FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Same disclaimer as always, I don't own any aspect of Star Fox. There's sort of a big gap at one point in this chapter that I haven't really filled yet. But suffice to say, it'll probably explain something that happens towards the end here.

Enjoy!

Story© 2010 Kira Kitanya

"What is wrong with you Fox? You could've killed him!"

"He doesn't belong here. Not after what he's done."

"You're angry because of what you saw him and I doing?"

...

"Your silence only proves me right in the end."

"Look, I just want him gone! I never want to see his ugly face again!"

"He's not leaving. Not while I'm still here."

My body felt extremely heavy and sluggish, my strength was drained, and I just made a new enemy after only a day on the ship. Lucky me.

"Status: Minor bruising and lung strain. Should be at optimal capacity in 20 minutes."

The voice was very robotic. After opening my eyes I saw the Android named ROB 64 standing over me holding some kind of scanner. He continued to monitor me while I listened to the conversation outside my room.

"If you have a problem with Justin, then don't resort to violence. Go in there and apologize."

"Alright fine."

I wasn't afraid of Fox but I wasn't exactly looking forward to his attempted apology either. How could he suddenly say that he's sorry after something like that? It makes no sense! After seeing the hate in his eyes I didn't think his attitude would change at all. I was prepared for another argument, hell I've dealt with ridiculous drama all my life, so I sat up against the backboard and looked towards the door. It slid open, and Fox was surprisingly the first one through with Krystal following close behind.

"Hey Justin, how are you feeling?" He asked in a "pathetic excuse for sympathy" kind of tone.

I felt like nothing I could say would change his view of me, so I stayed silent and looked away.

"Justin, I'm sorry okay? I acted like an idiot, I wasn't thinking." He pleaded again.

I still didn't answer, instead I got an idea.

"ROB, can you interface with this object?" I asked holding out my MP3 player.

"Affirmative." He replied.

"Can you select the song "If You Only Knew" by Shinedown?"

"Affirmative, beginning audio playback sub-routine."

He said as the device's adapter plugged into his arm.

"What is Shinedown?" Krystal asked.

"Just listen," I replied.

When the music started to play, I sat back and shut my eyes, because the message was as clear as day. I'm not sure if Fox understood, yet I imagined that he stood there with his mouth open the whole time. I know for a fact that Krystal read my mind while my eyes were closed, so she probably realized that I directed it towards her. The lyrics perfectly described how I felt, yet very few people understand who I am. Sometimes even my parents cannot figure me out. But Krystal, she seems to know me better than anyone. I've been concealed in an impenetrable shell for most of my life, not letting anybody inside but me. Guys at school rarely talked with me, Girls completely ignored me, and I spent most of my time alone. That isn't something I'm ashamed of, it's who I am and what I always will be. But everything changed that afternoon when I found Krystal's golden staff. My heart was pounding with the thought of everything I felt being exposed to both of them, yet in my mind it was the best course of action because if Fox held a grudge during my training, what reason would I have to stay here?

I slowly opened up my eyes and turned my head back to them.

"Now do you understand?" I asked.

Fox only stuttered and Krystal was still speechless, yet beaming happily at me.

"Before I came here I wanted an escape." I said looking out of the small window near my bed.

"I wanted something extraordinary to happen. And Krystal made it a reality. I owe everything to her, because she made so many things that I never thought possible finally seem within reach."

"Justin..." Krystal said sympathetically.

I finally met eyes with Fox,

"You gave me an opportunity that I could only dream of: Being a pilot. Even before we met face-to-face I thought of you as a hero, that's why I didn't fight back when you attacked me. I don't consider you my enemy, I think of you as a friend."

He seemed to be close to tears after what I said, but he simply smiled and nodded. It felt really good to let loose all the bottled-up thoughts I had inside, especially to the one that I trusted the most.

"And don't think I'm oblivious to why this whole conflict started. Which wasn't much, all we did was talk, nothing more."

"Sorry, I thought you were...you know..."

Fox turned to Krystal expecting an exchanged glance but she kept her eyes on me.

"It's up to you Krystal. I have no right to decide." I said.

She then lowered her head and closed her eyes. The room became eerily silent while Fox and I exchanged looks of anticipation. I promised myself not to hold any grudges if she didn't choose me. Even if she never loved me, then I enjoyed every minute of it. My heart raced when I saw her raise her head up. She looked at Fox and then at me. I didn't want to make her feel pressured, so I turned my head back to the window.

