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Chapter 25: The Fifty-First Cerinian

Within a week, the construction on New Cerinia proper had begun. During nights, the small community of Cerinians would only sleep under tents. After years on a frozen, dry wasteland, sleeping under a blissfully warm, tropical sky was a balm to them. And most nights, the McClouds would join them. For Krystal and Fox, it was a homecoming in more ways than one. This was near to where they had their honeymoon, and for Krystal, it was the welcoming sense of community among her fellow telepaths. Within days, they had gotten to know each of them personally. The 49 Cerinians had become an extended family to both Fox and his bondmate. And with that familiarity and close friendship within the Cerinian community came more pronounced telepathic interactions. Even Fox rarely spoke out loud to any of them, feeling fully comfortable with mind-speaking almost all the time, often with multiple Cerinians at once, just like his bondmate.

Under their guidance, Fox and all 50 Cerinians helped the Lylatian construction crews lay down cobblestone paths through the coastal forests and the foundations for Cerinian style homes that would blend in with the surrounding trees. Bill, Fay, Falco, Katt, and Dash even chipped in by clearing the underbrush and debris off the forest floor. Though more time-consuming, the stone, concrete, and wood homes were being constructed to be in harmony with the forest that they would blend in with. It was beginning to remind Krystal of her home village of Nara.

Plans were underway to bring a larger fusion reactor to draw hydrogen from the ocean water and provide power when the growing town became larger. A small aqueduct was also under construction that would bring fresh water from the waterfalls in Cape Claw. Friendships were also established with the nearby LittleFoot Tribe. Fox and Krystal led hunting and fishing outings in Cape Claw to begin providing food for the settlement and help it on its way to self-sufficiency. Akina, who was a gardener and horticulturist, began surveying possible open fields to convert to small farms and orchards.

For Marcus, it was all a grand adventure. He took to chasing and catching small animals that were stirred up by the construction activity in the forest where New Cerinia was being built, climbing trees, or playing in the sand with his sister on the beach. He loved spending time with the other Cerinians as well. To him, it was essentially having a whole bunch of new aunts and uncles. Ophelia, who was still a toddler, in addition to playing with her big brother also amused herself in simpler things, like getting herself dirty making mud pies. Though she still mostly clung to her parents, the other Cerinians all took delight in fawning over the little telepathic vixen.

A week after their arrival, Fox and Krystal took their children to Cape Claw itself. While Krystal spent time with Ophelia in the shallows near the outer Ocean Temple, Fox took Marcus swimming at the base of waterfalls next to the temple. Seeing her bondmate have a father-and-son moment with their five-year-old pup warmed the vixen's heart. Truthfully, if it were not for the fact that Marcus would have no playmates his age where they were living now, she suspected that Fox would have been all for moving to New Cerinia permanently.

He had always been open to embracing the ways of her people, but this past week, he seemed to have gone native as their friends had jokingly said of him in the past. Even with other non-Cerinians around like himself, Fox had completely let go of any lingering nudity taboos and always wore a loincloth like every other Cerinian. He spoke and thought almost exclusively in Cerinian, so much so that he had picked up her people's accent. She had even caught him once writing notes in the flowing script of her language when taking measurements for one of the homes being built.

When Marcus began to tire from the vigorous swimming, Fox decided to take him to the front façade of the outer Ocean Temple. "Kurisutaru, would you like to spend some quiet time in the alcove between the Inner and Outer Temple?"

"That is a wonderful idea, Fokkusu. And we can let Makasu and Ofirian play in the shallow pools while we make love." Krystal thought back. She picked up her daughter and swam across to the front of the outer temple and through the gaping mouth of the Krazoa façade, catching up with her husband inside. A short walk later through winding, mossy passages, and they were back at the alcove, between the outer Ocean Temple and the inner Ocean Force Point Temple where they had consummated their marriage over six years ago.

When Krystal and Fox set their children down onto the soft sand, Marcus could already sense that special affection between his mother and father, and decided to explore this secluded area. "Come on, Ofiria. Let's play." And while their pups ran around and splashed in the small waterfalls and pools of water dotting the alcove, Fox made love to his soulmate, on the very spot where he had allowed himself to see her naked for the first time, deflowered her, and then made love to her over six years prior.

Husband and wife took comfort in the intimate pleasures that echoed back and forth in that familiar telepathic feedback loop. Their muzzled melded together with their tongues exploring each other's mouths. Hands freely roamed and caressed all the right areas. Breathing became heavy, filled with whines, whimpers, and cries of joy as Krystal's hips met each of her soulmate's thrusts. Their pleasure and passion continued to build, until with a final crescendo, Fox gave a final push, burying his knot into his vixen while both shuddered in orgasmic bliss.

As they transition into their shared afterglow, their breathing slowed and they sighed in sated contentment. Fox then rolled them over so that his vixen was on top of him and then sat up with her on his lap, tied to him by his knot. He then began trying to brush the sand out of her fur while she started doing the same. ** **** "We did not bring a blanket to lie on like we did our first time here."**

Fox mutely nodded while looking at the small pool the water cascading into it. Krystal giggled when she read his thoughts on the matter and wrapped her arms about his neck as he slid his hands under her to grip her rump. He then sprung to his knees and shuffled over to the cool water while holding his vixen against him. Under the cool, cascading water, they finished rinsing out their fur and then cuddled while waiting for Fox's knot to shrink.

They were still tied together when both of them heard footsteps echoing from the passage to the outer temple and Krystal sensed the minds of Bill and Fay. A moment later, they emerged. Fox and his vixen sat quietly and tried not to giggle while watching their friends walk down the steps, spot the discarded loincloths and bra, and then notice Marcus and Ophelia making sand castles nearby.

"Uh....Okay. This is unexpected." Bill quipped. Fay walked over and asked. "Hi there, Marcus. Do you know where your mama and papa are?"

Marcus, in his youthful innocence, simply point to where his parents were, and said. "Yes Aunty Fay. They are over there being happy and playing in the water."

Both dogs turned to look in their direction, saw Marcus' parents naked and still knotted together, and gaped at them. Neither Fox nor Krystal could hold it in any longer and burst into fits of giggles. Fox waved them over and said something in Cerinian while grinning to the dogs.

"Uh, Fox. We don't have our universal translators with us." Bill replied.

Fox blinked, paused, and repeated himself in Lylatian. "Come on over. These waterfalls are really nice and great for rinsing sand out of your fur, especially after making love."

Fay and Bill approached and sat down in the sand while cooling their feet in the water. Both were in light shirts and short pants, and did not want to get wet. "You two are unbelievable. Having sex while your children are playing nearby?"

"Believe me, Bill. I was a bit nervous about that after Marcus was born, but Kurisutaru explained to me that because Cerinian children are empathic, they sense it when their parents get intimate. It turns out that it really does not affect them negatively." Fox explained. Krystal added, "In their innate innocence, all they sense and understand is that their parents make each other happy."

"Was it like that for you too, Krystal?" Fay asked.

"Yes, one of my earliest memories was of mother and father making love. I was around two years old, and understood only that they loved each other." Krystal confirmed.

