Work Text:
…1236, 1237, 1238…
Miyu Swiftlynx had been counting the seconds since she had exited Corneria’s orbit.
…1243, 1244, 1245…
It had only been a couple of minutes since she left the planet she had called home for many years.
…1258, 1259, 1260…
And yet, all she felt while she disembarked on a little spacecraft into the depths of space was rejection.
…1271, 1272…
Her count began to slow down to a halt as she peered out the window, watching the stars twinkling in the darkness that surrounded them. To many, the sight would bring nothing but excitement. It would fuel the natural desire to go venture out into the vast Lylat System.
But for a military aviator like her, it was something she had grown accustomed to.
And for a former military aviator like her, the starry sight was honestly depressing.
Looking back, Miyu should’ve noticed that the writing was on the wall earlier. The Aparoid Invasion brought nothing but devastation to all of Corneria’s army. Thousands of lives were lost throughout the branches, and hundreds more permanently affected by the attacks. The prime minister of Corneria assessed the impact, and came to the conclusion that an overhaul was necessary to keeping the planet and the Lylat System alike safe.
Most changes came to expanding and strengthening the on-ground soldiers and marine corps, but the air and space force?
Re-evaluations, reassignments, and cuts.
And Miyu was among those cuts.
Disheartening was too light of a word for how she’s feeling about such. All her years in the Academy, all those hours training in the military, all those hardships she triumphed over during the invasion itself felt completely wasted and not worth it. It’s like she spent her entire life just to be axed…
It made her feel meaningless. It made everything feel meaningless. Why bother…
Light chuckles around her snapped the lynx out of her head. In front of her was Bill Grey, her (former) commander, piloting the small spacecraft. The two of them weren’t particularly close outside of their military affiliation, but when news of Miyu being let go reached him, the dog was quick to call up an old friend to make a proposition.
That friend? Fox McCloud, the leader of legendary mercenary team Star Fox. Bill’s taking her to the Great Fox to become their newest team member.
Miyu wished she was more excited for this opportunity. Going from serving her planet to working along the most iconic freedom fighters in the galaxy should excite anybody. Yet, the dread that came with the situation made it feel like nothing more than the next best thing instead of a promotion.
In fact, the person more excited for her was the one sitting next to her. The one that dropped everything to come along and join her. The one Miyu suspected was the one who asked Bill to do something.
Fay Sinclair.
Daughter to one of Corneria’s original aristocratic families. Among the top ten students in her graduating class at the Academy. Soldier of the Husky Squadron and one of the most diligent pilots during the time of the Aparoid Invasion.
And she was Miyu’s former classmate. Her closest companion.
And above all, her girlfriend since those Academy days.
The lynx wasn’t one to believe in superstitions, but it could only be described as fate that Miyu met Fay. The upbeat and extroverted dog sat at her lunch table one day and sparked up a simple conversation, and the cool and introverted feline listened. But the more they got into conversing, the more they realized how much they enjoyed each other’s presence. Miyu loved listening to Fay go on and on about her passions, and Fay certainly enjoyed how much Miyu listens in and responds.
Those conversations led to sparks flying for the both of them. One night after their classes, Miyu asked Fay for a date, and the overjoyed canine accepted without hesitation. Since then, they were practically inseparable, even with their vastly different lives getting in the way. They still studied together when they were placed in different classes.
They stayed connected and even snuck out for a quick date when they were placed in separate squadrons.
They kept tabs and checked on each other during the Aparoid Invasion.
And even now, Fay is accompanying Miyu and joining Star Fox alongside her.
…even if she wasn’t let go by Corneria.
Miyu was far from the jealous or the resentful type, but that really soured her mood on the whole ordeal. Her canine girlfriend had dodged the cuts and was kept on the space force, and yet decided to throw it all away to go along with her. Miyu wasn’t upset about her getting cut and Fay surviving such, no.
She felt that she was burdening Fay.
