Star Fox: Marauder

August 2, 2011

Ah, the beautiful fun of Star Fox fanfiction writing... ah, well - this is yet another story by me, Star Fox - Marauder. I'll let the story speak for itself. NOTE: this story is still unfinished. It currently stands complete up to chapter eleven.

Star Fox:

Marauder

Chapter One

Three Years Ago...

“Holodna hmoora. Eemruchnoh v'doosheh, Kak mohg znat ya shtoh tee oomriosh?”

All through the renovated house on the beaches of Dragonaria II, the Hymn to Red October played. A sniffle sounded, followed closely by the sound of bags being packed. A weapon bolt opened, ejecting an unspent round as the magazine was removed. The ejected bullet was inserted at the top of the magazine. The gun’s safety clicked on, and the gun itself was disassembled.

“Do svidonia, byehreg rodnoy; Kak nam troodnag pridstahvit shtoh eto nyeh sohn. Rodina, dom radnoy, Do svidonia Rodina.”

Seven more magazines of 7.62x59mm AP Plasma-Powered bullets were packed, followed by a pair of pistols – heavily-modified M806A2 semi-automatic pistols. Twelve magazines of 45-caliber ACP rounds followed that. The black-furred fox sniffled again.

“Ay. Avepakhod, avepakhod, nass val nahmarskaya zhdyot nyehdazh dyotsyah.

Nass zah vootmarskaya dah, ee preeboy!”

The dragon-shifter picked up the picture smeared with dried blood. The face of his wife, now dead because of an argument, could be seen. The dragon-shifter didn’t fire the weapon that killed her, but it was his fault she was dead. He drove her away, and by extension, signed her death warrant.

“Salute otsam ee nashem dedum, Zahvietum eekh fsigdah vierney. Tepierre nichtoh, nee astanoivit, Pabiedney shark, radnoy straney.”

Now the dragon-shifter is going back to the life he had before he married; the life of a marauder. He was determined to bring his wife’s killer to justice. By the blood of his forefathers, the dragon-shifter shall pursue the Nurtrrall Jsutis. It is his way. He had ignored it for so long in his happiness with his wife, but it was all torn away, brutally and quickly. How it happened so fast didn’t matter, not anymore; what mattered now was that his wife was dead, and his life in ruins. And the dragon-shifter would not rest until he found whoever inflicted this wound, however many of them there were, and kill them. From one death would come many.

Nurtrrall Jsutis – Natural Justice. A cornerstone in dragon-shifter philosophy since the founding of the Dragonarian Empire. Humans might mistakenly call it revenge, but it was much deeper than that.

“Tiy pliyvee, pliyvee bestrashna, Gordest say viernykh marieye. Revoluytziye nadezhdah sgoostk vierif sekh luydeye.”

The dragon-shifter held no fear of his faceless enemy. Fearlessness and defiance in the face of any odds was something passed down from one dragon-shifter to the next, generation to generation, from parent to child to grandchild. His pain and grief burned in his anger and rage. The cruelty inflicted upon him, the injustice done to him, the burden of his wife’s death would be nothing in the face of the dragon-shifter’s wrath.

“V'oktyabreh, v'oktyabreh, Rahpar tu ium miy nashe pabiediy. V'oktyabreh, v'oktyabreh, Novie meeir fahli numnashy dehidiy.”

For some reason, he remembered his birthday; October 22. And today was September 29.

Birthday. The only gift he’d get this year was seeing his enemy break before him. Then, and only then, could he shift his focus to rebuilding his life. But for now, his attention was narrowed on finding his enemies, wherever they hid, and systematically eliminate them.

The dragon-shifter finished packing, took his quadruple satchels out to his waiting craft, one of his own design – the JX-70 Advanced Assault Fighter. It had a chitinous, oval-shaped fuselage that looked somewhat like a shoe in the middle with two curved, blade-shaped nacelles protruding from the top and curving down parallel (with the exception of the nacelle supports) behind the the fuselage, with wings expanding out like axe blades to the sides supported by super-dense structures that connected them to the fuselage, and winglets on the edges of the wings, shaped much in the same way. The dragon-shifter climbed up top, dropped in through the hatch, and set his duffels down as he climbed in the pilot’s seat. He flipped a switch, and the hatch closed and sealed. As the room inside the JX-70 pressurized, the temperature dropped. It was as chilling as the dragon-shifter's fridge when the ship finished pressurizing. The Hymn to Red October repeated itself.

“Holodna hmoora. Eemruchnoh v'doosheh, Kak mohg znat ya shtoh tee oomriosh? Do svidonia, byehreg rodnoy, Kak nam troodnag pridstahvit shtoh eto nyeh sohn. Rodina, dom radnoy, Do svidonia Rodina.

Ay. Avepakhod, avepakhod, nass val nahmarskaya zhdyot nyehdazh dyotsyah. Nass zah vootmarskaya dah, ee preeboy! Salute otsam ee nashem dedum, Zahvietum eekh fsigdah vierney. Tepierre nichtoh, nee astanoivit, Pabiedney shark, radnoy straney. Tiy pliyvee, pliyvee bestrashna, Gordest say viernykh marieye. Revoluytziye nadezhdah sgoostk vierif sekh luydeye. V'oktyabreh, v'oktyabreh, Rahpar tu ium miy nashe pabiediy.

V'oktyabreh, v'oktyabreh, Novie meeir fahli numnashy dehidiy--”

The song abruptly stopped playing when the dragon-shifter switched his song. The hull of the JX-70 vibrated as it lifted off, heading on a new course as another song played.

“Crowded streets are cleared away, one by one; Hollow heels separate as they run. You're so cold, keep your hand in mine; Wise men wander while strong men die!”

* * *

The kingpin walked out of the bathroom from a fresh shave. His right-hand man just altered the course of a man's life by killing his wife. A man that had gotten too close to the something he shouldn’t have. One of his henchmen came in, bearing a look of worry on his face.

“Don't tell me you found something?” the kingpin asked.

“I'm not sure that Angus'... 'alteration' worked,” the henchman said.

“What do you mean?” the kingpin asked.

“The man whose wife we killed... well, Angus just found out he was a dragon-shifter. He was last seen heading here.” the henchman explained.

“Wait a minute,” the kingpin said, “What's a dragon--” his words were cut off when an earth-shaking, blood-curdling roar echoed in the sky.

FVWAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYN!!!!

A dragon, well-hidden in the nighttime sky, swooped in and breathed a stream of plasma-hot fire over several supply trucks. Then, a JX-70 Assault fighter made a run in the opposite direction, dropping several bombs that lit up the night as they exploded on the ground.

The kingpin's base of operations was being attacked. The dragon-shifter had found them. Now he would exact his revenge. And before the kingpin could leave his OP, the JX-70 suddenly turned and fired two missiles at it, obliterating the structure and the kingpin, whose hand provoked a dragon-shifter's retribution...

(Just wait, it gets better!)

September 7, 2011

Meh - need to update this story.

