Part 3 - A Watch With No Hands

by TeknoKat

Part three of The Never Ending Chronicles. Something happens that changes the Animorphs lives.

A Watch With
No Hands

Death knocks at our door,
But we ignore its ring.
We'll fight to survive,
And hope to beat this thing.
But wehn we lose our fight to survive,
Our lives we will give gracefully.
But before I die, listen to me,
'A watch with no hands,
Keeps no time,
And so our love,
Will be forever binding.'
Forever...
Binding...

We looked upon our new home.
It was beautiful. At least what we could see of it was.
The valley was highlighted by the sunset. The shadows were deep in the areas the light didn't reach. Everything else was spectacular.
There were trees, and meadows. Enough trees to make a small forest. A large meadow for Tobias if he chose to hunt there. Some of the trees were fruit bearing. Apples, pears, even some peaches.
There fields large enough for us to plant crops. Carrots, or potatoes I suppose. I didn't know.
There was even a large grass field full of bright green grass. I was guessing that the field was for Ax and Myralili.
There were caves. They were spaced out so that we could have privacy. There were around ten or eleven caves that I could see. I was pretty sure that there were more in the shadows. The caves would be where we lived.
Small streams, a few spread out medium sized ponds and springs, and a large lake, almost directly in the center of the valley. Most of those were there to provide water and fish. I could see hints of movement in the trees and woods. Deer and squirrels. Maybe even rabbits. Our food. Our meat.
There were other things. Small things that you don't realize that you need until you need them.
I looked around. What about clothing? Beds? Sheets? What about those things? How were we supposed to store our food? I didn't think there would be refrigerators.
Home. This would be our home.

We began our decent down the mountain. No one had said anything while we looked at the valley. No one said anything while we made our way down. I don't know if that was because everyone was in awe, or just thinking. I suppose it was both for me.
I looked up suddenly to a scream of a hawk. Tobias, flying over head, getting his first glimpse of the valley.
he said. He dived down, and landed on a branch of a tree. Then he launched himself off, and flew towards us, and landed on Rachel's shoulder. I smiled faintly.
I looked at Cassie's parents. They were staring in awe at Tobias. Duh, they hadn't met Tobias yet. He had been too busy keeping an eye out for Yeerks and Controllers. I turned towards them.
"That's Tobias. Tobias, tell them about yourself. If you want to," I added.
Tobias turned his fierce gaze upon Cassie's parents. He spread his wings. Rachel winced slightly. he said again. He looked at me. Then he said privately,
"It's up to you Tobias," I said softly. I knew he heard me.

I nodded my head and didn't say anything. We were in the valley now, and I wanted to look around.
I gazed at the valley. So beautiful. So isolated. I wondered how were supposed to fight the Yeerks.

"Don't call me prince. You two don't have to Ax. Maybe the Ellimist made a couple scoops for you two. I don't know."
asked Myralili.
I nodded my head. "Go for it," I said.
Ax nodded his head, and began to trot away from us. His stalk eyes were twisting and turning, looking for danger. Myralili followed behind him, looking more cautious. I noticed that she walked differently than Ax. A certain grace, but different than Ax's. She held her tail high, ready to use it, or maybe it was just the way female Andalites held their tail. I didn't know.
I watched them as the disappeared from sight in the woods. I wondered what would become of a female Andalite being here with Ax. I could most definitely guess. I smiled faintly.
Myralili seemed to have an attitude. She didn't seem to like me much. Or the others. She didn't seem to mind Ax so much. Maybe that was because he was also an Andalite. Who knows?
I began to walk towards the caves. They seemed to be far away, but I really couldn't tell. Every step I took made them seem closer. Way closer.
Ellimist I guessed. He was still helping us. Sort of.
I stopped and waited for others.
Cassie was smiling, looking around. This was just about everything she could have wanted in a home. Animals, trees, no people really. Just us. And a couple Andalites. She looked at me.
"This place is wonderful Jake. Places to plant crops. Fruit trees." She smiled. "Winter might be difficult, but the Ellimist might help in that. Maybe." She looked up, then took my hand.
I felt happy too I realized. Cassie was happy. I was happy.
What about the others?
I felt that Ax and Myralili would like this place. They were more used to things like this.
Tobias was okay with this I felt too. He already lived in the wild, in the trees.
Rachel I wasn't so sure of. She was looking around, a frown on her face. I think it was because she wasn't used to this. She like clothing, and a home. A microwave, a frigde, other things that you have at a house. She didn't look all that unhappy either. I think she like that fact that she was going to have to rough it. Live sort of like Tobias.
Cassie's parents seemed fine. They were looking around, evaluating the place. Seeing if it was livable. They had small smiles on their faces, and looked happy. They would probably do fine. I hoped.
I was pretty much fine. New experience. New things. Maybe it would help with the war with the Yeerks.
I was still holding Cassie's hand I realized. I smiled at her, and let go of her hand. I started walking towards the caves. She followed me.
Rachel broke off, and went her own way. Probably to look at a cave for herself, or something. I didn't know. Tobias had flown back into the air, and was circling us.
Cassie's parents broke away from us too. They began heading towards one of the larger caves. They were talking and smiling at each other. I wondered what they thought of all this.
Cassie came up beside me. "What do you think of all this?"
I shook my head. "I don't know Cassie. I mean, I don't know if this is good or bad. Maybe it's both." I shrugged and stopped. I turned towards her. I caressed her cheek. "But at least I am here with you."
She smiled. "And me with you." She kissed me on the cheek and we began to walk again. "What cave are you going to choose?" she asked.
I shrugged. "I don't know. I have no idea how to tell a good cave from a bad one. Do you?"
She laughed. "No. Not that I know of. The Ellimist probably made it so that all of them are livable. I hope." She smiled and took my hand. I smiled.
"I was thinking." She raised an eyebrow. I suddenly missed Marco. He would have had a smart remark. Or at least the old Marco would have. "What about storing food? And clothing?"
Cassie shrugged. "Again I don't know Jake. The Ellimist, I think, will provide clothing for us, but we will probably have to smoke the meat we catch."
I nodded my head. "I wasn't sure." I sighed. I looked up, and realized that a cave was right in front of me. "Jeez, that was quick."
It was a smaller cave. Big enough for two or three people to live in. Enough room for one person to live very comfortably in. I walked inside.
It was dry. No stalagmites or stalagmites. No dripping water. It was smooth, and there was a pit for a fire. A large fire.
As I was looking at the fire pit, it suddenly flared up. A fire. The Ellimist again. Or at least he was helping us. If getting a fire started was a help. I guess it was since I hadn't the faintest idea of how to start a fire without matches.
I looked around the room. With the fire I saw a king sized bed. A real bed. One with covers, a mattress. Bedposts, a headboard. A bed!
Then I saw the small refrigerator. A refrigerator! I saw a small TV. TV!
That when I realized that Cassie was laughing. "This isn't even roughing it!" she laughed.
"I guess this is where I am staying," I said. I was smiling. So this wasn't going to be as bad as it might have been. "Where are you going to stay Cassie?"
She wiped a laughter tear out of her eye. "I figured that cave that is right beside yours. Didn't you see it?"
I shook my head. "No. I guess I wasn't paying much attention to it." I smiled. "What about clothing?" That's when I noticed the dresser. I opened a drawer.
Clothes! Shirts, socks, pants, shorts! There were even a few pairs of shoes under the dresser.
"I guess that answers the question about clothes," Cassie said, laughing again.
"Let's go check out your cave," I said. I began to walk out my cave, with Cassie following.
I walked outside, and realized how dark it was. There was barely any sunlight left.
Cassie smiled, and I followed her to her cave. She wasn't lying when she said it was right next to mine. I looked back at mine, and I swear that none of the firelight reached the outside of the cave.
We reached Cassie's cave, and walked inside. It had the same things mine did. I looked and realized that she had a phone. I blinked.
"Did I have a phone in my cave too?" I asked, perplexed.
Cassie nodded her head, grinning. "You didn't see it?" I shook my head. "It was on the TV."
"Ah," I said, nodding my head. "I wonder if all the others have phones. And how we supposed to call them?"
Cassie laughed. She pointed to a piece of paper under the phone. It had each of our names on it, then a number. It even had Erek the Chee's number. I grinned.
"Boy, the Ellimist isn't leaving anything out is he?" I said. Cassie shook her head.
She smiled and stepped close to me. I hugged her. She hugged me back. "I wonder how long we are supposed to live here like this," she said, her voice muffled by my chest.
"I don't know," I said, lying my head on her shoulder. I pulled away. "I was wondering about how we are supposed to fight the Yeerks. How do we get the information? Erek? He lives back in the city."
Cassie shrugged. "Let's not worry about it right now. Let's just be happy for once. Let's just relax, not think about the Yeerks, saving the world, or anything like that." She kissed me. At that moment I agreed with her.
We didn't to worry about the Yeerks this minute. Not today, hopefully not tomorrow. Sometime soon we would have to. Not right now though.
We kissed each other. I felt warm. Whole I suppose. I loved Cassie, and she loved me.
We pulled apart. I looked outside. It was darker than before. No light from the sun. Only light from a quarter moon, and the stars. I stepped outside.
"It is so beautiful," Cassie said. I realized that she was standing beside me.
"So are you," I said softly. She looked at me and smiled. I smiled back. I kissed her again. "I love you," I said quietly.
"And I love you," she said. "I love you with all my heart, and more." We kissed again.
I looked into her eyes. They were so dark, so beautiful.
She looked into my eyes. Her eyes were glittering. I knew what they were saying.
My eyes must have said the same thing. She nodded her head.
I raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" I asked. Quietly. I was unsure. Was she leading me? Was I leading her? Were we thinking the same thing?
"Yes," she said. She was smiling. A slightly knowing smile. An enchanting smile. A smile that held promises. A smile that said that some of the promises would be kept, some broken.
"Okay," I said so softly that I didn't know if she heard me.
She took my hand, leading me back into her cave. I followed willingly, feeling unsure.
When we were back in her cave, far enough so that no one could see us, she kissed me. I felt all my unsure feelings disappear. I held her close, and kissed her back.
I picked her up. I walked over to the bed, and laid her on it.
She smiled. "I love you Jake," was all she said.
"I love you too," I said as I kissed her again.
We kissed, and kept kissing. It slowly went farther than that.
We made love that night. I won't tell you the details.
You probably don't care anyway. Not that I would tell you if you were interested. Private business, nothing that you need to know anyway.

