The Difference

Chapter 14 - One More

(Marco)

How in the world does someone just vanish?! Alay paused and shrugged her shoulder, then tossed her hair over her shoulder and dropped from the tree branch to the ground.

I'll tell you, said Tobias. Ellimist. Alay raised an eyebrow as Tobias landed the branch she had descended from.

Yes, but why? If she's s'posed to free us, the least he can do is wait until we're all free, she commented. I thought a moment on this, then stopped.

Wait… how do you know about the Ellimist? She tilted her head back to look at me and made a face.

Oh, for the sake of the Goddess, I can't believe she didn't tell you. I'm gonna throttle her… when we find her. And make her explain, so you'll have to wait until then.

I don't like this, said Tobias, changing the tone of the subject. Sure, the Ellimist is known for random occurrences, but he doesn't usually just kidnap people. At least, not that we know of… Alay stuck her sword in the ground and with a loud tearing sound, ripped the bottom of her shirt off. She tilted her head back and gathered her hair into a ponytail, then tied it up with the strip that she had removed.

Just keep an eye for any stray Hork-Bajir. Those stupid… ugh. These ones here are nothing like the ones back home. She grabbed her sword again and balanced the blade across her shoulders. Any sign of her?

Notta thing, I answered. Not even a salad shooter. Are you sure the Yeerk set up an ambush?

Yeah, I'm sure. But Epsil wasn't the most liked Yeerk around - ten to one Visser Three called off the ambush unit when Epsil bought the farm. Or even before that - it would be like the Andalite-scum.

Hey, interjected Tobias sternly. Visser Three is an Andalite Controller. I have yet to meet another Andalite like him.

Look, bird, the most I have to go on is what I was taught back home. Now, maybe there's a different kind of Andalite here, but Visser Three is exactly like the stereotypical Andalite back home. I swooped down and landed on the top of a tree - high enough to keep an eye on things, low enough that I could keep an eye on Alay. I had only officially known her for an hour and I still wasn't sure if I liked her - she reminded me a lot of Rachel, in her sarcastic, arrogant attitude, but at the same time, it was worse because I knew Alay would kick my ass, whereas with Rachel, I simply knew she could.

Mei…?! The sword on Alay's back was suddenly out and ready to fight. She held it out with one hand while the other rested on the short sword strapped to her back - she had taken that from Sarah's duffel bag, as well as the dagger Sarah had been keeping. Look alive, boys, the nendei are stirring…

What do you mean by that? She didn't answer, instead, drew the second sword and stood, watching the entire clearing for any sign of movement. The nendei... the elemental things Sarah had told me about. Alay could see them?

There! Across from you, Alay! Alay leveled her longer sword at the spot directly in front of her, but kept the arm with the short sword loose. Why? Because she was expecting - no, knew- that whatever was disturbing the nendei wasn't in front of her.

Sarah emerged slowly from the bushes to Alay's left and stood there, waiting, until Alay looked over at her. The brunette grinned at the partially-blonde and Alay rolled her eyes.

"Curse you and your shadowy little sneaking-up-on-people thing," she said, making a face. Sarah giggled and brushed a strand of bang out of her face. She tilted her head back to smile up at me and I stopped. Not because of her smile, but because her eyes… they were…

Tobias, something's wrong. That's…

I know, Marco, but Alay's either ignoring me or can't hear me. I'm screaming at her right now and she isn't listening. Tobias shifted on the branch, obviously debating whether he should physically intervene, but Sarah solved that.

"'Lay, can you help me a moment? I am stuck on a bush." She tugged at her leg, showing the fabric of her pants was caught on a thin branch. Alay arched an eyebrow, but shrugged and approached Sarah, sheathing the short sword as she did. She took Sarah's right hand, the hand marked with the Cross, with her own right hand, marked with something similar but not exactly like Sarah's. Instead of two crossing lines, she had one line bisecting a circle, the mark of Weapon.

"You're such an airhead, itala, if a little bush can sto…" Alay trailed off, her eyes trained on Sarah's wrist. With an osprey's eyes, trained to see fish from high distances, I could see…

Marco, the mark, the cross… it's… changed. I agreed, silently, as Alay stared at the new score on Sarah's arm. The two lines were gone, replace by a strange symbol that seemed vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place it…

"You… you are…" Sarah gave a small nod and the blue in her eyes intensified. Now I was sure it wasn't Sarah, but it was too late. She, it, had Alay right where it wanted her.

"And you are, as well." Alay gasped and grabbed her arm with a cry. Sarah's eyes fluttered and without a sound, she dropped, releasing her grip on Alay.

That's it, I'm not staying up here anymore. I launched myself off the tree and fluttered to the ground. Alay stayed where she was, shocked or stunned or unconscious on her feet - something. Frankly, I could have cared less what was wrong with Alay, it was Sarah I was worried about.

Be careful. Alay, are you all right? She gave herself a shake, the shivered.

"Y-yeah," she muttered. "I will be, at least." She gave Sarah a gentle kick as I landed and demorphed, causing her to groan and stir.

"Verdenae…" she whined. "Jaia… gehne…" Alay snorted.

"Not this time, itala. You're stuck with me now, like it or not." Sarah pushed herself up on her arms and crawled to her feet. I was at her side in enough time to keep her from falling as she stumbled again. She fell against me and instead of standing back up, stayed against me, half conscious.

"Sehar… vercha…" she murmured. Okay, was I wrong to like this position we were in? No. I'm a guy who has a crush on a girl, who was passed, or mostly passed out, almost on top of me, completely vulnerable, and as always, completely her hot-self. But Alay placed one hand on her hip and arched an eyebrow even as I looked down to hide the flaming blush on my face - I would not show weakness in the face of the psycho, I would not show weakness in the face of the psycho…

"Taking her home would be a bad idea," stated Alay, thankfully directing her gaze to Tobias. "Would you friend Cassie be averse to her staying in the barn? She needs sleep and bad, but having to explain it to her… parents would be a difficult thing."

I don't think Cassie will have a problem with it, answered Tobias. But you're definitely gonna explain yourself. How do you know about… Sarah's parents, for one thing? And Cassie's barn, for another?

"Jaia, atala mi itala, the better question is how do you know Sarah?" The shut Tobias up and Alay was free to turn her attention back to me. "And since you seem happy enough in that position, you can carry her." I wanted to make a comment, but, in lieu of the situation, I held my tongue and simply glowered. Hey, at least I wasn't blushing.

Marco, stay with Alay. I'll go ahead and talk to Cassie. I nodded to Tobias, who took off to warn Cassie. Lucky bird - I had to stay behind and walk with the psycho…