Author's note: Ok, I am not connected at all with Scholastic. I don't own any of the characters, except for Aaron and Eliza since I created them. If any author wants to use Aaron and/or Eliza, please ask me first. Ok now that we have all that legal stuff out the way, I proudly present my second Animorphs story. Don't read it, unless you have read "Specters of the past", or you won't understand this story. Enjoy. Signed ShannonL.
Chapter 1
It was a fiery, scorching day. The kind that brought new meaning to the old phrase "Hell on Earth". A day that no one should be out and about, except someone was. One was flying beneath a burning sun, set in an azure sky. Heat demons practiced eerie rituals on the canyon rocks, as he ran on, pursued by the harbingers of death.
Aaron flattened himself behind a mound of rocks. Lungs gasping, throat parched, he strained to hear his pursuers.
Screeeeeeeee.
The whine of anti-gravity engines filled the air. The Bug fighters swept by. Sooner or later, hopefully later, they would spot him and it would all be over. Also if the Bug fighters were there, it meant that the Hork-Bajir and the Taxxons weren't far behind.
Aaron sighed, wiping his sweaty face with one hand. He had done it this time. Destroying that container truck must have really ticked them off. Something extremely important must have been in there for them to go after him like this. Before they'd wanted him bad, being Elfangor's grandson and all, but now! Now that he'd blown up a few shuttles and container trucks, they had swarmed after him like a pack of wolves after a rabbit. But he'd didn't regret his actions at all. Anything he did to hurt the Yeerks, the monsters that ravaged his planet and people, was ok by him. Including the consequences of those actions.
Aaron peeked out behind the rocks, vivid green eyes squinting. He couldn't see anything, due to the sun's glare, but he could hear well enough. He heard the skitter-scatter of feet on rocks, and the clanks of weapons on belts.
This is it, he thought, It all ends here. But some part of him, deep inside, refused to accept the inevitable. He wouldn't give up. Eliza would have never wanted that! Oh Eliza, the very thought of his lost companion made him long to see her again, to savor the sweet nectar of her voice. Alas, that could never be. Eliza was dead, shot by her own hand. She had committed suicide to escape a worse fate; torture and then a long, lingering, agonizing death courtesy of Visser Three. Courageous Eliza; for the sake of her memory, he could not give up. He would not give up.
Grimly he set his teeth and prepared to run. The sand stone canyon walls would give him some cover from their fire, and he had youthful speed and stamina on his side, but that was hardly enough. He belatedly wished he still had his dracon beam, but that had run out of energy a mile back.
He flashed out from behind the rocks, narrowly missing a dracon beam aimed at his head Shards of sand stone flew out from the impact of the beam, drawing blood indiscriminately, but Aaron didn't even notice the pain. He was beyond pain. All that mattered was living to see another sunrise.
Dodge and weave, dodge and weave. To Aaron this seemed to go on for hours without end. He was tired. The adrenaline his body was running on was about to give out. He was bruised and cut in at least a dozen different places. But to give up meant death or worse. Aaron preferred life.
He was running along a cliff now, a raging, snaking river roaring below. The path there was stony, slippery. One wrong step could mean a broken ankle, or worse, a plunge into that bellowing, liquid inferno.
Aaron glanced at the frothy whiteness. The river was mountain glacier fed, which meant it was ice cold, the exact opposite of the stifling, brackish air. One could catch hypothermia easily in there, if whoever wasn't beaten to a pulp by the crashing water and the jagged rocks. Also, since it was run off-season, the river was swollen to the brim with excess water. It would take an extraordinary human being to survive a trip down stream, and avoiding taking residence in Davie Jones's locker.
Suddenly a Hork-Bajir cut him off, blocking his escape route. He was trapped.
Aaron backed up to the precipice edge. Better to be taken by the river, than to find out what the Yeerks have in store for him. Strangely he felt no fear, but an absolute calm. Had Eliza felt this when she had faced her end? Aaron would never know. All he knew was this, when the end came he would face it with open eyes, just as Eliza did.
He wondered why the Hork-Bajir hadn't fired yet? What were they waiting for? A written invitation?
The answer came from behind a ridge of stone. The demon lord himself, Visser Three strode daintily towards Aaron, deadly tail arched and ready. Obviously he wanted the pleasure of finishing off Aaron himself.
Aaron felt an overpowering wave of hatred and revulsion. This foul creature exuded a darkness so powerful it was like a putrid stench. This monster had forced Eliza to destroy herself, rather than betray a friend. He would not allow the visser the triumph of killing him would bring. Mentally he prepared himself to take Eliza's drastic solution.