I woke up the next morning in Cassie's bed. She was lying next to me.
I could feel her breathing, deep and regular with sleep. I kissed her cheek, and carefully climbed out of the bed.
I smiled at her, and quickly got dressed. I walked out of the cave, and looked at the sky. Clear, with a few puffy clouds. A perfect day.
I walked over to my cave, and walked inside. Nothing was disturbed. Not that I expected it to be. The fire was out. I looked on the TV and saw the phone. I looked around some more, and saw few boxes of matches. I smiled.
I wandered over to the fridge, and opened it. I was surprised to find a few slabs of meat, vegetables, and other things. Even a Coke. I grinned to myself, and plucked it out and opened it.
Sugar. I needed that right now. I was feeling extremely happy. So happy that I felt that nothing could make me unhappy. I knew that wouldn't last. I just hoped it would last for the next few days.
I guzzled some of the Coke, and walked over to the dresser. I picked out a pair of shorts, a decent looking shirt, some underwear, a pair of white socks, and a pair of shoes. I changed, then I picked up my pop, and walked outside into the sunshine.
I need a watch, I thought to myself when I looked at the sun. I looked around for Ax. I wasn't surprised when I didn't see him anywhere. He was probably still in the woods with Myralili.
I scanned the sky for Tobias. I didn't see him either. Maybe he was in his meadow. Or with Rachel.
I smiled, then walked back into the cave when the phone rang.
I shook my head at the oddity of it, and picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey Jake. So how was your first night?" It was Rachel.
"Fine," I said grinning. And turning slightly red. I was glad that Rachel couldn't see me. "Yours?"
"Wonderful. I'm guessing that you have a bed, dresser, the works right?"
"Yep." I shook my head. "Have you seen Ax?"
"No, not since yesterday. Well, how about we all meet at the lake today?"
I shrugged, but of course she couldn't see me. "Sure," I said. "When?"
I could practically see Rachel shrug her shoulders. "I don't know. How about in an hour?"
"Sure I guess."
"See ya later Jake."
"Yep." I hung up the phone.
I wondered what prompted Rachel to call me. She probably wanted us to all get together to talk about our situation. Yeah, that was probably it.
I drank the rest of the Coke, and walked over to Cassie's cave. She was still lying in bed, asleep.
I grinned. I snuck in quietly, and kissed her lips.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled. "Hi," she said quietly.
"Hi," I said. "Rachel called me. We are all going to meet at the lake in an hour."
She sat up, clutching the sheets to her. "Okay." She smiled. I smiled back. "I have to get dressed." She made a shooing motion with her hand. "Get outside so that I can change."
"Sorry," I said, and walked out. I waited on the outside of her cave, just around the corner.
I had the urge to peek, but I didn't. I shook my head. I was beginning to get childish. Not at all like the leader I should be.
Cassie stepped out of the cave. She was smiling. She was so beautiful. I found myself smiling. "Want to go to the spring nearby first and have a quick bath?"
I smiled. "Sure. Why not?"
She took my hand. "Okay. Let's go."
We walked towards the closest spring. I was surprised to see that it was almost totally clear. It was an underground spring.
I kneeled next to the water, and felt it. It was cool, but not so cold as not to take a bath in.
I looked at Cassie. She was undressing. I looked away, blushing slightly.
I already knew what she looked like under the clothes, but it still gave me no right to look at her without her permission.
I heard a splash of water. "It's okay Jake. You can look. You already know what I look like." I looked up.
Like I said, the water was clear. Need I say more?
I undressed, and stepped into the water. It was cool, not too cold. "Not too cold," I commented outloud.
"Just right," said Cassie. She waded over to me. I smiled. She kissed me, then swam away from me.
"No time for games right now," I said. "We need to wash."
She nodded her head, and we washed. Even so, I kept glancing over at Cassie. She was so very beautiful.
When we finished, we just swam for a few minutes. Then we climbed out, and dried off. Cassie remembered to bring towels. I didn't. Luckily she brought enough for the both of us.
After that we made our way to the lake. We walked, hand in hand.
We made it to the lake. Eventually. It took longer than I thought it would. We were late.
Everyone was already there, including Ax and Myralili. They were sitting, each of them with a hoof in the water. Did I mention that they were sitting next to each other?
I smiled and walked over to where everyone was.
Rachel was leaning against a tree. Tobias was there, in human morph. He was standing next to Rachel a slight smile on his face.
Cassie's parent were next to the lake. Each of them had a stick in the water, with a piece of string tied on it. They were fishing.
I smiled. "So how is everyone?" I asked.
said Ax. His voice sounded different. Was it happier sounding? I didn't know.
"We're fine Jake," said Tobias. Even as I watched, he was demorphing to hawk.
I felt a slight relief. I was worried that Tobias was going to stay human. Not that I didn't want him to be human. I just...well, you understand.
"So why are we here?" I asked. I looked everyone.
said Myralili. I could feel that she still didn't really like me. Of course it had been less than a day that she knew me.
asked Tobias.
"I don't know yet," I said. I really didn't know. "What about Erek? We can still find things out from him."
"Yeah," said Rachel. "But he is only one person. Or android. Whatever. He can't know everything."
said Ax.
"I think we know what he meant. I don't think that we should split hairs about what he said." I sighed softly. "What do you guys think we should do?"
"I don't know Jake," said Cassie. "We don't know how far from the city we are, or if we can even contact the Chee. I know we have their number, but it doesn't mean it's safe. Maybe we should take a break. Stop killing for a while." She looked at us.
I didn't know what to do. "No," I said shaking my head. "No, we need to keep fighting." I looked at everyone. "I know the Andalites haven't come like the should have, but they will. We have to have faith."
said Myralili, She looked at Ax.
Ax sighed. he said softly.
Myralili looked sharply at Ax.
"He was killed," said Rachel. "He paid for being a traitor."
said Myralili vehemently.
"So, how do we fight the Yeerks? Keep in contact with Erek? Get some morphs and use the frolis manuever? Myralili should probably get a human morph. Maybe we could have her go into the city." I looked at everyone.
She seemed disgusted. She stood up and walked over to Cassie. She touched her face, and Cassie went into a sort of trance. Myralili took her hand away, and walked over to Rachel. She touched her face, and Rachel closed her eyes. Myralili stepped away. she asked.
said Tobias.
She looked around with her stalk eyes. "Your going to be female right?" I asked her.
she said, and began to morph. I looked away so that I didn't see her naked when she finished morphing.
"I-I am done Prince Jake," she said in her new voice. "Pri-iince. Pri. Ince. Prince."
"Did anyone happen to bring extra clothing?" I asked.
"I did Jake. Just in case we got her to morph one of us," said Rachel. I could hear her and Cassie walk up to Myralili and begin to dress her. "Done Jake," came Rachel's voice.
I turned around. I blinked. Myralili was beautiful. She was a perfect mix of Cassie and Rachel. She was a sort of tan color, like Marco had been. She had hazel eyes, and full lips. Her nose was perfect. So was her body. Like I said. A perfect mix of Rachel and Cassie. She was medium height, taller than Cassie, but shorter than Rachel.
I smiled. "So how does it feel to be human?" I asked.
"Unstable. Able. Un. Stay. Bull. And you make mouth sounds. Unlike us. It is a very interesting sensation. Sen. Say. Shun. Sayshun."
I looked at Ax. He too, had morphed human. Myralili turned her head, and nearly fell. "Only two eyes," she muttered.
"I must say, that from the human point of view, you are beautiful," said Ax. Ax had gotten much better over the two years with speaking. Rarely did he repeat words. And he didn't go as crazy over food. Usually. "Very beautiful."
I blinked. Was it me, or did those two look perfect together? Both of them in overly cute and beautiful morphs.
"And you. Yooou. And you too. Your human morph is very...handsome. Some. Hand. Some."
Ax walked closer to her. He took her hand. I blinked. I looked at Cassie and Rachel. Both were smiling. Great.
It looked like Ax was falling in love. Did Andalites fall in love? I guess I would find out soon. But if they did, would Myralili fall in love with Ax?
Myralili stepped away from Ax. Ax smiled faintly, and stepped away from her.
"What do you want me to do in this human morph? Hyyuuman. Hiyu-maan."
said Tobias. He was sitting on the ground, next to Rachel.
"I can only stay in morph for two of your human hours. Oow-uurs. Owurs."
"We know," said Cassie. "We don't want you to get stuck in morph."
"Just stay in human morph for a little while today," I said. "Each day, morph human a little bit longer. Ax can help you."
Ax nodded his head. "I can help you whenever you wish to morph human. It can be a interesting experience. Especially when it comes to human food." Ax grinned. "Do you think we could make some cinnamon buns?" He looked at me.
I found myself smiling. "We'll try Ax."
He nodded his head. "May I demorph Prince Jake?" I nodded my head. "Thank you," he said, and began to demorph to Andalite.
When he was fully Andalite, and stepped again next to Myralili. He put one of his hands to her face and caressed it. Myralili's eyes widened in shock.
Ax smiled with his eyes, and trotted away from her and lay down.
I wondered what had just happened.

