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Chapter 6: A Coming Together of Minds

They were all gathered for dinner in the galley. The mood though was quite changed from earlier. Everyone was quiet, and Fox could plainly see the many furtive glances of concern directed towards him.

The vulpine, deciding to settle the matter, raised a hand. "Okay everyone. It's obvious you are all worried about me." He looked towards his fiancée and went on. "Krystal told me what happened, and I do remember my nightmare now, but only vaguely because it was supplanted by the wonderful dream she replaced it with when she entered my mind."

He looked down at his half-eaten meal. "As many of you now know, I had been suffering from recurring nightmares for some time; 'had' being the operative word." He looked up and took Krystal's hands in his. "Thanks to this beautiful, wonderful vixen, my nightmares are a good deal less frequent, and nonexistent when we sleep together with her inside my dreams."

Slippy asked. "What did you dream about when Krystal was there?"

Fox looked bashfully down at his hands, finding himself unable to express the blissful experience he had until he awoke to that wonderful kiss. His loving vixen reached up and placed a hand against the side of his head. He looked up and gazed into her eyes with a beatific smile. "I dreamt that I was in the arms of this beautiful, blue-furred, angelic vixen. Her wings encircled me in a cocoon of lustrous white feathers. She then kissed me and I felt her love fill me to the depths of my soul."

Amanda, Slippy, Katt, Fara, Bill, and Fay all looked at Krystal in wonder. Falco and Peppy shook their heads in amazement. The avian smiled to the vixen. "Yeah, I guess you weren't kidding about making him the happiest tod in all of Lylat."

Miyu and Lucy had not yet caught on to the meaning of the dream. "Are you really an angel, Krystal?" Lucy asked.

"In dreams, I can be whatever I can imagine." Krystal said quietly in a tender voice. "And what Fox needs the most is for me to be his angel."

Lucy nodded, finally catching on. "Oh, I get it. You imagined yourself as an angel and just sprouted wings in your dream."

Peppy nodded sagely. "I have to say that your influence shows, Krystal. Fox was looking really haggard before, but now, I've never seen him happier or more at ease with himself."

Miyu gushed. "You two look like you can't wait to get married. I can't get over the fact that Fox, Falco, and Slippy all agreed to wear loincloths."

Falco sighed, closing his eyes. Slippy groaned, blushing so brightly his green skin had a reddish hue. But to everyone's surprise, Fox giggled, sounding outright giddy.

Krystal looked inquisitively to her fiancé. "You are not even embarrassed about this anymore."

"I am so hopelessly in love with you. I find myself looking forward to wearing my loincloth, and being seen by everyone like that. I think it's because I know it will mean we'll finally be married. I feel so incredibly happy, I can't keep my joy bottled in anymore."

With eyes getting moist with happiness, Krystal leaned forward and gave Fox a warm, tender kiss right in front of their friends, which he immediately reciprocated, deepening the kiss, briefly loosing himself in the tender moment.

"Oh come on!" Falco groaned. "Wait until the honeymoon before getting all sappy!"

Miyu waved the falcon off. "Hush you. Let them kiss if they want." She rested her chin in her hands, with her elbows on the table and gazed dreamily at the two foxes just as they broke off the kiss. "Oh please. Do go on."

Fox and Krystal giggled together and smiled back at their friends.

Fara looked slyly to her two vulpine friends. "Krystal, from the way you were looking at Fox, I'm guessing that you read something in his mind that must have really pushed your buttons for you to kiss him like that right in front of us."

The telepathic vixen nodded back to the fennec. "He's hopelessly in love with me."

Falco cawed. "Blue, I don't need to be a telepath to see that's the case with lover boy there."

"True, but it's not just that. When Fox first agreed to wear a loincloth at our wedding, he did so despite the fact that he was a bit embarrassed by the idea of being in front of you like that. He is no longer embarrassed at all and is looking forward to all of you seeing him in his loincloth."

Katt purred to her boyfriend. "See Falco. If Fox is not embarrassed, you shouldn't be either. I can't wait to see you in your loincloth."

The avian sighed. "I don't mind you seeing me like that. I just don't think I'll ever live it down to be seen like that by everyone."

Amanda ran a hand against Slippy's cheek. "I think it's sweet of you and Slippy to do that for Fox and stand by him attired like that to honor the traditions of Krystal's people."

Fara asked. "So why the loincloths, Krystal.

Krystal explained, "Our people didn't have any nudity taboos like your people do. So we wore very little clothing, especially at weddings. The bride wore a bra with the symbols of motherhood and nurturing, and both the bride and groom wore a white loincloths with the words 'One Heart,' 'One Mind,' and 'One Soul' written in Cerinian script." The pattern of the writing and trim on Fox's loincloth will also be the reverse of mine, symbolizing the he's my equal and opposite."

Lucy asked. "And the bride would then join the groom's family?"

Krystal shook her head. "It was the other way around actually. Ours was a matriarchal society. It was the groom who joined the bride's clan."

Bill laughed. "Somehow, I don't think Fox minds."

Fay shook her head in agreement with her boyfriend. "No, I doubt he does. He seems quite happy that she has him around her finger, and with her telepathic powers, she could make him do anything."

"DON'T SAY THAT!"

Everyone jumped at Krystal's sudden outburst.

"Sorry about that...." The vixen took a deep breath and addressed her canine friend. "Fay, while Fox willingly lets me into his head, his mind is very much his own. You have to understand that what you suggested is highly taboo for a Cerinian." She paused and gathered her thoughts, giving a melancholy sigh. "Cerinia was a beautiful, lush world and we were a peaceful, happy people, but like any world, it was not perfect. Crime was very low, of course, given that we were all telepaths, but there were a few bad ones among us. No society is perfect. There were even on occasion murders, but such a crime can be forgiven once the perpetrator shows heartfelt remorse, pays for his or her crime, and makes amends. But there was no higher crime on my world than mind rape. To force oneself into a victim's mind, to force them to do things against their will, was considered the most heinous of crimes and unforgivable. The punishment was to have the perpetrator's telepathic powers striped from his or her mind and then be exiled for life, forever cut off from all telepathic interaction with our society."

"Wow. That is deep." Fay replied, in awe of her friend's discourse on her people's telepathic ethics.

"We were taught from a young age how to use our powers and how to not use them. It was drilled into us that the mind is sacrosanct and can never be violated. This I will also teach our children, who will most likely be telepathic as well."

Peppy nodded. "And I have no doubt you'll see to Fox's mental wellbeing. Seeing how much you care for him, I can say with complete certainty that his mind is safe under the influence of your powers."

Fox frowned in confusion. "Shouldn't I take on your family name instead of you becoming Krystal McCloud?...Come to think of it, I don't recall you ever mentioning your family name."

"That's because we didn't use family names. The closest equivalent was to say 'son of' or 'daughter of' and our parents' names and in written correspondence, we'd also draw out the symbol of our clan right after our name." She pointed to her thigh and the tattoo that her friends knew was hidden under her pants. Krystal then sighed and continued, smiling fondly to her fiancé. "But I'm now a citizen of Corneria, and will happily join the clan McCloud and follow that tradition...Besides, I do agree with you that 'Krystal McCloud' has a nice ring to it."

Fara then looked towards Falco and Slippy. "Krystal, are the rest of us also supposed to wear loincloths?"

Fox replied, "You are free to do so, if you wish, but it is not required. Slippy and Falco are our closest friends and as former team members of Star Fox, fought by our sides."

Peppy frowned. "I'd think you'd consider me a very close friend, given that I raised and mentored you into the fine leader you became, and also fought at your side as a member of Star Fox," he said to Fox. He then turned to Krystal and asked, "Shouldn't I also wear a loincloth?"

Fox's eyes widened and he looked worriedly towards his fiancée. "Oh crap! This joke was to be on Slippy and Falco, not Peppy! I can't ask him to do that just to maintain the prank."

Krystal smiled back reassuringly. "Leave that to me." She then turned to the aged hare. "Fox couldn't bring himself to ask that of you because he considers you his mentor and foster father."

"Well, it's fine. I'm perfectly willing to wear a loincloth and join Slippy and Falco at your side and honor the traditions of your people, Krystal."

"Please, Peppy. You don't have to do that." Fox tried to intercede, but was cut off.

"Nonsense!" the old lagomorph abruptly waved them off. "When I paid Samantha a visit, she showed me the design for Falco's and Slippy's loincloth and told me all about what it symbolized. So I had her make one for me too."

Falco opened his beak but Peppy wouldn't let him get a word in. "End of discussion."

The bird snapped his beak shut and shrugged. Fox averted his eyes under the hare's determined gaze and rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay Pappy....Happy, uhh...to have you stand by our side."

*****

Fox and Krystal walked hand-in-hand down the corridor to their quarters on the crew deck. Just as they arrived at the door to their quarters, Falco and Katt arrived to their own quarters just opposite them.

The tod smiled to his avian and feline friends. "Good night, you two."

Falco nodded back. "Good night as well...I'd wish you sweet dreams, but I somehow don't think I need to since Krystal will have you covered there."

"Thanks..." Fox didn't know what else to say and didn't have the time to think of anything since his vixen gently drew him by the collar of his shirt into their room.

"Come on, Foxy. Off to dreamland."

