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When the separation of a loved one for a long period of time happens, your mind can make you do very bad things... how long can one go before they do something desperate? And how easy will it be for them to snap out of any rash decisions? It is a very scary and very rough challenge for anyone... what can you do?\n\nAs I stated earlier in my journal from yesterday, if you desire to avoid the sensitive subjects, please ignore the following sections titled:\n\n[b]–...somewhere on Venom...–\n–...sometime in the middle of the night...–[/b]\n\nIf you like my writing, please fave, watch and comment and watch out weekly for new chapters~!\n\nThese 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/1166155/Comic-Alternative-Training-Methods/\n", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Deep sadness can really torture your mind and body.  When the separation of a loved one for a long period of time happens, your mind can make you do very bad things... how long can one go before they do something desperate?  And how easy will it be for them to snap out of any rash decisions?  It is a very scary and very rough challenge for anyone...  what can you do?

As I stated earlier in my journal from yesterday, if you desire to avoid the sensitive subjects, please ignore the following sections titled:

–...somewhere on Venom...–
–...sometime in the middle of the night...–

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...
", "writing": "This story is fictional and for entertainment purposes only; no money hath changed hands in the production of these works. \n\nThe 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, Dash Bowman 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. \n\nLeonidas Cuttridge, Rob Cuttridge, Judy Cuttridge, Lawrence Lynx, Patricia Lynx, Chartiri Simmons and Sid Chalmer is copyright myself, Leo Cuttridge (Leo_cuttridge@proton.me). \n\nThe 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.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n[center]~Star Fox: Miyu's Love~\n\n~Chapter 43 – A Year On Venom: Depression Is A Cruel Mistress~[/center]\n\n\t–...somewhere on Venom...–\n\n\tLeo ran with all his strength through the barren rocky outcroppings of Venoma city, panting deeply as his heart beat a frantic pace. He groaned at the intense pain in his skull along with the gash in his scalp as blood dripped down the side of his face, his right arm hanging broken and useless by his side, his left hand holding his blaster pistol which had only three shots left in the charge mag. Tears streaked down his cheeks as he quickly looked around for any physical obstacle to hide behind to avoid being seen, hoping it would hide him from those in pursuit of him. \n\tHe had been running for hours, his energy long since depleted, the city skyline of Venoma City still on the horizon behind him in the distance. He must've run for nearly 10 miles by this point and he still felt like he was being followed. He knew his white fur would be working against him to make him more visible to any of his hunters, but he still had to keep going. He had family and friends on the other side of the Lylat to return to.\n\tHe stopped to take a quick breather behind a big rock, shivering in fright and shock, his body worn out and struggling to stay up and active. He quietly sobbed at the feelings he was going through, the unbearable pain in his right arm from the broken bones along with the throbbing headache from being punched in the head by a lizard trooper back in the city when it was attacked. He suddenly got up and turned to his left to look around only to see the back of a fist meet with his face, the blow sending him to the ground and breaking his nose and the front of his skull. “I got the bastard!” a voice yelled out, the sound of several footsteps following within seconds.\n\tLeo tried to raise his left arm to aim his pistol at the attacker, but he felt another hand grab it and roughly slam it against the rock, the impact breaking his hand and forcing him to drop his pistol to the ground. He screamed out in pain as two more impacts to the back of his knees from others behind him forced him down to the ground, a couple more people grabbing him roughly by the wrists to hold him in a kneeling position. He tilted his head around to see at least half a dozen Venomian lizards in old military outfits surrounding him and holding him in place, the tallest of which standing in front of him and picking up his pistol, looking at the side of the grip to check the total charge. “Weeeellll... three more shots... how lucky for you...”\n\tLeo stared at the lizard before him as his gun was then aimed at his right shoulder, then the trigger pulled, a powerful blaster shot shooting a hole in his shoulder from front to back, the sensation searing and unbearably painful, making Leo scream out at the top of his lungs, even while trying to catch his breath still. The lizard then pointed the blaster at Leo's crotch, pulling the trigger and blowing away his manhood, the pain compounding ever more painfully in deeper and more intense levels of agony. “GGGYYYAAAAHHHH!!!!! FFFFFUCK YOU ASSHOOOOOOLE!!!!!” he screamed out.\n\t“No....” the lizard with his blaster pistol said before suddenly jamming Leo's pistol forcefully into his maw, breaking several of his teeth in the process. “We told you Cornerian scum... NEVER to come back to Venom... Andross WILL return... and Venom will RULE ALL... so fuck YOU asshole!!!” the lizard said as Leo let out one final scream as the trigger was pulled, the blaster shot ejecting out the back of his head in a shower of blood, bone and brain matter--\n\n\t--Day 002, Leo, Miyu and Krystal's house, 13:18--\n\n\t“LEOOOOOO!!!!!” Miyu screamed out as she shot up out of bed, sweating and panting in fright as tears poured from her eyes from the horrific nightmare. It took her several seconds to realize she was safe at home, all alone and naked in bed. The last few days were very stressful and depressing for Miyu, every time she fell asleep she had some sort of nightmare where Leo was either captured, tortured, abused or even killed... and the separation only made her want to sleep. Her will to do anything with her day was nearly non-existant. She still had three weeks to prepare for her first drill instruction at the Army base, along with completing some training and acquiring uniforms for the job, but it meant very little to her right now.\n\tShe sat up in bed and hugged around her legs and cried into her thighs for several minutes before looking over at the clock. She knew Krystal was working at the hospital with Amanda for a long time. Everyone else had continued their duties first assigned a year ago when the war ended. She felt immensely irritated that Pepper had sent Leo out to Venom instead of her, but the need to train troops being signed up for military service put her at the highest demand for the job. \n\tShe slowly turned to lower her legs out of bed, but she didn't stand up. She continued to look down at the floor for several minutes as her mind couldn't help but remember those precious memories of being with Leo in the very beginning. When she accidentally bumped into him at Chalmer's that fateful night, a tiny faint grin coming to her face as she remembered he was bumped into the ground when she barely went back in inch. She knew she was strong physically, but right now, mentally she felt incredibly fragile. \n\tHer stomach growled deeply in hunger as she sat on the side of the bed in the middle of the afternoon, wanting more to go back to sleep instead of eating, for she felt no appetite in her since Leo was sent out. Several minutes went by before she got up and headed into the shower to clean herself off. Even that sent back memories of Leo, remembering the first night they slept and showered together, the magical night it was for both of them. Miyu sighed as she slowly washed over herself a bit more before shutting the water off, then toweling dry before stepping into the air dryer to get the rest of her fur dry.\n\tAfter putting some clothes on, she went downstairs into the kitchen to grab a bag of beef jerky and started to nibble on some strands. She walked around the house while she slowly ate a little, taking in the sights and memories of Leo all over the house. The picture of them and Krystal together on his birthday, the pic taken of her and Leo soon after they began dating when building tent cities, several other memories... she even stood out in the garage and looked over his Speedwell and Lancier parked side by side, their owner long gone and separated for a long time. She stood and looked over the Speedwell, the champion of the mile long bracket races and tag-team event in the Cornerian Grand Prix, and she noticed that a lot of the battle scars from the race were still present... a plethora of scratches and dings in the plastic rear bumper from when Panther was pressuring him from behind... the dents in the rear quarter panels from Panther trying to pit maneuver Leo out of his way... and the most telling was the scrapes and scratches all over the front bumper and the front portion of the hood behind the plastic chrome grille where Leo fought back, pressuring Panther to his breaking point. She knew Leo wanted to get these repaired at some point, but with his sudden deployment, it never got done. \n\tAfter several moments of looking over his car she looked at her watch... nearly 3 in the afternoon. She grabbed his keys for the Speedwell and got in it, started it up and drove it out into the streets of Corneria. She first drove it to Grippy's auto wrecking yard for parts. She parked in the dusty parking lot in front of a fence by the entrance to the back lot where hundreds of salvaged automobiles lay resting, and walked through the front door to the counter. She was immediately greeted by Grippy who had just finished with a customer. “Well, hello there, Miyu! How goes your day?” he asked cheerfully. To Miyu, all of the Toads seemed to have a spirited and cheerful mood... something she wished she had again.\n\t“Mmm... it's going,” Miyu said depressingly. “Hey umm... I was wondering if you could look over Leo's Speedwell and see what body and trim parts it needs to look as close to new again? I wanna surprise him for when he comes back.”\n\t“Oh-ho-ho! I would absolutely love to!” Grippy said, walking excitedly out the door to look over Leo's car. After a slow walk around he jotted down notes on a pad of paper. “Well... his front and rear bumpers could be repaired, but would be better to be replaced... I'll see what I've got in my stash for those. The rear bumper I'm fairly sure I have, not sure about the front as his is one of those with the rare factory fog light housings. The dings, dents and scratches in the quarter panels and the front of the hood can be repaired when it gets repainted, but the side mouldings and body trim pieces that are damaged or missing have to be replaced. I'll hafta dig into the yard in his section to see what I have and I can get back to you if you want.”