We talked for over two hours of what we were going to do. And by the time we were done, we had figured out that we would fight the Yeerks. We just didn't know how. Same place as before.
I sighed, and walked back to my cave. I told everyone that I was going to call Erek. If the Yeerks found us, we knew that the Ellimist had been lying. I guess we would find out.
I dialled the phone. "Hello?"
"Hi. This is Jake. Is Erek there?"
"Yes, just a moment please." I waited.
"Hello Jake." Erek's voice.
"Hi. Anything happening with the Yeerks?"
"Besides the fact that they are looking all over for you guys? Besides the fact that they are looking for us? No, not really." Erek sounded angry. But was it at us, himself, the Chee, or the Yeerks?
"What's wrong Erek?"
He seemed to sigh. "Nothing. But please do not call over here again. The Yeerks could trace your call, find your signal."
"No, they can't. At least I don't think they can."
"The Ellimist?"
"Yeah. He said that he would keep us hidden from the Yeerks as long as we fight them."
"Ah. I see. Well, as I said, nothing is happening with the Yeerks. At least not yet. Of course, I think they may be careful about saying anything because they know that they have spies."
I sighed. "I was afraid of that."
"On the other hand, one of us is high in the Visser's list. He trusts her."
"Well, will you call us if you find anything?"
"Of course Jake. We have to stop the Yeerks. Any way we can."
"I'll talk to you later Erek. Good luck."
"They same to you too Jake. And Jake, I am so very sorry about Marco. And Melissa. I didn't mean for them to get killed. It wasn't supposed to happen. I'm so sorry." I could hear him crying over the phone.
I felt a tear fall down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away. "Erek, it wasn't your fault. It wasn't any ones fault except for the Yeerks. And we will get them for that. We will avenge Marco and Melissa."
"We will in each of our own ways," Erek said softly. "In our own ways." A pause. "Jake what is your new number so that I can call you?"
"You couldn't trace it?"
Erek laughed. "Not even we could trace it. The Ellimist has you guys hidden very well."
I told him the number, and we each said our goodbyes and hung up.
I sighed softly. Nothing was happening with the Yeerks that he knew about. Was that good or bad?
I wish I knew.

The weeks went by. Me and Cassie became closer. We all planted crops and hunted the deer and other animals in the forest. In morph of course. It was...more interesting that way. We fished. As luck had it, a couple of otters lived in the lake and rivers. We caught one, and acquired it. Fishing is so much more fun when you are an otter.
We had some missions, but not many. We found that we were about ten to fifteen miles away from the city. Far, but not too far when you are a bird.
We won some with the Yeerks. We also lost some. None of us died, though it did sometimes come close. The Yeerks knew who we were, and could use our families against us. Well, except for Cassie.
As Cassie's parent had said, they didn't morph. They didn't want to. They stayed in the valley, and took care of the crops while we fought the Yeerks. Of course they worried for Cassie, but so did I.
I noticed that Myralili and Ax were becoming closer. Much closer. Ax seemed truly happy. Myralili still didn't really care for us much, but we got along better.
Things were hard without Marco. We all missed him. All except Myralili who had no idea who Marco was. Or Melissa.
Rachel and I often wondered about our families. We knew that they were Controllers so that didn't help things. Or maybe it did. I don't know.
Life was okay. A little bit harder than before. But of course when you are dealing with an alien race that wants to imprison your own race, things are going to be a little bit hard.
I stayed the leader. Maybe acting more in charge than before. I couldn't tell.
And we all wondered one thing.
Where were the Andalites?

I was picking some carrots. A normal thing to do. Cassie was next to me, on her knees, also plucking carrots.
"Do you think we are doing any good Jake?" she asked me suddenly.
"I don't know Cassie. I hope that we are."
"But what good can come from killing?" She sighed and leaned back on her knees.
"To save a race? To save ourselves? I don't know Cassie. I really don't." I sat back and looked at her.
She sighed softly. She looked into my eyes. She smiled faintly. Then her smile became wider. "I have something to tell you."
I blinked, and wiped my hands on my pants. "What?"
"I'm pregnant," was all she said.
I blinked again. Then again. "You're. You're pregnant?!"
She nodded her head. "Yes. You remember the first night we were together? Or at least one of those nights we were together?"
I nodded my head. I tried to stand, but found that I couldn't. "Are..you sure?"
"Yes. Morning sickness. No PMS. Nothing. I'm pregnant Jake."
I didn't know what to say. Should I be mad? Happy? Sorry? Most of all I was in shock. "I don't know either to say that I am happy, or that I am sorry."
Cassie laughed. A laugh that was full of joy. "Jake, I am so happy! Okay, so I am going to be a teen mother. Of course on the other hand, I am not a normal teen." She put my hand on her stomach. "It's still fairly early. But I can feel it inside me Jake. I know that it's there." She kissed me. "Thank you Jake."
All I could do is blink. I had gotten Cassie pregnant. I guess none of those classes in school helped. Rather ironic in a way. "Can you still morph?" I asked.
She shrugged. "I guess I can. I have been."
I sighed. I couldn't help but say, "I wonder if the Ellimist has something to do with this?"
Cassie looked at me. "I had already thought of that. Of course the answer is yes. I think he helped us step up to what we did. He wanted us to have a child."
"What about your parents? What are they going to think?"
"I don't know Jake. I think they will be apprehensive at first, but then they will be happy. At least I hope so."
"And what about the others? What will they think? Would they still want me to lead the Animorphs?"
"Rachel will be angry at first. I think. I have no idea what Ax or Myralili will think. Tobias will probably be like my parents."
"I wonder what Marco would have thought," I said softly.
Cassie smiled. We no longer cried when we thought of Marco. At least not most of the time. "He probably would have made some jokes. But he would have been happy for us. At least I believe he would have been happy for us."
I stood up. Carefully so that I wouldn't fall over from shock. I took Cassie's hand and helped her up. "We should probably go tell the others. Meeting at the lake?"
Cassie shrugged. "Why not? I think we should tell my parents in private though. Let's go to them first."
I nodded my head. I began to strip to my morphing suit. "Shall we go bird?"
"Why not?" She stripped to her own morphing clothes. I could see a slight bulge in her stomach. I smiled.
I stepped close to her. "I love you Cassie. You and our baby to be." I kissed her.
She smiled, and began to morph. I followed suit.
Soon we were in the air, winging our way to where Cassie's parents cave.

