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Chapter 27: Going Native

If it had not been for the love of her children and moral support from Slippy, Amanda, and the rest of the Cerinian community, Krystal could not imagine having been able to cope with her separation from her soulmate. Fox's absence had left a gaping hole in her soul. It had taken her three days before she could bring herself to eat again. That first evening after her bond with Fox had been severed, she had cried herself to sleep and had awoken screaming from a nightmare in the middle of the night. Meditation to be able to dream lucidly had become a necessity in order to preserve her sanity.

Marcus and Ophelia also woke up crying in the middle of the night from their own bad dreams those first two nights. It took their mother actively planting pleasant dreams into their sleeping minds to allow them to sleep peacefully. Though all three dearly missed Fox, they had by the end of the week adjusted to his absence. Having finished the installation of all the medical equipment within the Legacy building, Slippy and Amanda took the time to get to know Krystal's pups. Her children were intensely fascinated with the two amphibians.

During that time, her four closest friends, Hinode, Shinko, Renjiro, and Akina all convinced Krystal to join them for a swim at the pool in front of the Ocean Temple. She had always enjoyed swimming there. The water was clear and fresh, having yet to mix with the ocean water further downstream. So she never needed to rinse any salt out of her fur. And her children loved the area as well for the same reasons. It was also entertaining for them to watch Slippy and Amanda swim circles around the pups. Being amphibians, they were naturally in their element. Krystal was able to smile for the first time since her husband's departure upon seeing Ophelia squeal in delight when Slippy swam up to her blowing bubbles.

Their sadness never went completely away, but knowing that Fox would eventually return kept Krystal and her children from sinking into despair. So they busied themselves with helping establish the community. Mother, son, and daughter helped Akina plant an ornamental garden in the developing town square. To Ophelia though, it was more a game of playing in the dirt and chasing after small rodents that scurried out of holes dug in the loamy soil, much to the amusement of those around them. Krystal would help with the cooking or join the other guardians in hunting and spearfishing while the children were kept occupied by others in their community. Whatever was going on, Krystal made it a point to keep herself and her children occupied each day to stave off the aching longing for Fox.

It was now over two weeks since Fox had left with Elder Hiroshi. Their work having been completed, Slippy and Amanda had left to return to their home and children on Aquas. The village was well on its way to feeling like home to Krystal and the other Cerinians. Hinode and Shinko's house was nearing completion. Like their old home on Cerinia, it had a walled courtyard in the front with a fountain at the center. The beginnings of vines could already be seen creeping down the walls. Inside the main house, rooms were divided into the main living area comprising of a kitchen, dining, and living room with no wall separations. Beyond was a hallway leading to the bedrooms. This home though had more bedrooms than a typical Cerinian home would, and each was larger, all in anticipation to accommodate about 20 children.

Krystal was helping Shinko decorate the first two bedrooms that would be for Hinode and herself and their first few children. *"So which are you hoping for? A boy or a girl?" * Krystal asked while painting eye-appealing geometric patterns along the edges of the wall.

"Actually, we have decided on one of each." Shinko replied, and then went on to explain. "Hinode will be giving me a supplement to make me ovulate a second time when I'm in estrus. His sperm will then be separated into male and female chromosomes, which he will then inject into each of my eggs."

"Not as romantic as the natural way of getting pregnant," Krystal commented, "but it guarantees you a pup of each gender, I guess."

"Oh, I still intend to make it pleasurable for him." Shinko then curled her fingers in her hand and mimicked a stroking motion while winking to Krystal. "I'll be the one extracting his essence, and I plan to take my sweet time doing it."

Krystal giggled at the erotic image invoked in her mind by Shinko's not-so-subtle innuendo. "On a few occasions, I edged Fokkusu for so long that he had multiple orgasms."

Shinko's eyes widened like saucers. "Oh Spirits! He must have been really pent up before you let him climax."

"Yes, but oooooh. The male orgasms I experienced from him through our mind-link were incredible." Krystal sighed. What arousal she would normally feel from such an overtly sexual conversation left her aching for her soulmate. Shinko immediately sensed her friend's melancholy and embraced her so that the vixens were resting their heads against each other. "Hang in there, Kurisutaru. It cannot be much longer before Fokkusu returns."

There was suddenly a burst of excitement coming from the other Cerinians nearby that was felt by the two empathic vixens. Then Hinode stuck his head into the bedroom where his bondmate and friend were communing. "It's Fokkusu! He's returned."

Barely contained emotions of excitement, hope, and longing swirled together in Krystal at the announcement of her soulmate's return. Her breath quickened and heart began to pound against the inside of her chest. She set her paint brush down into its tray and could not head out of the front door quickly enough. Hinode and Shinko naturally followed, eager to see Fox as well.

Krystal was running at an almost full sprint by the time she emerged from the edge of the woods. When she saw her tod, she mentally reached out to him exuding unbridled joy at his return. She was shocked when her telepathy hit a wall and skidded to a halt when he raised his hand in gentle warning. "I'm sorry, Kurisutaru. Elder Hiroshi does not want me to let you into my mind yet...."

In that moment, Fox so wished he could sink into her eyes and into her arms. He ached to lose himself in her embrace and merge his soul to hers. Only by a monumental force of will did he not give in to his desires upon seeing her pained expression. "My training is almost complete.... Please... Be strong for us.... It will not be much longer...."

Krystal tearfully nodded at the bittersweet reunion. They had endured being separated for almost a month. Waiting a few more days was bearable knowing that they would soon be together again. "Yes. I'll be waiting, Fokkusu."

At that moment, Marcus came running with Ophelia a short distance behind. "Papa! You're back!" ** His enthusiasm though was tempered when he realized he could not hear his father's thoughts. Fox could sense his son's confusion as he crouched down in front of his pups, and ruffled their head fur and sent him and his sister a small burst of fatherly affection. **"You two be good now while I finish my lessons with Elder Hiroshi."

Marcus and Ophelia nodded together, in wide-eyed awe at their father. This was the first time they had ever been on the receiving end of his telepathy. Fox then stood up and turned to face his mentor. "I'm ready, Elder."

Hiroshi pointed Fox towards the outskirts of the settlement. *"The leftovers from the construction work should be ideal." * His apprentice immediately understood what the elder had in mind. In several piles were chipped stones, scraps of wood and metal, large stones, and the odd broken tool that had not been recycled or disposed of yet. All were a natural consequence of building a new village, even one that would blend in with the flora and landscape. These would be the perfect for Fox to begin training his telekinetic abilities.

Over a period of three days, Fox practiced his telekinesis under the mentorship of Hiroshi. Between meditation exercises, he honed his skill at fine control levitation, starting with small broken bricks and working progressively to heavier objects, including a few boulders. He discovered how to call objects to his hands and send them flying away. He also figured out how to apply pressure to an object. He levitated a branch, and by drawing its ends towards him while pushing its center away, he could bend the branch until it snapped. Those were easy to do after a bit of practice, Fox found out. What was more challenging was applying his telekinesis against fluids. Moving air or water was like trying to carry sand through splayed fingers.

Krystal sat on a boulder nearby and watched Fox train. She found herself wishing she could train with her husband, but with their telepathic bond severed, her own telepathy was weaker, being what it was before she had merged her soul with her husband's. She also could no longer do telekinesis as that ability was native with her soulmate. So she sat and listened to Elder Hiroshi teach her tod how to control his power over matter, and provided what moral support she could.

