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Chapter 5: Journey to Sauria

Fox and Krystal ascended the ramp together, holding hands with their fingers interlocked. Behind them followed a dazed Falco who had to be helped along by his girlfriend Katt. A bemused Slippy and his fiancée Amanda followed next. Peppy and his daughter Lucy brought up the rear, the old hare shaking his head in amazement at learning that the soon-to-be-retired leader of Star Fox would actually let Falco have the ship that was James McCloud's legacy.

Once they were all aboard and the ship's main entry hatch was sealed, Katt immediately spoke up. "Okay Fox, what's this about getting married on Papatoon? I thought..." She immediately quieted upon seeing Fox bring a finger to his lips.

The vulpine went to a communication panel on the wall of the ship's entry corridor. "ROB, this is Fox. Initiate internal scan of the ship for foreign objects, specifically any listening devices."

"Affirmative," came back the monotone voice. "Internal scan initiated..." Thirty seconds elapsed and then, "Results of internal scan negative. No foreign object or listening devices found."

Fox slumped in relief. "I'm surprised those damn paparazzi didn't try to bug the place." He turned to his friends, who all suddenly understood why he was being so secretive. "Sorry for the confusion. As you heard from Peppy, Krystal and I have been harassed by tabloid media reporters and photographers. There was even one who was trying to record us while we had dinner at Anthony's last night."

Peppy's eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't know about that one. I'm going to give my spooks a serious chewing out for missing that."

Fox raised a hand in reassurance. "It's okay. Krystal and I were talking to each other telepathically. So nothing was recorded, except what we wanted. When she sensed this guy's presence, we decided to give him a false lead by speaking to each other out loud and mention wedding plans on Papatoon in 90 days."

Falco was the first to catch on. "So that's why you talked about getting married on Papatoon while we were outside. You were just saying that in case we were overheard."

"That's right. I've already had dealings with one of them trying to record Krystal and me from a distance with a long-range boom microphone. The last thing I want is any of those creeps crashing our wedding on Sauria, or even worse our honeymoon."

As a group, they resumed making their way up through the Great Falcon and into the crew quarters deck. Fox turned to his father's old friend. "Peppy, I figure you'd want to use your old quarters." When the old hare nodded, he turned to his amphibian friend. "Slippy, I'll let you and Amanda decide if you two want to share quarters. If not, I can assign quarters for her."

"No. It's alright, Fox." Amanda affirmed. The pink-skinned toad looked fondly to her fiancé. "Slippy and I will stay together."

"Lucy, there are only two more quarters left. Fara, Miyu, Fay, and Bill will be rendezvousing with us once we reach orbit. I'll leave it among you four girls on how you want to split those two rooms amongst yourselves."

Fox stood there, holding his chin. "Mmm. I guess Bill can sleep on one of the couches in the lounge."

"Actually, Bill and Fay have been dating for some time." said Katt.

Fox's eyes widened and a grin formed on his vulpine muzzle. "Have they now? So those two may want to bunk together." He turned to Lucy. "It would be a bit cozy, but there would be room for you, Fara, and Miyu in one of those quarters."

"I'm quite sure we'll be able to work something out, Fox."

Fox turned to his avian friend. Falco was still riding an emotional high from seeing his name on the dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser. "Well, my friend. I take it you like the alterations I made to the ship."

He nodded back to the fox. "Yeah...," and then exhaled, running one hand over his crest of feathers. "Wow..."

The falcon's daze was brought to an abrupt end by his friend raising his hand in a cautionary gesture. "Now Falco, the only reason your name is on my ship is because after all the progress you've made so far, I now believe you'll know every system on this ship from bow to stern by the time we reach Sauria."

Before he could reply, Katt drew his attention by taking hold of his beak. "Birdie here better do so. He's convinced me to sign up with Star Falco. Fox also had the Cat's Paw II loaded aboard, and I like seeing my craft in the hangar deck next to the Sky Claw."

Falco leaned forward and rubbed his beak affectionately against his girlfriend's muzzle. "There you have it. Kitty here is giving me extra motivation to bedazzle you with my knowledge of the Great Falcon."

Fox slapped his friend on the back. "Excellent! This also means I'm reassigning your quarters. I want you to move everything out of your old quarters and into the captain's quarters." He glanced over at Katt. "Should I presume you'll be moving into the captain's quarters too?"

When feline and falcon turned to nod to him, Fox went on. "As for me, I will be moving out of the captain's quarters and into Krystal's."

Peppy arched his eyebrow upon hearing this piece of news. "Given how reserved you are, I didn't think you'd want to sleep with her before you two are married."

Falco again made the intercourse gesture to Slippy, grinning at the toad, who just giggled in response. Fox this time did notice the crude gesture and rolled his eyes in annoyance. Katt just purred and winked to Krystal, making the vixen blush through the pale blue fur on her cheeks.

Placing his hand on his hips, the vulpine glared back at his friends. "Believe it or not, Krystal and I have remained chaste. She's just been protecting me from my nightmares at night."

"Nightmares?" Peppy asked in concern.

Fox closed his eyes and sighed. "Guys, Krystal and I will explain everything once everyone is on board." After a few moments, he opened his eyes again and glanced back and his friends. "For now, let's just get settled in and ready for takeoff."

Without saying another word, Fox went into the captain's quarters and immediately set about packing his things. Falco decided to do the same in his own quarters. In her quarters, Krystal set about clearing a few of the drawers in her dresser for her fiancé's clothing. She then turned to her closet and moved her flight suit to one side. Wondering if there would be enough room for her vulpine's things, she closed her eyes and reached out to his mind with her telepathy.

In his quarters, Fox paused in his packing when he felt Krystal's sweet presence behind his eyes, and the tod realized that she was wanting to see what he was seeing and why.

At that moment, Falco showed up at the entrance to his friend's quarters with a box full of his possessions. Fox had left the door to his quarters open, and the blue-feathered avian could see his friend looking down at the stacks of neatly folded shirts and pants on his bed.

"Hey Fox. Are all your dresser drawers cleared out?"

The vulpine though seemed to be oblivious to Falco's presence and moved to open his nightstand drawer to gaze inside. He then went to his closet and ran his fingers across his flight suit and two sets of combat fatigues. It was only when he turned from his closet and was looking back towards the doorway to his quarters that he noticed his avian friend standing at the threshold. "Oh. Did you say something Falco?"

Falco was gazing at Fox with a bemused expression. "Your things are not going to get packed just by staring at them, you know."

"Sorry about that. Krystal wanted to see what I would be bringing to her quarters."

"Fox, you're not making any sense. Krystal is not even here."

The vulpine smiled and tapped his temple. "Oh yes she is. She is seeing everything I'm seeing right now."