"Fox, I have to say that I've never seen you happier. You're really taking to this place. I'm half-expecting you to move here permanently." Bill observed.

"Well, this place is special to us." Fox replied. "We made love for the first time here on our wedding night."

"Wow! We had no idea." Bill exclaimed. "We thought you did it on the roof of the Ocean Temple like Tricky suggested."

Krystal laughed. "Oh no. It is way too high and there's no way up there." Her eyes softened and she smiled beatifically at the memory of her honeymoon. "This place is so much nicer, especially for our first time. It was evening and the whole alcove was aglow with fireflies."

"Ooh. That is so romantic!" Fay sighed.

"So what is this place?" Bill asked, pointing to the high structure at the other end of the alcove.

"That would be the Ocean Force Point Temple." Fox explained. "During the Sauria crisis. I had to retrieve from CloudRunner Fortress and Dragon Rock two SpellStones of Water and restore them in there. They and other SpellStones are what absorb the magical energies that would otherwise push this planet apart."

"So that's what was going on here." Bill exclaimed. He then eyed Krystal. "Given what happened to your people, I'm amazed you'd settle here."

"Well, the Krazoa have seen to it that what General Scales did would never happened again." Krystal assured them. "The SpellStones are now inaccessible to all but the Krazoa."

Just a moment before, Renjiro and Akina had come out of the passage through the outer Ocean Temple and had overhead the last part of the conversation between about the SpellStones as they approached the McClouds and their friends. The bonded couple were filled with a sense of unease. "Are you saying this world could end like Cerinia?!?"

Bill blinked and murmured to Fay, "Seems double speak is a married Cerinian thing."

Fox shook his head. "No. As Kurisutaru said, the SpellStones are out of any of our reach. I went through there to restore those stones after General Scales had taken them." he assured them. By then, his knot had softened and he pulled out Krystal. They then retrieved their loincloths and Fox helped Krystal put her bra back on. Fox then turned to his friends. "Follow me."

With him in the lead, they followed Fox up to the ladder to the upper platform and soon stood at the entrance to the Ocean Force Point Temple. The circular entrance itself was barred by an ancient metal grilled gate. The tod pointed to the large, five-sided impression in the raised floor section. "First of all, it takes a SpellStone to open this gate. Once inside, you'd find yourself going through a labyrinth of passages and water channels that would lead to a teleportation pad. I had Kurisutaru's staff at the time and had to use it to activate that pad. There would then be more passages to go through to get onto another pad before you could even get close to the SpellStones."

"Who is this General Scales, and how did he get past all these obstacles?" Renjiro asked.

Fox beckoned Krystal and their friends to follow him back down to the alcove where their children had stopped playing and were gazing up at them in curiosity. He then sat down on the steps leading to the outer temple and told them the story of how the old tyrannical leader of the SharpClaws had held Sauria hostage. He went on to relate how he restored their planet and confronted the general, only to find out that Scales was nothing but a pawn in Andross' scheme to revive himself.

"That is amazing." Renjiro exclaimed. "And that is when you avenged Cerinia for us. Thank you, Fokkusu."

"And further measures have been taken to prevent someone else from threating this world from within. A battalion of CDF marines now patrol Krazoa palace with the EarthWalkers to protect that place." Fox said. "Since the Aparoid war and the Anglar Blitz, there have also been CDF warships always patrolling in orbit of this world to protect the dinosaur races...and now New Cerinia as well."

Akina leaned her head against her soulmate and closed her eyes. "It is so reassuring to know that we now have a home where we can feel safe, after all the horrors we endured."

Krystal could sense the grief just below the vixen's exterior thoughts. "Were you also in orbit above our world when it exploded?"

Renjiro shook his head. "No, we were already some distance away, heading out of our star system when it happened." His voice then cracked with barely suppressed anguished, "but we were still close enough to hear their cries when they all died."

Fox's wife nodded and gently stroked her son's head. "Yes. I was in a geosynchronous orbit above Toba when it exploded, and saw the breakup of our world close up." There was a quiet sadness in her heart, but she was nonetheless at peace with herself, having already vented all her grief the night before she married her soulmate.

Renjiro and Akina were both horrified to learn of what Krystal had seen and endured, and amazed at the calm peacefulness of her emotions that they sensed in the vixen. "We all miss our families." Akina added. "It is only the thought that I and the other girls will soon be resurecting all of them through the children we will all bear that keeps us going." She then smiled to Marcus and Ophelia who were resting their heads on Krystal's lap. The two pups had sensed the melancholy from the adults and sought comfort in their mother's arms. Akina's heart had been warmed by the scene. "And it is a balm to my soul to see your adorable children, Kurisutaru."

Fox stroked his daughter's back. "Even though I did not lose my home world like you and my bondmate have, I still lost my own parents to Andross. Makasu and Ofiria are a balm to my own heart as well. I now get to have the family I never had before, and Kurisutaru once again has a family as well." He smiled when his daughter turned around and climbed onto his lap to rest her head on his shoulder. "I loved watching Makasu sit at Elder Hiroshi's feet while he taught my son about Cerinia's traditions. I found myself becoming your elder's student too."

Akina smiled to the tod with the odd, reddish brown fur. "You seem to have embraced our ways so much. You even dress like we do."

Bill laughed. "Akina, luv. Foxy here has gone native long before you and the rest of the Cerinians came along. Even at his home on Corneria, he acts more like a Cerinian than the rest of us." He grinned to his longtime friend and quipped. "I'm surprised you haven't dyed your fur blue yet. You're practically one of them."

Krystal then had a small epiphany. "Maybe that is what my mother meant."

Fox glanced down at his hands and smiled to himself when he read his soulmate's thought. Akina and her bondmate though could not see that thought as clearly as he did, and Bill and Fay were not telepaths. So Krystal elaborated on their unasked question. "Before I formed my telepathic bond with Fokkusu, we were visited by our parents in a shared dream."

Renjiro asked, "Is this the dream where you learned about us, where the spirit of your father foretold that Bill here would be the one who would find us?"

"Yes," Krystal confirmed. "I was so happy to learn that I was not the last of my race, to learn that I was in fact one of 50 Cerinians left. Mother though corrected me and said that I was one of 51 Cerinians."

Fox looked up from his pensive gaze of his hands and feet and replied to his vixen's thought. "And you think she was referring to me as that fifty-first Cerinian." Fox sighed. "I don't know.... Maybe.... I mean, I love the ways of your people, and have in fact fully embraced your culture and traditions. So, I can't disagree with Elder Hiroshi when he said I am a Cerinian at heart. But I am not of your blood, nor am I a telepath."

Renjiro laid a hand on Fox's shoulder and sent him a burst of brotherly affection while Fox gladly reciprocated by feeling positive emotions to be sensed by the empathic foxes around him. "Cerinian or no, Elder Hiroshi has decreed that you and your family are all citizens of New Cerinia."

Akina gazed down at the pups sitting with them. "I'm surprised your children to not bear the markings of your bondmate's home village, or of your bondmate's clan in the cause of your daughter."

