Krystal didn't know how long she was away before opening her eyes at the top of the Krazoa Palace. After recovering from the effects of teleportation, she gazed at her surroundings. The environment felt strangely different than it had before when she had been trapped by Andross. Years ago, she had been enclosed inside a large crystal at the top of the spire, waiting and hoping desperately for someone to come to her rescue. At the time, the skies above the palace were cold and dark with storm clouds, while rain pelted down continuously. Something had changed since then; the skies were now bright, filled with light and beauty.

Ahead of Krystal, a tiled floor of dark marble surrounded a platform that was raised out of the center of the palace rooftop. Six stone pillars rose up from the platform, arching and connecting at the center almost ten feet high. Four torches surrounding the circular platform shined with an intense, yellow light. These must have represented the six Krazoa Spirits and the four Spellstones that held the planet together, Krystal observed. Under the connecting pillars, six glowing purple apparitions circled through the air, each one leaving a flowing trail of purple light behind it. They were the Krazoa Spirits, the spirits of peace that channeled the magic of the Spellstones to keep planet Sauria stable.

The vixen slowly paced forward, carefully making her way up the wooden ramp leading to the top of the round platform. The six spirits circled around the platform as Krystal noticed a gaping hole at its center. This opening almost sent Krystal falling to her death years ago when she had broken free of her crystal prison; Fox barely caught her in time. She almost plummeted down hundreds of feet to the base of the Krazoa Palace below.

"Welcome, Krystal, defender and peacekeeper of Dinosaur Planet. We have been expecting you," the eerie voice of the Krazoa spoke. The six spirits surrounded Krystal as she stood near the center of the platform, their circular motion ceasing.

"You were expecting me?" Krystal wondered how they knew that she was coming. She guessed that sooner or later, they would expect her to ask for her staff back. It was only a matter of time before it was needed again.

"Yes. A darkness has fallen over Dinosaur Planet, and you are the only one who can bring peace back to the land. You have come to retrieve your staff..."

The spirits must have been aware of the Redeye and their attempt to destroy the other dinosaur tribes. "The Redeye Queen must be stopped, and my staff is the only weapon that I know of that can defeat her. May I have it back please?" Krystal asked, hoping the Krazoa would be willing to accept her request; surely they would not keep the planet in danger by refusing?

"Of course you may have your weapon back," the Krazoa began and Krystal breathed a sigh of relief. But her sigh was cut short when the spirit continued, "but first you must prove you are worthy of wielding such a pure, magical power."

"And how might I do that?" Krystal became frustrated. Why did she have to prove she was worthy of her own weapon, especially when she had given it to them in the first place? She had a planet to save and didn't have the time to waste.

"There is a poison inside of your heart, Krystal. An inner conflict that must be resolved, for only the pure of heart can pass our tests."

The vixen was now utterly confused. Years ago, she had passed the Krazoa's test and collected the first Krazoa Spirit successfully without any problems. They viewed her heart as pure, and allowed her to pass the first test. What had changed since then? "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Soon, all will be revealed. You must face your inner conflict and overcome it. Then, and only then, will we return your staff." As the spirit spoke, Krystal sensed a new presence behind her. She turned around and froze as if she had seen a ghost. Before her, at the base of the ramp leading up to the platform, stood a dinosaur she thought she would never see again.

This green-scaled tyrannosaurus was smaller and unlike any of the Redeye. His two arms were not short and stubby like a traditional tyrannosaurus, but were long and muscular. He stood on two legs, each armored with round steel knee guards. His torso was covered with a dark brown tunic, armored with a silver belt at his waist and two spiked, silver shoulder guards. His left hand was missing, replaced with two metallic claws that hooked just before their razor-sharp tips. In his right hand he carried a golden sword, jagged along one edge and curved along the other. He wore an iron helmet with two horns extending from its top, covering him from the neck-upward like a hood. His red eyes were narrowed, and his mouth was drawn into a grin at the sight of Krystal.