We landed outside their cave, and demorphed.
When I finished demorphing, I took Cassie's hand, and we walked inside. Cassie's parents were sitting on a makeshift couch they had made from wood, deer hide, and something, I didn't know what, to make cushions. They were watching TV.
Cassie took a step towards them. "Mom, Dad, we have something to tell you." They looked up and turned off the TV. Cassie's mom was smiling. Her father had an interested look on her face. I could feel myself blushing.
"What is it Cassie?" asked her mom.
Cassie smiled. "Mom, Dad, I'm pregnant."
Her dad blinked. Her mother just smiled. She walked up to Cassie, and gave her a hug. Then her dad came up and hugged her too. I smiled. They seemed to be taking well.
"Jake's the father right Cassie?" said her dad.
I nodded my head. "Yes, I am the father." I could feel that my face was red.
Cassie's mom came up to me and hugged me. Then she stepped away.
They didn't ask me if I was going to run off. They didn't ask me if I was ashamed or sorry. I think they knew. They knew that I was responsible enough to take care of a child. To take care of Cassie. They knew that I was happy. Maybe a bit young to be a father, but good for the job.
I hoped I would be.

After we had told their parents, we had used their phone to call Rachel. She said that she would get a hold of Tobias, and that we should find Ax and Myralili.
We hung up, and we morphed back to birds. We jumped into the air, and found a good headwind. We rode it up, and then caught a nice thermal. We rode that even higher.
We went in slow circles, looked for Ax and Myralili. Most likely they would be together.
said Cassie.
I looked down. I could see them. They were sitting next to each other, their tail blades together. They were holding hands. They seemed to be talking. I really hoped that we weren't invading a private moment.

I smiled in my head and took a deep breath. I really hoped we weren't interrupting something. I watched as the two started and the jumped to their feet. They were looking all over for us. They moved their eye-stalks upward.
Ax sounded irritated.
I swallowed.
said Myralili.
said Cassie graciously.
We soared away from them. We flew toward the lake, and landed. We demorphed, and waited for the others to show up.
Suddenly a bald eagle landed beside us, and demorphed into Rachel. Tobias came down beside her. He too, morphed to human.
"What did you guys want to say?" Rachel asked.
Cassie smiled. "Wait until Ax and Myralili get here."
Right then both of them trotted up to us. asked Ax.
Cassie's smiled widened. She looked at everyone. "Tobias, Rachel, Ax, Myralili. I'm pregnant."
"Your WHAT?!" yelled Rachel. She stomped up to Cassie. "Did I just hear what I thought I heard? Did you just say that you are pregnant?"
Cassie nodded her head. "Yes, I did just say that Rachel."
Rachel grinned. "Good for you!" She hugged Cassie. "I am so happy for you."
I looked at Tobias. He was just standing there, his eyes wide. He didn't say anything.
Ax and Myralili were both smiling. said Myralili.
Ax took a step forward. He looked at Myralili. She nodded her head.
I blinked. Cassie smiled. Rachel stood gaping. Tobias's eyes widened even farther.
Cassie walked over to Myralili. "I am so happy for you!" She hugged Myralili, with Myralili looking startled. Cassie stepped away. "Congratulations Ax."
I looked at Rachel. She was talking to Tobias. Suddenly Tobias voice rose. He was grinning. "You might as well tell them Rachel."
Rachel gave him a dirty look and stuck her tongue out at him. She turned away from him, smiling. "Well since everyone else has a confession, I might as well say mine." Her grin widened. "I'm pregnant too."
Me, Cassie, and Tobias turned to each other. "Ellimist," we all said together.
"It could only be the Ellimist," said Tobias. "The chance of all of the girls being pregnant together is not a coincidence."
"How long have you known Rachel?" asked Cassie. She was hugging Rachel, and smile on her face.
"Well, I knew a couple of weeks ago, but I really didn't want to tell anyone. I felt kind of foolish I suppose." She looked at Tobias.
"She told me as soon as she found out. I was thrilled. Maybe I'm a bit young to be a father, but who cares? Were pretty much isolated anyway. No one is going to care." He smiled. "I am so happy that Rachel is going to have a child." He took her hand and kissed her cheek. Rachel smiled.
I found myself smiling. Everyone was going to have a child. Well at least each of the females was going to have a child. I looked at Ax.
"How long before an Andalite baby is born?" I asked him.
He looked proud.
I laughed. "It takes humans nine months to have a kid. He is making it even. I think." Then I thought of something. "What about them morphing in the future? Will it effect the kids?"
He swivelled his eye stalks around, looking at everyone.
I smiled. We all hugged, and congratulated each other.
Children. There was going to be a new generation of Animorphs.
Was that good or bad?

The months went by slowly at first. Then quicker. Cassie, Rachel, and Myralili slowly grew larger. Cassie was almost always smiling. She did all the work that she needed to do, and more. The pregnancy barely hindered her.
Rachel was always active. Swimming, running a little bit, walking. Always moving.
Myralili stayed herself. She didn't do less that what she already did, but she didn't do more either. Except maybe graze.
The girls were almost always hungry. They sometimes got weird cravings that I didn't understand. That and mood changes. Cassie wasn't that bad, but Rachel would be grinning one second, the ready to tear off your head in another. Of course, she was like that pregnant or not. Myralili I couldn't tell. Except she maybe became more serious. If that was possible.
Then the eight and nine months came. We still fought the Yeerks. But as the girls came nearer to term, the less the Yeerks needed fighting. Coincidence? I didn't know.
Cassie's parent were happy that the girls were pregnant. They said that they would help at the birth. Being vets was better than nothing I suppose.
Rachel was the first to give birth. A lot of pain, a lot of screaming and threats. In the end though came a beautiful little boy. They named him Alan. Alan Fangor. First and middle names. They were after Elfangor's human names that he took.
Cassie had our children a week later. Yes, I said children. Little did we know that Cassie had been carrying twins. One was a boy, one a girl. I was so proud when I saw them. I nearly cried. You know what we named them? Marco and Melissa.
My friends would live on.
A few weeks later, Myralili gave birth.

The phone rang. Cassie was nursing Marco, and Melissa was asleep in the crib that the Ellimist had so kindly bestowed to us.
I picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Prince Jake? Myralili is about ready to give birth. May we come over to the cave that is near you? She does not want to give birth in the scoop. I do not know why."
"Sure Ax. How long until you will be here? We can set something up."
"We do not need anything set up. We will be there as fast as our feet can carry us." Ax sounded worried. That in turn made me worried.
I didn't say anything about being worried. "We'll see you in a few minutes Ax. Good luck."
"Goodbye Prince Jake." The phone clicked.
I turned to Cassie, who was just putting the little one into the crib. "Cassie?" She turned to me. "Myralili is about ready to give birth. She is coming to the cave that used to be yours."
Cassie nodded her head. "Should we call my parents?"
"I don't know as if they will be a help. Ax didn't ask for me to call them. What do you think?"
"I think that if it gets bad, we should call them. I suppose. I don't think anything will happen though. So far, all the births have gone well. Of course, that was only mine and Rachel's." She smiled, and kissed me.
"Do you think that Marco and Melissa will be okay alone?"
Cassie hugged me. "They are fast asleep. Don't worry Jake." She looked at them. "Let's go before they do happen to wake up. That's what infants do right when you don't want them to." She grinned, and led me outside.
We made our way to the cave.

We went inside the cave, and waited for Ax and Myralili to come. The wait wasn't a long one. Only a few minutes later Ax, followed by Myralili come in.
said Ax. He was sweating, and his eye stalks were going to and fro madly.
Myralili lay down on the floor, her sides heaving. She too was sweating, and her main eyes were closed in pain.
I looked at Ax. "How long till an Andalite is born?" I asked.
He lay down next to Myralili and took her hand. The way he said it, it sounded ominous.
"How many children do Andalites have Ax?" asked Cassie. She was sitting next to Myralili, petting her. Making sure that she didn't feel alone.

