I don't own Animorphs.

Controller
 by Sinister Shadow

Chapter One

Orifix

My name is Orifix-Sedaan-Ajani. Or at least, it used to be. Now, you may call me Orifix One-One-Four-Four. Or 1144. And this is my story. The story of an Andalite nothlit.

Now, you must be thinking: "Nothlit stories are so common! I hear them all the time. So what's so special about this one?"

Well, the thing is, there's nothing special about it. The morph-trap happened by accident, just like every other one. I had to live like my new species, just like every other nothlit. But my story is definitely different, if not special. Because I was despised by my own people, much unlike other nothlits. I became an expert on the enemy. I befriended the enemy.

... And the most important thing, is that during my strange life I realized some things that -- I hate to admit it -- I would definitely not have realized if I were still an Andalite today. So here is my story. But I warn you: You may have to brace yourself. Because this is no normal nothlit story...

This is the story of the Andalite who turned into the enemy.

My story starts in 1981, in Earth years. In the beginning of the Andalite month of Kivah. In Earth months? The middle of January. It was at that time that I was born.

I was raised in a very large family -- which included my three sisters, two brothers, parents, and I -- on the Andalite Homeworld. My parents' names were Gidan-Maija-Sedaan and Alara-Umi-Ajani. As for my siblings, each and every one of them was older than me, all except for my younger sister Jani- Katacera-Aksoa. I spent half my childhood with Jani by my side. She followed me everywhere. She admired me.

I wanted to be a good big brother to my sister. I would risk my life for her any day. So one day, while we were running free in the lush fields of the Andalite Homeworld, I looked straight into her eyes and swore to her:

I swear, Jani. I swear that I will never let anything bad to happen to you.

I swore it to her. And I intended to keep my promise. Forever.

... Unfortunately, things don't always work out the way you want them to.

And that was the case with me.

It was by trying to save Jani that I became a nothlit.

It happened on a nice 1987 day. I was six years old, in human years. In Andalite years, I was 0.87 years old. That is because it takes approximately seven human years for one Andalite year to pass.

In your years, Jani was an innocent four-year-old. Why they had to take her, I'll probably never know.

We were in the fields close to home when they took her. We had been walking around in the tasty grass for a while when suddenly Jani noticed a beautiful flower at the borders of the forest, around a mile away.

Jani collected flowers. It was her favorite pass-time.

Even now, I still wish I could see her again. Ask her how many flowers she has so far... But no. That's not at all how it worked out.

Jani ran over to pick up the flower.

What a pretty flower! she yelled back at me. Come see, Orifix!

I smiled and started toward her. If I hadn't taken my precious time, perhaps I could have made it before it was too late...

I hadn't even taken twenty steps when suddenly two very tall, brownish creatures, with strange looking beaks for mouths and blades everywhere on their bodies.

Since I was very young, back then, I had no idea whatsoever of what these things were. But I didn't really care. I was too preoccupied with the fact that their bladed arms were closing around Jani's!

My sister didn't even have time to react before a sort of aluminium cloth was placed on her tail blade. Didn't know what was happening when the brown creatures quickly blindfolded her.

I managed to see her main eyes one last time before they were covered with a cloth.

The pure terror written on Jani's face that day still stings my hearts...

Help me brother! yelled Jani, Help me! O--

I knew she had tried to say my name. But the creatures slammed her in the head, knocking her out, before she even had the chance.

Then, they dragged her deep, deep into the forest.

I followed for a bit, but then my knees buckled and I was too tired to continue.

And if that wasn't bad enough... My insides were worse off.

I was filled with the greatest sorrow any Andalite had ever felt. I had let my little sister down. I promised her nothing bad would ever happen to her. But something bad was happening. Now!

I couldn't give up on Jani. Never! I tried desperately to get up. No success. I hung my head in despair.

And then, when I thought there was no hope left, I remembered something. And remembering just that one thing was the ultimate path to becoming a nothlit. But Jani always came first. And I don't regret that.