\n\t“That sounds great.... thank you so much, Grippy,” Miyu said, a very weak smile forming on her face. \n\t“How're you doing, hon?” Grippy asked, concerned for Miyu.\n\t“I'm... just...” was all she could get out before tears started to streak down her cheeks.\n\tGrippy couldn't help but walk forward and give her a hug. “Aww, I know... we all miss him here, too,” he said softly. \n\tMiyu sniffled and wiped her eyes quickly after she finished hugging Grippy. “Anyways, umm... I don't plan on getting the car painted until maybe a month or two away from when he comes back... so for any parts you don't have, can we just wait to see what else we can find or acquire for the next year before getting on to the actual refurbishment?”\n\t“That sounds wonderful, my dear!” Grippy said with enthusiasm. “I'll head over into his lot and pull what I do have and lock them away until we get to it.”\n\t“Thank you so much, Grippy,” Miyu said with a weak smile.\n\tMiyu then got back into Leo's Speedwell and headed over to the base hospital to see Amanda. She rarely ever had to go into the hospital for herself, not since the emergency with her ovaries when she was 14 when they had to be removed due to cancer. She really hated to come in for something emotional, but she hated feeling miserable and as much as the thought of taking happy pills irked her, she felt like she had no choice.\n\tOnce she walked to Amanda's office, she saw the pink frog standing and chatting with a nurse over some sort of records. She then looked up and noticed Miyu standing there, smiling and waving at the tall lynx as the nurse walked away. “Hi there, Miyu,” she said in greeting. “How're you?” Miyu could only sniffle as she was on the verge of tears again, softly shaking her head with a whimper. Amanda sighed with a sad and soft pout as she walked up and hugged Miyu close, the feline breaking down and sobbing into Amanda's shoulder. Amanda didn't need to say or see anything more. “Aww... I know you don't like pills... but I will happily prescribe something for you to help make you feel a bit better if you want,” she said softly, Miyu nodding softly as she broke the hug softly.\n\tOnce Miyu got back into Leo's car, she now had a bottle of anti-depressants, the same kind Leo was prescribed for his depression before they met. She then powered up the car and drove on the way back home on the city streets. Everywhere she looked, she saw couples going about their day happily together. She felt all alone like she did at the end of the war, just before she met Leo. To her, it was her own personal hell she was living with. Sure, she had Krystal to confide in, but Leo was THEIR bunny, THEIR one true love they both felt kept them all together. Everywhere Miyu went, anything she thought about or looked at... Leo was firmly planted in her mind, his absence making the memories all that much more depressing.\n\tShe stopped at a red light and waited for her turn to go when she looked off to the right in the lane in front of her and noticed the liquor store Leo frequented. She kept looking at it for the next minute or two before the light turned green and then signaled to turn into the parking lot to park. She then got out and walked into the store and went straight for the rum aisle. She wasn't much of a drinker, at least not as much as Leo or even Katt, Falco, Bill, Peppy or Fara were. She then found the chosen favorite of Leo's, a nice dark spiced 93 proof rum that had incredible bold caramel and spice flavor with a very mild hint of cherry in it. She stood in front of the bottles for a few minutes, knowing it was wrong for her to dive into the bottle in her condition... but she felt useless and not wanting to do anything else, knowing she didn't have a whole lot to do for the next three weeks... so she then started to pull bottles off the shelves to purchase.\t\n\n\t--Day 005, Venoma City airport, Cornerian military inbound terminal, 14:51--\n\n\tLeo picked up his belongings in his cabin to prepare for deboarding the ship, the journey the most boring and depressing journey he had ever taken. The whole trip to Venom was a cramped and isolated journey, the water onboard tasted not entirely filtered, the foods only came out of vending machines that were just barely palatable... just enough to stave of starvation in Leo's mind, kind of like airplane food usually is. The bed was lumpy and spongy, unlike the smooth and firm surface he liked most. He spent most of his time in his cabin watching old episodes of the car show hosted by Markinson, Clay and Drummond on his phone, having only a handful of people that at first glance didn't seem very pleasant or civil to associate with. Thankfully the power outlets functioned with no issue to keep his phone charged and the climate controls kept him at a comfortable temperature. \n\t“Good riddance to this shitbox,” he muttered to himself as he closed the door to the cabin and walked towards the departure pathway of the ship with his belongings in his backpack. He walked along a corridor with windows looking out onto the planet landscape, and it wasn't a pleasant one... Venom looked very dreary and dismal, light from the sun was able to illuminate and warm the planet with no issue, but the sky was pitch black, suggesting it had little in the way of an atmosphere to support human life, looking very barren and desert-like everywhere he looked with very little in the way of vegetation of trees. The air looked very hazy and polluted as well. Despite all the gloomy and dark presence, Venoma City looked very much like a metropolis like Corneria City did.\n\tHe sighed as he waited for the ship to complete its docking to the airport terminal tunnel, reaching into his backpack to grab his papers, diplomatic authorization, passport and info on his contact. It said he was going to be picked up and transported to the presidential tower in the center of the city where he had temporary housing for a few weeks before relocating to another location within the Cornerian Embassy. He found the housing schedule a little confusing, but whatever it was, it was, he figured. He read on and saw his contact name would be the Business Contact with the construction company from Fortuna, somebody by the name of Chartiri Simmons. \n\tHe then heard the sharp hiss and clank of the outer door to the space shuttle open as he was finally open to walk into the terminal with about a dozen or two other people on the ship. He went through the military customs lane and had his passport stamped and then walked into the terminal waiting lounge. First views of the inside of the airport looked like any other airport he had ever been in, nothing too much out of the ordinary for him. He stood about 10 feet away from the doorway into the ship and circled about to take in everything slowly, his first time on the largest planet in the Lylat system. \n\t“Yyyesss! I knew it was you!” he suddenly heard directly behind him. Leo turned around to face the source of the voice... to suddenly face a white paper sign with his name on it directly in front of his face.\n\t“Uhh... I'm Captain Cuttridge,” he said with a nervous smile. The sign then lowered below him... but he didn't see anybody, putting a confused look on his face. “Umm... huh?”\n\t“Heehee... down here, Captain,” the voice said. Leo looked slowly down and saw a female ring-tailed black and white lemur standing in front of him. She wore a dark blue business suit with a white button shirt and tie that matched her suit color. She was very short, just barely over four feet to Leo's guesstimation, her eyes were a gentle red, her body slim and very curvy with an hourglass figure... and wow she was chesty, each breast round and almost the size of her head. She looked up at him with a sweet and welcoming smile as her long and thin tail wagged and curled over and over behind her, her voice an adorable pitch very similar to Miyu's. “As soon as I saw your name, I KNEW it had to be you! I'm your contact and partner for the next year, Chartiri Simmons, Fortuna Builders, LLC,” she said, handing her business card to him along with her military ID which he noticed was similar to his. \n\t“Oh, umm, hi there,” Leo said, bringing his military ID to show her in his left hand while his right reached out to shake hers. “Pleased to meet you.... Char... tie-ree, is it?”\n\t“Likewise, Captain Cuttridge,” Chartiri said, shaking his hand softly, her fur quite soft. “It's actually Shar-teer-ee, but you can call me Shar if you want. And many congratulations on the success in the Grand Prix! I placed a few bets on you and made some good moolah out of your performance,” she said happily with a wink.\n\t“Ah, I see,” Leo said with a gentle smile. “That was a lot of fun. I'm happy to hear you were successful in your winnings as well.”\n\tThey stood facing each other for several more seconds gazing into each other's eyes before Chartiri then broke the silence. “Let's go get your luggage and I'll drive you to our home for the next few weeks,” she said, slowly turning around and walking to the carousel for baggage claim. Leo's eyes couldn't help but be glued to her ass, smiling as he noticed that for someone as slim as she was, her butt was very bubbly, somewhat moreso than Miyu. His smile then faded a little as he began to think about his sexy beefy kitty and vixy on the other end of the Lylat, unable to see or hear from them for a year. \n\tThey collected Leo's suitcase and trunk from the baggage claim and headed out to the covered parking structure to a car with a military plate on it. Once they loaded up his suitcase and trunk into the rear of the vehicle they both got into the front seats, Chartiri starting up the car and driving out away from the airport. “So how was the trip over?” she asked.\n\t“Meh... dull, boring, dreary... everything you don't want in a journey...” Leo said. “Then again, the prospect of my destination wasn't all that great either.”\n\tChartiri nodded in agreement as she drove. “Yeah, I totally understand what you're saying. Venom is not a pleasant place... but from what I've seen from the new Emperor Bowman and his plans, I'm thinking he will be able to fix this planet quickly over time.”\n\t“Do you think he is genuine and sincere in his plans?” Leo asked. “Not trying to sound like a pessimist buuuut...”\n\t“I think so, very much,” Chariti said.\n\t“Have you met him yet?” Leo asked.\n\t“Just once, briefly,” Chartiri responded. “We're actually going to be joining him for dinner tonight, so you'll wanna wash up and dress appropriately for dinner in the Tower. And he requested nothing fancy, just semi-formal or casual.”