By the third day, Fox had gained enough confidence in his telekinesis that he could train in the middle of the growing village. It was early morning. He sat on a bench with his family in the middle of the recently completed town square. Though he had to still avoid physical contact with Krystal, having his vixen there with him had greatly lifted his spirit. He playfully used his power, causing air to swirl gently through a flower bed to pick up loose petals which he sent flying around his wife.

Krystal laughed, closed her eyes, and stretched out her arms, taking delight in the feel of the whirlwind around her ruffling her fur. To Fox, she was a vision of unparalleled beauty in that moment. It felt to him like he was courting her all over again. He smiled when he saw his daughter run around chasing some of the swirling flower petals.

With a grin, he split his telekinetic focus between the flower whirlwind and Ophelia, carefully levitating his daughter into the air and slowly sending her to his wife. When she was floating horizontally right in front of her mother's face, Fox mentally spoke to her. "How about you give your mama a kiss on the nose?" And Ophelia did, giving Krystal a lick on the end of her nose. Her eyes snapped opened in surprise, and then widened when she saw her toddler floating right in front of her face. Fox then floated his daughter into his wife's waiting arms and let the swirling flower petals float back down to the cobblestones around Krystal.

Standing a short distance in the square, Hiroshi watched Fox manipulate the air and levitate Ophelia. The elder was impressed with his student's control. *"Very good, Fokkusu. You have demonstrated excellent control of your telekinesis. There now remains only one lesson left. Will you be able keep yourself from using this ability while under duress?" * He then walked over to a patch of grass at the base of a tree and knelt.

Understanding what Hiroshi had in mind, Fox knelt in front of the elder took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

Krystal stood back with her children and did her best to remain calm. Mental defense was one of the more unpleasant aspects of telepathic training, especially when the opponent managed to break through one's telepathic barrier. She inwardly winced in sympathy when Fox cried out and gripped his head. His breath quickened as he struggled to push out the invading mind. The elder was definitely not being gentle.

Fox's head was throbbing from the inside. It felt like a spike was being driven into his brain when the elder finally broke through his barrier. Fox had quickly learned during his training that Hiroshi was only a slightly stronger telepath than he was. So it was not because of the elder's mental powers that he had broken through his defenses. The mind assaulting his was just incredibly agile, quickly changing the focus of its pressure against his mental wall and in a very short time bypassing his defenses. It was like trying to plug multiple successive leaks in a dike.

He desperately tried to shore up his telepathic barrier to expel the mind invading his. There never had been a question of using his telekinesis. He now knew what it felt like to push physical matter with his mind and could distinguish it from this attempt to push out the elder. But try as he might, Fox could not rid himself of this persistent presence inside his head. Hiroshi's mental discipline and experience was far above his own. But then, he recalled one of the lessons he had taken to heart during his Star Fox days, which was that he did not defeat opponents by playing their game, but instead used his own strengths against them.

These were thoughts that Hiroshi naturally picked up on, given that he had invaded Fox's mind. The elder therefore knew that his student was about to try something to telepathically expel him, but this was where Fox demonstrated his superiority. Be it a mental or physical battlefield, the victor often was the one who did something unconventional. Hiroshi was completely caught by surprise by the sudden gust of wind that sent leaves swirling about him and in the next instant felt his head snap back upon being forcefully ejected from his student's mind.

Student and Teacher sagged where they knelt and rubbed their temples. "I congratulate you on a most unique way to defend your mind. Well done, Fokkusu. You have not only demonstrated the mental discipline to keep your telekinesis under control, but how to use it to your advantage when confronted with a more experienced telepath."

Even though his mind was no longer being forcefully invaded, Fox was still suffering from the worst headache he could ever remember. "It was the only way I could push you out. Spirits! That was truly unpleasant." he groaned. He could barely keep the elder from his mind, and did not look forward to repeating this exercise. "Elder, could we take the rest of the day off before continuing with the lessons?"

"No. Respites between lessons will no longer be necessary." Hiroshi could sense the distress welling up from his protégé and raised his hand to forestall any protests. "I say this because your telepathic training is complete."

Fox sat there, stunned. After so many days of continuous mental exercises, he had forgotten that there would be a completion to his training. This last exercise in telepathic defense left him doubting himself though. "But Elder, I could barely keep you from getting past my barrier and can barely penetrate yours."

"Though you understand much of Cerinian culture and embrace our ways as one of us, you seem to have overlooked one fact. Only those who demonstrate the highest of mental strength and discipline attain the rank of elder." ** Hiroshi nodded to the four guardians who had quietly gathered to watch Fox's final lesson. **"You will find that among your peers, your telepathic abilities are quite strong."

Renjiro then beckoned Fox to follow him. "Everyone, let's all gather in the center of the square. Kurisutaru, I believe there is something you need to retrieve from your cottage. Hurry and get it. We will wait for you."

Krystal took off at a full sprint, her heart buoyed with the most profound of joy. She ran all the way back to the cottage where she and her soulmate had first lived during their honeymoon. Bursting inside, she retrieved the item that she had crafted while her husband had been away. Thankfully, one of the other Cerinians had the necessary skill to help her make this special item. It had taken only a few days to get the necessary material delivered with the next transport ship. It also seemed fitting that it had all come from mines from Fox's birth world of Papetoon.

Fox and the others were all waiting for Krystal when she returned, breathless from the sprint to and back from Cape Claw. In her hands, the newly trained telepathic vulpine saw a gold diadem. It was similar in shape to his vixen's diadem, except that while hers was made of white gold with a turquoise focusing gem in the center, his would be yellow gold with an emerald at the center that matched his eyes. When Krystal handed the diadem to the elder, Hiroshi called him forward.

Fox stood facing his teacher, and listened to him make the proclamation. "Fokkusu, _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, Hiroshi placed the diadem around Fox's head.

The moment he felt the emerald rest against his forehead, Fox's telepathy flared into sharp focus. He could now sense the thoughts and emotions of his wife, children, and all his friends about him much more clearly. He found himself all the more aware of his surroundings, and of all the life beyond New Cerinia. Fox had experienced this heightened telepathic awareness before through his mental bond with Krystal, but now he was feeling it first hand through his own sixth sense.

Fox stood there, looking over the Cerinians gathered about them, sensing their positive emotions of friendship and welcome more clearly than ever. He then gazed at his wife. The happiness, love, and hope radiated from her like a blazing bonfire. That sense of belonging in this community of Cerinian telepaths was stronger than ever. So Fox came to a decision. ** "Kurisutaru, the moment we've been waiting for is almost here."**

*"Almost?" * Krystal asked, wondering what else he had in mind. Fox was still keeping his thoughts hidden from her.

"How about we have our bonding ceremony right after sunset in front of our honeymoon cottage?"

"Yes, I'd love that, Fokkusu." replied Krystal. "I just wish we had our wedding loincloths and my bra."

Fox gave his vixen the first of several surprises he had in store for her. "Then we will have our ceremony the way they used to on Cerinia. I'll happily stand before you in just my fur."

Amid the cheers of their friends, Krystal cried out. "Yes! Oh yes! That would be perfect. We were always naked when in Cape Claw during our first honeymoon. It cannot be any other way."