Krystal looked down at her children, and then herself and the markings on her arms and thighs. Feelings of inadequacy and sadness mixed together as she confessed, "I.... I never had the chance to learn how to make the clan tattoos since mother died before she could teach me."

"It's alright. I'll teach you." Akina replied, sending a burst of sisterly love to the vixen, who reciprocated in kind.

Looking down at her son, Krystal asked him, "Would you like to have a pretty marking on your back like your mama?"

The exuberant pup that he was, who often wanted to imitate his parents, Marcus readily accepted his mother's offer, and asked. "Could I have some on my arms and leg too, like you Mama?"

The adults around laughed at the pup's eager enthusiasm. Krystal laughed gently. "Yes, when you are older." She pointed to her arms, and that of the other two Cerinians, each with their own markings. "You have to decide what you want to do when you grow up before you get a tattoo on your arms."

Fox then traced a finger on his bondmate's thigh and said to his son, "And you have to find that special lady you want to marry and have pups with before you get tattoos on your legs."

"Okay, Papa."

Bill got up, and helped Fay to her feet. "And I think we'll keep exploring this place."

"Just stay clear of the LightFoot village. They're rather protective of their territory." Fox advised.

*****

When the McClouds returned to the settlement, Akina talked to Hinode about getting some tyrosinase inhibitor, needles, and syringes. It took a call to the Nebula which was still in orbit around Sauria, and a few days for the fur pigment inhibitor in question to be delivered with the next cargo resupply ship that would arrive. Elder Hiroshi approved wholeheartedly when he found out the McCloud children would take on the markings of their mother's home, and clan in the case of Ophelia, and offered his assistance.

They were under a tent, just inside the edge of the forest, listening to the waves crash along the beach. Marcus was laying on his stomach on a padded table. Under Akina's guidance, Krystal carefully shaved the outline of the tattoo representing the village of Nara in the middle of her son's lower back. Fox ran his hand between Marcus' ears to keep him distracted from what was happening behind him. A minor worry nagged him at the back of his mind though. Would his son be able to sit still through the slightly stinging sensations of the pigment inhibitor being injected into the roots of his hair follicles?

Hiroshi though came to the rescue, having read the tod's mind. "Fokkusu, normally, the father would be there to telepathically suppress his offspring's discomfort, but since you do not have that ability, I'd be more than happy to cover for you in this duty."

Fox again was struggling with his own feelings of inadequacy among all these telepaths. Intermingled with those emotions were also feelings of relief and gratitude at the elder's offer. He stepped aside and gave the elder room. The aged vulpine placed fingers on each of Marcus' temples and nodded to the vixens behind the pup. With Akina coaching her along, Krystal carefully injected the tyrosinase inhibitor into the roots of the hair follicles where the fur had been shaved. It took an hour, but Marcus remained still during the whole procedure. A salve was then spread over the treated skin that would suppress any itching and cause the white fur to grow quickly over the next day.

Though she was too young to understand, Krystal and Fox both agreed that Ophelia should have the same marking on her back, as well as her clan tattoos on her thighs. The elder again suppressed the stinging sensation that the toddler would otherwise feel from the needle repeatedly injecting the pigment suppressant into the middle of her back and on her legs.

Marcus was naturally jealous of his sister for getting his mother's swirling pattern on her legs. When Fox saw his son pout, he ruffled his head fur and explained. "When your sister grows up and meets a nice tod to have pups with, he'll get the same markings too. You see, it is the boy who becomes part of the girl's family and gets her family's tattoos on his legs."

Fox glanced again towards Hiroshi while he kept Ophelia from feeling any discomfort while Krystal was finishing off. Hinode walked over and rested a hand onto Fox's shoulder. "Do not berate yourself in your lack of telepathic ability, Fokkusu. If anything, the fact that you would willingly endure your bondmate's birth pains without being able to suppress them engenders the highest of admirations among us tods."

Krystal had thankfully just finished injecting the last of the tyrosinase into her daughter when she heard Hinode's thought. Wide-eyed, she faced the tod and her bondmate. "Hinode, are you saying that Cerinian males can completely suppress their bondmate's pain when they give birth to pups?"

"Yes, that is the duty that we carry out for our bondmates. It is a technique passed on from father to son." Krystal, and especially Fox, were troubled by this revelation. "But make no mistake," Hinode mentally added, "If you had to give birth alone, your labor pains would have been twice as severe. It is a testament to your bondmate's love for you, Kurisutaru that he would willingly take on half of your labor pains, and has done so twice so far and is willing to go through it again."

Fox felt a convolution of emotions at the revelation, from feeling deeply touched by the affirmation from the Cerinian tods around him to pride that he had the fortitude to endure what no other male ever had. He also felt a brief lack of confidence from his inability to keep his bondmate from experiencing labor pains and met her eyes tentatively. That negative emotion barely had a chance to form in his mind. The love and passion smoldering in his vixen's eyes barely gave him time to brace for the powerful surge of adoration that overwhelmed him when she forcefully gripped his head in her hands and pressed her forehead against his.

All the Cerinians nearby turned and grinned at the sight of the non-telepathic tod willingly submitting himself to his bondmate's powers. They watched him whimpering happily as his legs began to give way under him and he crumpled to the ground under the loving assault of his vixen's telepathy. He had almost lost consciousness from the intense feelings of love that had surged through his very being. The experience drew out Fox's submissive side, and without considering who was nearby, he expressed his feeling for the vixen he often thought of as his mistress, "I love you with all my heart, Kurisutaru. Please, have your way with me."

They all heard Marcus say out loud, "Mama is going to give Papa very special loving." Ophelia gave a childish squeal of happiness. "Mama loves Papa!" To allow their parents room to physically express their love for each other without having to watch over their pups, Akina took the children's hands in hers and began to lead them away. "Want to come with Aunty and help her plant some flowers, vegetables, and fruit tree?" When Ophelia grew reluctant to be separated from her mother, Akina added, "You can make some mud pies too, Sweety."

Krystal smiled gratefully to the vixen who had volunteered to babysit her pups, especially when Ophelia yelled gleefully, "** Yay! Mud pies!!"** Seeing the others all wander away to give the lovers a modicum of privacy, Krystal drew the tent flap closed and forcefully dominated her willing slave. In a small community of telepaths, it was not possible for them to not be aware of the passionate emotions of love, surrender, and adoration coming from the tent. But being from a culture where open expressions of love were a normal part of life, they all tuned out Fox and Krystal's activities and went about their business in this nascent Cerinian village.

*****

It had been nearly a month since they had left Corneria for New Cerinia. A part of Fox was reluctant to leave. He had grown used to the constant telepathic murmur in the background of his mind. He also knew how much it meant to his bondmate and loathed to take her away from her people. There was the warm, tropical weather, fresh air, cool waters, and lush forests of the Cape Claw region. The Cerinians themselves were all genial and accepting. There was this sense of community that had made him feel welcomed. These were all things Fox had fallen in love with in Cerinia itself, things that were alive and well in on this world where the seed had been planted for the rebirth of their civilization. And their children also loved this place.

