home.

Fox's hope that things would turn around for the better was short-lived unfortunately. The tabloid media all sensationalized the death of the paparazzo with headlines like, 'Jack Conley murdered in cold blood by Fox McCloud,' and 'Fox McCloud threatens to kill reporters after murdering one of their own.' It really was a mix. Many on Corneria were sensible and understood that tabloids sensationalized and made up stories. But the remainder were gullible enough to believe what they heard from such disreputable media sites.

It was this second half that worried Fox and Krystal. Even though paparazzi now all kept their distance from the McClouds, the hostility they sensed from their readers when they went on outings was worrisome. Then there was Marcus. It turned out he had his own worries. They were sitting together at the breakfast table in their home's corner nook. Fox and Krystal sat together with the twins sitting in high chairs on each side of them. While he was eating his breakfast, Fox fed Kushinju her baby food, and his wife did the same with Nozomi. Ophelia and her brother sat opposite from their parents. While Ophelia ate her pancakes with her usual enthusiasm, Marcus ate his eggs and potatoes while glancing anxiously at his parents.

Krystal and Fox knew that their son was troubled. "We can sense you are worried about something, Makasu. What is it, Son?" Fox mentally asked his pup while bringing his glass of juice to his lips to drink several gulps.

"Are you and Mama going to have sex soon?" Marcus asked his parents with an air of hope in his thoughts. He suddenly became afraid when he sensed their shock and saw his father cough when he accidently breathed in his juice.

"Where did you learn that word?" Krystal asked her son. She then saw the memory at the forefront of his mind, his conversation with his friends in the treehouse the previous day, and laughed. "I'm not surprised that your friend Vincent would know such words."

Marcus was relieved when he sensed his mother's amusement and knew that his parents were not angry with him, but still desperately wanted that his parents would make each other feel pleasure. Fox had by then recovered, and after a few hard coughs, was breathing normally again. "Marcus, the word 'sex' is just what I and your mother share to make each other feel good, but what we do is so much more. It is an expression of our love for each other." Fox then asked, "Why do you want your mother and me to have sex together so much?"

"I...I don't want you and Mama to become mad with each other and argue all the time like Jock's mom and dad do." Marcus replied in a quiet, anxious voice while looking down at his hands forlornly. When he felt his parent's telepathic probing, he focused on the memory they were seeking, knowing that he could always trust them.

They saw in their son's mind how he accidently read the young terrier's emotional thoughts and were saddened by the memory of Jock's parents shouting to each other on many occasions. Together, they got up from their chairs and walked around the breakfast nook to jointly embrace Marcus while projecting their love into him. "Oh Marcus, we are so sorry you had to see that and are saddened that your friend has to endure such a thing. Unfortunately, parents who are not telepaths sometimes don't understand each other as much as we do, and will argue because of that. Your mother and I know each other's deepest thoughts. That is why we never had an argument and never will."

"So you will have sex soon?" Marcus thought in a mixture of relief and hope.

Fox chuckled and ruffled his son's head fur. "Your mother and I express our love for each other like that almost every day, and often several times each day. But even if there are days when we don't spend time together like that, it is only because we might be busy with other things, like spending time loving you, your brother, and your sisters."

"So do not worry, Sweety." _ Krystal assured her son. _"Even if your father and I do not make love, we will never be angry with each other or argue like you saw in Jock's mind."

Just then, Kushinju and Nozomi began to get cranky because their feeding had been interrupted. Krystal and Fox quickly returned to their seats between the twins and resumed spooning baby food into their hungry mouths. With his spirits uplifted, Marcus began eating his breakfast with his usual gusto. "In fact," Fox began, "I think we should go out today and visit our friends."

Despite the hostility of weak-minded people whose thoughts and opinions were easily molded by fake news from the tabloids, they at least had their circle of close friends. There was the Phoenix family, who were all supportive. Bill Grey and every member of Bulldog and Husky squadrons were always ready to defend the McCloud's honor. The same could be said of the Star Falco crew. Wolf O'Donnell, Panther Caruso, and their families were also on the side of the Fox and his wife.

Closer to home, there were the Banks, who turned out to be one of the neighbors who had filed a complaint about the paparazzi that had camped out at the end of the street. After a quick mental discussion, they decided to call the otter family.

George greeted Fox at his door and welcomed the tod with open arms, giving him a hearty slap on the back. "Fox, old boy. Well done! When we heard those loud explosions and then saw you racing down the street in your tank, I knew we'd never see those blasted reporters on our streets again."

"Thanks, my friend. It's good to know we'll have our privacy back for good this time."

The otter laughed as he led the McClouds through his home to the back garden. "I'll say. You've even driven door-to-door vendors away, now that word has gone out you own your own bloody Landmaster tank!"

"Like my wife once said to me. 'Once a mercenary, always a mercenary.'" Fox grinned.

George's whiskers quivered in amusement. "I overheard Michael ask his sister if she thought you'd give him a ride in your tank."

Fox chuckled. "We'll see. If reporters still stay away, I might give him a ride the next time you come over to visit." He then turned to his children. While Krystal held the twins in her arms, their pups stood on each side of their mother. Their tails started wagging furiously when Oliver and Ruby raced up to them. "Go on, Marcus. Have fun with your friends, and bring your sister with you."

"Okay Papa. Come on Ophelia." Marcus replied while grabbing his younger sister's hand and leading her away to play with their friends.

"It's so sweet that your son includes his younger sister in his play with his older friends." Winifred fondly observed.

"He's very much attached to Ophelia, ever since he held her in his arms right after she was born." Krystal replied. She then handed Nozomi to Fox, who smiled when the infant pup nuzzled his chest to bury himself in his warmth and scent.

"Thank you for having us over." said the retired Star Fox leader. "It's been hard not to be able to go on outings without sensing some random person's hostility towards us and our children."

"I'm sure things will eventually calm down." Winifred offered.

"We hope so." Krystal replied. She then withdrew a large blanket from the diaper bag she was carrying, draped it over her shoulders, pulled down her bra underneath, and began to breast feed Kushinju. Fox then slipped Nozomi under his wife's privacy blanket to let the pup nurse on Krystal's other breast.

Fox repressed a chuckle upon sensing George's embarrassment when the otter realized what Krystal was doing. His amusement was diverted though when he saw Marcus, Ophelia, Ruby, and Oliver race by. "We hope to be able to eventually go back to River Rapids again too, when the twins are old enough."

It was then that George Banks sprung a surprise on their vulpine friends. "Funny you should mention my brother-in-law's water park. Kelly informed me this morning that Charles Phoenix has reserved the entire park for a private party next week after the park has closed to the public to celebrate his grandchildren's seventh birthday. Given that you are friends with them, I'm surprised..."

George's words were interrupted by the chirping sound of Fox's communicator. When the tod looked at the display screen on his comm unit, he grinned. "I just got a text message from Charles, inviting us and our children to Oswald's and Katherine's seventh birthday party."

"It also coincides with Remembrance Day." George added, "Kelly suggested that CDF veterans be invited as well."

Fox grinned. "Having fought in the wars at their side, that is one crowd we don't mind being in the company of. We've never sensed anything but admiration and friendliness from veterans." He and his wife then became pensive, before he spoke up again. "We'll have to make special arrangements because of the twins though, since they are too young to deal with so many minds around them."