Renjiro came up beside Fox and slapped him in the back. "You are in every way that counts truly one of us, Fokkusu."

Fox grinned to his friend. "Actually, about that. There is something I'd like to ask of you and Elder Hiroshi." He then waved the aged Cerinian leader over. "Elder, could we meet in private?" ** When he saw his vixen approach as well, he held up a hand. **"Not you, Sweety. This is a surprise. I'll see you tonight at our bonding."

Krystal was not miffed in the least at being excluded, finding instead delight in the anticipation. "I look forward to seeing what you have in mind. I'll spend time with our pups until then." She smiled, blew her husband a kiss, and left to gather Marcus and Ophelia.

They left the town square and went to Hiroshi's home, which had just recently been completed. The modest house had the traditional Cerinian front courtyard, which in this case contained a small tree growing out the center with wind chimes hanging from several branches. Inside was the typical eating and living areas with a single bedroom in the back. Having just returned with Fox only a few days ago, Hiroshi had had only time enough to move his few personal belongings into the bedroom.

The two Cerinian foxes sat together in the living room and watched Fox pace back and forth. "Elder, Renjiro, I have for some time been thinking about this. You and the rest of this community have made me feel so welcomed from the first day we arrived to New Cerinia." ** Fox then stopped and reached up and ran a finger over his diadem, lingering at the focusing gem over his forehead. **"And now that I'm a telepath, trained by you Elder, that sense of belonging is as strong as ever. I may be 93.75% Lylatian, but I feel like I'm 100% Cerinian."

"I am deeply touched by how much you consider yourself one of us, but do not forget your friends on Corneria, Fokkusu."

"I do not intend to, Elder, but before I am once again bonded to Kurisutaru and we return to our other home there, I'd like to embrace my Cerinian heritage to the fullest."

---

*****

---

The Cerinian community had decided as a whole to not do any work that day, choosing instead to celebrate the upcoming re-bonding of Fox and Krystal. Except for Hiroshi, Renjiro, Akina, and Fox himself, they had all walked over to Cape Claw where the festivities began. Several narrow trees were felled from the forest, which were used to construct a pergola that extended from the honeymoon cottage's front door. Tropical flowers were planted around the small house, with more woven among the leafy branches covering the pergola.

With most of the homes in New Cerinia having been completed, the tents along the ocean shore had been taken down. A few were now erected around the cottage. Hunting parties were sent out, fruits were picked from nearby trees, and wood was gathered for campfires what would be lit at sunset to cook the wild game that was caught.

When the sun started getting low in the late afternoon sky, several vixens led Krystal away towards the Ocean Temple waterfalls. There, they attended to Krystal. Her head hair and fur were washed clean of sand, dirt, and sweat, and made soft with conditioners. Her short claws were trimmed. Her tail was brushed and fluffed out. By the time she was brought back to her cottage by the attending vixens, the sun hung low over the ocean.

The mood had become festive. Emotions of excitement and anticipation reverberated among the gathering of empaths. And every tod and vixen was in just their fur in this celebration of love that they were gathered for. Krystal was also delighted to see that Marcus and Ophelia had both been bathed by her friend Shinko. The pups' fur coats had been groomed and conditioned to a soft luster. Her daughter rushed up and shouted happily. "Mama is pretty!"

Krystal found a clean grassy patch of ground where she could kneel without any dirt getting into her tail. She embraced her children and poured all her motherly love into them. The rest of the celebrants all stood back to let mother, son, and daughter commune. "You look so pretty, Mama. And you feel so happy too."

"I am, Makasu." Krystal thought back while cuddling Ophelia and her son. _"Your father will soon be here and we'll be bonded again." _ Then her children sensed from their mother a strange mixture of sadness, longing, and happiness intermingled together. Krystal sensed their confusion. "I am sad because I've not been able to love and hold your father in my arms for weeks now. I've missed him so much that my heart hurts, but I'm also so very happy because I'll soon be able to be with him again."

_"Will you and Papa make each other feel good and happy again?" _ Krystal was deeply touched by the fervent hope she sensed from her son. It warmed her heart that he wanted his parents to be intimate again, and she took immense pleasure sensing the burst of happiness from him when she mentally replied. "Yes Sweety. Your papa and I will be spending all night together making each other feel good and happy."

Their mental commune was interrupted when Elder Hiroshi drew Krystal's attention. In his hands was Fox's diadem, which he presented to the vixen. "Fokkusu will be here soon. He wishes for you to put this away for him."

Krystal immediately understood. Just as in their first bonding six years ago, they would join their minds and souls without any telepathic augmentation. The strength of their bond would be by virtue of their combined mental powers alone. Taking her husband's diadem in hand, she walked under the pergola, entered the cottage, and placed the jeweled head piece on the bedroom table next to her own head band with its string of pearls and single ruby focusing gem.

When she re-emerged, she saw Fox standing there. Her breath caught in her throat and she lifted her hands to her muzzle. The sight that greeted her was the fulfillment of a secret wish that had been so deeply buried inside of her mind that she had not even realized she had made it. Her eyes roved down below his hips as Fox slowly spun in a small circle in front of her. On each thigh she could see the tattoo depicting the swirling whirlpool line with the four triangles pointing out from each quadrant, marking Fox as a member of her clan. Her gaze traveled back up to his shoulders. Encircling each of his upper arms were the tattoos of a guardian, identical to hers. The greatest surprise though was what she saw on his lower back. It was a winged creature in flight as it might be seen from above. It took Krystal's mind a moment to process that the creature was a fox, and then she made the connection. "It's the Star Fox emblem....like on the tail of the Great Fox...."

"Yes, but as if the flying fox were seen from above." Fox confirmed, while looking back over his shoulder to his soon-to-be-once-again-bondmate. "It made more sense to have it depicted like that since Cerinian tattoos are often symmetrical." He ran his hands over his thighs and arms. "The white fur is still very short though. It's been only a half day since this morning when Akina was kind enough to tattoo me with them, especially your clan markings since my second mother is no longer with us in this life."

Renjiro's bondmate stepped forward and expressed her hope. "Do you think Onikisu would have approved of my doing this in her place?"

"Yes, without a doubt. Even from beyond the grave, Mother loves Fokkusu as her second son and has already welcomed him into our clan." Krystal reassured her friend. ** "And the tattoo in his lower back is perfect, a worthy symbol for where he comes from."**

"It would seem that flying runs in Fokkusu's blood." Hiroshi revealed. "The records we have on Takara McCloud say that he too was a pilot." ** He beckoned Fox forward to stand in front of Krystal. Then to their surprise and everyone else standing around them, they all sensed strong emotions of pained regret from the elder and saw his eyes mist over. **"Weeks ago, I had to do something that few elders have ever been confronted with. Breaking their bond to separate this tod and this vixen from each other nearly broke me." He then closed his eyes, took a shaky breath, and then exhaled while at the same time expunging the negative emotions he had carried hidden within him while training Fox.