Greetings, Aaron is it not? You've been a busy boy. Destroying our shuttles and container trucks. He sneered, his tone turning to rage when he mentioned the container trucks.
Aaron's face was impassive, cold. His green eyes betrayed no emotion. Let the evil one rant all he liked. Aaron didn't care. It would all be over in a few moments anyway.
You realize what was in that last truck, boy?! He continued, all rage now. Ten thousand Yeerks! Ten thousand Yeerks, all dead by your hand. You will pay for that, human/Andalite scum! And with your death, I'll be one step closer to annihilating your entire family!
Family? Other members of my family still survive he thought. I thought I was alone, but I'm not? Oh man it can't be true; the evil monster's lying. But what if it is? I can't die here. Even if I don't make it, I'll at least die knowing that I've saved ten thousand people from a fate worse than death temporally.
"Visser, I may die here today, but know this. I won't allow you the triumph that I dying at your hand will bring." Aaron calmly said, showing none of his inner turmoil.
And with that he dug his heels into the rocky soil and pushed off. He hurled himself into the void, down into the raging torrent and to almost certain death below.
Chapter 2
The hard fist of water hit Aaron as he crashed into the river, narrowly impaling himself on a point of rock. Cold, like no cold Aaron had ever felt before, strode through his body, leaving it mercifully numb. Aaron fought to stay afloat and breathing, despite the water, rocks and his own smothering fatigue. He wrestled these obstacles as he would physical opponents, never relenting, never giving up, but it was apparent that Aaron wasn't going to win this one.
Aaron felt a surge of despair wash through him. He was growing weaker and weaker, and already the deceptive warmth of death was creeping up to him, grabbing him in its bony hands. He pushed the surge down. Eliza would have never succumbed to these emotions, and so neither would he.
Whhhaaaaaammmmmm!
A wavelet slammed him hard against a jutting rock, crushing his entire side into slick granite. If Aaron survived this bubbling hell, his side would be at least three shades of purple by the next morning.
Suddenly, Aaron plowed under the surface, a vicious riptide yanking him down.
Choking
! Can't breathe! Suffocating!Breaking through the liquid barrier, he floundered in the seething water. Gasping, dragging every agonizing breath through his water logged lungs. Another pinnacle of stone maimed Aaron's already shattered body.
Rock after rock, Aaron's body grew more and more battered, the pain from his injuries more intense. But far worse was that with every passing moment, Aaron began to lose his awareness to the swirling waters around him.
Aaron fought the demons that were sucking him down into the inky pit of unconsciousness. His vision began to tunnel and fade, his lungs were on fire, but still against all odds, he hung on. He forced each breath after breath through aching lungs and wondered how long this torture would last.
An ever-increasing roar snapped him back to reality. Through his bleary eyes, he saw the drop. Ignoring the splintering pain shooting through his body, he tried to grab a protruding rock with insensitive hands.
Miss!
My God. This is it; I can just kiss my screwed up life good-bye. Sorry Eliza.
Aaron floated helplessly away from the rock, tasting bitter failure as he tumbled over the edge. He had no time for thought as he hit bottom. Darkness came and carried him away on peaceful wings of black to an empty reality.
Chapter 3
Aaron awoke with a start, head throbbing so badly, that was if a herd of rampaging caribou had stampeded straight over his head. "Ohhhh" he moaned, hands cradling his head, "where am I? What happened to me? My head's so muddled, I can't tell up from down." The answers floated up as his memories snapped back. The chase, Visser Three, the river, the drop from the waterfall, everything just crashed into Aaron's head, causing Aaron's migraine to take a turn for the worse.
Snap!
Something rustled behind him. Aaron jumped to his feet, only to collapse in a heap on the mud as an intense spasm of pain wracked his body. All he could do was awkwardly twist his head so he could see a bit behind him. He saw nothing but scrub brush and crab grass, but that was irrelevant. If the enemy didn't want to be seen, he wouldn't be seen.
Suddenly a small rabbit hopped out from the burnt grasses. The little pink nose and large brown ears twitched nervously as it surveyed the surroundings, dark liquid eyes on a keen lookout for predators. When the rabbit took a look in Aaron's direction, it did a double take and bolted, darted right into the waist high grass.