*****

It was an hour after closing time at River Rapids Waterpark. The crowds had dispersed and the parking lot was empty. The McCloud family were unloading the trunk of their ground car. Marcus was given the task of carrying the bag with all their beach towels. Ophelia was given her beach toys. Fox had just returned from the front entrance with a stroller made for two and buckled the twins into it. "We'll be needing a van soon, especially if you want to have more children." Fox thought to his wife.

Krystal withdrew the diaper bag from the trunk. "Good thinking. Marcus is feeling crammed in the back between the car seats for Ophelia and the twins. Let's start shopping for one this week."

Just then, a limousine pulled up next to them, and out of it exited Charles Phoenix, his daughter, Fara, his son-in-law Kei, his grandchildren, Oswald and Katherine, and Kei's parents, Dietrich and Josephine Reinard. Accompanying the elongated ground car were four large vehicles from which exited the Phoenix family protective detail that shadowed them whenever they went on outings. All except four of them immediately vanished under personal cloaking fields.

Though the park was empty except for the clean-up crew, Fox felt that it was important to prepare his daughter. So just as Krystal had done for Marcus, and then himself on his first time returning to the park after his telepathy had awakened, Fox led Ophelia in an abbreviated meditation to help her center herself.

Kelly stood there watching the familiar ritual that the McClouds did when the brought each of their children on their first outing to his park. Next to them, his main guests, the Phoenix family, were unpacking from the limousine picnic baskets, beach toys, towels, and so on. He then noticed Krystal strapping their two newest children into the two-seated stroller. "Oh my goodness! What adorable little pups you have, Missus McCloud." He walked up to the vixen and knelt down to admire the two small blue-furred foxes. The otter was unable to resist extending a finger towards the pups, wanting to let them grasp the digits of his webbed hand, but Krystal gently deflected his hand.

"I'm sorry, Kelly, but you must understand that my two youngest children have no control over their telepathy at such a young age." the vixen explained. "Normally, we would not have brought them here until they were Ophelia's age," she said while nodding towards her daughter, "but because the park will be mostly empty, we'll be able to more easily shield their young minds."

Still kneeling in front of the twins, Kelly dropped his hand to his side and glanced up at Krystal. "Well, it is a privilege to get to see them so young nonetheless." He then stood up and smiled to the vixen with whiskers quivering. "All the arrangements have been made. You, and the Phoenix Family, will have all the privacy you need at Picnic Area 7."

Charles, who had organized this special event for his grandchildren, had made all the financial arrangements, including paying admission for all the CDF veterans, and Fox and his family as well. It was a strange sight to enter River Rapids and see the entire park devoid of any guests, except for the occasional park worker on cleanup duty. That soon changed though. While their party were setting up in the private area that had been reserved for them, retired and active CDF soldiers on leave began to show up with their families.

The late afternoon progressed into evening and all had a good time. Fox and Krystal each took turns staying in their private picnic area to watch over Nozomi and Kushinju while the other took Marcus and Ophelia to play in the children's water slides. Marcus did join Fara, Kei, Oswald, and Katherine in the adult slides for part of the time as well.

With many children now beginning to yawn, parents all over the park decided it was getting close to bedtime for their offspring. Even with all the sugar from the birthday cake, Marcus, Ophelia, Oswald, and Katherina were no exception. The twins were already sound asleep on blankets under of the palm trees. With the crowds greatly thinned, the McClouds, Phoenixes, and Reinards all made their way to the exit to the VIP parking lot.

For Fox and his wife, it was a welcomed respite from all the negative publicity. Those positive feelings though were dispelled when they were met by Shadow 1 at the park exit. The leader of the Phoenix family protective detail was the bearer of most unwelcomed news. "Mister and Missus McCloud, we need to talk."

With a sense of foreboding, they let themselves be led to the side while watching the Phoenix family limousine being moved away from their own ground car. "What's going on?" Fox asked.

"About 30 minutes ago, an individual was spotted approaching your vehicle under the cover of night. This person was observed crawling under your car for about five minutes before withdrawing. We followed her back into the park where she was identified as one of the parking attendants."

"Have you determined what she was doing?" Fox asked, already dreading the answer. His suspicions were confirmed when Shadow 1 nodded. "Scans indicate that an explosive device has been planted that is set to trigger the moment your ground car's motor is turned on."

The news was worse than Fox could have imagined, and awakened old wounds when he recalled that that was precisely how his own mother had been murdered 23 years ago. Krystal's heart ached for her husband, feeling his anguish through their bond. She desperately wanted to embrace and comfort him, but had to focus on keeping such negative emotions from troubling Kushinju and Nozomi who were sleeping quietly in their stroller.

She gazed down at her son and daughter, who looked up to their father. Both sniffled, deeply affected by his emotional pain. That sorrow though turned to anger. "That person would have murdered us all, Krystal. You, I, Marcus, Ophelia, and the twins would all be dead if Shadow 1 had not discovered that bomb."

"Has this individual been apprehended yet?" Krystal asked, even as she endeavored to remain calm for the sake of her twin siblings.

"Not yet, but Kelly Rivers has been notified. The authorities are on their way here to arrest her. A bomb squad will also be here soon to disarm the explosive device from your ground car."

"No." Fox replied, startling every adult around him except for his wife, who instantly understood what he had in mind. As unappealing as it was, both understood that it was their only chance to escape the pervading hostility directed towards them because of all the false rumors, fake news, and conspiracy theories that had been promoted by the tabloids.

*****

On many media centers in homes across Lylat, on computer stations in the work place and in homes, and on personal communication devices, people watched in stunned silence when Walter Kent gave a report that for many years everyone would remember where they were and what they were doing when the news broke. On the system-wide network, movies or other entertainment streams were interrupted. "This is a bulletin from Lylat News. At River Rapids waterpark this evening, a car bomb went off with retired Star Fox leader Fox McCloud inside."

Walter Kent's voice was then heard as an image appeared. "This was taken form security camera records overlooking the River Rapids parking lot." Everyone watching Lylat News then saw Fox McCloud get into his car. The front passenger door also opened, for what everyone assumed would be for his wife Krystal, who must have been out of the security camera's field of view. Moments later, the car was engulfed in a fireball. The scene then cut to Walter at his desk. The hound looked at his unseen audience with a pained expression full of sorrow. "This just in. Police report say that the entire center portion of the car was completely vaporized. Fox McCloud is dead. His widow, Krystal McCloud, and their children have been taken away from the scene and are now under police protection."

On the highway leading from River Rapids to Corneria City, a limousine was escorted by four armored ground vehicles that comprised of the Phoenix family and their protective detail. Crowded inside the luxurious, elongated ground car with Charles, Fara, and Kei Phoenix and their children, and Dietrich and Josephine Reinard were a quiet Krystal McCloud, her children, and her twin baby siblings. Fara did not need to be a telepath to see that the vixen she considered a sister was despondent. She reached out and gripped Krystal's hand. "Hey. It'll be alright. We'll come and visit often."