It was for their children that he had decided they needed to return to Corneria. Under Elder Hiroshi's tutelage, Marcus had begun to learn to read and write in his mother's language. He was learning about the history and many traditions of Cerinia. And though Ophelia was yet too young for schooling, Fox and Krystal knew that she would also be educated by Hiroshi. But both their parents felt that it was important that they learn of their Lylatian heritage. There were also Marcus' friends on Corneria: Oswald and Katherine Phoenix, Sean O'Donnell, Jennifer Caruso, and Ruby and Oliver Banks. All of them were children his age. And he would make more friends when he started school. In the coming year, there would be children born on New Cerinia, but they would be infants while Marcus would be by then six years old. These were all things Fox reminded his son when the pup began to protest against the idea of leaving.

Given that Star Falco had just finished a pirate hunting contract near Fortuna, the McClouds took the opportunity to hitch a ride back to Corneria with Falco and his crew. They stood with Hiroshi, and their four closest Cerinian friends, Hinode, Shinko, Renjiro, and Akina at the base of the dreadnaught's ramp. After saying their goodbyes to the two Cerinian couples, Krystal embraced the elder. "Thank you so much for everything, Elder."

The elderly fox brushed his fingers against Krystal's temples and sent her a burst of his fondness and gratitude. _"You and the spirits of your parents have my thanks as well, Kurisutaru. If not for you and the ones you sent, we would have lost all hope on that deserted planet we were marooned on." _ He then turned to her bondmate. "Fokkusu, though you have expressed regret that you had not been able to prevent the destruction of Cerinia, know this. Through your actions, you have contributed to the salvation of the Cerinian race. By providing the love and companionship a Cerinian telepath needs to survive, you saved your bondmate's life. And in marrying her, you set in motion the events that would lead to the rescue of the rest of us and of the Legacy, all making it possible for the birth of New Cerinia."

"Thank you, Elder Hiroshi. And I look forward to returning in a few months, when Kurisutaru is in estrus and ready to receive her part of the Legacy from her parents." Fox thought back while clasping the elder's hand in his.

With those final exchanges, Fox turned to Falco and his crew and spoke in Lylatian for the first time in weeks. "Thanks for coming over to give us a lift."

"Welcome back, Foxy." The avian said. "You too, Blue."

Krystal laughed at the old moniker. "Falco, you are going to have to come up with another nickname for me. There are a total of 52 of us blue-furred foxes now."

Katt eyed Fox and winked. "I was expecting there would be 53. I'm surprised you didn't get tattoos on you as well."

Fox sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "The thought of taking my wife's clan markings did occur to me, especially after my children got their tattoos, but it didn't seem right. I may be a citizen of New Cerinia, but I'm a Lylatian fox from Papatoon too. I can't ignore that part of me either."

Krystal kissed her husband on the cheek. "You may not bare my clan's tattoos, but all here recognize you to be a member of my clan anyhow."

"Well, all aboard, everyone." Falco declared.

Together, they walked up the ramp and into the Great Falcon. As usual, Falco and his crew went up to the bridge to prepare for liftoff. The McClouds went to their quarters. Even after six years, Falco still kept reserved Krystal's old quarters for them for those times they traveled aboard. The only difference is that a small bed and a crib had been added for Marcus and Ophelia. Fox and his family stripped themselves of their Cerinian attire and put on Cornerian clothing: Fox and Marcus in pants, shirts, and shoes, Krystal in a blouse and skirt, and Ophelia in a toddler's dress.

Falco once again invited them to the bridge just before liftoff. Fox had in the past preferred to not do so, deferring to the Star Falco crew as this was their ship for now. But Marcus was again feeling glum at the idea of leaving. To cheer his pup up, Fox decided to accept Falco's invitation. So for the first time in over six years, Fox stepped off the lift with his wife and stood on the bridge of the dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser formerly known as the Great Fox. With them this time was Ophelia, who was too young to grasp what she was seeing, and a wide-eyed Marcus taking it all in.

"Hey, glad you finally made it," Falco said while turning around in his command seat to see the McClouds make their appearance, "and fully dressed for once too." He quipped when he saw Fox fiddle with his shirt.

The tod grumbled. "Overdressed if you ask me."

From the helm, ROB-64 turned to Fox and said in that monotone voice. "Welcome aboard, Captain McCloud."

Fox waved back to the droid, but corrected it. "Just Fox McCloud, ROB. Falco is your captain." He then grinned to Dash, who sat at the ship's tactical station. "Good to see you're keeping the ship safe."

"As always, Fox." Dash's smile turned into a gaping expression of surprise when Marcus called out. "Hi, Uncle Dash!"

Falco cawed in laughter. "I've heard of the expression, 'monkey's uncle' but it's looking like this time, the monkey is the uncle! Congratulations, Dash!"

Dash rolled his eyes at the racial joke. "If that is the case, then Marcus is a monkey's nephew."

Fox reached down and ruffled his son's head fur. "I guess he is." He then grinned to Katt. "Still keeping Falco out of trouble?"

"Always" the pink feline purred.

"Of course. We have each other's six." Falco affirmed.

Fox also waved to Fay. "Good job keeping the ship in shape."

"Oh absolutely." Fay replied with pride. "After all, it might belong to that cute little pup of yours one day."

Fox quickly diverted the conversation to his son's possible future by mentioning other possibilities. "Well, he still has many years to decide. I'd be just as proud of him if he chose to be a healer, an engineer, or even a banker."

"Aw come on, Foxy. Don't you want him to carry on the Star Fox mantle?" Falco asked.

Fox and Krystal both shook their heads. "Falco, when I took on Dad's legacy, we were at war against Andross. I was driven with a desire to avenge my parent's death and defend Lylat from that monster. Marcus does not and hopefully never will have that burden. We fought in those wars so our children could be free to choose. So neither Krystal nor I will push him to follow in my footsteps."

"Yeah. I can respect that." Falco conceded and then turned around to face forward. "Okay crew, let's get this show on the road and back to Corneria for some R&R."

Fox tuned out the commands and bridge chatter and picked up his son, placing the pup on his shoulders where he could see everything. It was as they were ascending that Krystal, Marcus, and Ophelia grew very quiet. Fox soon became aware of why through his mental bond with his wife. The telepathic background murmur of the New Cerinia community had faded from their awareness. It was just the four of them again.

He turned to his vixen and leaned his forehead against hers. "Are you going to be alright?"

Krystal sighed and nodded, taking comfort in her soulmate's love and thought to both Fox and Marcus, who was resting his head on the top of his mother's. "We'll all be fine. We have each other, and we'll be back here in a few months."

Above the background thoughts of the bridge crew, Fox heard Fay think from her engineering station. "I hope they're alright. They look homesick for New Cerinia already." He replied to the spaniel girl. "Yeah, we'll be okay, Fay. It's just that we can no longer hear the minds of the Cerinians down there. Krystal and I still have each other and our children."