Falco's eyes widened, his beak hung open, and his crest of feathers stood on end. "Damn Fox. She's not going to ever give you a private moment, is she? Aren't you going to ever tire of her rummaging through your head?"

Fox could only shake his head in bemusement at his friend's incredulousness and gathered his clothes from the bed. "I will never tire of her presence in my mind, and she can rummage through my head to her heart's content."

Krystal's giggle in response to her fiancé's comment could be heard from her quarters across the hallway.

The happily engaged tod walked by his befuddled friend with an armful of clothing. "Her laughter sounds even more beautiful telepathically in my mind."

"Awww..." They heard Krystal coo from inside her quarters.

Fox looked back at his friend before opening the door to his vixen's quarters. "The dresser drawers are all cleared out for your things."

Falco could only shake his head in amazement, and just started transferring his clothes to half of the drawers in the dresser, leaving the other half for Katt. She just then returned from the ship's hangar deck, having extracted a suitcase with her belongings from her personal craft.

The pink-furred feline noticed that her boyfriend seemed to be looking pensive. "Hey there. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Doing good. Just amazed at what I'm seeing going on between Fox and Krystal."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"It's..." Falco paused and ran his fingers over his crest of feathers. "I think we should just let them explain what's going on between them once everybody is together."

Katt shrugged and lounged out on the bed, and watched Fox come in to empty his night stand drawer and go out with a bundle of clothing and personal effects. The vulpine quickly returned to clear out his closet. Falco returned with the rest of his personal belongings and his own flight suit and jackets, which he hung up in the now empty closet.

Fox returned one last time to his old quarters and retrieved from the nightstand drawer a framed picture of himself and Krystal during their very first date, wearing the same lovely dress she had worn just the night before at Anthony's. Here was another picture that he could once again enjoy gazing upon. He hugged the picture frame to his chest and let out a small giggle, feeling giddy with happiness.

Katt lay there on the bed, watching the tod act like a smitten teenager, and could no longer contain herself. "All right, lover boy. Why don't you get out of here and go hug the real thing instead of just a picture frame?"

Falco leaned against the back wall, watching his friend. "Just don't get all mushy around us."

The tod smiled and took one last look around before facing the falcon. "Looks like I have everything. The quarters are yours." He then paused as if he was listening to something. "Krystal is on the bridge right now. I'm going to head up too. Finish settling in and meet us there."

With that, Fox headed out. He stopped by briefly in Krystal's quarters to place the picture frame on the dresser and looked around. It was finally sinking in. Her quarters were now his quarters...at least until he and his fiancée were married and fully retired from the mercenary business. He figured they would move out once they arrived at Sauria.

*****

Fox now stood on the bridge of his ship and glanced around at his friends. Peppy sat at his old station, with his daughter Lucy sitting next to him. Slippy and Amanda were at the toad's old station as well. But Slippy was paying it no heed, preferring instead to focus his attention on his fiancée. Krystal was also sitting at her station. He glanced towards her and watched the blue vixen blow him a kiss and felt a brief burst of her love in his mind.

When he let out a brief whimper in response, the others all looked up in concern. Peppy asked, "Are you alright, Fox?"

"Oh yes." He replied, never breaking his gaze with his vixen. "More than alright."

Just then, Falco and Katt walked onto the bridge. "Hey everyone. So what's the plan?" asked the bird while lounging back in his customary chair with his legs crossed.

The vulpine smirked at his avian friend. He was going to enjoy what he was about to do for the bird. "First of all, get your tail feathers out of that seat and over here."

"Huh? What are you on about?"

Fox raised his hand and curled a finger in a gesture beckoning the falcon towards him.

With a shrug, Falco got up from where he was sitting next to Katt and approached the retiring Star Fox leader.

"You were sitting in the wrong chair, my friend," said the vulpine, who then swiveled the captain's chair around, indicating it, the smile on his face forged after years of trust, camaraderie, and respect. "Have a seat."

Avian eyes met vulpine eyes, and after an encouraging nod from his friend, Falco took the offered seat. He sat there, running his fingers along the arm rest, taking in the profound moment. It was finally sinking in that he was fulfilling his life-long ambition of starting his own mercenary team. "All right!" he crowed in a quiet voice.

Fox laid a hand on his friend's shoulder, his eyes now gleaming with anticipation. "While it's nice to see you like the chair, you still have to earn your place in it."

Falco turned his gaze to the vulpine standing next to him. "I get the feeling that you're going to start up with the lessons again."

"Right you are." Fox activated the flat screen monitor extending out the right arm of the chair. "While every station on the bridge will focus on their area in detail, like life support, weapons, engineering, and so forth, you can also tap into those stations from here." He then went quiet for several seconds.

In the next instant, Krystal reached a switch on the console near her.

An alert went off on Falco's monitor. "Hey, the main guns just went offline....This is like the diagnostic menu you showed me before." He immediately went through the screen's menu. "Someone just switched the guns off. You set this up, Fox?"

"Yeah. I just now asked Krystal to take the guns offline." The tod nodded to his fiancée who smiled back and reactivated the ship's main weapons.

Fox continued guiding the falcon through his lesson. "Okay, now that the guns are back online, go to the main menu."

Falco did so and looked attentively over the monitor as his friend continued guiding him.

"What's different about this monitor versus the tablets I had you working with before is that you also have access to command functions. Prior to every departure, it is good to verify the ship's manifest to make sure the ship is fully fueled and supplied." Fox went on to guide his friend through the other functions and controls that could be accessed from the captain's chair.

He then concluded. "And finally, you can also call up your flight plan, which will tie in to whatever mercenary contract you take on." He tapped into another menu, "and here you can call up the payout and see if it is sufficient to cover your operating costs. Now of course, there are no contracts at the moment, but I did take the liberty to file our flight plan for Sauria with the Cornerian Defense Force."

"Well that's something you don't need to teach me. We all learned to file flight plans when we became pilots."

Fox chuckled, "I would hope so....Anyway, all that's left for you to do is call Cornerian Flight Control for clearances to take off and give the helm the command to take us out." With that, he stepped back from the captain's chair and walked over to ROB who sat at the ship's helm. He addressed the faithful robot. "You are relieved. I have the helm."

"Affirmative. You have helm control," intoned the automaton in its monotone voice. ROB-64 then promptly stood up and stepped aside.

Fox took the newly relinquished seat and immediately set about doing the heavy cruiser's pre-flight check.

All his friends, except Krystal, were surprised to see the Star Fox leader taking control of his ship. Falco's beak gaped open in astonishment. "Fox, have you ever piloted such a large vessel, especially during takeoff?" Peppy asked.