I looked at him. "She's having twins isn't she," I said, making it a fact.
Ax nodded his head. he said. He looked at the ground.
I was about to say something when Cassie yelled that the first little Andalite was being born. Myralili never screamed. Never yelled. Not through the whole birth of the first baby.
I looked at the newborn Andalite. It was small, about the size of a large fawn, maybe a little bit bigger. Its body was a light blue. Its main eyes were open, but its stalk eyes were slicked to the sides of its head. Its ears were folded slightly. It lay on the ground, looking around. It seemed perplexed.
Ax was smiling. His hand caressed her face, and she smiled with her eyes. Then she screamed.
I could see her stiffen in pain. Ripples shuddered through her body.
"Here comes the second one!" yelled Cassie.
screamed Myralili. Her body stiffened again, her legs flailed.
I looked at Ax. "Cooriss? What is the Cooriss?"
Ax looked at me. There was agony on his face. He closed his main eyes. His eyes opened. There was terrible sadness in his eyes. I looked away.
Myralili was writhing in pain.
"Second little one is out!" yelled Cassie. I looked.
The second one was more purple. And smaller than the first. It looked almost the exact same as the male, but for being more purple and smaller.
Ax was smiling, but it was a sad smile.
Myralili didn't seem to hear. She was contorted in pain. She kept screaming in agony.
I realized suddenly that I was crying. Tears were running down my cheeks.
Myralili yelled.
Ax got closer to her. he whispered. He looked her in the eyes, and Myralili stopped writhing. They looked into each other's eyes.
They were talking, I realized. In private thought-speak.
Ax was smiling, so was Myralili. Ax stood up, but still held her hand.
She began to twitch again. Her legs began flail.
whispered Ax.
She screamed suddenly.
Ax bowed his head.
she said, her thought-speak weak.

said Myralili. Then her limbs straightened out in pain.
Ax brought his tail up.
I looked at Cassie. She was crying, her head in her hands. I held her.
he said softly. Then his tail came down. Faster than what I could see.
Myralili went limp. Her eyes fluttered. she said softly. Her hand went limp in Ax's.
He gently set down her hand. He looked at the baby Andalites. He smiled faintly.
They were lying down, asleep. Unaware that their mother was dead. Unaware of what had just happened.
He looked at us. He slowly began to morph.
"Ax," I said softly. I didn't know what to say. I was crying, tears still running down my cheeks.
then thought-speak didn't work. "Jake. Please, I would like to be alone." He bowed his head. He sat down next to Myralili's body, and drew his knees up to his chest. "Please go," he said.
"I-I'm sorry Ax. So sorry," I said. It was little comfort.
I put my arm around Cassie and we slowly walked out of the cave.
I looked back only once.
That was when I heard sobs coming from inside the cave.

It was a couple of weeks later. The babies didn't look like babies. They had grown. Fast. Alan, Marco, and Melissa were all looking about two years old. Elfangor and Lalia were looking older, but it was hard to tell.
The twins and Alan were talking. Almost as well as Elfangor and Lalia were speaking. They were growing so fast.
We all figured that it was the Ellimist. Only the Ellimist could do this. But the question was why. Why was he making them grow so fast?
"Daddy? Can you tell me a story?" asked Marco. I smiled faintly.
"I can't right now Marco."
"Why not?" asked Melissa. She was playing with a remote control for the TV.
Marco and Melissa were a perfect mix of me and Cassie. Marco was more of a tan color, like Marco had been. He had a great personality, and believe or not, made jokes. Already. He had dark brown hair, with dark eyes. Just like Cassie's.
Melissa was more reserved. More caring. She was light, like me. She had brown eyes too, with black hair. Jet black. She loved animals. And people.
"Because I am busy," I said. I was roasting some meat over the fire. I had to keep my eye on it so that it didn't burn. The kids hated burnt meat.
Marco raised an eyebrow. "You look like you are roasting meat. You don't look that busy to me."
"Yeah," added Melissa. She grinned, and put down the remote. She sat beside me.
"I have to concentrate on it you two. Do you want it to be burned?" They both shook their heads. "I didn't think so." I smiled.
So young, yet so adult. Sort of. And smart. Too smart for their age.
"Where's Mommy?" asked Marco. It was his turn to fiddle with the remote control.
"You know where she is. She's out plucking vegetables. Why don't you two go help her?" We had a little vegetable garden right outside the cave.
"Okay!" they said in unison. They ran out of the cave, their little legs still slightly wobbly.
"Be careful!" I yelled after them. I chuckled. I felt like a father. I didn't look like one, but I felt and acted like one.
They were growing older every day. They grew like weeds. Well maybe not like weeds. But they did grow daily.
They aged, but me, Cassie, Ax, Tobias, and Rachel didn't.
If it continued like this, in a few months the children would be the same age we were.

It was a few weeks later. Of course we fought the Yeerks. But they seemed less important.
The children were five years old now. They acted like five year olds. They didn't talk like five year olds, but they acted like them.
We were all at the lake. Me, Ax, Tobias, Cassie, and Rachel were all talking. Cassie's parents were sitting farther off, talking to each other.
Ax seemed like his old self, when we first met him. He didn't act happy, nor unhappy. But there was a sadness in his eyes. He took care of Elfangor and Lalia alone. They were cute, kind, and had a sense of humor. Sort of.
Right now the children were playing in the lake. Not to deep. We all kept our eyes on them. We were watchful.
Elfangor and Lalia seemed to like the water. Their tail blade had grown out, put were little pinpoints compared to Ax's.
Marco and Melissa too liked the water. They loved to splash and dunk each other under.
Alan was more timid of the water. He had Rachel's blond hair, and Tobias's eyes. He was usually serious, but knew when to laugh. He had a slow temper, but when he was angry you had to watch out. He was taller than Marco or Melissa, and seemed to use it. He often acted as if he were in charge of them. To watch over them.
I watched them. They were having so much fun. All friends of each other. All caring for each other.
I was about to comment on that when time stopped.

"Great," I muttered to myself. That's when I realized that only I was moving. Everyone else was stopped.
Then the scenery changed. I was no longer at the lake. I was on a mountain.
"What do you want Ellimist?" I asked.
I figured moved out from behind a rock. It was a man. He had grey eyes and brown hair. He looked about forty. Of course he was infinitely older than that.
"To talk to you Jake," said the Ellimist. He turned his human head toward the sky. He seemed unhappy.
"Talk about what?" I looked at him.
"About what you must do now." He looked at me. Through me. "There is a cave than none of you know about. It has been hidden. The cave is nearly indestructible."
"And why are you telling me this?"
"For what you must do." His grey eyes looked sad. "You must put your children down there when the time is right. Put Cassie's parent down there too, if you feel they should be."
"Why?"
"I cannot tell you. You will know when it happens. I can offer you one thing. Be on the ready. Be wary." He seemed to sigh.
"You brought me here to tell me that?" He nodded his head. "Why?"
"Your children are the future," was all he said.
I frowned. Something was up. Something not good. "Why did you make our children age the way they are?"
He smiled faintly. "I had to. You will understand when the time comes."
I knew what would happen next. "Wait!" I yelled. I didn't go anywhere.
"What is it Jake?"
"Obviously something is going to happen that isn't going to be good. I think I have the right to ask you a few questions." I didn't say why I had the right. It was understood.
The Ellimist nodded his head. "Ask. But be aware, I may not answer all of your questions."
I looked at him. "I only have a few. One is what exactly are you? Are you one thing, or more than one?"
The Ellimist smiled. "I am one being. I cannot tell you exactly what I am, for I am everything and nothing."
"Are you the only one?" I asked.
The Ellimist shook his head. "I am not the only Ellimist. There are others. But not many. I am the only Ellimist that is in the galaxy right now. Me and my mate."
"Mate? You have a mate? How come we haven't met her?" I raised an eyebrow.
The Ellimist laughed. "Do you assume that I am male?" He laughed some more.
"You mean that you are female?" I was confused.
The Ellimist laughed again. "I have no sex. I am neither male or female. But we must choose one when we confront our mate to reproduce. In that case, I am female."
"Who is your mate?" I asked. "How come we have never met him?"
The Ellimist stopped laughing, and frowned. "You have," he/she/it (I didn't know any more) said softly.
"I have?" I asked. I tried to think back to when I had met another Ellimist. I frowned slightly, then looked up sharply. "You don't mean..."
The Ellimist nodded her head. "Yes. Crayak. He is my mate. When we are young, so young as to not even know what you know, we are given a mate. My mate was kidnapped. Another race, now extinct, took him, and raised him to their beliefs. To do what they did. They changed him." The Ellimist bowed his head. "We are mates. But we fight each other. One on the side of light, the other dark." He looked at me. "It was a necessary lie what I told you. As of now, you are the only mortal, besides other Ellimists, that know. Do not tell the others." He/she shook its head.
Before I could blink, I was back at the lake. Time was still stopped. Do not tell the others...whispered once more in my head.
Time resumed.

