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Amanda looked up at the towering structures as the little craft skimmed across the surface. Office and apartment buildings with vertical gardens, hydroponic greenhouses, and even factories had been constructed on vast floating platforms, anchored to the Aquas ocean floor. Her confidence grew as she got a feel for the vessel’s control, and she increased speed, casually weaving in and out of other traffic on the canals of the city on water.
“You’re piloting it really well,” said a voice behind her. She looked over her shoulder at Slippy Toad, his short but stout frame squashed into the jump seat behind her.
“I completed flight training in the Academy, you know,” she scolded.
“I can’t believe you’re studying medicine and archeology.” Slippy had a dreamy look in his eyes and a goofy smile on his face. “You’re so smart!”
Amanda chuckled and tried not to shake her head. He—a brilliant engineer, resident inventor of the legendary Star Fox’s outfit, and son of none other than Beltino Toad, arguably the brightest mind in all of Lylat—called her smart. He was cute too, with his plump skin, clear eyes, petite nostrils, muscly legs, and that irresistible smile. And yet he looked up to her, and not only because he was half-a-head shorter.
It was true that she studied medicine. After the invasion last year, she had seen the horrible aftermath of the Aparoid infection. With Oikonny’s remnant Venom forces defeated, and the cybernetic bugs expunged, Lylat was finally at peace. Helping people heal and recover seemed more important than flying a fighter, so she had gone straight from the Academy to university. Whether she’d become a surgeon or researcher, she hadn’t decided yet, but she could do either or both; she was confident of it.
They had met by chance. The Toads had visited Aquas for the inauguration of a new research facility at Aquas Public University, where Amanda’s class had been present. Beltino had slipped and taken a nasty fall off the stage, and Amanda had quickly volunteered to patch him up, for which both father and son were very grateful. Sparks had flown, and she had been going steady with Slippy ever since.
“Let’s go to the Aquamarine Islands,” Slippy blurted out.
“It’s quite the distance.”
“It’ll only take an hour at top speed,” he said with a grin.
She frowned and took a gander at him over her shoulder, wondering whether he just wanted to take his new toy for a spin, or whether he had something else planned. Today was a special day after all, which he seemed to have forgotten about, since he hadn’t mentioned it at all.
They passed through an opening in a line of large buoys, hooked up to generators on the seafloor to provide wave power while acting as a breakwater. Slippy giggled as she pushed the throttle all the way forward, leaving the floating city in their wake. The speedometer quickly shot past Mach 0.5, slowed down around 0.7, and finally settled on 0.8. She marvelled at how fast the waves literally flew past beneath them, and how the ship’s narrow wings dipped into the ocean, rainbows forming in the sprays of water around them.
“The hydrofoils increase efficiency by over 60% compared to a traditional hovercraft, and…”
She tuned out a little as Slippy kept chatting about the technology, and how the vessel was an experimental craft designed by Space Dynamics for the Aquas Navy, in case an enemy like Bacoon should rise; the clam monster who once had used weaponised marine creatures to melt the polar ice caps, flooding the entire planet except for a few small islands.
“I just don’t have a good name for it yet.” Slippy frowned. “I was thinking Seamaster like the Landmaster I designed, but it looks nothing like it.”
“It looks like a Tadpole,” Amanda deadpanned.
They bantered about that for a while and made small talk while Slippy showed her other features, like how the craft was able to fly properly with the G-Diffusers engaged. Soon, they approached a chain of small islands, cumulus clouds building up behind them as they always did in the afternoon. But barring them from the land was a seemingly impenetrable break of waves.
“It’s not safe to go through.” Slippy’s mouth was curled into a smug grin. “Do you want to go around, over or under?”
She thought for a moment, but there was really no question. “Let’s go under!”
“Let me reverse the G-Diffuser’s polarity.” Slippy reached over her shoulder and twisted a dial.
The safety harness pushed against her body during the vessel’s rapid deceleration, but the G-Diffusers absorbed the shock as the hull plunged into the ocean. Beneath the surface, she could see that the reef was a low mountain range rising from the plains around it. A narrow canyon formed a way through, and she effortlessly piloted the ship through it while watching the waves crashing above; the craft was even more manoeuvrable under water than above, thanks to its large tail fin.
The narrow passage led them to what once had been a broad and lush valley, where the submerged remains of a city lined a channel that must have been a river, sprawling across both sides of the valley. Amanda couldn’t get enough of the view as the craft glided through the calm of the depths. Medicine was a career, but studying archeology was for fun, a chance to dive amongst the ancient ruins. But the city was not dead; endless schools of fish swam in and out of the buildings, corals clung onto walls and roofs, and kelp forests swayed lazily in the currents.
Following the opposite mountain side, they soon spotted floating structures protruding out into the water. The craft resurfaced and a pelican helped them moor at one of several timber jetties built on pontoons. There were all sorts of vessels: hovercraft, sailboats with tall masts, speedboats, luxury yachts, and a sightseeing catamaran with completely transparent hulls.
Soon, they walked along a path under palm trees that swayed in the warm and humid wind, a foretelling of approaching storms. Buildings were scattered along the coastline, built from stone and wood, and with thatched roofs to blend into the landscape. People milled about at a slow pace, smiling faces and relaxed voices making smalltalk, enjoying a slice of holiday paradise.
Amanda and Slippy stopped on a bridge over a pond, looking down at the still surface and the reflections of two happy amphibians: one short with green skin and a red cap, the other tall with pink skin and a large yellow bow on her head.
After another short walk, they reached a larger construction, a restaurant by the seashore built on poles above the water.