As I looked, my eyes tracked a shooting star that flew by in the distance.

"Justin, I'm glad you're honest about this. But I just...need some time to think." She said.

"Sure no problem, take all the time you need." I assured her, with a few rubs to my sore neck. I was so relieved that everyone was able to come out of this a bit happier, and I hoped that Krystal wouldn't stress over this too much. She is a very nice person, one that I trust greatly, but if she's already in love with Fox then...ah well; Plenty of fish in the sea. In an effort to smooth things out a bit, I rose from the bed and met eyes with Fox.

"Justin I... I guess I shouldn't have judged you like that. I'm sorry and... I hope you'll forgive me." Fox said looking down.

I held my hand out to express the old adage: 'actions speak louder than words.' He glanced up at me looking surprised but grasped it nonetheless.

"Of course Fox, don't worry about it." I assured him. "

So, are you ready to start your training Justin?" He asked with a grin.

My mind was set, and I wasn't looking back. "Ready and willing."

6 Months Later...

"Alright guys, report in. Let's roll!"

"Falco, standing by!"

"Krystal, awaiting orders!"

"Justin, ready to fly!"

"Slippy here, let's go!"

After everyone was primed, I ignited my Arwing's thrusters with a sharp pull of the flight stick. All systems read green across the board as my HUD (Heads Up Display) materialized in front of me on the control panel.

"LAUNCH!"

Fox yelled as a chorus of roaring engines erupted throughout the hangar bay. I immediately thrusted the accelerator forward and lurched backward with the ship's takeoff. As all the Arwings left the Great Fox's hangar, a bright, yellow glow from the nearby Halcyon Nebula shimmered off of their hulls, creating a shining, silver prism effect as I locked my ship into formation. I had learned from my training that this was standard procedure. Fox was at (what they called the spearhead) the front of the group, Falco was at the center, and Krystal and I covered his left and right flanks while Slippy stayed at the rear.

"Okay, I'm entering the coordinates now. Just stay close and you'll be fine."

Fox's voice sounded through my headset and I quickly prepared myself for another jump to light-speed.

"No problem Fox, we're right behind ya." I shot back.

Within minutes, the space in front of me transformed into a distortion of blue and white, the other Arwings seemed to neither speed up nor slow down as we blasted into the portal. About 20 seconds later we arrived at our objective: Corneria.

Fox had briefed us earlier about the mission. It was simple: Escort and protect a cargo vessel until it reaches its' destination. With the my helmet's ocular scanner online, I Iooked towards the grey Titan of a planet as its' rim was illuminated by a bright star; truly a site to behold.

"Alright, my contact should be here soon. She's transporting a cache of weapons to some skirmish on Orinda V. Normally I'd disregard this but she's offering a hefty reward." Fox explained.

"This person seriously needs an escort? Gimme a break." Falco retorted.

"Seems important though, it's definitely better than when you had me track down that stupid COMM Drone for three hours!"

"I wanted to see if you could handle an Arwing on your own! And you did better than I expected." Fox answered sternly.

"Fair enough I guess. I'm just saying that to me it sounds like a comparatively better mission." I replied.

During that quiet moment, I reflected on what Corneria was like: a lush, garden world with sprawling metropolises and expansive landscapes. It's been about a month since I joined Star Fox and I think I've been to this planet at least once. On that occasion, Fox had asked me to accompany him there so that I could meet General Pepper, the commander of the Cornerian Defense Forces.

My initial consultation with him was nothing short of strange, considering that his first reaction to seeing me was thinking that I had been a test subject that escaped their research labs. Thankfully Fox explained that I was a new team member willing to do anything to help. Fox was the one that received the rewards for completing Missions and didn't keep any for himself. After all, the funds were used to maintain the Great Fox. The one thing I remember from that meeting was what the General said as I walked out of his office.

"Don't forget why you're here Justin. To serve and protect for the betterment of the Galaxy."

I gave him a gentle nod before I left that day, and now that has been my reason for being a part of the team. That, and being able to spend time with Krystal.

