ALANNA
I stared at him.
It's always disorienting looking at my brother. Like looking at your reflection through one of those mirrors in a funhouse. It looks like you, yes, but not quite.
"Alissan," he hissed as he stared back, "I told you never to call me that."
I laughed, a sharp sound that sounded bitter even to my ears. It filled the utter silence of the cavern completely and I shuddered slightly. He didn't even seem surprised that I was still alive- all he cared about was being the strong one. I always called him that and it was true- he was two minutes younger than me.
"Oh, come now, little brother," I said loudly so that everyone could hear- yes even him. The Visser. "Aren't you glad to see me?"
His face twisted in anger and I was thankful for the weapon between us.
(Alissan 337? Impossible! I killed you!)
I didn't bother turning around. My face twisted into a sneer, I could feel it. My hand shook as I held the Dracon beam. "It takes more than a little fall out of a Blade Ship to get rid of me." I smiled grimly. "Give us five minutes, Visser. Me and my brother alone. Or shall I just kill him here?"
Alexxen's eyes went wide. "You wouldn't."
"Trust me."
I stole a glance at the Visser. His face was full of rage and mixed feelings. But I knew he wouldn't risk his precious little warrior for anything. Not after he saw what Alexxen could do with a handful of morphed Andalites. He hadn't even broken a sweat.
(What do you want?) he asked finally.
"Just privacy. Don't worry, I'll be gentle with him," I said with a leer to my brother. I led him out of the ring of Andalites, the Dracon beam firmly pressed against the back of his head. He walked slowly out of the Pool and up the stairs.
"Hurry up," I snapped and we ran up and slid into an empty room.
"Damn it, Alissan, why aren't you dead?" he asked as I closed the door behind me. "And what the hell are you doing back here?"
I lowered the weapon. My arm was getting tired. "I don't know, I don't know! Look, we have like eight minutes."
"Before what?" he asked, giving me a look. I grinned mischievously. "Oh, you didn't! You did! Shit!"
I laughed. "You don't want to be down there when it happens. Trust me."
Alexxen looked deeply at me. "Why did you do it, Al? I still don't understand."
I glared at him. It was no time to talk about that. "You know why."
"Al-"
I just shook my head. "You had it better. You could handle it. Me, well, turns out I don't heal instantly, and I've got a low threshold for pain." My hand went up to small scar behind my ear. It was still there, after all these years, and it wasn't going to go away, ever.
Alexxen looked down. "You're nuts, you know that?"
I stared at my brother. I hated him, but I could never really truly. Oh, yes, I was jealous, so jealous. I would have given anything to switch places with him- but that could never happen. We were two of a kind, two freaks in a galaxy of normal species. We were a lot alike, too, in ways no outside person would understand.
No, it wasn't him I hated, loathed. For my brother had never tortured me, tested what I could take to try to make me strong, and then disgusted when I was weak, just did it for kicks.
No, that was the Visser.
He had tortured both of us, every since we were young enough to stand. My brother grew stronger from it- he fed off his own pain and 'took it like a man' so to say. I wasn't the strong one, I couldn't heal my wounds like he could.
So when the Visser had captured an Andalite and kept him to bring him before the Council, I had been curious. And I had talked to him, that Andalite, and he talked back. He was the only one who listened to me, and he had brought my own hatred into actually feelings. And when I had freed him from his cage, and when I was caught, I was tortured like never before, and brought to the Council myself.
"Al, I guess I can understand why you hate him. I do too. But we are Yeerks! No matter what we look like, that's what we are inside," Alexxen pleaded with me. "Let me talk to him, and the Council, and maybe they can pardon you, and you can come back. I hate it without you. There's no one to talk to."
"Or beat you at chess," I couldn't help but add.
Alexxen smiled. "You're one of us, Al. Give me the Dracon beam and we can go back to before you freed that Andalite."
"He had a name, you know," I murmured.
"The name was what made it so bad," Alexxen said. "If it had been any other Andalite, it might not have mattered so much."
It was true, and I knew it. Why had it been that Andalite? That one? But I don't think I would've freed any other one, either. There had been other Andalites, ones I had seen before they had taken their lives with their own tails rather than being slaves. There had been something different about that out, something understanding.
"Elfangor."
The name hung in the air and I shuddered, staring at me brother. Was he right? Could I come back?
Did I really want to?
"Maybe we are Yeerks," I said, "but we're just as much human as Yeerk, Alexxen."
"How do you know?"
I didn't, and he knew it. I could never lie to him. He held out his hand for the Dracon beam. "Five minutes. You can still turn it off."
I stared at the hand and at the weapon. Five minutes. Five minutes before-
Five minutes to make a decision that would change my life forever.
I reached out my hand to Alexxen. He smiled at me and I-
-walked past him and out the door.
"Al! Don't!"
I ignored him.
There were Hork Bajir at the door, no doubt there to finish me off. I ignored them also.
