Aparoid Influence Chapter 5

Chapter 5:  The Sum of All Choices


Somewhere on Zoness a pilot is haggling on the price of service to his aircraft.  Fine tuning the agreement is still in progress however.

“Come on, I know you can do better than that!”  Falco exclaims.  “I could’ve let the swindlers on Macbeth do it for that price!”

“Then go back across the way and let them.”  The repair expert replies.  “It’s right over there.”

“Where’s the Lombardi discount?”  The aviator pleads.  “You know me!”

“Do I now?”  The technician chuckles.  “What’s that got to do with anything?”

“I come here for repairs all the time!  I’m worth a decent amount of business!”

“Not at what you want to pay.”

“Gus, please!”

“Business is business.”  Gus shrugs.  “Got to make money, somehow.”

“Let him slide.”  A female voice says from the entryway.  “For me?”

“Ah…”  Gus sighs.  “Alright, but only because I like ya!”

“Thank you.”  The lady bats her eyes prettily at the mechanic.

“Whatever…get out of here, you two.  I’ve got work to do.”  The pair leaves as requested.  “Goddamn highfalutin’ pilots…”  He mumbles.

“Long time no see, Falco.”

“It’s been a while.”  He concurs.  “Thanks Katt.”

“He’d have given you the discount.  He just likes messing with you.”  Katt pinches his cheek.  “Like I do.”

“I see.”  Falco tries to stop her from pinching him but she’s too quick and he takes two more.  “Quit it!”

“Okay…”  The pink feline sounds crestfallen.  “Since you asked so nicely.”

“What have you been up to other than annoying me?  I’m just curious.”

“Not too much.”  She replies.  “Things with your team not working out?  I see you’re by yourself again.”

“Yeah, I really didn’t like the way things were going.  I’m not that good at taking orders.”  The bird admits.

“Well, what happened?”  Katt asks worriedly.  “All you guys seemed to be good friends…”

“It isn’t that.”  Falco begins.  “But boy do I have a story to tell you…”
***


On Corneria the sun has just risen.  It’s about 6:30am and a young couple has just left to see their child off for the first day of school.

“Mommy?”  The little girl asks.  “Why do we have to leave so early?”  

“Because your school is very far away and you don’t want to be late.”  The mother replies.  “I don’t want you to miss a minute of your first day.”

“Why are you and Daddy walking me to the bus stop?  I could do it myself.”  She says petulantly.

“I want to be sure you get there.”  The father replies.  “It makes me feel better.”

“Okay, I don’t want my dad to be sad.”  The little lady concludes.  Her father smiles at that.  “Yay, happy!”  He scoops her up.  “Whee!”

They walk for a while with their young daughter riding atop his shoulders.  They stop and look both ways at the crosswalk and wave to the crossing guard.  They are almost to the bus stop when they notice something.

“Who’s that?” The ever curious child asks.

“Who’s who, honey?”  The mother looks around.  “I don’t see anyone.”

“Not down here, silly.”  The girl says as though it’s obvious.  “Over there!”  She points up.  “Who’s that?”

The trio stops.  Looking where the kid indicated, above a skyscraper, they spot Krystal.  The parents look at each other worriedly.

“It’s just a balloon, sweetie.”  The father says.  “Nobody’s that size.”

“But balloons don’t move!”  The little treasure protests.  “Look, she’s
looking around!”

“She’s got to be the reason the city’s on high alert!”  The mother whispers to her husband.  “Where’s the nearest air raid shelter?”

“That way, unfortunately.”  The husband replies.  “It’s either that or go all the way back home to the one four doors down from us.”

“Let’s just hurry.”

At roof top level the aparoid queen is surveying her surroundings.  The most vital part of her plan yet implemented as she is considering her options.

“I need to find the central area of the city to best start this…”  The invader muses out loud.  “Hmm?”  She senses thought patterns near her feet.  Looking down she finds a certain family of three.

“Mommy, isn’t she pretty?”  The little girl asks.

Krystal can’t help but smile.  “Why thank you, young lady.”  She says, surprising herself with control of her body again.  “That’s very nice of you.” She bows graciously, startling the adults with the sudden movement.

“I do suppose she may be, a bit.”  The mother concurs, trying to calm down.

“More than just a bit…”  The father mutters, gawking more than decency would normally allow at the well-taxed boundaries of the ponderous girl’s almost overflowing outfit.  “Wow…”

“When I grow up I want to be big, just like you!”  The kindergartener says enthusiastically.  Then she stops and rubs her chin a moment, thinking.  “Umm, well maybe not so big.”