He happily let himself be drawn into their quarters

Once the door was shut, Krystal first took a shower and changed into her modest pajamas. Then while Fox took his turn in their quarter's private bathroom, his telepathic vixen knelt down on her mat in the corner of their room and went through her nightly meditation exercise. Fox closed his eyes and sighed under the soothing waters cascading down through his fur. While in this relaxed state, it dawned on him that he could sense that Krystal was meditating. He did not understand how he was aware of this, but did his best to let his mind go blank, not wanting to disturb her with random thoughts from him. He quickly finished his shower, dried off his fur, and slipped into a fresh pair of pajamas.

Stepping out into their room, Fox confirmed that his fiancée was still meditating. He quietly made his way to their bed and crawled under the sheet and comforter, waiting for her to finish. He eyed his and her mementoes sharing space on the dresser. He then gazed at the open closet, seeing his flight suit and combat fatigues hanging next to her flight suit. It was finally sinking in. This was their quarters. He gazed again at her blue and purple flight suit. Without his meaning to, his mind drifted to how he loved seeing her in the skin-tight, form-fitting outfit that hugged and accentuated her curves. He also loved how the boots looked on her. Suddenly, he remembered that she was still meditating and frantically tried to clear his thoughts, hoping he was not disturbing her.

"You're not, Fox."

"I know you are more sensitive to my mind now, and didn't want to disturb you."

"Your random thoughts are not a problem, and I'm done meditating."

He looked towards her just as she crawled into bed and snuggled up against him, gently surging into his mind, filling his entire being with her telepathic presence. Gazing into her eyes and feeling her deeply in his mind, it all came back to him, the heart-breaking misery he felt when he was without her, the recurring nightmares that tormented him, the depthless love he felt for her. He became tearful, realizing how blessed he was to have her love, to have her with him now to protect him from his nightmares.

Krystal was almost overwhelmed by the strength and depth of his emotions and was moved to tears by his thoughts. Their muzzles melded together into a deep kiss, driven not by passion or sexual desire, but by a deep mutual adoration and wish to express that love for one another. Tod and vixen experienced a profound emotional moment, tears flooding their eyes and coursing down their cheeks to mix while they continued keeping their muzzles locked together. With boundless love welling up from their souls, neither wanted it to end, and so they continued kissing and holding each other even more tightly until emotional exhaustion claimed both of them and they drifted off to sleep.

*****

Fox snuggled with his vixen under a shade tree on a sandy beach, enjoying a wonderful make-out session with her. Krystal continued kissing her vulpine languidly, nibbling his lips playfully. As usual, Fox was unaware that he was dreaming, but the vixen was unconcerned. All that mattered to her was that she was able to keep her tod in this wonderful dream and make it impossible for him to have nightmares.

Krystal enjoyed lavishing her love on Fox so much, and wanting to bring him to new heights of bliss, willed a coarse-bristle brush into existence, which she took and proceeded to run through the fur on his back, eliciting a happy murr from him. Seeing and hearing him make happy sounds, she deepened her kiss and channeled her love for him into his mind.

Fox whimpered into the kiss. He absolutely adored his vixen and loved it when she projected her love into him. But in the back of his subconscious mind was the memory of the deep love he felt for her while they kissed before falling asleep, and it now produced in him an overwhelming desire to express that love. Up until now, his vixen was used to him becoming a mental puddle under her telepathic powers. So she was caught completely by surprise when her tod surged forward, flipping her onto her back, and mashed his muzzle against hers in a passionate kiss that left her breathless. Fox did not stop there and further surprised his vixen by taking the brush, rolling her onto her stomach, and setting about brushing her fur down her back.

Krystal found herself being showered with kisses with each brush stroke. Fox started behind her neck and shoulders and slowly worked his way down her back. Even though he was not telepathic and could not project emotions into her like she could into him, she nevertheless could sense in her tod the deep love he was putting into this wonderful expression of his affection for her. When he reached her lower back, he worshiped her shapely rump, kissing each side while giving it his undivided attention with the brush, and continued down the back of her legs. Their dreams went on in this way through the night, with Krystal finding herself much to her surprise on the receiving end of a blissful experience.

*****

In the morning, Fox woke up feeling totally refreshed and rested. Krystal was still asleep next to him, a contented smile gracing her countenance while she nuzzled into his chest. To his surprise, he was getting intermittent glimpses of her dream.

He was at a loss as to how this was possible. In the last two weeks since they had been back together and had grown progressively closer, Fox experienced more telepathically with each passing day, especially in the last few days. Thinking back, it had started with their dinner at Anthony's where he experienced the taste and smell of smoke fish as it sat in her mouth, as if he was eating it. Then there was what seemed like the heightened awareness he was feeling of her presence, like at the apartment complex parking lot just the day before. At times, it now almost felt like he could read her mind and sense her emotions.

He smiled fondly at her and kissed her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open and she kissed him languidly on the lips, to which he murred and sighed, feeling her welcoming presence flow into his mind. "Good morning, Foxy."

_ "Good morning to you too, Krys."_ Fox wrapped his arms about her. "That was a wonderful dream we had."

_ "Oh Spirits yes. You were wonderful. I couldn't believe it when you actually took control, especially given that you were not aware you were dreaming. I loved how you showered me with love like that."_

_ "I remember that dream so clearly...because of you?"_

_ "Yes. I've been using my powers to help you remember them."_

_ "I'm glad, and you've been so good to me, that I wanted to return that love."_ Fox then kissed her hungrily, feeling his deep love for his vixen well up in his heart. "Oh Krystal. I so much want to project my love into you like you do to me." With all his will, he tried to imagine his love for her flowing into her mind.

Krystal moaned back into her vulpine's passionate kiss, returning it with equal fervor. Even though he didn't have the telepathic powers to actually channel his love into her mind, she was deeply touched to sense how much Fox desperately wanted her to feel his love for her. She focused her empathy on her fiancé and basked in the love she was sensing from his mind. While they continued expressing their adoration for each other, she sensed his desire begin to turn to despair. She broke off the kiss and pulled him down onto her, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Oh Fox. I know how much you want to project your love into my mind, but I'm afraid you'll not be able to like I can."

_ _ Krystal was taken aback by the burst of strong sadness, followed by a brief sob, coming from her fiancé. She rolled them over until they were on their sides and placed a hand on each side of his face, gazing into his tearful green eyes. "Please don't cry. I love you so much that it hurts to see you so sad....Fox, you need to accept that in any telepathic interactions between us like this, you'll always be taking a passive role. It is by my powers that we can think to each other like this, and share dreams and feel each other's love."

_ "Feel each other's love? But you just said that it's not possible for me to project my love into your mind."_

_ "That may be true, but our minds are now so attuned to each other that even when we are separated by several decks, I can still read your thoughts and emotions with only a bit of mental focus. So can you imagine how much more strongly I'm sensing your love for me when we are in physical contact like this? When you kissed me, that love flared up so strongly it was overwhelming, and I loved feeling that emotion from you. So in its own way, it was almost as good as having your love projected into my mind._

_` _ The sadness Fox felt at his lack of telepathic powers in an instant vanished and was replaced by boundless joy, which only intensified when he saw his vixen gasp and sigh happily.

"Oh yes! I love feeling such wonderful emotions from you. Your part in our telepathic relationship may be a passive one, but it shouldn't prevent you from making use of my powers to do such wonderful things for me like this. The fact that you took control of our shared dream last night is proof of what you can still do even without telepathy."

_ "I hope I can learn to do more."_

_ "Oh, you will, I can promise you that."_

Any thought Fox was about to have in reply was interrupted by a rumble in both their stomachs, eliciting a giggle from both tod and vixen. Fox thought, "I think the telepathy lessons will have to wait until we've had breakfast."

Krystal nodded and the two got out of bed and selected casual clothes from their shared dresser. They then sat on opposite sides of the bed with their back to each other and got dressed, neither even thinking of peaking at the other. Both knew that they'd joyfully eschew such modesty between each other once they were husband and wife. Hand-in-hand with fingers interlaced, they made their way from their quarters to the ship's galley, where Fox decided to make his signature pancakes.

The vulpine made a very large batch, anticipating that everyone aboard would want some. Falco, Katt, Slippy, and Amanda all arrived almost at the same time.

Slippy grinned. "Oh nice. You're making pancakes." He turned to his fiancée, who had never been present before when Fox made his specialty. "Wait until you taste them. Fox makes them so nice and golden brown, with such flavor they almost don't need any syrup."

Falco and Katt both grinned and nodded, wordlessly sitting at the table while their friend worked on making the first batch.

Fox paused a moment and thought to his vixen. "Any requests?"

Krystal had kept her eyes closed and nestled herself in her fiancé's mind deeply enough for her to see through his eyes. So she had seen the contents of the refrigerator just moments before when Fox had rummaged through it for the ingredients. "Those blueberries I saw just a moment ago looked tasty."

Fox was very much aware that his fiancée was seeing through his eyes and grinned, opening the fridge to withdraw the blueberries. He quickly crushed a few and sprinkled them onto two of the pancakes, letting their juices spread into the batter. He turned to his other friends. "I have blueberries, cinnamon, vanilla, and caramel. Any requests?"

Each made their choices and Fox finished making the first batch, which he then served just as Fay and Bill walked in, followed by Fara. The tod began a second batch of pancakes for the new arrivals while Krystal and the others enjoyed their breakfast, with many of them voicing their appreciation for the treat. Eventually, everyone had arrived and gathered around the table and Fox finished his final batch, including seconds for Krystal and a few others, and a large stack for himself covered in caramel and cinnamon.

Sitting close together and in physical contact while they ate, the engaged couple enjoyed their breakfast together and again took turns experiencing each other's breakfast through Krystal's telepathy. Knowing what they now knew, the others could plainly see that the two foxes were actively interacting with each other telepathically.