\n\t“Oh? Fairly unusual request,” Leo said. \n\t“Well... he just jumped into this leadership at a whim on such short notice, I don't think he's used to all this pomp and circumstance and ceremony involved in supreme leadership. But at the same time, I don't think it is something he wants for the future of Venom's government either,” Chartiri said.\n\tLeo couldn't help but look over Chartiri's body as she drove and spoke with him on the way to the Presidential Tower. He also looked on her right hand on the steering wheel and noticed she had a gold ring on her ring finger, thinking she must be divorced or breaking up with a loved one. “Judging by his address from last week, I think you're right,” he said. \n\tOnce they arrived at the gates to the Tower, they stopped at a guard shack and presented their IDs before driving into the compound. Chartiri parked the car in a spot close to the entrance and shut it off, then opened the trunk and offered to take in Leo's suitcase while he rolled in his trunk. Once they used their ID badges for entry into the building, Leo got his first glimpse of the interior of the Tower... and he was stunned at its luxurious beauty. Lots of reds, golds and browns everywhere, the wall panels, accents and facades all looked plated in gold, the seating covered in the most luxurious leathers and silks, no expense spared in the décor anywhere. Leo was slightly disgusted at the sight of all this luzury on a planet sweltering with poverty... only one word came to his mind that he was taught about Venom all his youth, but was know seeing it for the first time.... tyranny. \n\tThe main level of the building was round and huge, a central elevator shaft leading all the way up to the top with several walkways leading off to balconies where other offices and rooms lay empty. “Our rooms are over here,” Chartiri said, pointing off into a direction halfway around the circumference of one of the walls, two rooms side by side. “Mine's on the left and yours is this one,” she said, pointing to the room on the right. “Try not to get too settled in, because in two or three weeks we will be relocating to the Embassy for the duration of our project.”\n\t“Is there a purpose to this short stay in this building?” Leo asked.\n\t“Well, Emperor Bowman will be guiding us around to all the rooms and floors to show us what there is, and then we'll use it as ideas on what we an build based on what he envisions,” Chartiri explained. “Once we have plans in place that he approves of, we will be at the Embassy while the crew works on this place. And there will be other places across Venoma City he'll want us to look at also.”\n\t“Ah, okay,” Leo said, yawning a bit.\n\t“Aww... you should get some rest,” Chartiri suggested. “Emperor Bowman is inviting us to dinner at 18:00, so you should get a nap and shower and get into some other clothes, okay?”\n\t“I like the sound of that,” Leo said. “Meet you here at 17:45?”\n\t“It's a date,” Chartiri said with a smile and a wink as she opened the door to her room and walked in. \n\tLeo then walked in to his room and tugged his suitcase and trunk inside, the bedroom having very much the same luxury features and styles that the lobby had. It became apparent quickly to Leo that this tower had many very highly important people staying here, either permanently or for short duration over the life of the building. He opened the door to the bathroom and flipped the light on... and he groaned in disgust as he looked over at the toilet to see it was entirely gold, along with all the knobs and fixtures for the sink, bathtub and shower as well as the towel racks. He then dug out his pocket knife out of his suitcase and went back to the toilet, found and inconspicuous piece of the toilet not easily seen and scraped along the surface in the hopes it was gold plated... but after a minute of gold being scraped off to uncover more gold, he groaned at the realization it wasn't PLATED but comprised ENTIRELY of gold. He then noticed that the counter tops were covered with some of the most beautiful slabs of marble he'd ever seen. “How arrogant can one get?” he said quietly to himself, sighing again as he disrobed and hopped into the shower. He immediately felt relieved under the hot clean water as he cleaned off, the jets of water spraying from above and from the sides before drying off with a towel and using the hot air dryer booth which was built into the shower. \n\tHe then went to his backpack to retrieve the photo of him, Miyu and Krystal at his birthday party from a week ago and sighed depressingly, missing his two lovely ladies so much already. He then went to lay down naked on top of the bed and just stared at the photo for a while after setting an alarm to wake up to get ready, soon falling asleep atop the comfy bed. It felt like the next hour and a half went by in an instant when his alarm woke him up again to prepare for dinner. He quickly got up and decided what to pull out from his wardrobe to wear. “Hmm... semi-formal or casual, huh...?” He shrugged and just put on a pleasant looking white buttoned short-sleeve shirt with a pair of cotton tan cargo pants and his belt and a clean pair of tan work shoes. He could definitely feel butterflies in his stomach at the idea of meeting the new Premiere of the largest planet in the Lylat system, one that was the source of deep conflict and trouble for most of the last half century. What could he possibly expect out of this whole year-long commission?\n\tHe sighed and putting on some cologne, looking in the mirror to check over his fur quickly before exiting the room at 17:45. We has instantly greeted by Chartiri outside her door, the lemur wearing a casual white business suit over a black lycra shirt and black silk stockings. Leo thought she looked incredibly sexy and adorable. “Looking good, Leo,” she said, lifting an arm to hold his. “Walk with me?”\n\t“Hehe... lead the way, gorgeous,” Leo said, walking with Chartiri down a hallway to another big room marked as a lounge. \n\t“We're gonna meet up with everyone in that room before we are led into the dining room for dinner,” she said, pointing at the big double-door entrance to the lounge. “Kind of a casual meet and greet before dinner. And like I said, earlier, it's all very relaxed and casual. Just be yourself. He realizes that these many government members went through quite a shock when Andross was defeated, so Emperor Bowman is doing his best to make it seem like friends and family instead of boss and co-workers.”\n\t“Well, that is very kind of him,” Leo said, still incredibly nervous and not knowing what to expect. “Still feel a bit nervous about all this, I must admit...”\n\t“I was too on my first meeting with him, and I've only met him one other time a few days ago,” Chartiri added. “Things will be okay, just stick with me.” She smiled up at Leo as they both walked into a room full of about a couple dozen other men and women of various different species, about half of them were Venomian lizards, others of all sorts of specie from all over Lylat. They were greeted by a maître d' carrying a tray full of glasses of champagne, of which Leo and Chartiri happily took one each. They could hear very casual chat about a familiar topic to Leo... racing. The first couple voices he heard were unfamiliar to him.\n\t“The mile long bracket races and the tag-team event were definitely a big hit, I think,” one man said.\n\t“I totally agree!” Said another in the room. “It certainly brought a new change of pace and flavor to the Grand Prix this year.”\n\tThe third voice was familiar to Leo... it was Dash. Leo gently walked into the crowd and stood quietly with Chartiri as the new Emperor spoke. “You got that right, especially the fact that both events brought out so many drivers from all spectrum of speed and ability. In those, it's not the most important to be the fastest, but the most consistent. You're not only battling your opponent, but also yourself in a way, so it really takes a great driver to master that type of race.” Several smiles and nods voices of agreement filled the room at Dash's comment. Just watching him for those few seconds already made Leo feel at ease. It really DID feel a lot less like government and a lot more like a gathering with the guys. Dash's eyes then turned and looked at Leo, the young Emperor's face going bright with excitement as he suddenly raised his glass of champagne and faced Leo. “A great driver like this one, in fact! The ACTUAL winner Captain Leo Cuttridge is among us now!”\n\t“Congrats, Captain Leo Cuttridge!” all said in a cheery tone as the attention in the entire room suddenly was now on him. He smiled and blushed deeply at the response, totally not expecting it.\n\t“Why, thank you very much, Emperor Bowman,” Leo said happily. “My many thanks to your request and choice in my and Miss Simmons' services in the new rebuilding project, and that the government of Corneria confratulates you on your appointment and is very eager and excited to work with you all in the future.”\n\t“I am so very much looking forward to it, Captain,” Dash said as he came up to Leo to shake his hand. “I must ask, I noticed you raced with the Star Fox team... how are Captains McCloud and Lombardi these days?”\n\t“They are exceptionally well, sir,” Leo said with a smile and nod. “They, along with all of the rest of the team speak very highly of you and wish you the best in your new tenure.”\n\t“I am so pleased to hear that,” Dash said. “I actually participated in battle with Fox and Falco on Titania during the war.”\n\t“Is that right?” Leo said, remembering Fox mention that back on Corneria a week or so ago.\n\t“Correct,” Dash continued. “They are absolutely incredible men and they have my utmost respects. Those two especially really are a pair of heroes of mine since my youth.”\n\t“The Star Fox team has been a great morale boost not only in my life, but in the lives of billions of others in Lylat. They are a terrific heroic figure nowadays,” Leo commented.\n\t“Totally agree, Captain,” Dash said. “Say, Captain... have you heard of a man named 'Cowboy' Kenneth Rawlings?”\n\t“Oh yeah, he's that chuckwagon chef and lineman from Fortuna,” Leo said, quite pleased to know they knew of someone they admired elsewhere in the Lylat system.\n\t“That's him, yes! We are having one of his dishes tonight for dinner,” Dash replied. “His famous smoked meatloaf along with grilled asparagus and potatoes au gratin. I gave my chefs the recipe when I first came here and they are quite good at making it.”\n\t“I love the sound of that, sir,” Leo said cheerfully with a grin.\n\t“I see you have met the lovely Miss Chartiri Simmons,” Dash said, giving a polite bow to the short ring-tailed lemur, Leo noticing Dash's height to be around five feet tall.