Aaron giggled to himself. Imagine being scared of a harmless little bunny rabbit. The absurdity of the encounter soon made Aaron break from giggles to full-fledged laughter. Each laugh caused splinters of pain to electrify his entire being, except Aaron ignored it. It had been way too long since he last laughed, and anyway it felt good. Still he felt an eerie sensation of being watched, of being studied like a lab rat in a maze. Aaron decided not to entertain the premonition, probably paranoia at work, but he didn't entirely dismiss the feeling either. Even though Visser Three most likely thought Aaron gone from this plain of existence forever, it was wise to be alert and careful.
With a grunt, Aaron hobbled to his feet to get a better glimpse of where he was now. The river meandered lazily to one side, framed by mud banks on which he was standing, and all around his field of view were fields of scrub brush and crab grass. In the distance, mountain peaks touched an ever so darkening sky.
Aaron stared at those peaks. That was were he had jumped in the river to escape Visser Three, and now he was in this barren, desolate land of tumbleweed and willowy saplings. How did he get there? Miles away from where he started from? One thing was for certain; he had been knocked out for hours, so wherever he was it were miles away from what remained of civilization.
Another question tugged at his thoughts. How in the world had he survived the fall and managed not to drown floating down stream. Aaron shuddered as he remembered that hundred-meter drop into that boiling cauldron. He pushed the speculations out of his mind. This was not the time to dwell on the subject. Now was the time to figure out what to do, and fast.
A blast of shrieking pain interrupted him from his thoughts. Aaron quickly turned all attention to his current physical state, and was shocked at what he found. Three broken ribs from being driven like a pile driver into that rock, pulled ligaments, lacerations ranging from small scrapes to deep gashes, and every inch of his body was some shade of either black or blue. In short, he was a bloody mess.
Aaron rapidly decided he could not stay out in the open, not like this! Thanks to his injuries, Aaron couldn't run or fight. He was helpless! Helpless! Helpless and alone in this strange land of twilight, with the only sane thing to do in this situation was to hide out until his injuries had more or less healed themselves away.
That could be awhile
Aaron thought, smiling ruefully and wincing as he gently patted his broken ribs.Limping at a snail's pace, and leaving a thin trail of crimson from torn feet, Aaron hid himself in a dense thicket of saplings near the water's edge. At least there, he would have some camouflage from the Yeerks.
Dusk quickly became dark. The air grew cold and the wind wailed a mournful melody. Giant black clouds swiftly blotted out the stars, which had just begun to shine, and the world was engulfed in a perfect night.
Pit, pit, pit, pit, pit, pit, pit, pit.
Raindrops started to fall, slowly at first, then faster and faster. The sky was split open by a serpent's tongue of energy, followed by a cacophony of angry roars. Aaron's green widened at the sound, growing tense as the storm picked up more and more wild fury
BOOM!
Aaron shook inside from fright at those dancing, shining, lethal lines. He desperately longed for Eliza; just to have her beside him would ease the tearing loneliness ripping at his heart. He wondered where she was now; if she was at last happy. He wanted that so much; Eliza deserved to have what this horrid life had refused her. He wished his dear departed friend all the best in whatever lay beyond, and hoped profusely that he was not wishing in vain.
Clooosshh! Calooooshh!
Sloshing sounds drew those vivid green eyes away from the titanic play of forces in the heavens, and back down to earth, to the wild actions of the river. Waves were hammering into the mud flats in their fury, taking away anything and everything lying there with them.
Aaron shivered, partly from the cold, partly from the increasing torturous motions of the water. He was safe for the moment, the thicket was on a small rise next to the river, but with every crashing wave, Aaron's concern grew tenfold. So great was Aaron's focus on the water, that he neglected to notice the two shadowy figures looming up from the darkness behind him until it was too late.
Thwack!
A blunt object connected hard with the side of Aaron's skull. It sent his body and mind again reeling into empty darkness. He was out before he even hit the ground.
Chapter 4
Blackness.
The whirling void Aaron floated in was ink dark, festooned with waving, psychedelic streamers of luminous colors. Aaron was confused; he had been in that stark wasteland, now he was in this weird reality, empty save for the feathery streaks of light that swam around him like so many hungry eels. He had never seen anything close to this before.
A spark of fire burst into being in front of Aaron, shockingly close. A look of awe and fear spread across Aaron's pale face that he didn't bother to conceal. Whatever it was, was beautiful, mysterious, and lethal looking at the same time. Not to mention familiar somehow. The orb of light radiated a strong and comforting aura, somehow seeming alive and kindred. Aaron felt no malevolence from this ethereal fire but only a deep compassion and strength.
