I DO NOT OWN THE ANIMORPHS!!!!!! PLEASE DONT SUE ME!!!
Chapter one: Out of Control
The battle raged around them, dracon-beams shot at shadowed creatures using the dark for cover. A gorilla, a tiger, a hawk, a grizzly, a lioness, and a blue creature that looked like a cross between a human, a scorpion, and a dear fought against twenty humans and ten lizard like aliens that had blades coming out of their fore-arms.
Rachel look out behind you! the tiger yelled.
The grizzly dodged an attack from one of the Hork-Bajir and back handed (or pawed which ever you prefer) him in the jaw, causing him to crash into three humans.
Damn Controllers! Rachel growled.
Jake, we should get out of here! the hawk cried. I can see reinforcements coming!
Alright, Tobias. the tiger said. Animorphs, retreat!
Awww and it was just getting fun. the gorilla complained.
Shut it Marco. Jake snapped.
Marco rolled his eyes and knocked out a human that tried to shoot him with a Dracon-beam. Rachel knocked a Hork-Bajir away from her and into three of its companions. Then she turned around, searching for her best friend.
Cassie! she called. Cass where'd you go?!
Rachel didn't receive an answer instead she had to throw herself to the floor in order to avoid getting hit by a Dracon-beam. The blue alien slashed at the Hork-Bajir with his bladed tail, hitting him on the side of the head and into another human Controller.
Thanks Ax. Rachel said.
Do not mention it Rachel. Ax replied.
Lumbering to her feet Rachel, ran into five humans sending them flying into the bushes behind them. Suddenly there was a loud, vicious roar that caused Rachel to turn to her left. The lioness had been cornered by a Hork-Bajir that held a Dracon-beam in her face.
Cassie! Rachel yelled running to her friend.
Cassie didn't answer instead she leapt at the Hork-Bajir, knocking the Dracon-beam from his hand and she clamped onto his neck bringing a gurgled cry from his mouth. Rachel practically stopped in her tracks; she could see the blood from the alien's wound running down his neck and chest. She could see it flowing into Cassie's mouth, and she was sickened by it. Cassie never killed an enemy intentionally; she usually knocked 'em out or broke some of their limbs. But this time Cassie had taken a life.
Cassie! Rachel! Its time to go! NOW!! Jake ordered.
Cassie let go of the Hork-Bajir's throat and bounded off into the forest after Jake and the others. Rachel followed close behind and when they reached a clearing a few miles away from the Controllers, Rachel, Marco, and Jake began de-morphing. Cassie pricked her ears. Then before anyone could say anything she ran into the forest again.
Quickly Rachel finished de-morphing and ran after her friend. When she found Cassie, Rachel stopped in her tracks and nearly lost her lunch. Cassie was pinning a deer's corpse to the ground, its eyes were wide and glazed with terror, its throat had been ripped out. Cassie was trying to pull the meat from the dead animal's side. Jake and the other stopped behind Rachel, Marco gagged, and Jake gasped.
"C-Cassie?" Jake said hesitantly.
Cassie looked at them and a chill ran up Rachel's spine; Cassie's eyes were cold and heartless, like that of a predator's. Rachel took a hesitant step towards Cassie; her eyes were scared and worried.
"Rachel!" Marco hissed. "Get back here you idiot!"
Rachel ignored him instead she took another step towards her friend. Cassie stared at her with unwavering eyes.
"Cassie," Rachel whispered. "Cass it's me, Rachel."
There was no reply; Rachel took another step to Cassie. Rachel now stood two feet from her best friend and the poor deer she had killed.
I believe, she has lost control of her morph. Ax said.
"Yeah, I think we figured that out Ax." Marco said sarcastically.
Shhh! Tobias hissed. Look at them.
Rachel had taken a few more steps towards Cassie, and now she was kneeling on the other side of the deer's body. She reached over the corpse and gently touched Cassie's nose. Cassie gave a small flinch but other then that, there was no reaction to the simple touch.