"A few times actually, over the years. Slippy saw me do it once, when ROB was knocked out of commission during one of our missions. It was one of the few times I stayed aboard while you guys flew out into combat." His hands moved across the controls with practiced ease while he brought the thrusters online. "I've also kept my skills up regularly on simulator exercises." He then glanced back at Falco with a grin. "Awaiting your orders."

The falcon snapped his beak shut and sprang into action. Tapping a selection on his touch screen, he established communication. "Flight Control, this is Falco Lombardi of the Great Falcon. Requesting clearance for takeoff and ascent into standard orbit."

"Great Falcon, this is Flight Control, you are cleared for takeoff after Aquas Passenger Liner Ocean Breeze has cleared spaceport air space. Take ascent inclination vector heading 075 at climb angle of 30°"

Following standard procedure, Falco promptly read back the instructions from Flight Control. "Affirmative Flight Control. Great Falcon taking off after Ocean Breeze has cleared air space. Taking ascent inclination heading 075 at climb angle of 30°"

Fox immediately plotted the assigned course, reading it back to the falcon who was at the moment effectively in command. "Course plotted Sir. Heading 075 at climb angle of 30°" He then activated the tactical hologram, which displayed the passenger liner from Aquas climbing up through the Cornerian spaceport air space.

Once the liner was clear, Falco gave the command. "Helm, take us out."

"Aye Sir. Taking us out." With that, Fox eased the lever controlling the vertical thrusters forward and the newly rechristened Great Falcon slowly rose into the sky. Once cleared of its landing bay, he guided his ship through the spaceport's air space, accelerating it along the ground, gradually transferring power from the vertical lifting thrusters to its powerful main forward thrusters. Just as they passed the spaceport's navigation beacon, Fox banked the massive cruiser to its assigned heading and angled its nose up into the 30-degree climb.

The Great Falcon continued climbing steadily through Corneria's atmosphere until the ship was up into the upper stratosphere. With the heavy air resistance behind and below them, Fox increased the ship's forward thrusters to maximum power, quickly accelerating the ship up into space to achieve orbit velocity.

Knowing that this was most likely the last time he would ever pilot his ship, Fox finally gave into a long-suppressed impulse and fired the ship's wing-tip orbital maneuvering thrusters in opposing directions to start it rolling, and activated one of the tail thrusters to make the ship yaw as it rolled. Gazing out the forward window, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, and all their friends, with the exception of Krystal, looked on in alarm to see Corneria's long, curving horizon begin to quickly cartwheel.

"Fox, what the blazes are you doing!?" Peppy bellowed.

Having had his fun, the retiring leader of Star Fox reversed the wing-tip and tail thrusters until the heavy cruiser was again flying straight and level in its orbital trajectory. He then turned around and grinned mischievously at the aged lagomorph. "I'm doing what you always used to tell me, old friend: a barrel roll."

Peppy gaped at the outrageous behavior of James McCloud's son, and sputtered. "A barrel?...I've never...such...this is!!!"

Falco, Slippy, and the others all began laughing. Falco crowed. "Way to go, Fox! I don't think I've ever seen anybody do a roll with a dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser."

Just then, a tone sounded on his monitor, signaling an incoming call, which the new avian captain answered. "This is Falco Lombardi of the Great Falcon."

"Great Falcon, this is Corneria Orbit Control. Your ship was observed rolling at a high rate. Is everything under control?

"It is, Orbit Control. Fox McCloud is at the helm."

There was a pause before the reply came. "Understood, Great Falcon. You are cleared to proceed with your filed flight plan."

"Proceeding with filed flight plan, Orbit Control." Falco replied back and then closed the comm.

With a grin, Slippy commented to the vulpine pilot. "I guess knowing that you were at the helm was all the explanation they needed."

Fox laughed and lay a hand on his consol. "I've always wanted to do that, and figured this was probably my last chance." He then stood up and faced the ship's robot. "ROB, you have the helm."

ROB-64 promptly took the seat vacated by his owner. "Assuming helm control. Plotting course for Sauria as filed."

The tod walked over to where his avian friend sat in the captain's chair. "You handled yourself well, Falco." He nodded towards the robot piloting the ship. "I'll of course also expect you to become rated in piloting this ship. As you can guess, it's handy to know, in case ROB gets knocked out of commission."

Just then, an alert on the ship's tactical display lit up. ROB-64 intoned. "Four small crafts are on an intercept course." Moments later, four incoming calls were simultaneously received, which Falco answered. "Great Falcon to incoming craft. State your business."

On the ship's main screen, four separate images of the pilots blinked into existence, revealing themselves to be Fara Phoenix, Miyu Lynx, Fay Spaniel, and Bill Grey. Fara immediately spoke up. "Great Falcon? I'm picking up the transponder signal of the Great Fox. What's the deal, Falco?"

Fox nodded to his friend. "Allow me." He then stepped forward. "Hello my friends. You are rendezvousing with the correct ship. The Great Fox has been rechristened the Great Falcon."

Fay pipped up at that moment. "Really? When did that happen?"

Falco reached down to his monitor. "Opening the hangar bay doors. We'll explain everything once you are onboard."

*****

Everyone gathered in the ship's galley for lunch. While they were eating, Fox explained, "In case you haven't guessed it, I'm retiring from mercenary work. Krystal and I want to live a nice, quiet life and fill out that mansion of ours with children."

The fennec vixen nodded. "I surmised as much when you told me you were wanting to move back into your family estate."

Miyu piped in. "I'm happy for both of you, but what does that have to do with this ship being renamed?"

"Well, not all of us are retiring." Fox looked towards Peppy. "We have with us one former member of Star Fox who is now general of the Cornarian military." His gaze drifted to his amphibian friend. "Slippy is also leaving Star Fox and will be getting married too." He nodded and smiled to Amanda.

His eyes rested on his long-time avian friend. "So while I've decided to disband Star Fox, I was aware that Falco here didn't want to quit. I also knew that it was his long-time ambition to start his own mercenary team, called Star Falco. So I had the legal paperwork drawn out to temporarily lend him my ship, provided he learns how to run and maintain it."

Fay gushed to the bird. "Oooh. Your own team. Who's going to be on it?"

Fox's own curiosity was piqued. "That's a good question. I know Katt here has already agreed to fly with you. Who else will be joining you?"

"I was thinking of inviting Dash Bowman to join us. He really acquitted himself well during the Anglar Blitz."

"I can't disagree there." Fox affirmed. "He's a good pilot and I get the impression that he wants to prove to everyone that he's not like his grandfather." He turned to Krystal. "Have you ever met Dash?"

"Yes, on one occasion," she nodded looking solemn.

"What do you think?"

"When I first saw him, I immediately recognized the resemblance he had to Andross, and could sense strong emotions of shame coming from him at the mention of his grandfather."

