Drasiana Posted November 2, 2012 Report Share Posted November 2, 2012 Uh so this is a thing for Myu's Krystal redux contest and I was originally going to upload it to dA but dA's being terrible so I guess I'll post it here for now! The idea is to redo parts of Krystal's backstory and here I am redoing pretty much all of it (as well as some universal logistics). Enjoy the word vomit: Cerinia’s shadow was sharp and round on the face of Sauria, in its brief eclipse of Lylat. The moon was a speck along the planet’s surface, but as it was pummelled with long seconds of heat and radiation, the near side remained shrouded in cool darkness, the perfect cover for a wary observer. Pearly walls curved upwards, blossoming open to the sky with a sheen that mimicked the spattering of constellations around them. Then the walls bled away into gold-trimmed tile, on which the council had met to view the planet below, in a wide chamber that fit hundreds around its central platform. The disquieted keening of the city elder put the Cerinians on their toes, fur bristling, lines of men and women trying to compose themselves as the atmosphere itself vibrated with the unshakable sense of Wrongness. They did not need the steady eye of the wizard to see for themselves that peace was long forgotten on Sauria. “The Krazoa are angry.†The quality of wisdom seeped through the cracks in Randorn's old voice, a thing more forceful than the loudest timbre, and within the right context, much more frightening. A mumble broke out amongst the crowd, “Furious.†Rising to a panicked chatter as Randorn continued. Two hundred years since the Kamerians had fallen, two hundred years since Randorn had seen them slain with his own eyes, turned milky white in the years since. Beneath the cataracts were impressions of a threat that had narrowly skirted Lylat, to the knowledge of none but the Cerinians who fought and died in the name of Krazoa. And every year since then had marked peace, in their silent corner of Lylat. Compared to what could have been, Andross’s assault had been a thorn in a paw. A bystander asked the obvious, “Is it the Kamerians?†“No.†“Outsiders?†“No.†Randorn breathed deeply, seemingly sucking the oxygen from the room, stealing the questions from mouths before they were asked. He appeared as an etched statue, alone in the central platform, where a beam of light, reflected from Sauria, illuminated him before his people. “It is the planet. It is sick. They do not understand why. And the Krazoa are enraged by knowledge beyond their grasp.†“But what are we to do?†Rarely were words like ‘hesitance’ known to Randorn, but it was obvious he knew them nonetheless. “We must send One to the planet.†The Cerinians gasped, noses waggling as they looked to one another, confirming their fears in turn. No one went to the planet, as one does not make trips to heaven. They had their place, and it was in the moon alone. “Who shall we send?†someone asked, causing a cringe to ripple down the surrounding crowd. One by one they began to inch away, a blue tide draining away from the center point. “I’ll go,†announced a man, six feet tall and probably twice as wide, with asteroids for biceps. “No, your overconfidence betrays your weakness,†snapped a woman. “I’ll go.†“Are you out of your mind? No one should go! There are dangers on that planet we’ll never comprehend, and if the Krazoa are already angered, what good will it do?†Then all at once they were speaking, duelling with weapons of anger and fear as no victor showed itself. Randorn stood in solemn silence, drowning out the din. There was a far more important noise on which to focus his old ears; the padding of footsteps, one by one, as they approached behind him. He didn’t need to turn. The fighting stopped. Standing in the light was a woman, ivory and gold caressing her features, emphasizing the blue of her fur, still bright with youth. She stood with the strength of a pillar and the grace of solar winds, her bangles and braces revealing her place among the Cerinians. In one hand she clutched a stout stick, and the other was empty, balled and held against her side. A heartbeat brought the room from cacophony to deathly stillness. “I will be the one to go.†She flourished the stick and it sprouted to fifteen times its length, and she raised it above her head, letting the sapphire and topaz send specks of light dancing out across the crowd. Every syllable reverberated like thunder, filling the smallest cracks and furthest crannies of the building. “You are young, Krystal,†Randorn said softly, great contrast to his granddaughter’s fire. “I am strong, papa,†she replied, in a voice that proved it. “And I am wise. I do not fear the planet.†Randorn turned sharper than his frame would suggest feasible. “Do not take this matter lightly. It is not a prideful endeavour, a game to chase as foolish whelps for the prize of social credit.†“I play no such games,†Krystal said. “Then for what reason would you take this hallowed task?