But I do regret the idea I got with the memory of the one thing I could use: I had the power of the Escafil device.

The Escafil device is a form of Andalite technology. Brilliant... but dangerous. It allows any Andalite with the power to use it to transform into any creature he or she wants, as long as they touch the animal first and concentrate on it. Then they concentrate on the animal again and they are able to become it. I could become a Kafit bird. I could become a Gikon. I could even become a Taxxon if I wanted to. Taxxons, by the way, are these great big, yellow, slimy centipedes who are also cannibals (they'll eat themselves if they get the chance!). But the problem with morphing (turning into) a Taxxon was that the Andalites were not allowed on the Taxxon Homeworld anymore because the Yeerks had taken the Taxxon species over. Therefore, I had never acquired a Taxxon.

Yeerks had taken over the Taxxons. Yeerks. These slimy parasites that look like gray slugs who are a little bigger than usual. You may have heard of parasites before. Those things that settle into your stomachs or intestines. But Yeerks are different. They take over your mind.

Once a Yeerk is wrapped around your brain there's no stopping it. It moves your fingers and hands. It decides where you go, when and where you sleep and eat. It reads your memories like a book, therefore being able to pass for you. And the worse thing is, you can't do anything about it.

All you can do is stay trapped in the corner of your mind, yelling and screaming all you want. But you know, you should really stop screaming after a while, because the Yeerk's not leaving.

And you can only watch as the Yeerk lives the life that was meant to be yours.

It must be horrible to live a life where you have no freedom. A life of slavery. My father told me about the Yeerks one night when I was five, because I was curious about it. The Yeerks had blown up a building near our home, and I wanted to know why they had done that.

The Yeerks weren't always like this, my father told me while I settled in to sleep for the night. They're just a species gone bad. The Yeerks are our enemies. We will fight them for our freedom, or else die trying.

He had then smiled at me.

Don't worry about that, Orifix. he continued. You'll understand when you're older. I remembered that as if it was yesterday. And now, I was older. And I felt responsible for my little sister.

And I was positive that those two bladed creatures that took my sister were being controlled by Yeerks. Positive.

I felt a wave of anger and hate grow inside me.

I hated these Yeerks. Hated them with a passion. Who were they to try and enslave Jani?! So I remembered the Escafil device. A distinctive picture of a Kafit bird, a bird with six multicolored wings, began to form in my head. And so did the picture of something else, also:

A plan. I had a plan to save Jani.

I felt the changes begin. A multicolor sketch of feathers appeared on my arms. Then, suddenly, the pattern popped up out of my skin, forming hundreds of small feathers. The same things happened to my four legs: My hooves retracted into my legs, causing me to stumble and fall to the ground. and then, the same feather pattern burst out.

I was now a normal sized Andalite with six too-small wings. This would definitely not help.

My bladed tail retracted and then popped back out a long, feathered Kafit tail. My stalk eyes shriveled up and disappeared into my skull. My body and head covered with multicolor feathers as I shrunk down to Kafit size, my nose grew, hardened and sharpened to become a beak, and two beige talons erupted from my lower body.

Last to go were my eyes and internal organs. My eyes sharpened to the incredible vision of a Kafit bird, and became solid red, leaving nothing but my pupils, who were black. I felt a soft squishing as my internal organs shifted around. My second and third hearts stopped beating and disappeared. A Kafit bird only had one heart.

I stood up on my talons and started flapping my six wings. The morph was complete. I rose higher and higher, and then rocketed back down into the mass of trees to find Jani.

As soon as I arrived below the rims of the trees, I saw her. She was still unconscious, being dragged by the arms along a path that led to....

A Bug Fighter!

My parents had described these ships to me. They look like giant bugs without the paws, and that have long, diagonal flight wings. They're completely black. And the ship I saw now, that was nothing but a mile away from my sister and her captors, fit the description perfectly.

And if I wasn't mistaken, that's where they were heading.

My sister would be taken to the Yeerk Homeworld. The Yeerks' planet. To be enslaved. To be controlled.

And I would not let that happen! No! Not to Jani!