"Leave her alone," Alexxen cried, rushing out of the room. "Let her pass!" They moved out of my way instantly and I kept walking down the stairs.
"Alissan! Don't do this! Please! Don't be stupid!"
I laughed, not looking back. "Don't worry little brother! I'm a genius, remember?"
"Alissan!"
To understand what happened next you must know two things. One, I like explosives. Two, Yeerk Pools (the actual pool, mind you) are highly flammable. I figured out that last one the hard way.
"Visser Three!" I drawled loudly as I came down the stairs alone, hands up in a mocking gesture. "You have four minutes and ten seconds until this entire place goes boom!"
He stared at me blankly. (You're bluffing.)
I laughed, and there was actual humor in this one. An improvement. "Remember last time you assumed that?"
Throughout my life with the Yeerks, I had discovered many ways of making things go 'boom'. I got in a hell of a lot of trouble when I had blown up my first Yeerk Pool. No Yeerks had been in it, but still people whined. Because I couldn't protect myself the was Alexxen could- with his fists, I used my brains. And my explosives. I had once taken out part of the Visser's Blade Ship. It took them almost a year to fix it back up.
From the look in his main eyes, I'd say the Visser remembered. Oh, goody.
In the midst of the big battle with the Andalites, I had used the opportunity to set up my little bomb right next to the Pool. A bit primitive, yes, but it would work. And no one else would be able to shut it off, I made sure of that.
(What do you want, Alissan?)
I smiled cruelly. "Revenge. But I'm patient. I can wait, Visser. Right now I'd settle for you letting the Andalites go."
(Never!) he cried, tail arching up dangerously. But I was much too far away this time. I knew that would bother him.
"Then you can die with them."
Ooh, that pissed the bastard off. I could just see the wheels turning in his small head. But I knew what the outcome would be. Visser Three only has one rule- to save himself at all costs.
But then he smiled at me with his main eyes, and my stomach dropped suddenly. (Oh, no, Alissan 337, I won't die with them. You will! Guards!)
The Hork Bajir from behind me grabbed me suddenly and through me into the Andalites. I slammed into the gorilla, who picked me up and set me upright.
"Watch the hands," I managed to mutter.
(One minute left!) the Visser cried, disappearing up the stairs. (So long, Alissan. For good!)
And the son of a bitch was gone.
How is it? Does it all make sense? Do you like? (I hope so!) Review, review! Thank you EVERYONE who has reviewed, and thank you twice those who have reviewed more than once!
I stared at him.
It's always disorienting looking at my brother. Like looking at your reflection through one of those mirrors in a funhouse. It looks like you, yes, but not quite.
"Alissan," he hissed as he stared back, "I told you never to call me that."
I laughed, a sharp sound that sounded bitter even to my ears. It filled the utter silence of the cavern completely and I shuddered slightly. He didn't even seem surprised that I was still alive- all he cared about was being the strong one. I always called him that and it was true- he was two minutes younger than me.
"Oh, come now, little brother," I said loudly so that everyone could hear- yes even him. The Visser. "Aren't you glad to see me?"
His face twisted in anger and I was thankful for the weapon between us.
(Alissan 337? Impossible! I killed you!)
I didn't bother turning around. My face twisted into a sneer, I could feel it. My hand shook as I held the Dracon beam. "It takes more than a little fall out of a Blade Ship to get rid of me." I smiled grimly. "Give us five minutes, Visser. Me and my brother alone. Or shall I just kill him here?"
Alexxen's eyes went wide. "You wouldn't."
"Trust me."
I stole a glance at the Visser. His face was full of rage and mixed feelings. But I knew he wouldn't risk his precious little warrior for anything. Not after he saw what Alexxen could do with a handful of morphed Andalites. He hadn't even broken a sweat.
(What do you want?) he asked finally.
"Just privacy. Don't worry, I'll be gentle with him," I said with a leer to my brother. I led him out of the ring of Andalites, the Dracon beam firmly pressed against the back of his head. He walked slowly out of the Pool and up the stairs.
"Hurry up," I snapped and we ran up and slid into an empty room.
"Damn it, Alissan, why aren't you dead?" he asked as I closed the door behind me. "And what the hell are you doing back here?"
I lowered the weapon. My arm was getting tired. "I don't know, I don't know! Look, we have like eight minutes."
"Before what?" he asked, giving me a look. I grinned mischievously. "Oh, you didn't! You did! Shit!"
I laughed. "You don't want to be down there when it happens. Trust me."
Alexxen looked deeply at me. "Why did you do it, Al? I still don't understand."
I glared at him. It was no time to talk about that. "You know why."
"Al-"
I just shook my head. "You had it better. You could handle it. Me, well, turns out I don't heal instantly, and I've got a low threshold for pain." My hand went up to small scar behind my ear. It was still there, after all these years, and it wasn't going to go away, ever.
Alexxen looked down. "You're nuts, you know that?"