"I'd like that. Fox and I always loved living in New Cerinia, but we will miss our friends here." Krystal replied with a wistful smile. She then sighed. "I will be hardest on Ophelia, and especially Marcus though. They'll have no friends there since all the children that have been born in New Cerinia will be about the twin's age."

Fara reached over and ruffled Marcus' head fur. "Well, he and his sister will have Katherine and Oswald to play with every second weekend at the very least, maybe every weekend if we can manage it."

Kei spoke up in turn. "Besides, after everything we've heard about Sauria and the New Cerinia colony, Fara and I are curious about the place and would love it if you showed us around."

"We look forward to seeing you there." Krystal replied, feeling her spirits already uplifted. "Do let Wolf, Panther, and Falco and his crew know what really happened. Hopefully, they and their families can come and visit too."

"Don't you worry Girl." Fara assured the vixen. "Soon, all of us will be traveling to New Cerinia on a regular basis." She then became thoughtful. "Should we let your neighbors know too?"

"Please do. George and his family have been wonderful friends and our children will miss playing with Ruby and Oliver." Krystal then looked out the window of their limousine and saw the growing outline of Corneria City Space Port. "We're almost there."

They all rode in silence as their motorcade went through the complex and on to the military side of the space port. It was only a matter of minutes before the vehicles pulled to a stop in front of an annex to the Cornerian Defense Force headquarters. Everyone in the limousine and the escort vehicles got out and walked in file into the building, escorted by the Phoenix family protective detail.

Once inside, they walked along corridors that had been rendered empty by order of General Peppy Hare and soon arrived at a waiting room. It was only once they were inside that Fox McCloud suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The tod then nodded to Shadow 1, the leader of the Phoenix family bodyguards. "Thanks for letting me borrow the stealth suit." He said while slipping off the body-covering garment in question and handing it over to the black jaguar, who nodded and left without a word.

They waited only a few minutes before Peppy arrived. The lagomorph was relieved that the vulpine he had raised and mentored was alive and well. He was also troubled that Fox had had to fake his own demise. "I am glad to see you well, Fox, though I wish it were not under these circumstances."

"It unfortunately has to be like this. I and my family must get away from all this toxic media attention, and we've always felt safe in New Cerinia."

"I fear that you might not get the privacy you are seeking on Sauria." Peppy cautioned. "There have recently been incidents of unauthorized incursions by media photographers in the vicinity of the colony, just beyond Cape Claw."

Fox sighed in exasperation. "And with my reddish brown fur, I stand out among the other Cerinians there." He paced around the room like a trapped animal and growled in frustration. "This is getting ridiculous! What must I do to get some privacy if I can't even feel safe among people who have welcomed me as one of them? There are times I wish I were a full-blooded Cerinian. At least then my fur would be...."

His friends then all saw Fox's expression change from one of anger to glee as his muzzle stretched into a grin. Krystal, having heard his thoughts as she always did, giggled and said, "We are going to need a lot of dye."

"Falco and Bill always teased me about how I was going native, saying that they half-expect me to turn my fur blue." Fox mused with a grin, which became rueful. "And it's going to be a real pain to keep dyeing my fur to maintain the charade." His mood soured somewhat as he ran his fingers over the markings around his upper arms. "...and an even bigger pain to keep the dye from covering up my tattoos."

Though he was an accountant by trade, Kei Phoenix had been a nursing assistant before changing his career. His medical background gave him the insight to suggest a viable, and more permanent alternative. "There may be a way to genetically alter your fur pigments."

When Kei had his cousin's undivided attention, he went on to explain. "Fur colors in Lylat are determined by melanin, which are the natural pigments generated by the body. There are two different types of melanin: eumelanin, which is brown to black, and pheomelanin, which is yellowish to reddish. Varying proportions of each determine fur color. Cerinians must have a third type of melanin to give them their blue fur." He then turned to his wife. "Fara, do you think your Aunt Florence would be able to figure out what makes Cerinian fur blue, and use that to make Fox's fur naturally blue like Krystal's?"

"I think so. Then again, we could simply ask the Cerinians themselves."

Krystal perked up at the suggestion. "Hinode would know. He's a healer and geneticists. He'd know the DNA sequence that would be needed to turn Fox's fur blue."

"Perfect!" Kei declared, clapping his hands together. "And it would not affect any fur that is already white. So you would not lose your tattoos, Cousin."

A short conversation on a coded frequency to New Cerinia with Hinode soon yielded the information they needed. By the next day, Fox was waiting in a secure medical lab on the CDF base. When Florence Phoenix walked in and saw the tod, she nodded to herself. "I suspected you did not die in that car bomb when they reported Krystal was alive. If you had died, she would have died as well, given your soul bond."

Fox nodded. "That's right." He then saw the small sealed case that Fara's aunt was carrying. "Is that it?"

In reply, she opened the case and withdrew a large syringe containing a grey solution. "Yes. This contains specially designed nanites tailored to make one minor change to your genetic sequence to cause your body to stop producing eumelanin and pheomelanin, and instead start producing the Cerinian melanin. Once I inject you with this, any new fur growth will be in shades of blue equivalent to your current reddish brown colors."

There was no hesitation in Fox when he promptly lifted up his shirt sleeve. "Do it."

*****

Fokkusu looked out over the ocean from his home in New Cerinia and again thought back to what had brought him there. Two days after being injected with the nanites, blue could be seen in the roots of his hairs. He had been snuggling with his vixen in bed in their secluded quarters within the vacated CDF annex when his wife first noticed the new growth.

"I want to see now what I'll look like. Could you get a fur trimmer to shave my fur down to the blue?"

"Even your tail?" Krystal asked teasingly and watched her husband take hold of his caudal appendage. Any vanity he might have had regarding it were supplanted by his desire to see what he was turning into.

"Yes, even that. I can always spread some of that fur growth ointment on it afterwards."

With his children watching, Fox stood still in the middle of their quarters with a large towel under his feet while Krystal passed a fur trimmer over his entire body. As their mother worked her way down from the top of their father's head, Marcus and Ophelia watched in awe as their father turned from reddish brown to shades of blue not unlike them and their mother.

When she was done, Fox beheld his new self in a full-length mirror for the first time. Where his fur had before been a deep reddish brown, it was now a medium blue, transitioning to a light blue under his neck going down his belly to his crotch where it had previously been almost tan. His muzzle was still white, and he still sported the prominent white blaze over the top of his head. The reflection looking back at him was vaguely familiar to Fox, and it took a moment for him to realize it. He now resembled his Cerinian ancestor, Takara McCloud.

And as Kei had predicted, he still bore the white tattoos around his upper arms denoting him as a guardian. Twisting around to look at his sides, he could still see on each thigh the circular swirling tattoo with the four pointed triangles that marked him as belonging to his bondmate's clan. With his back to the mirror, he craned his head around to see that the small Star Fox emblem still adorned his lower back. His eyes then took in his tail and he could not help but sigh despondently at the pathetically thin blue fur that covered it.