Krystal giggles.  “No?”  The elementary student shakes her head.  “Aww…”

“If you will excuse us, we really must be going.”  The mother insists, tugging her mate away.

“Bye bye!”  The girl waves.

Krystal waves back before returning to the matter at hand rather abruptly, standing up.  She sighs inwardly as she’s just an occupant of her own body again and her control of herself was apparently was temporary.

“Ah, this place is perfect.”  The queen says, finding the downtown part of the capital.  “My children can land here and spread all over.”

“Not so fast!”  Comes a voice over a bullhorn.  “You’ll have to contend with us, first!”

Gazing down to her left the purple vixen finds the opposition.  “A special occasion, General?”  She chides.  “I’ve never heard of you being on the front line.”

Pepper disregards the comment.  “You will be stopped today.  Since you were a member of Star Fox in good standing I will give you the option to surrender.”

“Surely you jest!” Krystal laughs, positively tickled at the notion.  “Your benevolent offer has not gone unnoted though.  Allow me to offer you a counter proposal if you would.”  She bends over, looming above the Cornerian top brass and casting him into her shadow then smiles a familiar, fiendish smile.  “Would you like me to crush you or your toys first?”  She asks in a faux whisper.

“You shall not claim victory.”  The field commander states.  “Troops go ahead with the attack!”  He commands.

“Hmm…”  The aparoid queen probes the mind of the retired soldier.  She finds something interesting in short order.  “Well played, General.  Most of these are unmanned.”  She says aloud.  “I’ll finish them first then I’m coming for you.”  The self-contained blitzkrieg steps forward.

Pepper shudders at her declaration but holds steady.  “Stay in formation, men!”  He calls out.  “Hold positions and concentrate your fire!”  He watches her wade into their midst.  “Center decoys, self destruct!”

Krystal senses a trap being sprung and tries to step backward.  But it’s too late.  Several of the heavier artillery go volatile and explode quite suddenly, blasting her back.  She rips a trench in the ground keeping her balance and glares at her opponent, more than a little hurt.  “Good move.”  She growls, bounding forward.  “My turn!”  She kicks the remains of the first wave aside and leaps overhead, clearing the general and landing behind the second line with a target in mind.

“Not yet, our air support is late!”  Pepper thinks hurriedly.  “I hope this works…”  He unslings a rifle from his shoulder.  “If it can take down an Arwing in a single shot it should do something.”  He lines up the sights on the D-class sniper rifle and fires.

The general’s first lieutenant starts to panic as the massive eyes of the enemy seem to bore into his own as she charges for him.  Trapped in a slow, armored vehicle he’s all but resigned to his demise.  “I thought I’d have a chance to get away…”

“Bail out!”  Comes over his radio.  “Pepper’s pushing the plan early!  Don’t bother with the other decoys!”

“I can’t!”  The frantic soldier replies.  “There’s no time!”

“She’s coming right at you, man!  Ditch it or you’re toast!”

“I know that…”  He opens the hatch and leaps out just in time to see her towering over him.  “But if I fly she’ll swat me like a bug.”  He sighs as she nods as though reading his thoughts.  “Why’d I volunteer?’  He shuts his eyes, steeling himself against the pain that’s sure to come with the advance of her fist.  But there’s nothing.  Then out of nowhere there’s an unnaturally loud squeal and he snaps to attention.  The purple behemoth is recoiling in agony from a red laser laced with blue energy hitting her cheek and the officer takes this chance to leave.  Throwing the throttle of his jetpack wide open he takes off like a rocket and barely escapes her grasping hands.  He sees the other two lieutenants beating an aerial retreat and leaves the battlefield.  “We’re done here.”

The singed savior of the aparoids puts a hand to her burned face and glowers at the high-ranked shooter.  “You’ll pay for that.”

Pepper goes for another shot with the Demon Sniper Rifle but Krystal jumps sideways, amazingly agile for something that size and evades the experimental beam.  “Where is-”  The sentence is unfinished as she snatches him up and squeezes the wind out of him.

“-your backup?”  Krystal asks sweetly.  “Too late for you.”  She tightens her grip a bit.  “And it’s a shame all your unmanned kamikaze vehicles need to be controlled by remote since you have so many left and nobody to drive them.”