As he gazed, the glowing streamers swirled around the sparkling cloud of energy. The energy cloud expanded, growing larger, coalescing into a human girl. A girl he knew and longed for. The icy eyes, the flower petal pale skin, the white blond hair, the elfin face; Eliza emerged, radiant, seemingly glowing with an inner light.
Aaron could not believe his eyes. Eliza was dead, no more that ashes floating on a lonely breeze, and yet here she stood, alive and well, smiling gently at what must be a very startled expression plastered across his face. How could she be here? Had his prayers for an impossible miracle finally come to be answered? Aaron wanted to fling himself to her, tell her how much he missed her, wrap her in his arms and make her promise to never ever leave him again, but something stayed him. Something told him that the girl that had supposedly risen from the grave was as real as a hologram.
"Hello Aaron, it's been a long while hasn't it. I've missed you a lot. I've been thinking about you every moment of every minute I spend here." She whispered, her long silent voice like magic to Aaron.
"You're dead! I saw you vaporize yourself with that dracon beam." Aaron sputtered; trembling at the phantasm that was so like his departed companion. "I watched as you turned yourself to ashes. How can you be here? I saw you die."
"I'm here because I'm still alive." Eliza said simply. "I live on in your heart. As long as you remember and cherish me and our bittersweet time together, I will never die. I will always live on."
"What?"
As Aaron gaped at the specter hovering before him, Eliza began to fade into the mists of eternity. She called out one last thing before she disappeared completely from sight. Her words hung in the air like just sprayed perfume, thick and cloying with unsullied warmth.
"Never forget, I always be with you, even if I can't in body, I will be in spirit. And Aaron," her tone lightening, turning flippant " watch out for any evil parasitic space slugs, would you. Don't forget."
"Eliza! No, don't leave me! Please, not again!"
The blackness began to fade into light, pulling Aaron away from the swirling void and into the waking world. He opened his eyes to find six hard, grim faces staring back at him.
Chapter 5
Aaron's eyes widened in surprise. He drew in a startled breath, and tensed every muscle, only to be rewarded with a jolt of agony. He found himself bound, tied at the wrists and the feet, propped up against a stone wall like a rag doll. Who were these strange people? Were they Yeerk forces or rebels? Aaron hoped against all hope that they were the rebels. At least he would have a chance, no matter how slight, of surviving.
He studied the faces of his captors. The one to his left, with the scraggly, gray flecked brown hair and the ancient cinnamon eyes, bore a countenance that screamed battle commander. He looked so much older than he was; the man couldn't be more than thirty-nine, and yet the aura he projected was one of a seventy year old. Aaron saw the weight of many battles, many hard decisions, of growing up too fast and living in constant fear radiating through those intensely focused eyes.
The woman that stood close to him was radically different. Her mahogany skin and dark hair shimmered as chocolate eyes spoke of a tender, compassionate spirit crushed by the brutal realities of war. This one was no stranger to indecision, the many battles of morality waged against necessity was evident in her gaze. Somehow despite all the horrors she had endured, the woman had managed to keep a wisp of kindness around her. Aaron found it remarkable that someone could keep even a trace of true compassion after the horrors that had happened.
In front of him stood a short, dark hared, medium skinned man. A ruthless, satirical smile was plastered over his face, while hard, unyielding eyes bored into Aaron's face. But even that cold, pitiless stare couldn't disguise the bitter sorrow buried underneath.
A glimmer of gold caught his eye. Aaron slightly turned and beheld for what a moment he almost mistook for Eliza. But no, this one was much older, with hair as gold as Aaron's, not Eliza's cascading white blond. But same ice blue eyes, same slender, wraith-like beauty. Except for the savage, animalistic gleam in her eyes, the predatory stance, she could have been an aged version of Eliza.
The sun haired one set alarm bells off in Aaron's throbbing head with her demeanor, but it was her silent companion that really made Aaron stare. Nothing really extraordinary about him except for the eyes. Eyes that he had seen on only three people; his father, his great uncle Ax and himself. Bright, vivid green eyes that seemed to bore into one's very soul and read whatever dwells there. But what really shocked Aaron was that he couldn't read that pale, seemingly emotionless face. Nothing he could find, not a speck of any feelings. This truly disturbed Aaron, since knowing an enemy's emotional state was essential for surviving any encounter, and not knowing could mean death.
