This story is fictional and for entertainment purposes only; no money hath changed hands in the production of these works.
The characters Fox McCloud, Falco Lombardi, Peppy Hare, Slippy Toad, Miyu Lynx, Fay Spaniel, Fara Phoenix, Bill Grey, Katt Monroe, Krystal, Amanda Toad, Lucy Hare, ROB64, Andross, Wolf O'Donnell, Leon Powalski, Pigma Dengar, Andrew Oikanny, Panther Caroso, Grippy Toad and General Pepper are all copyright to Nintendo 1993-2023. Please support the ORIGINAL release of all games, comics, manga and related material to the Star Fox franchise.
Leonidas Cuttridge, Rob Cuttridge, Judy Cuttridge, Lawrence Lynx, Patricia Lynx and Sid Chalmer is copyright myself, Leo Cuttridge (Leo_cuttridge@proton.me).
The content written for this story arc will range from a PG rating all the way up to NC-17 and X-rating, therefore, this fanfic is recommended for adult reading only.
~Star Fox: Miyu's Love~
~Chapter 42: A Year On Venom: Ahead On His Way...~
--Day 000, Chalmer's Diner, 08:22--
Leo, Miyu and Krystal woke up that morning having slept precious little, their nerves and accompanying sour stomachs making them shift and toss and turn almost all night long. They took their time to take a shower together before getting dressed and gathering Leo's belongings. He picked up his luggage and backpack, his blaster pistol and charge mags locked and secured in his biggest suitcase. He looked around the house at everything, including his cars one more time before they all headed out the door. When they got to Chalmer's, they were greeted by the Star Fox team along with Leo and Miyu's parents at the usual corner reserved for them. They noticed a sign on the door saying “Closed for business today due to the deployment of a dear friend and family member. Will be back tomorrow.” Leo smiled at the notion of holding a private breakfast and gathering for him, but he felt it wasn't entirely necessary. Everyone ordered their usual breakfast meals, the trio feeling they could eat very little, but they did their best. The morning was spent in happy conversation as much as possible before Leo's early afternoon flight. Even Amanda and Lucy were there to be in support for the trio as they sat together. Leo did find comfort in his favorite breakfast from Sid, his appetite coming back mostly, just enough to finish the meal, thankfully. Krystal and Miyu seemed to be eating okay as well, though Miyu wasn't eating her huge loads of food she was used to, but she was still able to down an entire normal portion of food. By the end of the meal and all of the depleted plates of food were sent back to the kitchen to be cleaned, Sid and the other chefs came out of the kitchen with small shot glasses for everyone and a bottle of anise-flavored liquor. It wasn't something he served in the restaurant normally aside from private events like this. “Okay, everyone,” Sid began. “Time for our prayer for Leo.” The chefs all poured a shot of the celebratory liquor into every shot glass for everyone, nearly the entire bottle being depleted by the end. “Creator, we thank you for our gathering here today in celebration and best wishes for our dear friend and family member, Leo. Please guide him in his journey as he travels on a mission to build a better life for many people in a faraway land, and dear Creator, please give him the knowledge and wisdom to help him perform his duties to the best of his ability whilst away from all his loved ones, and please bring him back to a safe return home when his duties are fulfilled. Amen.” “Amen,” everyone softly replied, raising their glasses and taking the shot of liquor. The booze sent a soothing warm sensation down their throat and into their stomachs, a bit of a mild spice from the anise filling their sinuses on the exhale. Once everyone was ready to depart, Sid then called Leo, Miyu and Krystal over to him to talk to them once more. “Have you all thought about what I said the other day?” he asked with a smile, tears in his eyes. “We did,” Leo said. “We're going to be fine and think as positive as we can for the next year.” “Definitely,” Krystal said. “Absolutely,” Miyu said softly. “Alright kiddos,” Sid said softly, reaching around all three of them to hug them close, the four of them together for many moments, tears shedding from all of them. “Thank you so much for your generosity and food, Uncle Sid,” Leo said with a soft whimper. “I'll definitely miss you and your cooking while I'm gone.” “Actually, I just remembered,” Sid started as they broke the hug, the short platypus suddenly scribbling on one of his restaurant tickets. “There is a friend of mine there that worked with me here many years ago. He and I were good friends and then he moved there about 30 years ago. I haven't seen or heard of him since. Last I heard, he started his own joint in Venoma City, so look him up and see if he's still there...” Sid said, tearing the ticket off and giving it to Leo... “...his name is Ronald Shoate, and he's a tall slender raccoon. Bit of a rough and tough guy, but still one helluva good man. Show him that and he'll treat you right, okay?” “Thank you, Sid,” Leo said with a smile, thankful for at least having someone to look forward to when he gets there, if this person WAS still there. “I will definitely look him up,” Leo said, folding the ticket up and putting it in his wallet. “I'll umm... see you next year, then.” Leo said, giving Sid a wave. “That IS a date, young man,” Sid said with a wink and a thumbs up. Everyone then got in their cars and drove to the air base to see Leo off one more time before he got on his ship.