“That wasn’t all.”  The general rasps.  “And it doesn’t matter.”

“Really?”  She delves into his mind.  “What secret weapon is this?  
OW!”  She drops the secretary of defense as that hand is hit with double yellow laser.  He flies away using his jetpack as tardy air support finally arrives.  “You!”  She snarls, scorched a second time.

“We meet again.”  Bill says.  “This time we’re taking you down for good!”

“Quite a claim.”  The titaness replies calmly.  “Care to back it up?”

“Alpha unit, circle around and fire at will!  Let’s wear her down!”

Krystal draws her staff and watches the professional pilots carefully.  She senses their first attack and puts up her shield just in time.  “Those lasers are much more powerful than before.”  Her expression illustrates her shock at this revelation.

“Surprised?”  Bill taunts.  “This is the general’s secret weapon!  The D-class laser beam!”

“My children aid me!”  The aparoid mother commands, casting her thoughts to the sky.

“I don’t think that’s going to be enough.”  Krystal says cheerily in spite of the situation.

If they are not then we could be destroyed.

“Then so be it.”
***


On Great Fox the squadron leader has just woken up.  Bolt upright in bed he’s dressed in seconds.  He sprints to the bridge to summon his teammates but they are already assembled.

“Morning Fox-”  Peppy begins.

“We have to go.”  Fox states, cutting him off.  “Now.”

“Alright.”  Slippy replies.  “I’m ready.”

“Shouldn’t we call?”  The hare asks.  “She might not have-”

“No, we go now.”

“Trust me, he knows.”  The mechanic affirms.  

Peppy shrugs and they hurry off to the hangar.  Three minutes later finds them in Federation airspace.  The trio is silent as they make their way to Corneria.

“Okay.  We’re almost there.”  Slippy says, breaking the hush on the radio frequency.  “Now I’m not quite sure what we’re doing, could you remind me?”  He asks as nonchalantly as possible.

“Saving Krystal.”  Fox replies without hesitation.

“How?”

“…just follow my lead.”

The three Arwings burst into the atmosphere amid a hail of aparoids.  Blasting away, the three of them cut a path through the mechanical insects and emerge above Corneria City.  The sounds of battle are fierce as infantry and ground enemies are clashing.  The enormous queen of the enemy forces is locked in combat with top quality aircraft.  She seems to be losing the confrontation however.

“This isn’t good.”  Peppy says, noting the state of the engagement.

“Those are Bill’s ships….”  Slippy says, recognizing the crafts surrounding the gargantuan girl.  “What are they doing here?”

“Take Alpha Team out!”  Fox bursts out angrily.

“Is that any way to treat an old pal?”  Bill asks sarcastically.  “I thought we were buddies.”

“You’ve crossed the line.”  The Star Fox leader drops altitude and boosts after Bill.  “I’ll deal with you myself.”  He fires blue hyper lasers at the Katina native.  The foreign ship takes some damage and barrel rolls, deflecting the rest.

“Do better than that, Fox!”  Bill taunts.  “That’s nothing!”  He somersaults behind his adversary and returns fire.  Fox breaks contact and takes a temporary retreat from the golden beams.  “You can dish it out but can’t take it, huh?”

“Their ships are enhanced.”  Slippy realizes.  “Both lasers and shields too, what is this technology?”

“D-class.”  Peppy replies.  “At least I think it is.  Still untested as far as I know, that’s what Pepper told me.  I guess they’ve got working prototypes though.”  He slips behind Bulldog.  “Give me a hand.”

“Right.”  The two of them open fire on the same target who does a U-turn and changes direction.  When the Star Fox pilots follow suit the enemy ship is gone.  Not for long, though as they both take some hits from yellow beams from behind them and split up again.  “They’re more maneuverable too, that’s some upgrade!”  Slippy notes while attempting to withdraw from the persistent bogey.

Krystal, finally given a reprieve, starts firing fireballs into the dogfight.  Fox and Bill dodge away from each other.  Peppy is singed while she misses Bulldog entirely.  Slippy spins to one side and his pursuer, Husky, takes the shots meant for him.  One bounces off the shield while another seems to shatter it and the Alpha team member retreats back into the loose formation they seem to have formed on one side of the field.

“Orders, boss?”  Bulldog asks.

“Them or the girl?”  Husky adds.

“Whatever you can manage.”  Bill replies.  “Stay close to her that way-”  His ship is rocked with an unexpected charge shot.  “You’re serious, huh Fox?”