I frowned. I had to tell the others. Not about the Crayak, but about the children. About what the Ellimist had said. Or sort of said. He/she/it never really explained anything.
"Jake, why are you frowning?" asked Cassie. She was looking at me.
I sighed. "You guys don't know," I murmured. "The Ellimist," I said.
"What about the Ellimist?" asked Tobias. As usual, he was in his human morph. Every two hours he demorphed to hawk, then back to human. At night he just stayed a hawk.
"We had a talk," I said. "He stopped time. He only talked to me. Everyone else was frozen." I looked at the children playing in the water. Splashing each other. Dunking each other as best they could. I looked back at the Animorphs. "He said there is a cave. A cave that none of us knew about. He kept it hidden. He said, when the time comes, that we are to put the children in there. And Cassie's parents too, if we think we should."
Rachel narrowed her eyes. "Why?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. He/she, whatever, never said. He wouldn't explain it to me. He said we would know when the time came."

I shrugged again. "I don't know. He never said."
"What else did he say?" asked Cassie.
I sighed. "The only other thing he said was to be ready. Be wary." I looked at the others. "Ax, could you maybe set up some traps on the mountain sides?"
He pawed the ground lightly.
"Sonic detonators?" repeated Rachel. "What are those?"

"Do you think you could make them strong enough?" I asked.
Ax shrugged.
"How long do they take to make?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Only three hours?"

"How many can you make?"
Ax sighed.
Rachel smiled. "That ought to be enough." There was a glint in her eyes. This was her kind of thing.
"We should let you get started then Ax," said Cassie. "We'll take Elfangor and Lalia over with Melissa and Marco, and let them play."

I clapped my hands. "Let's get to it. Or at least let Ax get to it." I smiled.
We will be ready for whatever happens, I said to myself.

It was a few days later and we began to prepare ourselves. We had Tobias go around the valley, looking for the hidden cave the Ellimist had told us about. He found it in a deep shadow. They only reason why Tobias found it was because the Ellimist had wanted him to.
Ax made the detonators. Three. We had them set a strategic points where the blast would go outward, not towards the valley. Ax told us all how to detonate them in case something happened to him.
We began to store food and other goods in the cave for the children and Cassie's parents. Cassie's parents would be in there in case we were killed. We didn't want the children to be alone.
We also gave them the power to morph, and the blue box. We told them how to acquire animals, and how the animals instincts would try and take over. We even found a small injured hawk, and had them acquire and morph it. It was interesting to see the control the morphs, and fly. They loved it.
We told the children of the Andalites, though they already knew something of them. We told them of the Yeerks, and of what they do and did, and how they did it. We told them of the fight against the Yeerks.
They children were also aging faster. They were now six years old. I hoped that they wouldn't age any more than that. I really didn't think that I would be able to handle it.
We were ready for almost anything that would happen.
At least I hoped we were.

I was with Cassie and the children. We were taking a small walk in the woods. Marco and Melissa were having a ball pointing our squirrels and rabbits and such. We even saw a few deer.
I looked at Cassie. "Are you worried?" I asked her. Lately her eyes had been clouded with thought.
She shook her head in confusion. "Yes. I have this gut instinct that something is going to happen. Something bad." She looked at me. "I just don't know what. Or when."
I stopped and caressed her cheek. "Don't worry," I said softly. I looked at the children, bent over and examining something. "The Ellimist told us, and we are ready." I kissed softly, and I smiled faintly.
The truth be told, I was worried too. An oppressive feeling that something was wrong seemed to coat the valley. The children seemed to be oblivious to it. I was happy for that. No reason for them to think that something bad was going to happen.
I sighed softly. We usually had Tobias out of the valley, keeping a look-out for anything suspicious. At all times one of us was out there. Tobias usually, but even he had to come home and see Alan and Rachel.
We made our way towards the lake. We were just going to sit and talk, and eat the picnic lunch that we had brought. Maybe let Marco and Melissa swim.
We broke through the woods, to the open grass that surrounded the lake. We sat down next to a willow tree, and let the kids walk around the waters edge, looking for frogs and toads.
We began to take out the sandwiches and fruits that we had brought.
I heard the scream of a hawk. Suddenly Tobias flew over head.
he yelled.

I jerked to my feet. I couldn't believe it. The Yeerks?! How?!
Cassie was grabbing the kids. "Remember that hawk you morphed?" she was asking them calmly. They nodded their heads. "Well you get to morph them again."
"Yea!" Marco and Melissa yelled together.
Cassie looked at me. Her eyes were wide. "How?" she mouthed.
I shook my head. I stripped to my morphing suit. "You ready kids?" I asked them. They were grinning and nodding their heads. "Good. Let's get started." I looked at Cassie.
We morphed to birds of prey and began to fly towards the hidden cave.
yelled Melissa. She seemed oblivious of what was happening. I was glad.
said Marco.
We flew as fast as we could to the cave.
Tobias had flown on, to Rachel. I guessed that he had already found Ax. At least I hoped he had.
The Yeerks were coming? How had the found us? The Ellimist said that we would be protected. That the Yeerks wouldn't be able to find us. But they had.
We were fairly high in the sky. We had found a decent thermal and had ridden it up. I saw the cave.
I asked them.
answered Marco.

I was a peregrine falcon. I was the fastest animal in the sky. I would quickly get ahead of them, so I let others dive first. Then I dove after them.
yelled Melissa. She was loving this all.
I smiled faintly to myself. At least the children were having fun. They had no idea of the seriousness of the situation. Again I was glad.
We slowed to an almost complete stop in mid-air, and landed. We all demorphed together.
"Man, that was great!" Marco said, laughing.
"I can't wait to do that again!" said Melissa, her face red from excitement.
We stood there, waiting for the others.
Ax, Elfangor, and Lalia were there first. They had run, as fast as they could.
Elfangor and Lalia didn't seem happy. I guessed that they knew what was going on.
A few minutes later, Tobias, with Rachel and Alan flew up. They landed on the ground and demorphed.
Rachel had grim excitement in her eyes. Alan looked as happy as Marco and Melissa had about flying.
I looked at the others. "How did they find us?!" I said.
he said grimly.
I knew of only a few people, or androids, that knew of where we were. Only Erek, and a few other Chee knew. Would they have betrayed us. I didn't think so.
"I don't think it was the Chee. They wouldn't betray us. I don't know of anyone else that would know of where we were." I looked around. "Cassie, what about your parents?"
said Tobias. His bird chest was heaving.
I looked around, hoping to see them. I blinked when I did see them coming. Their faces were grim, even sad. They didn't do what we did, but they were still part of the fight. This time the fight would come to them.
I looked at Tobias. "How far away were the Yeerks?"
He fluffed his feathers, then resettled them.
I frowned. "Why?" I wondered. "He knows that we are human. At least most of us. He probably doesn't know of the children. I hope he doesn't" I looked at the kids. They were playing together a few yards off. I smiled faintly. "We should get ready." The others nodded their head. I called the children over.
"Whadaya want Dad?" asked Melissa.
I sighed softly. "You know that cave right there. Remember what I told you guys about having to go in there for a while, and not come out. Well now you get to do it. And you get to be with Grandma and Grandpa." The children smiled. They all referred to Cassie's parent as Grandma and Grandpa.
"How long Uncle Jake?" asked Alan. I smiled. Isn't it nice to be referred to as an uncle?
"I don't know. Probably for as long as your Grandma and Grandpa tell you."
"Okay," said Alan, frowning slightly.
Cassie kneeled next to the children. "Do you remember what our battle morphs are?" she asked them.
said Elfangor and Lalia together.
"And Mom and Dad's are elephant or grizzly for Mom, and either a hawk or Hork-Bajir for Dad." Alan smiled at remembering the name for Tobias Hork-Bajir morph.
"And Mommy's morph is a wolf," said Melissa.
"And Dad's is a tiger," Marco said, grinning.
"Good," said Cassie, trying to smile happily.
"Well you five had better get into the cave," said Rachel. She began to lead them in there. "I want you guys to stay in here until your Grandma or Grandpa tell you until you can come out, okay?"
"Okay Aunt Rachel," said Melissa. She was beginning to frown. "What if Mom or Dad tell us to come out?" she asked.
Rachel tried to smile, but failed. "You can come out then."
"Okay Aunt Rachel," Melissa said, her voice echoing as they went farther into the cave.
Cassie's parent followed. The stopped right before they went in. They turned to us.
"Be careful," said Cassie's mother. She hugged each on of us. "Come back," she said, trying hard not to cry.
"We will Mother. I promise," said Cassie. She wasn't crying, but looked like she wanted to.
Cassie's father didn't say anything, but shook my hand and Ax's. He hugged Cassie. "I love you," he said. He kissed her cheek, and walked into the cave.
I smiled faintly. Rachel came out. "Are we ready?" I asked.
Rachel nodded her head. "Let's do it!"