--Corneria Air Force Base, 13:35, officer's departure lounge--
Once everyone arrived at the air base, they checked in at the entrance gate, everyone using their military IDs to gain access while Miyu's parents used visitor's passes. When they got out of their vehicles, Leo told Miyu and Krystal to head off a little and he would catch up. “Hey Bill,” Leo called out once the girls were out of earshot. “What's up, bruh?” Bill asked as he came over. “I need you to do me a favor,” Leo said, taking a plastic bag with the bottle of 151 proof rum Bill gave him for his birthday last week. “I need you to watch after this while I'm gone. I don't want those two drinking from it as they are not experienced or knowledgeable on drinks like this for them to be safe with it.” “Not a problem, guy. That is a good reason,” Bill said, taking the bag with the bottle in it and stowing it in his car. They took the path to the departure lounge and looked out the windows onto the space port tarmac and saw the ship docked ready to take Leo and a host of other people to Venom. He presented his ID to the staff sergeant in charge and checked in to submit his belongings, leaving only his backpack with him. He then got his passport stamped, sighing as he looked upon the destination on it, feeling he could've had a better place to go to for the first time he had to use a passport, but there was nothing he could do. “Thank you, Captain Cuttridge,” the staff sergeant said. “Ship departs in about 25 minutes. Final boarding call in 15.” “Understood, thank you sir,” Leo said with a nod, giving the man a salute. Leo then sighed with limp ears as he slowly turned around to face everyone. Time to say his goodbyes. He first faced Bill and Fay, giving them both a hug at the same time. “My favorite cute puppies,” the comment making Bill and Fay smile and give a soft canine whine. “You two be your best and take care of yourselves.” “We will, bruh,” Bill said. “You do the same, hunky bunny,” Fay said, her face in a battle to maintain a smile without crying, and she was really struggling as tears fell down her cheeks. Leo had never seen her this sad before. He leaned in to kiss Fay on the lips before giving Bill a kiss on his cheeks before one last hug. Leo then approached Peppy and Lucy, each of the bunnies giving him a hug. “Thank you both so much for your guidance and your support,” he said. Lucy then gave him a loving long kiss on the lips, her tongue rubbing along his very firmly and very slowly. “Thank YOU... for helping me feel more wanted and alive, cute bunny,” she said. “She has definitely felt much happier this week,” Peppy said proudly. “Thank you so much Leo. And know that you are in all our hearts.” “Thank you, Pepster,” Leo said as he hugged the short elder rabbit as even he was shedding tears. “You are a wonderful guidance to us all.” “As are you, my friend,” Peppy said with a smile. “Come back and take my place, you hear?” he heard Peppy say into his mind. Leo smiled and nodded. He then went to Falco and Katt, giving them a tight hug. “You two take care of each other, okay?” “We will, brother,” Falco said, patting Leo's back. “Consider it done, tiger,” Katt said in her usual suave and sensual tone. Leo then moved to Slippy and Amanda and hugged them close. “Amanda...” he whispered into her ear. “Please... watch after my girls and make sure they're okay... I'm scared for both of them...” Amanda smiled and nodded. “I'll do whatever I can to make sure they are strong, body and mind,” the tall pink amphibian said. “We all will,” Slippy said. “And please remember what I told you yesterday, okay?” “Absolutely,” Leo said. “Thank you both so much.” He then moved to Fox and Fara, hugging them softly. “And YOU TWO... hang in there for each other. You're too damn good of a couple to break apart again.” The words made Fox and Fara laugh and shed tears. “We will. Thank you, Leo,” they said in unison. Leo then walked towards Lawrence and Patricia Lynx and was immediately scooped up in a tight hug by Lawrence, the sensation of several vertebrae popping in his back from the hug filling him with happy sensations. “We're gonna miss you, my boy,” the tall beefy lynx said. “Do your very best, alright son?” “I will, dad,” Leo said. “Thank you so much.” Patricia then gave Leo a gentle hug and kissed his cheeks before caressing his face in her hands, smiling and looking into his eyes. “You must come back to us and our daughters Miyu and Krystal, okay love?” “Will do, mom,” Leo said softly. His parents then came up and hugged him from each side, the two shortest white rabbits clinging to him softly, his mother Judy sobbing softly into his shoulder. “Be your very best and do your very best, okay Leo?” she said sadly. “I will, mom,” Leo said, her tears making him tear up some more. “You'll do just fine, son,” Robert said. “I'm mighty proud of ya.” “Thanks dad,” Leo said, hugging them once more. Then it was turn for him to face the two loves of his life... Miyu and Krystal... the two girls smiling with