Chapter Nine

"Good Taste in Blood"

The red building happened to be the Helen's home. The green was a shop full of alien pets for the Yeerk children. The Empire now had the room to utilize potential hosts as pets for their bored children. The new generation no longer knew what war was, only for a few rebellions that popped up here and there-- especially on earth for some reason. They just wouldn't give up the fight, even when the war had been won long ago. This was the planet that Helen happened to live on-- Visser One and Visser Three found the place had romantic value. Whatever that was.

Helen was just happy to have everything that she had ever wanted and asked for. If they were in 'love' she would continue to get everything. Even if they hated each other, she would find ways to get around that.

Helen and her father leaned over the railing, looking at the night sky as her father told great epic stories of how he beat the Andalite bandits. He found it amusing that Visser One was indeed right, and that they were mostly human-- except for one of them. The one he wanted the most-- the two of the six that managed to get away.

"Why did he get away?" asked Helen, in her most girlish voice, her eyes large.

That stopped Visser Three's good mood to a dead halt, and he clopped away, with the girl struggling to keep up. The guards that lined the midair walkway, back off a bit, sensing his anger singeing the air. A look that Helen couldn't quite understand appeared on his face, something like a smile was the closest translation.

(My dear, would you like to know how to take your anger out on things?) said Visser Three in an insane smile.

The girl smiled and giggled with glee at the thought of learning something new from her father. Her mother was boring and didn't teach her anything but politics of the empire. Both father and mother aspired their daughter to being the head of the council of thirteen. What was so strange about the whole thing was the fact that Visser Three no longer selfishly dreamt of being the head anymore, but to have his pride and joy take over.

(You remember that pretty little dagger that I had given you for your birthday?) The smile in his eyes widened, either from insanity or for the love of his daughter becoming just like him.

"Yes father!" Helen's eyes widened with delight. She brought the silvery thing out from her jacket and showed it to him.

(Watch my tail, and pretend that the dagger is your own bladed tail.) He wished that she was an Andalite, so that he could enjoy the full joy, but alas, she was human, aside from the off color hair and eyes. None of the Yeerk scientists could figure it out-- and all of them naturally died after telling said parents. The thought went away, as he took aim of one of the Hork-Bajir guards that passed by, hacking off one of his arms a second later. (Now you try,) he said, looking over at his daughter.

The poor guard fell to his knees, screaming in shock. Helen did it her way, instead of following exactly what her father did, stabbing him in the stomach. A splattering sound could be heard from down the hall, as the guard fell to the ground, groaning as he slowly died. The daughter giggled as she looked at her father's face, eyes wide and innocent. She glanced over just in time to see the parasite try and crawl out of the dying host's body, and then go still as it died along with him.

"What do you think daddy?" asked the girl. The Visser felt his heart melt at the joyful sound of her voice. And proud too at how quickly she acted.

(You're sick,) said a very subdued Alloran, from the back of Visser's mind.

(And just sick enough to keep your children alive instead of killing them before you eyes,) threatened Esplin. His moment was not going to be ruined by his own insolent host.

"Esplin," said Edriss just behind him, with one of her hands on her hips. He turned so that he could look at her through his main eyes rather than his eye stalks. She looked slightly peeved, but angry enough to make him feel like he was in deep water. "Stop exposing our child to an excessive amount of violence. It could do something to her mind."

Just when he thought he really was in trouble, her mouth formed a tiny smile. Slowly, she began to demorph out of her human host's form. Deep purple began to sprout out of her skin, a tail, another set of legs, two extra fingers, and stalk eyes. Visser One had the host of an Andalite-- and more specifically, Alloran's wife, just for fun. When she had the host, she acquired Eva's DNA, leaving her to a trusted adviser.

Helen only stood there watching everything, her face blank. Slowly, she held up the catalogue to them both, hoping that her father remembered his promise.

(I told you no, Helen,) Edriss said calmly, glancing back at Visser Three fondly.

(She wants a specific pet, my sweet,) Esplin said, his eyes splitting into a blood thirsty smile. He took the magazine from his daughter and showed his wife. She squinted her eyes, trying to remember the face, then they widened. She seemed to have changed her mind.

(Clearly our daughter has good taste.) Edriss paused. Suddenly her eyes split into an evil grin. (Now we have incentive to start a search to find our old friends.)

AN: Sorry, if Visser Three was going to screw around with anybody, it had to be a person with the host of his host's wife. I couldn't do that to Alloran! TT