The Hardest Thing
By: Paige Collins
Authors Note: I think it was Loki (or someone else I just don't know) that say to start spewing out fics, so here goes!
I glanced to my left. Rachel was there, strong and beautiful, in her grizzly morph. And, I, a red-tailed hawk, which is really nothing out of the ordinary, since I am a nothlit.
Tobias! Help! Rachel called. She snapped me out of my thoughts.
Rachel! I cried, as I watched her battle a Hork-Bajir. I screamed and swooped down on one, the one trying to kill Rachel and raked it's eyes out.
" Arrgggh!" It cried, clutching it's eyes and stumbling around. It knocked into another Hork-Bajir and it's wrist blade stuck through it's throat.
Thanks. Rachel said. Well, that all of them.
Don't mention it. I said. Rachel demorphed, and stood there.
Rachel! BEHIND YOU! I heard Cassie call from where she was hidden, up in the rocky hole in the ceiling of the Yeerk pool in osprey morph, since we'd dug a hole and flying out was the only way out.
" Huh?" Rachel said and whirled around. The last remaining Hork-Bajir warrior the Yeerks had sent was running right at Rachel.
She didn't have time to move.
It rammed her, and stuck her with it's wrist blades as it knocked into her.
Rachel fell to the floor and began to get up, only she was injured badly.
" Tobias…" She said as her voice drifted.
Rachel! No! I called as I swooped down, landing beside her.
Rachel, speak to me!
She didn't answer.
Rachel, please wake up!
She didn't wake up.
RACHEL! NOOOO! I screamed. No, Rachel, Don't do this. No! I demorphed and managed to get Rachel and me into an empty room. Then outside, I heard more warriors and humans coming.
I sat there for a while, just looking at her dead body, not knowing what to do.
Just sitting and watching.
Tobias, is Rachel… Jake said as he entered the room.
Yes. I said, now back in my own form.
NOOOOOOOOOOO! Cassie screeched. No! No! No!
Rachel is dead? Jake said, amazed.
Marco came in.
Marco walked out.
Marco… Cassie said, demorphing. But it sounded like " Maaaaarrtttoooopp!" Since his mouth was forming at the time.
Marco came in and began to demorph. We all did.
" Hey, has anyone seen Ax?" Marco said as we demorphed. " Or Rachel." No one had told Marco.
" Marco, Rachel…" Cassie began and looked at the floor. " Rachel is dead, Marco."
Marco gasped.
" No. No." he said, shaking his head. He backed out of the doorway.
He bumped into Ax, who was coming in.
" Ahhhhhh!" Marco cried and slumped against the wall. " Don't do that."
I am sorry…Rachel! he said and galloped to her dead body. She's dead.
" No duh." Marco snapped.
We all just sighed and carried Rachel's dead body back to the barn.
" So, what do we do with her." Marco said as we came into the barn.
Everyone froze.
" Oh, my Gosh! We forgot about that." Cassie said, her eyes wide and slapped her forehead.
" We can't take her home. It would be like 'Oh, hello. Here's your dead daughter. Hope you don't mind.'" Marco said.
" Maybe we could keep her here." Jake suggested.
" Yeah, but what happens after her mom finds out her daughter isn't coming home?" Marco looked at Jake.
And were do we keep her? I asked.
" Okay, okay! It was just a suggestion!" Jake cried. " Gosh."
" Yeah, well…" Marco paused. " What if our parents ask about Rachel?"
" What do you mean?" Cassie snapped.
" I mean, if Rachel's mom calls one of us, mainly Cassie and asks where her daughter is, what do we tell her?"
" Nothing. We tell her nothing." Jake said.
" But…never mind. It was stupid." Marco said.
No, what? I asked.
" What if we bury her here?" Marco said.
Bury her? Ax said, who had been silent.
" Yeah, we dig a whole and bury her."
" Are you out of your mind?!" Jake cried.
" Kinda." Marco answered. " I mean, come on! What could it hurt?"
" Yeah…I like that idea." Cassie said. " We could have our own little funeral for Rachel."
" When?" Jake asked Marco.
" Tonight."
" We have gathered here today to mourn the loss of Rachel, a dear friend and fellow Animorph." Jake said. " A good friend of all."
Cassie began to cry.
" Cassie, would you like to say a few words?"
Cassie nodded and stepped forward.
" Rachel was always a good friend. Though sometimes we fought, we came back together. Even though Rachel always had a tendency to act brave, deep down inside, she wasn't acting."
Ax stepped forward.
I would like to say something. He said. Rachel was a good friend. She will be missed.
That's all?
I thought." Tobias, would you?" I sighed in my head and fluttered down from the tree I was resting in.