All those weeks of training, damn... Even now I still wonder how I managed to make it through at all. At times I felt like giving up, especially when my stomach would meet the business-end of Fox's fist during his training on hand-to-hand combat. I have the utmost respect for him, but the first few nights were tough. Yet I could always look forward to my time with Krystal. She had this way of healing my body and mind just by being close; as if all of my accumulated bruises suddenly became tiny bug-bites, though she always reminded me why she brought me with her in the first place. I had pledged myself to becoming one of them and I wasn't about to back down, not when I've come so far and gotten so strong. The gradual change in my body was palpable, as I went from a tall, skinny kid to a well-toned greaser type, minus the slicked hair and cigarettes. In the plainest of terms, it felt good. I'd look at myself in the mirror and think: "I wonder what Jared would say?"

As I acclimatized to the routine, days went by in their normal way, and memories of my past life slowly began to fade. I can still breathe a sigh of relieve whenever I think of the day that Krystal beamed the message in her pendant down to Earth. Hopefully my parents understand and aren't upset. Maybe if I get the chance I'll come back to Earth and visit them. Who knows?

"Justin, you okay? What's wrong?"

Slippy's voice suddenly interrupted my reflecting and sent a startled jolt through my body.

"Hunh?" I replied.

"You've been so quiet lately. What's up?"

"Oh nothing I was just uh, thinking."

"About what?" He asked.

"My training I guess, never thought I'd get this far."

"Reminiscing huh? Sorry I interrupted."

"No it's alright. I just get lost in thought sometimes." I answered.

"And I can hear every word of it!" Krystal suddenly announced.

To this day I still hate it when she does that.

"NOW she tells me!" I shouted jokingly.

That was followed by a few minutes of genuine laughter from everybody, including me.

"Don't worry, I'll try to keep it to myself as much as possible." She said still trying to contain her laughing.

"Thanks, I appreciate that." Before I got completely distracted, I took hold of the flight stick and kept a leveled heading.

Suddenly as I glanced toward the planet, a small cluster of flame began to rise out of the atmosphere. It was silver in color, with a bulky, rectangular frame. As the ship drew closer, an unrecognizable voice suddenly resonated through my headset.

"Hey Fox, I'm Jaina Morano. I contacted you about the shipment?"

The girl asked. She sounded young, which made me question why she would be carrying things as volatile as weapons at all.

"That's right. We'll escort you to Orinda V. Just let us know when you're ready." Fox answered.

"Alright guys listen up! We'll be traveling in standard formation on this one, but in the event that we get attacked, I want you all to switch it up to Formation Knightfall. Understood?" He instructed.

All of us agreed and prepared to move. "Knightfall" was a way of defending against sudden ambushes. Two ships would guard whatever we were protecting, and the rest would split up and engage the enemy. I positioned my Arwing on the transport's right-hand side and locked my altitude. From where I was stationed I could see the pilot's face in the cockpit. It was very cat-like with light, purple eyes and a smile that gave away her sunny disposition. When she noticed that I was looking at her, she shot me a flirting look. When I realized it was meant for me I simply smiled and nodded.

"Okay I'm in position. Everything good on your end?" I asked Fox.

"Yep, all systems normal. Be sure to keep an eye on your scanner Justin."

"Wilco." I replied.

For about an hour or so, the escort went smoothly. During that time the others talked amongst themselves while I conversed with the pilot. Jaina was surprisingly well-rounded; top of her class at the flight academy and supplied armaments to troops during Andross's invasion of Corneria. A galactic fugitive of some repute, Andross's brilliant scientific mind was used as an instrument of horrid experiments that eventually drove him into exile. Apparently he established an army on planet Venom and swore he would once rule the Lylat system. But team Star Fox put a stop to that many years ago.

"So what's your name?" Jaina asked.

"My name's Justin, I'm from-"

My scanner started to beep rapidly, my heart stopped when I saw four red dots show up on the radar, and they were closing in fast.

"Fox, my scanner's picked up several unknown contacts approaching the convoy!"

"What? Are they friendly or hostile?" He immediately asked.

I began franticly tapping buttons on the display to try and get their I.F.F (Identify Friend Foe) signatures, but nothing came up.

"I can't tell, but I think one of them is trying access our COMM links. They're, oh my god....!"

As one of the silver and red ships glided next to mine, the pilot that I saw within made my body feel cold and stiff.

