YET ANOTHER STORY BY KEN WEAVER JR.

REFLECTIONS OF THE FUTURE

STARFOX / STARWING

(Disclaimer is below) As always, you can reach me at ROCKSTARTRAVISTYatAOLdotCOM. You can IM me there, you can email me there. On occasion, I'm on FurryWriterATyahooDOTcom as well. I luv da feedback. IMs, email, reviews... I like direct feedback from the readers. Tell me what you think, be as harsh and critical as you like (see authors note below for those of you who are grammer nazis). Please enjoy!
Reflections of the Future.

A Sequel

Gone. There was no one. Her mind ached and she could sense no one beyond Fox, Falco and Slippy. Did everyone die? Wolf, Leon, even Panther had disappeared from the scope of her extra sensory perception. Her mind's eye had been blinded by a metaphorical flash of shock and awe. The GreatFox had been slammed into the Apparoid defense shield and Peppy was presumed dead. Her heart ached so badly that she couldn't even begin to think, let alone sense any survivors.

Without GreatFox, it was going to be difficult to get back to Lylat. Their system was so far away and the Arwings only held so much fuel. However, the four of them were alive. The somber quartet suddenly jumped at the sound of audio crackle.

Krystal was the first to try and grip at what her reeling mind attempted to wrap itself around: A fact… a truth; something that her eyes and ears cooperatively showed her heart and mind. On the dashboard, there was an image of Peppy Hare, wrapped in medical tape and gauze. Standing besides Peppy was ROB, the "Robotic Operative Buddy", for short. Her heart beat faster and at the same time, the sensor scope showed a fresh fourth blip, where Peppy's escape pod was approaching the four Arwings.

Relief emanated from Slippy, Falco and of course, from McCloud. But there was still so much loss of life. The Nobel deaths of StarWolf, for she could not sense them. When Fox began to speak next, his words held high hopes of the survival of StarWolf. He then thanked his team for being his friends and his heartfelt speech was one that put her own heart at ease for the moment.

It was possible that she couldn't sense StarWolf because they'd already jumped back into the Lylat System, but in the Apparoid's home world system, her telepathic abilities left her feeling empty tonight. With the death of Apparoids in the billions, there were now voices and thought patterns that had all gone silent. It was a lonely sensation, to be sure.

Another few minutes went by and Slippy was the first to break the silence. "I've done some calculations," He said, crunching numbers on a wrist computer, much like the ones he'd designed in the past for Fox and Krystal. Falco owned one as well but never cared to wear it.

"We're all ears, I'm sure. Can you get us home?" Peppy asked from his spot on the escape pod.

"Actually," Slippy said, a little less boisterous than usual, due to the somber mood of the group, "You're the one getting us home, Peppy. The Escape Pod not only has enough fuel to make the jump, but its jump drive system seems undamaged. We're all going to have to pull together so that we all j-jump together, but if you hadn't survived, we'd all be sitting for a long t-t-time, out here."

"Well then," Peppy mused, somewhat proudly. "Let's get formed up. The first thing I do, when we get back to Corneria, is plan an official retirement party. Honest, I mean it this time," the hare chuckled. After saving Pepper's life by trashing an Arwing, then driving the GreatFox right into the core of the Apparoid Home world, Peppy had gone above and beyond the call of duty, nearly dying repeatedly.

He had lost consciousness in the concussive force of careening an entire dreadnaught class vessel into a mechanical planet, but ROB was programmed to evacuate to an Escape Pod. It didn't take a telepath to realize that Peppy was spent over this mission. He, too, had seen James on the communication readout, but wasn't able to respond. It would give him nightmares and the Goddess only knew how it would affect Fox.

Fox, as the rest of the team had noted, was nearly stoic throughout the entire final battle. He was a swirl of pent up emotions, bottled and tightly sealed. Krystal worried that he would have an emotional breakdown soon, but he seemed sure of himself. Simply "brave" wasn't the word, to be sure. Once the team brought their fighters into a diamond formation around the Escape Pod, it was time for the team to attempt the Jump back to Lylat. … …

Krystal suddenly woke up. She had that dream again, about the destruction of the Apparoid Home world. It'd been almost a week now, and the nightmares of her participation in genocide still plagued her sleep. An entire race was wiped out; it didn't matter to her that they were so very mechanical. The fact was, they had thought patterns and to an extent, they had feelings. Her body felt numb with guilt. Traumatic discourse; her heart was pounding and her mind was reeling.