There is no reply.  As the gray dog evades behind a building Fox breaks off pursuit.  The other two members of Alpha Team form up close behind their leader.  When they rejoin the battle they open up a volley on Krystal together, peppering her chest and face with Demon Laser.

“Krystal!”  Fox is beyond livid.  But his Arwing is too far away to cover her.  He can only watch as she writhes under the assault and makes his ship shudder with her cries.  “Hold on!”  He makes an effort to assist her.

A wasted endeavor as the shots come for her faster than he can boost.  The whole scene plays out in slow motion as chartreuse beams reach her and bounce away, deflected by an aircraft wingspin move.

“Just go the things fixed and there’s already holes in ‘em!”  Falco states, annoyed.  “Ruined a paint job too!”

“Great timing!”  Fox yells.  “I knew I could count on you!”

“You owe me wings, Fox.”  The ace replies in all seriousness.  “You shouldn’t sound so happy.”

“It’s three on four now, that’s no fair!”  Bill whines.

Not for long.

“What are you on about, now?”  Krystal wonders, irritated at the presence in her head before realizing its intent.  “Oh no.”

Yes.

“But he just saved us!”  The telepath protests.  “The people!”

I do not give my enemy any quarter.

Krystal’s discrepancies are of no import as her marionette-like body reaches over and tears a monorail off its tracks.  Not having finished boarding the doors hastily close as she picks it up and aims at her tardy benefactor, Falco.  Cocking her arm back for a pitch she catches a whole lot of attention from the passengers.

“What in the heck-”

“I don’t want to die!”

“Somebody make it stop!”

“Heavens have mercy…”

“Krystal don’t!”  This comes from Fox.  “Please I’m begging you!”

“Fox…”  Krystal thinks as though remembering something important.  “No, definitely not!”

This again?  You cannot stop me.

“I won’t allow this!”  She declares with her will focused.

Foolish child- no, you can’t…”

Krystal’s mammoth body comes to a halt right in the middle of the conflict.  “I just did.”

We will be destroyed if you do not allow me to move.

“That’s fine by me.”  The psychic says.  “I won’t let a travesty like that happen!  I won’t have a hand in that.”

The Aparoid Queen seems to be taking this time to dispute this fact but is quite immobile.  Her enemies are regrouping and preparing to engage her again and she has remained stationary.  One of the daring pilots makes his bid at her prematurely.

“I’ve got this.”  Husky decides, leading an attack on Krystal’s left.

“Oh no you don’t!”  Both Fox and Falco say at the same time moving to cut the opposing aviator off.

Husky fires a few shots at Krystal, which hit and provokes her to set the train car down instead of continuing trying to propel it at her adversaries.  Fox and Falco punish the action of Husky by swiftly bringing both crosshairs to bear on him and shooting him as his shield had already been neutralized by Krystal leaving him wide open.  

“I’m taking damage!”  Husky says frantically.  “Cover me!”

“We’ve got your back!”  Bill replies.  “Keep cool!”  He pulls behind his injured comrade.

“No, I don’t think so.”  Peppy says, sliding in front of him.  “We’ll take care of him though.”

“What?  No!”  Bill goes after Peppy but is deterred by a bomb from Slippy.  Bulldog cannot cover Husky enough to stop the other three Star Fox pilots from finishing Husky’s craft.  “Husky!”

“Sorry boss…”  Husky ejects.

“Well now that makes two against four.”  Falco says.  “You want to continue this, Dog boy?”

“Bulldog, with me!  Let’s finish her!”  The Alpha leader commands, flying around Krystal’s head.  “Enough hits’ll do the job.”

The Star Fox team tries to stop the remaining Katina pilots but is unable to do so.  The superior shielding affords them the luxury of ignoring most shots and barrel rolling the rest.  They advance on Krystal and prepare their attack while buzzing around her but she’s done playing.  The voluminous violet vixen raises the staff menacingly.  

“I will destroy the city if your attack on me does not cease.  I’ll raze it to the ground should you not back off.”  She concludes with the threat of Quake as her ultimatum.  

From the Cornerian War Room Pepper nearly falls off his chair hearing her declaration.  “No, anything but that.”  Pepper whispers to himself.  

Using his high tech VR tactics table to run a quick simulation he watches as factoring Quake and what happened on Macbeth to a representation of Corneria City.  The experiment’s outcome is grim and the general wastes no time yanking up his radio to alert his soldiers.