Together, they watched Sauria drop further and further below them as they ascended up into space. Fox contemplated on how his life had changed over the years. He thought of the life he used to lead as a mercenary, going from one battle to the next, and all the danger and excitement that went with it. And he pondered the life he had now: husband, father, devoted slave, and Cerinian at heart. Krystal also had thoughts similar to her soulmate's. First she was a guardian, then a mercenary, and now a wife, mother, and adoring mistress, and most of all, no longer the last of her race. Both were filled with an optimistic hope for the future of their children and the happy life they would get to experience.

When they reached orbit, the McClouds turned back to the lift, with Fox waving back to their friends. "See you guys in a bit after we've broken orbit."

The return trip to Corneria was a quiet, relaxing one. Word had also reached them that the news about the Cerinian survivors had finally gone public. Fox had even received a message from Walter Kent asking him if he'd be willing to give an interview. Krystal replied that she'd get in touch with the news hound when they were back home.

On the Great Falcon, things seemed different in a way that neither Fox nor Krystal could pin down though. The random thoughts from Falco, Katt, Fay, and Dash seemed louder, more clear to Krystal. She could also sense their emotions more strongly. When they were gathered in the ship's galley for dinner, He turned to his wife and mentally asked, "Have your powers gotten stronger?"

"I don't think so, but I am having more difficulty screening out their thoughts. I...I think I've even picked up on private thoughts without meaning to." Krystal blushed under her facial fur after hearing some sexual thoughts Katt had regarding Falco, which Fox naturally heard as well.

He focused on his bondmate to drown out the hubbub of random thoughts from their friends. "Could our time on New Cerinia have put you out of practice in keeping random private thoughts from intruding into your mind?"

"But that doesn't make sense. Even among us Cerinians, we have certain private thoughts that we keep to ourselves and do not read." Krystal frowned. "I had no problem avoiding reading such thoughts from others around us down there."

Throughout the rest of the ship's day cycle, Fox and Krystal did their best to ignore the excessive random thoughts they were hearing from their friends. But no matter how much Krystal focused, she seemed to be unable to screen out the multiple, overlapping thoughts from Falco, Katt, Fay, and Dash. As a pretext for wanting to begin adjusting themselves to Corneria City local time, Fox and Krystal wished Falco and his crew a good night and turned in early.

Once Ophelia had been put to bed in her crib, Krystal joined her son in meditating. In the quiet of their quarters, the mental cacophony had abated. After she had tucked Marcus in bed, Krystal joined her soulmate under the sheets. "This is really odd. Marcus doesn't seem to have any problems screening out all these random thoughts as I had taught him."

"Perhaps your telepathy will be better after a good night's sleep." Fox thought back.

"Maybe..." Though Krystal was not convinced. Something odd was going on. She could only hope she'd be able to figure it out before their return journey ended.

Their shared dream was the strangest they had ever had. In the gloom of the Captain's quarters, Fox and Krystal at first thought they were dreaming about making love. Fox was thrusting into his feline mate with wild abandon. He gripped her hips with his feathered hands. Krystal purred and mewled, arching her back to raise her rump up against Falco's thrust. Her claws extended and splayed. It was taking all her will not to dig them into the mattress again. She cried out and hissed when Falco gripped her in the nape of her neck with his beak. Suddenly, they paused. Falco then said, "Someone's here in the room with us."

Katt herself growled, not liking the idea of some voyeuristic interloper invading her private time with her captain. Falco reached over to the nightstand and turned on the light. Fox saw beneath him Katt's pink fur. Krystal looked back and gasped, seeing Falco atop her upturned rear. Fox and Krystal awoke with a start, rolled frantically away from each other, and fell out of their bed. When they raised their heads to peer across the mattress to see themselves in their eyes, they sighed in relief. Both were unnerved when they heard Falco's and Katt's thoughts loudly in their minds from across the hall in the captain's quarters.

"What the hell? For a moment, it felt like Fox and Krystal were in bed with us!" Falco exclaimed.

"Could it be that..." Katt began to ask but then heard the door to the McCloud's quarters open and two sets of feet run down the hallway.

Wordlessly, Falco and Katt got dressed and went to investigate. They found Fox and Krystal huddled together naked in the ship's lounge. Both looked shaken and out of sorts. Falco and Katt approached the couple and sat across them. "Okay. What's going on?" the avian asked.

Krystal met Falco's eyes, but quickly averted his gaze, afraid she'd accidently pick up more of his thoughts. "Fox and I were dreaming together as we often do, but something went wrong...." She bit her lip and asked, "Were you... mounting Katt from behind?"

"Yes, actually, I was." Falco's eyes narrowed.

"Oh Spirits! What is wrong with me!?" Krystal cried out while gripping her head, feeling deeply agitated.

"Are you saying that you what? Dreamed you were us?" asked Katt.

"I think that somehow, when we were dreaming, we ended up in your minds while you two were mating." Krystal placed her forehead in her hands, feeling utterly mortified. "I am so, so sorry. That never happened before, even when you two spent the night at our home."

"We'll call Elder Hiroshi in the morning and ask him if he knows what might be going on with Krystal's powers." Fox said. He himself was unable to look at his friends, just as deeply embarrassed as his wife. "Could you guys get us some of our clothes and bed sheets? I think Krystal and I should sleep here for the rest of the night, away from crew quarters."

"Sure thing" Katt assured them. She did not know if she should be amused or embarrassed by the thought that Krystal was in her mind while Falco was pounding into her. While she went to get them a set of clothing and bedsheets from their quarters, Falco sat there and shook his head. "That was the weirdest thing I've ever felt." He eyed Fox and asked, "Were you actually in my head while I was humping my girl?"

Fox nodded, feeling deeply ashamed. "We are so sorry, Falco. We never meant to invade your privacy like that."

"Ah heck, Fox. I'm not angry with either of you. Weirded out, yeah, but not mad."

The moment Fox looked up and met his friend's eyes, he saw flashes of Falco's thoughts going through his mind._ "Damn. Those two are really messed up. Where is Katt? She shouldn't be taking so long. I really want to get back in bed with her."_ Fox quickly broke eye contact and muttered, "Crap." He laughed mirthlessly. "I guess we are messed up."

"Heard that, didn't you?" Falco rhetorically asked, finding himself both amused by his friends' embarrassment and sympathetic with their predicament.

"Sorry..."

Just then, Katt returned with the clothes and bedding. "Sorry for the delay. I was just checking in on your pups. They look to be still sound asleep."

Neither Fox nor Krystal looked up. Both were now very reluctant to make eye contact with Falco and Katt. "Thanks for understanding, guys."

"I'm quite sure you'll have your powers sorted out soon, Krystal." Katt assured.

Falco stood up and took Katt's hand in his. "Goodnight, you two."

"Goodnight." Once they were gone and their empathic awareness of their friends had faded, Fox and Krystal began to relax. Having made their bed, they snuggled together tightly upon the lounge sofa for reassurance and soon drifted off into a fitful slumber.

The next morning, Marcus and Ophelia awoke to find their parents missing. When his little sister began to whimper for their mother, he got out of bed and lowered the crib bars. After helping Ophelia out, Marcus took her hand and led her out into the hallway while he mentally called out, "Mama? Papa?"