He turned his grey head towards me and developed a devilish sharp-toothed grin, as he stared me down with dark-grey eyes he suddenly spoke;

"Well, well ,well... Fox has got himself a new recruit? Damn, who are they gonna pick up next?"

His voice was deep and cut straight through me. I was face to face with Fox's longtime enemy: Star Wolf. His face was covered in grey fur, with a long, spiked patch of white on the top of his head. The one thing that really made me fear him was his sharp claws, which were probably about as thick as my pinky finger.

"What's the matter? You scared?"

he taunted. I couldn't say anything, I was both terrified and shocked by his sudden appearance. I told myself,

"You're not weak anymore! Stand up for yourself you idiot!"

I gathered some semblance of bravery and gritted my teeth,

"I'll answer both of your questions, yes, and far from it!"

Even though I was afraid, I wasn't about to show it to someone like him. He seemed to indulge in my fear nonetheless and only grinned more.

"Ohh, tough guy huh?"

"Wait a minute...I know that voice. Star Wolf!" Fox interrupted.

"Step aside Fox, we'll take it from here."

"What gives you that idea? We got hired for this, not you!" He argued.

"Actually that's only half-right."

Jaina suddenly spoke up; I was surprised that she was still listening.

"I called Star Wolf on this as well, figured it would be cool to watch you guys duke it out! Hope you don't mind, hehe."

I turned my attention away from Wolf and stared at the young cat-girl, mouth agape.

The overwhelming fear inside me was soon replaced by fiery anger, "Why, you selfish little-!" What I said next would've probably made my Mom faint on the spot.

"Enough of this. Panther! Get rid of this guy, Fox is mine!" Wolf suddenly demanded.

"As you wish Commander..."

After Panther's low, seductive voice pierced my communicator, Wolf's ship rose up and sped towards Fox.

"Everyone split up! NOW!" Fox yelled as a dogfight ensued.

For the moment I maintained my post, it was all happening so fast and I couldn't decide how to react. My hands began to tremble as I gripped the flightstick, for the first time since joining Star Fox, I was in the middle of a situation where one mistake could cost me my life.

"Now Krystal, observe the downfall of your new friend!"

Panther hissed as I sped away from the convoy with him in pursuit.

"Panther, wait no!" She pleaded, but to no avail.

"Worry not my dear, I'll be sure to make his death quick and painless."

No matter how much I wanted to release every ounce of anger I had at him, I kept my eyes on my scanner. I anticipated that he would try to sideswipe me from the right side so I prepared to barrel roll to the left. The red dot on my radar got closer and closer, my Arwing was soon accelerating at mach speed; If I planned it correctly, he would miss and end up in range of my plasma cannons.

"Okay...now!"

I jerked the flight stick diagonally-left and barrel rolled clear of his path. I looked forward and saw that he indeed missed his mark and was directly in range, just asking to be shot. I directed all reserve power to the plasma cannons to augment their punch, I wasn't about to hold anything back from this bastard. His ship lined up with my crosshairs,

"Taste plasma you son of a bitch!" I growled.

The green bolts of energy connected with his rear field barrier and brought it down, now he was completely vulnerable. I suddenly heard his voice again,

"Ugh! Well struck boy, but it won't be enough!"

As he said that my cannon's secondary charge shot was at full power, like a caged stallion yearning to run. I didn't bother to respond and immediately squeezed the trigger. The large bolt only grazed the side of his Wolfen, yet he looked like he was losing control.

"Curses! Perhaps my time in this battle is at an end. I shall retreat for now. But before that, I must know the name of my opponent." Panther declared.

I sped my Arwing forward until Panther was beside it. My dark brown eyes lit up when I saw a pained look on his face. Just the fact that he brought Krystal into our conflict only strengthened my hate towards him.

"I'm Justin Cheves of Team Star Fox. Remember that!"

He for some reason, respectfully nodded his head.

"Very well Justin, may we meet again." He then pulled his ship out of sight.

"What! You were beaten by that kid? You worthless maggot!" Wolf roared. "That's it, I'll deal with him myself."