She pushed the blanket off of her body, lifting her paws to her face. Her fur was soaked with sweat and her neck ached. The little blue vixen's head was swimming and she attempted to reach out with her mind's eye for comfort. She closed those soft jade irises and thought of Fox.

She could actually sense him in the next room. He was asleep, in a state of Alpha. His deeply relaxed mind was an anchor to reach out for, because he'd trained himself not to slip into REM sleep, to keep the nightmares away - if only for a while. He was lying in his bed, visualizing a simplistic object, like a number or letter, to keep his thoughts from wondering. Having seen his father's image again had gotten him to thinking, this was his method to combat it.

With Corneria under massive reconstruction, StarFox found their temporary home aboard a Medical transportation ship that was orbiting Corneria. Peppy was in full recovery now; the team was given permission for a short stay until the old rabbit was released from physical therapy in three days, and Krystal had too much time on her paws.

Her thoughts turned to Sargasso. The StarWolf team would be there, if they really lived. Her soft blue bangs were half draped over her face, which lifted to gaze out the porthole above her bed. The dark void of space was illuminated with tiny white dots as far as the eye could see, and out there, somewhere, was O'Donnell's crew. She wouldn't sleep well until she knew the truth behind their fate. It caused her guilt to think that they might not have survived.

The first time she'd met part of the StarWolf Squadron was just before Venom launched its full blown war against Corneria. When StarFox had to pass through Sargasso to find Pigma Dengar, team StarWolf wasn't around. They had left their base to return the Prime Minister to Corneria, to uphold a promise, concerning the fact that Andrew Oikonni was defeated.

The Apparoid attack had been a double edged sword. If it wasn't for the Apparoids, Corneria would still be at war with Venom. Now both sides were at a full ceasefire and Oikonni was missing in action. Just as StarWolf had returned from their ransom negotiations on Corneria, they were thrust into a battle against StarFox, over an unwarranted attack on the Sargasso station.

Krystal could recall that day with ease, as it was the first day that arrogant fool, Panther Caruso, had been introduced to her. However, after the final battle against the Apparoids, Krystal's perception on StarWolf had changed. They were still mercenary thugs with a cold heart for business, but now they were respected as well.

Krystal's soft gaze reflected the dim dots on the other side of the polarized glass she stood before. Her pounding heart was beginning to relax, now that she was awake. Fox had subjugated the topic earlier in the day. His scrupulous methods of ensuring that all the Apparoids were dead, were made obvious, by flying a double patrol. It was a testament to the slight Obsessive Compulsive Disorder he had for ensuring his job was done before accepting such a lofty payment from Corneria.

And a lofty payment, it surely was. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that StarFox would be a wealthy unit after this mission. But the cost of loss was high. StarFox had a great deal of replacements to afford. The budget would, once again, be a tight one.

She could sense that he felt a tinge of guilt over the fact he was accepting a large sum for his team, when Corneria was undergoing one of the largest rebuilding efforts in Lylat History. Her mind wondered back to the present; her reverie dissipated and her eyes lowered from the window once more. She had to know if StarWolf was still alive. She considered taking an Arwing out, on her own, but leaving without waking Fox might have made him feel awkward when he found out in the morning.

The little Vix was torn. She wouldn't be able to sleep until she had ascertained as to the validity of their fate. She tried so hard to sense their existence, but on the opposite end of Lylat, she couldn't clear her mind enough to know for sure. The fact of the matter was, she had a measure of gratitude that she wished to express towards them.

Pacing the room, Krystal began to think of ways that she could know for sure. Once she knew the answers, she felt that going back to sleep wouldn't be out of the question. Unless, of course, it was bad news. Then she would have to get through a short period of mourning, in order to sleep. It was certainly taking its toll.

