“The Search”

                        By Cyberwuffy

Prologue

            Wolf lay next to Fara in their quarters. "How was last night?" Wolf asked. Fara turned to him and put a smile on her face.

            "Wonderful! I wish we could live like this forever." Fara sighed.

            "Me too... Fara, I'm afraid that it's time."

            "Time? I'm not due for another eight months silly." Fara laughed. She kissed Wolf warmly and cuddled with him.

            "No baby, it's not that." Wolf yawned.

            "Then what is it Wolfy?" Fara asked.

            "You know that man you talked to yesterday?" Wolf asked.

            "Yes..."

            "I'm afraid that him and his friends are going to take you. I won't let them."

            "I won't go. I'm gonna stay here with you Wolfy." Fara said. She was exhausted from the night she had with Wolf.

            Vixy stood in the docking bay of her cloaked space station. The Star Fox team, including Katt, Bill, and Matt stood in a line. Vixy took out laser proof  vests and helmets. Each of them took their assault rifles and started boarding one of Vixy's ships. Vixy put her paw on Bill's shoulder. "Be careful." Vixy said.

            "Don't worry Vix. I'll be back before you know it." Bill said. He kissed her goodbye. Bill left Vixy and walked up the boarding ramp. The doors closed. The assault shuttle lifted off and left to find the Fox Hunter.

            Mary entered the docking bay with both twins in her arms. "They've left. Right?" Mary asked.

            "Yeah. I hope they come back alive." Vixy sighed.

            "Don't worry. They'll come back." Mary said. A tear left her eyes and strolled down her cheek. "I hope..."

The Search begins…

            Vixy's private shuttle scanned around for the Fox Hunter. Fox had the cloaked shuttle on cruise control. The ship's sensors were automatically searching for the Fox Hunter. Fox was in the passenger compartment briefing his team. "So, Fox, what's your plan?" Matt asked, cleaning his rifle.

            "Simple. We get in, get Fara back, and run like hell." Fox explained.

            "But what if she doesn't want to come?" Falco asked.

            "I was hoping it wouldn't have to come that. We'll carry her out. Even if she's kicking and screaming. We'll take her back to Corneria." Fox explained.

            "When do you think we'll find them?" Katt asked.

            "I'm not sure. We need to get some sleep though."

            "Who'll be at the sensors?" Bill asked.

            "We'll take shifts. I'll be the first one. The rest of you get some sleep. I'll wake one of you up when I feel tired. Goodnight." Fox said, trying to hold back a yawn. Fox walked up to the cockpit and sat down next to a console. Each member of the Star Fox team sat up against each other and went to sleep. The shuttle flew along its course looking for the Fox Hunter.

            Mary and Vixy sat in the guest room aboard her space station. Mary held Felicia in her arms. They were talking about themselves.

            "So, how did you and Matt first meet?" Vixy asked, placing Fox to bed.

            "Matt met me on the Internex. We began to e-mail each other everyday. We became friends. Then, one day, he told me he loved me." Mary explained.

            "Then what?" Vixy asked. She sat next to Mary on the bed.

            "Then my family moved to Matt's hometown on Katina. I'll never forget the first time we saw each other... It was in the beginning of our freshman year. You should have seen the look on Matt's face when I walked into his first-period classroom." Mary smiled.

            "What did he do?" Vixy asked.

            "Well, he jumped out of his seat, ran over towards me, swung his arms, and kissed me." Mary smiled.

            "Sounds romantic..." Vixy smiled.

            "That was nothing compared to how he proposed to me. We were both seniors. Matt and I were walking in the park on a spring night. We sat in a gazebo under the moonlight. Matt knelt across from me, took out a shiny silver box with a diamond ring, held my paw, and asked me to marry him. He caught me off guard, but I accepted; so he slid the ring on my finger, sat next to me, placed me in his lap, and kissed me. We got married that summer. Then the war broke out. We never had the chance to go on our honeymoon or have kits. Both of us joined the resistance to fight Andross later that week..."

            "I'm sorry to hear that you two never went on your honeymoon. You know, there's a tropical resort not too far from the command base on Katina. Both of you could just spend some time there when the guys get back." Vixy suggested.

            "I know which one you're talking about. But Matt says that when he gets back, he'll carry me into our beach house and we'll make our own honeymoon. I mean... if he gets back. I just have this strange feeling that something terrible in going to happen to him." Mary said. She realized that Felicia had fallen asleep. Mary open the covers on the bed and placed the newborn vixen next to her brother. As soon as the twins were settled, Mary and Vixy quietly slipped out of the room.

            An alarm sound in the cockpit of the assault shuttle. Fox's senses came to life. He looked over the sensor display. The screen read that it had found a ship identical to the Fox Hunter. He got up out of his chair and went to wake his team. "Hey guys, wake up. We've found them. Get your gear on." Fox whispered. Everybody slowly awoke and put on their helmets and grabbed their guns. Katt got on her feet and walked over next to Fox. He was gazing out the cockpit window.

            "My god... that thing is huge! It'll take forever to find Fara in all of that." Katt exclaimed.

            "No it won't. They're on the bridge." Fox said.

            "How do you know? It's not like you can just peek through a window." Katt said.

            "Well, wouldn't you be on the bridge if you were expecting intruders?" Fox asked.

            "Yeah, I guess so. But what if both of them are-"

            "Katt, please, I don't eve want to think about that. I can just pray that they're not." Fox answered. "Hold on, we're about to dock. Brag onto something and brace yourself."