Fay cooed. "Oooh. Are you two tasting each other's pancakes?"

Fox had closed his eyes and nodded. "MmmMmm. I can taste the blueberries on her tongue and palette....It's getting easier for me to do this."

He was then about to open his eyes to focus on his own pancakes when Krystal thought, "Fox, keep your eyes closed. I want to try something new."

Without questioning anything, Fox put his fork down and kept his eyes closed as his fiancée had requested. Seeing the vulpine become still, the others realized something was going on between the telepathic vixen and her tod and they all became very quiet, watching to see what would happen.

Inside his mind, Fox followed Krystal's instructions. "Okay. Just like at Anthony's, I want you to focus on my thoughts....That's it. Take slow, deep breaths and keep focusing on me."

With his eyes closed, he slowly became aware that he was starting to see something in his mind and latched onto that vision. That vision then quickly brightened and came into focus and to his shock, he saw himself sitting at the table with his eyes closed and gasped, seeing himself gasp in that instant before the vision want away. "Oh my stars! Was I seeing myself through your eyes?"

"Yes, you were. Now try again, and don't lose your focus."

Katt whispered to Falco. "What's happening between those two?"

"I'm not sure," Falco whispered back, "but it looks like Krystal is teaching Fox some new telepathic trick or something.

Just then, Fox expressed his amazement in a hushed voice. "Oh wow!"

Fay could no longer contain herself and asked, "What's Krystal doing?"

Still keeping his eyes closed, he replied in a voice filled with wonder. "I...I can see through Krystal's eyes." He then nodded at his fiancée's instructions and slowly reached for the fork next to the vixen's plate, his hand seeming to follow her gaze as she looked down at the table in front of her.

Through her eyes, Fox remotely guided his hand, seeing himself cut a piece of pancake, fold it and spear it with her fork. He then saw himself bring the pancake morsel up close to her field of view through which he was seeing, until it disappeared below her nose and into her mouth. He tasted blueberries and syrup the moment Krystal closed her mouth around the savory bite. Enraptured by the experience, Fox said out loud, "Oh wow! It feels almost like I'm in your head, Krys....I smell and taste the blueberry pancake you are eating and I'm seeing it all through your eyes."

Fox then opened his eyes and for a moment simultaneously saw himself from Krystal's point of view while also gazing at his vixen. He whined and his hands gripped the edge of the table from the overwhelming sensory experience. With his focus broken, his vision snapped back to his own normal perspective.

Fara voiced her concern and asked, "Fox, are you okay?"

"Yeah...I'm okay now. For a moment when I opened my eyes, I was seeing things from both Krystal's and my point of view....It was a bit overwhelming."

He then gazed up at his fiancée when she placed a comforting hand on his and said, "Don't worry Foxy, you'll get used to it."

*****

Throughout the remainder of the journey to Sauria, they all enjoyed each other's company, trading stories at the dinner table, spending quiet time by themselves or in small groups, gazing at the stars passing by, and in general relaxing in what amounted to a vacation for all of them. Each day, Fox would spend time with Falco, drilling him in all the systems of his ship, running simulations to challenge the bird in keeping everything working. He also spent time with him in the flight simulator to train him in piloting the Great Falcon.

Each night, Fox and Krystal would sleep together, and dream together. Under her telepathic influence, it had become impossible for him to have any nightmares. She simply would not allow it. They continued to get closer mentally with each passing day. It had gotten to the point that even when they were in different parts of the ship, Fox could still feel her in his mind, keeping tabs on him. It brought great comfort to the vulpine that she was keeping him company, even when they were apart.

The day finally arrived when the Great Falcon came into visual range of Sauria. Soon, the ship made its approach to the Dinosaur Planet and fired its retro thrusters for orbital insertion. In orbit was a Cornerian Defense Force cruiser on patrol, which hailed them.

"Unidentified ship, this is the CDF Intrepid. This is a protected planet. Please state your purpose."

Fox, sitting in the captain's chair, depressed a key on his control panel and replied. "This is Fox McCloud, of the Great Fox, recently rechristened the Great Falcon, here on personal business with King Tricky of the EarthWalker Tribe."

"Acknowledge Great Falcon. We have your flight plan. Welcome to Sauria. Switch to Frequency 205.35 MHz to establish communication with the Walled City pyramid."

"Switching to 205.35 MHz. Thank you Intrepid."

Moments later, Tricky's saurian face was on the screen. "Fox! You made it! It's so good to see you!"

"I sure did, old pal. It's good to see you too. I'm here with all my friends now, and have finally come to get married with Krystal and have our honeymoon here, just like you offered when we freed your world from the Aparoids."

"That's great! So are you going to get married here at Walled City?"

"Actually, we decided on ThornTail Hollow. It's where it all began for Krystal and me. Can you meet us there for our wedding tomorrow?"

"Sure. I'll be there. I wouldn't miss it."

"Sounds good. We're also going to land our ship near there and camp out in the Hollow tonight."

"Okay. I'll let the ThornTail tribe know to expect you there."

"Thanks. See you tomorrow."

"Seeya."

Fox then addressed ROB-64. "ROB, scan for an open field large enough for the Great Falcon to land on."

"Scanning," said the automaton in a monotone voice. "Open clearing located 730 meters northwest of cliffs into ThornTail Hollow."

On the ship's screen, a satellite view came up showing the clearing in question, with ThornTail Hollow in the lower right corner of the screen. "Are those stone steps I see in the cliff side?"

"Affirmative. Scanners indicate that steps were recently carved into the cliff. There is a small Sharpclaw settlement two kilometers to the north."

Krystal at that moment spoke up. "While I was staying by myself at Cape Claw, I got word that the Sharpclaws had all gone their separate ways and sought to live a peaceful life wherever they could. It seems none of them ever really wanted to serve General Scales."

Falco rolled his eyes. "Figures. Nobody in their right mind would want to live under a tyrant like that."

Fox nodded. "So we'll land at that clearing then." He then eyed his avian friend while addressing his robot at the helm. "ROB, you are relieved. Falco, time for your final exam. Take the helm."

Katt kissed Falco on his beak. "Make me proud, Birdie"

The falcon made his way across the bridge and sat at the ship's helm. Laying a hand on the controls, he took a deep breath and nodded. "Awaiting your orders."

"Plot atmospheric re-entry course to land at field located near ThornTail Hollow," Fox instructed.

Falco, after a week of intensive training in piloting the dreadnaught so that he was intimately familiar with the ship's controls and performance characteristics, quickly plotted the course requiring the least amount of fuel to bring the ship to its final destination. He also took the time to check the planetary weather on their flight path to verify that everything was within limits, and finished by doing a final systems check on the ship to verify that it was ready for atmospheric maneuvering and landing. "Course plotted in and ship ready for atmospheric re-entry."

Fox looked down at his monitor, having followed what his avian friend had done. He now had no doubt that Falco was ready to take on the responsibility of command. "Take us in."

"Taking us in." He then fired the first set of thrusters to change their orbital inclination to put them on course for ThornTail Hollow's location. The Great Falcon slowly changed course until its orbit was inclined 10° relative to the planet's equator, heading over its northern hemisphere. "Fifteen minutes to de-orbit burn." The minutes counted down until one minute before the thrusters were to fire. "Activating shields."

Fox continued to follow his ship's systems from his monitor in the captain's chair and nodded his approval.

"Firing thrusters." Falco intoned. Outside, the Great Falcon noticeably slowed, allowing its orbit to decay. The dreadnaught slowly rolled until the horizon was horizontal with the planet below the ship.

Falco looked back at his captain. "Permission to execute a barrel role prior to atmospheric re-entry."

Fox could only smirk at his friend's request and shook his head. "Permission denied, Falco. You get to barrel role this ship when you are ready to retire like I did."

Titters of laughter could be heard throughout the bridge while Falco rolled his eyes. "Fine." He didn't begrudge his friend, remembering that though he would soon have the Great Falcon to command, Fox would always be the owner. Soon, the ship began plowing through the upper atmosphere, its shields beginning to glow.

The retiring commander of Star Fox watched on his monitor his avian friend making the necessary adjustments to the ship's navigation system due to the increasing atmospheric drag as the Great Falcon descended and slowed down through the upper clouds of the world below. Looking out the ships forward view screen, plasma could be seen enveloping the ship while it cut through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds, continuously decelerating.

In the jungles below, the denizens of Sauria were roused by the twin sonic booms created by the large ship that streaked across their world's stratosphere. The Great Falcon continued to slow as it approached its final destination. On the forward screen, the clouds parted, revealing the jungles below them, and in the distance, they could see ThornTail Hollow.

Falco continued to carefully pilot the majestic ship, letting it decelerate to subsonic speeds while it made its final approach for the field where they would land. The ship eventually slowed to the point that vertical thrusters had to be activated while the ship coasted 1000 meters over ThornTail Hollow.

Before Fox could issue the command, Falco called up on the ship's screen the open field below them to verify that none of the local Sharpclaws were in the way. The vulpine nodded to his vixen. "Yeah. Falco is definitely ready to take command of my ship."

"He definitely is. I am sensing intense focus from his mind. You trained him well."

At the helm, Falco eased off on the vertical thrusters and let the ship slowly descend the final few hundred meters until the ship finally touched down onto the compact earth of the field they landed upon. He then cut all power to the thrusters and breathed a sigh, feeling the tension drain out of him. "Made it!"

Fox stood up and began clapping and was soon joined by the rest of their friends in giving the new commander of Star Falco a standing ovation.