I flapped my Kafit wings as hard as possible. My plan had completely developped in my head now. It was just a matter of time.

I flew over, and past the bladed creatures holding my sister captive. But before I went too far, I heard bits of the strange creatures' conversation...

" What if she wakes up before we get to the Homeworld?" asked the one at the left. " What if we can't get a Yeerk into her head before she gets enough strength to escape?"

The other one, at the right, who seemed to be in charge, cocked his head to the left.

" We can put a Yeerk we have in the portable Kandrona in there for now." he said, " It won't hurt."

" Yes, sir." said the other one.

I flapped as fast as I could towards the Bug Fighter. I had all the information I needed.

I flew straight into the Bug Fighter. Right past the Taxxon guard that was getting it ready for launch.

And it didn't take me long at all to find out where the portable Yeerk Pool was stashed.

It was open, and the stench of the sludge within in filled the air of the small room it was in. I looked, and heard a soft swish as a Yeerk's back glided on the surface of the sludge before disappearing into the deep, dark liquid.

I had to move fast.

I flew over to the pool, demorphed back into my Andalite form, and knelt down so my face met with the liquid in the pool... And the three Yeerks it contained. The biggest Yeerk, obviously an adult, was of a dark gray color. It was about twice the size of the other two. The two small ones were similar, but different. One of them was of a deep gray, a little lighter that the adult Yeerk. The other was slimmer, smaller. It was of a light, light gray. Almost silver, actually. And with a small hint of light blue. It glided over the sludge with a strange grace.

I heard voices outside the door. Oh no! My sister's captors must have entered the ship! Luckily for me, they seemed to be deep in conversation with the Taxxon pilot. So I quickly proceded with my plan while I still had the time.

I picked up the second smallest Yeerk. I don't know why, it just seemed like the one who would fit me best.

I picked it up and held it tightly in both my hands. And I closed my eyes. I could feel its small antennae feel the strange things that were holding it captive.

I concentrated on the Yeerk.

That's right. I was acquiring it. It was all part of my plan.

After I finished acquiring the Yeerk, I threw it back into the pool. And then, my hearts thumping with terror, I started the morph.

My strong Andalite skin turned soft. I touched it. It was all slimy. My stalk eyes retracted into my skull. My tail enlarged to become the short "tail" of a Yeerk.

Then, suddenly, my legs split apart and I fell to the ground, not causing much of a racket because my body was so soft. All four of my legs stretched, and then closed in onto my sides.

Suddenly, my stalk eyes reappeared. But they were blind. Antennae.

And then, something horrible happened.

The voices. The Taxxon's paws on the controls. The room around me. The Yeerks in the pool, and the pool itself. The light... It was all gone! I couldn't see! I couldn't hear! I panicked beyond my control. This wasn't supposed to happen! How should I have known that Yeerks were blind and deaf?

Jani, I remembered. I can't panic. I have to save my sister!

The morph finished. I tried desperately to find my way into the pool. But I was only about half way there when the door opened.

I vaguely.... heard something. I guess Yeerks aren't totally deaf, but they can only hear slightly. Not enough to matter.

Suddenly, I felt I was picked up off the floor. The Yeerk's instincts took over my body, and it felt the hands, the fingers that were holding it. Holding me.

The hands moved me. They moved me in a direction I wasn't aware of. And then, all of a sudden, I felt something.

The Yeerk's instincts told me to move forward. So I did. There was an opening and I went in, flattening myself out to fit the small, confined spaces.

I kept going for a long time. For what seemed like days.

And then, I stopped.

I felt something hard, but soft. Something a bit... electric. I let my body glide over this mysterious surface, and before I could react, I felt myself sink into it! I was flattening out, wrapping around the entire spheric surface.

And then, suddenly, I heard:

" Yeerk! Are you there? Can you hear me, Yeerk?"

I opened my eyes. Yes, I had eyes. I opened them and realized, in shock, where I was. I was inside my sister. Jani.

That thing I had wrapped around was her brain!

