Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Fiona, yadda-yadda-yadda.
Chapter 5
Jake and I talked some more. In the middle of our talking, there was a shriek.
"Whoo-hoo! I won!" cried Fiona. I hadn't noticed, but she, Marco, Tobias, and Cassie had been playing Go Fish after they finished their pool game. Tobias demorphed quickly, then remorphed back to human.
"I like winners," said Marco, once again attempting to flirt and failing miserably.
"Good game," Tobias said.
"That was fun. Let's play again, come on and join us, guys!" Cassie told Jake and I. So we joined in.
During our game Ax came in.
"Sure, Ax," I said. "Let me just finish this game."
Fiona ended up winning again. She must have played a lot before she died.
I had a good time baking with Ax. We discussed what being prisoner to The One was like. "It was what your species describes as 'hell'," he said, in human morph because kneading the dough was easier with stronger, human arms.
"I can imagine," I said, although I really couldn't.
"It could read every thought of mine. It was like a Yeerk. I was enveloped in a green fog, along with many others, mostly humans. I did not sleep nor eat. Somehow, basic functions such as those were not done and not needed. Whenever I thought about Prince Jake and the rest of you, hoping that someone would come and save me, it would squash that thought. It would make my mind forget what I had just been thinking about, and all of a sudden I would become confused as to what I had just been thinking about. Later I would be able to recall, but for hours I would be puzzled and dazed. The green fog and the others would sometimes disappear, somehow, and I would feel The One's saturated presence in my mind. I could hardly think on my own when that happened. This occurred when it wanted to use my body, such as when it talked to Prince Jake, Marco, and Tobias. It could change my body, and I could feel the changes happening in a manner that was not unlike morphing. For example, it put a mouth with teeth on my face when it spoke to Jake in my body."
"Creepy. And horrible," I replied, shuddering.
"I was a slave. Worst of all, I could not have any cinnamon buns or chocolate or any of the delicious treats I have aboard my ship while I was part of The One." When I laughed, Ax looked mystified. "Even after all these years of being with humans, I still do not understand human humor very often."
"No, you don't," Marco cut in, entering the cinnamon bun kitchen.
"When are the buns gonna be ready?" asked Allison eagerly, who was right behind Marco.
"Five minutes plus three minutes cooling time," I approximated.
Tobias said while settling on my shoulder.
"Ax, how often do you cook cinnamon buns? It just doesn't seem like you should need a whole separate kitchen for cooking cinnamon buns," commented Jake.
"At least once every three days I bake cinnamon buns, Prince Jake. The correct term for making cinnamon buns is 'baking', not cooking, if I may say so."
"Sure, Ax, you can say so. But please, don't call me Prince! I'm just Jake," insisted my cousin.
"I'll try, Jake," agreed Ax. However, I knew that soon he would be back to calling Jake his prince. Being made a prince himself didn't change Ax one bit!
After eating delicious cinnamon buns, it was time to go to sleep. There was an odd shower-like contraption that I used with some difficulty. (In order to shower first, I had to sit on Marco, pinning him down. Don't ask.)
"Goodnight, everyone!" I chirped cheerfully before going to bed. I was in a good mood. Being around Tobias again after so long made me deliriously happy.
I dreamed of that last battle that night. My last battle. My defeat. The day Tobias lost me and I lost him. The day that held so much sweetness, so much sadness, so much regret. It was in vivid detail, just as it had happened in real life. I woke up just as the polar bear was about to kill me. As soon as I woke up, I began sobbing uncontrollably, but quietly so I wouldn't wake up anyone else. I went out to the dining room to have one of the leftover cinnamon buns.
I gasped as I turned the corner. "Tobias!" I said. I didn't think anyone else would be awake at this time of the night. My one and only true love was in human morph.
"You've been crying," he said softly.
"I dreamt of the day I died."
"That was the worst day of my life. I thought I wouldn't see you again until I died. I missed you so much, Rachel," Tobias murmured.
"I missed you too," I said and burst into fresh tears. Tobias took me in his arms and just held me for what felt like hours, until I stopped crying.
"I love you," I told him.
"I love you too," he answered. "But it's been almost two hours. I have to demorph, and we should get back to bed. Goodnight, Rachel."
"Goodnight, Tobias." With that, I floated back to my bedroom, smiling like a fool.
I woke up the next morning not being able to remember any dreams besides my nightmare that had taken place. I sighed with relief. No more nightmares, thank goodness!