My few minutes of pride were immediately cut short as Wolf shifted his flight path away from Fox and toward me. Like a meteorite about to pulverize whatever stood in his way, he accelerated his ship at full speed. Without any time to think, I instinctively thrusted the flight stick downward as my Arwing went into a nosedive. Hoping to throw him off balance, I directed the ship to fly underneath the cargo vessel which I assumed that everyone had forgotten was there, and looped to the other side. I didn't want to stop, not when Wolf was out for my blood, literally! I just kept flying, weaving and dodging his shots when possible. I tried not to let my underlying fear of him shake me, after all, he was just another mercenary.

"Keep running weakling, I like my prey on the feisty side!" He hissed in a cocky way.

Even in all that chaos, I still couldn't believe I was actually in a space battle, much like all the sci-fi movies I've seen. As if that wasn't enough, I was being tailed by one of the most notorious criminals in the Lylat System. Damn. I kind of felt like someone who won VIP passes to a show or movie premiere, I was a part of the action! The slight grin on my face was soon expunged when I thought about the reality of it all, one wrong move...and I'm dead.

"Uhh, guys? I could use some support here!"

I barked to whoever would listen, and the first brought me even more worry.

"Copy Justin, I'm on my way!" The voice was that of Slippy.

Why him? While he has been a good friend throughout my time with Star Fox, and he proved to be quite an avid gamer; I didn't want him get shot down trying to help me. It's not that I hate him, I just don't trust his skills as a pilot. Man I wish I could relive those nights when him and I would stay up and do nothing but play videogames, but it's too bad I've got a homicidal Wolf bent on seeing me disintegrated on my tail.

"Hold on buddy! He's in my sights." Slippy declared.

Since I was flying straight on, I didn't pay attention to what Slippy was doing, I took a risky gamble and hoped that Slippy wouldn't miss.

"Hmph, too easy." I heard Wolf say.

Not before I felt my ship rattle and see the shield strength indicator at 0%.

Now I really felt defenseless, because one more shot like that and I'm done for.

"What just hit me?" I asked.

"Oh, sorry. That was uh...me." Slippy stuttered.

"Huh? You missed?"

"Yeah, he ascended right before I released the charge shot."

I couldn't believe it, by then I might as well have been dead already. Now my shields were down and I was completely exposed. Even if I tried to turn around and retaliate, Wolf would probably land another clean hit. I couldn't dodge him forever either, so I had no hope of fighting back. As the situation set in I began to feel hopelessly trapped; like a swift animal finally getting caught after a long hunt. I took a deep breath and looked around at the view outside the ship hoping for some solution, and in fact, there was.

A tan colored planet, Titania; slightly larger than Earth, was in my ship's view. I wasn't too far from the convoy, so what I thought of doing next was a bit crazy, even to me.

"It's the only way." _I thought, "_I just need to provoke him a little."

"Hey Wolf, Panther didn't really put up much of a fight. Let's see if you can do better!" I sneered.

"Oh I can, and I will. Leon! Come with me, let's finish this kid off!"

"With pleasure sir, this should be entertaining!"

The other voice was that off a cold-blood chameleon named Leon Powalski. Fox had told me about him before, cunning, sneaky, and above all deadly. Still he always finished his descriptions of him with, "I wouldn't worry though. He talks tough, but his flying tells a different story." I definitely wasn't expecting him to call in a wingman, but I set my flight path and ignited the thrusters. Without any hesitation, the planet drew closer and closer, and before long I was in the atmosphere.

"Justin, where in the world are you going?"

Krystal's face suddenly appeared on my front monitor. It was a separate channel, so the others couldn't hear our conversation. I took off my helmet, wiped the sweat from my forehead and managed to produce a weak smile,

"To my destiny." I said.

Krystal's eyes widened, "What do you mean?"

"Krystal, this has been an incredible journey for me. I think now is the time for me to say thank you."

"Justin what are you-"

"And I also wanted to say how much I loved you throughout this time."

Suddenly, I glimpsed a tear run down her face as she smiled, her and I have been inseparable since I first joined them; but now I had to say goodbye, no matter how painful it felt.

"If I'm going down, then I'm taking these two with me." I said proudly.

"Justin please don't...don't do this to me!"

Krystal then began to cry heavily,"I trust you more than anyone! Please come back...please."

She said in between sobbing. The ship nearly broke through the atmosphere, but it was slowly losing parts on all sides. I decided that my chances of surviving re-entry were slim, and there was no turning back.

