FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Unlike the previous event of waking up right into the freezing cold of Fichina, I slowly opened my crusted eyes to a hotter territory, a much hotter one. From the second I could tell it was hot I was already brimming with sweat, which grossly stuck to my thick uniform. It didn't take a genius to tell that I was standing square in the middle of nowhere, literally. The vast expanse was covered in never ending sand that constantly baked under the clear blue sky and the bright sun that was Sol. There were no clouds of any kind to help mask Sol's fiery fury, with the only life of Sol that of the occasional wind blowing up more sand into my drying face. This was one hell of a desert.

I had to think for a bit about which planet I was on and exactly where on the planet I had landed. It had to be somewhere in Lylat, I knew from when Jovey helped me out of that crazy dimension of my own home. No matter how much I thought I understood that enigmatic bat, the more enigmatic he becomes, but I guessed that it was the way it was meant to be.

I pulled out my eye piece scanner that I had kept on me in such a case. I had the device since my initiation into Star Fox, a nice little gift from Fara. It was a peculiar thin green screen that ejected from a circular mechanical device and wrapped around the side of the face, due to the scanner being applied to the ear. I wrapped it onto my right ear until I could see through the device with the respective eye. I turned on the device allowing it to function as it usually did, scanning every area backed up by all the data collected by the Cornerians over the centuries, as well as scanning all life forms to find what dangers might be lurking. The device however returned nothing only then some coordinates from the planet Titania, which I had only read little about in my studies.

‘This must be one of the more uncharted places of Titania,' I thought as I put the scanner away. I pulled out my communicator and tried to call my comrades.

"Masterpaladin to the Great Fox," I said loud and clear, "Masterpaladin to the Great Fox, someone copy. Is anyone there?" There was only some background static as a response. I wasn't getting very good reception, which hardly surprised me. "I repeat, this is Masterpaladin, someone please respond. I'm currently trapped in a remote sector of planet Titania, I repeat someone please respond." Again nothing more than the fizzy static and I gave up. I figured there was no point staying around and cooking up when I can't reach anyone, so I set out across the treacherous desert. I could only hope that I had just as much luck here as I did Fichina.

***

Just about everyone had been in some state of panic one way or another since the disappearance of the only human of Lylat. More importantly is has stirred panic in the military building.

"Fara," General Pepper began, "report."

"Yes sir," Fara began and ran through a large list of files in her hand, "The Star Fox team is currently the only ones known searching for Ryan, who as of three days ago was pronounced MIA. The Star Wolf team is currently on assignment in Planet Titania, where there have been sightings of the dangerous Claxan number 24. Mr. O' Donnell's team should be more than efficient in handling him, unless he has grown more wild and powerful throughout the past few days. Numerous other mercenaries have been sent out due to Claxan related assignments, including Kazuma, Wolfie Steel, Noah, Lucian Canad, and Malakai Motumee. We also have Tri Gunner, Adair Zephyr, Kayrin Squall, Nevlamas, and Nokemy Irving leading intel missions. And in other news, both Jovey Jadestar and Angulo Louis has recently disappeared due to unknown reasons. Both their disappearances has cause for concern, however Angulo's in peculiar is one to be worried about."

"Why do you say that?" General Pepper asked.

"This is because all of his past records are completely missing," Fara replied, "somehow all his files were wiped clean away from cyberspace, and his paperwork has been burned. Whether by accident, his own hand or someone else has yet to be confirmed." General Pepper got up from his seat and looked out the window of his office to gaze down the streets of Corneria.

"I sense some dark times approaching," he said with a dark sigh, "the Claxan grow more powerful throughout the days. As a result, more and more civilians have been starting protests that, show support of the Claxan." He had to pause for a second to wipe off his brow before continuing. "I fear it will take everything we got to stop everything before it gets too out of hand, and Ryan himself may not be enough. Fara was about to speak until an intercom call came to Pepper. He hurried back to his desk and pushed the button.

"General Pepper," the scared voice of Tri called out, "we have new developments in the making, and they're of top level urgency."