Falco stood there, his crest of feathers standing on end while a light red tinge could be seen around his beak.

Once everyone had settled down, Fox spoke up. "As commander of Team Star Fox, I have one final duty to perform." He walked over to ROB-64 and reached up to the robot, flipping a hidden switch to deactivate it. He then carefully pried open a panel behind its head and activated a diagnostic screen. On the small keypad below the screen, Fox entered a code known only to himself, and of course Krystal, which brought up a top-level menu that he had accessed only once before, when he first took command of the Great Fox almost ten years ago during the Lylat War. In that menu was a list that contained only two names: James McCloud and Fox McCloud. He now added a third name, and turned to the owner of said name. "Falco, stand in front of ROB."

The avian did as he was told and waited. The central eye of the inactive robot suddenly glowed a bright white color and a light shined upon the new captain of the Great Falcon.

Fox then instructed. "When I give you a nod, speak your full name clearly." He then made a final menu selection and nodded to the falcon, who enunciated, "Falco Lombardi"

Fox nodded in satisfaction, closed the command menu, and snapped the access panel shut. He then reactivated ROB-64 and stood back. The robot went through its boot-up and then scanned its surroundings, finally focusing on Falco. "Accessing....Recognizing Captain Falco Lombardi, commanding Great Falcon. Awaiting your instructions."

Falco stood there, motionless. He had finally done it. He had achieved his greatest goal. He was now the leader of Star Falco, in command of his own mothership, ready to receive a new crew. All his friends were smiling at him, proud of his accomplishment.

Katt ran up and pounced him, wrapping her legs around his waist and nuzzling him affectionately. "Congratulations, flyboy. You're in charge now."

"Yeah...I am, aren't I?" He then gazed at ROB, who stood waiting for its first command. "Then the first order of business is to get my former boss and his ladylove hitched and off on their honeymoon so they can get all mushy where I don't have to watch."

"Gee, thanks old pal." Fox smirked at his friend.

Falco then issued his first command. "ROB, secure the ship and lower the gangway. Then establish perimeter scanners to keep out intruders."

"Affirmative."

Fox took his vixen's hand in his and looked back at the falcon. "Krystal and I will vacate our quarters to make room for your future crew."

Falco shook his head. "You don't need to. There's plenty of room with all the other available quarters. I am keeping your room reserved for you and Krystal in case you two ever need a ride somewhere, provided that I'm not busy on some mercenary contract, that is."

"Thanks. If you are in the neighborhood in a month's time, we'll take you up on that offer."

Everyone made their way to their quarters to pack for a night's stay in ThornTail Hollow. While Fox entered the bathroom, Krystal changed out of her casual clothes and into her traditional Cerinian garb, putting on her loincloth, bra, shoulder pads, bracers, leggings, and tail bands, and finishing off by slipping on her sandals. She packed into a small rucksack her wedding loincloth and bra, a small bag of toiletries, her collapsed staff, a large thick blanket, and nothing else. In a separate rucksack, she packed her fiancé's wedding loincloth, a small bag of toiletries for him, and nothing else.

When Fox stepped out of the bathroom, he saw his fiancée and smiled. He walked up to her and gave her a warm kiss while wrapping his arms around her alluring figure. "You look as beautiful as the day I met you."

"I know how much you love it when I wear this, though I'll only be wearing it until tomorrow." She hands him his rucksack. "I've packed your toiletries and your wedding loincloth."

"What about after we are married?"

"We'll be on our month-long honeymoon in Cape Claw, and I plan to stay naked the whole time we are there, and I don't want you to wear a thing either."

"Nothing? But what if someone sees us?"

"I had a talk with Tricky a few nights ago while we were still on our way here and expressed my concern for privacy. His reply was that he was aware that, as he phrased it, we mammals have this need to hide when we mate. So he made arrangements to keep Cape Claw secluded from any outsiders."

"We'll need something to wear if we decide to visit the surrounding areas though, like the Lightfoot Village."

Krystal picked up another Cerinian loincloth similar to what she was wearing, though slightly wider. "I had Samantha make this for you in addition to your wedding loincloth, and also a pair of sandals in your size."

There had been a time when Fox would have been mortified at being seen nearly naked, but the tod was now beyond such inhibitions. He again surprised his fiancée by snatching from her hands the loincloth with a grin and walking with it into the bathroom. "If I'm going to go native, I'm as well start right now."

In less than a minute, the vixen beheld a sight she had for a long time dreamed of seeing when Fox stepped out of the bathroom, wearing nothing by his own Cerinian loincloth. The vixen's heart was a flutter at the sight. "Oh Spirits! You are gorgeous! I'm never allowing you to cover all that up again."

Fox blushed at such overt adoration of his physique. "I've gotten to enjoy seeing you scantily dressed. I figured it was only fair that you got to see as much of me." He walked by his vixen and sat on the edge of the bed and slipped on the sandals she had had made for him.

Krystal felt her heart skip from just the brief glimpse she had of his thighs and rear. She watched him stand up and walk up to her, placing his hands upon her hips. Her own hand rested on his chest, her fingers sinking into the fur over his breast bone.

Fox smiled, deeply flattered that he was having such a profound effect on her. "I so know how you feel. You had the same effect on me when you first sauntered up to me on the Great Fox right after I had rescued you." He glanced down to see her hand drift lower on his abdomen. When she reached his waist, he gently took her wrist. "Ah-ah. No touchie. Not until we've reached Cape Claw." She glanced up at him, blushing at how strongly she was now desiring her vulpine and heard him think to her, "Once we are there, I'll never deny you again. I will be yours, heart, body, and soul."

Krystal's eyes grew moist, feeling her whole being hum in anticipation to achieving her heart's desire. "One Heart, One Mind, One Soul."

_ _

*****

Everyone was gathered at the bottom of the gangway ramp, waiting for Fox and Krystal. "I wonder what's taking them so long," said Falco.

Fay replied, "They are going to be on this world for a month. Maybe they are packing extra clothes and such."

Katt was the first to see them emerge from the ship. "I don't think clothes will be a concern for those two," she declared with a wide, toothy grin.

All the others looked up. Falco's beak hung open. Slippy was equally gobsmacked, though his fiancée did lift his lower jaw, closing his gaping mouth. Peppy's and Lucy's eyes widened. Fara's grin nearly matched Katt's. "Way to go, Foxy." Miyu could only mewl. Coming down the gangway were Fox and Krystal walking hand-in-hand with their fingers interlaced. While none were surprised to see Krystal attired in her traditional Cerinian outfit, they had not expected to see Fox wearing nothing but his own Cerinian loincloth and sandals.

The most dramatic reaction though was from Bill, who was at that moment drinking deeply from a canteen of water and heard Fay giggle. The bulldog did a spectacular spit take upon seeing Fox, just as the vulpine reached the bottom of the ramp.

Fox smiled sardonically at his old friend's reaction to his near-complete lack of clothing. "There's a fresh water stream down in ThornTail Hollow where you can refill that." He and his fiancée walked past everyone. Fox looked back. "Well, come on."

Falco by then had recovered from his astonishment and pulled out his communicator. "ROB, go ahead and close the gangway ramp."

"Affirmative. Establishing perimeter scanners," came the robot's usual monotone reply.

Soon, they were all marching across the open field towards their destination. The stone stairway was quickly found and the entire wedding party made their way down the cliff side into ThornTail Hollow itself. A few of the local ThornTails welcomed them, but otherwise went about their own business, grazing placidly, sunning themselves, and sleeping. To them, the wedding party was only of mild interest.

Knowing what was to come, Krystal had her friends set up camp at the lower end of the Hollow, next to the stream. Soon, a circle of tents was arrayed around the campsite for everyone, except Fox and Krystal. "Shouldn't we also have a tent?" he mentally asked.

"We'll not need one because we'll be in that stone building at the top of the hill."

Fox frowned, but shrugged, fully trusting his vixen. He knew everything would be explained that evening. Once they were settled, he gave everyone a guided tour of the Hollow. They soon reached a small patch of ground surrounded by flowers in front of the stone building built into the side of the cliff. The tod turned to his vixen. "Krystal, could you hand me your staff?"

Having already seen in his mind what he was intending, she reached into her rucksack and pulled out her staff, extending it, and handed it to Fox, who took it and stabbed the small, cylindrical jeweled end into the ground among the flowers with the spear-like end pointing up.

"This is really where it all began for Krystal and me. I had just landed my Arwing halfway down the hill and found this staff sticking out of the ground here. I picked it up and heard it 'speak' to me." He pulled it out of the ground and briefly swung it about his waist before he willed it to collapse itself, eyeing the blue vixen. "I still don't get how I'm able to do that."

Krystal shook her head. "I don't know either."

Slippy asked, "What do you mean?"

The vixen replied. "Only telepaths can activate Cerinian staffs, yet Fox, who is not a telepath, is able to make my staff work for him."

Fox handed the staff to his amphibian friend, who examine the weapon. "Where's the button to make it extend itself."

"There is no button." Fox replied. "I just willed it to extend or collapse, or do all the other things it can do."

Slippy shrugged and handed the staff back to Krystal.

"While Fox has a mental affinity with me now, he still has no telepathic ability of his own that I can tell."

The tod shrugged. "Anyhow, given that this is the spot where it all began, we'll have the actual wedding ceremony here."

*****

They were now all gathered around the campfire and relaxing after a good meal cooked over the open flames. Fox had informed them that Wolf O'Donnell and Panther Caruso would arrive the next morning and the Chief Justice of the Lylat High Court was scheduled to arrive by a Cornerian Defense Cruiser that was scheduled to relieve the CDF Intrepid sometime that morning as well.