*"So it gives me the greatest of pleasures to now reunite these two soulmates." * He then paused and laughed at the thought that occurred to him, and then broke from the traditional bonding ritual. *"Normally, the prescribed bonding ceremony would require me go on about how sacred such a union was. Hmmff, as if these two did not already know that. I would then ask each of the two clans if they approved of this union. I'd finish by asking each prospective bondmate if they were committed to each other enough to merge their hearts, minds, and souls." * Fox and Krystal already knew the answer to those questions. They and all the other attending witnesses waited to hear what Hiroshi would say next in this off-script bonding ceremony.

The elder grumbled and huffed. "Those are monumentally stupid questions! We all know the answer is 'yes' on both counts!" ** After the laughter died down, Hiroshi gestured impatiently to Fox and Krystal. **"Go on, you two. Get your souls merged together again like they should be."

Their hearts soared to the highest plateau of joy that both felt in that moment they would never come down from. Just as they had for their first bonding, Krystal placed her hands firmly against the sides of her husband's head, but now, Fox did the same, placing his own hands on his wife's temples. From the physical contact alone, their minds began to merge, and they again recited together their Cerinian vows. "By the ancient customs of Cerinia, I declare that you are my soulmate. From this day forward, our hearts will beat as one, our minds will be melded, and our souls will be merged, for all eternity."

They then leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together. The couple grew still while they dove into each other's minds. It was not a slow, deliberate intermingling of thoughts this time. Their minds and their souls merged together so quickly that both became briefly dizzy as the duality of their senses snapped back into existence like two interlocking puzzle pieces fitting together. And that aching emptiness each had endured during their separation was once again filled. Their heartbeats and breaths instantly became synchronized. Together, they intoned with quavering voices full of emotion the fundamental truth of their existence. "One Heart, One Mind, One Soul."

Deep inside their unified mind, their awareness of their surroundings vanished. "I' v e m i s s e d y o u s o m u c h . I t f e e l s s o w o n d e r f u l t o h a v e y o u e v e r y w h e r e i n s i d e m y m i n d a g a i n. _ **_I** d o n' t e v e r w a n t t o b e w i t h o u t y o u a g a i n." They thought to each other simultaneously in both Lylatian and Cerinian. They then relived each other's individual lives during their separation while Fox underwent his training and Krystal took solace in the love of their children. They experienced their pains, their hopes, their tribulations, and their joys. And their bond was made even stronger because of it.

Neither was overwhelmed by the experienced. Their breathing slowed. They then drew back from one another and let their hands drop to their sides. With their bond having been re-forged, they embraced, resting their chins on each other's shoulders, and sighed together blissfully, taking comfort in their unified mind and soul.

They were roused from their blissful communion by one vixen who commented, "That has to be the fastest bonding I have ever seen."

"Definitely, I could sense their minds merging almost instantly." another tod added.

*"Ha! That was not a merging. Their minds and souls smashed themselves together! There's no separating those two ever again, I'm happy to say." * Hiroshi declare with a grin amid the happy laughter and cheers.

Fox and Krystal turned to their friends wide-eyed and gasped together, feeling a flood of happy emotions and thoughts surge through them. Like the previous time, both shared senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. It was a duality they were comfortably familiar with. Neither were prepared for a doubling of telepathic impressions this time though. Each could perceive their friends, children, and surroundings with their individual telepathy and empathy, and perceive each other's telepathic and empathic perceptions.

Krystal also realized that her mental powers were back to their augmented strength now that she was again bonded to her soulmate, which made the dual telepathic impression even more intense. For Fox, the experience was completely new. He had had no inkling of how much stronger his fully trained mental powers would become when augmented by his soulmate's telepathy on top of the duality. They quickly both called upon their training, raising light mental barriers, and adjusted to the experience.

Hiroshi quickly deduced what had transpired and smiled knowingly to the newly re-bonded couple. "Intense, wasn't it?" he asked rhetorically.

"Yes, but unlike right after Fokkusu's powers had awakened, he's able to control his telepathy this time, which makes it easier for both of us." ** Krystal smiled proudly to her bondmate. **"It makes the pain of our separation almost worth it."

Fox quirked a smile. *"Almost worth it you say? I beg to differ." * After six years of being mentally bonded to a telepath, Fox had learned that the best way to surprise his wife was with spontaneity. The moment the idea occurred to him, he acted upon it without delay.

Krystal did not even have a moment to mentally prepare when her Fokkusu grabbed each side of her head and did something he had wanted to do ever since they had first become bonded. It was as if a damn had burst. Six years' worth of pent up love poured into her mind like a torrential flood. Krystal's legs buckled under her and she sank to the ground, but Fox's grip on her head remained firm. When he also pressed his forehead against hers, the flood became a deluge, practically drowning her in his all-encompassing love which filled her being so completely from the tip of her ears to the tip of her tail and toes.

She was completely overwhelmed. Her whimpers of pleasure became breathless moans, which progressed to heaving pants that quickly escalated to panting cries in an incredible ecstasy that built to a crescendo. To her shock, that of her soulmate's, and everyone watching them, Krystal's body heaved in a cataclysmic orgasm that exploded in her like a nova bomb. The flood of overpowering love swelled to a tidal wave when her soulmate felt the echo of her pleasure ripple through their newly re-forged bond to his lower regions below the waist.

When it was over, Fox and Krystal were in a heap on the ground under the pergola. Eventually, their breathing returned to normal and they stood back up and with Fox helping his bondmate back to her feet. Fox beheld her, taking in her dazed eyes and silly grin. The fulfilled contentment he was sensing from her was as clear an indication as he could ever get that his vixen absolutely loved what he had done to her.

The shocked silence from the display of Fox's telepathic powers was suddenly broken when Ophelia shouted out loud "Papa made Mama happy!" ** Everyone promptly snickered at the toddler's exuberance. **"Spirits! I did not even know that was possible!" Hinode laughed.

Fox rubbed the back of his neck and laughed bashfully. "I....uh.... Maybe I overdid it."

Shinko shook her head and grinned towards Krystal. "Oh, I'm quite sure your bondmate disagrees."

When Krystal turned around and leaned back into Fox's arms, the tod sent her another burst of his love, making her whimper happily. "Yeah. She just thought to me as much." ** He gave her an affectionate kiss behind her neck. **"I have been wanting to do that to her for six years."

Hiroshi nodded and chuckled. "We could tell."

---

The celebration that ensued was in many ways reminiscent of Fox and Krystal's first bonding. They were all gathered around various campfires, swapping stories of recent events involving the local Saurian tribes and visiting Cornerians. Fox related his encounter with the Cornerian ambassador who ended up earning the ire of the EarthWalker king. It had been the reason for Fox's early return to New Cerinia in order to finish his telekinesis training. A story was also told of a junior CDF soldier who was hopelessly nervous around the Cerinians, despite being reassured that none would ever read his thoughts without his permission. There was also talk about eventually trying to make contact with the Krazoa to find out if they were the reason their prehistoric ancestors had become telepaths.

There were two major differences though. All of them were Cerinians, including Fox who more than ever considered himself one of them, and all were unabashedly naked. There had been a time when Fox would have been embarrassed out of his mind to be in the presence of so many beautiful naked vixens. He was amazed at himself and how much he had changed since then. Being in just his fur himself and seeing all his male and female friends also in just their fur seemed perfectly natural to him now. He looked down at his arms and legs, and the tattoos he now sported, and had to agree with his friends on the Great Falcon and back on Corneria. He had truly gone native, and he was also perfectly fine with that.