“Good afternoon,” said a casually dressed penguin with a chain of flowers draped around his neck. He was already wearing his native suit of oily feathers after all. “Do you have a reservation?”
The maître d’s small smile turned into a face of astonishment as Slippy introduced himself, and he fussed over the celebrity toad and his girlfriend as he led them to a table overlooking the lagoon. Within moments, they found themselves sipping a chilled and fruity mocktail each, complete with little colourful umbrellas. A sea otter dressed in a floral top and a grass skirt appeared at their table, a cloth hung over one of her arms and menus in the other.
“May I interest you in the wine list?”
Amanda frowned. “Honestly, imported wine is ridiculously overpriced.”
“You can’t say that,” Slippy wheezed under his breath, but then looked rather pensive. “Though on second thought, it is much cheaper on Corneria.”
It didn’t help that grape vines didn’t grow in Aquas climate, so all wine was imported. She eyed the menu instead. “I’d rather spend money on a good meal.”
“No stress, I don’t blame you. We have some good fresh seafood.” The waiter beamed. “I mean, we’re on Aquas after all; it’s always fresh.”
Slippy removed his cap and scratched his head. “So much choice…”
“We’ve just had a recent shipment of staples though, things you can’t get locally.” The waiter lowered her voice and leaned forwards. “The lobster tails pan seared in Cornerian butter is exquisite, and the chocolate mousse with Fortunan cocoa is to die for.”
“That settles it.” Slippy closed his menu with a clap and licked his lips.
Entrees arrived promptly, and they made smalltalk while munching sashimi and seaweed salad. The mains and desserts were every bit as delicious as the waiter had promised. With bellies filled, they could hardly move, and they sat in a comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying the views. The mountain peaks formed a chain of small islands surrounded by water as turquoise as their name: Aquamarine Islands.
After giving them ample time, the waiter returned with the bill, which Slippy insisted on paying. Amanda wanted things to be equal and fair, but she accepted his argument that he had invited her. Friendly faces waved at them as they left the restaurant.
“That was a rather generous tip you left,” said Amanda as they strolled onto the sand of a nearby beach.
“Mr Phoenix is paying me well.” Slippy waved a hand dismissively. “Better than Fox ever could.”
“Could?” Amanda picked up on his use of past tense. “Have you quit?”
“More like… extended leave of absence.” He shrugged. “I thought an office job might be better for settling down.”
“Settling down?” Amanda cast him a quizzical look. “You mean with someone?”
“I… umm… yeah.” He blushed and removed his cap and scratched his neck nervously. “A family, like an actual family, would be nice.”
“And a real tadpole perhaps?”
“Or a bunch,” Slippy blurted out before stopping himself. “I mean… with the right person, and at the right time… one step at a time and all that.”
Amanda stopped and crossed her arms. “What are you getting at, Slippy?”
He said nothing, just staring out over the sea with a bewildered look in his eyes. The sun broke through, hanging between the clouds and the horizon, and bathing the beach in its warm light. It made his moist skin glisten, lush and green like grass thriving in a meadow. He didn’t notice, but Amanda smiled; he looked so cute when he was flustered. A warm feeling spread throughout her chest, and she wanted so badly to take care of and protect her precious little toad.
Suddenly, he stuck his hands in his pockets and rummaged about for a while, until he produced a little box. Which immediately slipped out of his hands. Fumbling to catch it, it bounced between his hands, only to fall on the ground. Spinning around to see where it landed, he must have stepped on it, because it was nowhere to be seen. It was hidden in the sand… somewhere.
“This…” He looked distraught, his mouth hanging open. “This was not meant to happen.”
“First things first,” said Amanda in a stern voice. Slippy looked terrified. “Yes.”
“What?” Slippy’s face was replaced with one of confusion. “You mean…”
“Yes, I will marry you.”
He cracked up in a smile so wide it threatened to split his head in half. He didn’t stop grinning even when she took his cheeks in her hands and planted a kiss on his lips. He might be a goofball at times, but he was her goofball. A very trustworthy and dependable toad with a brilliant mind. Her darling Slippy.
“Now—“ She scanned the ground “—let’s find that ring.”
They dropped down on their knees and dug their hands into the warm sand. At first, it was all fun and games. They giggled when they bumped into each other, sometimes accidentally, sometimes on purpose. But frustration grew as their fruitless search continued. Slippy squealed with excitement, only to pull out a seashell; a pretty one, but still not what they were looking for.
Finally, Amanda’s fingers closed around something hard and square. She held up the little white box and gently brushed off the sand. Slippy took her other hand; her pink one in his green. Visibly sweating and with a concentrated face, as if he was about to dismantle a B-bomb, he opened the box, removed the ring from within it, and placed it on her ring finger. She admired it. It was simple, a smooth gold ring with two gems set side by side: a pink sapphire and a green emerald. They looked like the eyes of a toad to Amanda, or perhaps two toad heads kissing.
“Aww, Slippy, it’s beautiful.”
There was a flash of lightning, soon followed by rumbling thunder. Raindrops started falling, slowly at first, but soon the heavens opened up in a veritable downpour. Amanda looked up and held out her hands.
“Isn’t it wonderful?!” She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warm drops falling on her head, her amphibian skin soaking up the moisture.
She looked at Slippy, who had his nose in the air, enjoying the precipitation at least as much as she did. Heavy raindrops splashed off his sparkling skin. Still on their knees, she embraced him. Their lips touched, gently at first, but then they couldn’t hold back and kissed passionately, unable to get enough of each other. Eventually, they had to come up for air, and their lips parted with the sound of a plunger after a job well done.
“Thank you my darling Slippy—” She held him tight “—for a perfect Valentine’s Day.”