Chapter Two

On the Ragged Edge

Fox walked through the cubicle maze of Corneria Military Command, heading to Peppy's office.

“Fox!” Peppy exclaimed with a smile, “Get yourself in here!”

Fox laughed as he stepped into Peppy’s office. “How are you, Peppy?” Fox asked.

“As good as can be expected,” Peppy replied. “Want some coffee?”

“As a matter of fact, I think I need some,” Fox stated.

Peppy poured fresh coffee into two mugs as he asked, “So... how are you and Krystal?”

“Don’t ask,” Fox said.

“You two had another one of your arguments again, haven’t you?” Peppy surmised.

“Yeah,” Fox sighed. “Same fight, different day.”

“Well, I’m not going to re-open old wounds,” Peppy said. “On to the reason you’re here,”

“Yeah, really; why am I here?”

“Remember that op you did out on Dragonaria III?”

“Yeah,” Fox stated.

“Well, you stumbled across some files that made the Tondam Corporation look bad,”

“Say what?” Fox inquired.

“Surprise, surprise,” Peppy said. “Alliance authorities are no longer calling the accident out on B’naria II as such; now they have evidence that it was corporate sabotage.”

“Yeah, brilliant detective work,” Fox commented with a hint of sarcasm. “There was a boatload of that for the taking,” he looked out to the office in time to see a black-furred, scarred fox sit on a vacant desk near Peppy’s office. He was dressed in camouflage attire, and looked around as he waited for Peppy to finish with Fox.

“Right,” Peppy stated, immune to Fox’s sarcasm. “There are two other things you need to know; ‘A’ is your objective; to track down the leader of Tondam corporation and bring him in, if possible.”

“What’s ‘B’?” Fox inquired.

“ ‘B’ is I’m supposed to tell you you’ll be getting a new member in this.”

“Well, if he can help us, fine; who is he?” Fox queried.

“His name is Kyle D. Anderson; we got him in an exchange program. But he’s... odd. His file says he’s a dragon-shifter, and he’s cross-trained as a marine, pilot, covert operative, and he can perform medical tasks with ease – a jack of all trades, so to speak.”

“What’s so bad about him?” Fox inquired, looking back to Peppy.

“He’s... unpredictable,” Peppy explained. “His wife was killed three years ago, and he refuses to release any details. He’s known to get aggressive quick, and on one occasion, went into what the Dragonarians call ‘blood rage’ – something none on Star Fox has seen. It is rumored Kyle went into blood rage once before; when he single-handedly slaughtered a criminal kingpin and his cadre of two hundred bandits.”

“He did all that?” Fox inquired.

“Yep,” Peppy affirmed. “When you take this man, I would ask you to pass a warning on to Krystal; because she is a telepath, she should take care around him. In his words, few who tread within the shadows of his mind return alive, and fewer still return unscathed.”

Fox nodded wordlessly as he returned his attention to the black-furred fox as he slowly reached a hand toward...

... the grip of an M806A2.

Fox’s reaction was instantaneous. “GUN!” he shouted, rushing the fox before he had a chance to unholster his weapon. Curiously, he was looking around, as if looking for who shouted the alert. He looked to Fox, and before Fox could react, he grabbed Fox by the arm and threw him over the desk. With a war cry, he brandished two plasma wrist swords – dual-bladed weapons that had an upper blade that extended out for three-and-a-half feet with an integrated plasma wrist guard and a lower blade that extended just as much and extended in the opposite direction that guarded the arm up to the middle of the upper arm.

Peppy stepped in to intervene before the assassin could attack. After he was sufficiently calm, Peppy stated, “Fox, meet your new team member; Kyle.”

Fox cautiously peered over the desk at the black-furred dragon-shifting fox, glaring at him with crimson dragon eyes with his plasma wrist swords still active. He extinguished them, twirled the hilts, and clipped them to his belt.

“I assume you’ll need your own quarters?” Fox inquired.

“No need; I have everything in my ship,” Kyle explained. “Minus a few sundries.”

“I’ll be happy to have you aboard,” Fox said, regaining his composure.

“I don’t mean to cut this short, but I need to go; just send me the location of your ship and I’ll meet you there,” Kyle stated, tossing Fox a small, spherical device. “Just hit the button on that when you reach your ship. My ship will lock onto the beacon, and I’ll be there in short order.” Without another word, Kyle turned and left. As Fox and Peppy watched him go, Fox commented,

“Not very chatty,”

“Indeed,” Peppy added. “I don’t need to tell you to watch your back, Fox.”

Fox chuckled. “Hardly,” he responded before heading off.

* * *

Everyone stood gathered in the hangar bay of their new flagship – a Sangheili Gunship, the Great Fox II. The Sangheili Gunship was a refit of the Covenant Assault Carrier, but this model was made solely for the purpose of combat. The Great Fox II was armed with multiple Kadgeron plasma turrets, a multitude of anti-missile point-defense pulse lasers, many 50mm Kadgeron autocannons, and four powerful, UNSC-created, Sangheili-improved MAC guns imbedded in the ship’s nose.

The Star Fox team – considerably larger than before, now consisted of many members; Fox, Krystal, Falco, Katt, Slippy, Amanda, Fox’s old friend, Bill, Dash – Andross’ grandson – the ever-ubiquitous ROB, Fox’s old flame, Fara, and Peppy’s daughter, Lucy – were present. Also housed on the Great Fox and currently present was the members of the famous Star Wolf team – Wolf O'Donnell, Leon Pawalski, Panther Caroso, his wife, May Caroso, and their newest member, a former-Kemorainian Faedyr by the name of Razuul Tibarik. Star Wolf no longer had any desire to fight Star Fox, and had come a long way in working with Star Fox.

“When’s this new guy supposed to show?” Wolf inquired.

“I’m not sure,” Fox answered. “But he’ll show.”

“I... do hope he got the message to dock in this hangar,” Krystal spoke.

It was then that an alien craft was seen approaching the Great Fox. It was strangely-shaped, and it was hard to make out any specific details.

“Interesting,” Razuul commented.

“What?” Katt inquired.

“That’s no ordinary fighter he’s in – in fact, it’s the only one of it’s kind, seems how the designs were lost in that accident on B’naria II,” Razuul explained.

“What is it?” Panther queried.

“It’s a JX-70 Advanced Assault Fighter,” Razuul said. Looking to Fox, he added, “The new member is none other than Kyle D. Anderson, correct?”

“Yes,” Fox affirmed, “How’d you know?”

“Kyle is the one who designed the JX-70,” Razuul stated. Looking to the approaching JX-70, he added, “Too much to explain now, but suffice to say... he trusts me. More than he would anyone else.”

“How do you mean?” Leon inquired.

Razuul looked directly at him. “He and I served together in the last war.”

The JX-70 phased through the MagCon field, hung suspended, then rotated counter-clockwise until it faced the MagCon field, and touched down on the deck. Landing gear appeared from the ship’s belly just before it touched down, and as the ship powered down, a hatch near the top of the craft’s oddly-shaped fuselage between the dorsal nacelles popped, hissed, and opened. It took a moment for Kyle to appear in the opening. When he did, he regarded the team without expression. His eyes stopped on Razuul, and he smiled.