Five days. A business week. That's how long it had been since the team came under attack. The Apparoid war lasted two full days and decimated Corneria to the extent that not only was the planet ravaged, but the Cornerian and remaining Venom fleet was beyond devastated as well. Krystal paused before the window once more, gazing out into the night.

Her paw lifted, gently taking the silky robe from its hook. She slipped the garment over her shoulders, drawing it shut and tying the sash. The scantly clad vixen lowered her eyes, running her thumbnail over the fabric. It's sensuous, silky feel against her velvety fur was comforting and chic.

Krystal noted her own slight reflection in the glass surface. She had a look of elegance and should she wish to add her jewels, it elevated her to sheer opulence. That was the problem. Far below was the planet Corneria. There were so many people in implausible, unconceivable distress. Her heart ached for them and here she was, wearing a silk robe. Here she was, standing on a comfortable medical ship, relaxed. Her only problem was insomnia. The problems of those in the city below were far worse.

She took her pacing in a new direction, walking out of her room and down the hallway. With the robe drawn tightly around herself, the sash tied in a firm knot, she simply walked. She didn't care about the people in the hallways that raised a brow, whistled or simply stared. She just walked.

Once she got to the flight deck, she approached her fighter and climbed up to the canopy, raising it. She stepped off the steel mounting stairs and slid down into the cockpit, booting just the computer. After a moment of running through the black-box history logs, she drew up the conversation footnotes; the computer footprints of every sent and received message on the last mission.

Leon seemed as though he wasn't a conversationalist. At least not with her type, at any rate. Wolf, on the other paw, was not the type with whom to be friendly. Her best bet to inquire about the StarWolf team was, unfortunately, through Panther. Her finger stopped on the small dash-mounted holographic display, poking the numbers with some measure of interest.

After a moment of personal deliberation, she opened a subspace channel and dialed into the frequency. As much as she loathed his personality, she'd promised to at least acknowledge his existence after everything was over, back in the fight against the Apparoid Home Planet. That would be her way of breaking the ice, to make sure none of them were dead. Then she would be able to sleep.

Half an hour had passed and Krystal was heading back to her room. They were alive and she would be able to sleep. It was one weight on her shoulders. Had they given their lives for her and her team, she'd have felt guilt.

She stopped in the hallway, closing her eyes and concentrating. She sensed something painful and tried to pinpoint its location. After a moment, she realized it came from Fox's room. She let herself in, looking around for a moment before heading to the bed chamber.

Inside that room, Fox was sound asleep but obviously disturbed. He thrashed softly, calling out in what sounded to be a measure of confusion. She sat down on the edge of the mattress, placing her paws on his face.

"Wake up, Fox. Shhh, it's okay, you're not alone," She told him reassuringly. His dream began to fade, washing into the darkness of his present reality. The real world slid into focus for his night-savvy vulpine vision. Those sea green eyes landed on the visage of Krystal, dancing over her delicate build and fragile features for a moment before smiling. She spoke again, tenderly telling him, "It's all right, you're safe; it was all a dream."

"Seeing him was a hard reminder, knowing that my family is gone," He admitted sourly. "I'm glad for my friends, but blood is supposed to be thicker than water, and I have no blood left." His words were based on the fact that he saw his father's image and heard his father's voice coming to defend the Apparoid Queen.

Was it possible that the Apparoids had attached themselves to his father's body after he was jettisoned, dead or alive, by Venom, during the war? Fox conciously told himself that the memories were through Pigma but his dreams told a different story. What if the destruction of the Apparoids took his last possible chance of living with his father? What if his Father survived the Apparoid destruction? Again, he had to convince himself that the instance occurred due to memories obtained through Pigma Dengar and possibly even General Pepper.

The lithe blue vixen smiled softly. "One day, you will be a father, Fox. Then you'll have your blood; your offspring. Your wife will be your ilk, your children will be your extension into the future and you'll have a strong family bond. Stay optimistic," She told him.

"Families and father figures start at 23 to 25 or so," he said with a slight shrug. "I'm going to be turning 28 next month. I feel as though I've missed my chance. You know?" Fox gave her a goofy smile, looking down at his bed sheets.