\n\t“He sure has,” Chartiri said. “It'll be wonderful to work with Captain Cuttridge in our rebuilding efforts.”\n\t“I'm so grateful to have you both here, for we have a lot of buildings that need reworked and redesigned,” Dash said. “But for now, let's eat! Afterwords I shall introduce you to all the members of government here,” he concluded, noting a pair of other busboys opening doors to a fancy dining room where they all began to converge to dine. \n\tThe whole scene was incredibly comforting, not to mention unexpected and surprising for Leo. It was in a totally different atmosphere than the type of formal suit-and-tie government he was thinking it was. If all of what Chartiri had said to him about what hold Andross had on people in the past was true, he could totally respect Dash's method of a more relaxed and brotherly-like atmosphere to bring people back into their comfort zone. Especially considering all the chaos and destruction that had ensued from Andross' many years of war all across the Lylat. Leo couldn't help but smile and sigh in relief as he was seated at the dinner table next to Chartiri and on the opposite side of Emperor Dash Bowman, feeling that things were going very well so far, hoping that things continued on this optimistic and enthusiastic course.\n\n\t–...sometime in the middle of the night...--\n\n\tMiyu sat on the floor of the kitchen leaning back against the door to the dish washing machine, the only sound being the quiet ticking of the analog clock on the wall. She sat with a mostly-depleted half-gallon bottle of rum in her right hand and the photo of her, Leo and Krystal in her left. The last few days had not improved much in the way of her mood or emotions... she still had nightmares about Leo that frequently interrupted her sleep, and what sleep she did get was toss-and-turn. She ate very little, and she drank heavily. The pills Amanda had prescribed her didn't seem to be helping either at first, so she doubled her dose on her own on the second day. She could feel the drugs flowing in her system trying to do something, but she didn't feel any better or happier about being alive. Of the three bottles of rum she bought, she was just about finished on the second half-gallon container. \n\tShe definitely felt very inebriated, wobbling and unable to sit still, her vision blurry and unsteady even as she looked at the picture constantly. Her eyes and sinuses hurt from the constant crying and sobbing from her seemingly incurable depression. She couldn't figure out what else to do... she felt she was at her wits end... she hated not being with her bunny... trying to concentrate on anything else was impossible, and she couldn't think clearly... \n\n\t...what was the point in it all...?\n\n\tShe gently put the photo down on the top of her thighs to look at it hands-free, her right hand slowly putting the bottle of rum on the floor... then reaching for her blaster pistol she left sitting there. She picked it up and took several seconds to look it over as she slid the charge magazine into the grip with a secure click, her shaky thumb moving to the safety latch and moving it from S to F, the tiny safety indicator light next to it changing from green to red, indicating it was ready to fire. \n\tMiyu then lifted the pistol slowly to the right side of her head and pointed the barrel at the temple of her forehead, her eyes closing as she began to quietly sob and cry uncontrollably. [i]“I'm sorry love... this is too unbearable not being with you... please... forgive me...”[/i] she thought to herself as she clenched her eyes shut and moved her index finger to gently rest over the trigger... and slowly began to apply pressure...\n\tHer heart raced frantically as she kept slowly applying more and more tiny amounts of pressure to the trigger of her pistol, her mind racing with images of her and Leo together since they met... that first night at Chalmer's... the interview she held for him a few days later... the construction site where they first kissed... their first night together in bed... many more happy and blissful moments they shared together flashing in her mind as the trigger was halfway pressed... and then suddenly, her mind flashed on some more memories... the first was of Sid from about a week ago...\n\t[i]“... just think... POSITIVELY... and look forward to the future... and being together THEN... because all good things come to those who wait...”[/i]\n\tHer movements seemed to freeze as she suddenly found herself thinking of specific memories in vivid detail, the words echoing loudly and thunderously in her mind... then she had a vision of Slippy from the other day...\n\t[i]“...PLEASE... do NOT be alone and DON'T dwell on negativity. Be with somebody and above all... FIND SOMETHING TO DO... and KEEP YOURSELF OCCUPIED AND BUSY. It'll make the time go by and make you feel happier.”[/i]\n\tHer eyes then began to slowly open as she looked out across the dark kitchen, the full moon filling it with the lunar light as she remained frozen in place... and then she remembered what Leo said when they were in the hospital after the Papetoon mission... when she suggested cutting back on her fitness and eating and becoming a 'more normal girl,' his words from that time hitting her like a freight train right then...\n\t[i]“Who's going to protect ME then?? I don't want you to get smaller, fatter, weaker, or ANYTHING like that... It's NOT who you are! I want you to promise me... that if you ever change at all... you only get BIGGER AND STRONGER!”[/i]\n\tMiyu could then feel her heart begin to beat very fast in her chest as she sat still, her index finger still holding the trigger of her loaded blaster pistol at just over half pressure, her eyes wide open as her maw began to open slowly and take in a breath of air, those powerful words repeating loudly and painfully in her mind over and over, most especially the two words emphasized by Leo on that night...\n\n\t[b]... JUST THINK... POSITIVELY... \n\n\t[right] ...KEEP YOURSELF OCCUPIED AND BUSY...[/right]\n\n[center]BIGGER! STRONGER![/center][/b]\n\n\tSuddenly Miyu's eyes began to glow a brilliantly bright blue, a light so intense it lit up the entire kitchen, her inhale getting deeper and deeper as she felt every muscle in her body getting tense and hot, her blood pumping quickly throughout her body as her heart raced. A few more seconds before she couldn't take in any more air, an intense burning sensation filling her lungs as she slowly began to exhale, her body expelling not only the carbon dioxide her lungs had created like normal, but she could also sense all the alcohol she had in her system that her liver had not metabolized filling the air in front of her. After several seconds of that long breath, her body began to cool back to normal, her heart slowing down... she sensed she was not wobbly and disoriented anymore... her head and eyes weren't hurting anymore, and the intense glow of light from her eyes slowly diminished, even though she didn't really notice the light itself... she found she was incredibly still and in control, and far from the extremely drunk state she was in moments ago... she felt totally sober... and she still felt her pistol in her hand pointed at her head... her next action shifting her fingers...\n\t...to pressing the eject button on the grip of the pistol to release the charge mag, effectively disarming the weapon, the charge mag hitting the floor with a clatter, the soft electrical whine from the pistol winding down to a silence. She then slowly lowered her pistol and set it into her lap. She then stared out across the kitchen for several seconds before smiling and shaking her head with a sigh. [i]“Girl, what in the world are you doing?”[/i] she thought to herself. “This isn't the right thing to do... not by a long shot... I now know what I have to do...”\n\tShe then slowly stood up without difficulty and placed the bottle of rum gently on the kitchen counter next to the sink and picked up her charge magazine for her pistol and the framed photo and then quietly walked upstairs to the master bedroom. Krystal was in bed sound asleep and had been for hours. Miyu stopped and looked over at the lovely blue vixen and smiled, her nubtail wagging softly. [i] “I can't let her down either... I can't let ANYBODY down...”[/i] She softly and quietly sighed with a smile, feeling immensely better than she did just a few moments ago when she was on the verge of committing suicide. \n\tShe quietly placed her pistol and charge mag in the drawer of the bed table and the framed photo on top of it and walked into the bathroom and shut the door. She turned the lights on to a dim level as she rubbed her eyes dry of the tears while walking towards the sink, turning the water on to wash her face softly. After she reached for a towel to dry off her face as much as possible, she looked down onto the sink for a few moments before looking up slowly into the mirror... and she smiled as she found herself looking at not only herself... but a taller, bigger and beefier version of herself that smiled back at her. This Miyu in the mirror looked like she was at least 6'5” tall, her body that of a herculean god, beyond that of a pro body builder and weight lifter, with what must've been at least a couple hundred pounds if not more of pure muscle thick and dense all over her body.[i]“You DID make a promise to him, remember?”[/i] the Miyu in the mirror said softly.\n\tMiyu then slowly nodded, still smiling. “That I did... and I always keep my promises...” she replied quietly, barely above a whisper.\n\t[i]“Well then... are you ready to get your hands dirty?”[/i] Miyu in the mirror asked, flexing her huge muscles powerfully.\n\tMiyu then grinned evilly and nodded, her eyes faintly flashing a blue light for a split second. “Oooohhhhh yesssss... starting tomorrow...”\n\t[i]“Good... get some sleep... you got a lot of it to catch up on,”[/i] Miyu in the mirror said.\n\tMiyu then nodded and shut off the light in the bathroom and walked into the bedroom quietly and very softly crawled into bed behind Krystal, spooning in behind her vixy lover. Krystal chirred quietly at the sensation, her long and gorgeous blue tail moving to drape over Miyu's hip adorably as she continued to sleep. Miyu smiled at the reaction, sighing softly once more as she closed her eyes, and this time being able to fall asleep within seconds for the first time in many days.", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "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, Dash Bowman 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, Chartiri Simmons 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 43 – A Year On Venom:  Depression Is A Cruel Mistress~