†“It is my destiny,†Krystal firmly planted the staff next to her. “I know the gravity of my choice, as my parents did before me. I go with their love and their memory, and the hope I can accomplish a fraction what they’ve done for our people. I am long beyond seeking praise from you, though I love you and all my family. It is from my own heart that I now wish to earn respect.†Her cyan eyes stared unwavering, piercing through Randorn’s blindness. Time ticked on, and the light dimmed, as Cerinia began to end its eclipsing passage. “Very well.†The crowd gasped. Krystal bowed her head in respect, though part was meant to hide the smile that broke out along her lips. “If your bones call you to the planet, then to the planet you must bring them. Return to the palace. Our preparations will be made for an early departure, when we pass over the last Force Point.†“I’m honoured, papa.†Krystal turned on her heel. A moment’s pause took in the sights of the faces around her. Friends and mentors she’d known since puphood, who now stood agape in her presence. She parted them like tide as she descended the stairs, a path cleared straight through the grand double-doors. A white-knuckled grip on her staff accompanied her stride. Only the faintest of glances flitted over her shoulder. The doors of the antechamber hushed shut, sucking the noise from the air, and the last of the light. “What have you done?†called a man. “You’ve—you’ve killed her!†Others nodded in grim agreement, glaring up at the old man who now stood in dimness. “Hush, Anatase. She knows what must be done.†“Does she know those sent to the planet aren’t meant to return? And you! To send your own granddaughter, even after sending your own son?†Voices raised in sharp pain, glimpses of fangs caught in the low light. “How much of your own blood must you spill, Randorn?!†“However much the Krazoa demand!†barked the old man, reeling on the crowd with uncommon ferocity. Any headstrong advance from them was quelled in an instant, reverting them back to lowly pups. The sparks of energy flitting about his knobbed fingers was only a hint of the wizard’s rage, and a hint was all they needed. “One is a small price for many, my friends. And one who will give such willingly is a treasure worth no price.†But still, he hung his head in silence. -- From the eight foot window of her room in the palace, Krystal had perfect view of the planet, and she had all her life. The vivid plains that changed from brown to green throughout the year, the orange flashes of magma from the volcanic strips, the perpetual storm raging at its center; it was like a map from a storybook she’d spent years memorizing. The towering ice caps, the ebbing seas...soon she would feel them, no longer a dream. The bag she packed held little. A map, inked herself; a book of stories, speculation of its beasts; a change of clothes; and a flute. Before she hefted it over her shoulder, a suiting companion to the staff at her hip, she paused, the moved to one of her untouched drawers. From it, she took a string, lifting until a turquoise pendant glimmered by candlelight. At once she held it to her breast, then tied it around her neck, letting its weight hold firm against her beating heart. “Mother, father...we will see each other soon.†She smiled. Then she left her room and took the jewel-crusted hall all the way down to the docking station, and in not a single step did she ever look back. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCPeppyTc Posted November 3, 2012 Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 Best Starfox fanfic I have yet read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drasiana Posted November 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 Oh golly. Thanks, TcPeppy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ori Posted November 4, 2012 Report Share Posted November 4, 2012 Wow, that's some serious piece of good SF fan writing. Very well done indeed. *Looking forward to more of this story* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drasiana Posted November 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 Oh, there isn't going to be anymore, I don't think. Sorry! It was just a blurb for a contest. I'm glad you liked it though! It's basically just a re-imagining of Krystal's backstory on what happened before Adventures. Anything that would come after this would be a complete rewrite of Adventures which, while it would be fun, is too large for me to feasibly commit to right now D: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brutus Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 I thought this would be about the long forgotten furry comic magazine.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drasiana Posted November 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 I'll count my blessings that I'm unsure what you're talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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