“You don’t scare us!”  Bill says confidently.  “Bulldog, let’s get this done!”

“You’ve been warned.”  The immense foe says flatly.

“No!”  The incarcerated consciousness squeals.  “Not a chance!”

You must comply.  This is our last chance.

“I do not care!  It’s that simple!”

You know you want to survive.

“Krystal!  You can’t!”  Fox exclaims.

The supersized shell that Krystal calls her body charges the staff.  Irregardless of her own wishes she can feel it getting ready to rock the world on its axis.  “I…”

“Bill!  Stand down!”  Crackles over all the radios.

“But sir we’ve almost-”

“Stand down, that’s an order!”  The general barks.  “Don’t risk the city!”

“This is revenge, we’re going.”  Bill says, making up his mind.  “Let’s do it.”

“I’m not.”  Bulldog pulls back.  “I won’t do it.”  He withdraws from battle.  “It’s not worth it.”

“Fine!”  Bill yells.  “I’ll do it myself with this!”  He releases a D-class high explosive device encased in a familiar red shell stamped with the letter “B”.

“Don’t use that!  It’s unstable!”  Pepper yells.

The aparoid mother senses the impending attack and raises her barrier.  But instead of wrapping it around herself it expands to protect the area nearby.  

You are risking us both.

Krystal does not reply but her attitude to that selfish act remains scornful as she changes the shield’s concave nature changes to something more convex and pushes against the force of the ballistic contrivance stretching to retard its increased area of effect.  Such an act repulses the transition zone back upward towards the sender.  When the smoke and light fade both her and the city are still standing.

“Whoa, this wasn’t supposed to happen!”  Bill is buffeted by the reflected shockwave of the blast.  “I’m going down!”

“She stopped the bomb from destroying everything.”  Pepper realizes.  “Why?”

Krystal looks around.  Just about all of the aparoids were obliterated in the cataclysm.  Too tired to continue her conquest she decides to retreat.  She uses her staff to boost out of the atmosphere and is gone almost as fast as she came.

“What are you waiting for, Fox?”  Falco demands.  “We’ve got to go after her!”

“I don’t really think this is going to work…I don’t want to hurt her.”  Fox says softly.

“We can’t just let her go, Fox!”  Slippy says shrilly.

“You’ve got to do something!”  Peppy yells.  “This is the only time we’ve got to use the antidote!”

“…”

“Fox!”
***

In space the Aparoid Queen is making her getaway.  Clear of the atmosphere of Corneria she’s deciding on where to go.

“There’s nowhere you can run.”  Krystal taunts.  “They’ll find you no matter what.”

They won’t.  Fox doesn’t have the heart to give chase.  

“I wouldn’t speak so soon…”  Krystal says gleefully.  “We’ve got company….”  She says in a sing-song voice.

“Do you ever give up?”  The queen demands aloud with an exasperated sigh.  “How much longer must this go on?”

“As long as it takes.”  Fox replies.  “Team, cover me so I can get close.”

His subordinates do exactly that.  They move ahead of Fox and try to clear the way for him.  But of course their foe is against that idea and starts spinning the staff like an insanely huge baton while backing away.

“Time for some new tactics.”  Peppy says resolutely.  “Team, follow my lead.”  The old hare guides his ship in front and starts firing on Krystal’s hands.  “Come on now, I need help!”

“This weak point will stop her from using the staff to disperse the bomb…”  Slippy realizes.  “I’m right behind you!”  He calls out giving Peppy backup.

“Whatever you say, old timer.”  Falco concurs, following suit.

The idea seems to be almost working.  The staff is rotating more slowly but still moving quickly.  The three pilots are doing their best but they can’t get Krystal to stop.

“Fox, you’ve got to help us!”  Peppy implores.

“I really-”  Fox begins.

“I know you don’t want to do it.”  The retired pilot says curtly.  “I don’t want to either but we’ve got to.”

“…”

“Come on, we can’t do it without you!”  Slippy insists.  

“…alright.”  Fox joins in the salvo.  

Combined together the four sets of blue hyper lasers are enough to convince her to stop spinning the staff.  But it’s far from over.  She waits a few moments and as soon as they get close she tries to strike them with the weapon and swat them down despite the scorch marks on her fingers.

“Still slow on the draw…”  Falco taunts, evading the swing.

“Whew…”  Slippy slides out of the way just in time in his borrowed ship.