Fay had it all: a prestigious family name, the greatest potential going in and out of the Academy, and a status of the beloved and favored dogfighter for the Corneria space force. Despite all those titles and accomplishments, she was more than ready to ditch all that just to follow Miyu to the scrappy life of a mercenary…
It was probably her suggestion, too. She knew that the lynx talked about such a life in intrigue before. Miyu understood that Fay would move the planets to make sure that she was alright, of course, but why would she follow?
Miyu sighed quietly. She hoped that Fay didn’t feel indebted to her. Or she was dragging the dog down.
God, that would kill her.
…
Fay: “Hey, you okay?”
Miyu: “Yea.”
Fay: “MiMi…”
…
Miyu: “You really want to come with me to Star Fox?”
Fay: “Is that a problem?”
Miyu: “Of course not. I’m just wondering…”
Miyu: “You’re throwing away so much to accompany me. I can’t help but be curious as to why you’re following along.”
…
Fay: “Can I apologize for something?”
Miyu: “Hmm?”
Fay: “I’m being a bit selfish with this.”
Miyu: “I don’t get what you mean.”
Fay: “Well… you probably figured that I was the one suggest you join Star Fox, huh?”
Miyu: “Pretty certain about that, yeah.”
Fay: “I did do that, yes, but… my initial plan was to simply quit the army and become a freelancer.”
Miyu: “..! Really?”
Fay: “Yeah.”
Miyu: “You… never told me about that…”
Fay: “It was only a pipe dream at first. I barely had any idea how I would even begin such a business, so I hadn’t talked about it, but…”
Fay: “Ever since the Aparoids invaded the star system, I’ve been wanting to leave Corneria and all that more than anything.”
Miyu: “Oh?”
Fay: “Listen, I love the planet and the people and all, but I feel too tied to it. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be more than just another member of the jewel’s aristocrats. I hated living in the upper life when I could be doing something.”
Miyu: (I know where this is going) “And that’s why you went to the Academy after the Lylat Wars, right?”
Fay: “Yep. God, I can still remember the look on my parents’ faces when I told them I wanted to be a dogfighter.”
Fay: “And yet, even after all of that, it felt like I could never escape the planet. We’ve done a fair share of missions in space, sure, but I was still working under Corneria’s command. It didn’t sting too much at first, but when the Aparoids came and went, I really felt General Pepper’s breath down my neck.”
The two giggle here.
Fay: “Began weighing my options there, but when the prime minister announced they were cutting down the space force… I… uh…”
Miyu: *nudge* “Prayed you’d get the boot?”
Fay: “Heh, exactly! Yet… I guess my family status made the ones in charge turn a blind eye on me… and cut you instead.”
…
Fay: “Bill told me… the night before he told you, probably just to warn me about what was to come, I dunno. But… something in me just kind of came rushing out and wanted me to beg to reconsider keeping me and letting you go. He mentioned something about Star Fox looking for new recruits because one of their members were retiring, and I jumped the gun to take it.”
Fay: “Lord, I really had no idea why I was so hasty to leave once I heard you were going to. I guess if I had to put a word on it… I was jealous?”
Fay: “Man, that makes me sound like a horrible person, doesn’t it-“
Miyu kisses Fay on the cheek.
Fay: “..!”
Miyu: “Don’t worry, I was envying you just before this.”
Fay: “Oh, wow. What a pair we tend to be!”
Miyu: “You know it…”
Miyu: “…I feel less uneasy about all this now, to be honest. It’s your dream as much as it is my reality, so…”
Miyu: “I guess I’m happy I’ll be alongside you once again, doing something you’ve wanted to do for a while.”
Fay: “Thanks, and I’ll make sure you’re as happy as I could ever be on the team.”
Miyu: “I…”
Fay now kisses Miyu on the cheek.
Miyu: “Heh-heh, hey!”
Fay: “Tit for tat, babe.”
Miyu: “You can be such a goober.”
The two giggle again, now catching Bill’s attention.
Bill: “Alright, lovebirds, we’re about to reach the Great Fox. You two ready?”
Miyu holds Fay’s hand and looks at her for a second, before turning to face Bill.
Miyu: “Ready as we’ll ever be.”