"He's definitely conscientious and driven by a desire to undo the evils of his grandfather." Fox said thoughtfully. "Go ahead and invite him. So that gives you three pilots, including yourself. Do you have anyone else in mind? It would be a good idea to find an engineer to help maintain this ship."

Falco paused in eating his meal. "I haven't figured out yet who to pick to fill Slippy's spot."

Fay waved to the avian. "What about me?

"Huh? I know you are a decent fighter pilot, but never heard of you being a mechanic or engineer."

Fara spoke up on the white cocker spaniel's behalf. "Oh she is. Fay has in fact been working for me at Space Dynamics these past two years. She was actually part of my team that restored the Great Fox after it was recovered from the Aparoid home world. She may actually know more about this ship then even Slippy does." Fara was looking smug, knowing she had someone so talented and exceptional working for her to preserve James McCloud's legacy.

Falco whistled in appreciation. "Damn. I never knew." He turned to the bubbly dog with the pink bow on her head.

Her tail was wagging in eager expectation, her mind filled with all the possibilities if Falco agreed.

"Fox made me promise that whenever I'm done with this ship, I'd return the Great Fox back to him in just as good or even better condition than it is now. I'll be counting on you to help me keep that promise."

She squealed in delight. "Yay! I'll take good care of everything on this ship."

"Good, because I definitely don't want to end up in debt for the next 80 years."

After a good laugh, everyone resumed eating and chatting with each other.

Miyu noticed that Fox and Krystal had gone silent, with the tod or vixen occasionally nodding. "You two seem unusually quiet."

Fox looked down at his hands with a smile while Krystal spoke up. "Fox has learned to speak with me telepathically. So we rarely speak with each other verbally anymore."

Everyone except for Falco and Slippy widened their eyes in surprise. Bill voiced his amazement. "Seriously? When did this happen?"

Fox responded by standing from the table and addressing all his friends. "I think we should all go to the ship's lounge. Krystal and I had promised to some of you already that we'd explain everything."

*****

Tod and vixen sat together on one sofa while their friends gathered around them. Fox gathered his thoughts and began.

"Some of you may recall how I was during the Lylat war and the eight years that followed up to the Sauria Crisis. I was pretty much closed up emotionally and always intensely focused on the next mission."

Several nodded and Fara sighed knowingly, recalling how her former boyfriend had been so reserved.

"Things changed after I rescued Krystal at Krazoa Palace. I was still afraid of opening myself up, and the fact that I was also nervous because she's a telepath didn't help either. Despite that, over the months that followed and during the Aparoid War, I found myself falling in love with her."

Slippy commented. "You were definitely shy around her back then."

"I know. Still, after the Aparoid War, I started opening myself up, especially when it finally sank in that this beautiful, blue vixen loved me too....Then came that escort mission with the passenger liner. You know the one, Slippy."

The toad nodded. "Yeah. That had gotten intense."

"Especially for Krystal, and me as a result. She had a close brush with death that day...." Fox shivered. "Then came the nightmares."

He sat there quietly while his friends waited for him to continue. Krystal reached up and placed a tender hand against her fiancé's temple. The tod sighed as tension flowed out of him and he continued. "In those nightmares, I kept seeing her die in one horrible way after another. I was losing sleep. The idea that she could get killed terrified me, and out of desperation to protect her, I kicked her off Star Fox."

Katt nodded, recalling how Krystal had been in tears the first few weeks after that day when she stayed with her. "Forgive me for saying, but that was very selfish of you, Fox. Didn't you realize she was also afraid for you whenever you flew on those dangerous missions?"

The tod nodded contritely. "It had seemed like such a sensible thing to do to remove her from the team, but you are right, Katt. I quickly realized I had made a horrible mistake when Krystal ran off in tears." He took a deep breath and pressed on. "You all know what happened after that and during the Anglar Blitz, when she joined Star Wolf." Fox looked down at his hands. "The few times Krystal and I crossed paths during that conflict, she gave me the cold shoulder, and made no effort to hide her anger with me....and she had every right to be angry with me."

He turned to Fara. "After you and your father had restored the Great Fox to me, I tried to go on, but I felt as empty as this ship was without her....I had to somehow make it up to her....It took some searching. I met up with Wolf O'Donnell at his base on Katina since I had last heard that she was with Star Wolf. He was the one who told me that Krystal had left to live by herself on Sauria."

His eyes became wet with unshed tears. "I found here there, at Cape Claw. She was as beautiful as ever, and wearing her traditional Cerinian clothing in that idyllic paradise. I tried to explain to her why I kicked her off the team, admitted that I had been so terribly wrong, and begged her to return to me."

Krystal took over the narrative to give her fiancé a moment to recover from the painful memories. "I could sense that he was genuinely sorry for what he had done and still very much loved me, but I was still afraid to go back to him. I was afraid that he might hurt me again." Krystal grew tearful, remembering how tormented she had seen Fox when he had first found her at Cape Claw.

Fox resumed telling his side of the story. "Seeing her in tears, hearing her tell me to leave, was just too much for me to bare. I had to let her know I would never hurt her again, that I simply could not live without her." He took a deep breath. "So I told her to probe my mind, and that she could go as deep as she wanted. I didn't want to keep any secrets from her." Fox sat there and stopped. He closed his eyes, lost in the memory of that profound experience.

Krystal leaned back into the sofa, drawing her vulpine into her arms, and again took over the narrative. "I was speechless. I had never expected such a thing. Fox was dropping all his barriers and offering his every thought to me. To a telepath, that is the deepest expression of trust you could ever make, and I could not refuse his offer....He was of course quite nervous at first, but offered no resistance. I was able to see all his memories, from his youth growing up, to his academy days, to more current events. I saw our first meeting from his point of view and the growing love he had for me, and much more."

The vixen made eye contact with each of her friends. "You have to understand. I would have sensed any sort of resistance, the least bit reluctance. The whole ordeal would have ended up being unpleasant for Fox in ways he has never experienced."

Leaning back into his vixen's embrace he opened his eyes and glanced back to her. "Reliving all those unhappy memories was not what I'd call pleasant."

Krystal kissed the back of his ears. "I know, Sweety, but if I had had to force my way the slightest bit into your mind, you would not have liked it in the least." She then looked back at her audience. "But I didn't have to. Fox had so completely surrendered himself to my telepathic probing that it required no effort for me to penetrate his mind deeply, even when I made him relive unpleasant things like the death of his mother and then father. The worse though was seeing his nightmares about me, and all the horrible ways he was seeing me die, and then how the nightmares changed after our breakup to me being cruel and uncaring towards him."

She looked down at her fiancé in her arms and placing her hands on each temple, soothed his mind while she continued. "Being kicked off Star Fox still hurts, but knowing what I know now, I could never be mad at him, not after seeing how tormented he was by those nightmares and how desperate he was to protect me, no matter how misguided. Seeing how deeply he loves me, it was easy for me to forgive him."