\t–...somewhere on Venom...–

\tLeo ran with all his strength through the barren rocky outcroppings of Venoma city, panting deeply as his heart beat a frantic pace.  He groaned at the intense pain in his skull along with the gash in his scalp as blood dripped down the side of his face, his right arm hanging broken and useless by his side, his left hand holding his blaster pistol which had only three shots left in the charge mag.  Tears streaked down his cheeks as he quickly looked around for any physical obstacle to hide behind to avoid being seen, hoping it would hide him from those in pursuit of him.  
\tHe had been running for hours, his energy long since depleted, the city skyline of Venoma City still on the horizon behind him in the distance.  He must've run for nearly 10 miles by this point and he still felt like he was being followed.  He knew his white fur would be working against him to make him more visible to any of his hunters, but he still had to keep going.  He had family and friends on the other side of the Lylat to return to.
\tHe stopped to take a quick breather behind a big rock, shivering in fright and shock, his body worn out and struggling to stay up and active.  He quietly sobbed at the feelings he was going through, the unbearable pain in his right arm from the broken bones along with the throbbing headache from being punched in the head by a lizard trooper back in the city when it was attacked.  He suddenly got up and turned to his left to look around only to see the back of a fist meet with his face, the blow sending him to the ground and breaking his nose and the front of his skull.  “I got the bastard!” a voice yelled out, the sound of several footsteps following within seconds.
\tLeo tried to raise his left arm to aim his pistol at the attacker, but he felt another hand grab it and roughly slam it against the rock, the impact breaking his hand and forcing him to drop his pistol to the ground.  He screamed out in pain as two more impacts to the back of his knees from others behind him forced him down to the ground, a couple more people grabbing him roughly by the wrists to hold him in a kneeling position.  He tilted his head around to see at least half a dozen Venomian lizards in old military outfits surrounding him and holding him in place, the tallest of which standing in front of him and picking up his pistol, looking at the side of the grip to check the total charge.  “Weeeellll... three more shots... how lucky for you...”
\tLeo stared at the lizard before him as his gun was then aimed at his right shoulder, then the trigger pulled, a powerful blaster shot shooting a hole in his shoulder from front to back, the sensation searing and unbearably painful, making Leo scream out at the top of his lungs, even while trying to catch his breath still.  The lizard then pointed the blaster at Leo's crotch, pulling the trigger and blowing away his manhood, the pain compounding ever more painfully in deeper and more intense levels of agony.  “GGGYYYAAAAHHHH!!!!!  FFFFFUCK YOU ASSHOOOOOOLE!!!!!” he screamed out.
\t“No....” the lizard with his blaster pistol said before suddenly jamming Leo's pistol forcefully into his maw, breaking several of his teeth in the process.  “We told you Cornerian scum... NEVER to come back to Venom... Andross WILL return... and Venom will RULE ALL... so fuck YOU asshole!!!” the lizard said as Leo let out one final scream as the trigger was pulled, the blaster shot ejecting out the back of his head in a shower of blood, bone and brain matter--

\t--Day 002, Leo, Miyu and Krystal's house, 13:18--

\t“LEOOOOOO!!!!!”  Miyu screamed out as she shot up out of bed, sweating and panting in fright as tears poured from her eyes from the horrific nightmare.  It took her several seconds to realize she was safe at home, all alone and naked in bed.  The last few days were very stressful and depressing for Miyu, every time she fell asleep she had some sort of nightmare where Leo was either captured, tortured, abused or even killed... and the separation only made her want to sleep.  Her will to do anything with her day was nearly non-existant.  She still had three weeks to prepare for her first drill instruction at the Army base, along with completing some training and acquiring uniforms for the job, but it meant very little to her right now.
\tShe sat up in bed and hugged around her legs and cried into her thighs for several minutes before looking over at the clock.   She knew Krystal was working at the hospital with Amanda for a long time.  Everyone else had continued their duties first assigned a year ago when the war ended.  She felt immensely irritated that Pepper had sent Leo out to Venom instead of her, but the need to train troops being signed up for military service put her at the highest demand for the job.  
\tShe slowly turned to lower her legs out of bed, but she didn't stand up.  She continued to look down at the floor for several minutes as her mind couldn't help but remember those precious memories of being with Leo in the very beginning.  When she accidentally bumped into him at Chalmer's that fateful night, a tiny faint grin coming to her face as she remembered he was bumped into the ground when she barely went back in inch.  She knew she was strong physically, but right now, mentally she felt incredibly fragile.  
\tHer stomach growled deeply in hunger as she sat on the side of the bed in the middle of the afternoon, wanting more to go back to sleep instead of eating, for she felt no appetite in her since Leo was sent out.  Several minutes went by before she got up and headed into the shower to clean herself off.  Even that sent back memories of Leo, remembering the first night they slept and showered together, the magical night it was for both of them.  Miyu sighed as she slowly washed over herself a bit more before shutting the water off, then toweling dry before stepping into the air dryer to get the rest of her fur dry.
\tAfter putting some clothes on, she went downstairs into the kitchen to grab a bag of beef jerky and started to nibble on some strands.  She walked around the house while she slowly ate a little, taking in the sights and memories of Leo all over the house.  The picture of them and Krystal together on his birthday, the pic taken of her and Leo soon after they began dating when building tent cities, several other memories... she even stood out in the garage and looked over his Speedwell and Lancier parked side by side, their owner long gone and separated for a long time.  She stood and looked over the Speedwell, the champion of the mile long bracket races and tag-team event in the Cornerian Grand Prix, and she noticed that a lot of the battle scars from the race were still present... a plethora of scratches and dings in the plastic rear bumper from when Panther was pressuring him from behind... the dents in the rear quarter panels from Panther trying to pit maneuver Leo out of his way... and the most telling was the scrapes and scratches all over the front bumper and the front portion of the hood behind the plastic chrome grille where Leo fought back, pressuring Panther to his breaking point.  She knew Leo wanted to get these repaired at some point, but with his sudden deployment, it never got done.  
\tAfter several moments of looking over his car she looked at her watch... nearly 3 in the afternoon.  She grabbed his keys for the Speedwell and got in it, started it up and drove it out into the streets of Corneria.  She first drove it to Grippy's auto wrecking yard for parts.  She parked in the dusty parking lot in front of a fence by the entrance to the back lot where hundreds of salvaged automobiles lay resting, and walked through the front door to the counter.  She was immediately greeted by Grippy who had just finished with a customer.  “Well, hello there, Miyu!  How goes your day?” he asked cheerfully.  To Miyu, all of the Toads seemed to have a spirited and cheerful mood... something she wished she had again.
\t“Mmm... it's going,” Miyu said depressingly.  “Hey umm... I was wondering if you could look over Leo's Speedwell and see what body and trim parts it needs to look as close to new again?  I wanna surprise him for when he comes back.”
\t“Oh-ho-ho!  I would absolutely love to!” Grippy said, walking excitedly out the door to look over Leo's car.  After a slow walk around he jotted down notes on a pad of paper.  “Well... his front and rear bumpers could be repaired, but would be better to be replaced... I'll see what I've got in my stash for those.  The rear bumper I'm fairly sure I have, not sure about the front as his is one of those with the rare factory fog light housings.  The dings, dents and scratches in the quarter panels and the front of the hood can be repaired when it gets repainted, but the side mouldings and body trim pieces that are  damaged or missing have to be replaced.  I'll hafta dig into the yard in his section to see what I have and I can get back to you if you want.”
\t“That sounds great.... thank you so much, Grippy,” Miyu said, a very weak smile forming on her face.  
\t“How're you doing, hon?” Grippy asked, concerned for Miyu.
\t“I'm... just...” was all she could get out before tears started to streak down her cheeks.
\tGrippy couldn't help but walk forward and give her a hug.  “Aww, I know... we all miss him here, too,” he said softly.  
\tMiyu sniffled and wiped her eyes quickly after she finished hugging Grippy.  “Anyways, umm... I don't plan on getting the car painted until maybe a month or two away from when he comes back... so for any parts you don't have, can we just wait to see what else we can find or acquire for the next year before getting on to the actual refurbishment?”
\t“That sounds wonderful, my dear!”  Grippy said with enthusiasm.  “I'll head over into his lot and pull what I do have and lock them away until we get to it.”
\t“Thank you so much, Grippy,” Miyu said with a weak smile.
\tMiyu then got back into Leo's Speedwell and headed over to the base hospital to see Amanda.  She rarely ever had to go into the hospital for herself, not since the emergency with her ovaries when she was 14 when they had to be removed due to cancer.  She really hated to come in for something emotional, but she hated feeling miserable and as much as the thought of taking happy pills irked her, she felt like she had no choice.
\tOnce she walked to Amanda's office, she saw the pink frog standing and chatting with a nurse over some sort of records.  She then looked up and noticed Miyu standing there, smiling and waving at the tall lynx as the nurse walked away.  “Hi there, Miyu,” she said in greeting.  “How're you?”  Miyu could only sniffle as she was on the verge of tears again, softly shaking her head with a whimper.  Amanda sighed with a sad and soft pout as she walked up and hugged Miyu close, the feline breaking down and sobbing into Amanda's shoulder.  Amanda didn't need to say or see anything more.  “Aww...  I know you don't like pills... but I will happily prescribe something for you to help make you feel a bit better if you want,” she said softly, Miyu nodding softly as she broke the hug softly.
\tOnce Miyu got back into Leo's car, she now had a bottle of anti-depressants, the same kind Leo was prescribed for his depression before they met.  She then powered up the car and drove on the way back home on the city streets.  Everywhere she looked, she saw couples going about their day happily together.  She felt all alone like she did at the end of the war, just before she met Leo.  To her, it was her own personal hell she was living with.  Sure, she had Krystal to confide in, but Leo was THEIR bunny, THEIR one true love they both felt kept them all together.  Everywhere Miyu went, anything she thought about or looked at... Leo was firmly planted in her mind, his absence making the memories all that much more depressing.
\tShe stopped at a red light and waited for her turn to go when she looked off to the right in the lane in front of her and noticed the liquor store Leo frequented.  She kept looking at it for the next minute or two before the light turned green and then signaled to turn into the parking lot to park.  She then got out and walked into the store and went straight for the rum aisle.  She wasn't much of a drinker, at least not as much as Leo or even Katt, Falco, Bill, Peppy or Fara were.  She then found the chosen favorite of Leo's, a nice dark spiced 93 proof rum that had incredible bold caramel and spice flavor with a very mild hint of cherry in it.  She stood in front of the bottles for a few minutes, knowing it was wrong for her to dive into the bottle in her condition... but she felt useless and not wanting to do anything else, knowing she didn't have a whole lot to do for the next three weeks... so she then started to pull bottles off the shelves to purchase.\t