Krystal though was mindful of his feelings and soon was lovingly spreading ointment over the entire length of his tail that would promote quick fur growth. Once she was done, they turned their attention to the large towel he had stood in the middle of. Upon it were all that remained of the old Fox McCloud. The clipped orange brown fur strewn over that towel was a symbol of an old life he was now leaving behind. And to the former leader of the Star Fox mercenary team, that was something he considered perfectly acceptable. It represented freedom from the constant scrutiny of people who really did not know him. It was a repudiation of ignorant judgmental people who had no business dictating how he should act.

So it was without hesitation that Fox gathered his old fur clippings and disposed of them in the rubbish bin where they would by the end of the day be incinerated with the outgoing garbage. That evening, Fox made love to his wife and delighted in seeing his blue fur blend with that of his vixen's. In just under a week, his new fur had filled in to its original length and his tail fur was thick and luxurious once again. The time had come for him and his family to relocate to New Cerinia.

Still not wanting to chance being photographed by a paparazzo with a long, telephoto lens, Fox requested a CDF soldier uniform to disguise himself before leaving the building where he and his family had stayed in hiding. It was Peppy who was the first to see his old protégé in his new fur. "Oh my! If I had not known otherwise, I would not have recognized you, Fox." Behind him was Bill, who gawked at seeing his old friend in varying shades of blue. "Well damn, Fox. I had been just teasing you when I suggested you turn your fur blue since you were going native." His gobsmacked expression turned into a smirk. "You didn't have to take me seriously."

"It was your jest that gave me the idea, Bill." Fox chuckled and slowly turned around in a full circle, proudly displaying his new Cerinian pelt in all its naked glory. He then took the Husky Squadron uniform that Bill had procured for him. "And guys, just so we understand. Fox McCloud is dead." the tod said about himself. "From now on, I'll answer only to my Cerinian name. Call me Fokkusu."

Peppy and Bill nodded solemnly. The bulldog then expressed the anger he shared with the more reasonable, well-informed members of Cornerian society. "It turns out the one who planted the car bomb was a firm believer of all those conspiracy theories promoted by the tabloids about you and chose to take it upon herself to save Corneria by killing Fox McCloud. The hatred directed at the tabloid media and paparazzi has gotten ugly out there because of that, and I can't say I feel sorry for those creeps. There's been reports of vandalism against some of their offices. Several paparazzi have also ended up in the hospital. And the headquarters for the Corneria Enquirer was bombed two days ago."

"Humph! Serves them right." Peppy scoffed. "From what I understand, the police have not put in much effort into investigating these incidents."

"It's gratifying to know that there are people out there who are as outraged over this as much as we are. So maybe I'll be back once the dust settles." Fokkusu mused. His expression then hardened. "But I want no funerals on my account. This silent majority stayed silent until my car was bombed and I was presumed dead."

Peppy nodded silently in agreement. As far as he was concerned, the people of Corneria did not deserve to have a funeral for the hero who had helped save Lylat many times over the years. So it was at sunset, under lengthening shadows, that the presumed widow of the presumed late Fox McCloud was escorted with her children to a departing shuttle by the members of Bulldog and Husky squadrons.

There were indeed tabloid photographers a kilometer away, beyond the perimeter of the CDF base, who saw the procession through their telephoto lenses. In the distance through the shimmering air, they managed to capture blurred photographs of the blue-furred Cerinian vixen and her children. While they observed the usual 12 members of Bulldog Squadron, none noticed that Husky Squadron seemed to comprise of 13 individuals, nor did they discern in the growing gloom that that 13th member had blue fur showing through his uniform. And none of the photographs taken revealed that Krystal McCloud and her family were accompanied by 25 members of Bulldog and Husky Squadrons, instead of 24.

*****

Fokkusu now found himself a permanent resident of New Cerinia. After the grief he and his family had endured on Corneria, the privacy and peace among their fellow Cerinians was a welcomed change. While they did keep their honeymoon cottage in nearby Cape Claw, Fokkusu, Kurisutaru, and their family took up residence in the main town at the center of the colony.

Hiroshi had been both dismayed to hear of the ill treatment Fokkusu and his family had endured on Corneria, and amazed at the change the tod had undergone. Hinode had naturally informed the others that Kurisutaru's bondmate had expressed a desire to alter the color of his fur. It did not change the fact that when Fokkusu stepped off the shuttle, he sensed amazement, delight, and amusement roll through his empathy. The change in Fokkosu's appearance was so profound that none of the CDF personnel protecting them and providing support recognized this tod accompanying the vixen they knew as Krystal. It also helped that Fokkusu had stopped speaking in Lylatian altogether in their presence.

It had been heartwarming to see so many children being raised by the other 24 Cerinian couples. Including Kushinju and Nozomi, there were now 50 toddlers running about within the protected enclave. Fokkosu though was still mindful to spend as much time as possible with his son and daughter. With Makasu over seven years old, and Ofiria approaching three, they were bereft of their usual playmates who were closer to their age. And even though Fokkusu was now 35, he did his best to be a good playmate for his children, and in the process recaptured a childhood he had lost.

Kurisutaru could not help but giggle when she first saw her soulmate sitting on their living room floor playing with toy cars with his son and daughter, acting like a total pup, making the children laugh with his silly antics. It could not be all fun and games though, and their children understood, having picked up on the sense of need from the other adults around them.

With the other 24 vixens already pregnant again, there would be another 48 pups being born in just over two months. So Fokkusu and the other husbands were all busy in several construction projects. First and foremost was a medical clinic to ensure that every pup had the best healthcare. Though it would not be immediately needed, plans were already underway to lay the foundation for a school on the edge of their town, leaving it ample room to expand. Not counting the children of Fokkusu and Kurisutaru, there would be about 480 children in nine years. Ten years after that, the population would start to balloon rapidly, growing exponentially to over 3000 in the subsequent ten years.

A small farm was also established on a field previously surveyed by Akina, along with the beginnings of an orchard. Fokkusu and Kurisutaru joined the other guardians and took turns to patrol the edge of their settlement and hunt wild game for the village. Several of the Cerinians were artisans and skilled in various trades. This in turn gave rise to the beginnings of a market in the town square.

This morning though was going to be special. After having lived in New Cerinia for several weeks, they were going to have their first visitors from Corneria. Their entire family now stood along the edge of the landing field and watched the gleaming, privately owned shuttlecraft slowly descent to touch down onto the grass. With them were their closest Cerinian friends, Hinode, Shinko, Renjiro, and Akina, and their pups.

When the boarding ramp had lowered, they saw their friends, Fara and Kei Phoenix, and their two children Katherine and Oswald, disembark, and to their delight and surprise, six otters comprising of the entire Banks family. Kurisutaru and Fokkusu both sensed the fascination the lutrines evoked in their Cerinian friends. "What are they?" Shinko mentally asked.

"In Lylatian, their species would be called 'otters' " Fokkusu informed his friends. "They are not common in Lylat but are known to be excellent swimmers. You will find that they are unsurpassed in water."

While her bondmate was explaining these things to their friends, Kurisutaru called out to the arrivals, waving them over. "Welcome! It's so good to see all of you." As they all approached the Cerinians waiting to welcome them, she beamed to the otter family. "Winifred! Such a wonderful surprise to see you and your family as well."