"Cassie, you need to demorph." Rachel whispered to her. "Please Cass."
Suddenly Cassie sprung and trapped Rachel beneath her furred body. Cassie growled deep in her throat and bared her teeth; the stench of blood and flesh hit Rachel full in the face and she had to force herself not to gag. Tobias tensed and Ax raised his tail blade. Rachel saw this and she looked at them wide eyed.
"Don't!" she yelled. "Don't you dare try to attack her!"
If she proves to be aggressive then we shall have no choice but to apprehend her. Ax said calmly.
Rachel turned back to her friend, and stared into her eyes.
"Cassie, you need to snap out of it." Rachel said forcefully. "If you don't de-morph now, you'll be nothlit! Cassie please!"
Rachel could have sworn her friend flinched when she yelled. Slowly realization crept into Cassie's eyes and she practically jumped away from Rachel. Looking around she saw the dead deer and Cassie's stomach lurched.
Oh, my god... she whispered.
Quickly Cassie began to de-morph. She had to be quick, because she only had fifty seconds left before she became nothlit. When Cassie was human again she staggered to her feet and backed away from Rachel, the others, and the dead deer. Her eyes were watering and tears were streaming down her cheeks.
"Cassie..." Rachel said.
Cassie just shook her head and took off into the forest behind her.
"Cassie!" Rachel and Jake yelled.
All of them took off after her, Rachel in the lead.
Cassie ran through the forest, tears ran down her cheeks and clouded her eyes. Bushes and branches tore at Cassie's morphing suit and at her arms and legs too.
She had killed an innocent deer and had endangered her best friend's life. She killed a Hork-Bajir and she could still taste the blood of both of her victims. She could taste the flesh of the deer that she had eaten, and it sickened her.
'I can't believe I did that,' she thought furiously. 'I just can't believe it.'
She continued tearing through the forest, her heart pumping and her lungs burning. Finally Cassie reached a clearing and her legs collapsed beneath her, and sent her sprawling to the ground. Cassie didn't bother trying to get up, she was exhausted and her tears were flowing freely now. As Cassie cried Rachel and the others entered the clearing. When Rachel saw Cassie sprawled on the ground she ran to her friend's side and knelt down next to her.
"Cassie," Rachel said. "Cass look at me."
Cassie sat up and looked at Rachel with sad eyes. Rachel wiped Cassie's tears away, and pulled her into a tight hug.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again." Rachel ordered, her voice betrayed the fact that she was crying. "I thought you'd be trapped in morph."
Cassie said nothing, instead she cried silently into Rachel's shoulder. The two sat like that for a few minutes before they heard a rustling behind them. Rachel looked up and saw Ax sting at her with sympathetic eyes.
If you would like, I could carry Cassie and yourself back to her home. he said in a one sided conversation. I know that you and Cassie are tired, and I would like to be of assistance.
Rachel smiled at the young Andalite, and nodded. Turning back to Cassie Rachel eased her up off her shoulder and helped her to her feet.
"Ax is gonna take us to your place, kay?" Rachel said quietly.
It wasn't like her to act this....motherly. But she had almost lost her best friend and she was going to be as nice as possible to her.
'After all,' Rachel thought grimly. 'Cassie needs someone to listen to her instead of her listening to someone else.'
Cassie gave her friend small nod and she turned to Ax. He was kneeling in front of them waiting for them to get on his back. Cassie sat just behind Ax's back, and Rachel sat behind her. Rachel looked at Marco and Jake, both boys gave them a strained smile and began morphing their birds of prey morph.
We'll see you guys later. Jake said in thought-speak. Rach, take care of Cassie I think she might be more shaken up then we think.
Rachel gave a slight nod and smiled reassuringly at Jake.
Well ladies all though it kills me to leave you two behind I must bid you adieu. Marco said, making a bowing motion with his wings and inclining his head.
Cassie gave a small laugh and waved to Marco and Jake. Nodding both of them flew into the air and took off towards their respectful homes. Tobias stayed on the branch he was perched in, he was staring at Cassie. She looked exhausted, and even more she looked different.