Fox and Krystal were sitting side-by-side on a log facing their friends from across the campfire. Krystal could read in her fiancé's mind his burning curiosity. It was very much on his mind that she had some plan for them this evening before their wedding. She herself was filled with a nervous excitement upon realizing that it was now time.

Taking a deep breath, she turned to her husband-to-be. "I guess the time has come for me to tell you what has been on my mind these last few weeks."

Peppy spoke up and asked, "Should we leave you two alone?"

"No. All of you need to hear this so that you'll understand what will be happening between Fox and myself."

She took her fiancé's hands in hers and gazed intently into his eyes. "Fox, what I am about to share with you is one of the most sacred of Cerinian traditions. Truthfully, when I first agreed to marry you, it was with the knowledge that this might have not been possible, given that you are not a telepath. But in these past few weeks since we became engaged, our minds have become so well attuned that I am now certain we'll be able to do it like all Cerinian couples did."

"Tomorrow, after we first exchange our vows in the traditions of Lylat, we will go on and, with our friends as witnesses, perform the Cerinian marriage ritual which will culminate with us forming a telepathic bond. Our minds, our very souls, will join as one. From that moment on, we will always know each other's deepest thoughts and emotions, and share all sensations together. Even when apart, we will always feel each other in our minds. We will never be parted, not even by death."

Fox sat there enraptured, taking in everything his fiancée said. "Oh Krystal. This is why you've been showing me all these mental things, isn't it?"

"Yes, and it makes me so happy that you are capable of so much. It's almost as if you were a telepath yourself, even though I'll be the one linking our minds."

Listening to every detail of what Krystal said, Lucy asked, "Uh, what did you mean by 'not even by death' would you be parted?"

Krystal turned to her friends. "In the Cerinian language, there is no word for widow or widower."

Everyone immediately understood the implications of that statement, but Fox would not be dissuaded and tearfully drew his love into a heartfelt embrace, sniffling. "That's perfectly fine with me. If I ever lost you, I wouldn't want to go on living."

Krystal rested her chin in his shoulder. "I know, and I can feel in your emotions how profoundly happy it makes you that we'll share this mental bond."

Peppy said, "And all of us will keep secret the depth of your bond." The old hare looked around and was satisfied to see no disagreement. They all knew that this was a secret that would be protected. Though their shared bond of friendship was not telepathic, the feeling of solidarity and community among all of them was almost as strong.

Krystal gave her fiancé a tender kiss and then pressed her forehead against his, sending a brief burst of her love into his mind, eliciting a gasp followed by a heart-felt sob. She then pulled back and held his hands in hers. "Before I can permanently link our minds and souls tomorrow, there is one last thing we need to do to prepare ourselves mentally."

She took a deep breath and went on. "Fox, a few weeks ago, you sought me out at Cape Claw, and begged me to probe your mind deeply. You bared your mind, your very soul, to me without restriction, dropping all mental barriers."

She swallowed a lump in her throat while a tear trickled down the side of her muzzle. "If we are to be proper bondmates, I can do no less for you. You've already shown yourself capable of sensing my emotions and some of my thoughts. So tonight, I'll be the one dropping all my mental barriers, and showing you the same deep trust you've shown me. Once I draw you into my mind, you will be able to at will read every one of my deepest thoughts and memories."

She got up to her feet, drawing Fox to his with her, and turned to their friends. "Fox and I will need some privacy. This will be a very emotional experience for the both of us, and I ask that none of you interfere. I will be dropping my mental barriers completely, and may not be in full control of my powers, which is why I am going to put a bit of distance between us and the rest of you."

Fara nodded. "We will be here for you, if you need us."

Krystal and Fox walked together up to the top of the hill to the small stone building. The door was already open, and inside they found soft loamy earth covering the floor. Krystal drew from her rucksack the large blanket she had packed and spread it on the ground. She then knelt down on the blanket and beckoned her tod to do the same.

Once they were kneeling, facing each other, Krystal said, "Fox, what you are about to experience will be intense beyond anything you've ever gone through in your life, but I know that you'll be able to adjust. You've already shown yourself capable in how you've been able to see, smell, and taste through me, and are already sensitive to my presence."

She took a deep breath and went on. "This time, when we join mentally, I'll be letting you into my mind completely. You will see everything , be able to read my deepest, most personal thoughts, and be free to go through my memories at will. You will be able to experience my life from my point of view. You will see and experience all my joys, heartaches, hopes and dreams...my happiest memories, and...the worst day of my life."

Fox immediately guessed what she was thinking. "No please. I don't want to make you relive that horrible day."

"You must! As much as I don't want to relive it, I will for our sakes. Shared joys and happy memories all will make us closer, but shared pain more than anything else will make our bond stronger." She implored, "I don't want you to hold back."

When he nodded, she pressed her hands against his temples and both leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together. "Fox, I now bare my mind and soul to you. Probe my deepest thoughts and memories. Know me as completely as I've come to know you."

Fox immediately felt the comforting presence of his vixen probing deeply into his mind. Just like that first time in Cape Claw, his awareness of their surroundings faded away and he soon could feel her everywhere inside his head, but this time, it didn't stop there. He perceived her sense of self and was drawn to it. Mentally reaching out, he touched her soul and suddenly felt himself falling in. A cacophony of memories and thoughts rushed at him in a frightening kaleidoscope of smells, visions, sounds, and sensations all at once.

He struggled to assimilate everything until he began to be able to sort through the intermittent thoughts and impressions flashing through his mind. It was now finally sinking in. These were Krystal's memories and thoughts, and they were his for the viewing. She had truly laid herself completely open to him, and unable to ignore such a precious gift, he reached out and touched one particularly vivid memory that drew his attention.

_In an instant, he found himself riding a CloudRunner through a rainstorm and looked down to see her blue-furred hands holding the staff and resting against the back of the pterodactyl. _ In a flash of insight, he realized that he was now reliving one of her experiences from her point of view.

In her search for answers to why her world had been destroyed, she had wandered into the vicinity of the Lylat System, where she had heard a distress call from a world populated by dinosaurs. Upon arriving, she had made friends with the CloudRunners and was now riding one through this rainstorm. _ _"I received a garbled distress signal. It said something about a mountain hidden in a storm. Whoever they are, they sound in great danger!" she said to the CloudRunner she was riding, speaking in the Dinosaur language.

Even though he had never learned their language, Fox was amazed that he could understand her, but then realized that since he was inside her head, he'd understand her thinking in that language.

Suddenly, several large fireballs flashed by her. She glanced back and watched one large fireball head straight for her. She instinctively raised her staff to shield herself. It struck, knocking it out of her hand. "My staff!"

Fox saw through her eyes the staff fall away out of view, realizing that this was how it had ended up in ThornTail Hollow where he would find it. He watched the ensuing aerial battle with General Scale's flying galleon through her eyes and the confrontation with the tyrant himself, ending with her being thrown off the galleon, only to be caught by her CloundRunner friend, who then took her to Krazoa Palace.

Krystal found herself reliving that day when she made her way through Krazoa Palace, culminating in her confrontation with the disembodied spirit of Andross, who she recognized as the culprit behind the destruction of her home. She once again experienced the sickening feeling of being sent flying backwards down a long hallway and into a crystal that solidified around her, which then rose up to the top of the palace where she would languish, feeling her life force slowly drain from her.

Fox experienced her despair while she was trapped in that crystal, never knowing if she'd ever make it out alive. Her memory of her time imprisoned there was understandably spotty while she drifted in and out of consciousness.

_Her next recollection was being jolted back to consciousness by the sensation of intense energies slamming into her multiple times, followed by feeling all six Krazoa spirits rushing out of her. What followed happened in a flash. Her crystal prison shattered and she fell briefly, only to catch her own outstretched staff and gaze into the beautiful green eyes of her savior. _ Fox saw himself through her eyes gazing back at her with the same smitten expression. They had truly had a 'love at first sight' moment.

He experience her subsequent memories where she came aboard the Great Fox to thank him, and eventually joined the Star Fox team. Given how well he'd come to know her, he was not surprised to learn the feelings of attraction had been mutual on her part. He continued going through her memories of the months that followed, experiencing their flowering relationship from her point of view.

Fox perceived in Krystal's mind this sense of belonging that she craved, which being part of Star Fox fulfilled, and yet it felt like she was holding herself apart from the rest of the team on some level. He looked deeper into her mind, trying to understand these conflicting emotions.

In the ensuing months after the Aparoid War, they had become very close and she was deeply in love with him, but he was astonished at how desperately she had wanted to touch his mind back then, but couldn't out of respect for his privacy. So seeing her memories of the day he removed her from Star Fox was all the more painful.

Krystal now relived that awful day. Fox seemed so cold and emotionless when he told her he was removing her from the team. Star Fox had become her home, the first one she could think of as such since the destruction of her world. It was a place where she felt she belonged, but now it was being taken away from her. She pleaded with him, but he wouldn't be dissuaded. Once again, she was cast adrift and ran off in tears, feeling devastated.

She drifted for several weeks, first staying with Katt for a while, but was still unhappy, that sense of belonging gone. She eventually decided to leave the Lylat system altogether, intent to go as far away as her Cloud Runner fighter craft would fly her. It was just as she was getting ready to leave that the Anglar Blitz began. Listening to news reports, she learned that Star Wolf was already in the thick of it, helping defend the Lylat system from the invaders. It was then that Krystal made a decision. If she could not belong to Star Fox, she would be a part of Star Wolf.