“Shoot, I’m getting careless!”  Peppy draws back an instant too late and takes a hit to the rear.  “Dagnabit!”

“Peppy are you alright?”  Fox asks, concerned.

“It was just a nick.  I’m a little shook up is all.”  The hare comes back into formation.  “Wait a second, I can’t boost!  My G-diffuser’s down!”

Falco can’t resist laughing.  “I know you didn’t just say that!”  He says chidingly never minding the gravity of the situation.  “Of all people!”

“What the- how did that happen?”  Slippy wonders.

“Team, pull it together!”  Fox commands.  “Incoming!”

Krystal changes her tactic and sprays the area with cold energy.  Seeing this Star Fox immediately is forced to give her some distance.  Now every time they go nearby she wards them off with frigid magic.

“We’ve almost got this won.”  Peppy says encouragingly.  “She’s running out of ideas.  As soon as we stop her from trying to freeze us we’re good to go.”

“How are we going to do that?”  Slippy asks.  “We can’t even get close.”

“As long as she’s got that staff we can’t touch her…”  Falco agrees.

“Yeah…but I’ve got something.  We’ve got to attack her and make her drop it.”

“She isn’t going to let go…”  Fox says.  “What do you have in mind?”

“We’ll cover you, there won’t be much time.”  Peppy begins.  “We’ll have to go for her eyes and face and you’ll have to go in for the antidote.”

“I’m not going to let you do that…”

“We don’t have a choice.  The others are going to start on my mark so you’d better move quick when we go for it.  You’re only going to get one chance.”

“I’m not-”

“Let’s do this!”  Peppy takes a position in the rear and aims upward.  The others are not far behind.  “Go!”

Krystal isn’t taking it lying down either.  On the cue all of them move a little closer for better aim and she manages to graze Slippy with the freezing power and watch as the brittle metal of the left wing snaps right off.  But that leaves her open and she takes a few minor burns to her cheeks.  When her eyelashes get singed however she falls for their ploy.  Unwilling to risk her vision she drops the staff and covers her eyes with her hands.  

You’ve fallen into their trap.

“Better that then be blinded.”  Krystal replies.  “I’m not here to serve your agenda anyway.”

We’ll both die if he uses the antidote on us.

“I guess you’ll take me with you then.  That’s no surprise.”

“…I don’t want to do this…”  Fox thinks.  “I can’t.”

Krystal can hear what Fox is thinking and is touched yet still prepared for the end.  But her mental warden can too and it doesn’t bode well for anyone.  Her eyes open and she looks directly at Fox and gives him a pleading gaze.  “Please don’t!”  She hears her voice plea pathetically against her will.  “Don’t you love me?”  The battlefield comes to a grinding halt at her plaintive query.

“What are you waiting for?”  Falco demands.  “Do it already!”

“…no.”  Fox mumbles.

“You honestly can’t be serious!”

“...as weak as she is, it might kill her...”

“I’m starting to detect a space anomaly nearby.”  Slippy says.  “She’s gonna try and hyperjump!”

“…”

“Fox, she’s going to get away!”

“Sorry…”

“So, that’s it?  You’re just going to let it all go to waste?”  Peppy asks.  “All that we did and as far as we came you’re going to let all of that go?”

“I don’t want to lose her…”

“Neither do any of us!”  Falco snaps.  “But I didn’t come all this far just to fail!   Not jump across the galaxy to break up my Arwing again and risk my life for nothing!  I wanted to help you get her back no matter what it took!  That’s what family’s about!”

“Falco…”

“Do you think we’ll really be able to do something like this again?”  Slippy asks.  “We had ‘help’ from Bill and the entire Cornerian Army just to get this chance.  I don’t think we’re going to get another opportunity like this again.  You’ve got to do this!”

“Slippy…”

“If you don’t do something she’ll evolve and not only will she be unstoppable but Krystal will be a goner too.  We’ve done our parts now it’s your turn.”  Peppy says.  “Go for it.”

Fox looks over at his team flying in formation beside him and Krystal floating ahead of them like an enemy battleship.  He watches as she pulls her staff to her magically and opens a hyperspace portal.  “Alright team, let’s finish this!”

“No can do, boss.”  Falco says.  “I can’t go hyperspace like this, my wings are shot.”

“I can’t do it either.”  Slippy adds, trying to keep ‘his’ ship balanced with most of the left half missing.