She kissed him again behind the ears and cradled his head in her hands. "It's taken a while, but I also finally got him to forgive himself."

Miyu sighed longingly. "That is so romantic. Did Fox propose to you right after you read all his thoughts?"

Krystal shook her head. "He didn't have to. After seeing all his memories, I focused on all he was thinking and feeling when he came to find me. I saw that he no longer wanted to be a mercenary. I saw in his mind his fondest wish to retire and live the rest of his life with me and have children with me. It was then that I knew that he'd never leave me or send me away again."

Fox closed his eyes, but let the tears unashamedly flow down his cheeks. "After Krystal had seen everything in my mind, she not only accepted my apology, but immediately told me that she would happily marry me. I felt so incredibly relieved to have her back in my life that I am not ashamed to say that I completely broke down and cried my eyes out in her arms."

Fara eyed her former boyfriend and his fiancée in fascination. "And I can see that she's still reading your mind."

The tod nodded contentedly, "Krystal has my lasting permission to be in my head whenever she wants, as deeply as she wants."

The vixen smiled down fondly at her love. "He's now like an open book for me that I can read anytime."

Bill spoke up then. "You look like you enjoy having her in your head. I guess you are no longer nervous about her finding your secrets."

Fox opened an eye and gazed at the bulldog. "That's just it, Bill. I have no secrets from her. Krystal knows everything about me. It is so incredibly liberating not to have to worry about her finding out things about me since she's seen my every thought and memory." He then closed his eye and reached up to press his vixen's hands more firmly against his temples. "I love feeling her presence in my head. She is so gentle with her powers. I find it comforting and soothing."

Krystal's vulpine sighed happily when she deepened her telepathic presence. "What's even more incredible and wonderful is that she invades my dreams almost every night now and has driven away all my nightmares."

Peppy nodded. "Yes. You had mentioned that when you explained why you two are sleeping together."

The happy tod nodded while basking in his love's telepathic presence. "I used to be afraid of her powers, but now I absolute love them."

Krystal murmured, "Fox is such a sweet, loving tod. He does and says things that I absolutely adore, and I can't help but want to just pour all my love into his mind."

Falco shook his head and whistled in amazement. "Damn. You are amazing Blue."

Fox took a deep breath and sighed happily. "I am now never lonely because she's almost always with me telepathically. We now speak to each other this way all the time. I've even experienced sensations that were completely unexpected to me, like being able to sense where she was even though I could not see her."

The tod gazed up at his vixen. "There were other things, like last night, at Anthony's. I was eating a chicken dinner and Krystal could taste what I was eating just by being in my head, but what was even more incredible was for a brief moment, I could taste the smoked fish she was eating as if I was eating it."

"I am so happy to know that you were able to do these things, Foxy."

Fox sat up and turned around to face Krystal while speaking to their friends. "I don't know how or why, but I keep sensing that she is hiding something from me. That I can sense this seems to make her happy and she assures me that I'll know everything the night before we are married." He shrugged and turned to his friends. "So there you have it. Now you know why Krystal and I are together and closer than ever to each other."

Katt purred in delight. "Well I am happy to see you back with us, Krystal, and especially back with Fox there. I have to say I had been worried for you when you went out on your own, especially during the Anglar Blitz when you joined Star Wolf. They had taken on some very dangerous missions in that conflict."

Krystal nodded, recalling her time with Wolf O'Donnell's team. "It had gotten scary at times."

Fox hung his head in sadness and shame. "And to think you might have gotten yourself killed despite my well-meaning, even if misguided, efforts to keep you safe."

The vixen cupped the side of his face and reassured her fox. "Wolf and Panther were good wingmates. We made sure to look out for each other on those missions."

"Then I'll have to personally thank both of them for that." He then shook his head and looked ruefully to Falco. "I love Krystal so much now that I'd be unable to lead without keeping my feelings for her from influencing my decisions. So it's just as well I retire now, because I am no longer fit to lead Star Fox."

"I'd be saddened by the fact that I seemed to have ruined your ability to be a good leader for Star Fox if it weren't for the fact that I can sense and read in your mind that you have absolutely no regrets."

Fox raised his hand and gestured to the ship around them. "I thought I was going to miss this, but you are right, I have no regrets and am looking forward to leaving it all behind me and living the quiet life with you."

Peppy spoke up then. "It pleases me that you two are so happy together now, but what are your plans for after your honeymoon?"

"I was wondering if the Cornerian Flight Academy could use a flight instructor. Just by showing Falco how to run and maintain this ship, I've discovered that I love teaching."

The old Cornerian general was very pleased to hear this from James McCloud's son. "We definitely could use you, especially since I finally convinced the government to get Arwings."

"Really? I thought they had rejected the Arwings because they were five times more expensive than the military's standard fighter."

"And ten times more agile and deadly against any known adversary." Peppy countered. "I made them realize that it is a force multiplier by pointing out your team's high kill ratio and the fact that none of us ever got shot down in them, perhaps damaged, but never destroyed."

"Damn right." Bill said. "I can't tell you how many times my guys and I felt inadequate with those fighters we have. I know that Husky and Bulldog Squadrons would love to be equipped with those Arwings."

Fox grinned at Bill. "You'll definitely need training. The fact that the Arwing is so maneuverable makes it quite a handful and not for novices."

"We're up for it." Bill promised. "Just show us how to fly them, and you'll have our undivided attention."

"Anyhow, they've approved the purchase of 250 Arwings from Space Dynamics." The old hare glanced over to Fara. "It helped also that your father sweetened the deal by giving us a 15% volume discount for the large order of fighters."

So Fox found himself discussing with Peppy the terms of his future career as an Arwing flight instructor. Falco, seeing that he was not needed in such a discussion, approached Slippy and with the help of the toad, started going over more technical information on the Great Falcon, focusing for the time being on the ship's propulsion systems.

Krystal lounged on the couch next to her tod, relaxing with her eyes closed and listening to his thoughts while he discussed his flight instructor position at the Academy with Peppy.

Fara noticed the blue vixen sitting quietly. With a nod to the other females on the ship, she approached Krystal, who opened her eyes upon sensing the fennec vixen approach. "Hey there. While the boys discuss space ships and flying, want to hang out with the girls?"

Krystal smiled at the gesture and replied. "Sure. Let's go hang out in my quarters." With that, she got up from the couch and focused on her fiancé.

Fox paused midsentence in his discussion with Peppy and glanced up, making eye contact with his love. He nodded to her and smiled before focusing back on his conversation with the hare, who watched bemusedly at what was obviously a telepathic conversation.

Following Krystal, Fara asked, "What did you tell him?"

