The Beloved
By: Andalite Girl
Authors note: It's a little slow in the beginning, but it gets better *snickers*
My name is Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. That is an andalite name of course, you wouldn't find a human with a name like mine or so I'm told. What is a human you ask? Well they are a semi-sentient species that inhabit a small, out of the way planet called Earth.
Unfortunately it is not out of the way enough. The Yeerks have discovered this planet and are making hosts- slaves out of the humans. I know that most of you don't really care. Humans are not dangerous like Hork-bajir, they don't have technology to offer and they fall over quite easily on just two legs. In fact the only thing they really have is numbers.
Picture this: 6 billion or so host bodies that the Yeerks can get a hold of. That is more then enough for every yeerk in existence. With 6 billion bodies they would be able to move against the home world and win.
That added to the fact that humans learn remarkably fast and that they can thrive on just about any food and well… It isn't good. The only thing that stands in the Yeerks way is 5 human children and I, a warrior cadet. But that's not all. These humans have the morphing power given to them by Prince Elfangor. Using this power they have fought the Yeerks and even slowed down the invasion in hopes that my people will come with reinforcements.
But all of that was out of my mind for the moment for I was to learn how to roller blade. My story begins as I was in human morph in a place called "The rink"
" I do not under stand why I must wear these artificial hoofs," I complained.
"You have to do it to roller blade Ax," Tobias said. He was in human morph also because his natural body is that of a red tailed hawk. " Hurry up, the others are already out there."
I clipped on the last clip of my artificial hoof. " I am ready," I stood up and promptly lost my balance.
Tobias laughed and helped me up. " Don't try to think like an Andalite, you only have two feet here. Try to think like a human, the human instincts should help you."
"Like a human," I dutifully repeated. I took a few more wobbly steps before falling over again, but I was learning. I only fell a few more times on the way to the rink.
The rink itself is very strange and intimidating. It had a completely smooth floor with walls incasing it in a large oval. Humans glided and slid around on the floor casing each other around counter clockwise. Like many human rituals this confused me.
I found that I could only move without falling by clutching the wall and pushing myself forward. Tobias stayed by me for a few minutes until Rachel glided up. " Hey guys sup?"
" Ax is trying to roller blade," Tobias said with a hint of humor in his voice. " But he is having trouble with his balance."
Just then a most horrible song came on. It had human females singing in a screeching voice that made me want to cut my own ears off with my tail-blade.
Tearing up my heart when I'm with you!
When we are apart I feel it too.
Blah, Blah, Blah, Bllllaaahhhh we really are gay!
" Rachel do you want to dance with me?" Tobias asked.
Rachel smiled, " Sure why not?" He took her hand and glided off.
I pulled myself along for awhile until the primitive wheels until my roller blade got caught on something and I fell over. I sat there for a few seconds, cursing all of human technology when a voice broke into my thoughts.
" Are you ok?"
I looked up and saw…. The most beautiful creature in the universe! She had light blond hair and palish skin, but really got my attention was her eyes. They were a gray color that seemed to shine like polished silver.
" Are you ok?" She repeated.
" Uh, yes." I stammered. " I do not find this enjoyable. able."
She helped me up, " Yeah, I'm not very good at it either. They call me Melissa how about you?"
" I am Philip." Philip is the name I use in my human morph.
" Nice name-" She began. At that moment anouther human skated into us. I reached out to steady Melissa, but we ended up falling anyway. We looked at each other for a moment and burst out laughing. There was nothing funny of course, but being around her gave me a giddy feeling. I had never felt this way around a person, human or andalite.
Eventually we got up again and resumed skating around the rink. All at once the terrible music cut off and a voice boomed over the laod speaker. " It is now closing time. Please exit the rink and return the roller blades. Thank you for skating at ____ ___ rinks."
Melissa looked sad, " I guess I should go," She started to glide away.
"Wait!" I said. " I would like to see you again,"
" Really?" She asked.
I nodded, a human gesture. " Yes,"
" Could we meet here tomorrow and go somewhere else?"
" I would like that." I said not believing my luck.
She smiled. " Ok then, it's a date."
******
What was I thinking? I thought as I ran absorbing grass into my hoofs. A human of all things. A human! One of the most backward animals in the universe and I, Aximili, liked one.
When I first demorphed back into my own body I had laughed at the whole thing. It seemed so ridiculous, so unnatural, and so… wrong. But as the hours passed I found that I could not stop thinking about her, the way her eyes seemed to shine, the way she smiled at me. I had to see her again, just one more time.
