Nicole
"Do you really think you can stop us?" Came the voice from the open hatch, and a figure we all knew stepped out. It was Aerionna's mom! Rtaia!
(What… what's going on?! Is she a traitor?!) Megan asked from beside me. Alex was with me too. We were all a little bloody, and all of us were exhausted.
(No. She has been Yeerked) Kay's voice sounded cruel and menacing. He wasn't too far away from the three of us, and the others were further off.
(Oh my god)
"I do believe you've all figured it out" She said, laughing again. In this time, we'd all been talking between ourselves. Thought-speak can be pretty handy at times.
"My name is Jelred Five-four-two. And I must say… Rtaia's mind is exquisite. Not to mention this wonderfully fast body. Wouldn't you say so, Bikan?"
"Yes" Came the human male's voice. A voice I knew all too well. A voice that had once sung me to sleep when I'd had a bad dream. And my suspicions were confirmed when the owner of that voice stepped out to stand beside Rtaia.
(Dad!) I screamed, starting to run towards him, but Alex stopped me.
(No! That thing isn't your father anymore Nicole! It's a Yeerk!)
(You don't think I'm going to… I'm not going to kill my own father Alex!)
(You don't have to Nikki. Just hold it for a minute. There still might be a chance…)
(A chance of what Alex?! My dad… I can't…)
(Shhh, I know) he nuzzled me, then stood beside me. I knew dad was watching me. Or… the horrid creature inside his own head.
"Nicole? Hey sweetie, nice to see you around. How about you…" All of a sudden his face contorted, and his whole body was shaking. Then…
"RUN NICOLE!! DON'T LOOK BACK!! DON'T EVER-"
Then his face changed again, back to the mocking one he walked out on.
"These hosts are so annoying. They like to fight us from time to time. But we always win in the end"
(No… daddy… no…)
"That's right" Rtaia said "We've had an awful hard time controlling these two, but in the end…" She smiled, then looked over at Aerionna. Aerionna stumbled back, away from the abomination that was her mother.
(No… you are not my… don't look at me like that!)
(All of you. Don't give in! They are just trying to intimidate you all! Do not let them! They like to play tricks on us all…) Kay's voice echoed through my head as I watched the two move out into the open, and all of us backed up.
"Awww. Looks like we've been rejected Jake"
"Oh well. Too bad then. Guards! Bring them out!"
All of a sudden, a large swarm of Hork-Bajir piled out of the ship, depositing something on the ground near Rtaia and my dad's feet. Two somethings! And when they backed off…
(MOM!!) Alex screamed.
(Seth! It's… they've got…)
(I know Sean. I see him)
Jade and Ithiell, both a bloody mess, lay at their feet. Rtaia kicked Ithiell, and he rolled painfully over. There wasn't a single part of them that wasn't bruised or caked with blood. They were tightly bound at their wrists and ankles. It was heartbreaking to see.
"Then there are two little hosts like these" Dad leaned down and grabbed a chunk of Jade's hair, pulling back roughly. She screamed in agony, then cut herself short. My dad continued "There are hosts like these who manage to block their ear canals in one way or another-"
"Or just don't have too small ear canals for our brother hosts to crawl through" Rtaia said, putting one of her feet on Ithiell's stomach and pushed down. He groaned in pain.
"These are what we call useless hosts" Dad, or Bikan, dropped Jade's head, shoving it back down into the dirt. Rtaia smiled.
"But it doesn't mean we can't have some fun with them. As you can see…"
"RUN, ALL OF YOU!!" Jade suddenly screamed "You need to get away before- ompph!" At that second my dad kicked her, and she fell silent.
(Guys? How many Hork-Bajir are there, do you think?) Michelle asked with menace in her voice.
(I wasn't really looking at that! I was more focused on…)
(Six, total) Elfangor was suddenly beside us, the tone in his voice sending shivers up my spine.
(Good. I'll kill them all!)
(No, wait. We… we wanted to get into that ship, right? Maybe there's some way we can get past them to…) I stopped when something glinting caught my eye. It was a fighter! But how…
TTSSSSSSSEEEEWWWWW!!!
It fired! Directly on the unsuspecting ship. Something in it exploded, and then something else! Our parents, and the Hork-Bajir, were thrown to the ground!
