Chapter 1
Marco
My name is Marco.
And yadda, yadda, yadda. No last name, no address. The Yeerks are everywhere. We can't trust anyone.
Let me explain. The Yeerks are this parasitic race that goes into your mind and takes control. Completely. You have no control, no privacy, and worst of all, no escape.
Not yet, anyway. See, we're hoping there is a way. We Animorphs.
Like the name? I thought of it. Animal Morpher. We are the only ones who know what's going on and can do a thing about it.
See, It all started when five of us, Jake, Cassie, Rachel, Tobias, and I, walked through a construction site. Not the smartest thing we did. Maybe it was. I don't know.
There was a battle up in orbit. The Andalites got hammered and one of them landed. His name was Elfangor.
He was going to die. But it would be too long before help could come. He gave us the power to morph before Visser Three murdered him. We've been doing a pretty good job for a bunch of kids.
Okay, a bunch of kids and a few Andalites. See, not all the Andalites got hammered in that fight. Elfangor's brother, Ax, was found by us. He's been a big help since. More currently, The Ellimist dropped off a few new Andalites from then, too.
FIrst, there's Raeolin-Ashul-Tallien, a warrior who seems normal among what Andalites we have seen. Tashe-Kelane-Fahleen, a scientist who knows most aspects of technology, making him too valuable to the Yeerks and us. Casten-Tellon-Harelin, a teammate who is slightly cocky, not as bad as Rachel, but still cocky. Finally, Jekkal-Corlen-Fahlo, who is a female Andalite doctor. We've already lost Casten, but It hasn't seemed to have hurt us.
Female Andalites don't look too different from the men. Just that they look more lilac than blue. I haven't learned if the personalities are different. But I'm willin' to bet.
Now us. First there's Rachel, who looks like one of those mall airheads that looks like a supermodel. But looks are deciving. She's totally reckless and aggressive.
Then there's Jake. He's our unofficial leader who acts way too responsible.
After him, there's Cassie. Our resident animal nut and provider of morphs. She's basically our moral department.
Finally, you see Tobias. He used to be a dreamy kid, with dirty brown hiar and light blue eyes.
Used to be. Now, of course, he's a red-tailed hawk with a strong, firce stare. He regained his power to morph from the Ellimist, but he can't afford to get trapped again.
Anyway, we were walking down to the barn, since Ax and Tobias had been seeing some new creatures in the forest. One even tried to attack him.
And I have a pretty good respect for anything that fights Ax.
Chapter 2
Cassandra
I flew into the night, straining for every inch I could get before the sun rose. I was leading our little band as far as we could fly from the Yeerks.
We landed at Check9. It was a human train station, but we do not remember them by those names. Zoe would be waiting for us there. I landed on the awning, where the canadian goose was waiting.
"Zoe?"
Jacob, actually. Zoe is... He didn't need to finish his sentence.
"I understand." I opened the silent roof and eased myself in. I clipped my torso buckle and was helping with Saylon's, since she has no arms.
Listen, Cassandra. Your freinds, your comrades.... The secrets have been told. we are being destroyed. Tortured, even. I do not know if you will find Alex at Check10, or even if Alex is still alive.
I nodded. The hood closed on me, allowing the cold steel to drift me to sleep.
I awoke a night later, where the moon was just rising. I scanned the trees. Yes, Alex was there. Every bit of his golden eagle self.
Cassandra! I thought you guys would have been long gone. I have to warn you, though, There have been some strange things. I wouldn't stay here for too long. he said grimly, I think The Yeerks are concentrated here.
I thanked him for the information and flew off into the forest. If the Yeerks were here, we needed to know how bad the situation was. And that meant taking a few days trying to find out how bad. I landed in a small hole in the treeline. Next to a creature with four hooves, two hands, and four eyes.
The Visser.
"HISSSSSS!" he sprung awake, staring at me. "This is it, Visser. You don't escape me this time."
I am not Visser Three! He slashed at the spot whre my wings had been. Luckily, I had gotten about ten feet into the air, preparing my strike. I dove down aiming to go around the tree and secure his legs. Those tails are good, but even they can't strike two targets at he same time.
Unfortunately, I didn't see the dead air.
WHUMMP!
I hit the ground hard, and flew/crawled as fast as I could into the woods.
Chapter 3
Jake
We were at the barn, listening to Ax's encouter. "Are you sure you don't recognize it?"
Prince Jake, It was like no creature I've heard of. All we know is they do know the Yeerks. Perhaps that one may have escaped.