"Just that we would have a girl's get together in our room while he hangs out here with the other guys and then withdrew from his mind."

"What did he think of that?"

Krystal smiled happily. "He thought 'I love you' to me."

Katt, Amanda, Miyu, Fey, and Lucy were gathered together, waiting for the two vixens. Krystal beckoned them to follow her. "Come on, girls. Let's hang out in my quarters."

*****

They all gathered in Krystal's and Fox's quarters. The others could very well see that the room was now an amalgamation of both their tastes. Krystal's staff hung on the wall, kept fully charged. A matt lay on the floor next to the bed where the vixen would meditate every evening before going to bed. On the dresser were photographs of tod and vixen together as well as one special photograph of Fox as a young pup with his parents.

Krystal smiled with affection at her friends and then focused on Slippy's fiancée. "So Amanda, when is your wedding?"

The pink toad smiled demurely. "Slippy and I have not yet set a date. We are waiting for things to be settled with his retirement from Star Fox and for him to be situated too. Just like Fox, Slippy is looking at his career options. There's a strong possibility that his father Beltino will be setting up a lab on Aquas, which would be perfect."

Lucy spoke up. "I hear Aquas is quite beautiful. Is that where you two will get married?"

"Yes, and you'll of course all get wedding invitations when we set a date."

Fara grinned. "We look forward to it."

Krystal smiled at her fiancé's former girlfriend. "What about you? Any love interest since Fox?"

"Well, nothing yet, though I did meet this cute tod who works Space Dynamics' financial department as an accountant."

Fay sat up attentively and wagged her tail. "Oooh. Do tell."

Fara smiled coyly and said, "Well, as some of you know, I don't let my position," she then briefly raised her hands to make quotes in the air and went on, "as 'Heiress to the Phoenix Corporate Empire' keep me from mingling with those who work for Daddy. So I was in line with everyone else at the company cafeteria a few weeks ago when he bumped into me and knocked my drink over onto my shirt."

Katt grinned, "Well, I've heard of worse first impressions. What happened next?"

Fara returned the pink feline's grin. "I bet you have....Anyhow, he of course profusely apologized, but I wasn't offended. I knew it was an accident."

Lucy commented, "I bet he must have been mortified, given who you are."

Fara laughed. "Actually, he had not even recognized me initially, but you are right. He just about completely lost it when he finally realized who I was. I had to take a few minutes to reassure him that he was not going to be sacked and that it was no biggie since I was wearing my work clothes. I then invited him to sit with me at a table where we ate and started chatting."

Miyu asked. "What is he like? What's his name?"

"Well, he has all the typical markings of a male red fox, though he has this unusual golden tinge to his head hair. He also has these beautiful green eyes."

Krystal asked, "Like my Foxy?"

Fara paused thoughtfully. "Mmmm. Yeah, come to think of it."

Krystal giggled. "You seem to have a thing for green-eyed tods."

Fara shrugged. "Maybe, but he's nothing like Fox. For one thing Kei Reinard is quite effeminate while Fox is very masculine. Kei seems more a submissive personality type too, and was so shy at first that he couldn't look me in the eyes, but I finally got him to open up. He's very sweet and caring."

Krystal had perked up at the mention of the name of Fara's possible new love interest. "Reinard, you say? That was the clan name of Fox's mother, Vixy."

Fara stroked her chin. "Mmmm. Come to think of it, some of his facial features are vaguely like Fox's in addition to both having green eyes. Maybe when I have the chance, I'll search records to find out if they actually are related."

She then turned to Fay. "I hear you have a love interest too, girl."

The white, floppy-eared dog giggled. "Yes. Bill Grey and I have been dating for a while now. He's so lovable and really knows how to have fun. His idea of a date is to take me to fun places like a water park. We had a blast the last time we went to the large one called River Rapids, south of Corneria City, along the coast."

Miyu sounded somewhat disappointed and mewled. "But doesn't he take you to any romantic dates, like dinner and movie and a walk in the park?"

"Nah. He never was into that, and I'd get bored too....though we might do a movie. Really, we just like to play and romp, and do fun stuff like that."

Krystal herself was intrigued. "What is this 'water park' and why is it so fun?"

Fay was aghast. "You mean you've never heard of or seen a water park?"

The vixen shook her head. "No. I've only been part of the Lylat system for just over a year now. What is this water park like?"

The cocker spaniel gushed. "Oooh. They have these water slides you can race down, and inner tube rides, and wave pools. There's even this fun water ride you go through that swirls you back and forth."

"I never had anything like that back..." Krystal sighed thinking of her lost home world. "Well, we enjoyed life in different ways."

Her heart was warmed by the emotions of sympathy from her friends. They all knew of the tragic end of Cerinia. She smiled wanly to her canine friend. "These water parks do sound fun. I can't help but wonder what it's like." The vixen scooted closer to Fay and looked bashfully towards her friend before raising her hand to hover it near the spaniel's head. "Do you think I could...take a peek?"

Fay's eyes widened, having never contemplated such an encounter. "Aaahhh...I, uh...I don't know."

The vixen smiled reassuringly at her friend. "I can sense your nervousness, but don't worry. If you give me permission, I'll only read your surface thoughts. I'll not go deep like I do with Fox."

"Uh...Okay, I guess. What should I do?"

While the others watched in rapt fascination, Krystal gently laid a hand against Fay's temple and said in a soothing voice. "I want you to focus on one of your most enjoyable memories of your last time at this water park, where you did something really fun, that you don't mind me seeing."

Fay closed her eyes and after a moment, the she-dog smiled. "Yeah...One of my favorites was this fast water flume where the water was pushed through so strongly you went uphill at certain places..."

"Okay. Relax and focus on that. Think of that time. Fill your mind with that memory..."

When Krystal sensed that her friend was relaxed, she very lightly probed her mind and quickly found the memory. In the next instant, she found herself reliving that moment through Fay's eyes, being carried along the strong current rushing through the narrow flume, water rushing over her white fur, experiencing this wonderful exhilaration near the end when the flume angled downwards and she plummeted down to splash in a pool at the bottom.

The telepathic vixen gasped and broke contact with her friend. "Oh wow! That was incredible, especially that last drop!"

Fay found herself also panting, with a look of wonder upon her face. "Wow is right."

Miyu, Lucy, and Amanda all sat around their friend with avid curiosity. "What was it like? Could you feel Krystal in your mind? Did you hear her in your head?" They each asked in quick succession.

"Well, I didn't hear her speak to me in my head..." Fay replied. "I was concentrating on the memory of that water flume ride like Krystal asked, when all of a sudden, the memory became incredibly vivid. I found myself reliving that moment again, but this time, it felt like I was riding down the flume with someone else." She turned to the vixen for confirmation. "That was you, wasn't it?"