"Laskeh0 aj m0 tojkad0 Krystal, A celo 0ei..."

I spoke to her in Saurian for that moment. She had taught me the language's alphabet, but I had to practice quite a bit before I could form sentences. It was the first time I tried to speak to her that way, so I hope I got it right. She sniffed once more and whispered,

"A celo 0ei kee Justin."

I reached over to the control panel and tapped a button to sever the connection. All that remained in my view was Titania, which was now closer than ever. I spared a glance at my radar which displayed two red dots behind me. I breathed a collective sigh of relieve when I saw that Wolf and Leon were still following me. Now, it was time to end this...

"Sir, we have to pull out! Our ships can't handle the intense heat!" Leon wailed.

"Shut up! I'm not letting this punk get away alive!"

_"That's right, keep following me Wolf...Let's see how tough you are." _I slyly thought.

My ship was barely intact, but I could still control the landing sequence. As I broke through a thick line of clouds, I saw the planet's surface; A large and seemingly barren savannah landscape, with only several oases dotting the turf. I shifted direction as best I could towards a large clearing in the land that was long enough to sustain my landing. I tensed myself to the point when my black flight suit felt rock- solid, and descended toward the ground...

"-lease respond, Justin are you there? This is Krystal, Please Justin, respond!"

I very slowly opened my blurred eyes to the sound of Krystal's voice over my ship's communicator. I desparately wanted to answer back, but I could barely move my arms or legs. I swiveled my head and saw that I was still in the cockpit of my Arwing; I had no recollection of the crash or whether Wolf and Leon were still in pursuit. I had to answer Krystal, I just had to let her know I was okay; but my body didn't permit it. Using all my strength, I sluggishly leaned forward and tapped a button to reinitiate the connection.

"Kr...Krystal. You alright?"

My voice was weak and raspy, so I wasn't sure if she heard; but a loud gasp from the other end told me otherwise.

"Justin! Are you okay?" She yelled happily.

My face hurt as I did so, yet I produced a wide smile.

"Yeah, I'm...fine. But I can't get out of my Arwing, it's completely wrecked."

She had trouble containing her glee as she kept repeating "Justin, please don't do that again." and, "I love you so much."

"I know, I love you too." I answered. "Can you come and get me? I'll activate the locator beacon." I said flicking a switch above my head.

"Of course, of course. I'm on my way."

Suddenly I realized, that Wolf and Leon could track the signal as well.

"Oh no... I have to get out of here!" I said to myself.

Since the ship was so badly damaged, I had trouble trying crack open the hatch concealing me from the outside. So I had to be quick; lifting my right leg up, I leaned back and kicked the shield, shattering it to pieces. As the outside air snaked its' way through my lungs I surprisingly didn't suffocate. It was rich with oxygen and I had no need for my helmet. I grasped the edges of the canopy and pulled myself upward. The land was beautiful, like a large desert illuminated by a shining sun against a clear sky. I was expecting a heat wave, yet the air was temperate but still warm. Thankfully, my flight suit's thin gel layer protected me from whatever harmful effects the air concealed. It was strangely peaceful, with only a slight breeze and chirping creatures filling the environment with sound. I took a step out of the ship and on to the sandy ground, instinctively I scanned the horizon and sky above me, I couldn't see any ships inbound. I breathed out, relieved of my discretion.

For about ten minutes I sat near the smoldering wreckage of my Arwing and waited for something to happen; whether it be and explosion or the sound of ship's thrusters, I was hoping for anything. Almost like a shooting star, I saw a quick flash of light pierce the sky. As it slowed down the object turned towards me. I clenched the handle of my blaster anticipating the ship to be a Wolfen. Within minutes it landed probably ten feet away from me, and the cockpit's hatch spurred open. The figure that stepped out was slender and wearing a dark blue outfit, with a long blue and white tail swaying in the wind. The pilot soon removed her helmet, and her sapphire eyes grew two sizes larger.

"Krystal?" I said trying to stand up.

She then broke into a fast run right in my direction, all I could do was hold out my arms and wait.

"Uff!" I grunted as she tackled me in her embrace.

Without saying a word, our faces melted into a warm kiss; even though she was on top of me, I felt no pain. Our lips slowly separated as I stared at her beautiful eyes. She smiled and put her hand on the side of my face.