"Jake, listen. We need to find out what is going on, who these guys are, and if they do fight the Yeerks, how to help them. " stated Rachel.
I don't know. I was sleeping and I saw one similar to what Ax described, but not quite. I think at that size, it could have been hunting. Tobias said. I nodded. If it was hungry enough, it could have done that. Although I have no clue who would be insane enough to fight Ax.
"Alright. Step one: We find those animals, whatever they are. Step two: We find out what they want. Step three: we either help them or acquire them, depending on step two. If Tobias's guess is right, they're just predators we could use for morphs. If Ax is right, we can help them." I noted.
"I think we should acquire them anyway. I mean, we're talking Hork-bajir-size lizards. They should have a lot of muscle." Rachel pointed out. We quickly morphed to bird-of-prey, and fanned out around the area. They weren't hard to find at all. I mean, they were pretty big, and the rainbow of colors were way too noticeable. Even more so than Ax was.
Woah! I am not kidding! Woah! Marco exclaimed out of sheer delight.
They were about twice as long as a Hork-bajir, but half was in the tail. Each one at least had wings, and some also had arms or legs. A few had both. The cobra-like hoods were as big as umbrellas, and the rest of the body went similarly. the hands and feet were shaped like bird feet, ending in the most wicked talon you could think of.
They were the ultimate warriors.
Chapter 4
Rachel
There were about ten of them in that little group. Ten creatures in all sorts of vivid colors, two to each. A few were lounging in a tree. Some of the others were laying on the ground, racing a couple of mice. One wallowed in the stream, keeping the head on a rock jutted above the surface, splashing the water.
That tells us if they're smart or not. What do we do? asked Cassie.
Demorph. I answered, alighting to the ground, already seeing my legs were losing scales.
As I grew, the eyes started noticing me. I think a few were eyeing me, deciding if I was prey or not. But one knew what to do.
"AAAIIIEO! AAAIIIEEOO!"
Are you insane?! They'll eat you! Marco cried. They were standing at attention now, waiting for the figure to appear from the distance.
Oops. In the oak tree.
FLUMP! Rustle, rustle...
This one was new. It had arms. It had wings. But it was white.
Dead white.
And it was coming toward me!
I quickly focused on the grissly bear. The white one stopped. I was already at its eye level. I quickly sprouted fur, as my mouth bulged out and grew teeth. My fingernails grew to accomodate my paw.
It probably was a pretty weird scene. A full-grown grizzly bear, and a ...whatever, staring eye-to-eye. It would have been funny. If it wasn't insane.
"What the heck is that?" I heard the reptilian pitch of its voice.
Ahhhhh! I stepped back. It spread its wings wide and arched its neck, daring me to fight.
Rachel, move back! You're going to end up dead! Tobias wailed.
No, I'm not.
Yes, you are. Look, That thing fought Ax and almost won. I know you couldn't beat Ax if you wanted to, so what makes you think you can fight that? I knew he was right. I stepped back again, trying to demorph as fast as I could. I could run faster as a human.
She cocked her head quizically. "What are you?"
"I'm.... Rachel. What are you?"
"We are Semites. My name is Cassandra, this is Sabina," she pointed to the pink and blue one that was like a bird,"And this is Nacaro." She said, pointing to the red and yellow one with all limbs.
I looked into the tree. "C'mon guys. They're okay."
Chapter 5
Cassie
I couldn't believe it! Another spiecies on Earth like humans? I've seen some weird creatures, before. I've seen other sentinent spiecies form on other planets. I've seen souls in dolphins and whales.
But I have never seen another sentinent spiecies from Earth. They looked untouched, unchanged. What I heard was different.
Ax was right. Cassandra told me how the Yeerks found their hidden island. How they escaped enslavement. How they were lucky to have come from their voyage so they weren't captured. How they used an intricate network of train systems to travel all across the world.
"There are birds who have powers to communicate with us. We meet with them every check point. They help us keep in touch with the rest of the world." She explained, as a golden eagle perched on her finger. "This is Alex. He is the one for Check10, the station in this area. He told us the Yeerks were here.
Our way of life and this network is in danger, since they know about it, but they do not know exactly where each checkpoint is. And that has slown them down. But we need your help.
Lately, we have been planning to go down to the caverns and free our comrades. After seeing you, I think we have better chances than before."
You mean you guys are planning to go down to the Yeerk pool and think you will win? Tashe asked with awe.
"Cassandra, If you tried to go down there, you would have been so better off not trying." I said.
True. You be enslaved like your friends. Jekkal noted.