“Razuul Tibarik,” he said. “Damn good to see you again, man.” He leapt off the JX-70, and he and Razuul had a short arm-wrestle – their way of a greeting, Fox surmised.

“I suppose you would like a... tour of the ship?” Fox queried.

“No need,” Kyle and Razuul said simultaneously.

“Raz and I know the layout of a Sangheili Gunship quite well,” Kyle put in, “Just point me to the holodeck.”

“Same place as any Sangheili Gunship,” Fox said, relieved that Kyle wasn’t on edge.

“Yeah,” Falco scoffed, “As if we could move it.”

Kyle paused for a moment, processing the joke, and then laughed.

“Did you bring what I think you brought?” Razuul asked.

“Damn right, I did,” Kyle responded. He looked to Fox and the rest of the team. “Piece of advice if you decide to join the fray; keep your weapons ready and your heads down,” he said. As Kyle and Razuul walked away, Falco and Leon fell into step behind them as Krystal said,

“Such a strange fellow,”

“In what way?” Fox asked.

“Well, he seemed... receptive,” Krystal responded. “He allowed me to enter his mind.”

“I thought I told you not to do that,” Fox said.

“You did,” Krystal answered. “But... he seemed to call out to me. And before I left his mind, I thought I could hear...” Krystal’s voice trailed off.

“Hear what?” Fox asked.

“... Distant screams,” Krystal finally replied. “He... carries the blood of many deaths on his mind, brought on by the death of one he he did not directly kill.”

“Although I would like to find out who,” Fox said, “I would advise you not do that again.”

Krystal didn’t make any sort of reply, she simply walked away. As Fox stared after her before he left with Fara, he knew just what path Krystal was about to take. He knew, but he never spoke...

September 20, 2011

Time to add another chapter!

Chapter Three

Skirmish At Zarush

It was well into the standard day that Star Fox got underway. Their destination was a planet called Zarush, being sieged by the Obsidian Rebels, a faction of Terran insurrectionists. According to the distress call, they had been employed covertly by the Tondam Corporation. Kyle, eager to have a crack at the rebels and prove his fighting prowess, was put in charge of the Great Fox’s fighter assault. The Fighters – aside from Wolf, Falco, Krystal, Panther, Bill and Leon, who rode in their Arwings and Wolfens – were unmanned Covenant Seraph fighters controlled by the AI of the Great Fox – Marian. Also thrown into the mix were UNSC Longsword squadrons.

Fox, of course, was commanding the Great Fox as she sailed into battle with a battle group of two Sangheili CCS Battlecruisers, three UNSC Destroyers, and one UNSC Marathon Cruiser.

“Alert,” Katt announced from the helm, “exiting slipspace in five.”

“Fighter crews, be ready,” Fox stated.

“... two... one... slipspace exit now.”

The Great Fox exited slipspace with it’s battle group.

“Shields up and weapons ready,” Fox ordered. “Make ready to launch fighters. Kyle, are you listening?”

* * *

“Kyle, are you listening?” Fox asked over the radio.

“Indeed I am, sir,” came Kyle’s reply.

“Good luck out there, and... try to bring my colleagues back alive,” Fox requested.

“Leave it to me,” Kyle stated. “I’ll clear the path; follow me in and take as many of the fsuk’err’ss out as you can.”

The hatch behind Kyle stopped hissing and a green light indicated the room was pressurized. Kyle initiated all systems. Shields were operating perfectly, no power bleeds.

“Opening the doors in five...”

Life support was functional, no fluctuations.

“... four...”

Kadgeron disruptors read ready, the burst-fire plasma pulse cannons were functional, the dual Kadgeron beam cannons were ready, and the missile materializers were good to go.

“... three...”

Cloaking device was ready, no power failures.

“... two...”

The point-defense system was active, no tracking errors or system failures.

“... one...”

The engines were powered up and were ready. It was go-time.

“Opening hangar doors,” Fara said over the radio. As soon as she said this, the hangar doors before Kyle slid open, the MagCon field in place. The JX-70 lifted off, the landing gear retracted, and the AAF shot out of the hangar. Kyle executed a barrel roll as he and the others in the flight group turned toward the enemy.

“Is everyone ready?” he asked over the team channel.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Krystal responded.

“Good to go,” Wolf exclaimed.

“Just point me to the enemy,” Falco remarked.

“Bring ‘em on!” Leon exclaimed.

“Ready and waiting,” Bill proclaimed.

“Let’s go to work,” Panther purred.

“Okay,” Kyle said, “We have hostiles inbound – Seraph squadrons; arm your plasma charges; Longsword squadrons, arm your missiles; Every one else without missiles, pick a target and fire on my command.”

Five green lights appeared on his HUD, indicating his team was ready to fire. A screen of rebel fighters – a mixed bag of Danube, Peregrine, and longsword fighters – drew closer, but they didn’t fire. Kyle activated his missiles’ targeting system, and four target locks were acquired.

The enemy fighter screen fired, and a small swarm of missiles streaked toward them. The PDS detected these missiles, and went to work.

“Computer: Initiate Scramjet sequence,” Kyle commanded. Instantly, eight more targets were acquired as a song began to play on the radio. Guitars started playing Linkin Park’s “When They Come For Me” as missile after missile was materialized, dropped, and fired.

“Open Fire!” Kyle commanded. The Seraph squadrons fired a storm of plasma, the Longsword squadrons fired their missiles, and Kyle’s squadron fired charged shots at the enemy fighter screen. The resulting display of explosions cut the number of enemy fighters by two-thirds. The enemy fighters returned fire, and Kyle ordered, “All fighters, break formation! Star Fox, follow me in!”

Kyle executed another barrel roll as he took after one red-painted longsword fighter that was heading toward a stolen UNSC Merloit Cruiser. Kyle fired his burst-fire plasma cannons, and targeted the enemy cruiser. A flash of lightning marked the ship’s MAC gun firing at a Sangheili destroyer. Autocannons fired at the JX-70, and Kyle rolled to starboard, banked from side to side, and performed all manner of arial maneuvers as he gracefully avoided the 50mm slugs. While the rebels on this cruiser were determined, they weren’t particularly bright. Kyle spotted the bridge and accelerated for it. Arming the Kadgeron Disruptors, he targeted the bridge, and held his fire. No doubt the rapidly-advancing JX-70 startled the bridge crew, and when he was in range, he opened up on the cruiser’s bridge. The Kadgeron disruptors obliterated the bridge, and the entire ship ceased to operate. Kyle and his squadron ducked under the ship’s belly, as he led them past the cruiser, diving away from the engines before anyone could fly into the cruiser’s engine wash. Kyle dove for a rebel frigate – a UNSC Frigate with the rebel emblem painted on the side – as it took a plasma torpedo to it’s port side from a Sangheili destroyer. The plasma impacted, boiled off the frigate’s shields, and left the frigate defenseless. With the shields down, Kyle armed his missiles as Star Fox charged their shots, and when Kyle gave the order, everyone fired.