***

It felt like a great case of Déjà vu to everyone aboard the Great Fox. This had happened before the first time Ryan had disappeared and yet it's probably not going to be the last, and everyone agreed. While Slippy and Peppy kept a watchful eye on the monitors for their search, Falco spent most of his time training in the training room, testing out every aspect of his skills. Fox and Krystal spent most of their time together in private, and only they knew what was going on in their said privacy. Peppy was about to get off his seat when he heard a small beeping alarm go off, a transmission.

"Slippy, turn it up," Peppy said to the toad. Slippy nodded and turned up the volume, the sound was only filled with static, but in the doubts of it were the small faint words of a familiar voice.

"Masterpaladin... Fox... Copy?... Titania... Respond..." was all that was heard until it cut off.

"Without a doubt it's Ryan," Slippy stated. While Slippy studied through the broken transmission, Peppy left to round up the rest of the team members. Suffice it to say the three other members nearly crashed over each other running to the bridge where Slippy awaited them.

"We just received a trasmission from Ryan," he began, "He's currently located in a remote sector in the northwest area of Titania."

"Then Titania we must go," Falco stated. Fox and Krystal agreed and Fox turned to the intercom, to place a call.

"Wolf, this is Fox, please respond if you can here me," Fox called into the intercom. There was no sound for a few seconds before a clear reply.

"What is so important that you had to come disturb me?" Wolf replied.

"We all know your team is currently on Titania," Krystal began, "we have just found out that Ryan has been found there. We're sending you his general coordinates because we need your help to look for him."

"Hmph," Wolf replied, "very well, but I'm not doing this for your sake, and especially not yours either Fox." From there he cut himself off and left the Star Fox team high and dry.

"Why in the world would Wolf be so interested in finding Ryan?" Peppy asked, "what could he hope to gain?"

"He probably wants to one up us by trying to recruit Ryan into his own team," Falco said.

"I doubt he will but Falco's suggestion doesn't seem too far fetched to me," Fox agreed, "but in either way we have no time to lose, so let's head out full speed to Titania."

***

Wolf hung up his communicator quickly and continued on with Panther and Leon following close behind him on their speeders. Wolf had a sudden change in direction with the new coordinates of Ryan's supposed location, although it seemed a bit faded and fuzzy.

"Where are we going?" Panther nearly shouted at Wolf.

"We're looking for Ryan, along with his imposter. Star Fox said he's here," was Wolf's reply.

"Ryan's here, eh?" Leon said to the open. Wolf ignored him and continued on, hoping that he could catch up to Ryan at least before Star Fox does.

‘This is a win win situation for me,' He thought to himself, ‘if this guy's the imposter, that'll be one Claxan scum out of the picture. If he's the real deal, I'll have time to convince him out of the loser club. This is too perfect.' Before he could think anymore, there was some quick ruffling through the ground, and some shouting from his fellow team mates behind him. He quickly spun to a stop and turned to see what befell his comrades.

***

I felt my energy drain much more quickly than I thought. My throat was as dry and scratchy as the sand, which reflected in my wheezing breath. My mind was reeling for water. I had enough energy to move and fight, but not so much to try magic without wiping myself out.

"Ahh..." I moaned out loud, "If only there was an oasis or something, I'm parched and famished." My knees buckled but through sheer force of will I refused to collapse. Almost as if out of nowhere, I caught the glimpse of something oasis like at the corner of my eye, like it was too good to be true. It probably was too.

‘I might as well look,' I thought to myself and continued towards it. It didn't take long for things to get stranger than it already was. The oasis shape soon turned slowly into a different figure. Which only grew as I drew closer and closer to it, just closing in on the horizon. One thing I failed to notice until just as I came to realize what was approaching, the wind was steadily growing stronger, kicking up sand to a dank cloudy sandstorm.

‘That's no oasis,' I thought just as a powerful gust blew me off my feet. Sending me hurling through the air a good twenty or so feet before hurling into the ground face first. I held down my ground, spitting up the dirt as I gazed at the nearby figure, now shown as a large dust tornado, swirling furiously the sand at a dangerous level. I struggled to see with my eyes, so I fumbled out my scanner and secured it once more. Scanning the area for some unknown figure. I also pulled out my blasters, keeping them at the ready due to the fact that swords and magic were purely out of the question in this situation. The scanner soon picked up a figure, floating along the upper center of the tornado. As I concentrated, I finally saw the figure come into view.