So absorbed was he in the silent stranger's emotional absence that he almost failed to notice the whisper of movement to his side. Aaron jerked his head back left and saw a bizarre, but yet familiar creature come to stand beside the ancient youth, and crushed idealist. Aaron gazed closer and discovered the face was indeed familiar, astoundingly it was Ax, whom he thought dead on that fateful night so long ago. He was a little bigger, tail longer and fur darkened to an almost metallic blue, but it was he. His eyes, all four of them, locked with Aaron's and for one eternal moment a fleeting spark of recognition danced across their intense green surface. Then it was gone, and he regained a tense, suspicious look that he had worn when Aaron had first woke up.
The tension crackled in the room as the jailers and the jailed stared each other down. Each waited for the other to make a move, a sound, anything to break the terrible silence that had descended on the room. Finally one of Aaron's captors, impatient with the lack of progress being made, finally blurted out a frustrated "Who are you?"
Chapter 6
"Who am I? Better question is who are you?" Aaron replied, a tinge of sarcasm tainting his voice. He already knew who these strange people were. Trouble with a capital T. It took no rocket scientist to figure that out.
"Who are we? We're trouble to all Yeerks around us, which probably includes you. But don't worry; we'll know if you're friend or foe in three days. That's the time it takes for a Yeerk to starve, shrivel and die, don't you know? Blondie, speaking for the second time, retorted with a sneer.
"I'm not a controller." Aaron answered to Blondie, who was seemingly growing more agitated.
"How can we be so sure you're not a controller, kid. What kind of proof that you've got that will convince us" Sardonic smile piped in.
"I could say the same about you guys. How can I be sure that you're not controllers." Aaron replied smoothly. "What kind of proof that you've got that will convince me that you're not enlisted in the ranks of evil."
"Listen, this is getting us nowhere fast people. This is going to take a leap of faith on both our parts." The young/old man said, exasperated. "Anyway, what do we have to lose?"
"Besides our lives?" Sardonic smile dryly added.
The young/old man ignored him. "Pay no attention to Marco, he's just being his usual pessimistic self." He chuckled, a bemused smile quirking on his lips. " My name is Jake. I believe you already have met Marco and Rachel. The lady beside me is Cassie, the man with the rather blank face is Tobias, and the Andalite beside me is called…."
"Aximili" Aaron finished, enjoying the startled looks on all their faces.
"Yeah, Aximili. How did you know?" Jake asked, clearly puzzled.
He was answered only a knowing smirk and a cocked eyebrow. Jake stared back, obviously confused while in both Ax and Tobias's emerald eyes dawned slowly, the first rays of realization. They stared hard, bewildered, like they knew him from some far off land, in some distant time, but couldn't figure out just where.
Aaron couldn't figure out how the until now, emotionless stranger could possibly recognize him. They hadn't met, had they? Yet he also felt a subtle stirring of recognition, as he stared into eyes that were a disturbing mirror image of his own. Who was this mysterious Tobias, and what connection was he to a mysterious shady past, that he could barely remember? It was certainly strange that he shared the same name and bore a countenance strikingly similar to a father that was most certainly dead.
Or was he? Could he be standing right there, not knowing that the prisoner he faced, was his own son? The idea hit Aaron like a wrecking ball. Aaron didn't know what was what. All he had were bits and pieces of speculation, half-remembered flashes of fuzzy memory. Not much to go with, considering. But yet, maybe there was a way to determine if this Tobias was his true, real, father. All it would take to find out was a few simple words . . ..
"Since we've been so kind to tell you our names, would you please tell us yours? That and how you know our friend's name?" A soft, slightly husky voice drawled, startling Aaron from his thoughts. Cassie looked at him questionably, an undercurrent of concern running through her drawn features, as she tried to make sense of all of the events in the cave.
Aaron drew in a deep breath. "My name is Aaron, I would tell you my full name, except I have no clue in hell about what it actually is. As for knowing your friend's name, well let's just say we go way back."
He stopped, and waited in agonizing hope, desperate to see if what he thought was true. He didn't have to wait for long.
Horrified amazement spread across Ax and Tobias's stark features, as what they must have read between the lines, sank in. They stared at Aaron in unbelieving awe while the rest looked as muddled as ever, wondering what the heck was going on between the three.
Tobias began softly muttering under his breath "It can not be…but it is…"
"Jake," Marco whispered. "Has anybody other than me, noticed a stunning and rather creepy resemblance between Tobias and this, this…."
"Aaron." Tobias quite crankily supplied. "And the reason he looks almost exactly like me is because he's my son."
Chapter 7
A damming silence permeated the cave as Tobias's words slowly sank in.
"Our son?! What! This cannot be! Our Aaron can't be alive! How could he survive in what passes for a world, thanks to the Yeerks, all alone? Rachel cried, while hot tears ran down a wild countenance of pain, confusion, sorrow and rage. "This cannot be" she echoed, sinking to her knees on the cold stone floor.