"Yes. With you focusing on that memory, I lightly tapped into your subconscious to bring the memory out more clearly. I then concentrated on seeing that memory through your own eyes. That was probably when you felt as if I was riding the flume with you."

"I admit I was a bit nervous, thinking that it might be unpleasant, but you were really gentle."

"If you had tried to resist, I would have immediately stopped. I will not force myself into someone's mind."

Miyu chose then to speak up. "Besides Fox, and Fay just now, have you read anybody else's mind?" Seeing the vixen's melancholy expression and guessing she was thinking of the family she lost on Cerinia, the lynx quickly added, "in the last two years, I mean."

Krystal smiled fondly at her feline friend, seeing through her attempt to divert her from thinking again of Cerinia. Thinking beyond that tragic day, Krystal shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Fox's mind was the first one I ever probed deeply, and Fay here is the only one whom I asked to scan even just lightly. Aside from that, these last two years, I've at most sensed emotions....like this burning curiosity that's nagging you."

The lynx smiled shyly and averted her gaze from her empathic friend.

"Now I'm sensing embarrassment from you." She regarded the feline thoughtfully. "Are you thinking about someone in particular?"

Miyu immediately covered her face, feeling even more embarrassed.

"Oh wow! I don't even have to be empathic to see that I struck a nerve."

Fara grinned at the cat. "Out with it, girl. Who is it you fancy?"

The lynx sighed and slumped in defeat. "It's Panther Caruso. I've only seen him once in passing, but he looks so attractive and self-assured. I don't even know if he's noticed me."

Lucy and Fay both giggle. "Ooooh! She's got a crush on Panther."

"I do not!" Miyu huffed, her ears flattening against her skull. "I'm just curious about him." She turned to Krystal. "You've met him, and flew with him when you were part of Star Wolf. What is he like?"

The vixen closed her eyes and thought back. "I actually first encountered him when flying with Star Fox against Star Wolf at their Sargasso base, during the Aparoid Invasion. He actually started flirting with me. Truthfully, I was not that all impressed with him."

Krystal noticed the disappointment and concern coming from Miyu, but continued. "After Fox and I had broken up and I had joined Star Wolf, I found myself on the same team as Panther. Given his ongoing interest in me, I was afraid I would have to repeatedly deal with unwanted advances." She paused and smiled to the lady lynx. "He of course didn't waste any time and put on the charm, but then he surprised me when I turned him down. When he saw I had no interest in him, he didn't press the matter any further. I think he must have somehow perceived that I still loved Fox and was hurting deep down from my breakup with him. He just consoled me and offered his support and we became good friends."

"Wow. So he really is a nice fellow." Miyu said in wonder.

"Yes he is, and very considerate. He'll be at the wedding too."

Krystal's feline friend mewled. "Oh no!" She wrung her hands. "How am I going to approach him? He'll think I'm some love-sick tabby in heat."

"No, he'll not. I know Panther. He'll be flattered you find him attractive and will want to ease your nervousness."

"But will he find me attractive?" The lynx fretted.

"Oh come on!" Fay rolled her eyes. "He's feline, and you're feline. You already have that going for you, and what tomcat wouldn't find you attractive?"

"She's right." Fara added. "Just relax and be yourself."

Krystal reassured her friend. "I'll talk to Panther and introduce you to him."

Miyu turned to the only other feline in the room. "What do you think? How would you approach a hunk like Panther?

Katt purred in reply. "I can't really help you there, sweety. I have a taste more for birds..." She went on to say, licking her lips in a predatory manner, "especially one blue-feathered birdie."

Lucy giggled at the pink feline's antics. "You are unbelievable. The way you talk, you sound like you'd want to eat him."

She grinned in reply, showing off her sharp cat teeth. "He is a tasty morsel. Nothing wrong with predator-prey relationships, you know."

Fara just rolled her eyes, "except that Falco is no canary, not with his raptor lineage."

Katt waved off the fennec vixen's comment. "Details! Details! All I know is that he's a great guy for the most part."

"The most part?" Lucy asked.

"Well, I can't say I'm too thrilled with his habit of spending shore leave time with prostitutes."

Krystal's eyes widened in astonishment. "You knew about that?"

"Yeah. One of my old friends in the Hot Rodders gang spotted him with some trick a year ago who turned out to be a crossdressing guy...Hey! How did you know? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I only found out when Fox and I got back together, when I first probed deeply into his mind." She paused to wonder if she was violating Falco's trust, but figured she probably wasn't, given what Katt already knew. "Apparently, one of Fox's memories was of Falco coming back aboard the Great Fox, still drunk and deeply embarrassed about that particular episode."

"And you didn't tell me?" Katt asked again, slightly miffed.

"It wasn't my secret to tell. You have to understand. Falco confessed that to Fox only, and I only found out because I read it from Fox's mind, and he bared his heart, soul, and mind to me because of his deep trust in me. I can't ever violate that trust, and that means never revealing his secrets."

Katt slumped and sighed. "Yeah, I guess I can't fault you for that, when you put it that way....I should be mad at my birdie for getting his rocks off with whores, but he's been so loving and attentive with me lately."

"If it helps, I sensed strong emotions of guilt from Falco at the mention of his indiscretions, which makes me think that he must have strong feelings for you."

Krystal's pink-furred feline friend purred happily upon hearing this. "Does he now? Maybe I can forgive him then."

Fara sighed, thinking of her ex-boyfriend. "If you've read his every thought and memory, then you know that Fox and I were lovers for a while after Andross was defeated at the end of the Lylat War."

"Yes. I won't go into the details since that is something private between the two of you, but I saw through Fox's eyes your times together, until you two mutually decided to end your relationship, but I sense you still have strong feelings for him."

The fennec sighed again, and nodded. "I sometimes wish it could have worked out between us. I was saddened that I couldn't help him with his buried emotional pain. So I'm overjoyed to hear that you succeeded in helping him open up."

In that moment, Krystal found herself liking this fennec vixen even more, and felt a sisterly kinship between herself and Fox's former girlfriend. Despite her feelings for her ex-boyfriend, there were no emotions of jealousy coming from her. She instead exuded feelings of affection for Fox and happiness for him that he'd found a soulmate in Krystal. The telepathic vixen scooted closer. "You are a wonderful person, Fara. I can see why Fox loved you. You really care for him."

Fara nodded sadly, but Krystal would not let her feel left out and raised her hand up to the fennec's temple. She eyed the telepath uncertainly until Krystal assured her, "and I care very much for you too, like a sister."

Krystal then placed her hand against Fara's head and sent her a burst of sisterly love through her mind, making her gasp and become tearful. "And I really hope it works out between you and this Kei fellow. Nobody should be without love."