\t--Day 005, Venoma City airport, Cornerian military inbound terminal, 14:51--

\tLeo picked up his belongings in his cabin to prepare for deboarding the ship, the journey the most boring and depressing journey he had ever taken.  The whole trip to Venom was a cramped and isolated journey, the water onboard tasted not entirely filtered, the foods only came out of vending machines that were just barely palatable... just enough to stave of starvation in Leo's mind, kind of like airplane food usually is.  The bed was lumpy and spongy, unlike the smooth and firm surface he liked most.  He spent most of his time in his cabin watching old episodes of the car show hosted by Markinson, Clay and Drummond on his phone, having only a handful of people that at first glance didn't seem very pleasant or civil to associate with.  Thankfully the power outlets functioned with no issue to keep his phone charged and the climate controls kept him at a comfortable temperature.
\t“Good riddance to this shitbox,” he muttered to himself as he closed the door to the cabin and walked towards the departure pathway of the ship with his belongings in his backpack.  He walked along a corridor with windows looking out onto the planet landscape, and it wasn't a pleasant one... Venom looked very dreary and dismal, light from the sun was able to illuminate and warm the planet with no issue, but the sky was pitch black, suggesting it had little in the way of an atmosphere to support human life, looking very barren and desert-like everywhere he looked with very little in the way of vegetation of trees.  The air looked very hazy and polluted as well.  Despite all the gloomy and dark presence, Venoma City looked very much like a metropolis like Corneria City did.
\tHe sighed as he waited for the ship to complete its docking to the airport terminal tunnel, reaching into his backpack to grab his papers, diplomatic authorization, passport and info on his contact.  It said he was going to be picked up and transported to the presidential tower in the center of the city where he had temporary housing for a few weeks before relocating to another location within the Cornerian Embassy.  He found the housing schedule a little confusing, but whatever it was, it was, he figured.  He read on and saw his contact name would be the Business Contact with the construction company from Fortuna, somebody by the name of Chartiri Simmons.  
\tHe then heard the sharp hiss and clank of the outer door to the space shuttle open as he was finally open to walk into the terminal with about a dozen or two other people on the ship.  He went through the military customs lane and had his passport stamped and then walked into the terminal waiting lounge.  First views of the inside of the airport looked like any other airport he had ever been in, nothing too much out of the ordinary for him.  He stood about 10 feet away from the doorway into the ship and circled about to take in everything slowly, his first time on the largest planet in the Lylat system.  
\t“Yyyesss!  I knew it was you!” he suddenly heard directly behind him.  Leo turned around to face the source of the voice... to suddenly face a white paper sign with his name on it directly in front of his face.
\t“Uhh... I'm Captain Cuttridge,” he said with a nervous smile.  The sign then lowered below him... but he didn't see anybody, putting a confused look on his face.  “Umm... huh?”
\t“Heehee... down here, Captain,”  the voice said.  Leo looked slowly down and saw a female ring-tailed black and white lemur standing in front of him.  She wore a dark blue business suit with a white button shirt and tie that matched her suit color.  She was very short, just barely over four feet to Leo's guesstimation, her eyes were a gentle red, her body slim and very curvy with an hourglass figure... and wow she was chesty, each breast round and almost the size of her head.  She looked up at him with a sweet and welcoming smile as her long and thin tail wagged and curled over and over behind her, her voice an adorable pitch very similar to Miyu's.  “As soon as I saw your name, I KNEW it had to be you!  I'm your contact and partner for the next year, Chartiri Simmons, Fortuna Builders, LLC,” she said, handing her business card to him along with her military ID which he noticed was similar to his.  
\t“Oh, umm, hi there,” Leo said, bringing his military ID to show her in his left hand while his right reached out to shake hers.  “Pleased to meet you.... Char... tie-ree, is it?”
\t“Likewise, Captain Cuttridge,” Chartiri said, shaking his hand softly, her fur quite soft.  “It's actually Shar-teer-ee, but you can call me Shar if you want.  And many congratulations on the success in the Grand Prix!  I placed a few bets on you and made some good moolah out of your performance,” she said happily with a wink.
\t“Ah, I see,” Leo said with a gentle smile.  “That was a lot of fun.  I'm happy to hear you were successful in your winnings as well.”
\tThey stood facing each other for several more seconds gazing into each other's eyes before Chartiri then broke the silence.  “Let's go get your luggage and I'll drive you to our home for the next few weeks,” she said, slowly turning around and walking to the carousel for baggage claim.  Leo's eyes couldn't help but be glued to her ass, smiling as he noticed that for someone as slim as she was, her butt was very bubbly, somewhat moreso than Miyu.  His smile then faded a little as he began to think about his sexy beefy kitty and vixy on the other end of the Lylat, unable to see or hear from them for a year.  
\tThey collected Leo's suitcase and trunk from the baggage claim and headed out to the covered parking structure to a car with a military plate on it.  Once they loaded up his suitcase and trunk into the rear of the vehicle they both got into the front seats, Chartiri starting up the car and driving out away from the airport.  “So how was the trip over?” she asked.
\t“Meh... dull, boring, dreary... everything you don't want in a journey...” Leo said.  “Then again, the prospect of my destination wasn't all that great either.”
\tChartiri nodded in agreement as she drove.  “Yeah, I totally understand what you're saying.  Venom is not a pleasant place... but from what I've seen from the new Emperor Bowman and his plans, I'm thinking he will be able to fix this planet quickly over time.”
\t“Do you think he is genuine and sincere in his plans?” Leo asked.  “Not trying to sound like a pessimist buuuut...”
\t“I think so, very much,” Chariti said.
\t“Have you met him yet?” Leo asked.
\t“Just once, briefly,” Chartiri responded.  “We're actually going to be joining him for dinner tonight, so you'll wanna wash up and dress appropriately for dinner in the Tower.  And he requested nothing fancy, just semi-formal or casual.”
\t“Oh?  Fairly unusual request,” Leo said.  
\t“Well... he just jumped into this leadership at a whim on such short notice, I don't think he's used to all this pomp and circumstance and ceremony involved in supreme leadership.  But at the same time, I don't think it is something he wants for the future of Venom's government either,” Chartiri said.
\tLeo couldn't help but look over Chartiri's body as she drove and spoke with him on the way to the Presidential Tower.  He also looked on her right hand on the steering wheel and noticed she had a gold ring on her ring finger, thinking she must be divorced or breaking up with a loved one.  “Judging by his address from last week, I think you're right,” he said.  
\tOnce they arrived at the gates to the Tower, they stopped at a guard shack and presented their IDs before driving into the compound.  Chartiri parked the car in a spot close to the entrance and shut it off, then opened the trunk and offered to take in Leo's suitcase while he rolled in his trunk.  Once they used their ID badges for entry into the building, Leo got his first glimpse of the interior of the Tower... and he was stunned at its luxurious beauty.  Lots of reds, golds and browns everywhere, the wall panels, accents and facades all looked plated in gold, the seating covered in the most luxurious leathers and silks, no expense spared in the décor anywhere.   Leo was slightly disgusted at the sight of all this luzury on a planet sweltering with poverty... only one word came to his mind that he was taught about Venom all his youth, but was know seeing it for the first time.... tyranny.
\tThe main level of the building was round and huge, a central elevator shaft leading all the way up to the top with several walkways leading off to balconies where other offices and rooms lay empty.  “Our rooms are over here,” Chartiri said, pointing off into a direction halfway around the circumference of one of the walls, two rooms side by side.  “Mine's on the left and yours is this one,” she said, pointing to the room on the right.  “Try not to get too settled in, because in two or three weeks we will be relocating to the Embassy for the duration of our project.”
\t“Is there a purpose to this short stay in this building?” Leo asked.
\t“Well, Emperor Bowman will be guiding us around to all the rooms and floors to show us what there is, and then we'll use it as ideas on what we an build based on what he envisions,” Chartiri explained.  “Once we have plans in place that he approves of, we will be at the Embassy while the crew works on this place.  And there will be other places across Venoma City he'll want us to look at also.”