Krystal was snuggled back against his chest. Both were basking in each other's telepathic presence. His arms were wrapped around Marcus and Ophelia on each side of him. There was no doubt the pups were beyond happy to have their father back. Both clung to him and adored feeling their father project his love into their young minds. Fox also felt his vixen project her deep love back at him, coupled with a strong sexual desire that he reflected back towards her.

Hinode, Renjiro and their bondmates were all sitting with Fox and his family about their campfire and could sense the passionate love from the re-bonded couple. They and several others nearby began to wag their tails. Sensing eyes and emotions of bemused happiness directed towards them, Krystal and her husband met their friend's gaze and giggled like adolescents in love. "Go on." Akina urged them. ** "After everything you two endured, you deserve nothing less than a very long night of passion." ** Shinko laughed. "Oh most definitely!" ** She then waved a finger at them. **"And we expect you to not come out of there until midday tomorrow reeking of repeated matings."

Fox and Krystal were briefly indecisive with their thoughts turning to their children, but then sensed emotions of hope from Marcus who had been leaning against his father. He gazed down at his son, noticed his wagging tail, and read his mind. "Are you going to make Mama feel good and happy, Papa?"

"Mama make Papa happy too!" they heard Ophelia's childish glee burst into their familial telepathic conversation.

The hope of the pups that their parents would spend a night of intimacy was endearing to Fox and Krystal and left them feeling bemused. Who were they to disappoint their children? "Yes, Mama/Papa will make Papa/Mama happy." they thought back together to Marcus and Ophelia, who mentally cheered.

Marcus then disengaged himself from his father's side and took his sister's hand in his. "Come on, Ofiria, Let's go play!"

Laughing, they stood up and waved to their friends. "Seems like everyone expects us to spend the night mating, even our children." ** Fox then brazenly groped his vixen in the crotch right in front of everyone without the least bit of shame and panted excitedly. **"And we can't deny that we both want to try out my telepathic powers in bed too."

*****

Alone together within the darkened privacy of their cottage, Fox and Krystal brought their lips together and cradled each other's heads while running their fingers through their hair. They melded their muzzles together and hungrily tasted and explored each other's tongue, teeth, and palette. There was a nearly frantic desperation to their passionate reunion as their hands migrated down to grope rumps, stroke tails, and fondle each other between their legs. The weeks of their enforced separation had left in them with an urgent need to share intimate pleasure. "Oh Fokkusu! I want you so much. Me too, Kurisutaru! I love you so much!"

"I want to suck you!" Krystal mentally cried out. It had been painfully too long since she had drunk her soulmate's essence, and she craved it. Fox whined. He also ached to taste his vixen's treasure and wallow in her musky scent. Together, they tumbled into their bed with no other thought than to orally pleasure each other. So Fox lay on his back with his head propped up by a pillow with Krystal on top of him. He then wrapped his arms about her hips and pulled her nethers against his muzzle and began to probe her depths with his tongue. Her feminine secretions were heady and stoked his ardor.

At the other end, Fox felt his vixen's hand wrap around his thighs and her muzzle around his aroused maleness. Krystal whimpered throatily around her prize and began to suckle in earnest while basking in her mate's oral attention. Hums and sighs filled their room as they orally pleasured each other, punctuated by wet slurping and sucking sounds.

The telepathic feedback loop seemed so much stronger than they remembered from before. Krystal moaned, feeling her nethers sing with male pleasure on top of erotic sensations of her soulmate's tongue being dragged against her sweet spot within her slit. For Fox, it was very much the same thing. With each drag of his tongue through his vixen's femininity, he would whine like a vixen, feeling her pleasure compounded upon his own from her suckling muzzle. "Oh Kurisutaru. I can't get over how wonderful this feels... I know Fokkusu, it's beyond anything I knew was possible... "

"Is it because I'm a telepath like you now?"

"Yes, a trained telepath. And you were right, Fokkusu. Elder Hiroshi was right. The emotional pain we endured from our separation was so worth it for what we have gained from your telepathic training... Oh Spirits! I can't get over how you actually made me climax from just pouring your love into my mind!"

Being reminded that he now had that ability, Fox projected his deep love for his soulmate into her mind, though not to the same intensity as he had right after they had re-forged their bond. He did not want to overwhelm her while she was busy nursing on his length. And Krystal reciprocated in kind, sending her own love pulsing into his mind. Both cried out in an emotional ecstasy at experiencing an empathic feedback loop of their love for each other. It was such a profound experience that it brought tears to their eyes.

These thoughts made their shared pleasure all the more sweeter when they reached their apex together. Fox tightened his arms around Krystal as she heaved over him and then coated his face with her juices. Her scent in turn sent him careening over his own peak, making him throbbed his pleasure into her muzzle. In the throes of their pleasure, they poured their souls into each other. Fox drank her up, delighted to taste everything she gave him of herself and inhaled deeply her intoxicating scent. Krystal hummed and moaned around her muzzleful, savoring his essence for the fine nectar it was to her before swallowing every jet that coated her tongue and palette.

With a happy mutual sigh of sated contentment, they settled into a warm afterglow. Fox continued to lazily drag his tongue along her slit. Krystal continued to languidly nurse on his still erect maleness. Time went by in a haze of mutual sexual happiness until they could feel his ardor return.

This led to another vigorous round of love-making. Having just climaxed, Fox knew that he would not do so again so quickly. Krystal loved it when her tod rutted her with such abandon. With her posterior elevated, she kept her grip on her ankles with her arms between her legs and lay her head on its side, drooling on the pillow. And through it all, pleasure and love echoed back and forth through their bond by their telepathy and empathy.

Fox's second orgasm was, as was often the case, that much more intense. The experience was all the more powerful because they each used the full power of their telepathy to pour their love into each other's minds as they climaxed together and then passed out. When they regained consciousness, Fox's knot had softened enough for him to pull out. This in turn led to another round of mutual oral pleasuring.

Somewhere along the line, both awoke with a start, not having realized that they had dozed off. Letting her soulmate's erection slip out of her muzzle, Krystal rolled off of her husband, allowing him to sit up. They leaned towards each other and rubbed their muzzles together before getting out of bed with the same idea in mind.

Scented candles were lit and arrayed about the room. They then knelt down on their meditation mats facing each other with one goal in their shared mind. This would be the first time they would both be able to dream lucidly. Heartbeat and breath in perfect sync, they closed their eyes and slipped into a deep meditative trance.

Outside and around their cottage, the festivities had gone on. Marcus and Ophelia had never been happier. Both could sense the love radiating from within their cottage home and knew that their parents were making each other happy beyond anything they had sensed before. The other Cerinians had also naturally sensed the passionate emotions from the parents of the pups, but as was normal with adult telepaths, they had tuned out their empathic senses of Fox and Krystal and focused their attention on the children instead.

Eventually, the celebration began to wind down. Each couple over a period of a few hours drifted off back to their home in New Cerinia. By the time Fox and Krystal were meditating in preparation for a night of lucid wet dreams, Hinode, Shinko, Renjiro, and Akina were the only adults left. The pups had also fallen asleep, with Ophelia curled up on Shinko's lap and Marcus leaning against Renjiro in slumber.

"I learned an interesting tidbit of Cornerian culture last week." Akina informed her friends. "When couples pledge themselves to each other in their society, they go on a romantic getaway called a 'honeymoon' where they consummate their union."