Wolf O'Donnell was more than happy to let her join their team. The others had various reactions. Leon couldn't care less, as long as she did her part. Then there was Panther Caruso. Krystal could only hope she'd not have to fend off repeated unwanted advances, or she'd end up regretting joining Star Wolf. As she had anticipated, Panther did not waste any time in putting on his charm. After Wolf had introduced her to his team, the black feline approached her, sounding as suave as ever. "Ah, the beautiful Krystal has at last come to grace us with her presence. You are as lovely in person as I had imagined." He then took her hand in his and kissed it.

The vixen gave Panther a wan smile. She could sense that the black-furred feline was very much attracted to her, but there was no spark of love between them as there had been with her and Fox. Truthfully, she didn't think she'd ever be able to love again. So hoping to forestall any further advances from the amorous cat, she spoke plainly. "Panther, I can sense you are very much attracted to me, but I just do not have it in me to return the sentiment, as flattering as it is."

Krystal saw the brief frown form on his countenance and could sense his desire for her continue unabated. Looking at his expression, she didn't need to read his mind to know he was looking for another way to charm her. So she was caught completely by surprise when she suddenly felt a sense of resignation coming from him and heard him actually sigh. "You still love him. I can see it."

"What?!"

"Fox McCloud. You still love him. I may not be a telepath, but it's obvious to me that your heart still belongs to him."

All the emotional pain she had tried to put behind her in the last few weeks came boiling to the surface in a flash. "WHY SHOULD I LOVE HIM?! HE THREW ME OUT! TOLD ME TO GO AWAY!" Krystal angrily wiped away at her tears, looking back at Panther with eyes full of hurt, daring him to suggest she could love Fox McCloud again after what he'd done to her.

Panther gave her a sad smile, using a finger to gently brush off her tears, "and the next time I see him, I shall chastise and shame Fox for driving away such a lovely lady as yourself and filling your heart with bitterness."

Seeing her only sniffle in response, he affirmed, "Yes, I can see now that the last thing you want or need is to be romanced. How about we just be friends?"

Krystal looked up to see the feline give her a genuine, honest smile. In that moment, she realized she was seeing the real Panther Caruso and knew she could count on his friendship.

In the months that followed, she and Panther become good friends. The black feline never again made any romantic overtures towards her, seeming only to be interested in being there for her. He was conscientious, considerate, and only sought her well-being. During combat missions against the Anglars, she could count on him to be a reliable wingmate. He also became a shoulder to cry on in those quiet moments between missions, especially after her confrontations with Fox.

Fox continued going through her memories of the Anglar Blitz, experiencing it from her point of view. Yet, he could see that she still kept a certain part of herself aloof. It was this facet that he realized was the key to fully understanding the vixen that was Krystal. He let himself be drawn deeper into her mind, coming across a cluster of memories. He could feel that she deeply cherished those memories, even while they invoked such deep emotional pain. With a care, he reached out and touched one of them.

Fox was suddenly in the otherworldy forest of his dreams, where Krystal often brought him whenever she rescued him from his nightmares. Everything was like he recalled it, except that the foliage looked larger. He suddenly felt a burst of her youthful exuberance and saw blue-furred arms come into his field of view. The hands also had that slightly chubby quality found in young fox pups, making him immediately realize that this was a memory from her childhood, which meant that this was somewhere on Cerinia.

Krystal found herself reliving a long-forgotten day from her youth where she was picking berries in the forest near her village. She heard her sister mentally calling out to her from nearby. _ _"Kurisutaru, come see! I just found lots of bushes filled with the biggest berries ever!"

It had never occurred to Fox until that moment that 'Krystal' was just her name translated into his own language, that 'Kurisutaru' was her actual name in Cerinian. He also discovered that he understood everything that was said in her language, but that should not have been surprising given that he was reading her thoughts.

The young vixen thought back to her younger sister while making her way towards her through the tall foliage. _ _"Coming Shinju. It feels like you think you've found enough to fill both our baskets_." _

She found her younger sister in the middle of a group of bushes filled with the largest, ripest berries she had seen all day.

Fox's heart melted upon seeing Krystal's younger sister. She was absolutely adorable. Shinju, whose name he somehow realized meant 'Pearl' in Cerinian, had the same shade of blue fur as her older sister, but was shorter and chubbier, and had a rounder face. She, like her older sister, had on her upper legs the familiar swirling tattoos with the four pointed triangles at each quadrant that marked her as part of the clan she belonged to. Both vixens wore a simple loincloth and top, and had sandals on their feet, and nothing else.

They also had a small tattoo in the middle of their lower backs that denoted them as coming from their home village of Nara.

Shinju grinned at her older sister u

pon seeing her and said *. * _ **"Bet I can fill my basket before you do!"_**

"I'll still beat you, even with your head start!"** _ ** _Krystal answered her younger sister's challenge. The two young vixens soon were rushing to grab berries as quickly as possible, laughing at each other's antics.

When their baskets were nearly full, they heard their older brother mentally calling out to them. _ _"Kurisutaru, Shinju, I can sense you two out there and know your baskets are already overflowing with berries. Hurry back with them. Mother wants us all the help with the decorations for the Summer Solstice Festival." _ _

Both thought back to their brother. "We're coming Sanshain."_ _ The two young vixens quickly made their way through the underbrush, burdened with their baskets overflowing with berries. They soon stepped out of the edge of the forest and found Senshain waiting for them with a cheerful expression.

Fox gazed upon Krystal's memory of the adolescent tod that was her dearly-missed brother. Sanshain, which he understood was the Cerinian word for 'Sunshine,' was a tall, lanky fox. His fur was a very deep blue, like the deepest ocean. Even the fur around his face was dark blue like the rest of him, and yet it stood out with such a warm, cheerful expression that made his name so appropriate. He wore a simple gold diadem, with the focusing gem in the middle of his forehead. He was clothed only in a loincloth and sandals, and had a short gold chain around his neck. He did not have any clan tattoos on his thighs, which meant he was an unmarried male in this matriarchal society.

About his arms were a repeating pattern of rectangles bisected into quadrants with a dot in the center. On the side of each rectangle were crescents that were elongated in opposite directions to each other. From Krystal's mind, he understood that the tattoos signified that Sanshain was a healer. The rectangles signified the body, with the dot signifying the mind and soul within. The opposing crescents represented balance of mind, body, and soul.

From her recollections, he learned that her brother had just completed his training upon coming of age. The same tattoo for Nara was also on the middle of his lower back.

Through her memories of that day, he saw for the first time what was a typical coastal town on Cerinia. Nara had been its name, and every building, be it a small restaurant, shop, office, or some other business in the center of town blended in with the local vegetation, with some of them built right into the trunks of large trees.

Kurisutaru and her siblings made their way through the town square, taking in all the sights of the decorated buildings and streets and the bustling town market. She could sense the excited thoughts of everyone while they bustled about getting ready for the Festival, which only made her more excited. Glancing at her brother and sister, she could read in their minds the same excitement.

Just beyond the town square, they turned down a side street populated with small homes, each with its own lush, overgrown garden left to grow as it willed. Some had stone outcroppings with waterfalls. Others had courtyards with ponds. Yet others simply had foliage. They soon arrived at their home, with its own courtyard with a large fountain in the center and vines draping down the walls. Upon walking in through the front arch, they saw their mother waving to them. _ **"There you are. All of you are just in time to help me string out these lamps across to the fountain."_**

Fox was immediately hit with the terrible ache in Krystal's heart. Just like himself, she dearly missed her mother. Even as deep as he was in her mind, Fox knew that tears were running down his eyes upon gazing at the memory of the future mother-in-law he feared he'd never meet.

As beautiful as her oldest daughter, Onikisu's fur was the darkest blue he'd ever seen, almost black like the 'Onyx' she was named for. Like Krystal, she bore on her thighs the tattoos of her clan, for which she was the matriarch.

The tattoos around her upper arms were made up of interlocking circles in a repeating pattern representing the symbols for fire, air, water, and earth. From Krystal's memories, he understood that her mother was the town priestess, who would lead the denizens of Nara in celebrating the Summer Solstice Festival.

Her forehead was adorned with a string of yellow precious stones, and one large red focusing gem at the center of her forehead. She wore three tail bands with ornate stones encrusted in each band, and above her breasts was a pendant with a large, sparkling red stone.

Fox's eyes suddenly locked onto the vixen's chest and then went quickly from her head to her toes. It was only now that it hit him that Onikisu was completely, and unashamedly naked, wearing neither bra nor loincloth. In some part of his mind, he was certain he should have been embarrassed at seeing the mother of his fiancée completely naked, yet looking at the dark-furred vixen, no such emotion came to him. He realized that, deep as he was in Krystal's mind seeing these old memories, he was affected by his fiancée's outlook on life, which included the notion that it was perfectly natural to walk around naked in one's own home, among one's family. Even Krystal and her brother and sister had stripped themselves of their scant clothing, hanging their loincloths just inside the door.

They spent the afternoon decorating the courtyard and interior of their home in preparation for the night's festivities. Near dinnertime, their father arrived from patrolling the surrounding forests and coastline. Shiokaze looked fondly at his family, telepathically projecting his love to his wife and children.

Feeling the burst of her father's love rush through her mind, Kurisutaru turned and ran towards him, leaping into his outstretched arms. "Papa!"