"Morning," I said. The others were already up, and I met up with them in the dining room.
"What are we going to do today?" asked Fiona.
"How about we watch some movies?" I suggested. The ship was equipped with a nice-sized TV and a VCR/DVD player. Everyone agreed, and we watched two movies before having lunch. After lunch I did some gymnastics (I was so glad to be back in my body!) while everyone else played pool.
The next few days were pretty much the same. Eating, sleeping, hanging out. We got to know Fiona better. She confessed that she had been having nightmares of the day she died as well.
"I was in the car with some senior friends of mine—I was a junior. A girl named Maria was driving the car. It was a real nice Neon. Red, I think. Anyway, we were cruising along the highway; I'm pretty sure we were on our way to the nearest mall. Before I could even blink, another car lost control and skidded into the lane next to it. A huge Wal-Mart truck swerved to avoid it, and in skidding hit our car. Three other cars piled up on Maria's, and the Wal-Mart truck somehow, mind-bogglingly and horrifically, turned partially on its side and Maria, our friends and I were crushed instantly. I remember thinking, "This can't be happening," and then feeling an incredible pain. Then a flash of light appeared—Crayak always did like showing off—and the Drode offered me a chance to live. I didn't think twice, I didn't even consider what he was really asking. I said yes."
Tears began forming in Marco's eyes. "That's so sad!" he exclaimed, between trying to hold his tears back. I couldn't help it, I started laughing.
"You always pretended to be so macho! But you aren't!"
"Yeah, so?" he mumbled. "I could beat your pants off in a fight!"
"You wanna try?" I said, and he immediately backed down.
"Aww," said Fiona, "don't feel bad, Marco."
"Got any tissues, Cassie?" inquired Marco, sniffling. Cassie dug some tissues out of her pocket and handed them over. Good old Cassie, always prepared. Sounds like a boy scout, I thought.
"I think this is a good time to watch some sad old movie," suggested Fiona. "That way we can all cry without feeling shy about it."
We wound up watching Gone With the Wind. The guys protested at first, but they gave in at the end. I have no idea how Ax wound up with that movie. Andalite males have interesting tastes, I guess!
"Ugh, we've watched three movies today. We are gonna be so sick of movies by the time we get home again," Jake said.
We all went to bed after that.
Chapter 5
Jake and I talked some more. In the middle of our talking, there was a shriek.
"Whoo-hoo! I won!" cried Fiona. I hadn't noticed, but she, Marco, Tobias, and Cassie had been playing Go Fish after they finished their pool game. Tobias demorphed quickly, then remorphed back to human.
"I like winners," said Marco, once again attempting to flirt and failing miserably.
"Good game," Tobias said.
"That was fun. Let's play again, come on and join us, guys!" Cassie told Jake and I. So we joined in.
During our game Ax came in.
"Sure, Ax," I said. "Let me just finish this game."
Fiona ended up winning again. She must have played a lot before she died.
I had a good time baking with Ax. We discussed what being prisoner to The One was like. "It was what your species describes as 'hell'," he said, in human morph because kneading the dough was easier with stronger, human arms.
"I can imagine," I said, although I really couldn't.
"It could read every thought of mine. It was like a Yeerk. I was enveloped in a green fog, along with many others, mostly humans. I did not sleep nor eat. Somehow, basic functions such as those were not done and not needed. Whenever I thought about Prince Jake and the rest of you, hoping that someone would come and save me, it would squash that thought. It would make my mind forget what I had just been thinking about, and all of a sudden I would become confused as to what I had just been thinking about. Later I would be able to recall, but for hours I would be puzzled and dazed. The green fog and the others would sometimes disappear, somehow, and I would feel The One's saturated presence in my mind. I could hardly think on my own when that happened. This occurred when it wanted to use my body, such as when it talked to Prince Jake, Marco, and Tobias. It could change my body, and I could feel the changes happening in a manner that was not unlike morphing. For example, it put a mouth with teeth on my face when it spoke to Jake in my body."
"Creepy. And horrible," I replied, shuddering.
"I was a slave. Worst of all, I could not have any cinnamon buns or chocolate or any of the delicious treats I have aboard my ship while I was part of The One." When I laughed, Ax looked mystified. "Even after all these years of being with humans, I still do not understand human humor very often."
"No, you don't," Marco cut in, entering the cinnamon bun kitchen.
"When are the buns gonna be ready?" asked Allison eagerly, who was right behind Marco.