The six “Cruiser Bruiser” torpedoes Kyle fired streaked toward the frigate as the six charged shots from the others raced alongside them. The cruiser bruisers detonated where the plasma torpedo had hit, and tore chunks of hull off. The charge shots impacted seconds later, vaporizing hull and leaving six craters in the frigate’s side. By the time all the munitions had hit, the group was very close to the frigate, and opened fire on the ship with their lasers. Kyle, of course, held his fire as he armed his Kadgeron beam cannons. He rolled to starboard, dropped over the frigate’s side, and fired. Twin beams of white lashed out from the emitters, struck the port-side engine, and burned a path across the hull. The Star Fox squadron regrouped off the aft of the frigate as it took another plasma torpedo and blossomed into flame. Kyle turned his JX-70 around in time to see the Great Fox engage a pirate-retrofitted salvaged Halcyon cruiser. It fired a Kadgeron torpedo at the cruiser as the cruiser fired a small volley of archer missiles.

The Great Fox’s plasma arrays lit up and discharged a swarm of pulse lasers and vaporized nearly two-thirds of the incoming missiles. The remaining missiles impacted on the shields, making them flicker as the Kadgeron torpedo slammed into the cruiser’s spine and melted a hole in the enemy armor. Another Kadgeron torpedo discharged as one of the CCS Battlecruisers in the Star Fox battle group – the Retribution’s Glory – fired a plasma torpedo. The Halcyon cruiser was hit with the plasma torpedo first, and the shields winked out as the Kadgeron torpedo whacked the ship on it’s starboard side, gutting the ship from fore to aft.

The remaining rebel ships – a pair of damaged UNSC destroyers and a stolen Covenant frigate – retreated into slipspace.

“Alright, team!” Fox exclaimed. “That’s the way Star Fox and Star Wolf handle things! Great work!”

“Did you get what we came here for?” Bill inquired.

“Indeed we did,” Fox responded. “Marian hacked into the rebels’ comm network, and transmitted the required tactical data to UNSC FLEETCOM. They’re already at work cracking the encrypted data, and from the response they sent us, they’ll take a few days to get through.”

“In the meantime,” Fara chimed in, “We’ve been invited to a little soiree down there.”

“We’ll discuss that later,” Fox said. “All ships, return to the Great Fox. And Kyle?”

“Sir?” Kyle responded.

“Two things,” Fox stated, “First; absolutely marvelous job out there – you and the team members under your command don’t have a scratch on them; second – don’t call me ‘sir,’”

Kyle chuckled softly. “As you wish,” he said before he killed the comm. This battle was over, and Kyle was ready for the next...

* * *

September 27, 2011

Chapter Four

A Dragon-Shifterâ€™s Pain

After everyone was safely aboard the Great Fox, Fox called everyone to the bridge. Kyle was the last one through the door before it shut.

â€œGood,â€ Fox said, â€œEveryoneâ€™s here. As you all know, weâ€™ve been invited to a celebration down planetside.â€

â€œYeah,â€ Falco scoffed, â€œTell us something we donâ€™t know.â€

â€œWell, the celebrationâ€™s on the coast,â€ Fox added.

â€œGreat!â€ Katt said. â€œIâ€™ll get my swimsuit.â€

â€œAnd Iâ€™ll get mine,â€ Fara chimed in as she left with Katt.

Krystal looked to Kyle. He sat silent, twiddling his thumbs and staring at the deck as though his mind wandered elsewhere. But Krystal, unlike others, saw past Kyleâ€™s facade of peace, and she sensed something on his mind. Something was bothering him.

Acting on this, Krystal said, â€œPenny for your thoughts?â€

Kyle snapped out of his reverie and looked into Krystalâ€™s eyes. His crimson dragon eyes pierced her, and she shuddered â€“ but not visibly.

â€œDid you say something?â€ he asked.

â€œI was just asking you... if you were alright,â€ Krystal responded.

Kyle smiled, but Krystal could detect the subtle nuances of his mind. He was worried. But why? â€œIâ€™m fine,â€ he said, â€œThanks for asking.â€

â€œWhatâ€™s the matter?â€ Falco asked. â€œDonâ€™t like the coast?â€

â€œIn case he didn't tell you,â€ Fox interjected, â€œhe used to live on the coast.â€

â€œTruth be told, Iâ€™d rather stay here,â€ Kyle said. â€œAway from the... presence of others.â€

â€œYouâ€™re in the presence of others right now,â€ Bill stated. â€œWhat makes us any different from the others on Zarush?â€

Though the others didnâ€™t see it, Krystal noticed that Billâ€™s words hit something close to home. There was something on Zarush that Kyle feared. Or remembered. Something was out of place.

He got up suddenly and quickly, but his response was softer than Krystal expected.

â€œIf you insist,â€ he replied. He left with a sudden aggression, and as the doors slid shut, Razuul spoke.

â€œItâ€™s not other people themselves that he fears; itâ€™s himself.â€

â€œHe fears himself?â€ Falco said, his voice verging on a laugh.

â€œItâ€™s no laughing matter, Falco,â€ Wolf commented. â€œIâ€™ve seen that look in his eyes before â€“ on men in the field when the only part of them that was sane left.â€

â€œWolfâ€™s right,â€ Razuul added. â€œItâ€™s far more complicated than you seem to realize; Kyle never... â€˜fit inâ€™ with society. It wasnâ€™t because of his appearance or status, but because of what he is.â€

â€œWhy do you think heâ€™s so reluctant to accompany us?â€ Fox inquired.

â€œFlashbacks,â€ Krystal murmured. â€œHe wants to avoid flashbacks.â€

â€œThat is correct,â€ Razuul affirmed. He paused to look at Krystal. â€œYou surprise me, Krystal.â€

â€œIn what way?â€ Krystal asked.

â€œIn the way that Kyle seems to trust you, despite of the fact youâ€™re a telepath,â€ Razuul explained. â€œYou... seem to hold an influence over him that I did not think possible.â€

â€œWait a sec â€“ whatâ€™re you saying?â€ Fox queried.

â€œIâ€™m implying that if Kyle accompanies us, Krystal would be the key to averting a potential disaster,â€ Razuul answered. Returning his attention to Krystal, he added, â€œBut, before we head down planetside, a word of warning; take care what you do â€“ few who tread within the shadows of Kyleâ€™s mind return alive, and fewer still return unscathed.â€ As Razuul said â€œunscathed,â€ he pointed to the scar over his lip. Krystal got the implication immediately.

â€œVery well,â€ Fox stated. â€œLetâ€™s get ready.â€ As the team split up and headed to their quarters, Krystal hesitated before heading to her own. Though it was fascinating, it also struck Krystal as terrifying to know that she held such an influence over a dragon-shifter â€“ a race known for their fearlessness, defiance, and most importantly, for their unparalleled fighting prowess. While she was unsure how this could have happened, she now felt... compelled... to help this man.