"Get back in that ship! Start firing you Taxxon fools!" Rtaia screamed, shoving a Hork-Bajir off her. She raced in the ship, with three of the Hork-Bajir following. My dad grabbed Jade by the hair, and started to drag her back up with him.
(Oh no you don't!) Michelle screamed, and in seconds she was next to him, head butting him full on. He stumbled back, and let Jade go.
(Michelle! That's my dad!)
(I'm not going to… ahhh!) A Hork-Bajir swiped at her, and another was…
BAM!! They never saw the elephant coming! Toni stomped one, then threw another into the distance. Seconds later, Alex was with them, slashing up the third and final Hork-Bajir with liquid grace. Then he went over to his mother.
(Mom? Are you… mom!)
"I'm ok Alex. Just get out of here for now"
(But we need to help you!)
"You can. Fight them off on the ground as long as possible. Don't let them get this planet. That's how you can help"
(But mom… you're hurt… I can't just…)
"GO Alex! Ithiell and I will be fine" Jade got up, a little shakily, and Michelle was suddenly on the other side of her, helping to steady her. Ithiell himself was being helped up by a lion and a wolf.
"It's all right sons. We'll be ok. Thanks for saving us, and for buying us the time we needed" He suddenly stood up to his full height, opening his wings pretty painfully, it seemed.
(DAD!!) Sean and Seth both cried in unison.
"I'm… ok. Jade?"
"Yep. I'm ready" She stumbled over to him, and put her arms tightly around him. He grabbed her, then flapped his wings and took off, towards the fighter which was ducking and weaving the shots from the crippled ship.
"Get out of here now! We'll be back when we can" Jade yelled.
(All right mommy! We love you!) Megan cried.
"I know, ditto!"
"Stay safe, all of you!" Ithiell yelled down.
While half of them were looking up at them, I was looking around for my dad. Where had he…
And then I saw it. The glint… his hand…
(NOOOOO!!!) I ran, and in seconds I was on him, knocking the gun from his hand and pinning him to the ground. He let out a loud 'ooof!' as I landed heavily on his chest. Then… he smiled at me.
"So… what are you going to do now Nicole Berenson?" Bikan asked me in my dad's voice, smiling with my dad's mouth. That evil little creep…
(Simple. I'm going to kill you)
"And how are you going to manage that? If you haven't noticed, I'm in your fathers head little girl. You want to kill me, you'll have to kill him first"
(I'll starve you out, then I'll rip you from my dad's ear and crush you under my feet!!)
He laughed "What makes you think you'll be able to do something like that?"
Then I watched, mesmerised, as his eyes turned yellow…
(Nicole watch out!!) Alex screamed, knocking me off my father. Seconds later, he was on my father. Or, at least, the orange tiger I knew as my father. It was a blur! Clawing, biting! Scratching each others faces off!!
(Alex no! That's my dad! Don't kill him!!!)
Another explosion rocked the ship, sending all of us trying to keep a foothold on the shaky ground. Seconds later, Alex was pinned under my dad, and the Yeerk called Bikan went in for the kill…
(NOT TODAY YOU WON'T! I'M SO SORRY DAD!!) I screamed, jumping and biting his neck, then jumping off before he got a chance to turn around and bite me back. He advanced towards me, even as the ground continued to rumble beneath our feet.
(EVERYONE!! Everyone… retreat! Pull back!) I screamed, my heart breaking in two as I looked at my dad.
(But…)
(Just go Elfangor! Everyone! Let's get out of here!) I backed off, then started to run, away from the ship. Thankfully, the others followed me. Even Alex.
(Nicole… I'm so sorry…)
(Shut up Alex. Just… shut your mouth for now)
He fell silent, as we continued to run away, and red beams shot by us… then… something big exploded behind us, sending all of us tumbling through and into the destroyed trees. When I was out of sight, in the underbrush, I demorphed. Soon, the others did the same. We continued on foot, as human kids… or aliens… on the other side of the treeline. All of us… we were all in shock… nothing would ever be the same again…
"Nicole?" It was Alex again. He fell in step beside me.
"What do you want?"
"Just to say… thanks, for saving my life"
"Yeah, whatever. All I know is they've got my father, and there is no way I'm letting them keep him"
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HAHAHA!! Got you on that one! Am I good, or am I good?
(bouncing off walls as I write this!) WHEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!