Krystal placed her paws on his muzzle, lifting his head so that their eyes met. "You're not too old for a family. I think we both know that we're attracted to one another; I don't need to be bashful or modest. On the same note, I'm not trying to be brazen, either. I'm not suggesting we start a family, tomorrow. I'm just suggesting that you not be so tense when someone suggests the possibility of our future." With that she leaned forward, gave him a tender kiss upon his forehead, then stood up from his bedside and walked to the door. "If you need me, you know where I am. Sorry to have woken you, I just couldn't sleep, you know?"

"I'm glad you did, I hated that dream. I thought I had it under control but I accidentally fell all the way asleep," Fox said sourly. He then changed his tone of voice and added, "I appreciate you, Krystal. And maybe one day, we can figure things out. I'd really like that. As far as sleeping, is everything all right?"

"It's fine, really. I think the best way to clear my conscience after that fiasco with the Apparoids," She said, fidgeting with the robe of her belt, "Is to spend tomorrow gearing up. The next day, I want to go down to the surface and start looking for survivors. It wouldn't hurt."

"All right, tomorrow we'll get some gear together. Tomorrow night, we'll all go to bed early and the following morning, the team will head down to the city and do what they can, hands on. Thank you for stopping by and visiting me, it's always a pleasure spending time with you," Fox told her with a tender, and yet slightly playful grin. When they weren't in public, he was able to come out of his shy shell around her.

She grinned slightly and stepped out of his room. She felt so sure and at ease when she was in his company. She knew what this feeling was in her chest. There was no question. But for the moment, she would have to put it aside and focus on her future objective of visiting Corneria for the first time since the attack. It was going to be hard to swallow, whatever she saw, she just knew it. Woman's intuition, it was never wrong.

Quick little Author's Note:

Now, I break all the rules when I write. Reflexive pronoun use, fragmented sentence structure, ending sentences with prepositions… Shoot, I subjugate intransitives, I use verb confusion; I do it all, baby. I run on, I write sentences without verbs at all. If you can diagram it, I can cut it up. But that's my style. I'm not trying to be Faulkner.

I married an English teacher and you know what she told me once? She said, "The English Language is always changing… evolving, that's why it will be around forever. It adapts. What's wrong today might be right tomorrow. What's proper today might be lax tomorrow." Then, do you know what happened after that? She divorced me! So what does the English Language say now? It says there are rules and, baby, I break 'em like nobody's business!

That's all I'm going to say. There's my author's note, my introduction, my foreword, all rolled into one. I promised myself that I would keep this quick and simple/stupid. So I'm just layin' the cards on the table. If you wanna fold before you get started, I understand. I've been hounded by so many grammar Nazi's and not a one of them can tell me where my mistakes are. I've had one tell me I mix past and present tense in the same sentence. Like I said, I break all the rules. It's my style. But I certainly appreciate that one telling me… it helps me evolve. So if you're going to put a fire under my tail for grammar, be ready to tell me what to change and how, as well as why. Else? I'm going to ignore your little blurb about Grammar because I already know! ;)

One last thing, for those of you who are ready to trounce, bounce and drop the elbow on me for Krystal's age, I invite you to carefully read REFLECTIONS OF KRYSTAL. She's 16 years old, according to several Japanese sites. HOWEVER, in the research I've done, French, English and American sites claim she's 19/20 years old. So what I've done, just to refresh your memory, is I've made her 16 years old in Cerinia years. She's 16 planetary revolutions in age. However, because Cerinia takes longer to revolve around their sun than Corneria takes to revolve around Sol, her age is different by Cornerian Standards. She's been alive the same amount of seconds/minutes/hours as a 20 year old by Cornerian time standards. A day on a planet is how long it takes to go from Midnight to Midnight. It might take 30 hours on some planets. It might take longer than that, on others. The only consistency is seconds, minutes and hours. So, as far as Fox, his team and their planets in Lylat are concerned, Krystal is just about American Drinking Age. (Since it's 18 everywhere else ;) )