* * *

It was close to dusk when Star Fox got to the location of the celebration. There was a hot tub set up nearby, but no one was in it. Kyle headed to it almost as soon as he spotted it. It wasnâ€™t until the sun had disappeared over the horizon that Krystal finally summoned the courage to talk to Kyle as he sat alone, apparently lost in thought.

â€œWould you care for some company?â€ she asked. Drums started beating in the near-distance as a band began playing Breaking Benjaminâ€™s â€œAway.â€

â€œJust donâ€™t expect a friendly conversation,â€ Kyle replied as he moved to the edge of the hot tub. He got on his knees as he leaned on the wall, with his arms on the rim.

Krystal, who was dressed in her black swimsuit, stepped into the hot tub and came up beside Kyle.

â€œCan I ask you something?â€ She inquired.

Kyle hesitated. â€œYou may ask,â€ he finally answered.

â€œWhy... were you so--â€ Krystal started.

â€œ--Reluctant to come here?â€ Kyle finished. â€œBecause there are memories here that are better left...â€ Kyle stopped midsentence. His hand began to ball up into a fist, but he released it. He was angry.

â€œI didnâ€™t mean to push,â€ Krystal said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Kyle reached up, taking Krystalâ€™s hand, and said,

â€œI... appreciate the concern.â€ With a sigh, he added, â€œBut suffice to say... I was created here. The memories I have of this place are... painful.â€

A fire flared nearby where someone had lit a bonfire. Kyleâ€™s head snapped up to look at it, as if startled. Bystanders cheered, and Krystal sensed something that wasnâ€™t there before; a power, a presence, that was growing with each passing second.

A cluster of firecrackers popped nearby, and Kyle nearly leapt out of the hot tub in surprise. He quickly exited, looking more and more disturbed, with Krystal close by.

Krystal could sense this ominous power getting more and more powerful, but didnâ€™t...

... Then it hit her. He was having a flashback, and that flashback, in turn, was triggering his powers as a Dragon-Shifter; it was triggering his blood rage.

Kyle walked right past Fox as he asked, â€œAre you alright?â€

â€œGet him!â€ a voice cried out from the dark. Three Terran thugs appeared from nowhere, brandishing buck knives.

This proved to be the catalyst that fully triggered Kyleâ€™s blood rage. He stopped dead in his tracks as an unseen fourth thug grabbed him from behind. Kyle screamed, struggling with the thug. Then, that scream morphed onto a blood-curdling war cry as he head-bashed the thug behind him, leaned to the side, grabbed the thug and hurled him to the ground. In a fluid gesture, he drew his arms back, as if to pull the air toward him, and then launched his hands forward with his palms out. The other three thugs were telekinetically sent flying. The fourth thug, now getting up from the ground, pulled a pistol and fired. Unfortunately for him, his shots went wide, and one hit Kyle in the shoulder. Enraged, Kyle telekinetically pulled the gun out of his hands and crushed it.

But it had only just started. Kyle arced his arms above his head, pulling his elbows behind his back with his chest exposed, as he bellowed an earth-rumbling roar.

FVWAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYN!!!

In a sudden move, his arms shot forward in an X formation as two massive crimson wings sprouted from his back. The ground trembled as Kyleâ€™s body shimmered, lit up, and began to morph. When the intense light disappeared, a massive, crimson-scaled dragon stood in the place Kyle had been. The bystanders, either drunk or unafraid, cheered.

FVWAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYN!!!

The four thugs that had confronted him disappeared, running for their lives from the crimson beast they provoked. Kyle spread his wings and was about to go into flight when Krystal shouted,

â€œKyle, stop!â€

The dragon froze. He looked behind him, spotted Krystal, and turned to face her. His wings slowly retracted, and he made a low, soft whining sound. His head slowly lowered to face Krystal, and his eyes looked into hers. She reached out slowly, placing a hand on the dragonâ€™s snout as she whispered,

â€œItâ€™s okay,â€

The dragon spoke in a language alien to all, but not to Krystal.

â€œYouk vitt nokk huet mekh?â€ he asked.

â€œNo, Ikh vitt nokk,â€ Krystal replied. â€œButh Ikh muss nâ€™kenn haat turbluâ€™ss youk. Ikh muss nâ€™kenn whe youk ar turbluâ€™ett likh thiss.â€

â€œHaat makkâ€™ss youk thikk--â€ The dragon started. A gun cocking caused his anger to flare, and Krystal looked away in time to see a police officer with his pistol pointed at the dragon.

â€œNo!â€ Krystal cried out. â€œDonâ€™t!â€

The dragon hissed at the officer, and then that hiss turned into a low growl.

â€œPut. The weapon. Down,â€ Krystal said.

The officer, either convinced that Krystal knew what she was doing or out of knowledge that his pistol wouldnâ€™t be enough to forestall a dragon, lowered his weapon.

Unfortunately, someone else had other ideas. A machine-pistol fired a three-round burst that drilled the dragon in the side of the head. Contrary to what the shooter had intended, the bulletâ€™s didnâ€™t kill the dragon; they glanced off his head and provoked the dragon. His head snapped around to face the shooter; a drunken thug with an XRS10 .45-caliber machine pistol.

However, rather than rush him as Krystal expected him to, the dragon took to the air. He flew a distance away, and then...

... turned around, starting to descend as he roared. Fox jerked Krystal away in time to avoid a stream of plasma-hot fire as the dragon passed over.

FVWAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYN!!!

The dragon passed over again, and another trail of fire was lit up. The bystanders, now terrified, ran in every direction to avoid the dragonâ€™s firestorm.

â€œKrystal, come on!â€ Fox called out.

â€œNo!â€ Krystal exclaimed. â€œSomeone has to stop him!â€ Before Fox could grab her, Krystal ran into the Dragonâ€™s path, leaping over the thug that provoked him that was lying on the ground, his leg with a third-degree burn. The dragon inhaled, ready to light another stream of fire...

... and passed it off as an exhale with a puff of smoke rising from his nostrils. His wings flapped, sending a gush of wind past Krystal as he landed. Krystal remained calm as the dragon stared her down. She looked him directly in the eyes and thought, Donâ€™t do it.

The dragon twitched, as though he heard what Krystal thought. He slowly lowered his head, then stopped.

Donâ€™t do this, Kyle, Krystal thought. Youâ€™re a warrior, not a murderer.

The dragon made a soft moan, lowering his head even further to face Krystal. She reached out with her hands, stroking the side of the dragonâ€™s snout. The dragon closed his eyes, gently pressing his head against this woman who was comforting him when he was hurt.

Why do you care for me so much? Kyle asked in Krystalâ€™s head.

Because that is a part of who I am, Krystal replied. Itâ€™s part of my nature to be compassionate and empathetic.

The dragon made a low purr, and Kyle stated in her head, That is... something that Iâ€™ve not had in three years. If you wish to find out what troubles me on this world, then climb on my back; weâ€™ve far to go, and little time to get there.

Krystal complied, climbing on the dragonâ€™s back.