Personally, I think that now, we could go down and win that fight. It is their species. They should have a chance. Raeolin commented.
I visualized the scene. Semites and Animorphs against Hork-bajir, Taxxons, human-controllers, Semite-controllers, and Visser Three himself. It could work, if Semites had something up that sleeve I didn't know. Then again, they did look pretty strong. In fact...
"Cassandra! If we went down with you... as Semites... do you think it would work?"
Her hood flipped down for a moment. " I guess so, but.... how?"
"We could acquire you. Become you."
"No. Each one has a different apperance. They would know."
We could combine DNA to give new appearances. Ax commented.
"Okay. We allow acquirement. But I cannot be. They would surely know then." I pressed my palm against Nacaro and a green and yellow one with wings. The others picked different combinations.
"Now how do you do it?"
For a Frolis Manuver, you imagine the combination as if they were one, then use that.
"A what?" Marco commented. I paid no heed. I pictured a brown and green one with Cassandra's build. The changes came immediately. My legs turned into jello.
WHUMP!
WHUMP!
WHUMP!
WHUMP!
WHUMP!
WHUMP! The Andalites fell from their legs doing that, too. Bad idea, I thought. My bones stayed, but were useless for standing. They straightened out and elongated, with a thin film going down where the joint was, heading from the socket to the feet. Meanwhile, my butt was disappearing as my spine grew a tail. A humongous tail.
I pulled myself erect, using my ribs more than my arms, which were getting stronger, my fingers melding, the nails sticking out like talons. I still had a human head, and mostly human torso, but blackened skin.
"Reminbz dwee ub a dragonfly." Marco said his mouth changing, fumbleing over his new mouth until he could speak right again. My own head was changing, bringing my nose up, widening my mouth, and changing my sight slightly. I could see everywhere except behind me, because of my hood, which was sticking out where my hair was, but further back. I was completely Semite.
The scales came then, covering my morphing suit and skin, giving me the color I needed. The others were beginning to finish their morphs. Tobias had a bird style of red and orange, Jake had all limbs with navy and green, Marco had wings in red and orange, Rachel had bird style in orange and pink, Ax had arms in blue and orange, Raeolin had all limbs in red and yellow, Tashe was bird in green and orange, Jekkal armed with yellow and purple, and Casten in wings of yellow and red.
Looked like my jeans after a bad day in the clinic.
Chapter 6
Jake
We started to plan how to strike back. She told us they were infested around the same time, so we decided that one strike should do the job, or otherwise encourage the temporarily freed Semites to finish it.
Tashe had been watching the forest enerance to the Yeerk pool that Tobias pointed out from when we saved the Hork-bajir.
A few Semites and Hork-bajir do come out, so I doubt we would look out of place. Tashe summed.
"One thing. How do we get Cassandra down there?" Nacaro asked.
"Same way we get you down." I shrugged.
"No, no. I mean how do we get her down there without a lot of commotion? Cassandra is the leader of all Semites. We would look too out of place with her."
"Nacaro, I do not reveal all my secrets." Cassandra cooed as her scales became awash with a fluid that blotted out her white. The transformation to a brown and pink made every jaw in the group drop. I bet if Andalites had jaws, theirs would drop, too.
I thought only we had morphing ability. Ax exclaimed.
"Morphing ability? No, this is camoflauge. But I cannot get injured, or it stops. Then my color will be revealed. "
We ticked off the minutes as we waited for the oak to open. We quickly sprang inside while they were gathering tree bark and prey for the others.
It was a wide, sheer drop, with only a ladder for Hork-bajir to use. The dirt changed from brown to gray to a dark purple as we entered deeper and deeper into the complex.
We tried to look inconspicuous as we walked around the complex and found where the Semite cages were located. A guard stopped by. I guess he thought something didn't look right. He left, puzzled. I didn't think much about it until....
TSEEWW!
"Get the rebels!" Rebels?
Oh. They think we're real Semites. That explains it. I fell to all fours and hauled. Unfortunately, that didn't help. A small group, sabers unsheathed, blocked the exit. I decided to see how well Semites flew.
I managed to levitate off the ground above the savgery and unlock one cage with my claw. But I had to move fast. Saber and Hork-bajir blade hit Semite flesh and Semite flesh didn't do too well. The blood was oozing out and staining the floor of the cavern. One in particuluar took off about a sliver of wing. Not much, but just enough.
She turned bright white.
"Cassandra!" The call tore through the cavern and echoed for five seconds, being the only sound in the cavern. I swear, even the pool stopped churning.