I just wanted to let you know I'm going to be re-writing the final chapter of Reflections of Krystal, asap. I re-read it. I hated it. Everything that happened isn't bad, it's just the way I wrote it. Some of the sentence structure doesn't even make sense to me; I wrote it at work and since I'm ADD, I can only fathom that I was distracted by the rest of the office, I have NO idea. Now, I've written the first three chapters for THIS story. They're done before I even post chapter one. They're not bad, in my opinion. I'm pretty darn happy with them. Chapter two has a little bit of root in what I've been watching on television. It's pretty heart wrenching to see death on television, from catastrophe due to a double hurricane blast at our southern coastal front. I would imagine that when the credits role at the end of StarFox Assault, not everything is peachy. I'll leave it to your imagination for a few minutes, and shortly after, I'll post chapter 2. What'm I doing? I'm tying up loose ends, baby! Anyone sensitive to the graphic nature of post traumatic rescue operations, I'll do a super brief recap in the author's note of chapter3, so you know what happens without reading it. TTFN, readers!

-Ken

Disclaimer (usually comes at the beginning but boy does it clog up the header)

(Disclaimer to be viewed in font size 6 or 8. Stupid FanFicDOTnet...)
Official stuff:

This disclaimer sounds like a real lawyer wrote it. (jk)Well they didn't, because I didn't even go to college! So.. yeah!

This story is used for entertainment purposes only. Any events past, present or future, which bare any resemblence to this story are purly coincidental, save for segments of Chapter 2 which are loosely based off of the situational scinario in the United States, with an army over seas and major disaster on the home front. These portions are part of the author's imagination and point of views, expressed through recolections of modern times of great catastrophy. They do not, in any way, express the complete and total opinions of said author, for he is trying to portrey something original based on his experience with that which he has seen on television.

StarFox is a trademark franchise of the Nintendo Corporation of America and Japan. StarFox is copywrite 1993, 1996/7, 2001/2, 2005. StarWing is a trademark franchise of the Nintendo Corporation of Europe and Japan. Fox McCloud, Krystal of Cerinia, Slippy Toad, Falco Lombardi, Beltino Toad and all relevant characters, objects, locations and all other intellectual properties pertaining to this story are owned soley by Nintendo. Characters licsensed to Rare and Namco are property of Nintendo of Japan.

Under copywrite clause for media, these characters are used without expressed permission of Nintendo, for entertainment purposes only. This story is not to be sold or redistributed without this disclaimer. This story may be publically distributed so long as this disclaimer remains intact, as well as the author's name remains attached.

Due to the fact that the author does not maintain ownership to any part of this story, except for the plot and layout, there is nothing he can legally do if you steal this story, claim it's yours, show it to all your buddies and fib about it. I could care less, because there's nothing I can do if you did pull such a stunt. Infact, it would be quite amusing. But it's lame to steal people's stories and claim they belong to you. If you do that, there will be a smuge on your karma, and you will once more become a virgin and stay that way until you're too old – even for viagra.

This story is not the coolest story in the world. It might be on the top 20 but I do not expect everyone on the internet to follow it as gospel. It is merely the opinionated views of the author, as to what most likely happened after SF:Assault came to it's conclusion. I will now include a subliminal message in super tiny font, between the space of every word. Only readers with high-definition monitors will be able to read this subliminal message, directing you to donate money to the author in very large sums. The author has a great deal of money to give to his ex-wife and needs to eat something with more vitamins and minerals than Ramen has to offer, night after night. The more you donate, the better the author will eat. A healthy author writes better novels.

If anyone is in the expressed interest to disagree with this disclaimer, it is their right to do so at any time. This disclaimer is BS and adlibbed on the spot. Donations to author have nothing to do with the story and everything to do with the kindness of the reader's heart, in consideration that if I see one more noodle in a cup of water, I'm going to scream. Those who refuse to read this story are turd burglers. That's right, they burgle turds and this fact is really just another oppinion of the author. Those who read this story have redeemed themselves to a status of godlyness. Congratulations on your promotion. I like pizza. Send pizza or money. Pay for my internet so I can update. Yes, the author does have kids. Two now, the third is due in January. Send pizza. Or money.

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