"Well, well, well... Look who we have here... I had a feeling that we might meet again, my girl. I had no idea that it would be so soon." The dinosaur's sinister voice made Krystal's skin crawl.

"General Scales..." the she-fox knew this foe all too well. He was the leader of the Sharpclaw Tribe and was responsible for the removal of the Spellstones and Krazoa Spirits under the command of Andross years ago. She had encountered him before on his ship, the Sharpclaw Galleon, prior to answering a distress signal sent from the Krazoa Palace. She thought that he had been defeated along with Andross, although his official whereabouts remained unknown. "What are you doing here? What do you mean that we would meet again soon?"

"I should have known that you of all fools would return to Dinosaur Planet in an attempt to stop me! Who else do you think is responsible for the Redeye invasions?" The general tossed his head back and laughed.

"You are responsible for the attacks?!" Krystal realized that if he set the Redeye free, then he must know where the Sacred Redeye Teeth were located. If she could find the two teeth, she would be one step closer to defeating the Redeye Queen. She just needed to defeat Scales in order to obtain both the teeth and her staff. "You won't get away with this," the vixen threatened, however emptily, realizing that she was practically unarmed against his sword and claws. Her blaster seemed unlikely to have any effect against the dinosaur's armored scales.

Krystal turned back to the Krazoa, who had lined up behind her. "So I must defeat Scales, then?" She asked them.

"Conquer the darkness in your heart. Then you will be granted your request." With these words, the spirits vanished, leaving Krystal and Scales alone at the top of the spire.

The two stared each other down for several moments, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Krystal slowly reached for her blaster, which was still fastened to her hip, until Scales charged at her. She quickly drew her gun and fired several blaster rounds at him as he approached, each one either glancing off his armor or deflected by his armored hide. As he reached the top of the ramp, joining Krystal, he leaped at her with his sword raised to strike.

Suddenly, the world around Krystal slowed to a stop and her telepathic abilities focused on Scales' mind. His thoughts were easier to read than those of the Redeye; his thought patterns were more concentrated and focused than ordinary dinosaurs. He will swing his sword at my chest level. Then he will swing his sword over his head behind him. His clawed hand will come at me before I can avoid it; I need to block it with my blaster to avoid any serious injury.

As the world spun in motion again, Krystal readied herself for Scales' attacks. He swung his golden sword at chest level as she predicted and she raced toward him, sliding under the gleaming blade.

Immediately Krystal rolled to her side to avoid his second strike, but Scales' two claws came at her from the side. She barely raised her blaster in time to block the attack, but was thrown sideways and her blaster flew from her hands. She hit the wooden platform on her side and pain pulsed through her shoulder. Her blaster landed several paces away, out of reach.

Scales leaped at her again, although the Cerinian knew exactly when and where he would strike. While lying on her back, she thrust her legs upward and kicked Scales backward. Then she leaped to her feet and raced for her weapon.

Scales rushed to his feet as well, making his way towards her.

Krystal fired her blaster after retrieving it, aiming for his torso. His armor was weak at his chest, only covered by cloth. Several shots landed as he neared, only to glance off his tough scales after burning holes in his tunic.

As Scales swung his sword at her, she reacted by leaping over his head and landing behind him. Instead of shooting at him again, she flipped her blaster around so that she was holding it by the barrel. Before Scales could retaliate, she struck him in the side of the head with her makeshift weapon. He was knocked sideways several paces and spun around with pure rage in his eyes.

Krystal took the offensive; she was smaller and weaker than Scales, but she had the advantage of speed and telepathy. Avoiding another swing of his sword, Krystal leaned in and thrust her fist into Scales' chest.

Scales, unaffected by the impact due to his tough skin, batted her arm away with the blunt side of his claws and threw a kick at her chest, forcing her backward.

I can read his movements, but I can't always react to them. He is too strong and resilient to anything I can throw at him, the vixen thought.

"Do you really think you can defeat me?" The general mocked. "Your only weapon is useless and you are powerless against me! No one can defeat General Scales!" Again, he took the lead, attacking Krystal with a barrage of sword and claw attacks.