â€œKrystal, whatâ€™re you doing?â€ Fox asked.

â€œHealing a hurt man,â€ Krystal replied. â€œIâ€™ll be back later.â€

The dragon then took to the air, and Krystal hung on tight...

September 29, 2011

I'm not quite sure what to make of this yet.

I'm seeing many telltale signs and red flags in this, mainly with the elements that you've chosen to tell your story with and your presentation of them, that leave me scratching my head and asking odd questions. Would you mind explaining your intentions behind writing this piece, in your own words? If I know what your intention is and your approach, I can avoid awkward situations where I say something and you reply "but that's not the point!"

Hope to hear back soon.

September 30, 2011

Depends on what you mean when you speak of my "intentions behind writing this piece."

September 30, 2011

I guess the main question I need to ask is: How seriously am I supposed to take it? Am I supposed to sit back and have fun with it? or am I supposed to be intrigued and engrossed in the fascinating story? Depending on which of these routes in the fork in the road this story is supposed to take, that you'd like to take as an author, it will significantly alter how I look at and analyze your work.

September 30, 2011

@Q1: How seriously are you supposed to take it? Depends on you. How seriously do you wanna take it?

@Q2: Are you supposed to sit back and enjoy it? That's what I wrote it for; the enjoyment of the audience. I like to tell (or write, in this case) a good story.

@Q3: Are you supposed to be intrigued and engrossed in the story? It largely depends on what kind of stories you like to read. I am more of a Military Sci-fi author. I also write stories like this one to ease the pain of my past. My stories (original and fan-fic alike) are based around the hell I grew up in. I incorporate elements of my past into stories like this. It is my way of forgetting what I was forced to live in. Of the scars I still carry.

Any other questions?

September 30, 2011

Here's the thing: if I take the story in a serious light, that means I let my vicious inner critic off his leash, and he's going to whip out his chainsaw and end up ripping you a new one for the various things that he sees happening in this story. When I get into that mode, I only do so as a means to help the writer, always offering tips, pointers, and advise along with the in-depth critical analysis. I have bumped heads with many, many, many fanfic writers who are turned off by that kind of intense scrutiny, and I don't want to put you under the gun that way if you're not prepared to get beat upside the head a little.

October 5, 2011

Well, if that's what's gonna happen, then I don't want to hear it. Fanfictions I write to enjoy. I don't mean for others to take them seriously. I wish to avoid any conflicts whatsoever.

Now, if that's all you want to hear from me, can I please move on with the rest of the story?

October 5, 2011

Hey no worries, that's why I gave you fair warning and options.

I know the kind of writer who just does this for funsies, and I'm not going to be the guy who crashes the party and rains on the parade, otherwise I turn into this: :rant:

October 6, 2011

Vatn wenn. Apologies if I seemed a bit... gruff. Anyway, on wit da story. This next chapter was emotionally hard for me to write. I nearly cried. Then again, I was listening to Breaking Benjamin's "Dear Agony" as I wrote it.

Chapter Five

Secrets of a Dragon-Shifter

Krystal fell asleep in mid-flight to wherever the crimson-scaled dragon – Kyle – was taking her. What woke her was the sudden jerk when the dragon landed. She grumbled, sat up and opener her eyes. The sky was clear, and the moon lit up the surrounding landscape. There wasn’t much to see; the region looked like it was slowly recovering from a fire long ago.

“Where are we?” Krystal asked.

“Look for yourself,” Kyle stated. Krystal dismounted and looked at what Kyle gazed at. There was a massive building before her...

... or rather, what had been a massive building.

“What is this place?” Krystal inquired. She looked back at Kyle. “Why are we here?”

The dragon started toward the ruins. “This is where I was created,” he answered. “This is where my life started.”

“But what is this place?” Krystal repeated her query. In response, Kyle kicked aside a name board. Krystal approached it and was shocked at what it read:

“Tondam Corporation Genetic Labs”

“You were--” Krystal started.

“Yes,” Kyle affirmed. “I was a Tondam Corporation lab rat. An experiment in biological weaponry and state-of-the-art genetic engineering.” He didn’t look at Krystal, but she saw the tear fall from his eye. “To them, I was just a test subject.” He morphed into his original form, his shirt still missing, and Krystal briefly saw the scars on his back – ones from lashes and lacerations – before they disappeared beneath his fur. “I was a commodity to them;” he added, his voice shaking. “An exploitable resource and a disposable asset.” He sniffled, remembering all the horrors he had experienced. In a brief fit of anger and grief, he rampaged around, kicking half-burnt desks over and shattering broken lab flasks on scorched walls. When Krystal stopped him, he was in tears.

“What happened to this lab?” Krystal asked calmly.

“What else?” Kyle sobbed, putting his back to the wall. He sat down and added with a grief-laden voice, “I burned this damned place down more than twenty years ago.”

“And those that... did all this to you?” Krystal inquired.

“They... never made it out,” Kyle answered. He sniffled, then put in, “The fact that no one knew this place was here turned into their demise. But I didn’t burn just the security personnel; but the researchers... and the Tondam Corporation bastards supervising this project.” He looked into Krystal’s eyes, his eyes watery and filled with anger and rage. “They used me like an animal, and I slaughtered them like animals!” Kyle closed his eyes, letting more tears fall, sobbing as Krystal knelt down before him. “Twenty years...” he whispered. “Twenty years,” he repeated, looking to Krystal, “And I haven’t changed at all. And that’s why she died.”

“Who?” Krystal asked softly.

“My wife,” Kyle responded. “I didn’t kill her, but she died because of me. Because I am what I am.”

“Don’t be ashamed of what you are, Kyle,” Krystal said soothingly.

“You... wanted to know why this world troubles me,” Kyle said. His crimson dragon eyes pierced Krystal as he sobbed, “This world troubles me because it, like so many others, has been touched by me. This world, like so many others that felt my wrath, remind me that, no matter where I go, I will always be feared and misunderstood by those around me. I will always carry the blood of death on my hands because no one can help me, and no one can help me because they don’t understand me.” Kyle hung his head, closed his eyes, and mumbled, “And that which one doesn’t understand, one fears; and what one fears, one destroys.”

Krystal paused, staring at this man. When he came to Star Fox, he was an experienced soldier with a head for combat and tactics. As she looked at him now, she saw not a battle-hardened warrior, shaped and perfected by years of war and battle, but a man, a child, sick and broken over the many cruel injustices done upon him, tormented and haunted over the many lives he had taken in the name of retribution.

“Look at me, Kyle,” she said. Kyle’s head lifted slowly to face her, and she asked, “Do I look afraid to you?” Kyle simply stared at her before he replied,

“No,” and dropped his head. “And that’s what scares me; you, unlike the others, can see through the mask I have worn for more than twenty years. You can see the pain that hurts me, where the others can’t see past my scowl. You see more than they do, and therefore know me better than any of the others ever will.”

“Why does that scare you?”

“Because such knowledge can be used against me,” Kyle sobbed. “It’s the first rule of engagement; know your enemy.”