It was from behind Krystal that they first saw him step out from among the other blue-furred Cerinians. Fara and Kei had known that Fox had elected to permanently change the color of his fur, but this was the first time they beheld him. "Oh my stars!" Fokkusu's old girlfriend exclaimed. "It's so strange to see you all blue." Kei grinned. "You look great, Cousin."

Like Kurisutaru and Renjiro, Fokkusu wore the full set of epaulettes, bracers, leggings, and collar of a guardian, along with the traditional loincloth, sandals, and focusing gem that all Cerinians wore. So most of his fur, and his tattoos, were in plain sight. Smiling proudly, he did a slow turn to let his friends see his short coat of fur in all its shades of blue.

For George and Winifred Banks, the change in their friend and former neighbor was more startling. They had at first been devastated to hear that Fox McCloud had died in the car bomb, and then relieved and overjoyed when Fara paid them a visit at their home and informed them that Fox was alive. She had not told them however of the radical change in appearance of the retired mercenary.

"Great maker! You're blue!" George exclaimed. "When did this happen? Fox..." he began to go on, but was interrupted by a raised hand.

"Hello George. I'll explain once we are at our home, but you should know that I no longer answer to my old name. Call me Fokkusu from now on." He then went on to introduce all of them to the other Cerinians present.

All openly expressed their fascination with the otters, who found themselves the center of the Cerinians' attention. Hinode was especially interested in the unique attributes of their species. "Fokkusu says your kind are renowned for its aquatic prowess." His keen, medically trained eye took in George's physique as the otter grinned and extended a hand to the Cerinian, who readily took it.

Hinode looked down at the hand that was grasping his. "Goodness, you have webbing between your fingers!"

"And between my toes, too." the otter affirmed, spreading them for the tod to see. "Our tails also aid in propelling us in the water."

Shinko also added her own observation. "Their bodies also look very streamlined; even the ears are very short to reduce hydrodynamic drag."

Fokkusu laughed. "I'm sure they will be more than happy to demonstrate, especially when they see the river going through Cape Claw."

They led their friends through the winding cobblestone walkways to the center of the town, where they took in the sight of the market. Fara commented. "That is so interesting. The buildings are built in and around the trees. It looks like you've not cut down a single one."

"Yes. Cerinian building practice has always been to blend in with the environment whenever possible. We did clear most of the undergrowth though." Fokkusu then pointed to one shop that had been cut out of the center of a very large tree's trunk. "But whenever possible, we try to integrate our village with the forest."

"This was how villages on Cerinia were built." Kurisutaru added. "My home town of Nara was like this."

"I remember how you would be almost tearful whenever you talked about Cerinia and your home there." Fara observed. "But now, you seem so calm about it."

"We will never forget the destruction of our home world." Kurisutaru explain, nodding to Akina and Shinko and their bondmates. She then gestured to the square around them and the homes beyond. "But seeing this, and everything that is being built around, it truly is a New Cerinia."

"And the memorial we all had, thanks to Kurisutaru and Fokkusu, gave us the closure we all needed." Shinko added.

Fokkusu then reached over and ruffled the head fur of one of Shinko's pups. "Seeing all these children also helps."

It was then that they all noticed that every vixen they saw held in her arms or pushed in a stroller two pups. On the edge of the town market was a playground with swings, climbing bars, a merry-go-round, and a teeter-totter, all waiting for the Cerinian children to use when they got older. For the time being, though, several toddlers could be seen playing in the sandbox with their mothers watching.

When they arrived at the home of Kurisutarua and Fokkusu, they found a modest house with a front courtyard that featured a central fountain and vines spilling over the walls. The interior was well-appointed with furniture carved out of the local wood in the main living area, with a full kitchen to one side, and a hallway leading to the bedrooms in the back.

"Were homes on Cerinia like this too?" George asked as he looked around.

"Yes." Fokkusu answered. "And like the rest of the village, they were built to blend in with the local trees. It's also why the yards do not have any lawns, ornamental bushes, and so forth. We do have a greenhouse like we did back on Corneria, though there is nothing much there as we only just planted a few days ago."

After the Phoenixes and Banks were settled into the guest rooms, Kurisutaru and her bondmate showed them around the settlement while Makasu, Ofiria, Oswald, Katherine, Ruby, and Oliver went to the playground. One structure that caught the adults' attention was a windowless rectangular building with very thick walls built like a bunker. Photovoltaic cells covered its roof. A wind turbine spun in the sea breeze atop a tower on one side, with large battery banks arrayed at the base. On the opposite side hummed a small fusion reactor. The building was guarded by a platoon of armed CDF soldiers, with two soldiers posted at the solitary front door.

Fara immediately understood what the building represented. "That is where your Legacy is stored, isn't it?"

"Legacy?" Michael Banks asked.

Hinode explained to all of them. "Yes, this is where are stored the sperm and egg samples that were rescued from Cerinia just hours before its destruction. We managed to get 96% of them before we made our escape. The remaining 4% were from remote islands that we could not get to in time. The bloodlines from those families are unfortunately lost forever." He then gazed fondly at Shinko. "But the 96% will be revived, thanks to our bondmates, and the vixens born later on."

Shinko and Akina smiled and looked down, running hands over their bellies, which had begun to show with the twins within them. "We plan to bear twins each year, for at least another nine years, from the sperm and eggs of bonded couples that died on Cerinia."

George, Winifred, Kei, and Fara nodded mutely to the vixens. Their gaze then drifted to other vixens in the vicinity, all pregnant again after having given birth to pups only a few months before. They then understood that they were witnessing the beginnings of the rebirth of the Cerinian civilization.

They were back in the town square, eating roast bafomdad with fruit at one of the picnic tables. Makasu and Ofiria heard their parents' telepathic call for lunch. They and their friends immediately joined the adults. Once everyone had eaten their fill, Fokkusu asked, "Any of you up for a swim in a nice, fresh water river being fed from a waterfall?" His muzzle split into a grin when he sensed playful exuberance from the Banks and saw fennec and fox tails wag in reply.

"We can sense that that answer would be 'yes'. Come, let's head back to the house for you to pick up your swimming clothes and some beach towels." Kurisutaru said. "You are sure to love Cape Claw as much as we do."

"I have patrol duty." Renjiro informed them. "So I'll see you later this evening." He then melded his muzzle to his soulmate's in a deep, muzzle-locking kiss and sent her a burst of his love through their bond that left the vixen breathless. When they parted, Akina giggled and nodded at a thought that her soulmate sent her before he left.

"And it's my turn to mind the pups at the village nursery." Shinko said after kissing Hinode. She then smiled to Kurisutaru, "Do you want me to take Kushinju and Nozomi with me?"

"Yes. Thank you." she replied. Together, they walked to a building at the corner of the square, adjacent to the playground. Inside, they found a vixen watching over a dozen pups who were all being settled down for their afternoon nap. Their guests watched Fokkusu's wife gently nuzzle her baby brother and sister and whisper to them words of love in Cerinian before handing the pups over to her friend. Shinko spoke to the vixen, who smiled, thanked her, and left. Akina also handed her pups to Hinode's bondmate and followed Kurisutaru out.

After they left, Fara commented, "That is a nice idea. It allows mothers to take a break from rearing their pups." Her husband looked back at the nursery building thoughtfully. "It's going to be quite an undertaking in the years to come, though. This place is going to be overrun with children."