The shuttle clamped onto the Fox Hunter. The laser dock system ate through the thickly plated hull of the Fox Hunter. Peppy opened the hatch and peered out the corner. Satisfied that it was safe, he motioned for everyone to follow. Everybody cautiously made their way towards the bridge.

            Wolf sat on the bridge of his warship with Leon and Fara. Leon wore his traditional Venom flight suit. Wolf and Fara were in their nightclothes. Fara sat in his lap. She put her arms around Wolf and pulled closer to him. "I love you my Wolfy!"

            "I love you too baby!" Wolf answered. Fara looked up at Wolf and kissed him. Suddenly the turbo lift doors slid open. Matt and Fox ran out the doorway and flanked Wolf. Katt and Peppy followed. Leon reached for his gun, but Katt caught him and shot Leon. He fell dead to the ground. Wolf and Fara jumped out of their seat. Wolf withdrew a heavily modified laser pistol. Fox motioned for the group to fall back. Katt and Peppy made it safely into the turbo lift. Fox ducked behind a console. Matt was running to join Fox under the computer, but he tripped. he was drawn to the floor. His head gear slipped off and the helmet rolled past Wolf's feet. Wolf saw the helpless wolf struggling to get up. He remembered Matt from when he was captured with Fox, Fara, and Mary. Wolf decided that he should take the opportunity to kill one member of the Star Fox team, and aimed for the base of his skull. Matt could hear Katt and Fox calling for him to grab their paws, so they could drag him to safety. Wolf pulled the trigger. The laser him Matt in the head. He let out a blood-curtailing scream. Matt felt the burning pain rush through his body. His vision started to blur. He knew that all hope of him and Mary having a family was lost. With his last ounce of strength he screamed out Mary's name before he passed out. Somehow, he prayed that she would hear him.

Fox was angry. He took out his gun and jumped up from his hiding spot. He fired madly at Wolf. "DIE YOU BASTARD!" Fox yelled madly. The blasts from Fox's assault rifle pierced Wolf's body. Blood started to pour out of the laser wounds. Wolf O'Donnell was now dead.

            Suddenly, Fara grabbed at her head. All the memories that Wolf suppressed started to surface simultaneously. It was too much for Fara to handle at once. She let out a wild  scream before she fell unconscious. "Katt, Bill, get Matt back to the ship. The rest of you follow them, we're getting out!" Fox ordered. Katt and Bill came out from hiding in the turbo lift and started to carry Matt's dying body back to the ship. Fox picked Fara up and followed everyone back to the shuttle. Fox walked into the shuttle with Fara in his arms and closed the hatch. The ship detached and entered hyperspace. Matt lay dying in one of the bunks. Peppy knelt beside him with a medical scanner. Fox stood over him. "Matt, is there anything I can do?" he asked.

            "Y-yes." Matt whispered.

            "Name it." Fox smiled.

            "Tell Mary- tell my wuffy- I love her-" Matt said. He passed out.

            "Peppy, will he be alright?" Fox asked.

            "No. He's in a coma. Matt may never wake up. Mary will be crushed." Peppy said sadly.

            Mary and Vixy stood excited in the docking bay while the shuttle's doors opened. Fox, Katt, and Falco walked down the ramp. Fox started to look for Mary. he didn't know how she would take the bad news. "Where's Matt?" Mary asked excitedly. Fox put his paws on Mary’s shoulders. Mary looked up at Fox. She saw a sad look on his face. "Fox, what's wrong? Where's Matt?"

            "Mary, something awful happened. Wolf shot Matt in his face. He slipped into a coma about an hour ago. Mary, I'm sorry." Fox said regretfully. Tears started to drips down Mary's face. Bill and Peppy carried Matt's dying body out of the shuttle and placed him on the floor. Mary knelt over Matt's body, put her head on his chest, and sobbed uncontrollably.

            "I can't explain it, but somehow I knew that something terrible would happen to Matt. I could've stopped him from boarding that shuttle, but I didn't. I only have myself to blame for what happened. As I look over my husband's motionless body, I realize that if he doesn't wake up, we will never live to have a family. My worst fear is that if Matt dies. I will never know what it feels like to be mother." - Mary Starlight, Star Fox.

            It was around 1900 hours on Vixy's small space station. Matt was moved to the bed in Vixy's guest room. Everybody had given Mary privacy so she could mourn over the condition of her husband. She locked the door shut and sat on Matt's bed. Mary stroked her paws across the ruffled fur on Matt's chest. As she moved her paws down his body, mixed emotions flooded her. Mary took Matt's right paw and held it tight. All of the emotions that Mary fought hard to hold back suddenly erupted. Mary burst into tears and started to deliriously mutter "Matt, Matt, Matt..."

            Mary began to dig her muzzle into Matt and nudged it into his fur. "Oh god... Matt... Matt why? We were supposed to have kits when you got back, but now you're in a damn coma! You don't deserve this! It's just not fair! I want you to hold me in your arms and make love with you next to a romantic fire! Oh god- why?!" Mary cried. She moved on top of Matt's body and kissed him warmly. Mary's face was a huge mess of tears. "Matt, my sweet wuffy, come back to me! Please come back to me!"

            Mary moved her paws around Matt's body. She cried herself to sleep on top of Matt with her muzzle rubbed up against his neck.

TO BE CONTINUED

Coming soon: "Rejoice"