"If that is the case, then Kurisutaru and Fokkusu are having another honeymoon." Hinode quietly chuckled. "With the emotions of passion coming from inside their cottage, I'm surprised tonight's bonding celebration did not evolve into a celebration of love with all of us mating our partners."

Renjiro carefully reached out with his mind to politely check up on the honeymooners. "It seems they are meditating now. Let's not disturb them."

Fox and his wife though did sense the inquisitive mind flitting along the edge of their consciousness. "Let us attend to our pups before we sleep so that all of you can return to your homes." the four adult telepaths heard in their minds.

"Do not worry, dear friends." Renjiro and Akina thought back. "We will sleep in our tents here tonight and watch over Makasu and Ofiria while they slumber."

"Enjoy your second honeymoon," Hinode and Shinko added to the mental conversation, "and your erotic lucid dreams. We will see you midday tomorrow."

With the welfare of their children being looked after by their friends, Krystal and her telepathic soulmate climbed into bed. The vixen immediately assumed a supine position with arms outstretched and legs apart invitingly. Fox sent another burst of love into his vixen's mind, making her whimper in happiness. He then crawled between her legs and promptly hilted his maleness into her wet, warm depths. Their muzzles meshed together into a deep kiss while Fox lay his weight upon Krystal and made love to her at a sedate, relaxed pace. Their rhythm was unhurried, driven by a mutual desire to comfort, reassure, and give of themselves totally to each other.

His hands were all over her, caressing every contour of her body. He combed his fingers through her head hair and caressed her ears. His hands glided up and down her sides. He cupped her breasts and gently fondled them. She wrapped her legs about his hips. Her hands gently held the back of his head, wanting to keep his muzzled locked to hers. She caressed his back, letting her fingers wander down to his rear. With each of his thrusts into her, she would grope his rump or comb her fingers through his tail.

When that exquisite tightness in his loins began to slowly build, Fox changed the angle of his thrusts to rub his swelling knot against her sweet spot. Krystal started to breathe heavily, whining with each exhale as she felt her simmering pleasure begin to come to a boil. Their muzzles parted and they rested their chins upon each other's shoulders while Fox continued to undulate his hips until they were locked together by his knot. With a final series of quick thrusts, they shuddered together in blissful release and soon thereafter drifted off to sleep.

They stood together in the alcove between the inner and outer Ocean Temple where they had first consummated their marriage over six years ago. Fox smiled to Krystal. For the first time ever, he was dreaming lucidly with his soulmate. She laughed when she saw his tail wag excitedly. Within their shared dreamscape, they played. They made love upon the roof of the temple. Fox sprouted wings, becoming a flying fox like the Star Fox emblem. And Krystal was at his side through it all.

_ _

*****

The next morning found Marcus waking up next to Renjiro and Akina under one of the tents. Ophelia had spent the night in the adjacent tent sleeping next to Hinode and Shinko, but was now playing in the shallows of the nearby river. The emotions he sensed from his parents within the cottage were of happiness and contentment. Part of him missed his parents' attention, but just knowing that they were nearby and loving each other was enough for him. He crawled out of the tent and decided to join Hinode, Shinko, and his sister where they swam and played together.

It was approaching midday and they were all sitting around a campfire, eating pukpuk eggs, grubtub mushrooms, and fruit. Hinode and Shinko had left for the New Cerinia settlement, leaving Renjiro and Akina to mind the pups. It was while they were eating that Renjiro noticed strangers approaching them. Leaving Marcus to watch over his sister, the two adults got up and walked towards the two new visitors. When they got closer, both recognized one of them as Commander Fenral Rufus, the lupine first officer of the CDF Daundless. The other was a canid that was unknown to them, but they could sense from his demeanor and emotions that he was unhappy and in a hurry.

They met up with the visitors 50 meters from the McCloud cottage. "Greetings, Commander Rufus." began Akina, "to what do we owe you the pleasure of this visit?"

The wolf gestured to the dog standing next to him. "This is Undersecretary Sam Dogbert from the Department of Interplanetary Relations."

The canine gave the two Cerinians a curt bow. "Greetings Mister and Missus...."

"Call us Renjiro and Akina," the vixen gestured to her bondmate and herself. "What can we do for you, Undersecretary?"

"Word has reached the Cornerian government that Fox McCloud has become a telepath. We had made repeated attempts to contact him, wishing to inquire as to how that came to be."

Akina frowned. Neither she nor her bondmate could understand why he'd wish to question the tod. "As I understand it, Fokkusu has made it known to your people that he was a latent telepath, and inherited his abilities from his Cerinian great, great, grandfather, Takara McCloud."

"And yet, his abilities did not manifest themselves until after he made contact with your people?" Sam asked, clearly skeptical. "I have been waiting all morning in New Cerinia to meet with him. Where is he?"

Renjiro gestured back to the cottage. "He and his bondmate are inside. We will let him know you wish to see him when he emerges."

The officious undersecretary rolled his eyes and huffed. "It is nearly midday. He and his wife should be awake by now." He strode past the two Cerinians and marched towards to cottage.

"Uh....Sir? That may not be advisable." Akina called to the government official. She and her bondmate looked at each other. "I really do not know what we should do. He is a representative of the planetary government that has rescued us. It would not do well to antagonize him, and yet he's intent on intruding on Kurisutaru and Fokkusu."

To her surprise, Renjiro was unconcerned. "I would not worry about it, Dearest. Their son, Makasu, will see to his parents' privacy. Do you not sense the fierce protectiveness he has for his mother and father?"

Akina immediately noticed Marcus make his displeasure known to the undersecretary. The pup had just finished eating his breakfast with his sister and had noticed the stranger aggressively make his way towards their home. Before Sam could reach the door to the cottage, he found the fox pup blocking his way and glaring up at him.

Marcus did not like the emotions he was sensing from this stranger who was intruding upon the happiness of his family. "Mama and Papa are busy. Go away!"

Sam tried to placate the cantankerous pup, unsuccessfully trying to sound friendly to the small empath in front of him. "Now, now. I just need to talk to your father for a bit. So be a good little pup and...."

"NO! GO AWAY!" The false friendliness was making Marcus truly dislike this stranger, and it was making him angry.

Sam Dogbert was losing his patience and dropped all pretext of niceties. "I don't have time for this." He quickly sidestepped the small pup and lifted his fist to rap it upon the cottage door, but was painfully distracted from doing so by a sharp pain in his leg. He let out a yelp and gazed down to see Marcus McCloud with his teeth firmly clamped down upon his calf just below the knee.

"Argh! You little welp!" he shouted. Marcus only released the officious dog from his bite when Sam tried to reach down to his little attacker. He then hobbled away a short distance to tend to his wound and glared back at the five-year-old. "Pup, you do that again, and I'll give you a thrashing!"

Fenral Rufus had seen enough. While he was under orders to escort the undersecretary to New Cerinia to meet with Fox McCloud, nothing said that he had to stand back and watch this arrogant dog threaten a pup. But before he, Renjiro, or Akina could do anything, Marcus took matters into his own small hands. The pup rushed into the guardian's tent and ran back out carrying Renjiro's collapsed Cerinian staff. Akina and her bondmate gaped when they saw Marcus actually manage to activate the staff and point it at the canid while snarling angrily at him.