She dodged around them, occasionally using her blaster as a shield, until it was forced from her grasp and flew off the side of the wooden platform. She rolled to the side to avoid her foe's golden sword, but then stopped where she was, one knee to the ground.

As Scales's clawed arm sliced for her throat, she caught it with both arms and bent it backwards over her shoulder, just at the elbow.

Scales roared in pain as his elbow joint rose higher, until he summoned all of his brute strength and lifted Krystal off the ground. He rotated his arm sideways while she was still holding on, flipping her in a full circle off the ground until she landed on her feet again.

Krystal backed away, slightly dizzy, and calmed herself to prepare her next strike. Closing her eyes, she relied on her telepathic abilities rather than her own sight; as Scales' sword arm swung down at her, she leaped toward him, snatching the sword out of his hand as she passed by. The vixen rolled on the ground behind him and spun the golden sword behind her back, turning to wait for Scales to make the next move. Krystal stared at her enemy, confused, while he relaxed his muscles and assumed a comfortable pose.

"I told you, you can't defeat me! You have done well to fight me while you can see... But what if you can't find me at all?!" The Sharpclaw leader reached for his belt and pressed a small red button that Krystal had overlooked. In seconds, Scales disappeared from the top of the spire.

Krystal's eyes widened in shock; she could still sense his presence, but he had completely vanished!

"Your eyes betray your confusion," the voice of the general sounded from somewhere nearby. "Did Fox not tell you about this, as well?" Another menacing laugh followed. "I'll tell you, this belt was difficult to take back from those cowards who stole it from me."

Krystal slowly made her way to the center of the platform, near the hole at its center while she attempted to identify where Scales would attack next.

"The fools of the Sharpclaw tribe cast me out after I was... defeated... But I knew where to find them and I made them pay for dethroning me!"

"You murdered your own tribe?" Krystal accused, stalling for time while she used her telepathic abilities to scan Scales' mind for traces of useful information. He could attack her at any moment while invisible and she needed to be ready for anything.

"Why certainly," the dinosaur laughed. "They were no longer obedient... Soon, every dinosaur on this planet will bow before me!"

With his sudden rise in tone, Krystal knew that he was going to strike. She read his mind, sensing his attack target just in time to retaliate with his golden sword. She heard the clang of metal against metal and felt the force of Scales' claws before sensing that he had backed off several paces again.

Krystal was beginning to get a sense of Scales' movement patterns. He was pacing around the edge of the platform, waiting for an opportunity to attack her from behind, where she was most vulnerable and slowest to defend herself. She wanted another chance to test her theory before assuming anything, so she continued to interrogate him. "Once I defeat the Redeye, not a single tribe of dinosaurs on this planet will stand for your rule again. Where will you go then? You have no friends, no allies."

This enraged the tyrant enough to strike again. The clawed attack, Krystal sensed, came from behind her again. She knew that it was not at chest level this time, but directed lower to her calves. She lowered her sword until metal clashed with metal, and then lifted her blade around her and over her head until she was sure that Scales had retreated again. His attacks are always coming from behind. This is tactical, but predictable. Now I need to find some way to disable his belt...

"Allies?" Scales returned to the thought that he had been left on. "Friendship only makes you weak. Don't you see it for yourself?" Krystal could tell from his voice that he was beginning to grow tired of stalling with her. "You are always living in Fox's shadow, aren't you? Without him you are nothing!"

"That's not true!" Krystal retaliated, raising her sword in defense. She cast her eyes back and forth, searching for a sign of his movements, but not even his shadow appeared in the gleaming Saurian sun. There was not a sound of his footsteps on the wooden platform.

Scales laughed as if he sensed her growing fear. "By the way, where is he? Where is the great Fox McCloud?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued. His voice began to feel like a harsh whisper coming from just beside Krystal's ear. "Where is he to save the day now?"

His next attack is coming now, she thought, but it is not from behind. It is coming from straight ahead, right for my throat! This was her only chance; as she timed Scales' clawed arm swinging for her throat, she bent her head backwards and spun to gain momentum. Instead of blocking with the sword, she gripped it in both hands and lunged for where she thought Scales' waistline was.