Just then, Fay stepped out of her quarters to find the two pups, wandering alone in the hallway in just their fur. She crouched down to bring herself at eye level with them and asked, "Are you lost? Are you looking for your mama and papa?"

"Yes Aunty Fay." Marcus replied. Ophelia whimpered. "I want my Mama."

"Awww. I'll help you find them."

At that moment, Katt and Falco stepped out of their quarters. Their avian captain and friend then told Fay about the previous night. "Seems like Krystal has lost control of her powers and is accidently reading everyone's minds now."

"Oh dear. Is she going to be okay?" Fay fretted.

Falco sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Hopefully. She was rather shaken up. You know how she is about respecting everyone's privacy."

"Yeah. I remember how she got drunk once, and read Bill's private thoughts about me. The next morning, the poor dear was so broken up about violating his mental privacy. Where are they now?"

"They're sleeping in the lounge. You can bring their pups there. Just don't look Krystal in the eyes if you're thinking of something you want to keep to yourself."

"Maybe seeing her pups will cheer her up."

"I'm sure it will. And If I have to, I'll turn this ship around and take them back to New Cerinia to get Krystal sorted out." Falco promised. "But for now, I'll be on the bridge. Meet us there once you've delivered Marcus and Ophelia to their parents."

"Right." Fay picked Ophelia up, immediately feeling the telepathic pup's anxiousness and hearing her thoughts in her head. "I want my Papa. I want my Mama."

Having previous experience with Marcus' telepathy, Fay was able to cope with Ophelia's emotions and thought back to the pup. "Don't worry, Sweety. Aunty Fay will take you to your mama and papa." She gazed down at Marcus and smiled. "Come on, let's go find your parents."

Just as they arrived, Krystal woke up. Seeing their mother, Marcus ran into her awaiting arms. Fay walked up to them and placed Ophelia on Fox's lap, smiling and wagging her tail at the endearing sight. She knelt in front of the vixen, who refused to look her in the eyes. So Fay took one of Krystal's hands in hers. "Falco told me you were having issues with your powers. But please, don't be afraid to make eye contact with me. You know already how Bill and I feel about you two, and how close we've become to the two of you."

"I... I just don't want to invade your privacy, Fay." Krystal replied quietly.

"Oh please!" Fay playfully mocked her friend. "You've been in my head plenty of times. You know how Bill and I are at ease with your telepathy. Heck, you've seen some of Bill's fantasies about me, and mine are just as juicy. We've seen you two being intimate together just as you've seen my boyfriend hump me."

Both Fox and Krystal looked up to meet Fay's eyes, full of compassion, and a mischief that reflected the thoughts behind her eyes. "Fay was looking up at Bill with affection while she deep throated her boyfriend who cradled her head to show his appreciation." Krystal gasped at the image she saw in Fay's mind. Any protests and embarrassed apologies were almost immediately quelled when she and Fox sensed the mirth coming from the spaniel. Fay was deliberately letting them see that memory! "Fay! You tease!" Krystal laughed. "You wanted us to see that, didn't you?"

Fay leaned forward and gave Fox and Krystal each a sloppy canine kiss on their cheeks. "Yes, and the next time you see Bill, you can tell him that I fantasize about giving him a blowjob." Her eyes widened when she heard Fox's laughter in her head with that of Krystal's.

Krystal sensed her astonishment and read her thoughts. Fox and Krystal in turn became bewildered. "Fay... That should not be possible. Fox is not capable of broadcasting his emotions to others. He's never showed any telepathic or empathic abilities."

Fay simply shrugged. "I wouldn't know. Truthfully, I've only felt his emotions once before."

"You have!? When!?" Krystal, along with Fox, then saw Fay's memory. It was the afternoon after the Senate hearing on the question of telepathy in Lylat society. They were all gathered in the basement recreation room at the McCloud home. It was an affirmative celebration of life and love. Fox was making love passionately to his wife while Bill, Falco, and Panther also partook in the joys of their respective partner's flesh. In the throes of all their passions, they had felt Fox's powerful emotions of love and joy when he reached his own peak within the warm, pleasurable embrace of his wife.

Krystal and Fox broke eye contact with Fay. She and her husband looked at each other, completely shocked by the revelation. "How is this possible?" Fox thought anxiously. "I've never been able to read anyone's mind except yours through our bond."

"It shouldn't be possible." Krystal thought back. She then turned to Fay. "We need to contact Elder Hiroshi back on Sauria."

Fay nodded. "Right. Let us know what he says. Falco will want to know if he needs to turn the ship around to take you guys back to New Cerinia. I need to head up to the bridge. We'll be landing in Corneria City Spaceport in a few hours."

"We'll keep you guys appraised." Fox promised.

With the Great Falcon's crew far above on the bridge, Fox and his family returned to their quarters and opened a comm channel to Sauria. Unfortunately, Elder Hiroshi was not at his comm. So they could only leave him an urgent message. They took the time to pack their belongings and returned together to the ship's forward lounge. As they sat together watching Corneria rotate below them, Fox thought to his soulmate. "Kurisutaru, could it be that I'm becoming a telepath? Maybe this uncontrolled telepathy is coming through me."

"I don't see how that could be possible, Fokkusu. In all the time I've known you, you never showed any signs of having such abilities." She gazed down at their children._ "You are born a telepath like I and our children were, or you are not."_

Fox grew pensive and searched his wife's memories. "And it's never happened in all of Cerinia's history that someone became a telepath when they were not born as one."

"That is correct. There had been some rare cases where children were born without any mental abilities. Even after they grew to adulthood, the abilities never manifested in them." Krystal pondered over their unusual situation. "Something mysterious is going on here. I'm wondering if this has something to do with your ability to use a Cerinian staff."

"I guess we can only wait for Elder Hiroshi to return our message."

They had all disembarked from the Great Falcon. While the ground crew swarmed about the dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser to repair, resupply, and refuel it, The McClouds and the Star Falco crew made their way to the gate leading to the spaceport itself. Krystal looked down and avoided eye contact with anyone they walked by. She had erected the strongest mental barriers she could, to the point that she should have been no longer aware of their friends who were walking behind her and her family.

Yet, over the comforting mental presence of her soulmate, she could sense Falco, Katt, Fay, and Dash. Both Krystal and Fox grew anxious as they approached the gate. It was when a large throng of disembarking passengers exited an adjacent gate that things grew terrifying and that Krystal realized that the impossible had seemingly happened.

Fox watched this large group of people go by in front of him and immediately heard their thoughts.

"That was such a wonderful trip...."

"Fortuna is so beautiful! Those trees were so tall, and that river so clear!"

"I don't care what others think. I'm never going back to that resort. The service was atrocious!"

"I want my doll..."

"She's so sexy. I need to ask her out. I hope she says 'yes'..."

"Where did I leave my wallet? Dammit..."

And atop this cacophony of thoughts came a turbulent storm of emotions buffeting Fox's mind. More thoughts and emotions assaulted his brain and became so loud in his mind that he could no longer hear or sense his soulmate. Fox staggered and sank to his knees. Sheer terror gripped him. He pressed his hands to his temples and cried out, "It's too much....too much....MAKE IT STOP!!!!"