The other Controllers no longer paid attention to anything else but Cassandra. Except him.
Chapter 7
Ax
A new Semite, with all six limbs in blue and yellow stepped into the cavern. They instantly surged with a new liveliness, as though he brought new power to the warriors. Only one person could have done that.
Visser Three.
I disuguised myself as one of the controllers beckoning to him, as I calculated in my head for the strike.
I came closer and closer, until I could be sure to hit. I would have to make sure not to stay around him for too long, of fear he could kill me. Semites don't have tail blades, but those fangs and claws do enough damage anyway.
I lunged for the belly!
Strike!
HOWWWAL!
I released quickly, straining for air as all tried to get a swipe or shot at me. The visser was demorphing, trying to escape the posion.
I landed near Prince Jake, who was opening various cages and making use of my distraction. I took hold of a sword as they closed in on me. but they ran stright over me with a new target in mind.
Visser Three was back in Semite morph, clutching another sword and inching closer and closer, focusing on Cassandra, the Semite leader, again. I found a sheath to hide the blade and lightly tossed it in her direction.
Here! She plucked it from the air and shook the cover off, daring all to face her.
CLANGGG!
SHOOP! The blades collided as each swing was more accurate, deadly, and powerful than the last. Cassandra was driven in desperation to the tops of cages, trying to stay further from the visser's span. After all, I doubt he ever sword fought before, but tail fighting is similar to it.
They took wing, driving the edge of difficulty to the limits, as the battle took full fury above the pool below.
Chapter 8
Tashe
The aerial battle ensued with all eyes concentrating, either to see the victor of the match or to see when their chase would continue, so they could escape. Both of them were suffering minor wounds, but none that would stop the fight.
I decided to act on my own, circling closer and closer towards the fight so I could find a weakness wihout falling to certain doom.
Holding the metal sheath in my claws, I charged into the fight.
KA-LANGG!
The weapons flew out of their hands, to sloop into the pool below. I quickly moved out of the way, as the fight took from sword to fang and claw.
Also tail. I didn't discover that until the whiplike flash of skin grazed my wings and hurled me to the metallic pond below.
I strained my wings and adjusted my body to deal with every angle and trace breeze and thermal to help me. It was a physics problem from school in real life. Could I make it without hitting the pool? Without becoming a Controller?
Yes! I dived down and turned back up to land on the cage top. I curled my tail in and watched the remainder of the fight. More blows were being taken. The scales littered the top of the pool.
Swipe! Lunge! Grab!Grab?
The visser grew limp as Cassandra held him barely aloft by the wrist. Her color was turning to the darkest black, as the scales regrew themselves.
How, How, HOW?! That's impossible!
SPAH-LOOSH! The visser fell in as Cassandra land near me and changed.
Yes, changed. Morphed. She gew two new legs, light blue and tan, while her wings grew muscles and hooves, and her arms thinned and fingers split, suiting themselves for the new body. I could see the stalk eyes popping out over the disappearing hood.
An andalite! Where did she-
AHHH! The visser's thought-speak boomed.
What are you doing? You trying to get us both killed? Cassandra spoke, in fear and confusion. She ran straight for my tail, where I grabbed her within my talons.
Let me go! Let me go!
Tashe, stop it! Casandra spoke again. Now I knew! But I couldn't beleive it, even though I witnessed it all!
Not until you tell me what is happening.
Let us go or you'll get nothing! And RUN!
Chapter 9
Tobias
This was getting too weird.
One: The visser was floating in the Yeerk pool, unconscious.
Two: Cassandra took him out with a grab to the wrist, then turned black.
Three: Cassandra just morphed, literally morphed, into Visser Three's Andalite body.
Four: Cassandra never got morphing powers, let alone an Andalite morph.
So Five was: I'm nuts. What I just saw couldn't happen in real life. I walked over to Ax. If it made sense, he might know what was going on. Or not. Then again, our lives stopped making sense the day we went thorugh the construction site.
Ax, did Cassandra just morph the visser?
Personally, I don't even think I can tell.
Guys! we need to haul butt! NOW! Jake screamed. Visser Three was coming back to consciousness, and already was noticing something was wrong. He strained to speak with his mouth, since he obviously couldn't use thought speak.
Not that it mattered.
HEEEASSSSSS!
He lunged down at us, dogging our heels as the flow of escapees slowed us down. I tried to use airspace to move up higher and higher, but even that was crowded with Hork-bajir carrying humans up, and with other Semites crowding the exit.