We were on the mountain side facing the city. I could see the dust that was being brought up from the Yeerks approach.
The mountain side that we were one was mainly flat. It didn't really angle all that much. It was more of a cliff than a mountain. There were various boulders strewn about the place. There was a detonator near the top of the mountain. When detonated, it would bring down most of the mountain side. We had to be sure to be off it when that happened.
We were all standing there, still human. There would be here in another fifteen to twenty minutes.
I looked at Tobias. He was perched on Rachel shoulder. "How many are there?" I asked him.

Rachel nuzzled him, then stopped. "Did you recognize the human-Controllers?"
Tobias sighed. He looked at us.
I blinked and rubbed the bridge of my nose. Wonderful. This just kept getting better and better.
"Well we had better morph," I said. The others nodded.
I began to morph my tiger. I could feel the orange-and-black striped fur slither out of my body. I could see my jaw growing out, with big canine teeth growing. I could feel my hand grow into paws the size of dinner plates. I could see my tail swing back and forth lazily. I could see the large claws growing. I could feel the tiger.
Cassie was morphing her wolf. Her eyes became yellow, and grey fur poured from her body. She fell on all fours, her bushy tail sprouting out. Her nose grew, and shaped into a wolf's muzzle. Her ears became sharper, and ran to the top of her head. She was a wolf.
Rachel was grey. Two tusks were growing out her mouth, and she had a ropy tail. Her nose grew until it was a trunk. Her legs became chunky, as did her arms. She fell to four feet, and she kept growing larger. Her ears became the size of quilts. Her eyes turned brown, and looked small for her body. Her blond hair disappeared. She was a very large African elephant.
Tobias was growing taller. Blades were coming out at his knees, wrists, elbows, tail, and head. His body turned a greenish color. His tail became thicker, with blades at the end of it. His feet became like those of a Tyrannosaurus rex. His beak stayed its shape, but grew larger. He was what Marco had called a walking salad-shooter. He was a Hork-Bajir.
Ax did not change. He stayed in his delicate looking Andalite body. His eye stalks went to and fro, while his large main eyes looked at the oncoming Yeerks. His bulwhip tail was cocked, and ready for battle. It was arched over his back, his large tail blade glittering in the sunlight. He stood, his bluish body ridged. His hands were clenched before him. He was a not-so-delicate Andalite.
We looked upon the Yeerks. My tiger brain was weighing the odds.
It said we were going to lose.

I said. I looked at the Yeerks. They couldn't see us yet. But we could see them.
There actually weren't many of them. Around seventy-five. But Marco and Melissa had died when there had been only around two dozen Hork-Bajir. The rest of us had barely gotten out alive.
Visser Three was leading the party. He looked arrogant, and triumphant. And why not? He had found us.
I jumped behind a rock. Cassie jumped behind a boulder a few feet away. Rachel had trouble finding a boulder that was big enough to hide her body. Finally she found one, but she had to get on her elephant knees. Tobias had little trouble. Ax found one where he could put his eye stalks over, but would hide his body.
I growled slightly to myself. I was worried for our children. Worried for Cassie. For the others. I was worried for Earth.
I said to the others.
said Ax,
I thought about it for a moment. I sighed.

I could hear the Yeerks coming. They were not far away. Not at all.
The Yeerks were here.

Visser Three sounded triumphant. He laughed.
I stayed behind the rock. I yelled. I could feel my tiger body tense.
The Visser's eye stalks were swinging around, looking for us. He was in front of the horde, but stayed back in the case of an ambush. he said. He laughed. We didn't say or do anything. He laughed wickedly.
I barely fought back a growl. The Chee! Gone!
I said grimly.
Ax laughed a dark laugh. He stood up. he said with barely controlled rage.
He trotted forward and stood in front of the Visser. He was still smaller than the Visser, but not much. Ax had grown.
the Visser mused.
Ax said bravely. He took a fighting stance, his tail arched high over his back.
Visser Three sneered. Visser Three laughed. he laughed.
Ax said nothing. He whipped his tail forward, faster than what I could see. The Visser blocked it with his own tail blade. The Visser laughed. He brought his tail up, and held it over his back. Then he brought it down, sideways, going for Ax's side. Ax brought his tail over, but it was a bad angle. He stopped it, but not before it grazed his side.
Ax hissed in pain, but did not yell. He quickly counter-attacked, and brought his tail up for the Visser's head. Visser swung his head aside so that Ax missed it. Instead he his shoulder.
yelled the Visser. He brought up his tail, but Ax locked them tail blade to tail blade.
I could barely see what was happening because it was all happening so fast.
snarled Ax. He unlocked his tail blade and went for the Visser's legs. The Visser jumped back as he brought his tail forward. Ax himself jumped back, but a line was across his chest. It oozed blood. Before the Visser could make another move, Ax jumped at him, and whipped his tail forward.
Visser Three yelled. Ax's tail blade sheered off a piece of his flank. The Visser couldn't stand on his back left leg. he hissed.
retorted Ax. He jumped back, then brought his tail up. The Visser blocked it.
I couldn't believe this. It was all happening so fast! I wanted to help Ax, but I couldn't. I wasn't nearly fast enough.
Ax brought his tail forward again, going for the other flank. The Visser didn't block him. Didn't do anything to block it. Instead he went for Ax's head.
I yelled. Ax couldn't block it. Couldn't move out of the way. He was off balance, unable to defend himself.
I watched in horror as the Visser's tail blade went through his neck. I watched as Ax's body stiffened, then fall limp to the ground. Headless.
Tobias screamed.
I yelled.
The Visser laughed. I jumped out from behind the rock. I was close to him. Close enough to hurt him. To kill him.
He didn't see me until the last second. He tried to bring his tail around, but was too slow.
I landed on his back, breaking his spine. He couldn't move his tail. He buckled, falling to the ground. I clawed at him.
I yelled. I rolled him onto his side, and used my back legs to rip open his stomach.
Visser Three screamed in pain.
I said, standing over him. He was beginning to morph. Too slow. I brought my tiger head next to his own triangular head. I bared my teeth. I brought my head down and ripped out his throat.
The Visser went limp. His eyes closed. He gasped out one last thing. he said, then he shuddered, and died.
The Hork-Bajir bellowed, and the Taxxons screeched. The human Controllers just stood there, grinning.
I yelled again. The others were standing next to me.
I bared my teeth and jumped at the nearest Hork-Bajir.
Cassie jumped with me, and began to tear at a Hork-Bajir's legs.
Tobias went after the Taxxons. He used his elbow and wrist blades. After he killed a couple, the other Taxxons were unable to withstand their cannibalism. They began to eat their own dying and dead, forgetting us.
Rachel trumpeted, and began to swing her trunk back and forth knocking Hork-Bajir over the cliff. She stomped at them, trampling them under her large feet.
I killed the Hork-Bajir, and jumped at the next one. I slashed, and ducked under his wrist blade. I grabbed his throat and ripped it out, just as I had the Visser's.
Cassie was having a hard time. She was quick, and her lunges always struck home, but there were too many Hork-Bajir.
Tobias was fighting other Hork-Bajir, evenly matched. He was having the most trouble.
Rachel was having a little bit up fun. She picked up a Hork-Bajir and threw him over the cliff. Other Hork-Bajir she stepped on, and kicked out of her way.
I just kept jumping at Hork-Bajir, disembowelling them, or tearing out their throats. But there were so many. Kill one Hork-Bajir, and three would take its place.
yelled Tobias suddenly. He was over run by Hork-Bajir.
I killed the Hork-Bajir I was fighting, and jumped to help him. I was too late.
Even as I was jumping towards him a Hork-Bajir bounded over the others and landed on his back. Tobias wasn't able to throw him off. The Hork-Bajir drew back his wrist blade and plunged it into Tobias's back. Tobias's knees buckled, and another kicked him. He was rolled over, and another kicked his stomach.
Rachel yelled. She was running at top elephant speed, trying to get to him. Hork-Bajir were trampled in front of her in her charge.
I yelled. I finally made it. But it was too late. As I killed a Hork-Bajir that was attacking him, another stabbed his blade into Tobias's Hork-Bajir chest. Another drew back its blade and brought it down on his head.
Tobias never had the chance to yell.
screamed Rachel. Her trunk swung, knocking Hork-Bajir to the ground. She reared back on her hind legs, and brought them down on the Hork-Bajir. Hork-Bajir were stamped to death. More were knocked unconscious. Even more attacked Rachel.
I turned, and slashed my claws. I disembowelled the Hork-Bajir, then jumped at the next ones throat. I tore out the Hork-Bajir's throat and whirled at one who was coming at my back. Yet another one was coming at my side.
RRRRRRRRRROAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR! I roared, hoping to intimidate the Hork-Bajir. I was weakening, and tiring. My sides were coated in blood, and blood ran into my tiger eyes.
Cassie was only a few feet away, her mouth red with blood. She was badly cut on her side, and many smaller slashes all over her body, but kept going. She too was tiring.
I yelled. There were only three of us left. And all of us were weakening.
Rachel yelled. She kicked at a Hork-Bajir, and dislodged one that was on her back.
yelled Cassie. She yelped, and whirled on a Hork-Bajir that had stuck a blade into her flank. She grabbed hold of his throat and tore it out.
I jumped at a Hork-Bajir. I asked.
screamed Rachel. She shook her head, trying to shake off a Hork-Bajir. It slid down her face, drawing twin lines from it's wrist blades.
I yelled. I jumped to help Cassie, who was hounded (no pun intended) by Hork-Bajir.
I grabbed the nearest one by it's face and bit down, hard. The Hork-Bajir stopped moving.
screamed Rachel. Hork-Bajir were swarming her, climbing up onto her back. And her head. She was running blood from holes the Hork-Bajir were making when they climbed up her side. One of her ears were gone from a Hork-Bajir that had missed her head.
I yelled. I began to make my way towards her. Then I stopped. I yelled. I still ran towards Rachel. She threw off a couple of the Hork-Bajir, and crushed them under her feet.
She ran towards me, some of the Hork-Bajir falling off. One of the Hork-Bajir climbed to her head, and drew back its arm.
I yelled. She tried to shake her head, but the Hork-Bajir held on. It brought down its blade, into her head. Rachel trumpeted in pain. She didn't fall, but did stumble.
she screamed. It brought back its blade again, and plunged it deeper into her head. This time Rachel fell to her knees.
screamed Cassie. She was trying to get to Rachel, but was surrounded by Hork-Bajir.
she yelled back. She tried to stand up, the Hork-Bajir were all over her. Plunging in their blades, drawing them down her body, making long, bloody lines. she screamed. She kicked her legs, dislodging some of them. She fell to her side.
reported the sonic detonator.
I yelled. I ran towards her, but I knew I could be of little help. But I had to try! I lunged at the Hork-Bajir, tearing out throats, ripping open stomachs. There were so many!
I saw the Hork-Bajir on her head. Next to her eye. Rachel tried to grab it with her trunk, but there wasn't much left of it. She was losing blood at an enormous rate. I jumped at the Hork-Bajir that was right then plunging its blade into her brown eyes. An eye that was connected to her brain.
I hit the Hork-Bajir, but again, too late. Rachel screamed, both in my head, and as an elephant. Her body stiffened, refusing the die. Her legs thrashed, crushing and throwing Hork-Bajir.
I cried.
she said weakly. said Rachel softly. Her elephant body shuddered slightly, then went limp.
I said softly. I was still killing Hork-Bajir. But it was never ending.
said the sonic detonator.
I yelled. I could see her. Barely. She was fighting the Hork-Bajir that were surrounding her. I could see how she barely jumped out of the way of the attacks. I yelled again. I ran towards her.
said the detonator.
I yelled.
she yelled back.
I knew we were going to die. I knew it.