I also decided to not tell the others, not Prince Jake, not even Tobias. I didn't feel like I was being selfish for not telling them, it is just that… Well I am by no means an expert on humans, but my friends were tired.
They had fought too many battles and too many people had died on their hands. It was wearing them down, it was also wearing me down but I was a trained warrior cadet and I knew how to deal with the stress. So I didn't tell anyone about her.
It was the biggest mistake of my life.
Chapter 2
I met Melissa at the time and place, in fact she was already waiting for me. " I was afraid you wouldn't come." She admitted.
" I had to see you again. Gin Agin."
Melissa cocked her head. " Do you have a stuttering problem?"
"Yes," I said having no idea what stuttering was.
" So where do you want to go?"
" Go?" I asked. " The beach is close by is it not?"
"Yep, sure is." She said.
We walked down to the beach side by side. It was beautiful, the waves were crashing on the shore. Sea birds wheeled and dived overhead and the single sun was setting in blazes of orange and red. Also the first stars were beginning to come out. The whole scene was so peaceful that one might mistake it for my own world.
Melissa sighed. " It's so pretty. Isn't it?"
" Yes, it reminds me of my home." I confessed.
" Oh really? Where do you come from?"
I hesitated. " Uhh… Canada. It is very nice this time of the year."
" I have lived in the same town all my life." Melissa looked at the stars. " Do you believe that there is other life out there?" She asked suddenly.
I was taken aback. Did she know? Could she have guessed? Melissa continued, "Sometimes I wonder if there is. I mean, think about all the stars out there. Some must have planets." She sighed again. " Wonder if they are good or bad."
" Or a little of both," I muttered under my breath.
We continued to walk along the beach and talk. I made up stories of my childhood, and spoke about my family. And we made jokes and laughed. Lies, all of it.
Finally I was out of time. " I must go." I announced. " Is it possible to see you again?"
She nodded, " Yeah, you free tomorrow?"
" Yes, how about we meet right here. Same time."
"Ok," She said then did something strange. She bent forward and pressed her lips against my cheek. " Bye," Then she walked off.
I hid behind a sand dune, demorphed and remorphed as a northern harrier.
*********
< Hi Tobias, > I said as I swooped down from the clouds. Tobias was in his favorite tree scanning the field for mice.
< Hey Ax, I was looking for you earlier. >
I felt a surge of guilt not telling my Shorm about Melissa. < Yes I was out. >
< Uh-huh, > He said, < I know that tone of thought speak. What were you really doing? >
I landed on the ground and demorphed before I answered. < Well… I was with a human female. >
Tobias sounded happy. < You were? As in a date? Ax that's great! >
< What do you mean? >
< Her name is Melissa Chapman. >
Tobias was silent for a moment. < Oh man, what are you going to do? >
< I don't know! She is so nice, but everything I tell her is a lie! > I paused, < I know that I can not tell her the truth, I do not think she would believe it. But I can not go on and continue lying to her. >
Tobias flitted down to a lower branch. < Maybe we should tell Jake and the others. >
I shook my head. < No I do not want them to know… Yet. >
< Yes, I understand. >
*****
The next day I met her again but there was a difference. She seemed distracted and unable to concentrate. " What is the matter? Tter. Ater." I asked.
She looked up at me. " Nothing really. It's just… Never mind." We walked a little ways then she turned to me. " It's my parents."
" Your parents?"
" Look, I know that I haven't known you for very long Philip, but… I feel like I can trust you. If I tell you a big secret then would you promise not to tell anyone? You're the only one I can trust."
I felt a tingle of fear slide up my spine. " Yes I would not tell." I promised.
She looked around to see if anyone was in hearing range. " My parents are acting strange. Not talking that much, they basically seem like indifferent robots." She laughed a little. "I just thought it was some sort of middle age crises. But last night I spied on them by listening to the air vents. They kept talking about a Pisser or Visser or something. And they kept mentioning these things called Yeerks. I'm tired of all of this and I was thinking about confronting them."
My mouth went dry and my heart skipped a few beats. I took her hands in mine to make her pay attention. " Melissa listen to me." I said urgently. " Do not confront your parents. Don't tell them anything about their behavior."
"Why?"
I took a deep breath. " Your parents are not really your parents anymore. A Yeerk slug has entered through their ear canal, displaced the inner ear and taken over the brain. This slug has complete control over the host. What you heard was the slug talking, not your parents." I stopped and waited for a reaction.
Melissa barked out a laugh. " You are kidding right? Have you been watching to much of that crappy animorph show on nick?"
" No, I haven't." I persisted.
"Umm, I have to go," She said quietly.
" Let me come with you." I said. " If you are going to confront your parents then let me come with you."