Sam looked on in contempt at the McCloud's pup, who was dwarfed by the long staff and seemed to barely be able to hold it up. He took one step towards him, and regretted ever underestimating Marcus McCloud. A small ball of fire erupted from the exotic weapon and struck him in the shoulder, singeing his fur. "LEAVE MAMA AND PAPA ALONE!"

Undersecretary Sam Dogbert from the Department of Interplanetary Relations was taught a lesson in respecting the cultures of other peoples. He was sent running by the five-year-old Cerinian / Cornerian hybrid pup who exemplified the union of those two cultures. And he demonstrated it by sending one fire ball after another to Sam's retreating posterior. Renjiro gaped at that fierce pup who had borrowed his staff. Akina giggled. And Fenral burst into uproarious laughter as the canid ran past them with his tail on fire and into the river.

When Marcus stumbled up to them still carrying the heavy staff, the lupine first officer of the Dauntless knelt down to bring himself to eye level with the pup and grinned. "Nicely done, Mister McCloud."

Marcus immediately found himself liking this wolf he had never met before and smiled proudly at the compliment. Renjiro walked up and relieved the pup of his weapon. "I'll take that back now. I should not be surprised that you'd take after your mother and father, Makasu."

Further conversation was set aside when they heard Fox and Krystal emerge from their honeymoon cottage. The couple walked over at a relaxed pace, holding hands with fingers intertwined. Their tails were also curled about each other in that most overt expression of romantic love among vulpine. Krystal was in her traditional Cerinian guardian attire, with her jeweled headband across her head and focusing gem over her forehead. It was an image of the famed Star Fox Cerinian that everyone on Corneria knew well.

Neither Fenral Rufus nor Sam Dogbert expected to see Fox McCloud appearing the way he was though. The tod was wearing nothing but a Cerinian loincloth and sandals, and sported tattoos on his arms and legs that were identical to his wife's. A gold diadem adorned his head with an emerald over his forehead. "Woah..." was all the wolf could say. Sam was speechless.

Just as they reached the first officer and the two adult Cerinians, the wind shifted and all could smell the distinctively strong musky odor coming from the two vulpine. Rinjiro and Akina both grinned. "You two smell like you took our advice."

Fox and Krystal snickered together. _ "If you mean that we spent the night and all morning mating, then yes." _ While Ophelia ran up to her mother, Fox knelt down to his son and ruffled his head fur. "I am very proud of you, Makasu. Thank you for protecting me and your mama from that impolite dog."

Fenral Rufus felt at that moment that he was being left out of a hidden conversation, but was not offended. He instead chose to politely clear his throat to get the McCloud's attention.

Fox stood up and extended his hand to the first officer of the Dauntless, and said to him in a heavy Cerinian accent, "Commander Rufus. It is a delight to see you again."

"Likewise," the gray wolf replied while shaking the vulpine's hand, "though your appearance is far from what I expected."

Fox looked down at the tattoos around his upper arms and ran his fingers over them with a sense of pride. "Let's just say that I've embraced my Cerinian heritage." He then gazed at Renjiro and Akina and sent them a strong burst of fraternal affection. "Given how much my wife's people have helped and welcomed me, I could do no less."

An irritated Sam Dogbert walked out of the river, still rubbing his blistered tail and rear, and glared at Marcus, who simply stuck his tongue out to the dog. Before he could do more than sputter his outrage at the perceived impertinence, Fox interrupted him. "Now that my son has taught you manners, Undersecretary, I understand you wish to know how it is that a formerly latent telepath like myself is now a full-fledged one."

The bureaucrat was fuming and growled. "Do not dare read my mind, McCloud."

In a flash, Fox closed the distance and snarled right in the canid's face. "It is you who best not dare to insinuate that I would violate the Cerinian Telepathic Code of Conduct! Renjiro and Akina telepathically shared with me everything that transpired, how you so rudely tried to interrupt my wife and me while we were making love. My son also freely shared his memory of his encounter with you."

He then held out his hand towards Krystal, who promptly tossed him her collapsed staff. The Cerinian weapon expanded to its full length in Fox's hands. The tod exuded an aura of fury and pointed the staff at the ground in front of undersecretary's feet. "Be glad it was my son who attacked you with a Cerinian staff. Had you laid even a finger on my son, you would have suffered from far more than just a singed rear." He then drove home his point by sending a powerful fire projectile into the ground, blasting up a plume of sand.

Blood drained from the canid's visage when the sand was blown clear to reveal a deep crater in the ground at his feet. "Now who really sent you?" Fox asked. "Chief Minister Frost already knows I was a latent telepath and how that came to be. I even had an interview with Walter Kent of Lylat News where I revealed my Cerinian ancestry and how extended telepathic contact with the people of New Cerinia had awakened my powers."

Sam raised his hands in panic and stuttered. "I really was sent by the Department of Interplanetary Relations. I swear!"

Fox blinked and glanced to his wife and his Cerinian friends and frowned. "Your emotions and words actually do not contradict themselves. It seems that you are telling me the truth, or at least believe what you say is true." When he sensed the relief from the dog, Fox decided to interrogate him further. "Okay....So what else were you instructed to do after I answered your questions, which I did by re-iterating what is already publically known about me."

Realizing that it was best to cooperate and be truthful, especially when surrounded by telepaths, Sam quickly answered. "I was told to extract a blood sample from you, Sir. Nothing more."

"A blood sample!" Fox exclaimed. "But why? They have my blood on file at Corneria General Hospital..." And then a terrible thought occurred to Fox. "Oh no!"

"What is it?" Fenral Rufus asked.

Fox locked eyes with the wolf. "Commander Rufus, may I speak to you telepathically? The thought I wish to share must be kept secret." When he sensed the nervous hesitancy, he added to assure the CDF officer. "I promise I'll not go anywhere in your head you do not want me to. Elder Hiroshi trained me well."

When he nodded his assent, Fox laid a hand against the Fenral's temple and fixed his gazed upon the wolf's amber eyes. He then suddenly heard the telepath's voice in his mind. "Commander Rufus, what do you know of General Striker's goals prior to the Paradigm Shift being discovered at the Shards of Cerinia?"

"I know that he wanted a blood sample from your wife in order to allow Doctor Cattus to extract the DNA for telepathy."

"Yes, and my blood, which I gave each year for my physical exams, has that DNA for telepathy!"

"Great Maker! We must secure and destroy your blood samples. General Striker and Morris Cattus are still at large. They are bound to have found out that you are a telepath. I'd wager they are the ones behind sending Sam here on their errand."

"Yes, and with him not knowing who really sent him, he'd be able to get by us telepaths since he has no ulterior motives. Striker must have an agent that has infiltrated the Department of Interplanetary Relations."

"Agreed. I'll deliver your findings in person to Fleet Captain Ramius."

"What I don't understand is why they sent Sam Dogbert here to get another blood sample from me instead of stealing it from Corneria General." Fox then sensed Hinode on the edge of his mind. He immediately thought to the Cerinian. Fenral suddenly found himself in the middle of a mental teleconference. "Hinode, what do you think? Why would they need a blood sample from me when they could get it from our capital city's main medical center? My DNA would not have change."

