Chapter 24: The Great Lady, Her Shadow...
Inside the keep they split up to cover more ground. Both Krystals sensed enemy presence, which they claimed seemed to be concentrated mostly on the third floor, though there were others about as well. So, once they'd fought their way to that floor, they moved out in teams of two. This is was Pilots Fox and Skye found themselves a few moments later moving stealthily thought the halls, listening for Sharpclaws while also admiring the decor of the place, which included - in this hall - several suits of armor and tapestries, and was undeniably grand.
"Unhand her, your brutes!" came a sudden shout from a familiar but previously unheard voice, from around the corner they were approaching. Fox looked at Skye, a bit surprised.
"Beltino," he whispered, and drew his blaster. But Skye put his hand on his brother's arm, and shook his head, pointing to the obviously heirloom art pieces which might get damaged. Fox nodded, holstering it, and after a brief look around they chose a pair of swords from two nearby suits and prepared to charge to the defense when...
"That's it!" a female yelled. "I have had it! I'm sick of being a prisoner in my own room, watching my house being overrun, and my family hunted down and killed! It's time you got your just deserts. Take this!" There was a thump, followed by a groan and the sounds of a fight. The two heroes darted around the corner... only to stop dead at what they say.
There was Beltino all right, wearing scholarly robes and hitting, punching, and kicking at any Sharpclaws that tried to touch him with amazing accuracy. From what Skye knew of Beltino back home, he wouldn't have guessed he had such skill at hand-to-hand.
Fox, however, had his eyes locked on the lady who fought like a whirlwind, using a dagger in each hand and well as her sandaled feet to strike her foes. She wore a velvet dress of green, nicely contrasting with her reddish fur and gold-brown eyes, and criss-crossing matching bands encircled her tail - her fluffy... fox tail!
"Fox?" Skye queried quietly, confused. Fox didn't answer as he watched the two render all the Sharpclaws unconscious. The lady ended up with her back to the pair, but Beltino, while looking for his glasses dropped in the fight, saw their blurrily and smiled, pausing to pull on the lady's sleeve.
"We have company," he said. Fox abruptly realized he couldn't tell they weren't the real Sir Fox and Sir Skye, but before he could correct the error the lady turned and saw them.
"Fox!" she cried, rushing to hug them both tightly, "Skye! My sons!"
Fox could only gulp as he and Skye exchanged looks across Lady Vixy's back. She pulled back when she realized they hadn't returned the greeting.
"What's wrong, my sons? And - why are you dressed so strangely?" She fingered a bit of Fox's flight vest. "I have never seen such clothing before." Fox again look a deep breath, as his emotions were going haywire right then, and couldn't answer.
"M'lady," Skye answered kindly and politely, "we aren't who you think we are." Her eyes flashed angrily, and she leapt back, daggers pointed at them.
"Who are you? How is it you have taken my sons' forms? Where are my sons?" Just then, they heard armored footsteps running down the opposite hall and turn the corner, then skid to an abrupt stop. Fox couldn't help but smile as he looked past Lady Vixy.
"Perfect timing," he quickly quipped so only his brother could hear, as a nearly identical voice spoke.
"M - Mother?" Lady Vixy spun to see her real sons standing at the next turn of the hall, eyes wide in shock.
"Fox? Skye?" Now she was really confused. But her confusion left her as her boys sheathed their weapons and rushed to give her a tearful hug.
"You're alive!" Skye cheered wetly, clinging to her. Having heard the ruckus, the rest came running to join them in the hall, with another tearful reunion between Beltino and Alchemist Slippy, who fortunately arrived before Pilot Slippy
When they newly reunited mother and sons finally separated, the knights noticed at last the disabled Sharpclaws, being tied up by the Star Fox crew.
"What happened?" Sir Fox asked. Skye chuckled.
"Believe me or not, but neither Fox nor I laid a finger on them. It was all Beltino and Lady Vixy." Lady Vixy smiled a it sheepishly at the wide-eyed expressions turned her way.
"During my imprisonment there was plenty of free time to hone my self-defense skills, when not acting as a spy." Suddenly it all clicked into place for Fox.
"You're the Great Lady!" he exclaimed. "And Beltino was your Shadow!" Lady Vixy laughed.
"Yes, that is correct." Sir Fox turned angrily to Reverend Peppy.
"You knew! You knew this whole time, and never told me, let me think her dead, or worse!" Lady Vixy laid her hand on his shoulder.
"I asked him to, son. I knew how you'd react, rushing to my rescue and would end up putting our people's freedom at risk. Plus, I was safe. Andross gave me a deal: be imprisoned in my room to e his little bargaining chip should you win, or die. I knew I'd be no use dead, so I agreed, planning on devising some way to hinder his efforts."
"She learned of my capture when I was brought here," Beltino added. "Then Lady Vixy put on a wonderful performance. She stopped eating, made as if ill, and claimed only I would be able to diagnose the ailment. Once we were together, she made the claim that the isolation and loneliness were the cause of the troubles, and like all ladies she desired companionship, needed it really, in order to live. If Andross didn't want her to die, he must find her a companion, and she insisted that it be me, as we were already friends and she didn't trust anyone else to be in the same room alone with her. Once Andross agreed to that, she claimed only the food and drink I prepared and brought would be eaten, again as a matter of trust. Again, Andross had to choice but to agree. Pretty soon I was more or less free to go as I pleased on the third floor, and to the kitchen and back. During these times I dropped off messages for the spy network." Sir Skye's eyes widened.
"Then - mother, you're - " She smiled.
"'This is witnessed
I stood in a shroud of green
and I heard the Hunting Dog baying at the moon.'"
"You're Poet!" Pilot Fox exclaimed. "That was how you knew so much about what Andross was doing."
"Speaking of the 'Hunter," Pilot Falco said as he jangled the ring of keys, "shouldn't we be finishing up?"
"Yes!" Lady Vixy's eyes shone. "Lets free our friends and allies." As the natives began leading the way, Skye pulled Fox aside to whisper,
"Was our mother...?" Fox nodded, tears in his eyes.
"Just the same."