Passing passengers turned upon hearing Fox cry out and gawked at the sight of the famed retired Star Fox leader on his knees, with his eyes closed and his hands gripping his head. Before anyone could capture an image of Fox in such a state of distress, the door to the gate slammed shut on its own, and did so with such force that it buckled and partially came off of its hinges. Beside herself with disbelief, Krystal knelt down in front of her terrified soulmate, covered his hands with hers over his temples, and erected a mental barrier between his mind and the outside world.

Suddenly, Fox's head was enveloped in a blissful mental silence where the voices no longer pressed against his mind. His panicked breathing slowed. He then opened his eyes and took refuge in his vixen's deep blue eyes. "Krystal... What.... What's happening to me?"

"I don't know, Fox. This should not have been possible. Non-telepaths simply do not suddenly manifest telepathic abilities.... But somehow, you did, Fox. You're a telepath." Krystal then gazed up at Falco. "It's taking all my mental strength to shield Fox's mind and my own from all the thoughts of the huge crowd beyond the gate. We need to go to the quietest corner of this spaceport, as far away as possible from everyone."

"Right! Let's get out of here."

Fox shakily got to his knees with Krystal still pressing her hands against his temples. She then briefly released her grip on his head just long enough to stand behind him and re-established the mental barrier. With Falco leading the way back towards the Great Falcon, Fox and Krystal walked in step while she kept her frightened soulmate's mind shielded. Once they were out of view of the gate exit, Falco placed a call. "This is Falco Lombardi, captain of the Great Falcon. I need to speak to General Hare. This is an emergency."

Being well known as he was, Falco was almost immediately put through to the CDF's commanding general's office. "Peppy here. What's going on, Falco. Is everyone alright."

"Everyone's fine, except Fox.... Look, I can't go into the details over an open comm. We need to be secluded at the remotest corner of the whole CDF base and spaceport complex, as far away from everyone else as possible."

"There's a bunker at the far end of the airfield. I'll send a ground van to pick you up."

Falco glanced to Krystal, who nodded and said. "That'll work, but tell the driver to leave the vehicle. Falco will drive us there. The less people there are around us, the better."

"Alright, but I'll be meeting you there, and I'm not taking 'no' for an answer." Peppy replied before closing his comm's connection. He was about to begin placing a few calls, but then changed his mind and instead got up and walked out of his office, telling his secretary, "Cancel all my meetings this afternoon..." before walking out without waiting for an answer.

Walking by the ground crew milling about the Great Falcon, the group made their way to the service road that went by the ship. To their surprise, they were met by Peppy Hare himself who was driving the van. The general eyed Fox anxiously, seeing Krystal's hands pressed firmly against the tod's head. Fox himself kept his head down and would not look at anyone.

Once the McClouds and the Star Falco team were aboard, he drove them along the perimeter road until they reached a lone bunker at the far end that had not been in use since the Lylat War against Andross. Once inside, they made their way to small conference room. Krystal leaned against her soulmate and sent a burst of reassuring love to help calm him. "Okay Fox. I'm going to lower the mental barrier. Now you may begin to sense their emotions, but it is just our friends here. Just keep your eyes closed and take slow, deep breaths. I'll do the explaining for you and let you sit quietly with Marcus."

"Okay..." was all Fox could think, still feeling overwhelmed by the unnerving experience.

With Peppy and the Star Falco crew watching, Krystal slowly drew her hands away. Fox briefly shivered when his friends' concern began to press against his mind, but quickly calmed. He was already familiar with their mental impressions through his vixen's telepathy. All that was different now was that he was sensing them first hand. Krystal then turned to son. "Marcus, Ophelia, stay with your father. He'll be needing all your love. I know it looks scary, but I promise you that he'll be alright."

"Yes, Mama." he replied and walked around to face his father. When Fox sensed his son, his arms quickly wrapped around the pup who returned the embrace, sensing his father's need for comfort. Ophelia then joined her brother and father in the group hug.

Krystal led the group outside the conference room and down a short hallway to an empty kitchen. She then addressed Falco, Katt, Fay, and Dash. "Thank you for covering for us, all of you. As some of you may have guessed, Fox appears to have manifested telepathic abilities."

Peppy's jaw dropped at the unexpected revelation. "Fox, a telepath?"

"Krystal, does this have to do with your loss of control of your own abilities during our return trip?" Falco asked.

"No. In fact, now that I have an idea of what is going on, I realize that I never lost control of my telepathy." Krystal began pacing back and forth in front of her friends. "As most of you know, Fox and I share all six senses. Ever since our wedding, Fox has been able to experience my telepathy and empathy through our mental bond." She then nodded towards Falco and his crew. "So when he started randomly sensing your emotions and hearing your thoughts, we thought it was through my mental powers."

"So last night, when I was having sex with Katt, it was Fox who was accidently reading our minds while you two were dreaming?"

"Yes. We thought at the time that I had lost control of my powers and ended up in your minds, with Fox seeing what I was seeing through our mind link, but it seems that the reverse was true." She then stopped and turned to face her friends. "The one big difference is that Fox has never had telepathic training, including being able to keep himself from inadvertently reading your thoughts and shield his mind from the throng at the gates."

Katt gasped. "Damn. No wonder he freaked out. His mind was being bombarded by the thoughts of all those people walking by."

"And their emotions." Krystal added. "That is why I had us brought here, away from everyone else."

Fay whimpered, "That is awful... Maybe we should go away too and...."

Krystal interrupted her friend and shook her head. "No. It's alright. Through his bond with me, he already knows all your minds. Just be aware that if you look him in the eyes, he'll hear your every thought without being able to filter out ones that you'd want to keep private."

"Do you think he became telepathic because of prolonged contact your people on New Cerinia?" Peppy asked.

Krystal closed his eyes and sighed. "Maybe....but it still does not make sense. A non-telepath simply should not be able to develop mental powers like that." She then nodded to herself. "Fox does not want it widely known that he's become a telepath. Peppy, would you set up a comm channel with the highest priority and level of encryption? We need to have a private conversation with Elder Hiroshi as soon as possible."

"Of course. I'll do anything I can for my boy." Peppy promised.

Alone with his pups in the conference room, Fox clung to Marcus and Ophelia. Away from the ocean of minds that had threatened to drown him, his son and daughter had become his anchor that kept his frazzled nerves from fraying apart. Marcus had never seen or sensed such fear in his father. The little pup had always known him to be calm, reassuring, and loving before this day, and it left him feeling troubled. "Papa? Why are you scared?"

Fox had always taken pride in being there for his son, of being a tower of strength, ready to love and protect his children. But in this moment, he now understood why Krystal had told their pups to stay with him. In this moment, he felt deeply vulnerable and mentally reached out to his son whose love and reassurance he needed. "Marcus...I'm scared because I suddenly find myself being able to hear what people around us are thinking and feeling."

"But Papa, Mama and I can do that. We're not scared...." Marcus and Ophelia pressed themselves into their father's embrace, both with an instinctive desire to not want their father to be sad or scared.