"Yes, but we'll have extra help from the children growing up now." said Akina. She then waved to her friends and their guests. "I need to check on the crops and the orchard."

After stopping back at their home where their guests could pick up their swimming attires and some beach supplies, the entire group headed out. Near the edge of town, they were met by Hiroshi and to Fara's great surprise, a flaming red vixen. "Samantha? What?!? How!?!" What was even more startling was that the owner of Costumes for All Occasions was wearing nothing but a Cerinian-style bra, loincloth, and sandals, with a jeweled necklace and three bands about her tail not unlike Kurisutaru's, except that hers were green.

Fox grinned and spoke to the vixen in Cerinian. "Seems that word has not gotten out yet that you are dating Elder Hiroshi."

Samantha shrugged and replied back with a strong Cornerian accent. "Hiroshi says that neither you nor any of the other guardians have sensed the presence of photographers during your patrols. So we should not be surprised."

Fara's jaw dropped. Though slow and halting, Samantha was speaking clearly in Cerinian. When Kei noticed his wife's gobsmacked expression, he brought a finger up under her chin and closed her muzzle. "We are not a fish, Dear." he admonished, sounding very much like his mother.

The Phoenix heiress glared at her husband even while feeling a blush heat up her cheeks. Samantha laughed, with the others present sharing in her mirth. She then drew the elder up against her in a sideways embrace. "I met Hiroshi when Fokkusu brought him to my shop in Corneria City the day after the memorial service for the Cerinians. When I learned that he was single and found me attractive, I just had to have him."

"But...what about your business?" Fara asked once she had regained her ability to speak.

"Oh, it's still running fine. David has everything in hand in Corneria City, and my other protégé on Fortuna has that shop turning a nice profit too. They handle all sales and production for me while I devote half my time towards fashion design." Samantha explained. She then fixed smoldering eyes upon her love interest. "The rest of my time...." Her hand reached down and brazenly groped the elder's rump.

The elder, normally dignified and serious, blushed so deeply that the light blue fur on his cheeks turned purple, even while he looked back at the red vixen with a besotted expression. "I find myself at times wondering if this is a dream. When I met her, I could not fathom that such a strong, confident vixen had not claimed a...husband..., and then to learn that she found me desirable...." He then took her hand in his, brought it up to his lips, and kissed it.

"She definitely was delighted when we told her that Cerinian society is matriarchal." Fokkusu quipped. Kurisutaru giggled. "More like overjoyed."

"And yesterday, Samantha consented to let me read her deepest thoughts and memories." Hiroshi revealed. Fokkusu's and Kurisutaru's eyes widened, and all the nearby adult Cerinians perked and joined the conversing group upon hearing that revelation. "I got to know her like I've never known any other vixen. I experience her life on Corneria, growing up in a patriarchal society so different from what life had been like on Cerinia."

Samantha turned to face Hiroshi and rested her forehead against his. "It felt so right to open myself up fully to his telepathy." Her eyes closed and she murmured. "And to feel his love for me being projected into my mind."

"And even though she's not a telepath, not even a latent one like you were Fokkusu, I have begun to train her....to condition her mind to deeper telepathic interactions...which also helped her start to learn our language" Hiroshi revealed. "It took a great deal of mental focus and effort on my part, but because Samantha had been practicing those mental exercises I had been teaching her, I was able to finally draw her into my own mind last night."

"It was the most profound thing I had ever experienced in my life." Samantha confessed to everyone around them. By then, the entire Cerinian population, all 24 couples, many with their children, had been drawn to Hiroshi and Samantha. The community of telepaths had all sensed that something momentous had happened. "I got to experience his life growing up on Cerinia. I saw his mother, father, and siblings. Felt his happiness and pride when he attained the rank of elder." Her voice quavered and every Cerinian felt her emotional pain and knew what she had experienced. Fara, Kei, Winifred, and George soon understood as well.

"I also experienced what he went through that horrible day when Cerinia exploded. I felt his anguish at seeing his home world being shattered, and the telepathic cries of all those that died....Oh Great Maker." Samantha sobbed.

Fokkusu, along with his soulmate and the other Cerinians standing next to Samantha all felt compelled to lay a hand on the red vixen and project into her their sympathy and soothing thoughts. She sighed in response and kissed Hiroshi to draw reassurance from him. Once she had calmed down, Samantha finished by saying, "As awful as it was to go through that horrible day with him....just seeing his life through his eyes has made us become closer....I have never known any other tod so completely as I know him. My dearest Hiroshi, I love you....so much."

"Afterwards, when we went to sleep together, we shared dreams throughout the night." Hiroshi told all of them. His next revelation was of no surprise to the empathic and telepathic Cerinians. "So when she asked me to marry her this morning, I knew I wanted to bind my mind, heart, and soul to hers, and joyfully told her so. After all we shared, neither of us want to live without the other."

After the cheering died down, Fokkusu, Kurisutaru, Fara, and Kei all shook Samantha's hand to congratulate her and Hiroshi. Akina regarded Hiroshi's fiancée with a lopsided smile. "We are going to need to come up with a clan tattoo for you."

Hinode said to Samantha, "We can go through the Legacy archives to make certain the new clan tattoo does not duplicate any other clan markings. I'll also look up the tattoo pattern for a maker of clothing so that we know how to mark your arms. For your lower back, you'll need to come up with a small, symmetrical tattoo that represents where you come from."

Feeling nothing but happiness for Hiroshi and Samantha, Kurisutaru and Fokkusu waved to the newly engaged couple as they turned to leave. "We will leave the bonding ceremony preparations to you, and take our guests to Cape Claw."

They led their friends along the beach towards and past the cliff side, and around the bend beyond it. Fara, Kei, George, Winifred and their children then beheld a wide river gently flowing into the sea, bracketed on both sides by cliffs covered in overgrown foliage and vines. At the far end, they saw an ancient-looking ruin sitting in the river. Its front entrance was the open mouth of an alien façade. On the left side of the ruin was a waterfall that fed the river.

Fara, having heard of her former boyfriend's accounts, correctly guessed. "That ruin. That's one of the Krazoa temples. Isn't it?"

"Yes. This is the Ocean Temple, with the Force Point Temple just behind it." Fokkusu answered.

"This is where you had your honeymoon?" Kei asked while looking on in wonder.

Kurisutaru pointed to their left, indicating the cottage under the tree canopy, near the seashore. "That is where we lived during the first month of our marriage." She then indicated the cliff face and the path leading up its face. "Just beyond, there is a barrier, which also extends up over us and down behind us, halfway to the New Cerinia colony. It was established by the Krazoa to give us a sanctuary. Inside here, we are not visible to anyone beyond that barrier, and it will keep out any intruders. This is another reason why we moved here. Paparazzi cannot get to us."

Kurisutaru and Fokkusu started towards their honeymoon cottage. "We are going to drop off our guardian attire." Their guests followed and were soon crowded inside the small cabin. There they found nothing but a small sitting area, basic furniture, a large bedroom to one side, and additional bedrooms down a short hallway to a portion of the cottage that had obviously been added. There was no kitchen, bathroom, or any electrical power.