wet eyes and cheeks as they walked up and hugged him close, kissing his cheeks as they held him for a few moments in front of everyone. When they finally did break the hug, Leo then got into his backpack... and pulled out the trio of plushies of them. He held them together between them, mimicing them each kissing together before putting the lynx and the blue vixen plush behind the belt line for his backpack... and then gave the big white bunny plushie to them both. “I... I'm really sorry...” he started, choking up and starting to cry before them as Miyu brought out a picture frame, shaking her head with a smile and bringing her finger to his lips. She then brought out a pen and started to write words on the back of the photograph frame, showing it to Krystal and giving it and the pen to her as she nodded with a smile. “Honey... listen to me...” Miyu began, her hands caressing his face and stroking his cheeks with her thumbs, her beautiful deep blue eyes gazing into his hazel eyes. “...we want you... when you get there... to find a cute girl, or a cute guy, and we want you to be with them... and we want you to love them as you would love us... we do NOT want you being alone, okay?” she said, the last words breaking up in her voice as she began to cry, Krystal capping the pen and giving the photograph to Leo. It was the pic taken of them at his birthday party a week ago, just hours before Leo's deployment text came through... the last happy moment he could remember with his ladies. “O-okay,” Leo said, Krystal coming in and giving Leo a passionate and gentle kiss on the lips. “I'll try to keep tabs on you from afar,” she said, tapping the side of her head with a wink. “You just be strong, body and mind... okay love?” “I promise, I will,” Leo said. He then moved back to Miyu and kissed her on the lips slowly and softly, his mind going back to their first on that construction site almost a year ago. “Final boarding call for the Venom flight,” the staff sergeant announced over a loudspeaker, the words making Leo and Miyu part. “Better catch your flight, Captain,” Miyu said through heavy tears and a smile. Leo nodded and picked up his backpack and put in on, slowly walking towards the gate to give his seat ticket to the boarding officer to stamp. Once they did, Leo turned around and faced everyone... and saluted them all proudly, smiling weakly with tears streaming down his face. He was met in response by everyone else smiling and saluting back. He stared back at Miyu and Krystal standing in the middle of everyone as the loading doors to the ship began to close once he had walked backwards behind them, his mouth speaking his heart to his ladies... “I love you.” Miyu and Krystal smiled and mouthed back “I love you” just before the doors of the ship shut between them. Leo then turned around and ran towards one of the outer windows on the side of the ship to give them one more glimpse of him as he departed. Miyu felt it instinctively to begin running in the same direction in the boarding lounge of the base. Once she got to the viewing window, she looked up at the side windows of the ship and saw Leo smiling and waving out at them, Krytsal and Miyu waving happily in response. They could see him bringing the lynx and blue vixen plushies together to his muzzle, kissing them both and then turning them back to face Miyu and Krystal, lifting their adorable fabric arms up and down in a waving motion. Miyu and Krystal did the same with the white bunny plushie as they could hear the engines of the huge ship starting up, starting to lift off the ground, angling up and turning 90 degrees to the right, loosing sight of Leo once the ship had been in position to accelerate into the sky. The light and exhaust from the engines of the huge ship intensified, signaling it's departure out of Corneria's atmosphere on it's journey to Venom was beginning. The huge craft lifted into the skies and headed away from the planet, becoming a smaller and smaller dot in the sky until a couple minutes later... it could be seen no more. Miyu sighed with downward ears and stood there for a while, Krystal hugging close to her as they finished watching the ship depart. Everyone then began to depart the lounge as Krystal and Miyu held close together for a while longer, Miyu's mind flooding with images of her bunny love, her heart already hurting and missing him dearly, even though it has only been a few minutes. Miyu then started to feel light-headed and dizzy, her limbs slowly going weak, Krystal sensing it and doing her best to hold her up, but she wasn't as built or as strong as Miyu, so they both began to slowly collapse to the floor. “A-amanda!” Krystal suddenly gasped out, the pink amphibian rushing to them both, Miyu collapsing on the floor crying hard and loud. Everyone then came back to see what had happened, tearing up even more about Miyu, a very strong and iron-willed woman that they have known for years, reduced to tears. “He's gone.... h-he's goooone....” was all she could say.