"Your son! You're my mother! Oh man, what a day! I mean, I've been hunted like a dog by Visser Three and his Yeerk cronies. Then I took a very nasty ride down a river that had rapids to spare, nearly getting killed in the process, I wake up in the middle of nowhere, totally trashed. After that I got jumped by you guys, earned one horrible, not to mention painful, concussion, came to trussed like a turkey, and now. Well, now I'm in the middle of one of the strangest family reunions ever." Aaron griped, shocked and completely frustrated. "Just great."
"How did you survive Aaron? If you are my Aaron? How can I be sure that you're not a controller?" Rachel hoarsely whispered, her wild red eyes desperately seeking the answer in his face.
I would like to know myself? Ax calmly spoke up, as if the news of finding out his great nephew still survived and in fact, was sitting right in front of him had not perturbed him one bit.
"Listen guys this is not the time. We don't know if this person is a controller or not. Let's keep him tied up for three days. If we're wrong, we'll apologize. If not, scratch one more Yeerk. We can ask later." Jake emotionlessly ordered.
He turned to leave, and stopped. He turned his head and eyed Aaron warily. Then he smiled slightly.
"People, if we're right, and he is a controller, he'll try to escape. But please, be gentle. From the looks of his injuries, he can't stand much more punishment. So be careful. Especially you Rachel. After all, he's your son. I'll be at the lookouts. Stay alert people! This is going to be an interesting three days."
The crunch of his feet on the grimy floor echoed throughout the cave, as he swiftly strode out. Marco looked to Cassie and sighed heavily.
"What he means is, it's going to be a boring three days. Oh well, Monopoly anyone."
Chapter 8
Marco was right; it was a boring three days. So boring, Aaron thought his head would explode with the need to do something, anything other than sit and stare at bare granite walls all day. Not to mention, his injuries didn't make the passing time go any faster.
His captors were for the most part silent; Rachel more withdrawn than the others. She would just sit there and stare with vacant eyes, lost in her own little world. Half the time she would mumble aimlessly to herself, and ignore all attempts of communication on the part of Aaron.
Tobias on the other hand, was the most talkative. He would chat for a little while about this and that, before going off to see his comrades. Still even with those ten-minute discussions here and there, it was not nearly enough to quell the restlessness boiling inside him.
Finally though, the three days were up. Cassie untied the rawhide binding Aaron's wrists and ankles, and stood back, giving him some much-needed space. Aaron winced as he rubbed his sore wrists and began to get up.
" YOOOWWWCCCHH! Oh man, that HURTS!
"Oh, oh, are you ok?" Rachel shrilled, emerging from her stupor. "Did you hurt yourself?"
"No, I hurt myself over three days ago, riding down the river rapids. I think I broke some ribs in the process. Not to mention getting a good beating in a lot of other places. I don't think I can get up." Aaron muttered. He scowled to himself, embarrassed over his injuries and began an intense examination of the interior of the cave. Not that he needed to, he'd seen enough of it in the last few days to make him sick. And the thought of spending even more time in that featureless cavern made him shudder.
"Oh no! That's horrible! No one deserves to be cooped up in this place for months on end. Believe me, I know from personal experience. Poor kid." Cassie exclaimed horrified. "Well, it looks like you have no choice in the matter. I can patch you up, best as I can, but you'll still be here for months kiddo."
"I'm not a kid. Not anymore Cassie. Living constantly on the run from the Yeerks, never knowing if a Hork-Bajir is right behind you, ready to drag you off to the nearest Yeerk pool or just zapping you on the spot. That sorta stuff ages ya very fast." Aaron grumbled under his breath, annoyed at being called "kiddo".
"I know." She murmured back, tears glistening from down cast eyes. Her face was contorted in agony, as she obviously fought the demons of her past, that Aaron's words had evoked. One shining tear broke free and splattered on the dusty floor.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring back painful memories. Please don't cry, Cassie, please." Aaron hastily apologized. "I was being insensitive. I didn't realize . . ." He stopped short and stared down at floor in shame. He did not mean to burst like that, but it had just exploded from him. Jerk he berated himself that's just what she needs. A reminder of what she's been through. I guess those interpersonal skills need a little polishing, huh buddy.
"No, no, no, Aaron. It's all right, I'm fine. Just give me a few minutes to compose myself." Cassie muttered in a tone that clearly indicated that she was not all right.