Suddenly, Scales became visible again, for only just a moment until he disappeared. Then he reappeared, disappeared, and reappeared several more times in flashes before he was completely visible again, staring down at his belt in anger.

"What have you done!?" The general gritted his teeth and narrowed his red eyes. His belt's cloaking device had been successfully destroyed by his own sword. Krystal sensed fury emitting from the dinosaur in waves. From now on he was holding nothing back; each strike at her would be a strike to kill. With a rush of rage, he leaped at her with his clawed arm extended.

Krystal parried with her sword and swung another slash aimed for his head.

Scales grabbed her sword arm in his hand and jabbed at her with his claws.

Krystal tossed her sword from one hand to the other just in time; she managed to catch it between the two hooked talons, but with a twist, the blade was trapped between them.

Scales jerked his clawed arm backward, prying the golden sword from Krystal's grasp. It soared through the air behind them and disappeared from view over the platform.

Before Krystal could retaliate properly, a muscular green arm slammed into her and she was thrown off the platform, landing on her back against the dark, marble floor. While she arched her back in pain, Scales did not hesitate. He took a massive leap from the platform, aiming to crush his adversary with his clawed feet.

Krystal couldn't even manage to roll to the side, but simply shifted her body sideways to avoid being crushed. While the Sharpclaw lowered himself to strike, she threw a leg up into his face, kicking him backward. The vixen finally recovered from the injury to her back and leaped to her feet, charging her enemy. She aimed another kick for his chest, but he darted to the side and her foot hit the side of the platform that they had been fighting on.

Claws flashed into her peripheral vision and she rolled under them. The brawl turned into a mess of punches, jabs, and kicks, each being blocked or evaded. Finally Scales became enraged enough to hurl himself at the vixen, ready to tackle her to the ground and finish her off.

Krystal read this move, and instead of trying to beat Scales in brute strength, she jumped over the dinosaur's lowered body. Then the she-fox flipped over him and thrust her elbow down into his back.

He cursed with rage as the vixen landed behind him and shoved him away. She didn't know who was more injured from her counterattack; her elbow cracked against her enemy's thick spine and throbbed in pain afterward. This is useless! I have nothing that can even come close to injuring him! I can't defeat Scales unarmed!

Krystal failed to notice that though Scales was facing away from her, he could still attack. With a flick of his tail, he sent her soaring backwards, landing on the ground again. Her head spun and she found it difficult to get to her feet. My strength is wearing out! I can't keep up!

Scales, now beyond the point of rage, slowly paced toward her.

Krystal struggled to lift her head as he thrust his clawed arm down at her. She pushed it to the side with all of her strength but a second arm reached down for her and grasped her by the throat. She found herself being lifted off the ground as Scales carried her toward the edge of the Krazoa Palace rooftop. The marble below her vanished and she could see nothing but the sky and clouds below her. Fear raced through her mind as she squirmed to break free of Scales' grip.

"I'm afraid this is where your journey ends, my dear. You will always be weak and alone without Fox to come to your rescue. You were a fool to think that you could challenge me!" With those last words, Scales released his grip on Krystal and she began to fall.

She felt nothing but the wind against her fur as she descended from the top of the palace. Without hope, she closed her eyes and waited for the end of all things.

Maybe Scales was right... Fox was not there to save me and I failed... She shed a tear as another darker thought entered her mind. Fox was right to always put me on missions with Falco. I needed someone to stay by my side and walk me through each mission. I am a failure... I should never have joined the Star Fox team...

Suddenly the wind rushing past Krystal changed directions and she opened her eyes. She squinted in the bright and shining Saurian sun lighting the clouds around her, tinting each of them with an orange glow. There was nothing around her except beautiful skies and fluffy clouds, until she noticed that she was not alone.