--on-board the ship, exiting Corneria's atmosphere--
Leo stood by the viewport on the ship, watching his lovely ladies get smaller and smaller until they could not be seen, then the same with the air base, then finally seeing Corneria from afar as we was on his way. He sighed with limp ears and dug into his pocket to retrieve the cabin key he was given for the 5 day journey to Venom. He then turned around and began to walk down the corridor to the center of the ship. He walked slowly while looking down at the floor for a while before slowly looking up... and when he looked down the hallway, it really hit his mind hard... the walls were drab and dull, lights dim and very basic, the space looking very devoid of life. With no one else walking in his vicinity, it literally looked lifeless and depressing. His heart began to beat faster in fright, wishing he had his strong lynxy to protect him... but she couldn't do that right now... He then began to go into a panic attack, falling to his knees and shivering deeply as his breathing became deep and ragged, whimpering in fright as he looked around and continued to see no one around to help him. He started to pound his fists across the tops of his thighs to try and distract his thoughts from being frightened, closing his eyes shut as he tried to breath deep and slow. After a half dozen pounds of his fists against his thighs, he suddenly threw his fist into the thinly carpeted floor, a shot of pain shooting from his hand and up his arm, the sensation making him clench his teeth tightly. Suddenly he was focused more on the pain as he continued to try breathing deep and slow, his dizziness slowly fading to the point where he felt he could get back to his feet. He continued to whimper and cry while panting as he hobbled off to his cabin, quickly using the keyfob against the door to open it, quickly stumbling into the room and throwing his bag, the photo and the plushies onto the floor before going right to the small bathroom, lifting the toilet lid and quickly vomiting into the toilet. He continued to retch for another minute before leaving him panting, his head hurting so bad at the moment from all the separation anxiety. He then curled up on the floor of the bathroom for a few minutes catching his breath before he began to strip his clothes off and curled up into the floor of the shower, turning the water on to fall over him at a comfortable temperature. He spent most of the next hour or so curled up in the fetal position, hugging around his legs and crying hard as the water rained down over him. “I.... I need... my girls...” he whimpered to himself. “...I just... wanna die...”
The day that Leo heads out to Venom, a day filled with sadness and hope. His many friends wishing him the best while he's away. One of the toughest things to go through is the deployment of a family member to a faraway land known for it's harsh and violent environment and society for a very long time.
My apologies for this being a somewhat short one, but it has a lot of emotions in it. I was tearing up quite a bit writing this chapter and the next... speaking of the next... I will be posting a journal probably Saturday, the day before posting the actual chapter with a word about the content, for it will contain some scary and sensitive parts to it.
If you like my writing, please fave, watch and comment and watch out weekly for new chapters~!
These stories have been largely influenced by my lifelong love for the Star Fox video game released in March 1993 as well as the Nintendo Power comic released in the February to December 1993 issues of the magazine as well as the development of the fan comic Star Fox: Alternative Training Methods by ladydino on FurAffinity. You can read her fan comic here: https://www.furaffinity.net/gallery/ladydino/folder/116...
![[NMA/GIFT ART/AI] It's Leo!](https://va.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/5150/5150762_LeoCuttridge_5150604_pegaisus_leo_cuttridge_noncustom.jpg "[NMA/GIFT ART/AI] It's Leo!")