She looked hesitant. " Ok," She said at last. " My house is about half a mile away from here."
I smiled. " Good, and about that Yeerk thing…. I was attempting to be humorous."
"Oh," She sounded distracted again.
On the way to the house I tried to think of a plan, but I had no idea what to do. When Chapman finds out what his daughter knows then he might want to make her a controller also. I had to stop that no matter what. And not get caught. I reminded myself.
Finally we stopped at a light blue house. " This is it," Melissa said nervously, "No turning back now."
"No," I agreed.
She opened the door and walked in. " Dad, Mom, I'm home!"
" Your mother isn't here she had a meeting," Chapman said as he walked into the room, "Who are you?" He demanded looking at me.
" I am Philip," I explained.
" He is a friend dad," Melissa said, " Sit down dad I need to ask you something."
Chapman glowered at me, but sat down.
" Something weird has been going on." Melissa began. " Why don't you like me anymore? Who and what are the Yeerks? And who is Visser 3?"
I had hoped that Chapman would make up a lie to tell her. Then Melissa would be safe and I would be able to go home with a free conscience. But it was not meant to be.
Chapman's face turned red, a fascinating thing to watch. He stood up and said, "I was hoping that this wouldn't happen dear," Then he pulled out a hand held dracon beam from his pocket. " Get in the van, we are going for a little ride."
Chapter 3
Trapped! I should have gotten backup before hand, should have told the others and now…
" Dad what is that?" Melissa asked, her voice trembling.
Chapman's face twisted into an evil smile. " It's a dracon beam honey, but you will learn all about it soon enough. Turn around. You too Philip. Now walk to the van."
" The van" is a slow ground transport machine. It has two main bays and is perched on top of four wheels. We were instructed to get into the rear part while Chapman sat in the front part where the controls were located.
A plan, a plan, I needed a plan! No, what I needed was my tail so I could cut that dirty Yeerk from its host. I couldn't demorph in the van there was too much chance that a human pedestrian would see me. I had no choice, I had to wait till Chapman took us down to the pool to make my move.
But he didn't take the usual route to the Yeerk pool, instead he turned off into the forest. I guess a new entrance had been built. I leaned over to Melissa, she looked scared but calm. " I have a plan." I whispered.
" What are you going to do?" She hissed.
"Hey, shut up back there!" Chapman warned. " Or I'll stun you."
" Just be ready to take control of the van… and what ever happens don't scream." I said as I focused on demorphing.
Melissa's eyes got wider and wider as my lips sealed together and my skin turned blue. My front legs started growing from my chest and my stalk eyes shot from my head.
Fur was just growing from my skin when the controller looked in the mirror and performed what is known as a double take. " Andalite!" He screamed as he reached for the dracon beam. He leveled it point blank at my head and pressed the button.
Luckily my tail had emerged.
FWAPP!
I cut Chapman in the shoulder and his shot went wild, blowing out the back window. I swung my tail again and hit him in the side of the head with the flat of my blade knocking him out.
< Melissa now! > I yelled.
She threw herself in the front compartment and grabbed a plastic wheel. But the van kept on gaining speed. < You must slow it down. >
" I can't his foot's on the gas!" She wailed.
The van picked up more speed as Melissa tried to avoid the dense trees. Suddenly a sharp corner came up in the road. " Hold on!" She yelled.
The van tipped wildly on its side and began to roll. I was thrown all over the van and only had a second to glimpse a large tree that was quickly coming closer. There was a large crunching sound and then horrible silence.
****
I woke to find that I was out side of the van. I must have gotten thrown. < Melissa? >
There wasn't an answer. I climbed to my hoofs and assessed my injures, only a few cuts and bruises. Nothing to worry about.
The van was located up the hill a little way. It was on its side and there was red blood everywhere. I heard a feint cry. " Help!"
I ran to the right side and threw back a piece of medal. It was Melissa and she looked awful. Her skin was paler then usual and her lips were tinged blue. " Philip?" She whispered.
< Yes, it is me. >
" You look… different." She tried to smile. " I'm so tired."
< Oh no! Don't fall asleep, your going into shock. Don't…. >
" I think… I wish I had more time."
I stroked my palm against he cheek, an andalite kiss. < You will be ok, as soon as the paramedics get here you will be fine. >
" Philip… Love you." Then Melissa closed her eyes. She never woke up.
****
One time I had read a book of quotes that my friends gave me. In it a human said. " It is better to love and lost then to have never loved at all." Sometimes humans can be very smart.
Questions? Comments? Death threats? Well e-mail 'em to me!