"Bring me the head of that child!" He roared, with his still faithful soldiers trying to do damage. I already had everyone up the forest exit that were there out, except us.
I rocketed up there, and locked the exit the best way I could. Jake had grabbed a dracon beam, keeping it trained on the tree, in case they opened it.
What do we do now? We have at least a hundred ex-controllers that they'll be looking for, they know we're in this section of the forest, and to top it off, Cassandra is doing stuff we have no clue about. Marco summed. He may be a pessimist, but I couldn't disagree.
It's called a black body manuver. It comes in handy around Relons, but I do not use it much. All I need is contact, and I can take any body it has. The brain and/or instincts still come with it, but it coexists with my own. She explained, still in Andalite form.
Take? As in keep?! Rachel roared.
No. Within a few hours, the body will leave. But Visser Three will not get it back.
Wait. Jekkal pondered,You just took that body, trapped the visser, and within a few hours, the host will be free?
Yes. The new voice was the (ex-?) visser's. As she said, both brains were in there.
Everybody stared at her, including most of the hosts, cast glances at the crowd, hoping one understood it, then cheered. I couldn't believe it myself. Our main enemy, no more than a common controller! I mean, we didn't kill him, but we got rid of his morphing. And a new ally! One who knew the weaknesses of the Yeerks, at that! But a shaking tree stopped the small outburst.
MOVE! They'll be here soon! Don't worry, we'll try to slow 'em down! Jake shot out. Cassandra/ Visser led the hosts away, while Ax and Raeolin tried to hold it shut, as Jake trained his weapon on the hole. I spied a rope in the bushes, left behind by one of the hosts. I moved around the tree, tying the rope tight, so they could relax. It seemed to hold pretty well, which was good because we needed to haul.
Big time.
Chapter 10
Jekkal
Jake, listen to me. We have five minutes to demorph, or we'll be trapped! I screamed, as the lights and sirens came into view thourgh the thin section of forest. We had already been running for a half hour from the advancing controllers.
The limit was becoming of a serious issue. None of us would be able to move and morph fast enough to escape them. I spied a small cave, not noticeable too well, except if you chanced to step in it, which did happen.
WHUF!
Ow! Marco shot.
Get in. We need to demorph! Jake ordered. It was big enough to fit all of us easily. We demorphed and waited for them to pass. Then we took our fly and wolf morphs to pass through to our area; The national forest behind Cassie's farm. There we decided to rest.
We should try to find where they stopped, or even if they were recaptured or not. Tashe suggested.
I'm good for about an hour. Tobias volunteered.
"Okay," Jake sighed, out of breath and back as human,"You guys try and look tonight, while the rest of us go back home and join you in the morning. Our parents'll be worried. "
"Come on. I'll find you guys an owl to use; it'll be dark soon." Cassie said. I quickly acquired the owl and left to find them, with the others. I spotted it as Tobias had just left for his roost. A series of small fires, crudely made, with 'strange' shapes surounding them. I landed and demorphed, just as a new Andalite and Cassandra appeared.
Alloran! You did it! Aximili exclaimed.
I certainly have. But we still have the problem of what to do. There is nowhere to hide a hundred people! Not even in the most remote spots.
What would be wrong with here? It almost took us the whole time limit to find you. Imagine how long it would take for any one else to. Even if the Yeerks did find you out, I believe you would be able to fight back. I explained.
Long term?
Build a camp site? Raeolin suggested.
No. I have a better idea. I suggested, Why not start a village? They cannot go back to civilization without being dragged back to the pool, and some don't have any place at all. It would also be a headquarters if we decide to let them help us.
Alloran thought for a moment, then spoke.That would work. and privately he told me,Out of my entire career in both sides, that is the best idea I ever heard.
Chapter 11
Raeolin
We started the next morning with five backpacks full of necessary supplies for the village. We ran to the haven, seeing the first steps of clearing land beginning with help from the Hork-bajir. We worked on basic human structures and a hydroelectric turbine generator. By nightfall, we had the buildings done as far as bare shells, and the generator completed.
We should stay here. Alloran suggested.
Why? I asked.
Well, we could help them with food, clothing, and so on. Also, we do plan to use it for headqurters. It simply makes sense.
You can stay here. Help them. Handle the move. After I see it work,... maybe.
I left, staying with a nagging doubt that a inter-species village wouldn't do. I usually don't have doubts, but when I started in this, I wondered how the 'Animorphs' could have gotten off so well. I guess Jekkal, Alloran or Aximili would have different views, but mine are still the same as they were when I started; slightly naive, but usually right.