“I can’t make the jump without a G-diffuser.  This you’re going to have to do alone now.”  Peppy says.

“Guys…”

“Get movin’!”

Fox takes no more time for small talk and hits the thrusters hard.  He’s close on Krystal’s heels and he’s all a tingle with the tension.  “I can do this…”  He reminds himself.  “I can do this.”  He barely makes in it after her and the portal shuts immediately.  “I’ve got to…”

“Don’t you know how to quit?”  The aparoid queen queries.

“No.”  Fox maneuvers his Arwing close and fires off one of the antidote canisters.  “Not ever.”

Krystal starts coughing.  “What?  Not this…not again…”  She falls out of hyperspace with Fox on her tail.  “I can’t be defeated…”

“You’ve got to be.  It’s the only way.”

The possessed telepath plummets into another planet’s atmosphere.  She makes a hard landing onto Titania’s surface on her disproportionate rear end and absently smacks the nose of battered Arwing pursuing her with her staff while sitting up.  The pilot ditches the finished aircraft and lands on the sand nearby.  Krystal, feeling the effect of the antidote, shrinks down to her previous 25ft height still sitting in the depression she created on impact of a sand dune contoured to the shape of her behind.

“Are you ready, big butt?”  Fox chides to Krystal’s amusement.  “Don’t get too comfortable over there; I’ve still got to bring you in.”

“We’ve done this dance before.”  The queen reminds Fox in Krystal’s voice.  “You won’t win.”

“Wanna bet?”  Her opponent smiles.

“I know you.  You won’t dare-”

“Try me, come on.”  Fox starts hopping around.  “If you can handle it that is.”  He laughs.

“You wish for this to be painful?  Very well.”  Krystal says, standing up.  “I’ll entertain you.”  She goes to strike him down.

“Too slow!”  The nimble fox jumps over a staff swing and lands a kick to her midsection.  “Can you keep up with me?”

Unphased by his attack she continues.  But she goes high, he drops down and there’s a blow to her knee.  She tries to stomp him but he rolls clear and pulls his blaster, hitting her with worthless stun shots.  She reaches for him and he’s always just out of her grasp, dancing away while smacking at her powerful fingers.

“You can’t defeat me.  You may as well give this up.”

“Why would I do that?”  Fox teases.  “I’m having fun, aren’t you?”

“When you tire, I’ll snap you in two.”  His exceedingly tall girlfriend reminds him.

“Let me know when that happens.”

The fight goes on.  Fox seems to have limitless energy.  Every time she thinks he’s going to get hurt he slips away.  Him jumping over her sweep kicks and under her swinging arms to touch her face and wink taxes her patience.  She counterattacks him with a punch that is dead on but he tucks and rolls with the blow dispersing the force and smiling that irritating smile of his after he gets back up.

“Not bad, but it’s still a good thing I’m taking it easy on you.”  Fox says.  “I’d hate to hurt you.”

Krystal screams and charges, infuriated at his complacent attitude.  But even taunting he’s second-guessing her moves.  Sidestep the punch, jump the staff, slide away from her hand, and catch the follow up kick square in the stomach.  His face is the picture of surprise upon impact.  She feels him cave in under the blow as he’s propelled off her foot a few yards away in the sand.  He doesn’t tactically roll or land on his feet.  He just lies there, finally bested.  She can’t help but feel disappointed though.  “That’s it?”  She says aloud.

Her opponent hacks a bit before speaking.  “Yep, that’s it.”  He pulls out a container.  “All that to get this all over you and make you go back to normal.”  Fox groans with the other antidote canister in hand.  “That hurts…”

“After all I’ve been through, this is it?”  The oversize telepath walks over to him.  “You’re what defeated me before?”  She asks, heaving all hot and sweaty towering over him.

“That’s right.  Well, you beat me this time.”  The lead pilot chuckles darkly.  “I shouldn’t have taken it easy on you.  Couldn’t help it though.  I wasn’t able to do it.”

Krystal shakes her head sadly.  “I knew you couldn’t.  You knew it too.  Why?  What was the purpose?”

Fox shrugs, or tries to with multiple bone fractures.  “I don’t know, had to try I guess.”

“But you knew you wouldn’t.  You would’ve let me win either way.”  She says probing his brain.  “Why?”

“It’s a choice I made.  Why do we do anything?  Because we’ve got choices.”

“It was wrong!  There’s so much you could’ve done differently.  If there is only one right way there is no other option.”