"Hey Krystal." I whispered.

"Please don't do that again. Alright?" She said cheerfully.

I slightly lifted my gloved hand and she immediately gripped it.

"I forgot to ask, how's my Saurian?" I queried softly.

Krystal blinked, "It's perfect."

I chuckled a little and stroked the side of her face.

"I'm sorry that I-"

"No, don't say that. I should have been with you." She interjected.

"You are now." I said caringly. Krystal smiled widely and suddenly rested her head on my chest.

"Hey, I know you're enjoying this but can you help me up?"

"Oh, heh heh, sorry."

She took hold of my hand and pulled. Before I could so much as stagger, I was roped into another hug; only this time, I wanted to stay like this. Krystal affectionately nuzzled her face against mine and tried to speak.

"I won't lose you ever again." Krystal sounded like she was close to tears.

"I know. Don't worry, I'm here." I whispered back. As her embrace became tighter, I felt like resting just as I was; letting her love hold me aloft.

When out of nowhere, I heard a blaster discharge.

"Aaaaaaaaahh!" I screamed as the shot hit my back.

It punched right through my suit but the gel-layer stopped it, partially. I fell forward but caught the landing with my hands; it felt like someone stuck a branding iron to my bare skin.

"Justiiiiiin!" I heard Krystal scream.

"Awww, I just love breakin' up cute pairs like that."A low voice quipped.

"Indeed Star Wolf! Quite fun!" Another sneered.

I jolted upward and saw Wolf and Leon standing nearby with blasters in hand.

"Why can't you leave us alone!" Krystal growled.

"Because they came here looking for a fight." I interjected.

She then extended a small rod which turned out to be her staff and braced herself.

"Then I'll be happy to oblige!" She snarled.

I was slightly intimidated seeing her this way, I never pictured her to be a fighter; nevertheless, I had to fight them no matter how hurt I was. Krystal let out a flamboyant cry as she swiftly twirled the staff above her head and struck the ground with it. I felt the land shake violently for a few seconds as I watched Wolf and Leon become completely paralyzed. They merely stood there, unable to move yet grunting angrily.

"Justin hold still!"

"Huh?" I stuttered.

I unexpectedly felt myself being lifted off the ground. I was enveloped in some kind of turquoise aura that covered my entire body. The strange light seeped through my arms and legs, healing whatever ailment stood in its' path. Oddly enough as my feet touched the ground, there was no ounce of pain or discomfort that remained. I wanted to ask what she did, but I focused on Wolf, and how much I wanted to tear him apart.

"You think you can take me down?" I snarled as I ran towards Wolf at full speed.

"Huuuaahh!"

I landed two clean punches and sent him to the ground with a powerful roundhouse kick. Just then, Leon flew towards me brandishing a curved dagger. I automatically grabbed my belt-holstered reflector and held it in my assailant's direction. The Reflector burst forth in a fat, hexagonal barrier that shocked him and absorbed his blow. I immediately followed up with a swift Aerial Rave (which as Fox taught me, was an uppercut then a jumping spin kick). The attack launched Leon a few feet away from me, even I was surprised by how much I learned since then.

Wolf then sprang up and let out a feral roar that made me pause; needless to say, he was angry at the unfair start. He leapt at me like a fierce animal and rapidly swiped me with his sharp claws. I was able to dodge most of the flurry, but I was abruptly knocked to the ground by a sudden, sweeping kick from Wolf. He looked down at me and held his blaster to my head. His face cracked into a bare-toothed smile as I looked on in horror.

"Hmph, what a waste of time for Fox to train you." He taunted. "I was expecting more."

I tightly clenched my fist, "Then more is what you'll get!" I said through gritted teeth.

I forcefully kicked him in the stomach and used the rebounding momentum to back-roll onto my feet. Without hesitation I dashed forward and became deadlocked in his hands. Our faces were inches away from each other and we were both grunting heavily. So close that I could smell his breath, which made me gag slightly.

"You can't...win this!" Wolf snorted.

"Watch me..."

I then seized the opportunity by grasping his arms and hurling him over my shoulder. Remarkably, he recovered by somersaulting. He was too fast and I knew it from the start, but I didn't think he was_that_ good. My heart was pounding so rapidly that I thought it would explode; I was never perceived as a warrior, yet here I am...