\t“Ah, okay,” Leo said, yawning a bit.
\t“Aww... you should get some rest,” Chartiri suggested.  “Emperor Bowman is inviting us to dinner at 18:00, so you should get a nap and shower and get into some other clothes, okay?”
\t“I like the sound of that,” Leo said.  “Meet you here at 17:45?”
\t“It's a date,” Chartiri said with a smile and a wink as she opened the door to her room and walked in.  
\tLeo then walked in to his room and tugged his suitcase and trunk inside, the bedroom having very much the same luxury features and styles that the lobby had. It became apparent quickly to Leo that this tower had many very highly important people staying here, either permanently or for short duration over the life of the building.  He opened the door to the bathroom and flipped the light on... and he groaned in disgust as he looked over at the toilet to see it was entirely gold, along with all the knobs and fixtures for the sink, bathtub and shower as well as the towel racks.  He then dug out his pocket knife out of his suitcase and went back to the toilet, found and inconspicuous piece of the toilet not easily seen and scraped along the surface in the hopes it was gold plated... but after a minute of gold being scraped off to uncover more gold, he groaned at the realization it wasn't PLATED but comprised ENTIRELY of gold.  He then noticed that the counter tops were covered with some of the most beautiful slabs of marble he'd ever seen.  “How arrogant can one get?” he said quietly to himself, sighing again as he disrobed and hopped into the shower.  He immediately felt relieved under the hot clean water as he cleaned off, the jets of water spraying from above and from the sides before drying off with a towel and using the hot air dryer booth which was built into the shower.  
\tHe then went to his backpack to retrieve the photo of him, Miyu and Krystal at his birthday party from a week ago and sighed depressingly, missing his two lovely ladies so much already.  He then went to lay down naked on top of the bed and just stared at the photo for a while after setting an alarm to wake up to get ready, soon falling asleep atop the comfy bed.  It felt like the next hour and a half went by in an instant when his alarm woke him up again to prepare for dinner.  He quickly got up and decided what to pull out from his wardrobe to wear.  “Hmm...  semi-formal or casual, huh...?”  He shrugged and just put on a pleasant looking white buttoned short-sleeve shirt with a pair of cotton tan cargo pants and his belt and a clean pair of tan work shoes.  He could definitely feel butterflies in his stomach at the idea of meeting the new Premiere of the largest planet in the Lylat system, one that was the source of deep conflict and trouble for most of the last half century.  What could he possibly expect out of this whole year-long commission?
\tHe sighed and putting on some cologne, looking in the mirror to check over his fur quickly before exiting the room at 17:45.  We has instantly greeted by Chartiri outside her door, the lemur wearing a casual white business suit over a black lycra shirt and black silk stockings.  Leo thought she looked incredibly sexy and adorable.  “Looking good, Leo,” she said, lifting an arm to hold his.  “Walk with me?”
\t“Hehe... lead the way, gorgeous,” Leo said, walking with Chartiri down a hallway to another big room marked as a lounge.  
\t“We're gonna meet up with everyone in that room before we are led into the dining room for dinner,” she said, pointing at the big double-door entrance to the lounge.  “Kind of a casual meet and greet before dinner.  And like I said, earlier, it's all very relaxed and casual.  Just be yourself.  He realizes that these many government members went through quite a shock when Andross was defeated, so Emperor Bowman is doing his best to make it seem like friends and family instead of boss and co-workers.”
\t“Well, that is very kind of him,” Leo said, still incredibly nervous and not knowing what to expect.  “Still feel a bit nervous about all this, I must admit...”
\t“I was too on my first meeting with him, and I've only met him one other time a few days ago,” Chartiri added.  “Things will be okay, just stick with me.”  She smiled up at Leo as they both walked into a room full of about a couple dozen other men and women of various different species, about half of them were Venomian lizards, others of all sorts of specie from all over Lylat.  They were greeted by a maître d' carrying a tray full of glasses of champagne, of which Leo and Chartiri happily took one each.  They could hear very casual chat about a familiar topic to Leo... racing.  The first couple voices he heard were unfamiliar to him.
\t“The mile long bracket races and the tag-team event were definitely a big hit, I think,” one man said.
\t“I totally agree!”  Said another in the room.  “It certainly brought a new change of pace and flavor to the Grand Prix this year.”
\tThe third voice was familiar to Leo... it was Dash.  Leo gently walked into the crowd and stood quietly with Chartiri as the new Emperor spoke.  “You got that right, especially the fact that both events brought out so many drivers from all spectrum of speed and ability.  In those, it's not the most important to be the fastest, but the most consistent. You're not only battling your opponent, but also yourself in a way, so it really takes a great driver to master that type of race.”  Several smiles and nods voices of agreement filled the room at Dash's comment.  Just watching him for those few seconds already made Leo feel at ease.  It really DID feel a lot less like government and a lot more like a gathering with the guys.  Dash's eyes then turned and looked at Leo, the young Emperor's face going bright with excitement as he suddenly raised his glass of champagne and faced Leo.  “A great driver like this one, in fact!  The ACTUAL winner Captain Leo Cuttridge is among us now!”
\t“Congrats, Captain Leo Cuttridge!” all said in a cheery tone as the attention in the entire room suddenly was now on him.  He smiled and blushed deeply at the response, totally not expecting it.
\t“Why, thank you very much, Emperor Bowman,” Leo said happily.  “My many thanks to your request and choice in my and Miss Simmons' services in the new rebuilding project, and that the government of Corneria confratulates you on your appointment and is very eager and excited to work with you all in the future.”
\t“I am so very much looking forward to it, Captain,” Dash said as he came up to Leo to shake his hand.  “I must ask, I noticed you raced with the Star Fox team... how are Captains McCloud and Lombardi these days?”
\t“They are exceptionally well, sir,” Leo said with a smile and nod.  “They, along with all of the rest of the team speak very highly of you and wish you the best in your new tenure.”
\t“I am so pleased to hear that,” Dash said.  “I actually participated in battle with Fox and Falco on Titania during the war.”
\t“Is that right?” Leo said, remembering Fox mention that back on Corneria a week or so ago.
\t“Correct,” Dash continued.  “They are absolutely incredible men and they have my utmost respects.  Those two especially really are a pair of heroes of mine since my youth.”
\t“The Star Fox team has been a great morale boost not only in my life, but in the lives of billions of others in Lylat.  They are a terrific heroic figure nowadays,” Leo commented.
\t“Totally agree, Captain,” Dash said.  “Say, Captain... have you heard of a man named 'Cowboy' Kenneth Rawlings?”
\t“Oh yeah, he's that chuckwagon chef and lineman from Fortuna,” Leo said, quite pleased to know they knew of someone they admired elsewhere in the Lylat system.
\t“That's him, yes!  We are having one of his dishes tonight for dinner,” Dash replied.  “His famous smoked meatloaf along with grilled asparagus and potatoes au gratin.  I gave my chefs the recipe when I first came here and they are quite good at making it.”
\t“I love the sound of that, sir,” Leo said cheerfully with a grin.
\t“I see you have met the lovely Miss Chartiri Simmons,” Dash said, giving a polite bow to the short ring-tailed lemur, Leo noticing Dash's height to be around five feet tall.
\t“He sure has,” Chartiri said.  “It'll be wonderful to work with Captain Cuttridge in our rebuilding efforts.”
\t“I'm so grateful to have you both here, for we have a lot of buildings that need reworked and redesigned,” Dash said.  “But for now, let's eat!  Afterwords I shall introduce you to all the members of government here,” he concluded, noting a pair of other busboys opening doors to a fancy dining room where they all began to converge to dine.  
\tThe whole scene was incredibly comforting, not to mention unexpected and surprising for Leo.  It was in a totally different atmosphere than the type of formal suit-and-tie government he was thinking it was.  If all of what Chartiri had said to him about what hold Andross had on people in the past was true, he could totally respect Dash's method of a more relaxed and brotherly-like atmosphere to bring people back into their comfort zone.  Especially considering all the chaos and destruction that had ensued from Andross' many years of war all across the Lylat.  Leo couldn't help but smile and sigh in relief as he was seated at the dinner table next to Chartiri and on the opposite side of Emperor Dash Bowman, feeling that things were going very well so far, hoping that things continued on this optimistic and enthusiastic course.