The vixen was riding on the back of a winged dinosaur that reflected the red and yellow colors of the sun in its skin. It had two wings, one on each side of its long body, spanned out to ride on the wind. Its long beaked face came to a curved horn on the top of its head. Tilting her head back, Krystal could see its two feet swaying underneath its body and a long tail flowing out behind it.

The vixen personally knew this dinosaur; it was the Cloudrunner that she had met on her first journey to Dinosaur Planet. She had bonded with him, and he allowed her to ride on his back in search of the distress signal that had brought her to the planet. "What are you doing here?" Krystal asked, too amazed to believe what she was seeing. "How did you know that I was in danger?"

The Cloudrunner tilted his head back and locked eyes with Krystal before returning his gaze to the skies that stretched out before them. "I ran into the Thorntails while passing through, and they spoke of your return. They told me that you would be at the Krazoa Palace, and I was lucky to have arrived in time. Let's get you back up there so you can face General Scales!"

Krystal hesitated before returning a reply. "I... I can't go back up there..." she mumbled as they soared through the clouds. "Scales is too strong. I don't have my staff, and I can't defeat him unarmed. I always need someone to save me, and you just proved it." She hung her head low and sulked.

Wind patterns around them changed and Krystal realized that they were beginning to fly upward. "Don't believe the lies that Scales is forcing into your head," the Cloudrunner urged. "You didn't fight well because you gave up in your heart first; we all have friends to count on so that we don't have to face these challenges alone. Get back up there so you can defeat Scales and save our planet once again. We are all counting on you, Krystal. We need you now more than ever."

The vixen meditated on this for several moments as she continued to rise in the sky. Then another vision entered her mind.

She saw Fox and Falco in The Great Fox, and they were talking to each other alone. "I'm sure she was pretty steamed anyway," Falco said. "She thinks that you just have no preference for her and don't want to go on missions with her now. You ought to tell her the truth. She may hate you for it, but at least she will know that you care."

"But I can't go on missions with her..." Fox replied. "What if I fail? If I make one mistake..." At first, Krystal was let down, but then she came to another realization.

Fox doesn't put me on missions with Falco because he doesn't care to be with me... He pairs me with Falco because he cares about me! He did it to protect me! Knowing that Fox cared about her gave her a surge of confidence. The Cerinian knew that her friend was just trying to protect her, but she would prove that she no longer needed protection. She wanted someone to rely on as part of a team instead.

"Alright, take me up. We have a planet to save!" Just as the walls of the Krazoa Palace came into view again, Krystal's body flowed with a newfound energy. My friends give me strength, she thought to herself. Finally, she rose above the top of the spire, where Scales was waiting with eyes wide in shock.

"How dare you?! Get back down here and face me!" He raised his clawed arm, shaking it at her in defiance.

As the Cloudrunner soared above Scales, Krystal swung her left leg over so that both legs were on the same side of the Cloudrunner's back. "Stay here and wait for me so that I can return to Thorntail Hollow. This won't take long." With a "caw" in acknowledgement from the Cloudrunner, Krystal slipped off of his side and landed on the black marble floor with a roll. She recovered to her feet, staring Scales down.

"Come on then, I'm waiting," the she-fox taunted. She had found new strength and felt magical energy surging around her, as if the power of the Krazoa would protect her from Scales' wrath. She did not know where this feeling came from, but held her ground as the Sharpclaw tyrant charged her. Just when he was several paces in front of her with his clawed arm extended in a lunge, a veil of white light appeared between them and absorbed the impact of the blow.

"You are ready now, Krystal. Wield your staff and defeat your enemy!" The voice of the Krazoa Spirits echoed inside the vixen's head. As Scales threw himself at the magical white shield between them, Krystal's staff materialized in her hands.

What? I haven't even defeated him yet! Krystal was as surprised as Scales when the staff appeared in her grasp. Still unsure of what caused her staff to return to her, she decided that she would take this opportunity to turn the tide of the battle. The vixen began charging her staff's magical energy and lifted it high before her with both hands. "Be gone! Your mind games will have no more effect on me!" Krystal thrust her staff into the ground and a series of shockwaves pulsed through the air, slicing through the white veil and colliding with Scales, who was thrown several feet backward. The veil disappeared, Krystal's magical staff the only evidence of its existence.