“Kyle,” Krystal said softly as she took Kyle’s hand, “You’re not our enemy, any more than we are yours.”

“Be that as it may,” Kyle growled, “I still have to do what I must to survive.”

“You will survive,” Krystal assured him. “We’re all soldiers, like you – we’ve walked your path before.”

“No,” Kyle whispered. “You’ve not been where I’ve been. You’ve not walked the paths I walked in exile; you’ve not seen the fires that raged on B’naria II when everything died around me.” In a whispering tone, he added, “You’ve not seen the war I still wage, the battles I still fight.”

Krystal was utterly shocked at the extent of what she just heard. She knew Fox had said prior to Kyle’s arrival that Tondam Corporation had caused the accident on B’naria II, and that there were no known survivors. Now, seeing the truth in this man’s mind, she realized a horrifying truth;

Kyle was the only survivor to a disastrous corporate sabotage that massacred a colony of thousands and rendered a planet almost lifeless. She realized that when Fox uncovered the information files on Dragonaria III, he stumbled upon Kyle’s private war with a corporation that had created him as a living weapon, destroyed his home, and scarred him in every imaginable way. Krystal then saw not only a broken warrior, but a man, drenched in blood from wounds that bleed still. Kyle sighed, trying to keep his tears in. A clatter of rubble caused Krystal to turn and see Fox and Fara entering the burnt facility. Fox simply smiled and nodded, tears welling up as the others arrived.

Krystal returned her attention to Kyle as she said, “Kyle, if you need a shoulder to cry on, I’m right here.”

Krystal had no more than said this when a terrible cry of anguish tore from Kyle’s lips. Krystal shushed him as he cried out to the sky,

“God, what have I become?!”

Krystal cradled him as he let loose his cries of agony and pain. These terrible cries testified to the horror and the cruelty that had been imposed on an innocent mind that had been created for the sole purpose of death and destruction.

“What have I become?” Kyle repeated. “Who am I? Who can I trust?”

“You can trust me,” Krystal whispered.

“How can I?” Kyle sobbed. “I’ve killed so many people, I can’t tell the difference between friend and foe! I can hear the screams of so many! Allies, friends, strangers – all of them! All of them, screaming in my mind, and I can’t get it out of my head!”

Krystal shushed Kyle as he buried his face in her shoulder. Krystal looked to Fox and the others and saw that he, like everyone else, was unconsciously crying. Krystal discovered that she, too, cried for a broken man, hurt and tormented for so many years because no one had the courage to hear his cries of pain.

“K-Krystal?” Kyle stammered.

“Yes?” Krystal responded.

“I’m sorry--” Kyle whispered.

“Shh,” Krystal shushed him, “You’ve nothing to apologize for. Let’s get you out of here.”

Krystal slowly lifted Kyle onto his feet, but clung to him regardless. They boarded a waiting transport as Fox powered it up, and sat down in an isolated spot. The others said nothing as Krystal comforted a hurting man as he cried out what was left of his pain and suffering.

It wasn’t until they hit orbit, heading to the Great Fox that it became apparent that Krystal had lulled him to sleep on her shoulder. The transport entered a hangar, and as everyone headed to the bridge, no one stood in Krystal’s way as she carried Kyle toward her quarters. She wandered down the corridors, found her room, and entered. She set Kyle down on her bed, and kissed him on the head. “Sleep well, dragon-shifter,” she whispered. She paused before leaving, then grabbed a spare blanket from nearby and gently pulled it over him. She left, headed into the mess hall, grabbed a tray of food, and ate. As she ate, Fox entered the mess, spotted Krystal, and sat down next to her.

“Say what you will,” he said, “But I think there’s more to Kyle than everyone else sees, Raz included.”

“There’s a lot more to him than you see, Fox,” Krystal responded. “Raz was right; few who tread within the shadows of Kyle’s mind return alive, and fewer still return unscathed.”

“You know what troubles him?” Fox asked.

“I doubt Raz knows what really goes on inside Kyle’s head,” Krystal affirmed. She looked to Fox and added, “Kyle was a Tondam Corporation genetic experiment that worked far better than they expected; he burnt down the lab he was created in more than twenty years ago.”

“Ouch,” Fox remarked. “You’d think that Tondam would see it coming.”

“That’s not the only thing,” Krystal chimed. “Remember what happened at B’naria II?”

“Yeah – evidence suggests that the accident there was the result of Tondam Corporation’s sabotage,” Fox answered. “Why?”

“Because I now strongly believe that Kyle is the only survivor to that massacre,” Krystal said. “He has nothing. No one. No home, no family. No friends, allies, or anyone who listens. And no one seems to care because they’re too busy running from him.”

“Yeah, we heard it all – how he was there. How the fires on B’naria II raged while everything died around him,” Fox stated. “He knows things that scorch his memories.”

“His past has done more than scorch his mind;” Krystal said. “His past has left wounds that have yet to stop bleeding.”

“What do you see of him now?” Fox asked. “Now that you have seen what pains him, I mean. What do you see now, compared to when we met him?”

“I see a man,” Krystal answered, “drenched in the blood of others, and drowning in his own as he bleeds from wounds that no doctor or psychiatrist can mend.”

“Do you think you can mend his wounds?” Fox asked.

“No,” Krystal admitted. “I don’t think I can.” She looked up at Fox. “I know I can. I understand his pain, his loss, because I, myself, have felt the same way.”

Fox chuckled. “If you love him so much,” he said, “Why didn’t you tell him?”

“It was you that said that such love does not happen so quickly,” Krystal responded.

Fox chuckled again. “There are... rare occasions when such love happens as fast, and turns into a long, healthy relationship. The most effective of such relationships often arise from mutual pains and necessities.”

Krystal smiled. “Interesting to hear you say that,” She commented.

“I didn’t,” Fox admitted. “My father did. That’s how he met my mother.”

Krystal sighed. “What if... he rejects me?”

Fox smiled. “He won’t,” he assured her. “He can’t. He needs you far more than he is willing to admit. And because you know him so well, because you and he are so much alike, he knows he’d be an idiot to turn you away – you’re the one he’s been searching for; one who hurts like he does – one who heard his cries of pain and answered his call.”

Krystal and Fox were silent after that. They didn’t speak it, but something very important had been resolved.

October 10, 2011

this is the first and best fanfiction i ever read cried on the last chapter. poor kyle.

October 10, 2011

Glad ya like it. I nearly cried just writing that chapter. But I was listening to "Dear Agony" while I wrote it. Anyway...

Chapter Six

To Love a Dragon

Krystal was ready. She thought it, and Fox confirmed it. She was in love. How it happened so quickly didn’t matter. What mattered was that she had finally found someone who was like her in every imaginable way – apart from their racial differences. Though she was Cerinian and he was a dragon-shifter, they were a perfect match. All that was left to do was to show him how she felt. Everything else had been done.