"No, it would not, but the neurotransmitters in your blood would have."

"I'll let Lupo know of your assessment, Hinode."

"Thank you, Fenral."

"We'll do everything in our power to stop that renegade. Unlike him, I and most of us here in Lylat agree that telepathy is best left to Cerinians." Hinode and Fox then sensed the wolf's amusement when he added a final thought. "Even those who are only one sixteenth Cerinian."

The three-way telepathic conference was then ended. Fenral Rufus then exhaled. "Well, that was a rather interesting experience, and thank you for respecting my privacy, Mister McCloud."

Fox looked down at his hands, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "I...could never go anywhere in your mind that you did not want me to...." His eyes traveled over to Hinode, Akina, and Krystal. "Learning of their history... of that 6.25% of my own history... makes me feel sick to the heart at the idea of ever violating someone's mind."

"Mister McCloud, I'd like to offer you my sincerest apologies." Sam Dogbert interjected. "I was wrong to try to impose myself upon you or to doubt your ethics." He glanced to the lupine first officer who had escorted him to New Cerinia. "I do not know what private conversation you had in Fenral's head, and perhaps it is best I do not know. But even without telepathy, I suspect I was being used by some unknown conspirators. That is a humbling thing to learn."

Fox extended his hand to the dog, who shook it. "It takes bravery to admit fault, and you have my respect for it."

Sam then knelt down to face his other nemesis. "And I'd like to apologize to you too, Marcus. I'm sorry for being cross with you earlier, and deserved to have my butt singed." He then extended a hand to the pup. "Friends?"

Marcus without hesitation grasped the dog's fingers in a handshake. "Friends!" he said cheerfully.

Krystal, with Ophelia in her arms, smiled proudly to her son and then shared a thought she had had with her soulmate earlier that morning. "After we have washed up, we'd like to travel back to Corneria with you, Commander Rufus. It is time we returned to our other home. We have our friends there that we've missed, as much as Fox and I love living here." She smiled down to her son. "It is also only a few weeks before Marcus has his first day of school. Corneria and the other worlds of Lylat are a part of his heritage too, and he has his friends there as well who I'm quite sure miss him."

Renjiro chose that moment to speak up. "Before you depart, there is one final ceremony we have for your bondmate, Kurisutaru." He bent down and picked Marcus up in his arms. Akina also relieved Krystal of Ophelia. "We will all wait for you at the town square in New Cerinia while you wash the fluids and scent of your matings from your fur." He then nodded to Fenral and Sam. "You are both welcome to attend. You should invite Lupo Ramius as well, and make sure all of you have Cerinian in your universal translators."

*****

After a thorough shower under the Ocean Temple waterfall, Fox and Krystal approached the town square of New Cerinia. The entire Cerinian community was all in attendance. Waiting at one end was Elder Hiroshi with Renjiro on the elder's right. One each side of them were the three other guardians, two to Renjiro's right and one on Hiroshi's left. All three of the guardians stood at attention with their staves extended.

Seeing her fellow guardians, Krystal immediately knew what was about to happen. Taking out her staff, she also extended it and stood at attention between the third guardian and Hiroshi. From Krystal's mind and from her memory of her own coming of age, and from the sight of the ornate chest sitting on a pedestal next to Renjiro, Fox knew what was about to happen and was deeply moved. This would be the final step in his becoming a full member of the Cerinian community. His eyes scanned over all his friends in attendance. Akina stood to one side, near Krystal. To her left were Hinode and Shinko. With them were Marcus and Ophelia.

Sam Dogbert and his escort, Commander Fenral Rufus were also present. And to the delight of everyone, Fleet Captain Lupo Ramius also made an appearance. Fox's greatest surprise though was the attendance of Bill Grey and the rest of Bulldog and Husky Squadrons. The emotions of affection directed towards the CDF soldiers by the 49 Cerinians was palpable to Fox's empathy. But that should not have been surprising, Fox realized. These were the people who had rescued them from the desolate world they had been stranded on and who had brought them here to Sauria.

"Fokkusu, son of James McCloud and Vixy Reinard, step forward."

Fox approached as commanded by Elder Hiroshi. When he stood in front of leader of New Cerinia, the middle-aged tod began his speech. "Years ago, Fokkusu met and rescued his future bondmate, Kurisutaru, and in doing so, set in motion the events which would lead to the salvation of our race from the brink of extinction. He has since then demonstrated a love and respect for our traditions and culture when he reunited Kurisutaru with the rest of our people."

"And then, when Fokkusu discovered he had been a latent telepath and learned of his Cerinian heritage through Takara his ancestor, he came to us for help. He was a most excellent student and it was with great pleasure that I taught him mastery of his powers. Then yesterday, in this very square, I crowned him with the diadem he now wears as a fully trained telepath."

"He then made a request of us prior to his renewing his bond with Kurisutaru. He wished to take on the markings of his bondmate's clan upon his legs and the markings of his vocation as a guardian about his arms. He even came up with a design for the home he came from which is quite fitting. Even his ancestor, Takala, was a fox who flew."

Renjiro then took over, lifting and extending his staff horizontally above his head. "To become a guardian requires mastery of the Cerinian staff through years of physical and mental training. In centuries past, guardians protected their village and towns from attack from rival clans. And in the last century when peace finally reigned among our clans, that duty changed to protecting loved ones from aggressive wildlife and rescuing those in need. On the final day of training, the prospective guardian would go through a rite of passage, surviving off the land and fending off wild beasts, some of which were also telepathic."

He then inclined his head towards Fox. "Through his bondmate, Fokkusu has already attained mastery of the staff. And he has already gone through a rite of passage on this very world when he used Kurisutaru's staff to save Sauria when it faced destruction! Fokkusu has truly earned the right to wear the tattoos about his arms."

Hiroshi once again took over and addressed Fox directly. *"When I saw him spar against Renjiro a few weeks ago, just before I began his telepathic training, I knew he would eventually ask to have the tattoos of a guardian. It is why I requested Renjiro and Akina to make him these." * He pointed to the ornate chest, which Renjiro picked up and opened.

The elder then recited the ceremonial words. "In front of these witnesses, you have proven yourself worthy of your vocation. Now receive the implements of your station." ** From within the chest, he took out a collar, which he fitted around tod's neck. This was followed by epaulettes over his shoulders, then bracers around his forearms, and finally leggings about his lower legs. Lastly, the elder withdrew a collapsed staff, which he presented to Fox. **"With this Staff, may you always carry out your duties as guardian of our community with pride and devotion."

Fox took the weapon in his hand and mentally commanded it to extend. Gazing down at his very own Cerinian staff in his hands left him feeling awed. He looked up again and said, "Elder, I never would have expected this. I am truly honored." ** He then turned around and faced the gathered Cerinians. **"My home may still be on Corneria, but I consider New Cerinia also my home. Thank you, all of you, for welcoming me as part of your community."

Hiroshi in turn replied to Fox's declaration of gratitude. *"Only one sixteenth Cerinian by blood you may be, but you are truly one of us at heart. We could not do otherwise but welcome you as a full-fledged member of our race." * The cheers and heartfelt positive emotions that Fox sensed from the telepaths around him reinforced the elder's words. He realized that in every way that was truly important, he was one of them. His second mother, Onikisu was right. He was the 51st Cerinian.

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