"The LittleFoot tribe built this for us." Fokkusu explained. "It is very basic, but we loved living here, hunting and living off the land, and being free to do what we wanted to without anybody intruding upon us."

Fokkusu and Kurisutaru then removed their epaulettes, bracers, leggings, and collars. The vixen also removed her tail bands and her jewelry and placed it in a small box next to bed. This was followed by her head band with her focusing gem. Fokkusu also removed his diadem. Then, to their surprise, she took off her bra and both removed their loincloths. Their children took that as a cue and also stripped fully.

George gaped. Winifred lifted her husband's muzzle shut and admonished. "It's not polite to stare, Dear." Michael turned away, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks. Jane rolled her eyes. Oliver, Ruby, Oswald, and Katherine began to strip and ignored the adults who they thought were weird. Kei quickly averted his gaze away from his distant cousin's wife, feeling utterly mortified. Fara laughed. "You two are so unbelievably shameless!"

Fokkusu shrugged while following his bondmate out the door. "After being married to a Cerinian for eight years, I've long ago let go of any nudity taboo, especially when living among them."

Together, they ambled up the shore of the river towards the waterfall, and spent the rest of the day swimming and playing in the river. Many of the Cerinians came by and joined them, with all marveling at how quick and graceful George, Winifred and their children were in the water. It was around sunset that Hiroshi and Samantha made an appearance.

When they got near, all eyes were drawn to the tattoos now adorning Samantha. About her arms were a repeating pattern of diagonal parallel lines, each bisecting a broken circle that was readily recognized as symbolizing needle and thread. It was a fitting symbol for the vixen's life-long vocation. On her thighs, and now that of Hiroshi's as well, was tattooed an emblem that the vixen revealed belonged to his clan. "Yes, yes, I know." She acknowledged. "I should have come up with my own clan tattoo and have had my beloved be marked with it as well, but I decided instead to join his clan."

"I admit I was most surprised when she suggested going against our traditions, but then she alluded to Fokkusu's third cousin, once removed." Hiroshi indicated Kei.

"Me? What do I have to do with Samantha's choice of clan tattoos?"

"Cornerian society is patriarchal, and yet, you chose to take on your wife's clan name of Phoenix." replied Hiroshi.

Samantha wrapped her arms possessively about Hiroshi's waist and rested her forehead against his. "If Fara's husband can go against tradition and take on his wife's family name, who's to say that I can't join my fiancé's clan, even in a matriarchal society?"

"I must admit that I never imagined I'd be taking on my late mother's clan markings." Hiroshi murmured. "I think she would have approved though, especially given that Samantha has offered to bear me a brother and sister from the Legacy."

Fara grinned to Fokkusu. "How long do you think it will be before she turns her fur blue like you have?"

"Don't even suggest it!" Samantha huffed. "I like my furs deep red as it is. Thank you very much!"

"I do too." Hiroshi added while playfully running his fingers through her tail. "It makes her look so exotic."

"That works out good for me, actually." Fokkusu nodded to Hiroshi's fiancée. "That way, if paparazzi ever do get by us somehow and start taking pictures of New Cerinia, they'll focus their cameras on you. Everyone else on Corneria think Fox McCloud is dead, and I prefer to keep it that way."

"When's the wedding?"

"It will not be for a few more weeks." Hiroshi informed them. "I need to continue training my beloved to condition her mind so that she's not completely overwhelmed when our souls merge."

"I do admit that I am nervous about that, even though I want to go through with it." Samantha confessed.

Shinko approached Samantha and rested a hand on her shoulder. "You'll do fine. Once you've become used to it, you'll never want to imagine a life without the telepathic bond you'll share with Elder Hiroshi." She then tilted her head to one side, as if hearing something. "My charges are starting to wake up from their afternoon nap. I best be heading back to the village nursery."

After she had left the others began to disperse while Kurisutaru, Fokkusu, and their family and guests continued to enjoy the rest of the day.

*****

Fara, Kei, George, and Winifred would continue enjoying the hospitality of New Cerinia for another three days. They even paid King Tricky a visit at the Walled City one afternoon and also explored together Thorntail Hollow where Fokkosu and Kurisutaru had first exchanged their vows, eight years ago.

Over the months that followed, they would continue to raise their children and live and work in New Cerinia while regularly being visited by their friends. Wolf and Panther, and their families even paid them a visit once. Falco and the Star Falco crew dropped by on three occasions as well. And the Phoenix family would always be there every other week, sometimes even more often.

Then there was the bonding ceremony between Samantha and Hiroshi. The Phoenix family was there, including Charles, Dietrich, and Josephine, who all considered the bride to be a good friend. Sadly, Samantha had no family. The vixen was an only child and her parents had long been deceased. But as Fokkusu reminded her, she would be gaining a family upon bonding with her fiancé.

They were gathered in the main square of New Cerinia. Several banquet tables had been arrayed. Open pit fires were slowly roasting meat from wild game that had been hunted earlier that day. It was supplemented by fruits and vegetables that had been harvested a week before. The feast though was left to wait.

With their guests standing in a semicircle around them, Elder Hiroshi and Samantha stood under the same pergola that had been used months earlier when Fokkusu and Kurisutaru had renewed their mental bond. The elder and his vixen were wearing nothing by their white wedding loincloths, with the vixen also wearing the traditional white bra. And being who she was, Samantha had stitched it all herself. With their Cornerian guests all listening in with universal translators, Hiroshi addressed the gathering.

"Normally, an elder would be presiding over this ceremony, but as I am the only elder now, I'll have to do." he began with some self-deprecating humor.

Fox shouted back with a grin. "Your words were not the standard pronouncements at our re-bonding ceremony either, Elder."

"Yours was not the usual bonding ceremony." Hiroshi replied over the joyful laughter. "But regardless, I will endeavor to adhere to our traditions by temporarily stepping out of my role as a prospective bondmate and into the role of elder." He then stepped to one side and addressed the gathering. "Of all ceremonies in Cerinian society, none is more sacred than the joining of two soulmates. It is the total merging of heart, mind, and soul. Within a telepathic bond, all barriers are dropped. It is an act of the purest love, and of the most absolute trust where tod and vixen join their lives for all eternity."

Hiroshi paused and his voice briefly became hoarse. "It is also a time of joy when two clans unite to celebrate the tod joining his vixen's clan. I would normally ask his family if they approved of the union. As I am the tod in question, I can say wholeheartedly that my dearest departed mother does in fact approve." ** He then revealed to the gathering something that was not surprising to the Cerinians in attendance. ** "She and my father visited us in a shared dream we had the previous night, and though it is unusual for the vixen to be the one joining the tod's family, mother welcomed my dearest Samantha into her clan and declared that she will be a very fine matriarch."

Samantha then spoke up. "My father was a conservative tod. I imagine that he would have been skeptical of me joining a society where everyone is so immodest." ** Saying so, she idly played with her loincloth, eliciting light laughter from their Cornerian guests who all were wearing a combination of short skirts or pants, and light weight shirts, given the very warm climate. When they had quieted down, the vixen continued. *"But I think that he would have begrudgingly approved. Mother and father both were proud of me when I successfully established Costumes for All Occasions, and knew that any tod I chose would have to accept my strong, assertive personality." * She then turned and playfully ran a finger under Hiroshi's chin. **"Who better than one from a matriarchal society, who took an immediate fancy to me the day he saw me?"