"All right, if you say so." Marco said skeptically, directing the evil eye at Aaron. " Now about these injuries of yours, I know a much better way to take care of them."
" And that would be?"
" Morph. Your DNA is not affected by injuries and it would prove that you're are Tobias and Rachel's son."
" What! We don't have the morphing cube with us. Have you forgotten that we had to destroy it to prevent the Abomination from getting his greedy little hands on it? Anyway, I know for a fact that he's my son." Tobias exploded.
" How?"
" The eye color. That particular shade of green, I've only seen on other Andalites, my son and myself. No other human I've met even comes close. And the tattoo on the back of his neck clinches it."
"Tattoo? What tattoo? How come nobody has ever mentioned seeing a tattoo on the back of my neck? I'm pretty sure I would remember someone telling me about it?" Aaron burst in.
" Probably because it looks like a strange type of birthmark although it's not. It's actually Andalite writing denoting your name."
"Oh, Ok. Uh, umm, Dad? Whose bright idea was it to give me a tattoo?"
" Rachel."
" Figure on Xena to do something like that." Marco snickered.
" Hey, I thought it was a good idea at the time." Rachel retorted, turning cherry tomato red.
"It was a good idea honey, cause it prevented us from killing our son."
" Can we get back to the business at hand, please people." Marco hollered impatiently. " Getting Aaron a morph, so he doesn't have stay in here for the next three months."
"Jeez, when did you turn into Jake, Marco? And I really don't think this will work anyway. How did he get the power anyway? From the tooth fairy? I don't think so."
"Just work with me Rachel." He snapped, frustrated, from searching the grimy floor for a bug or another living creature.
Aaron watched the entire scene with bemusement from his not so comfortable perch on the floor. What a bunch of characters these people are he chuckled inwardly. Especially Mom and Dad. Woah, I can't believe I just called them that. Oh well, I've done weirder things.
He was startled from his silent reverie by an abrupt "Aha!". Marco stood up holding a large, wriggling cockroach in one filthy hand.
Chapter 9
" I'm going to morph THAT! That is, if I can even morph at all." Aaron screeched, while recoiling in disgust from the bug that was now crawling around in Marco's palm. "YUCK!"
"Whatever, just acquire the stupid bug" Marco grumbled and dropped it into Aaron's out stretched palm.
" Alright, just one problem. How on Earth do I do that? Hmmm?"
" Just focus on the bug, Aaron. Think about it, concentrate on the roach, and you'll acquire it." Cassie encouraged softly.
Aaron did exactly that. Nothing at first happened, then Aaron felt a sort of tingling in his palm and the cockroach stopped squirming for a few seconds. Then it went back to crawling all over his hand. Revolted, he shook it off and made a few weak stamps at it with his foot.
" I can see that you've probably acquired the roach by the way you're trying kill it right now. Next step, morphing. All you have to do is picture becoming that roach, and you WILL become that roach. Just one little word of caution. If you're able to morph that bug, big if there, guess what? You'll get that bug's mind as well as its body. It may overwhelm you at first, but your mind is stronger. You can assert control over it. All you have to do is keep focused and stay strong, and you will be fine." Tobias gently instructed. "That is, if this works."
" I still think this is crazy. I mean how can anybody morph without the power from the blue- AHHHHHHH!" Rachel screamed as she got a look at what was happening in Aaron's corner.
Aaron's skin had turned a molted brown while antennae sprouted from among his golden blond hair. His hands fused into hideous insect claws, and an extra pair of legs extruded from his chest. All the while he shrank, from a lanky 5'7 to a couple of inches long.
Pounding feet and hooves erupted into the cave, as Jake and Ax raced to investigate the screams, and skidded to an abrupt and complete halt as they took in the last of Aaron's transformation. They stared in complete horror as his face twisted, crunched and exploded into the grotesque features of the cockroach, while trying not to lose their morning meals.
"Aaron?" Jake called, his voice cracking from nervousness.
No answer. Aaron just scuttled around brainlessly on the floor, antennae twitching this way and that. Everyone knew why he was not speaking. The animal mind was still in complete control.
Aaaaaaahhhhhh!
It appeared that Aaron had regained control and was now, belatedly freaking out. He had stopped moving about and was now stone still on the ground. His antennae twitched wildly as he called out in a quivering voice….
Hey guys, can I come back to full size now that you're finished gawking at me? I'm really uncomfortable with all you crowding around and I'm getting the weirdest craving for turbo glue and old sneakers.
"Sure." Jake said.