"I know, Marcus....But you have to understand, your mother taught you how to control your telepathy, just like she learned to control her powers when she was little." Fox convulsively gave his children a squeeze. The burst of childish love from his pups helped their father to continue. "But before today, I was not a telepath. So I never had to learn how to block out the thoughts of strangers. Imagine being near all those people at the gate, and having your head filled with all the things they were thinking."

Finally understanding the gravity of his father's plight, Marcus began to cry and wanted desperately to protect and help him. "Oh Papa. Don't be afraid. I'll teach you just like Mama showed me." When he felt Marcus this time actually project his love into his mind, it was Fox who felt like a pup and took comfort in his son's mental and physical embrace.

It was during this tender moment that Krystal walked back into the conference room with Falco, Katt, Fay, and Dash, standing back to give their friend space. They watched the vixen bring a chair around to sit facing her husband. Fox looked up from his children's embrace to give his wife a watery smile. "Thank you for placing me in Marcus' care."

"I knew you needed him." Krystal then leaned forward and meshed her muzzle against his in a slow kiss that expressed all the love and reassurance that she was projecting into his mind. When their muzzles parted, Fox felt calm and safe. His vixen then spoke out loud. "Peppy is setting up a direct comm channel to New Cerinia. Elder Hiroshi will be waiting to talk to us."

Fox nodded and got up. When he saw that their friends standing at the doorway, he immediately averted their gaze and looked down at the floor. "I'm okay, guys... And I'll do my best to not accidently read your minds."

"It's okay, Foxy." Falco reassured his friend. "We'll be heading back to the Great Falcon. I'm thinking that we'll need to take you back to New Cerinia for some mind reading lessons."

"Heh...You might be right. I'll definitely need telepathic training." Fox uncontrollably sent an erratic burst of gratitude towards the avian, who gasped in surprise. "Oh damn. Sorry. I don't even know how I did that."

"It's okay.... It was actually nice to feel that from you. I'll take that as a 'thank you.' See you guys in a little while." Falco waved to them and left with his crew in tow.

Feeling somewhat hopeful, Fox found a silver lining to his predicament and thought to Krystal as they left the conference room with their children. "I guess I'll finally be able to learn how to project my love into your head." Her gentle laughter lifted his spirits even further. "Awww. I know you will."

When they entered the bunker's old command center, they found Peppy waiting for them at a terminal. "Elder Hiroshi is on."

Fox smiled to his old mentor, and then immediately heard his thoughts. "Damn....I really hope General Striker doesn't find out about this, wherever that bastard is hiding. The last thing I need is for him to try going after Fox to find out how he became a telepath. I've got to intensify our search for that fugitive."

"I wouldn't worry about Striker, Peppy. I'll most likely be protected by 50 Cerinians and the Krazoa soon." When he saw the surprised expression on the lagomorph's countenance, Fox felt the heat rise to his face and looked down at his feet. "Damn. You were thinking instead of saying that.... Sorry Peppy."

"Don't worry about it. It's why I also doubled the number of ships patrolling around Sauria. We're not going to let anything happen to the Cerinians or you and your family." He then gestured to the chairs in front of the terminal.

When the McCloud family was seated, with Ophelia on her mother's lap, Krystal started, "Good day, Elder. Have you been appraised of the situation with my bondmate?"

"Yes. He explained to me that Fokkusu has manifested telepathic and empathic abilities."

"That is correct. I believe his powers started just after we left New Cerinia. Could the prolonged telepathic interactions with our people during our month with you have made him a telepath?"

Hiroshi shook his head. "No. That is not possible. One has to be a telepath from birth." At this point, Hinode came into view and gave his initial assessment. "There have been in our past rare cases of Cerinians born without any abilities who then had non-telepathic children, who in turn had children who appeared to initially be non-telepathic, but turned out to be latent telepaths." Hinode then addressed Fox. "Fokkusu, could any of your Lylatian ancestors have been telepaths? If that were so, it would explain your situation. If you carried the latent gene within you, that part of your brain that controls telepathy would have simply been dormant. Then telepathic interactions with our people would have awakened an ability that was already within you."

Fox shook his head. "I don't know. I never even knew my grandparents and never kept records of my ancestors."

At this point Peppy, who had been listening in to the Cerinian conversation with his universal translator, stepped into the conversation. "We do have archival records going back over a 1000 years. We could carry out genealogical research into Fox McCloud's ancestry to see if there are any telepaths."

"That would be helpful in determining why he has these powers." Hinode affirmed. Hiroshi nodded but then focused on Fox, "but it does not change the fact that you will need training to manage your abilities, Fokkusu. Your bondmate can get you started with the rudimentary skills, such as meditation"

"Why can she not teach me everything else?"

"Your telepathic bond with Kurisutaru would prevent you from learning some of the skills. You cannot block each other out of your minds, for example. So you'd never be able to learn mental defense techniques from her."

"You have a point. We'd be inside each other's mental barriers." Fox conceded. "I guess it is a good thing that I have a Cerinian Elder to go to for this."

"Precisely. I will make preparations to start your training the moment you arrive."

Peppy at that moment spoke up. "There is one more thing I need to bring up, Elder." He then glanced toward Krystal's husband. "Fox, when you were at the gate and hearing all those minds, what were you thinking?"

"What do you mean?" Fox asked, feeling a shiver go down his back when he recalled the terrifying experience. "All I wanted was for the voices to go away."

"Anything else? Was there anything besides that? This is important." Peppy pressed his friend.

Fox tried to think back to that moment where it had felt the world was trying to crowd into his head. "I wanted to shut them all out."

"And how were you going to shut them out?"

"I....I wanted to shut the door to the gate. I had hoped that it would shut all those voices out of my head."

Krystal gasped with a dawning realization. "The gate....It did slam shut just before I was able to shield Fox's mind."

Peppy nodded and brought up a security camera recording that he also transmitted to Hiroshi and Hinode. In it, they could see Fox on his knees, crying out with his hands pressed against his head. In front of him, the door suddenly slammed shut and dented inward, almost coming off its hinges. The room was silent as the implications of what was being viewed made its impact.

Krystal then saw an old coffee cup on a nearby terminal. Retrieving it, she placed it on an empty chair next to them. "Fox, I want you to focus on that cup. Then with your mind, will that cup to be pushed off into the back of the chair."

Fox was not certain he wanted to try. He became uneasy. Did he want to have to deal with yet another mental power? "Fox, I can feel your nervousness, but it is better that we find out now. If you are able to do telekinesis, it will be critical that you learn to control it." Fox sighed and nodded. He directed all his attention on the cup and tried to push it. At first, it did not move. He then remembers what Krystal had said about her two telekinetic episodes. She had shoved their assailants with her will. Fox focused his will upon the cup, and gave it a strong shove.

The chair and empty coffee cup were suddenly sent flying back, crashing against the far wall, with the cup shattering against the back of the chair. Hinode and Hiroshi were stunned. The elder then made his pronouncement. "Return to New Cerinia at once, Fokkusu. Without proper control, this power can be extremely dangerous to both yourself and those around you."