'Like she lost something.' he thought.
'Like her humanity?' a small voice asked him.
Tobias shook his head turned to Rachel; she had been staring at him. She looked worried. If Tobias could smile, he would have right then and there.
I'm going to my clearing, Tobias told her. Watch over Cassie.
Before Rachel could say anything Tobias took off heading towards his tree in the meadow near Cassie's house. Sighing Rachel noticed that Cassie had leaned back against her. The girl's eyes were almost all the way closed and her breathing had slowed. Rachel wrapped a protective arm around her best friend's waist and kept her from falling to the ground. Cassie looked back at Rachel and gave her a weak smile.
"Sorry," Cassie whispered.
"Hehe it's ok," Rachel said. "Rest, I'll wake you up when we get to your house."
Cassie nodded and closed her eyes, her head resting on Rachel's shoulder. Ax started off to a slow trot, Rachel kept her free hand on Ax's flank so she and Cassie wouldn't go crashing to the ground.
On their way to Cassie's house Rachel thought about the mission. It was supposed to have been a simple recon, but the Hork-Bajir had sensed them and it had turned into a battle of survival. Rachel sighed and tightened her grip on Cassie when she felt her weight shift slightly.
It was only ten or fifteen more minutes until Ax and the girls reached Cassie's house. Ax stopped outside of the fence that served as a boundary between the yard and the forest. Carefully Ax kneeled on the ground so the two could get off. Rachel shook Cassie's shoulder causing the girl to jump a little.
"We're here." Rachel told her.
Cassie nodded and got off of Ax's back, when she was standing she smiled at Ax.
"Thanks, Ax." She said.
It is not a problem Cassie, Ax replied giving her one of his strange eye smiles.
Cassie climbed over the fence and headed towards her house. Rachel stayed behind and watched her friends retreating form.
"Something's wrong with her, Ax" Rachel said.
I'm sure it is nothing to worry about, Ax said.
"Ax she lost control of her morph," Rachel said looking at him seriously. "She never loses control of her morphs."
Ax looked at the floor, then he looked straight into Rachel's eyes.
All I can say is for you to keep an eye on her, Ax said. I do not fully understand what is wrong with her but the best thing for us to do is make sure it doesn't happen again.
Rachel nodded and jumped over Cassie's fence, and ran after her friend. Cassie had already gone inside and when Rachel reached the house she saw that her friend had left the door partially open for her. When Rachel entered Cassie's house she headed for her best friend's bedroom.
Cassie's door was open and Rachel saw the girl standing in front of her window with tears running down her face. Rachel came up behind Cassie and grabbed the girl's shoulder giving it an affectionate squeeze. Cassie looked at the window seal, her hand was gripped into a tight fist making her knuckles look pale.
"Cass," Rachel whispered.
"Rachel, I'm sorry," Cassie whispered. "I-I didn't mean to-"
"Hey come on now," Rachel said turning Cassie towards her. "Nothing happened so there's nothing to apologize about."
Cassie looked into Rachel's eyes and Rachel felt her heart lurch, Cassie's eyes were filled with sadness. Rachel pulled Cassie over to her bed and sat down next her on the bed's edge. Cassie was looking at the floor sadly.
"Cass," Rachel said. "Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."
Cassie didn't say anything, she just shook her head. How was she supposed to tell Rachel what was wrong when she didn't even know herself?
Omg a story!!! *gasp* Ok ok i know i have two other running stories that I SHOULD be updating but my muse has been really picky on the ideas i get for them. Yes i know its excuse after excuse with me but whethere u believe it or not I am working on it. I dont even know when I'll update this one. So bare with me pretty please. R&R if u can.
And before anyone goes crazy yes I know the chars are kinda not them selves but this is my first Animorphs fan fic and I've only read a few books. So plz don't get on me for that. I will try to make the chars more like the ones in the books as later chapters get going. Ty for understanding =]