When Krystal's hand dropped back to her side, Fara lunged forward and hugged her. "Oh my stars! I could feel your love. It's no wonder you were able to help Fox open up."

When Fara released her, Krystal sat back and looked down bashfully at her hands at hearing such positive compliments about her mental powers. She then went on, "The death of first his mother and later his father were some of his most unhappy memories, but he willingly let me make him relive those times in his mind." She sniffled, recalling the aftermath. "Seeing him so emotionally wrecked right after I finished probing his mind was heart-breaking, but now that I think of it, he was not only crying because I had forgiven him, he was also letting go of all that repressed emotional pain."

"Well, it seems to have done him a lot of good." Fara observed. "I've never seen Fox so at ease with himself."

Fay also added her own observation. "He seems also much more expressive and unafraid of showing his emotions. I mean, oh my stars, he even cried in front of us earlier when he was telling about how you two got back together."

Lucy could only agree and added. "I had never seen Fox showing his sensitive side before, but after everything that he's been through, he deserves some happiness at last."

Fara laid a hand on Krystal's shoulder. "I'm also glad Fox finally came to his senses and realized how much of a treasure you are and is giving you the love that you deserved."

Krystal confessed her own feelings. "I was deeply moved that Fox loved me so much. After he had bared his mind and soul to me, I ended up crying with him. He now so greatly desires for me to be happy. He loves it so much when I'm in his head, but worries that I might be mentally straining myself to keep reading his mind." She shook her head. "The thing is, his mind has become so receptive that it takes me almost no effort at all."

Her friends all watched her close her eyes and smile. "In fact, I could probably read his thoughts even now, from here."

Fay giggled. "What's he thinking?"

The vixen smiled. "I'll only tell you if it's a thought I know Fox will not mind me sharing with others." She went quiet and began breathing deeply, letting her mind reach out across several decks of the Great Falcon for the mind of her loving fiancé.

While her friends watched, Krystal's smile began to fade. She suddenly tensed, her eyes flying open with a look of horror, and immediately bolted from the room. Amanda, Fara, Fay, Katt, Miyu, and Lucy all scrambled to follow the blue vixen. Fara cried out after her. "Krystal! What's going on?"

Krystal paid them no heed, rushing through the ship, with her friends racing after her, until she burst into the lounge, looking around frantically. Peppy was in a corner at a computer terminal, going over correspondences with the Cornerian Flight Academy. Bill was relaxing, looking out the window at the stars while listening to music on his headphones, and Falco was going over technical charts on the Great Falcon with Slippy's help.

The falcon looked up from what he was studying upon noticing Krystal's sudden arrival. "Hey Blue, what's..." His thoughts were derailed upon hearing a pitiful cry.

Krystal's eyes locked onto her fiancé, and Falco followed her gaze to see that Fox was asleep, and in the throes of a nightmare. He suddenly cried out. "Krystal!" and started sobbing. "No...no...no..."

The vixen ran across the room and immediately took hold of the tod's head, plunging into his mind without delay. In the commotion, Bill and Peppy also became aware of what was happening and joined the rest of their friends in watching Krystal wrestle Fox from his nightmare.

The vulpine had immediately calmed down the moment his vixen had invaded and taken control of his dream. His breathing slowed and he let out a long, contented sigh.

She sat down next to her fox and pulled him into her arms while she continued to focus on him for another minute and then glanced up at her friends with a vacant expression. "Fox was having a particularly bad nightmare... was seeing me burn to death when my fighter caught fire...in the final battle against the Anglars...I put an end to it...I'm barely aware of any of you now...my mind mostly in his dream...using my powers to control...making it pleasant for him."

Fay, Miyu, and Lucy were leaning against each other, weeping for their tormented friend. Katt slumped, her ears flat against her head and her whiskers drooping in a saddened expression. Amanda was consoling her fiancé, Slippy who was sniffling. Fara's eyes were brimming with tears as well.

Falco looked devastated. In a commanding voice, he addressed his amphibian friend. "Slippy. We are no longer teasing Fox about him sleeping with Krystal. Got it?"

The toad nodded, still sniffling. "Yeah. Agreed."

The avian was breathing hard, fighting a turmoil of emotions going through him. He turned to his friend's fiancée. "And you! Don't you dare ever leave him again! You hear me?!"

Krystal was at first taken aback by her friend's apparent vehemence, but quickly sensed that he was not angry with her, but just upset for his friend's wellbeing.

Katt, not having realized the source of her boyfriend's anger, growled at him. "Falco, you can be such an insensitive..."

"No. It's okay." Krystal interrupted. She leaned down and kissed her sleeping tod on the head and looked up at Falco. Her eyes were no longer vacant, having taken the time to briefly withdraw from Fox's dream. "I can sense your emotions quite strongly. I know your anger is not directed at me. You care for Fox very much, and are upset that he's having nightmares."

Falco nodded, still struggling with his feelings. "He's like a brother to me. I can't stand seeing him like this."

The vixen smiled fondly at her friend. "And you can be sure I'll make him the happiest fox in all of Lylat." Her eyes again got that far away look. "Give me a moment to get back into his dream so that I can wake him." She then bent down and gave her love a passionate, muzzle-locking kiss and poured all her love into his mind.

Fox let out a long, trilling whine into the kiss, his eyes fluttering open to the vixen's muzzle latched onto his. Delighted to having woken from such a wonderful dream to his love kissing him, the tod naturally responded with equal passion, oblivious to the others around him until their loving moment was interrupted when they heard Falco give a gruff cough.

"You guys are so sappy." He grumbled and stomped away from them.

It was only then that Fox realized he was not alone with Krystal. He looked up in time to see Katt winking at them before turning to follow Falco. Amanda was also leading a sniffling Slippy away. Of those that remained, Bill was grinning, his tail wagging, Fay, Lucy, and Miyu smiled to them through tear-stained eyes, and Peppy and Fara were smiling fondly down at the two of them.

Miyu mewled. "I love sappy. Don't stop kissing on our account."

Fay giggled, drying her eyes with one hand while dragging the starry-eyed lynx with the other. "Come on, honey. They don't need an audience."

Bill winked to them and sauntered off after Fay.

Peppy leaned forward and kissed Krystal on the forehead. "You take good care of him. I'm counting on you."

"I will," Krystal replied, feeling a deep affection for the old hare.

Peppy then put a fatherly arm around his daughter and led her away.

Fara was the last to leave, but only did so after leaning forward to give her old boyfriend a kiss on the cheek. "I've said it before and I'll say it again. Krystal is the best thing that could have happened to you. Don't ever let go of her."

"I won't." was all Fox could say, realizing that something more than his waking up from a pleasant dream must have happened.

Alone together for the first time since boarding the Great Falcon, the two snuggled quietly, sharing their own private thoughts, while looking out the window at the stars.