I couldn't believe it. My desperate plan had actually worked! I had been able to stop a Yeerk from controlling my sister.

How? By controlling her myself.

But in order to do this, in order to fool them, I needed to pass as a Yeerk.

" Yeerk! Do you hear me?"

I looked around, trying to figure out who was calling out to me. And then, my eyes rested on a large, bladed creature. It was one of the creatures who had held my sister captive! I faced him, trying to look indifferent, and spoke out with my sister's voice.

Yes, sir, I can hear you. I said.

" Good. What is your name, Yeerk?" asked the bladed creature.

My name? I thought hard. My name is Orifix. ... Orifix.... One-One- Four-Four.

Suddenly, my sister's spirit jolted in the back of her mind.

Did you say Orifix? she exclaimed, Orifix! That's my big brother!

Yes, Jani, it's me, Orifix! I told her, filled with joy. I told you I would never let anything bad happen to you.

Thank you, Orifix! Thank you!

Suddenly, the bladed creature interrupted our conversation. I snapped back to reality.

" So, Orifix One-One-Four-Four." he said, " I am Sub-Visser Thirty-Eight, under the command of Sub-Visser Nine. I will take you back to the homeworld, and then release you into the pool so that this Andalite can be enslaved by a Yeerk of higher rank. A Visser."

I nodded.

Suddenly, the door slid open and the Taxxon pilot entered the room.

" We have popped out of Zero-Space," he announced, " We should be arriving on the Homeworld momentarily."

" Great," said Sub-Visser Thirty-Eight, " So, let's wait until we land to clear all of this up with Orifix here."

" And what about the other Yeerks, sir?" asked the other bladed creature.

" We discharge them into the Sulp Niar pool, along with Orifix." the Sub- Visser said. " Sub-Visser Nine says we've just received a new load of Hork- Bajir. They will all get new hosts tomorrow."

New hosts. I was persuaded I wouldn't get one. I was persuaded that in a few hours, I would be back on the Andalite Homeworld with my parents... And Jani.

So I waited it out. And I waited long.

When we finally arrived on the Yeerk Homeworld, the Taxxon pilot climbed out, desperate to enjoy his break.

" You stay here." Sub-Visser Thirty-Eight told me, " Along with these Yeerks. We're going to talk to the Vissers about this Andalite. We'll be back in about half an hour."

With that, he and his bladed companion walked out of the ship, leaving me and Jani -- and the three Yeerks -- alone in the Bug Fighter.

Big mistake.

When they were out of sight, I picked up the portable Yeerk pool with Jani's arms and brought it outside the ship. Then, I mentally faced my sister.

Listen, Jani. I said, You must get out of here. Take the ship. Press the biggest yellow button you can find. It will take you back to its previous destination. The Andalite Homeworld.

But what about you? Jani exclaimed, I'm not leaving without you!

If I had had my Andalite body, I would have cried.

You have to. I said, Both of us can't escape at the same time. I have to stay for a while, just to make sure they don't find out where you are. Leave, Jani. Go back to the Homeworld. I'll catch up, I promise! I'll be there with you soon.

Jani hesitated, but then finally agreed.

Okay. I'll do it.

That's my sis! I exclaimed, Now, I'm leaving.

I stood in front of the portable Kandrona. Ready to demorph as soon as I got down there.

Then remorph back to Yeerk as fast as I could.

Goodbye, Jani. I told my sister, And good luck. I'll see you again soon.

And with that, I left my sister's head. Plopped down into the sludge of the Yeerk pool.

I was so confident I would succeed. I demorphed.

I demorphed...

Wait. Something was wrong...

A wave of nauxious dread filled my body.

Concentrate, Orifix! I pleaded myself, Concentrate!

I forced myself to demorph. To retrieve my Andalite body. But I was in vain. And even then, I knew it was too late.

I'd stayed in morph for too long. Past the two hour time limit.

I was a Yeerk forever.

And as I felt the vibrations of the Bug Fighter taking off, I cried as well as any Yeerk can.

Please review if you want me to continue.