"Five minutes plus three minutes cooling time," I approximated.
Tobias said while settling on my shoulder.
"Ax, how often do you cook cinnamon buns? It just doesn't seem like you should need a whole separate kitchen for cooking cinnamon buns," commented Jake.
"At least once every three days I bake cinnamon buns, Prince Jake. The correct term for making cinnamon buns is 'baking', not cooking, if I may say so."
"Sure, Ax, you can say so. But please, don't call me Prince! I'm just Jake," insisted my cousin.
"I'll try, Jake," agreed Ax. However, I knew that soon he would be back to calling Jake his prince. Being made a prince himself didn't change Ax one bit!
After eating delicious cinnamon buns, it was time to go to sleep. There was an odd shower-like contraption that I used with some difficulty. (In order to shower first, I had to sit on Marco, pinning him down. Don't ask.)
"Goodnight, everyone!" I chirped cheerfully before going to bed. I was in a good mood. Being around Tobias again after so long made me deliriously happy.
I dreamed of that last battle that night. My last battle. My defeat. The day Tobias lost me and I lost him. The day that held so much sweetness, so much sadness, so much regret. It was in vivid detail, just as it had happened in real life. I woke up just as the polar bear was about to kill me. As soon as I woke up, I began sobbing uncontrollably, but quietly so I wouldn't wake up anyone else. I went out to the dining room to have one of the leftover cinnamon buns.
I gasped as I turned the corner. "Tobias!" I said. I didn't think anyone else would be awake at this time of the night. My one and only true love was in human morph.
"You've been crying," he said softly.
"I dreamt of the day I died."
"That was the worst day of my life. I thought I wouldn't see you again until I died. I missed you so much, Rachel," Tobias murmured.
"I missed you too," I said and burst into fresh tears. Tobias took me in his arms and just held me for what felt like hours, until I stopped crying.
"I love you," I told him.
"I love you too," he answered. "But it's been almost two hours. I have to demorph, and we should get back to bed. Goodnight, Rachel."
"Goodnight, Tobias." With that, I floated back to my bedroom, smiling like a fool.
I woke up the next morning not being able to remember any dreams besides my nightmare that had taken place. I sighed with relief. No more nightmares, thank goodness!
"Morning," I said. The others were already up, and I met up with them in the dining room.
"What are we going to do today?" asked Fiona.
"How about we watch some movies?" I suggested. The ship was equipped with a nice-sized TV and a VCR/DVD player. Everyone agreed, and we watched two movies before having lunch. After lunch I did some gymnastics (I was so glad to be back in my body!) while everyone else played pool.
The next few days were pretty much the same. Eating, sleeping, hanging out. We got to know Fiona better. She confessed that she had been having nightmares of the day she died as well.
"I was in the car with some senior friends of mine—I was a junior. A girl named Maria was driving the car. It was a real nice Neon. Red, I think. Anyway, we were cruising along the highway; I'm pretty sure we were on our way to the nearest mall. Before I could even blink, another car lost control and skidded into the lane next to it. A huge Wal-Mart truck swerved to avoid it, and in skidding hit our car. Three other cars piled up on Maria's, and the Wal-Mart truck somehow, mind-bogglingly and horrifically, turned partially on its side and Maria, our friends and I were crushed instantly. I remember thinking, "This can't be happening," and then feeling an incredible pain. Then a flash of light appeared—Crayak always did like showing off—and the Drode offered me a chance to live. I didn't think twice, I didn't even consider what he was really asking. I said yes."
Tears began forming in Marco's eyes. "That's so sad!" he exclaimed, between trying to hold his tears back. I couldn't help it, I started laughing.
"You always pretended to be so macho! But you aren't!"
"Yeah, so?" he mumbled. "I could beat your pants off in a fight!"
"You wanna try?" I said, and he immediately backed down.
"Aww," said Fiona, "don't feel bad, Marco."
"Got any tissues, Cassie?" inquired Marco, sniffling. Cassie dug some tissues out of her pocket and handed them over. Good old Cassie, always prepared. Sounds like a boy scout, I thought.
"I think this is a good time to watch some sad old movie," suggested Fiona. "That way we can all cry without feeling shy about it."
We wound up watching Gone With the Wind. The guys protested at first, but they gave in at the end. I have no idea how Ax wound up with that movie. Andalite males have interesting tastes, I guess!
"Ugh, we've watched three movies today. We are gonna be so sick of movies by the time we get home again," Jake said.
We all went to bed after that.