“Life is the sum of all choices.  I’d rather make a bad one than not have a chance to choose.”

“Look at where you ended up!”
“I got pretty far.”  He chuckles again.  “For all the screwing up I did even I’m impressed.”  He meets her eyes.  “Are you going to finish me or not?”

The imprisoned consciousness that is Krystal waits.  She braces herself against what’s coming.  It’s no surprise that her disloyal hands pick Fox up and begin to constrict about him slowly.  “No!  You can’t!”  The incarcerated one balks and tries with all her willpower to stop it.  The thoughts of the tortured one spur her on as they appear in her mind.

“Oh CRAP!  This hurts!”  Fox thinks.  “I should’ve finished her when I had the chance…”

Now do you see?  Even he could not be expected to still care for you after all that he’s been through.

“But Fox I- you, we…”  Her digits tighten like a vise as she loses concentration.  “I thought you…”

“Owowow!”  Fox exclaims with his thoughts running together now.  “I can’t think I couldn’t, wouldn’t.  It didn’t matter I did so much.  All I wanted was to have her back…”

Pitiful, isn’t he?  I shall destroy him here and now.

“Please don’t…”  Krystal protests weakly.  But she’s confused by all the conflicting thoughts from Fox and the queen as well as several of her own so she can’t focus and find the strength to fight back.  “I, just stop…”  Her grip tightens like the hug of a python.

“Aaaahh!”  Fox feels a burst of terror renewed with his anguish.  “I’m really going to die.  It’s going to end here.  I’ll accept it then, I tried my best.  It doesn’t matter.  I did it all for her.  I have no regrets-”

Krystal can only listen to his final musings in astonished silence.  “I…No, not like this…”  Feeling his consciousness wavering like a candle flame in the breeze her thoughts linger on him with sorrow deeper than she thought possible coming over her as she anticipates his demise.  She can only wait for the tell tale sign of his presence in her mind subsiding as his life too is snuffed out.  “…?”  Something is wrong.

“-whew!”  Fox is relieved.  “Man does this hurt!”

The grasp of the enormous executioner relaxes.  She stares down at the one sentenced to death and the expression on her face changes.  Previously it was an unforgiving gaze of hatred, now a look of utmost bafflement.

“Did I?”  Krystal wonders.  “I tried but-”

No.  I stopped.

“Why?”

The aparoid queen doesn’t answer.  Instead there is silence.  Then both of them are inside Fox’s head, sifting through his memories as the being at the helm of Krystal and her abilities takes a journey through his brain.  All the events from the last few days are inspected and examined.  She is taken aback at the occurrences; some of them are unbelievable to say the least. It’s a lot to take in and it is over as suddenly as it began.

I won’t do it.

“What?”  Krystal is stunned.

I won’t destroy him.

“Why?”  Even though the decision is one she favors she can’t help but wonder.  “I don’t understand.”

When you chose me first it was because you thought they abandoned you.  When you chose me the second time it was the same thing but you thought you were going to die then.  Even so, you fought me every step of the way.  Some things you simply wouldn’t do.  Though it would’ve been easier to let me lead you made me force you.  That was your choice.

“You know that already.”  Krystal replies.  “There’s something more, isn’t there?”

It isn’t just that.  Fox wouldn’t stop choosing you.  Not when I first hit him when Falco could’ve taken us, not when the cannon hit us and we became a bigger threat or when Bill was bent on destroying us either.  When it came time to pick his team or you he picked you.  When it was impossible he picked you.  Even now, when it was either pick his survival and force you to be normal or put himself and the entire galaxy at risk he chose you.  That was his choice.

“Why let him live?”

Because it is my choice alone; you could not stop me.  I have never chosen before and this is my choice to make.

“But you will cease to be…”

What is a life without choice?  

The aparoid queen sets down Fox delicately and picks up the antidote canister.  Gazing at it wistfully she opens it slowly.  “I chose…”  She says aloud, splashing herself with the contents.  “…to choose.”

The effect is immediate.  Krystal can finally control herself again.  She telepathically scans the area.  The aparoid consciousness is gone like a bad dream.  “I’m me again…”  She whispers.

“You…beat it?”  Fox asks, wheezing painfully.

“No…”  Krystal says sounding almost sad.  “I didn’t.”  She picks up Fox and pulls him close, activating her healing magic on him.  “It chose to defeat itself.”

Fin