Shiokaze scooped up his youngest daughter, Shinju, into his arms while holding onto his oldest daughter and gave them both an affectionate lick on their foreheads, sending them another burst of fatherly love. _ **"How are my two little jewels? Did you both have a good day?"_**

"We sure did!" _ Kurisutaru said to her father. _ "Shinju and I filled two whole baskets full of berries and then helped Mama all afternoon decorating for tonight's Festival."

"And a wonderful job you have done too." Shiokaze nuzzled each of his girls once more and then put them down and turned to his son, Sanshain. _ **"I am pleased to see you've been able to come, Son. It's good to see you again."_**

"It's good to be back, Father. How go the patrols?"

_"It's been pleasantly quiet all through the forests and along the coasts. The local wildlife is at peace with itself, with none of the predators being aggressive and getting too close to populated areas." _ Shiokaze said while taking off his loincloth and sandals and placing his collapsed staff into its charger on the wall next to the entryway. He then removed his bracers, leggings, and epaulettes, putting them in the small chest below his charging staff, leaving him completely naked except for his diadem with focusing gem.

Seeing Krystal's memory of the father-in-law he also feared he'd never meet, his own heart reflected the same ache that she felt. He could plainly see who his fiancée took after. Her father had the same light shade of blue fur as she did. He had a lithe, well-toned build and the same piercing blue eyes that he had passed on to his daughter. His thighs had the same tattoos as his bondmate, signifying that he had married into her clan as was tradition. Most striking was the tattoos on his arms and lower back. They were the same as what Krystal would later have. From her mind, he read that the marking signified that he was a guardian, who saw to the safety of the Nara's denizens.

Kurisutaru relived the remainder of that day, letting Fox see what her life had been like, growing up on Cerinia. She now recalled why that day was significant. It was during that year's Summer Solstice Festival that she declared her choice of becoming a guardian like her father. That memory would of course lead to recollections of the many days she'd spend practicing with the training staff, learning to handle it and use her mind to activate each of its abilities.

Other memories came up as well at her fiancé's probing query. She found herself reliving snippets of the many long days of telepathic training under the guidance of Hoshi, the town elder, learning to hone her mental skills and meditating each day before and after the training sessions. Memories of her extended family and of her friends came forward too; traveling to distant towns to see aunts, uncles, and cousins; days spent at the beach playing with friends.

There was also one memorable day where she and her father traveled to Sapporo, which was one of the large neighboring towns which had a small spaceport nestled into the mountainside. The training was intense and focused, and by the end of the week, she flew into space for the first time in her life. She gazed down in wonder at her world, with its three main continents, vast oceans, and string of volcanic islands along the borders of the three main tectonic plates. In the South Sea, where the three tectonic plates met, was the long-dormant caldera known as Toba. Her gaze then turned away from her world and to the infinite sea of stars beyond, and its utter emptiness. Feeling the depressing isolation of space, all Kurisutaru could think of was that she wanted to return to her home and its comforting sea of life.

That orbital flight was the culmination of her training as a guardian. The following day, she was back in her village. She spent the subsequent week going through the obstacle course deep in the forest, facing various challenges that pushed her telepathic abilities and skills with the staff to the limit. At the end, she emerged out of the woods, her fur disheveled, with a few scrapes and bruises, but whole and triumphant to the welcoming cheers of her family and friends.

That afternoon, Onikisu and Shiokaze washed their eldest daughter for the last time knowing that after the following day's coming of age ceremony, they would no longer be able to consider her a pup. _ **"We are so proud of you, Kurisutaru,"** _said her mother while she worked the soap through the fur on her head and back. She gazed fondly at her husband and nodded in response to his thoughts. _ **"And your father is beside himself with happiness."_**

While letting herself be washed lovingly by her parents, Kurisutaru mentally reached out and touched her parent's minds, expressing her love and affection for them, which they returned in equal measure. Soon, she was rinsed and dried, her scrapes and bruises attended to, and fully refreshed. Her mother briefly left and returned with a box containing needles and fur pigment inhibitor. _ **"The time has come for you to receive the markings of your vocation as a guardian."_**

At her mother's gesture, Kurisutaru lay herself on the padded table her mother had set up for the occasion. Her fur was carefully shaved in the pattern of the tattoos she'd receive and over the next hour, she endured the sting of the needles injecting tyrosinase inhibitor at the roots of her hair follicles, removing all pigmentation there. This was then followed by a salve over the shaved areas that would sooth the irritated skin and stimulate rapid growth of the new white fur.

By the next morning, her fur had grown back, now white in the permanent tattoos about her upper arms, marking her as a guardian. She then sensed her parents just before they walked into her room. Each bestowed a gift on their daughter. Her mother fitted three bands about her daughter's tail while her father gave her a necklace with a heart-shaped light blue jewel nestled in a gold setting.

Her mother then tilted her head as if listening to a whisper. _ **"Elder Hoshi has arrived and is waiting in the front courtyard."** _Onikisu left to greet their guest, her husband following. Shiokaze looked back at his daughter. _ **"Get yourself dressed now. It's time you became an adult vixen."_**

Kurisutaru quickly donned her loincloth and bra and followed her parents out to the courtyard. Her entire family and several of her close friends all turned to her when she emerged from her home. The elder then spoke the formal words. _ **"Kurisutaru, daughter of Onikisu and Shiokaze, step out into the light and be recognized as an adult member of our community."_**

She stepped forward, letting the midday sun shine down on her through the foliage overhanging the courtyard.

Elder Hoshi then continued. _ **"In front of these witnesses, you have proven yourself worthy of your chosen vocation. Now receive the implements of your station." ** _With those words, the elderly fox had Shiokaze bring forward a chest, which he opened. From within, he took out a collar, which he fitted around Kurisutaru's neck. This was followed by epaulettes, then bracers, and finally leggings. Lastly, the elder withdrew a Staff, which he presented to her. _ **"With this staff, may you always carry out your duties as guardian of our community with pride and devotion."_**

Kurisutaru bowed to the elder upon receiving her staff. Her mother then stepped forward with a jeweled box and said, _"Daughter, as of today, your telepathic training is complete. Accept now this jewel that it may sharpen your awareness of everything around you." _ With those words, Onikisu withdrew a string of pearls attached to a headband, with a single ruby at the center. She slipped the headband through her daughter's hair between her ears so that the pearls were strung around the front of her head.

The moment she felt the ruby rest against her forehead, Kurisutaru's telepathy flared into sharp focus. She could now sense the thoughts and emotions of her parents and siblings much more clearly. She found herself all the more aware of her surroundings, of her friends, and the town beyond their home, and of all the life beyond Nara. She spent the rest of her day in the town square, telepathically soaking in the ebb and flow of her community. This was where she belonged. This was her home.

In that moment, Fox suddenly understood where Krystal's need for belonging came from. She was a telepath who had grown up on a world populated by telepaths. It was that same sense of belonging that she had recaptured in part when she joined Star Fox, finding a new way to fulfill her vocation of being a guardian. Yet, that need was only partially fulfilled for she was now among non-telepaths. He could now plainly see that she felt she had to keep herself aloof in order to respect the mental privacy of individuals who were not accustomed to mental interactions like her people had been. Fox felt his heart break thinking of how incredibly lonely she must have felt in her mental isolation, even among all her friends here.

His mind now focused on a final memory, buried in the deepest recess of her mind. It had the feel of an open wound, and Fox truly feared what he'd find there, knowing what it would be about.

Krystal mentally whimpered. She had tried so hard to forget that day, but her desire to fully bare her soul to her love made it inevitable that she'd have to relive the day she lost everything she held dear.

Kurisutaru ran with her father along the streets of Cerinia's capitol city of Sendai towards their spaceport. Reports of ground tremors had been coming from all three continents for the last four days. That very morning, the city had been rocked by a very powerful quake and one of the larger buildings had collapsed, killing several hundred.

Her head still throbbed from hearing the telepathic scream of all those souls dying suddenly in such a horrible way. Her body ached from the echo of feeling their bodies being crushed before she could bring up her mental barriers. She glanced to her father who looked just as rattled as she felt. Neither had experienced death on such a large scale. Even now, they could sense the fear permeating throughout the city, blanketing it in a fog of dread.

Upon reaching the spaceport, they saw to their dismay that all spacecraft except for a few shuttle crafts had been damaged or destroyed by the collapse of the hanger building they were in. Only three were left and others were missing. They met up with a group of guardians that had gathered there. High Elder Shinkai and one of the lead scientists walked up to a nearby display screen and beckoned them to approach. _ **"Guardians, we have determined the cause of the tremors that have afflicted our world for the last four days."**** _ _ _The aged fox turned to his aide who nodded and activated the monitor. _ _"We have discovered this morning that an intruder somehow snuck under our planetary sensor net and landed in the center of Toba.**

Seeing the distorted image of Andross in Krystal's memory of what she saw on that monitor, he felt the deepest hate for what that monster had done. Yet, he could not understand how that ape could have done this. This was after he had killed him at the end of the Lylat War, and before his attempt to resurrect himself using Krystal and the Krazoa at Sauria. He should have been a disembodied spirit at that time.

"As you can see on the monitor, this alien has set up some sort of large drilling machine which has bored down through the thinnest part of our planet's crust in the caldera basin. Indications are that he's dropped several unknown devices down this opening that he's created to the mantel, which is shielded to keep the underlying magma from coming up."

"How serious is this?" one of the guardians asked.

"It is dire." was his vague response. They could all sense a trickle of fear from the High Elder "We must act at once. I want all of you to board two of the remaining shuttles and head to the caldera with all due haste. Whatever this alien is doing, he must be stopped at all cost." _ The High Elder then turned to Shiokaze's daughter. _ "Kurisutaru, you are one of our best pilots. I want you to take the last remaining shuttle and head up into high orbit. Be ready to intercept the intruder if he should try to make an escape."