I stared at my brother. I hated him, but I could never really truly. Oh, yes, I was jealous, so jealous. I would have given anything to switch places with him- but that could never happen. We were two of a kind, two freaks in a galaxy of normal species. We were a lot alike, too, in ways no outside person would understand.
No, it wasn't him I hated, loathed. For my brother had never tortured me, tested what I could take to try to make me strong, and then disgusted when I was weak, just did it for kicks.
No, that was the Visser.
He had tortured both of us, every since we were young enough to stand. My brother grew stronger from it- he fed off his own pain and 'took it like a man' so to say. I wasn't the strong one, I couldn't heal my wounds like he could.
So when the Visser had captured an Andalite and kept him to bring him before the Council, I had been curious. And I had talked to him, that Andalite, and he talked back. He was the only one who listened to me, and he had brought my own hatred into actually feelings. And when I had freed him from his cage, and when I was caught, I was tortured like never before, and brought to the Council myself.
"Al, I guess I can understand why you hate him. I do too. But we are Yeerks! No matter what we look like, that's what we are inside," Alexxen pleaded with me. "Let me talk to him, and the Council, and maybe they can pardon you, and you can come back. I hate it without you. There's no one to talk to."
"Or beat you at chess," I couldn't help but add.
Alexxen smiled. "You're one of us, Al. Give me the Dracon beam and we can go back to before you freed that Andalite."
"He had a name, you know," I murmured.
"The name was what made it so bad," Alexxen said. "If it had been any other Andalite, it might not have mattered so much."
It was true, and I knew it. Why had it been that Andalite? That one? But I don't think I would've freed any other one, either. There had been other Andalites, ones I had seen before they had taken their lives with their own tails rather than being slaves. There had been something different about that out, something understanding.
"Elfangor."
The name hung in the air and I shuddered, staring at me brother. Was he right? Could I come back?
Did I really want to?
"Maybe we are Yeerks," I said, "but we're just as much human as Yeerk, Alexxen."
"How do you know?"
I didn't, and he knew it. I could never lie to him. He held out his hand for the Dracon beam. "Five minutes. You can still turn it off."
I stared at the hand and at the weapon. Five minutes. Five minutes before-
Five minutes to make a decision that would change my life forever.
I reached out my hand to Alexxen. He smiled at me and I-
-walked past him and out the door.
"Al! Don't!"
I ignored him.
There were Hork Bajir at the door, no doubt there to finish me off. I ignored them also.
"Leave her alone," Alexxen cried, rushing out of the room. "Let her pass!" They moved out of my way instantly and I kept walking down the stairs.
"Alissan! Don't do this! Please! Don't be stupid!"
I laughed, not looking back. "Don't worry little brother! I'm a genius, remember?"
"Alissan!"
To understand what happened next you must know two things. One, I like explosives. Two, Yeerk Pools (the actual pool, mind you) are highly flammable. I figured out that last one the hard way.
"Visser Three!" I drawled loudly as I came down the stairs alone, hands up in a mocking gesture. "You have four minutes and ten seconds until this entire place goes boom!"
He stared at me blankly. (You're bluffing.)
I laughed, and there was actual humor in this one. An improvement. "Remember last time you assumed that?"
Throughout my life with the Yeerks, I had discovered many ways of making things go 'boom'. I got in a hell of a lot of trouble when I had blown up my first Yeerk Pool. No Yeerks had been in it, but still people whined. Because I couldn't protect myself the was Alexxen could- with his fists, I used my brains. And my explosives. I had once taken out part of the Visser's Blade Ship. It took them almost a year to fix it back up.
From the look in his main eyes, I'd say the Visser remembered. Oh, goody.
In the midst of the big battle with the Andalites, I had used the opportunity to set up my little bomb right next to the Pool. A bit primitive, yes, but it would work. And no one else would be able to shut it off, I made sure of that.
(What do you want, Alissan?)
I smiled cruelly. "Revenge. But I'm patient. I can wait, Visser. Right now I'd settle for you letting the Andalites go."
(Never!) he cried, tail arching up dangerously. But I was much too far away this time. I knew that would bother him.
"Then you can die with them."
Ooh, that pissed the bastard off. I could just see the wheels turning in his small head. But I knew what the outcome would be. Visser Three only has one rule- to save himself at all costs.
But then he smiled at me with his main eyes, and my stomach dropped suddenly. (Oh, no, Alissan 337, I won't die with them. You will! Guards!)
The Hork Bajir from behind me grabbed me suddenly and through me into the Andalites. I slammed into the gorilla, who picked me up and set me upright.
"Watch the hands," I managed to mutter.
(One minute left!) the Visser cried, disappearing up the stairs. (So long, Alissan. For good!)
And the son of a bitch was gone.
How is it? Does it all make sense? Do you like? (I hope so!) Review, review! Thank you EVERYONE who has reviewed, and thank you twice those who have reviewed more than once!