But finding Kyle was a bit difficult. When Krystal returned to her quarters, Kyle wasn’t there. The bed looked as though it had been disturbed recently, and the blanket Krystal put over Kyle was missing. Krystal looked all over the ship before she found him in the hangar bay where his JX-70 was stored. He was sitting atop his craft, staring out at the blackness of slipspace. The MagCon field was in place, but the doors were open.

“See something out there?” Krystal asked as she sat down behind him.

“No,” Kyle admitted, “I was just... thinking.”

“Thinking of what?” Krystal asked.

“Did you think you and Fox were alone in the mess hall?” Kyle asked. Though he wasn’t facing her, Krystal could see him smile, and for the first time since she met him, it was a smile that wasn’t plagued by fear or apprehension.

“How were you able to get in there without opening the door?” Krystal chuckled.

“I didn’t, since you asked,” Kyle said. He looked back at her over his shoulder and added, “I can do many things, even in my sleep.”

“So you know about... how I feel?” Krystal asked.

“I know that you love me,” Kyle affirmed, “And that you’re afraid to tell me. Not just because you fear my rejection, but because I am a dragon-shifter – something you didn’t mention to Fox.”

“You see a lot,” Krystal remarked.

Kyle chuckled. “Few are the thoughts that can hide in the shadows of your mind,” he said. Krystal moved over beside him as he said, “In all of your thoughts and feelings for me, and your quest to know me, you still haven’t asked me one question.” He looked to Krystal.

“Why did you rebel against Tondam?” She surmised. “I figured you would tell me when you were ready.”

Kyle nodded and looked back out to space. “There are many in the Tondam Corporation – including their leader – that believe they should attack Lylat, and everywhere else, first... settle everything in one moment,” Kyle elaborated. “I was created for such a purpose. And I rebelled against those that created me because I believe that fate favors those who can turn away from such power. I also believe that the same goes double for those who use such power against those who would abuse it.”

Krystal nodded in understanding. “And what of us?” Krystal asked. “Of you and I?”

“Mm,” Kyle mumbled. “To love a dragon is one thing. Yet, to fall in love with one drenched in his own blood is quite another.” Kyle looked back at Krystal. But there was... something that burned in his eyes. Not anger, or grief, or rage and hate. It was something much deeper. “Yet you did it. You chose to care for me, to pull a dragon-shifter out of the pool of blood he was drowning in. You risked your life to save me, and I thank you.”

“I did it because I love you,” Krystal said, “because I, myself, once felt your pain.”

“Yes, you did,” Kyle admitted. “You lost everything when your home world burned.”

Krystal nodded. “It would seem you know as much of me as I do of you,” she chuckled.

“It was foretold to me by the Dragonarian council of seers that I would meet a woman – you – that would be my other half,” Kyle said. “The one who could read a closed book like me, who could know what I am and remain unafraid. A woman who could--” Kyle was silenced when Krystal suddenly grabbed Kyle’s muzzle.

“Anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?” she asked. Kyle and Krystal chuckled together, and as she looked into Kyle’s crimson dragon eyes, she finally understood what burned; his love – a flame that burned bright and eternal. She didn’t look to her right to see that Kyle was extending a crimson wing around her back as she closed her eyes, brought her lips to his, and kissed him. Kyle gestured, and music began to play as he wrapped his arms around his newfound love;

“Holodna hmoora. Eemruchnoh v'doosheh, Kak mohg znat ya shtoh tee oomriosh? Do svidonia, byehreg rodnoy, Kak nam troodnag pridstahvit shtoh eto nyeh sohn. Rodina, dom radnoy, Do svidonia Rodina.

Ay. Avepakhod, avepakhod, nass val nahmarskaya zhdyot nyehdazh dyotsyah. Nass zah vootmarskaya dah, ee preeboy! Salute otsam ee nashem dedum, Zahvietum eekh fsigdah vierney. Tepierre nichtoh, nee astanoivit, Pabiedney shark, radnoy straney. Tiy pliyvee, pliyvee bestrashna, Gordest say viernykh marieye. Revoluytziye nadezhdah sgoostk vierif sekh luydeye. V'oktyabreh, v'oktyabreh, Rahpar tu ium miy nashe pabiediy.

V'oktyabreh, v'oktyabreh, Novie meeir fahli numnashy dehidiy.”

The two slow-danced down on the hangar deck, and didn’t bother to cast a glance at the others coming to check on Krystal. They danced together to the Hymn to Red October, signaling to the team – and eventually, the galaxy – that they lived, breathed, and bled as one.

“When the dust settles from what’s transpired here, there’ll be hell to pay with Tondam,” Kyle warned his lover.

“Not to worry, darling,” Krystal whispered. “I have you. In the end, you’re all I really need.”

Kyle smiled as he and Krystal danced the time away...

* * *

As Kyle and Krystal danced, Fox leaned closer to Razuul.

“Talk to me, Raz,” he said. “What do you think of this?”

“I think this is for the best,” Razuul replied. “Their love grows around a basis of understanding. They know each other’s pain. They know that the other is the key to their heart.” Razuul looked to Fox. “They’ve been searching for each other for so long, and now that they’ve found each other, they aren’t going back.”

“That all sounds very nice,” Panther said, “But what does it mean? What do we do?”

“Leave them to their love;” Razuul said as he turned to walk away. “They deserve that much.”

As everyone walked away, Fox remained. He smiled as Fara led him away, and whispered, “Best of luck, dragon shifter.”

I’m not going anywhere, Kyle said in Fox’s head. As he left Krystal and Fox alone, Fox knew that right then, that Kyle was happy. For once in three years, Kyle had found someone he loved. Now, Kyle was someplace he hadn’t been in years – home.

* * *

Twenty-three years, and tonight was the first time Kyle could sleep without being haunted by nightmares of his past. For the first time in more than twenty years, he was at peace. It showed on his face as he slept in Krystal’s bed, with his lover beside him, her arms wrapped around him.

So, it seemed odd to Kyle that, at 3:30 AM, he awoke, feeling like he’d come out of a long dream. He gently removed Krystal’s arms from his chest and slowly sat up. He ran a hand through the fur between his ears, popped his neck, and was about to get out of bed when Krystal’s arm suddenly lashed out and grabbed his wrist.

“Going somewhere?” she asked groggily. Kyle chuckled.

“How can I?” he answered. “I take one step and you hear me.”

Krystal laughed lightly. “Did you have a nightmare?” she inquired.

“No, oddly enough,” Kyle responded. “Truthfully, I don’t know what woke me.” Chuckling and nuzzling Krystal’s nose, he added, “First time in twenty-three years I’ve been able to sleep without being... haunted... and now I can’t sleep for more than a few hours.”

“Perhaps you’ve become accustomed to getting by with so little sleep,” Krystal said. “It’s nothing to worry about, dear.” Without another word, she kissed her lover, and then whispered, “Come back to bed.”

For the first time in his life, Kyle didn’t resist. He laid back down next to his newfound love, kissed her gently, and was asleep again twenty seconds later.

October 10, 2011

Glad you like it. I nearly cried writing that chapter. But, then again, I was listening to Breaking Benjamin's "Dear Agony" as I wrote it. Anyway...