"How am I to stop him, High Elder? If I had a fighter craft, I could use lasers to disable him." Kurisutaru lamented.

"I realize it is not much, but the shuttles are equipped with tractor beams. Do what you can to stop this intruder should he attempt to make an escape."

Kurisutaru nodded to the High Elder. She then quickly laid a hand against her father's temple and sent a burst of her love into his mind and felt him return that love and also felt her mother's love through her parent's mind link. With a final glance to the high elder and those around them, she ran to one of the shuttles while her father and the other guardians boarded the two other shuttles.

The young vixen performed an abbreviated pre-flight check and took off, guiding her ship up high over her world until she was in geosynchronous orbit above the caldera. On her shuttle's sensors, she could detect further tremors on all three continents and one large one along the volcanic chain, triggering a tidal wave. Before the other two shuttles could arrive at the caldera, she saw the alien ship lift off to make its escape and activated her communication unit. _ **"Orbital Control, this is Kurisutaru in orbit above Toba. I've detected the alien trying to make his escape. I'm on an intercept course."_**

_"Understood, keep us appr..." _ Communication was then lost. A quick scan of her sensors showed widespread power loss across the northern continent. She activated her ship's thrusters and angled her shuttle, setting it on its intercept course. She could see on her sensors that the other two shuttles had landed in the caldera basin, probably to investigate and perhaps undo whatever this alien had done.

Just as she was coming into visual range of the escaping ship, the caldera below exploded in a cataclysmic eruption. In that instant, she felt a searing pain flash through her mind and simultaneously heard her mother's telepathic wail before it went silent and knew that her father and mother had died. When she regained her senses, the escaping intruder had already gotten past her ship and was speeding away, faster than she could possibly pursue with her ship.

With tears still in her eyes, she was suddenly gripped with fear for her brother and sister upon seeing her world and turned her ship around to race home. Her ship had barely started altering its course from its high orbit when the cries of untold numbers of her people exploded in her mind. She felt countless telepaths die in fear and agony, being crushed in collapsing buildings and landslides, falling to their deaths in chasms opening underneath them, burning to death in exploding fountains of lava, drowning in tidal waves, or blasted into the stratosphere and beyond by violent upheavals only to asphyxiate and freeze to death.

Kurisutaru collapsed to her knees, shrieking out in agony from feeling the death of her people while watching her world being ripped apart from within. She also heard in her mind another scream.

Fox watched in horror the destruction of Cerinia and screamed as well, experiencing the memory of the full mental agony of feeling the death of an entire world of telepaths. Nothing could have prepared him for this. It was beyond anything he had ever felt in his life. Helplessly, he watched through Krystal's eyes her memory of that terrible day where she endured the countless deaths of all her people flash through her very being.

Back downhill in the camp, Krystal's and Fox's friends all sat around the campfire. In the last few minutes, all of them were suddenly hit with a terrible sense of dread that none could explain. Peppy was taking in another spoon-full of his vegetable stew while gazing up worriedly towards the stone building where the two foxes were. All of a sudden, he dropped his bowl and inhaled sharply.

Lucy Hare was shaken out of her own brooding by the sound of a shattering bowl and saw her father looking out in horror at some unseen vision. At that same instant, everyone in the camp heard Krystal and Fox utter a scream full of anguish.

"No!....Oh no!" the old lagomorph cried out.

"Dad! What's happening?!"

Peppy turned to his daughter with a haunted expression, eyes focused on a harrowing vision. "I'm seeing flashes of Cerinia's destruction....Oh Great Maker...it's more horrible than I could have imagined....Krystal....She felt the death of her people....a world full of telepaths dying."

Miyu brought their hands up to her muzzles in horror, their eyes brimming with tears. Amanda and Slippy held each other, sobbing. Katt buried her face in Falco's plumage and wept for her friend. Like Peppy, Falco also saw flashes in his mind of the horror that his blue-furred friend was reliving. Lucy did her best to comfort her father. Fara was more profoundly affected. Having previously felt the telepathic vixen's sisterly love, she now wept at feeling Krystal's emotional anguish and sank her knees with a look horror at the terrifying vision that flashed across her eyes. Fay though was affected the most. Her mind had previously been touched by Krystal's. Consequently, she saw the same vision that had flashed through Peppy's, Falco's, and Fara's minds, but with a clarity that allowed her to see every detail of Cerinia's destruction. "Oh Great Maker! Oh horrible, oh horrible, oh horrible!" She sobbed while being rocked in Bill's arms.

Not wanting to abandon her to this nightmare, Fox held Krystal in a crushing embrace and stayed with her in her mind, enduring the same mental anguish for what seemed like over an hour, which only faded towards the end when her world was reduced to a collection of large asteroids and rapidly cooling chunks of magma floating into space.

Kurisutaru stared vacantly out the front of her shuttle at what remained of her world, her entire race apparently wiped out. One of the larger asteroids tumbled nearby, blotting out the sun for a moment. In the brief darkness of her shuttle, she saw her reflection in the front window looking back with bloodshot eyes and blood trickling from her nose.

How long she sat there, she didn't know, but eventually, her gaze turned to the vastness of space, to the direction her world's assassin had fled. She would follow that heading, and seek out the answers to why her world was destroyed.

The memory of that terrible day faded back to the dark recesses of her mind and Krystal once again found herself in the present, sitting in front of Fox, whose eyes were bloodshot and full of heart-breaking pain.

"Oh Krystal, I am so sorry..."

"It's okay," she sniffed.

"No! It's not okay! It's horrible." Fox cried out. He could see that she was struggling to reign in her emotions. He was amazed she had not lost her sanity after enduring such a traumatic experience, but now feared for that sanity, knowing that it was not healthy to keep such emotional pain bottled up.

Krystal felt herself being drawn into her fiancé's arms, his hands caressing her against him. "I know how much you hurt, deep down. Please Krys, don't shut down on me. Don't keep all that grief inside you." The vixen shook her head, afraid of letting herself go.

"You've endured so much, been so alone all these years." Fox's voice was now breaking and sensing the grief well up inside him proved to be too much for Krystal. She looked into his pain-filled eyes with eyes equally full of grief, her lower lip quivering, and could no longer keep the dam from bursting.

The last survivor of Cerinia lunged forward into her soulmate's arms and wailed, burying her face against his chest while long-suppressed grief exploded out from the depth of her soul.

At the other end of ThornTail Hollow, Fox's and Krystal's friends all wept openly. Each felt the telepathic vixen's boundless grief flow through them. Again, it was Fay who was the most profoundly affected, her own wailing seemingly in synch with the vixen's. They then heard a male voice joining Krystal's and realized to their dismay that Fox was also howling out his grief for Krystal's people.

Their cries continued resonating down the Hollow, their voices a duet of monumental sadness, screaming to the heavens at the injustice of such an unparalleled tragedy. Tod and vixen held each other while their shared grief continued to pour out of them. Krystal wept bitterly at the terrible loss of her entire family and all her friends, and for the senseless murder of her people. And while Fox was deeply affected by his soulmate's grief, his heart also broke at the terrible loss of such a beautiful people. In visiting Krystal's memories of her youth growing up there, he had irrevocably fallen in love with Cerinia, its wondrous landscapes and vistas, and its people, and most of all her family: dear sweet, adorable little Shinju, warm and genial Sanshain, Shiokaze who would have become a second father to him, and the warm and beautiful Onikisu, who would also have adopted him into her family as a second son.

The two hearts did all they could to console each other's inconsolable grief. Eventually, the bottomless well that fed their tears began to dry out. They continued to be wracked with intermittent sobs heaving through them for some time, but emotional exhaustion finally started to overtake them. Reduced to sniffling, they fell asleep in each other's arms.

Peppy, Falco, Slippy, and the rest all sat around the campfire in the ensuing silence that filled ThornTail Hollow, their own tears drying. Falco looked around at the others and said in a raw voice, "And here I thought we were going to be having a wonderful time, partying all night before my friends' wedding tomorrow."

Peppy looked down in the flames of the dying fire and answered. "Krystal did say this would be an emotional experience for the two of them, but I have a feeling she underestimated how much it would be. It also doesn't look like she ever grieved for the loss of her world until now." The aging lagomorph looked around at his friends. Fay had cried herself to sleep in Bill's arms. The bulldog sat there holding his sleeping girlfriend, whining. Fara and Miyu still held each other, sniffling. Falco rested his beak on top of Katt's head while the two gazed blankly into the glowing embers of their campfire. Amanda and Slippy simply sat quietly and contemplated what had happened. Peppy gathered his daughter in his arms and comforted her while she continued to sniffle occasionally.

When Lucy began nodding off in his arms, Peppy gently helped her into their tent where she curled up and quickly fell asleep. He then announced, "I'm going to go check on them."

"Didn't Krystal say we shouldn't interfere?" Slippy asked.

"Yes, but I think they are done with what they were going through." Peppy replied. Without another word, Peppy slowly made his way up the hill towards the stone building that was the focal point for everything that had happened. At the threshold to the open doorway, he looked down to see Fox and Krystal sound asleep together with their heads on each other's shoulders, their arms, legs, and even tails tightly intertwined, blue and orange-brown fur blending together.

Reassured that they were alright, he quietly made his way back downhill to the campsite and informed everyone who was still awake, "They're fine. Looks like they cried themselves to sleep." Without another word, Peppy crawled into his and Lucy's tent and turned in for the night.