Krystal raced toward General Scales as he hauled himself to his feet, using her staff to unleash a barrage of fireballs in his direction. As they glanced off his armor, he only laughed. "Is that all you can do? Fire does not affect my armor and my skin!" He raised his claws to swipe at Krystal, but she was already one step ahead of him; her staff began to glow as she approached, but instead of attacking, she thrust it into the ground again.

The staff's rocket boost ability shot her upward into the air and over Scales' head. She twisted her body so that she was upside-down and unleashed a wave of ice from her staff downward.

Scales shielded himself with his arms as he tried to back out of the icy blast. Ice crystals formed on parts of his hide as he failed to avoid the chilling wave.

Krystal landed behind him and immediately pounded her staff against the ground again, using her staff's ground quake ability to send more shockwaves of energy at him.

The tyrant skidded backward, but refused to be overtaken by the blast. He and Krystal suddenly began to sprint toward each other at full speed until they clashed together in a fury of close quarters combat.

The two enemies, one full of darkness and the other of light, assaulted each other with ongoing waves of attacks. Claws were blocked and staff lunges were dodged at lightning speed until finally, Krystal embedded the tip of her staff into the torso of her foe. She glared at Scales with a look of triumph, but his face returned the same expression.

He had managed to slice Krystal across her right arm with his hooked claws, causing it to bleed where flesh had been ripped away. For a moment, neither fox nor dinosaur moved, stunned with pain. The staff that impaled Scales' chest was deep, but the wound was far from fatal.

Suddenly, Scales' triumphant grin and gleaming red eyes twisted in pain as a large stream of fire pulsed through his body and out of his back. Krystal activated her staff's fire blast power while it was embedded in his skin, summoning flames to burn him through to the core.

The dinosaur general convulsed in agony as flames burst through his body. After several seconds, Krystal ripped her staff free from of her adversary and he fell to the ground, motionless.

"I thought you were impervious to fire," the vixen sighed and fell to her knees. Her spacesuit was torn along the right arm and only blood was visible where Krystal's fur would have been. It stung furiously as her adrenaline began to settle down, but she had no way of wrapping it. She would need to rush to Thorntail Hollow immediately to seek treatment.

"Well done," the voices of the Krazoa Spirits echoed as they appeared above the body of Scales. "You have resolved the conflict in your heart and proved that pure light overcomes pure darkness."

Krystal did not rise to her feet but stayed where she was, holding her injured arm to her chest. She glanced up at the Krazoa Spirits, still confused by their words. "What do you mean? And how was I able to wield my staff before I defeated General Scales?"

"You still do not understand?" With a pause, the Krazoa explained, "when you settled your quarrel with Fox in your heart, you resolved the conflict that poisoned your soul. Prior to your fight with Scales, you felt bitter, betrayed, and alone. You felt inferior and useless compared to your friends. You may not want to admit it, but it was deep inside your heart. Now your heart is filled with pure light again. We knew that you were unable to defeat Scales unarmed, so we granted you your request as you needed it."

The vixen pondered what the Krazoa had said to her. "I do feel more at peace, as if the darkness within me has departed." Her arm stung again, and she winced as a sharp pain shot through it. "I need to return to Thorntail Hollow. My arm is in bad shape."

"One last thing before you go," the Krazoa whispered. Suddenly, the motionless body of Scales glimmered and two curved objects rose from out of his tunic. They looked like dinosaur teeth; one gleamed silver and the other gold.

"Of course," Krystal murmured, "the Sacred Redeye Teeth." The artifacts hovered in the air before floating toward her and settling inside her gun holster where her blaster was normally kept.

"Take these objects to King Tricky at the Walled City. He will know how to use them," the Krazoa instructed.

Krystal nodded and slowly rose to her feet, hoping that her Cloudrunner friend was nearby. She had told him to stay while she fought Scales, and desperately hoped that he could get her to the Thorntails as soon as possible. Fortunately, the winged dinosaur was circling the skies until he realized that Scales had been defeated. He landed nearby and lowered himself so that she could climb aboard.