Many tails began to wag at the sight of their esteemed elder blushing and seemingly falling under his vixen's spell. With a force of will that was the hallmark of the disciplined mind of an elder, Hiroshi coughed and retook control of the ceremony. "With the blessing of both families, I now ask each prospective bondmate if they are committed to each other enough to merge their hearts, minds, and souls."

*"Yes. I am committed to you, Hiroshi. I commit myself to you and will joyfully join my heart, my mind, and my soul to yours." * Samantha replied formally.

Hiroshi then intoned the same heartfelt words. *"And I am committed to you, Samantha. I commit myself to you and will joyfully join my heart, my mind, and my soul to yours." *

They then came together. Samantha rested her hands on his hips and Hiroshi placed his fingers firmly against his vixen's temples. They then spoke their vows together. "By the ancient customs of Cerinia, I declare that you are my soulmate. From this day forward, our hearts will beat as one, our minds will be melded, and our souls will be merged, for all eternity." ** They then pressed their foreheads against each other's and intoned in once voice. **"One Heart, One Mind, One Soul."

Charles looked on with interest. Dietrich and Josephine were completely fascinated. Kei was mesmerized. None had ever witnessed the merging of bondmates. Only Fara had seen such a ritual, eight years before when her former boyfriend and Kurisutaru had married. For Fokkusu, it was a new experience as well. Having gone through it twice himself with his soulmate, this was the first time he was seeing it as a witness.

Samantha and Hiroshi remained perfectly still after their breathing became synchronized. Everyone could see that the elder was focusing all his mental concentration on linking his mind to the non-telepathic vixen who had captured his heart. It took a full five minutes, and then they saw the elder quietly gasp. Samantha's reaction was more dramatic. The vixen began to hyperventilate and whine even while Hiroshi endeavored to sooth his new bondmate.

Kei, who had grown fond of Samantha for all the beautiful dresses she had made for him, leaned over to his distant cousin and whispered. "What's happening? Is Samantha going to be alright?"

"She will be fine. The mental link is an intense experience when it is first formed, especially for a non-telepath." Fokkusu explained. "Samantha is now experience all five of Elder Hiroshi's senses in addition to her own. It is overwhelming at first, but she should become used to it within an hour or so."

"Once she has adjusted, I imagine Elder Hiroshi will drop his mental barriers to let her also experience his sixth sense through their bond." Kurisutaru added. "That is what I did when Fokkusu and I bonded eight years ago."

Samantha kept her eyes closed and let her husband guide her to one of the banquet tables. She did not open them until she was seated next to her tod. Fokkusu reached over and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "It was the same for me when I and Kurisutaru first become bondmates. It helps if you and your husband remain seated together and do the same things until you adjust."

"Yes. Hiroshi said as much to me before our bonding. But oh my stars! It's all I can do to not become overwhelmed by the sensations."

"I can see a difference in you are already, Samantha." Fara observed with a smirk. "You're speaking Cerinian like a native speaker of the language. You've even lost your Cornerian accent."

"Oh goodness! I'm being so rude. I ought to speak in Lylatian."

"It's alright." Kei replied. "We can understand you regardless. We have universal translators."

"And I love hearing her speak in Cerinian." Hirioshi added. He then leaned against his new bondmate and sent her his love through their newly forged mental link.

It took most of the evening, but Samantha eventually became accustomed to the duality of senses she now shared with Hiroshi. Many tails were wagging at the sight of the elder and his mate kissing and acting like adolescents in love. And Hiroshi was oblivious to the eyes all fixed on him and his vixen since he had his mental walls up tight to not overwhelm his non-telepathic bondmate.

Fokkusu and his wife exchanged looks and nodded. He then addressed the newly bonded couple. "Elder, if you and Samantha wish, feel free to spend the night at our honeymoon cottage where you can consummate your bonding."

"That is a wonderful idea. We'll want to be secluded for the rest of the night, and your cottage in nearby Cape Claw is perfect for that."

Fara giggled at their simultaneous response. "You two are doing that double speak, just like another newlywed couple I knew."

The blush that Samantha felt was completely hidden under her deep red fur, though the emotion that went with it was very apparent to the Cerinians sitting near them. *"I'm...finally getting used to our bond. It's incredible and a bit scary how Hirisohi and I are thinking the same things." * She paused and leaned against her soulmate. She then pressed her nose against his neck and took a deep breath of his musky scent. That old flamboyant smile crept up over her muzzle. The same exuberant confidence that Hiroshi had fallen in love with returned and her smile turned sultry as she reached under the elder's loincloth below the table to brazenly grope him.

It was apparent to even their non-telepathic Cornerian guests as to what was going on unseen when they saw the elder stiffen. Kurisutaru, Akina, Shinko, and several other female Cerinians giggled at the sight of Samantha also gasping in surprise and knew that she had just experienced a male's arousal for the first time through her telepathic bond with Hiroshi. The vixen then murred and loudly whispered huskily into her husband's ear. "Time to put an end to your five decades of virginity, hot stuff."

A deep, purplish blush was clearly visibly over Hiroshi face and muzzle, even as he let himself be drawn to his feet by Samantha with his loincloth visibly tented for all their guests to see. Many tails wagged as the elder was led away, and the two were soon out of sight. The festivities continued throughout the evening in joyful celebration of their revered elder having found a life mate. Hiroshi would no longer be the lone adult Cerinian surrounded by 25 bonded couples.

It was gradual, but they soon could hear the growing rumble of an approaching spaceship. It was the distinctive sound of a dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser that Fokkusu would recognize anywhere, of a ship that had once been commanded by Fox McCloud. The former mercenary felt a growing sense of unease. The way the engines of the Great Falcon were roaring at full power suggested a sense of urgency.

He turned and said to his friend. "Renjiro, something's wrong. We need to meet them at the landing field."

"I sense your unease. We'll meet you there." ** Renjiro then addressed the others under his command. **"Guardians, ready your staves, and follow me."

"Should we inform Elder Hiroshi?" one vixen asked.

Kurisutaru shook her head. "No. Let him and his bondmate have this special night to themselves."

Kei, Fara, Charles, Dietrich, and Josephine took a moment to let their universal translators relate to them the rapid exchange in Cerinian. When they understood the source of urgency, the Phoenix patriarch voiced his concern to his family. "Be prepared to evacuate, just in case." As one, the entire Cornerian family followed Fokkusu, and the other guardians.

Overhead, they could see the running lights of the Great Falcon as it quickly descended towards the landing field. Most alarmingly, scorch marks could be seen on its vertical tail. By the time they arrived, the large cruiser had already landed and the gangway was lowering. A moment later, a highly agitated Falco Lombardi came out and was running towards them. Forgetting that he now answered only to his Cerinian name, the bird called out as he drew near. "Fox, you and Krystal need to come home! We need your help!"

"What happened?"

"It's Gordon Striker. That maniac's finally done it. He and his followers are telepaths. They've overthrown the government!"