"Well, it might work except for one problem. Which is that it's impossible. Not to mention insane, stupid and about a million other things I won't say."
"What's the big deal? All I'm saying is that they need somewhere to stay. Do we know anywhere, anywhere else that is safe enough? That the Yeerks don't know about.... can't know about? It's not impossible. We just need some... method of transportation."
I smiled sheepishly. "Plus. Erek needs company."
It was probably close to one o'clock in the afternoon. A beautiful, sunny day. Despite our current problems. Me, Marco, Toby, and Ket were deep in the forest. Far from the repair site of the Bug Fighter. We were having a discussion on how to keep the Hork-Bajir, not to mention ourselves, safe. I was perched on a tree branch. I'd managed to demorph there without falling off. Marco was sitting on the forest floor, leaves and twigs strewn around. Ket and Toby were standing a few feet away, looking uncertain. At least Ket was. Toby seemed calm and alert, not scared or panicked.
"So. What do we plan to do? I use the term 'we' very loosely. See, we are not both future nuthouse inmates. We do not enjoy thinking of suicidal plans to save a couple of walking lawnmowers. Not," Marco added, "that they would ever mow down anything but tree bark. And lastly, we do not call a couple of Yeerks over to our houses and practically invite them to destroy us."
"Yeah. Well. How could I know? And this plan isn't suicidal," I said, glancing at Toby and Ket, "and this couple of walking lawnmowers saved our lives, remember? And established the only free Hork-Bajir colony in the world. So there." I smirked at Marco. He smirked back.
Toby broke apart me and Marco's little standoff. "Rachel, Marco, where are my mother and I to go? How will we stay safe?"
"Well," I said, looking skeptically over at Marco, "We need to somehow get you out of the forest and halfway across town to Erek the Chee's house. You can stay with him."
"I wonder what happens when you mix Hork-Bajir and dogs. Bladed dogs? Furry Horkies? Hmmm. Somehow it doesn't mix." Marco stroked his chin. He appeared to be thinking. "I think we better stick with the pet scene."
I laughed. It wasn't that funny, but I laughed anyway. I wanted to feel better.
See, Marco didn't know how I was feeling. Marco hadn't been with the Animorphs since the day the Chee faked his death. He spends his time in hiding, only doing the most important missions with us... I don't think he understood how I felt. It was like having your arm cut off. Or the hair that you grew for years. Your family, taken away. All of those things, combined. In the past months, my life had changed so much. The Animorphs were my life. I quit gymnastics, even frequented the mall less, just to be with my friends. Planning ways to hurt the Yeerks. I was willing to give up everything I had to join the resistance.
Now Marco, he didn't see it that way. The way he saw it was that he needed to save his mom. She was the only thing that mattered in this war. Sure, he cared about the human race... his family, friends, and everyone else. But he knew it was only a matter of time before the end. Before we didn't make that last escape attempt. Before we all ended up in Visser One's hands, with nowhere to run. And he had a reason to hesitate in all this. He couldn't leave his dad. If he disappeared suddenly, his dad would have no one.
But now.
Now Marco and his parents were something out of a fairy tale. So happy, so perfect. Living amongst aliens, but wonderfully belonging. Marco had no reason to stop fighting. In fact, he had more of a reason to keep fighting. But he'd decided that he wanted to be happy. For once in this nightmare of a reality, he wanted to be free. From the responsibility and stress of an Animorph.
I didn't blame him. But I was alone, alone with no one, and Marco had his friends with him. His room-mates, in a way. He lived with Ket and Toby, saw them every day. And here they were with him.
Back to the conversation.
"Marco. How do you think we should do this, if my way doesn't work?"
"Easy. We ditch the truck stealing idea. We hitch the idea of letting the Hork-Bajir morph. We have the blue box, don't we?"
Oh. My. God. That had to be the craziest idea Marco had ever had- and he'd had very few ideas. I took a deep breath. I stared. I took another deep breath. "Marco. You're a genius."
"Well, yeah. But I try not to talk about it." He laughed.
"But can we do it? Do you know where the box is? Anyway..." I gasped as I realized it, "the others! The Yeerks... wouldn't they go after it? How long has it been since... since they were taken?"
He looked troubled. So did Toby. I don't think Ket got the concept of the blue box.
"Morphing?" said Toby doubtfully. "We Hork-Bajir could have morphing powers? Like you? It is possible?"
"Sure," said Marco, "As long as you have us and the blue box, you can count on it." He turned to look at me. "But I see what you mean... is Cassie the only one who knows where it is? I mean... she did relocate it, didn't she?"
I wasn't sure. I knew she was supposed to, after the attack from the Helmacrons, but I didn't know if she had. But, fortunately, I knew where it was, even if it had been placed somewhere new. It didn't hurt to be best friends with the official blue-box-hider.
"Yeah, I think so. But whether she did or she didn't, I know where it is. I'm her... I mean, I was her..." I inhaled.
"Her best friend."
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