I watched as a Hork-Bajir picked up her body and threw it.
Then the world exploded.

I woke up. I didn't know where I was. What I was.
Then I remembered. Rachel, Tobias, Ax, probably Cassie, were dead. All of them dead. All but me.
My body was shattered. I lifted my head. My tiger head.
I tried morphing. I couldn't. I didn't know if it was because I was too weak, or that I had gone over the two hour limit. What I did know was that I was dying.
I looked around as best I could.
The cliff side was gone. Only rubble, and a few small fires remained. No bodies. No signs of life.
I tried to stand up, and realized that I could move. Perhaps stand up. But for how long I didn't know.
That's when I saw her.
Cassie. She was lying unconscious in the rubble. Half of her wolf body was covered by rocks.
I cried. She didn't answer. I knew that she wouldn't. She was unconscious.
I stood up. I smiled in my head. I could stand. I took a step forward. I could walk. Sort of.
I could only take a step at a time. Slowly, so slowly.
My body didn't want to move. It wanted to lie down and die.
I made to Cassie. It seemed like years later, but I made it to Cassie.
I nudged her still body. I lay down next to her. No reaction. No rise or fall of her chest.
I looked at the sky. I don't know why, but something prompted me to look at the sky.
I blinked my eyes. I saw green and red lights flashing back and forth. Explosions. More explosions from the ones shooting red than green.
I whispered to myself. I nudged Cassie's body again. I think I knew deep in my mind that she was dead. But I wouldn't let myself believe it. I nudged her again. I looked back at the sky. I looked at her still body. I nudged her yet again.
I knew. I let myself believe it then. Let myself believe that she was dead. I cried. I could already feel my body shutting down.
I lay my head down on hers. I wanted to be as close to her as I could. I wouldn't let myself cry though.
I nuzzled her head. I could feel the beginnings of darkness creeping up on me.
<...forever.....forever.....forever...>
I could feel myself not need to take in as much air. I could feel my body begin to relax. The darkness was closer.
<...forever...forever...>
I could barely breathe now. Then I stopped. My heart slowed. Darkness creept even closer.
<....forever...>
I could feel my heart stop. My body relaxed completely. I slowly closed my eyes. I saw the darkness fill up the rest of my vision. I felt it close its door with one whispered word.
Forever....

About ten hours later....

In the valley, a boulder moved. Slowly at first, then faster until it revealed a cave. Seven bodies, five young, two older, were standing there, blinking at sky. They could see pinpoints of light, and explosions. They really did not think much of it.
The five young ones stepped out into the sunlight. It was early morning, with the sun just peeking over the valley wall.
They could see that one whole said of it was gone. It was all rubble.
"Grandma? What happened?" asked Melissa. She just shook her head, her eyes wide.
"Let's go!" yelled Alan. He began to morph his hawk. The others followed his example.
"No kids! Stay here!" yelled Grandpa.
The jumped into the air together and flew towards the rubble.
The grandparents stood there, tears running down their faces.

asked Marco.
replied Alan. He sounded worried. Were his parents dead?
They began their decent towards the rubble. They landed and demorphed.
Marco and Melissa took each others hand and stood their mouths agape.
Alan frowned, and began to walk around the rubble. He was looking for his mother.
Elfangor and Lalia were prancing around, their eye stalks swinging around, looking for their father.
called Lalia.
echoed Elfangor.
"Mom? Dad?" yelled Alan. "Where are you guys?" That's when he saw something that didn't look like a boulder. He ran towards it, the tears already welling up in his eyes. "Mom?" He knew before he got there. When he reached it, his fears came true. It was his mother's still elephant body. Her sides didn't rise or fall. She didn't move. "Oh mom!" He cried. He ran up to her side and laid against it. He began to cry.
"Where do you think Mom and Dad are Melissa?" asked Marco. He was looking around, carefully walking around the rocks. "They probably went out somewhere. Figures. They always go without us." He laughed slightly.
"I don't think so," said Melissa softly. She cupped her small hands around her mouth. "Mom!? Dad!? Where are you?!" She looked around, almost afraid of what she would find.
"Melissa, look!" cried Marco. He pointed at a single tree that was standing. Around the tree there were almost no boulders. "Let's go look!"
"Okay," said Melissa. They ran as fast as they could towards the single tree. They stopped at the fringe of the boulders. "No," whispered Melissa.
Both of them stood wide-eyed at two still figures. One was a wolf that was half buried by the rocks. The other was a tiger, lying with its head on top of the wolf's.
"Mom! Dad! Wake up!" yelled Marco. He sprinted as fast as his little legs would let him. He fell down in front of the two still figures. He shook the tiger, hoping it would waken. But he knew that it would never wake up. He knew that his mother and father were dead. "Why?" he asked himself. He looked up at Melissa who had tears running down her cheeks. "Why?" he asked her.
Melissa just shook her head, and kneeled down with Marco. They took each others hand again, and they both cried.
After a while, Melissa sniffed. She didn't know how long she had been there crying, but when she looked at the sun, it was high in the sky.
Alan walked up. Marco looked at him, tears still running down his cheeks. Behind Alan were Elfangor and Lalia. Both of them looked sad. Their tails were down to the ground, their heads bent in grief.
said Lalia. She fell to her knees.
Alan sighed. "I found my mother's body. I can't find my fathers. I think he is dead too."
Marco and Melissa stood up together.
"What are we going to do?" asked Marco. He wiped away his tears.
"We fight," said Alan. He looked at the sky. "We fight," he said again.
Then they all took each others hand and walked back towards the valley.


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