Rachel was a good friend, to all of us. I paused. Even though you and I both know Rachel isn't here tonight to hear this, I know she hears it somewhere.
And were ever you are Rachel, I still love you, no matter what. If I hawks could cry, I would be crying.
She was special to all of us, Jake, Cassie, Ax, me and even Marco. We all miss her and I'll bet she misses us just as much. I decided to stop there, Cassie was already a waterfall.
" Any one else?" Marco came forward. " Rachel may have picked on me, made fun of me, and made me so mad at times, I never got to say anything to her about it, before she died. But Rachel, whether it be Heaven or…uh, you're forgiven."
Cassie sniffed.
" If anyone else…" Jake came forward. " She was my cousin. She was beautiful and now the world misses her beauty.
Cassie stopped crying as they covered the coffin thing (really a large wooden box that looked a heck of a lot like a coffin) with dirt.
Marco and Jake began to hum.
" Duh, duh, duh. Duh, duh, duh, duh. Duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duhhh!" Cassie joined in.
When Ax stopped, I said A warrior is now at rest. and Cassie began cry and hum at the same time.
I flew up to the tree and just watched.
My little Rachel had been buried. And I was so sad of the loss of my Rachel.
We began to leave, one at a time, starting with me.
I didn't go to my territory, I wanted to talk with Cassie for a minute.
After everyone was gone, Cassie walked into her barn.
Cassie? I said.
" Hmmm?" She answered.
Was that area…was that area in use?
Cassie looked up from her work. " What do you mean?"
I mean, was that used by your dad, the cows…anything that could disturb…her grave I said.
" Um…I don't think so. It's a little way from were my dad is working, he's wanting to plant a large garden, but he shouldn't do anything."
Ah, okay. I said as I flew out into the night sky.
A list of things ran through my head.
Her dad could find Rachel buried.
Anything could find Rachel buried.
I just put worries out of my head and flew on.
Cassie came running faster and faster.
Cassie, wha…? I asked.
" My dad was making a gar…gar…" She paused and caught her breath. " A garden…and hit Rachel's coffin with his shovel. Tonight, after working and everything, he's going to see what it is."
I said a curse word.
We can't stay here!
" And why not?"
Cause, you guys are all suspects to the Rachel Killing.
" Oh, when you put it that way…" She glanced at me. " Were do we go?"
We could get on a train? I suggested.
" Yeah, but hawks and Andalite aren't allowed on trains." She said with a flicker of a smile.
No, me and Ax could get stuck in morph.
" No! No! No! That isn't good…" She looked behind her. " Are you hinting that we run away from it all."
You psychic, you.
She smiled. " My parents are at some conference thing."
You could pack all your clothes, all of them and meet me at the train station. I said. Also all your money! I called as she dashed away.
As soon as Cassie was out of sight, I flew to see Ax.
Ax! Ax! I called.
Yes, Tobias?
Um…would you mind morphing a bird and flying to…Prince Jake's house for a second?
He smiled with his eyes, the way Andalites do since they haven't got a mouth.
What should I tell him?
Tell him to pack everything that is his and meet us at the train station.
I'll tell him that.
I flew as Ax morphed to tell Marco what we were about to do.
Chapter Two
" Okay, let me get this straight: I have to pack all my clothes, personal belongings and money that belongs to me and go to the train station because we must leave town cause Rachel's body was discovered? Man, I smell a mission." Marco said as he packed the remains of his stuff. He zipped it up.
" Ready!" He said and marched down stairs. Since it was Saturday, and Marco's parents were out, he was free to go.
He came outside and walked.
" Hey Tobias, can I tell you something?" Marco asked.
Sure.
" Did you have a dream of Rachel last night? Cause I did. I dreamed she was back."
Yeah, kinda, only her name Prunella and she was a thirty year old black woman that lived in Mississippi.
" How can that relate to Rachel?" Marco said.
Her family was going through the same thing. Marco thought about that one for a while.
We were in silence for a while, and I landed and morphed to human.
" Hey look! Cassie and Jake and Mr. Ax-man!" Marco cried suddenly, scaring me.
We ran to them.
" Hi guys." Jake said calmly. " Uh…we already got everything together. Let's just wait for the train."
I stood there and thought about all I was leaving behind.
We had been through a lot with Rachel.
We were there every time she needed us and she was there for us too.
She will be missed terribly…believe me, she will be missed.
I heard the train whistle and I thought about what I was doing.
Cassie sighed and got on the train.
Jake came after her, followed by Marco and Ax.
I stood there, looking at them.
" Well, Tobias. Are you coming?" Cassie said.
I looked at her and looked back.
I sighed and got on the train.
To Be Continued…