"No! NO!" Marco cried, waving his hands like a lunatic. "He doesn't have a morphing suit. Remember? Do we really want to see Aaron doing the Full Monty? Nah nah."
"He's got a point there." Tobias amended.
What's the Full Monty? Ax wondered a few seconds later.
"Never mind!" they all chorused in unison.
Can I come back now? Please? Aaron begged. I am really being creeped out by this morph.
"Didn't he hear us?" Marco wondered.
"I don't think so. Remember we all had to learn how to interpret and understand speech in OUR roach morphs."
That's it. I'm coming back now. Whether you like it or not.
Aaron began his equally gross demorph. As soft peach skin and golden hair replaced solid dirt brown cuticle, Jake hustled all the Animorphs out of the cave. All except Tobias.
At last Aaron stood up, fully healed and fully human. Fully clothed in his birthday suit. He went red and dived for his rags, piled in a dirty heap in the corner. Frantically Aaron tugged them on.
"We're going to have to get you a morphing suit Aaron."
Aaron wheeled around and found Tobias leaning casually against the stone wall. Tobias sighed and began to change. Rust red feathers popped up from his skin, yellow beak pushed up from his lips, and his eyes turned golden, intense and foreboding. When done, a large bird of prey stood on the floor. But this lasted a moment as almost immediately he began to change back. Fully human and unbelievably fully clothed, he started on an explanation.
"Well I'm not entirely human Aaron…" he hesitantly began.
"I knew that before…uh…Dad." Aaron replied.
"Yeah. Uh…well, other than being Andalite and human, I'm kinda also a red tailed hawk. I got trapped as one when I went over the two-hour morphing limit when I was on my first mission against the Yeerks, and only because of the interference of an all powerful entity called the Ellimist, I'm able to morph and return to my human form. But that's only for two hours, then I'll be trapped again. Remember that Aaron, no more than two hours in a morph or you're staying permanently. Got that?"
"Yeah." Aaron murmured, shocked at all these revelations.
"Come on son. Let's go outside.
Aaron couldn't help smiling at that.
Chapter 10
Everyone stood outside, watching the sun meander on the horizon like a baby taking its first steps. Aaron breathed the sweet dewy morning air deeply. It was sure good to be out of that dirty cave, real good. He watched the sky turn a rosy pink and orange. Rachel and Tobias stood on each side of him also enjoying the wild play of colors in the sky.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Rachel muttered, staring into the lightening sky.
"Perfect, just like you" Tobias pronounced and gave Rachel's hand a tiny squeeze behind Aaron's back. Rachel lightly giggled.
"You know…"Jake started. " I always love this. It gives me hope even though this world is in its twilight hour. It's comforting to know that one thing will stay the same as every thing else withers, dies and turns to dust. And even if there's one shred of hope left alive in me, I'll continue to fight. I will not give up."
"Ditto for me." Cassie announced.
"Me too." Rachel and Tobias chimed in.
I will continue to fight by your side my prince.
"Don't count me out, if there's some Yeerk butt-kicking to be done, I'm there." Aaron pronounced a determined scowl on his face.
"Just like his mom. It seems the insanity as just as hereditary as the morphing power." Marco said sourly.
"Well Marco, are you in or not?" Jake demanded.
"Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Do not go gentle into that good night. Well that's what Dylan Thomas said. I'll simplify that. I'm in. besides someone has to watch your backs." Marco said with a laugh.
"O.k., when did Marco grow a brain and start spouting poetry." Rachel mocked.
But before Marco could come back with a clever turn of phrase, the air explode with searing heat, blinding light, and crackling sound. The ground before them became a scorching blackened pit, and the smell of charred peat floated up and clogged their nostrils.
"Look!" Cassie cried, with a trembling finger at the brightening sky.
The sky was crisscrossed with red and green beams of light. And among them, tiny silver dots danced, in sharp contrast to the sunrise. As they watched, those tiny dots sent more of the red and green streaks of light at each other.
"After all this time, all the waiting…"Marco muttered. "The Andalites have finally come. Well, it's about time."
Sheelllooo, Shelllooo!
One of the tiny dots fell rapidly out of the sky, spinning, and leaving a thick trail of toxic black smoke. It swooped over the Animorphs, nearly beheading them, and crashed onto the plain at their feet.
Aaron clenched his fists. The final battle for Earth had begun and he had a feeling that before it was done, they all would go to hell and back…
To be continued…(when I'm able to.)
A/N: So did you love it or hate it. Tell me in the reviews. Just use the little box below. But please, no flames. If I get any, they'll go into my furnace, where all the nasty flames are kept.