Wolf jumped at me once more but I falsely anticipated a horizontal blow. Instead he crippled my left leg with a low kick. I collapsed on one knee and wailed as the searing pain shot through the limb, yet Wolf wasn't finished. As I lifted my head up he brutally sliced his clawed hand across my face. It was so painful that I didn't even scream after he made contact. I felt my body grow numb, as I dropped onto the sandy ground. From where I was laying I could see Krystal thrashing away at Leon with her staff. I was helpless against whatever Wolf would do next, was he going to kill me or just leave me there to rot? The uncertainty wasn't as frightening as watching Krystal being ganged up on without me helping her. I felt so weak.

_Why can't I just stand up? What's stopping me from helping her? NO! I'm done being weak! I'm done hiding behind others! And I'm not watching people suffer because of me! I'M NOT HOLDING ANYTHING BACK!" _My thoughts exploded in my head like an atom bomb and sparked something in me. My arrowhead necklace started to glow like a star as I stood up. I felt my body change very slowly, into something else...

There was suddenly a huge explosion of white light around me with nothing visible but myself. My hands and feet developed short claws, I felt something grow out from my back side, and my face started to morph into something animal-like. It was altogether frightening and strange, not to mention that I had no way of seeing my reflection. Was I now a monster? I had no clue and it tugged at me even more than the tail growing out of my rear. When the transformation subsided, a strange figure walked slowly towards me. As he got closer I saw that he was wearing my flight suit, but the one difference is that his face was fox-like with blue fur and a white muzzle. I tilted my head at the site of this strange creature. Who was he? What was he doing here? Why was he wearing my flight suit? So many questions raced through my head as I studied him. He merely smiled as tried to understand what the hell was going on. Then, I stopped.

"_That thing on his neck...is that my necklace?" _Though I said nothing he nodded his head to answer yes.

"Oh my God. This person is...me!"

"I am your true form Justin." His voice sounded like an older version of mine, only hunkier and more mysterious.

"This is who you are." He said.

I tried my best to form words, "But, but, how?"

The blue fox walked closer, "I have laid dormant inside you since you were born. And Krystal was the one who awakened me."

"How did she awaken you?" I asked.

"She possessed a certain aura that you melded with. That aura only sparked the fire within you. Now, it has been set ablaze by your love for her."

"I...I don't understand. How did I meld with her?" I asked.

"You already know the answer." He responded softly.

My sharp ears perked, everything that happened before began to make sense. Why she stared at me when I first met her, why my arrowhead glowed whenever she was around, it was because of that night...Her aura must've penetrated me when kissed her.

"But how was my necklace affected?" I questioned.

"My spirit needed a way to channel itself, in this case your necklace. It could've done so through anything else that you loved to have. But you were wearing it when she came into the room."

"This is all happening so fast...I've, I've had a dormant Anthro form since I was a baby? I just don't get it."

The fox put a hand on my shoulder, "In time you'll understand. This is, and always has been, your destiny."

The light soon faded and I was back in the fight with Wolf. As I appeared, they all stared in awe.

"Leon, leave her alone." I growled.

With a burst of speed, I dashed in Leon's direction and connected with a firm punch to his stomach. He gasped for air and understandably collapsed. I turned my gaze to Wolf who was frozen in place. Without saying a word I hurled myself at him with a rapid flurry of blows. To finish him off, I landed a clean kick right to his jaw and knocked him out cold. I paused for a moment and exhaled, this new power, this form, it felt great!

"Justin? Is that...really you?" Krystal asked reluctantly.

I turned to her and smiled cheek to cheek, "Laskeh0 aj m0 tojkad0 Krystal. A celo 0ei." I said.

Her face lit up with unbridled happiness, she didn't speak but instead threw herself at me in an embrace. The way I was now, I began to realize it was meant to be. As we nuzzled our faces, I wanted to stay in this form and not become human again. Now her and I could truly be together.

"Is this what you saw in me?" I asked suddenly.

Krystal tenderly kissed my cheek , "Yes. I knew since the day we met that you were something special." She said.

I smiled at her and turned my head to the horizon. This is a new beginning, the start of something extraordinary; now I can truly achieve it!

"Come on Justin, let's go home." I nodded and followed her to the Arwing, aboard which I would prepare myself to meet the crew again.