"Thank you, mighty Krazoa Spirits," Krystal bowed her head as she positioned herself astride the Cloudrunner. "I promise I will do everything in my power to save the dinosaurs of Sauria from the malice of the Redeye." Before she could take off, she had one last question for the guardians of Sauria's magical energy. "Scales... Fox said that he was harboring one of you within him when he came here years ago... But how was that possible? You said that only the pure of heart can pass your tests."

"That is true," the Krazoa replied. "There are hearts of pure light, and hearts of pure darkness. Today, you proved that pure light overcomes pure darkness. Now go; the fate of Dinosaur Planet resides with you." One by one, the six glimmering purple spirits disappeared as Krystal rose higher in the sky.

Once my arm is mended, I will head for the Walled City. Hopefully then I will locate and defeat the Queen Redeye, the she-fox thought to herself. After passing the Krazoa Spirits' test and defeating Scales, she had recovered more of her optimism and respect for them. They had been corrupted by Andross, but she had a feeling that they could be trusted after all. The Krazoa Spirits of this planet remind me of those on my home planet, Cerinia... but they were destroyed, along with the planet itself. These spirits are somehow... different... the vixen reflected.

After her battle with the Sharpclaw tyrant, Krystal's thoughts wandered to Fox and the rest of her team. I hope they are faring well without me. Hopefully it won't be much longer until we are reunited. Will I have a tale or two to tell!

* * *

After arriving back at Thorntail Hollow, Krystal bid her Cloudrunner friend farewell and sought the immediate attention of the Thorntails. They fed her white grub tub mushrooms and wrapped her wounded arm in fresh moss. She would have needed a more professional treatment on Corneria, but she could not wait. Every moment wasted was another opportunity for the Redeye to advance on the other tribes. Krystal rested briefly in the care of the Thorntails but knew that her time to face the Redeye queen was imminent.

"How is your arm?" The leading Thorntail asked the vixen while she lay outside the Thorntail Store entrance, recovering in the light of the Lylat sun.

"Fine; I should be able to leave soon. It still stings occasionally, but I have the strength I need to fight the Redeye Queen," Krystal sat up and addressed the dinosaur. Glancing at her right arm, she realized that it had stopped bleeding and the pain had temporarily subsided. The wound was not deep but fur, flesh, and cloth had all been ripped away by Scales' hooked claws. Her wrapping of moss would have to hold while she concluded her adventure on Sauria.

She quickly got to her feet, feeling well rested and stronger for her upcoming battle. She feared that Scales was not the climax of her perils, and the worst was yet to come. She gripped her staff tightly in her left hand, feeling comforted to have her reliable weapon in her grasp once again. "I think it is time I fly to the Walled City," she decided. "The sooner I face the Redeye Queen, the sooner you will be safe once again."

The Thorntail bowed his head to her. "Fortunately, no Redeye have invaded since we chased them out of the hollow. If trouble comes, we will defend the hollow at any cost. The Thorntails will not be driven from our home; we trust in you to prevail against the Queen."

Flexing and bending her right arm as she went, Krystal headed for her Arwing with the Thorntail at her side. She had pinpointed the coordinates of the Walled City as she passed it on her way to Thorntail Hollow, so it would not be difficult for her to locate.

"By the way, what is your name?" Krystal asked as she climbed up into her ship with a last look at the spiked dinosaur. He seemed like any other Thorntail and was no different in appearance, but something told her that he stood out among them like their leader.

The dinosaur smiled and blinked at her. "Call me the Gatekeeper," he replied as the cockpit sealed itself around Krystal and her ship began to rise.

He must be one of the four Gatekeepers of the Spellstones, she thought as she input the Walled City's coordinates into her Arwing. No wonder he seemed so much like a leader among his Tribe. The ship's jets activated and soared into the sky, far beyond the walls of the hollow below. Soon she would arrive at the Walled City and the real battle for Sauria would begin.