\t–...sometime in the middle of the night...--

\tMiyu sat on the floor of the kitchen leaning back against the door to the dish washing machine, the only sound being the quiet ticking of the analog clock on the wall.  She sat with a mostly-depleted half-gallon bottle of rum in her right hand and the photo of her, Leo and Krystal in her left.  The last few days had not improved much in the way of her mood or emotions... she still had nightmares about Leo that frequently interrupted her sleep, and what sleep she did get was toss-and-turn.  She ate very little, and she drank heavily.  The pills Amanda had prescribed her didn't seem to be helping either at first, so she doubled her dose on her own on the second day.  She could feel the drugs flowing in her system trying to do something, but she didn't feel any better or happier about being alive.  Of the three bottles of rum she bought, she was just about finished on the second half-gallon container.  
\tShe definitely felt very inebriated, wobbling and unable to sit still, her vision blurry and unsteady even as she looked at the picture constantly.  Her eyes and sinuses hurt from the constant crying and sobbing from her seemingly incurable depression.  She couldn't figure out what else to do... she felt she was at her wits end... she hated not being with her bunny... trying to concentrate on anything else was impossible, and she couldn't think clearly...

\t...what was the point in it all...?

\tShe gently put the photo down on the top of her thighs to look at it hands-free, her right hand slowly putting the bottle of rum on the floor... then reaching for her blaster pistol she left sitting there.  She picked it up and took several seconds to look it over as she slid the charge magazine into the grip with a secure click, her shaky thumb moving to the safety latch and moving it from S to F, the tiny safety indicator light next to it changing from green to red, indicating it was ready to fire.  
\tMiyu then lifted the pistol slowly to the right side of her head and pointed the barrel at the temple of her forehead, her eyes closing as she began to quietly sob and cry uncontrollably.  “I'm sorry love... this is too unbearable not being with you... please... forgive me...” she thought to herself as she clenched her eyes shut and moved her index finger to gently rest over the trigger... and slowly began to apply pressure...
\tHer heart raced frantically as she kept slowly applying more and more tiny amounts of pressure to the trigger of her pistol, her mind racing with images of her and Leo together since they met... that first night at Chalmer's... the interview she held for him a few days later... the construction site where they first kissed... their first night together in bed... many more happy and blissful moments they shared together flashing in her mind as the trigger was halfway pressed... and then suddenly, her mind flashed on some more memories... the first was of Sid from about a week ago...
\t“... just think... POSITIVELY... and look forward to the future... and being together THEN... because all good things come to those who wait...”
\tHer movements seemed to freeze as she suddenly found herself thinking of specific memories in vivid detail, the words echoing loudly and thunderously in her mind... then she had a vision of Slippy from the other day...
\t“...PLEASE... do NOT be alone and DON'T dwell on negativity.  Be with somebody and above all... FIND SOMETHING TO DO... and KEEP YOURSELF OCCUPIED AND BUSY.  It'll make the time go by and make you feel happier.”
\tHer eyes then began to slowly open as she looked out across the dark kitchen, the full moon filling it with the lunar light as she remained frozen in place... and then she remembered what Leo said when they were in the hospital after the Papetoon mission... when she suggested cutting back on her fitness and eating and becoming a 'more normal girl,' his words from that time hitting her like a freight train right then...
\t“Who's going to protect ME then?? I don't want you to get smaller, fatter, weaker, or ANYTHING like that...  It's NOT who you are!  I want you to promise me... that if you ever change at all... you only get BIGGER AND STRONGER!”
\tMiyu could then feel her heart begin to beat very fast in her chest as she sat still, her index finger still holding the trigger of her loaded blaster pistol at just over half pressure, her eyes wide open as her maw began to open slowly and take in a breath of air, those powerful words repeating loudly and painfully in her mind over and over, most especially the two words emphasized by Leo on that night...

\t... JUST THINK... POSITIVELY...

\t
...KEEP YOURSELF OCCUPIED AND BUSY...


BIGGER! STRONGER!


\tSuddenly Miyu's eyes began to glow a brilliantly bright blue, a light so intense it lit up the entire kitchen, her inhale getting deeper and deeper as she felt every muscle in her body getting tense and hot, her blood pumping quickly throughout her body as her heart raced.  A few more seconds before she couldn't take in any more air, an intense burning sensation filling her lungs as she slowly began to exhale, her body expelling not only the carbon dioxide her lungs had created like normal, but she could also sense all the alcohol she had in her system that her liver had not metabolized filling the air in front of her.  After several seconds of that long breath, her body began to cool back to normal, her heart slowing down... she sensed she was not wobbly and disoriented anymore... her head and eyes weren't hurting anymore, and the intense glow of light from her eyes slowly diminished, even though she didn't really notice the light itself... she found she was incredibly still and in control, and far from the extremely drunk state she was in moments ago... she felt totally sober... and she still felt her pistol in her hand pointed at her head... her next action shifting her fingers...
\t...to pressing the eject button on the grip of the pistol to release the charge mag, effectively disarming the weapon, the charge mag hitting the floor with a clatter, the soft electrical whine from the pistol winding down to a silence.  She then slowly lowered her pistol and set it into her lap.  She then stared out across the kitchen for several seconds before smiling and shaking her head with a sigh.  “Girl, what in the world are you doing?” she thought to herself.  “This isn't the right thing to do... not by a long shot... I now know what I have to do...”
\tShe then slowly stood up without difficulty and placed the bottle of rum gently on the kitchen counter next to the sink and picked up her charge magazine for her pistol and the framed photo and then quietly walked upstairs to the master bedroom.  Krystal was in bed sound asleep and had been for hours.  Miyu stopped and looked over at the lovely blue vixen and smiled, her nubtail wagging softly. “I can't let her down either... I can't let ANYBODY down...”  She softly and quietly sighed with a smile, feeling immensely better than she did just a few moments ago when she was on the verge of committing suicide.  
\tShe quietly placed her pistol and charge mag in the drawer of the bed table and the framed photo on top of it and walked into the bathroom and shut the door.  She turned the lights on to a dim level as she rubbed her eyes dry of the tears while walking towards the sink, turning the water on to wash her face softly.  After she reached for a towel to dry off her face as much as possible, she looked down onto the sink for a few moments before looking up slowly into the mirror... and she smiled as she found herself looking at not only herself... but a taller, bigger and beefier version of herself that smiled back at her.  This Miyu in the mirror looked like she was at least 6'5” tall, her body that of a herculean god, beyond that of a pro body builder and weight lifter, with what must've been at least a couple hundred pounds if not more of pure muscle thick and dense all over her body.“You DID make a promise to him, remember?” the Miyu in the mirror said softly.
\tMiyu then slowly nodded, still smiling.  “That I did... and I always keep my promises...” she replied quietly, barely above a whisper.
\t“Well then... are you ready to get your hands dirty?” Miyu in the mirror asked, flexing her huge muscles powerfully.
\tMiyu then grinned evilly and nodded, her eyes faintly flashing a blue light for a split second.  “Oooohhhhh yesssss... starting tomorrow...”
\t“Good... get some sleep... you got a lot of it to catch up on,” Miyu in the mirror said.
\tMiyu then nodded and shut off the light in the bathroom and walked into the bedroom quietly and very softly crawled into bed behind Krystal, spooning in behind her vixy lover.  Krystal chirred quietly at the sensation, her long and gorgeous blue tail moving to drape over Miyu's hip adorably as she continued to sleep.  Miyu smiled at the reaction, sighing softly once more as she closed her eyes, and this time being able to fall asleep within seconds for the first time in many days.", "pools_count": 0, "title": "Star Fox: Miyu's Love - Chapter 43 - A Year on Venom: Depression Is A Cruel Mistress", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "application/msword", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "2", "rating_name": "Adult", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "3", "name": "Violence", "description": "Mild violence", "rating_id": "1" }, { "content_tag_id": "5", "name": "Strong Violence", "description": "Strong violence, blood, serious injury or death", "rating_id": "2" } ], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "t", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "0", "views": "21" }