ANIMORPHS: The Game Chapter 6: Ax, an animorphs fanfic

CHAPTER 6

Ax

CASSIE WANTED ME TO OBSERVE ALLIE'S MORPHING. She said it was because Allie might have questions about morphing that only I had the answers to, but I think that she wanted me there for support. We still did not know much about Allie, but what I feared most was that she appeared to know everything about our past accomplishments. I also had a sense that she was not completely honest with us, that she was hiding something.

I had protested at first, but Cassie promised me a delicious candy bar if I cooperated. Chocolate was not as scrumptious as a delightful cinnamon bun, but it was still very tasty.

We had decided to meet in a clearing in the forest behind Cassie's house. She also had a caged goshawk with her for Allie to acquire. Unfortunately, the atmospheric conditions were not the best and there was a slight drizzle in the air. Tobias decided to accompany me and was complaining about the rain.

It's the worse time to fly, he replied. I think we should just call the whole thing off. It's not a nice night to be outside in spandex.

"Allie's probably already on her way. It's too late to call her. If my dad decides to take my mom out to dinner tonight, then we can probably move into the barn."

Here they come now, Tobias said, flying closer to the ground.

"They?" Cassie questioned.

Marco is with her. Ohh, they're sharing an umbrella, how sweet. Tobias said with sarcasm. Gag me. I'm surprised she didn't tell him to get lost yet. I've never seen him that nervous in front of a girl before. He looked like a complete idiot, Tobias laughed.

Why is Marco nervous about a girl? I asked. Cassie answered in a physical form know as shrugging which involves using shoulders. Humans experience such strange emotions in normal situations. I added.

"Hey guys," Marco greeted once he and Allie approached us.

"Hi Marco. Hi Allie. Ready to get started?" Cassie asked. "You better take off your shoes, by the way. They'll brake when you morph. And why don't you acquire this goshawk."

"Goshawk?" Allie questioned, removing her artificial hooves. Cassie gestured to the cage. Cassie opened it and took out the bird and perched it on her arm. "What - How do I acquire it?"

Just touch it, I said. It will fall into a trance as you acquire, sort of paralyzing it for a few seconds.

"Does it hurt the bird?"

No, it's painless, I replied. For both of you.

Allie nodded and touched the goshawk. She stroked the feathers lightly as the bird calmed into a state of numbness. She took her hand away and Cassie put the bird back in the cage. "Now what?"

"Which animal do you want to morph? The goshawk or the snow leopard?
"The snow leopard," she replied. "How do I - morph?"

"Just think about the animal. The snow leopard. It's sleek elegance, it's huge paws. The white speckled fur..."

Allie closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Even the rain seemed to come to a standstill as Cassie tried to coax her into morphing. Allie's body was vibrating with concentration, her eye lids flickered as she began to change.

White fur began to sprout from her knuckles. Her feet expanded monstrously as her blue-painted toes turned into claws. There was a crunching sound as her skeleton began to take on a new shape.

Her eyes sprung open and she screamed in horror at the half-human, half-leopard begin she had become.

"It's okay!" Marco cried. "That's suppose to happen."

"Just keep going," Cassie urged. "You're almost done."

Allie nodded and closed her eyes again. Huge white fangs sprouted from her mouth as she sank down to the ground on her hands and knees...well, paws and hind legs. In a matter of moments she was fully snow leopard.

"See, that wasn't so bad," Marco remarked, "was it, Al? Allie?"

No answer.

"Al?"

Silence.

"Allie?"

The leopard turned to Cassie with a stare of hunger in its eyes. I heard Cassie gulp in air. "Allie? You've got to gain control over the snow leopard's mind," she said, her voice shaking. The leopard kept approach in her. "You're human? Remember? Long dark hair. Short height."

"We prefer to be called vertically challenged," Marco snapped.

Now is not the time to argue about that, Marco, Tobias said. Allie, listen to me. You're human. You're a human girl. You're not a snow leopard.

The leopard didn't phase. It continued to approach Cassie, crawling on the ground. She backed away to the tree behind her. "Allie! Snap out of it!!!"

She began to growl, a low, unearthly growl. The muscles on the back of her legs strengthened into hard coils.

"You guys! Help me!"

The leopard lunged at Cassie, knocking her over on her back. The leopard scratched her on the face, a red gash forming on her cheek.

No! Allie stop! Tobias cried. He was attacking the snow leopard with his talons. I ran over to the fight and caught the leopard by the neck with my tail blade. The animal snarled, knowing that if it budged it would become decapitated in a matter of earth milliseconds.

Cassie scrambled to her feet. A hand went to her face as she touched the deep gash, blood covering her finger tips.

The leopard seemed to slouch as tears came to Cassie's eyes. I could hear her sobbing...wait, it wasn't coming from her...someone was crying in thought speech.

Oh my god! What have I done? Cassie I'm so sorry! I quickly took my tail away as Allie came to the realization of who she was - what she was.

She approached Cassie and nuzzled her free hand. I'm so sorry! she apologized. I just couldn't gain control. I had no idea it was really that hard. I'm so sorry!

"It's okay," Cassie took her hand away from the cut. The bleeding had stopped. "I understand Allie, it's just a little scratch. I'll be fine." She smiled and gave Allie a pat on the head. "I understand Allie. It's okay. Don't cry. I'm gonna go get cleaned up."

I'll come with you, Tobias said, morphing to human and taking the caged goshawk. We better take him back before your parents find out.

What have I done?! Allie cried.

"It's okay, Allie," Marco comforted. "Really."

Stop telling me that! It's not okay! I could have killed her! What kind of help am I going to be against the Yeerks if I can't even control my own morphing?!

"Look, why don't you just morph back to human and we can talk about it, okay?"

Morphing takes a lot of practice, Allie, I said. I could tell that Allie was genuinely concerned for our welfare. It takes also takes a lot of patience.

"Ax is right. You'll get the hang of it after a little while. Just morph back now."

Okay, she sniffled, closing her eyes. I just wish I could have morphed that goshawk too. Tobias looks so graceful, riding the wind, racing through the sky. Staring down at everything below him...

As she was talking, she didn't seem to notice the feathers sprouting out of her fur. Marco gasped. Allie began to shrink at an enormous rate. Her catlike snout narrowed to a beak.

"Ax, what's going on? What is she doing?"

I - I - I can't believe it myself, I stuttered. Allie was morphing straight from snow leopard to goshawk without having to morph back into her original form. It was amazing. It was impossible.

What's going on? Allie asked. What are you guys talking about?

"Allie, open your eyes," Marco said.

She did. I'm the goshawk! I did it!

"But it's impossible," Marco said. "You can't just morph from one form to the other without changing back to human. It's impossible."

But she did, I replied. Marco, she can double-morph.