For a long moment, no one of either side moved. Each member of the Star Fox team saw their exact double in the clearing, in medieval garb.
Fox's twin wore full plate that covered everything, save the hand that wielded the sword, but was bright crimson on the left side at a joint. His sword, now lowered in surprise, was beautifully crafted with winding vines etched up the blade and entwining the grip. The hand guard sported a pair of arcing wings like that of an angel in flight.. A round ruby sphere capped the pommel, held in place by three leaf-shaped prongs. A helmet protected his head, complete with two openings for his ears, adorned by a pair of wings again curing up and behind to nearly touch tips at the back, providing some protection, and their was no visor.
Falco saw another Falco, wearing a green tunic, brown pants and boots, and a green hat reminiscent of a popular folk hero of old who robbed the wealthy as a charity to the less fortunate. It even had a feather in it, only is was blue like his own. A leather band held a quiver full of arrows to his back, one of which was fitted to a bow and aimed at a point somewhere above the pilot's beak and between his eyes. No need to wonder at the 'pulling' noise now.
The strange Slippy was dressed in a blue tunic and pants, and brown boots. But most notably was his brown vest, which was stitched with dozens of pockets. His belt also sported numerous pouches and a backpack was at his feet. Oddly enough, a pair of goggles were perched on his head, and these hw quickly lowered into place over his eyes. Slippy the mechanic had to wonder why.
Honestly, Krystal's first thought at sight of her double was 'What a pretty dress.' Understandable, given the silk kimono-like attire was beautiful. Primarily lavender, it was embroidered with red lotus flowers with deep green stems on the skirt, and two blue birds like phoenixes only a couple of shades darker than her fur curving up the front. A tiara crossed her forehead identical to the female Star Fox member's, and in her hand she held a slender scepter of gold, opal, and sapphire. But it wasn't raised defensively. Rather, she held it at her side, peering at her counterpart curiously.
The final member, yes, a version of Peppy, was perhaps the oddest of all. He wore long robes that might have been white at one time, but were now dingy from dust and dirt, and stained red in places by blood, namely the knight's. A silver medallion hung from a chain around his neck, a flat disk embossed with an eight-point star. Like Peppy, a pair of glasses perched on his nose, and he adjusted these as he tried to mask his surprise.
It was the knight who broke the silence first.
"What enchantment is this, that when I look at you I see myself?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing, minus the enchantment part," replied Fox.
"No illusions," the second Slippy assured his armor-clad ally. "They truly are as they appear to be." The robed hare lifted a hand, and began to speak in a foreign language, holding a leather bound book before him. It glowed for a moment, then faded. He tipped his head.
"There is no taint either, Fox. They are as we to my spell."
"Spell?" echoed the first Peppy.
"Two Foxes," Falco joked, adjusting his shades. "Just what I needed."
"Most curious." The knight Fox made as if to approach the pilot Fox, but grimaced in pain and toppled to the ground, holding his side.
"Fox!" The alternate Krystal and Peppy were instantly at his side, she grasping his mailed hand, he moving aside a loosened piece of armor to try and staunch the blood flow. The knight looked at his double with a wry grin.
"My - apologies... for not being able to... grreet you prop... properly... and thinking you were... an ... an enemy."
"Not your fault," replied Fox casually.
"Maybe this will help," Peppy said, kneeling beside his double and opening one of the med kits. He pulled out all the gauze pads, folded them into a square, doused it with antiseptic, and pressed it to the gash. The knight hissed in pain.
"What did you put on that?" asked the archer Falco instantly.
"Antiseptic, to prevent infection and clean the injury," was the reply. Pilot Fox chuckled.
"Stings, I know. I've been doused in that stuff to many times I've lost count. But it'll go away."
"It already is." The knight looked at Fox. "Who are you exactly?"
"The name's Fox McCloud, captain of team Star Fox. The blue avian is Falco Lombardi, ace pilot and showoff. That's Slippy Toad, best mechanic in the Lylat System. He's Peppy Hare, the best mentor I can imagine, and she's Krystal, our resident telepath."
"We share names," the other Fox replied, "but I do not understand your titles. I am Sir Fox McCloud, and these are my friend Falco Lombardi, expert ranger and also a showoff, Sir Slippy the alchemist and inventor, Reverend Peppy Hare, and Lady Krystal the mystic."
"Whoa, time out," interrupted Pilot Falco. "Let me get this straight: Not only do we look alike and talk alike, but we share first and last names? This is too bizarre, even for T.V."
"For what?" Alchemist Slippy asked.
"Just ignore him. It's what I do - ow!" Pilot Slippy replied, just before getting whapped upside the back of the head. In unison both Foxes shook their heads and sighed, then looked at each other in surprise.
"This explains why the distress call I felt was so familiar," mused Pilot Krystal. "Essentially, I was hearing myself."
"But it doesn't explain where we are," commented Peppy as he carefully moved the gauze to take a loot at the wound, "or how we got here." Then he turned to PIlot Fox. "He needs stitching. It'd a deep wound." Slippy checked the med kit he carried.
"I think we forgot sutures," he replied unhappily. Just then...
"This is the Great Fox, calling team Star Fox. Do you hear me, little brother?" Pilot Fox grinned.
"Perfect timing!" He lifted his arm and activated his communicator. "Right here, Skye. Your timing is terrific."
"Skye?" echoed Sir Fox, as Skye's face appeared, floating in its holographic saw above the wrist device.
"I think I know where we are, and what happened," he said instantly.
"Oh?"
"I think when the warp went screwy, it physically took us nowhere, in a sense. Directionally we didn't move an inch, but dimensionally we went sideways."
"Wait a moment," Pilot Slippy interrupted. "You mean into a parallel dimension?"
"I know those are only theoretical," the white vulpine answered, "but R.O.B. has run all possible scenarios, and it's the best we can come up with."
"As strange as it sounds," Fox replied, "that doesn't seem unlikely." He turned, holding the communicator so Skye could 'see' both his brother and Sir Fox.
"Whoa! I'm seeing double!"
"We need you to bring us the suture kit," the pilot continued, adding with a sidelong glance at his Peppy for agreement and getting a nod. "The big one." Skye's face instantly sobered.
"I'll be there in a flash. Who's signal should I lock on to?"
"Mine," answered his brother.
"Right. See you soon. Skye out." The signal was cut.
"Although that looked and sounded like my brother," Sir Fox said, "he didn't behave like him."
"Oh?" queried PIlot Krystal. The knight sighed sadly, and it was Reverend Peppy who answered.
"Sir Skye was captured and tortured by Warlord Andross. It was long before we were able to rescue him, and by that time his wounds had gone beyond the physical."
"That bastard destroyed my brother's confidence, broke his spirit," Sir Fox growled.
"Warlord... Andross?" echoed Fox.
"You act as if you know the name."
"We do. Maybe you'd better tell us exactly what's going on here."
"Very well." Sir Fox waited until team Star Fox were seated, then began.