Author's Note: I'm torn about this chapter. I can't tell if rules or if it sucks. I'm just gonna leave that up to you guys. To my knowledge, the Basara aren't a real species. I made them up to explain Ax's weird mouth The One gave him. Kind of like that Andalite/Human stunt The One pulled back in chapter 11. In fact, there's a lots of made-up species in this chappie. Whoohoo. If you want more info about any of them just email me. (mysteriotrainer@hotmail.com)
Some parts of this, such as Ax's capture and the introduction of The One, are not like they are in 54. This is because I don't have a copy of the book, and didn't feel like waiting until Monday to beg for it. So I thought 'why not make my own version'? Ah, fanfics. I gave Jeanne and Santorelli their own battle morphs too, lioness and black bear respectively. Whoa, just felt an odd urge to write Jeanne/Santorelli fic...that's not right. I hope you guys like this chapter, and I'm going to write the last one quick as I can. (Which will be good, unlike this one.) If you want more slash, I'll still be writing it. Dun worry. My new series, Threads of Fate, will be an M/A but it's only going to be hinted at in the first part of the series. It's still there, though, so yay, I guess.
Aw, screw it. Just read the chapter.
Be Stupid Chapter Thirteen: When Ax Fights
It had been about a month, in Andalite time, since he had agreed to the Ellimist's deal. The Andalite-Once-Human had found himself on the board of Intrepid, the ship he would have been commanding had it not been for his quick exit to Earth. He'd been blessed with a well-crafted ship and a quick, intelligent crew. It would have been the epitome of everything he'd wanted in his life not a few short months ago. Now, though, it saddened him.
This was not what he wanted. What he wanted was to be back on Earth with the ones he loved.
That was no longer possible, Ax admitted with a tinge of bitterness.
Prince Aximili?
Ax was startled out of his reverie by his first officer, Menderash-Postill-Fastill.
What is it? Asked Ax, not bothering to hide his lack of interest.
An unidentified lifeform in Kelbrid space. Menderash answered, choosing to ignore his commanding officer's taciturn behavior.
Kelbrid space? Ax asked. That's strange. Ax fought the twisting uncertainty in his heart. It might not be what he suspected. Besides, there wasn't any bravery in living in fear of the future and what might be. It was easier to believe that than the internal knowledge that he had a very good suspicion of what that "unidentified lifeform" was.
Menderash? Ax said, to make sure his subordinate was paying attention, Tell the crew we are heading into Kelbrid space.
Menderash regarded his Prince with shock in all four of his eyes. Prince Aximili, we are not allowed to do that!
Yes, I'm aware of that, Menderash. Ax said. I am the commanding officer of this ship. All the blame with fall upon me, so don't worry about it. No one will reprimand you for following orders. Now, do what I say.
Doubt and unwillingness filling every action of the younger Andalite, Menderash-Postill-Fastill did as his Prince commanded.
In the meantime, unbeknownst by his first officer, said Prince tried like a madman to calm his own doubts.
The Intrepid had outlined a course to Kelbird space. Inching closer each second to what Ax knew, but refused to admit, had to be The One. The day the Ellimist had warned him of was upon him.
With every fiber of his willpower, Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthil was going to ignore and deny that fact.
So far there had been no complications, nothing unexpected had come upon Intrepid and the crew.
Then, in one blurred moment, the communications center of the ship had shut down. To top that off, the ship was no longer moving. Ax was held stiff by a fear he felt in all of his hearts. Fear of what he knew deep inside of him.
The One had come.
Ax heard the words meant only for him, words soundless to the rest of his crew.
HELLO, PET.
Then chaos and hell were mixed and unleashed upon Intrepid. The ship was blown apart. Ax heard screams and the sound of a roaring fire. He saw what looked like his crew, dead. Dead because of his arrogance over his fate.
PITY YOU DON'T GET TO JOIN THEM.
Then Ax lost all consciousness and fainted on what remained of Intrepid.
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THEY'RE COMING.
Aximili-Esgarrouth-Ishtil tried to block out the voice of the One as it invaded his thoughts. He didn't want to hear it.
He had never wanted to hear it, but not now in particular. Not after the loss of his crew.
Not after he had merged into the being.
It'd been inevitable from the start. Ax soon realized that after he had made his choice. In the past, the One would have overcome him and stolen his body. The same thing had more or less occurred now, but there was one important difference. He was no longer on Earth. No longer human. No longer destined to kill the ones who had become his surrogate family, and thousands of innocents.
Now he was just another addition to the beings inside of the One.
THEY'RE COMING TO SAVE YOU. DID YOU KNOW THAT? The One asked.
Ax gave his captor no answer. He felt he had no reason to talk.
ARE YOU NOT SURPRISED? I CAN SEE THAT YOU ARE. The One told the Andalite he held prisoner.
I am not surprised. Ax lied, just to spite The One. The truth was that he was, indeed, surprised. He had a dim recollection of the Ellimist telling him that there would be a chance at freedom, but he was surprised.
He hadn't expected it to be the other Animorphs.
He hadn't wanted it to be the other Animorphs.
WHY COULD THAT BE? The One teased, having sensed Ax's thoughts, as he could all the beings that were a part of him. The One had made certain, however, that none of those beings could sense the others. That had been a decision made by The One to protect itself. Couldn't have all his slaves starting a revolt, now could he?
ARE YOU AFRAID? The One asked. The Andalite did not answer, being stubborn again.
This did not bother the One. It knew which buttons to push.
Ax heard The One question him again. An inquiry meant to hurt him, meant to make him regret the decision he'd made.
They were the kind of inquires he was familiar with by now. Not a day went by that he'd didn't wonder if he had made the right choice. The choice to abandon everything he had in order to protect millions. To protect his friends.
To protect the one he loved.
He still regretted it. Even now.
YOU ARE AFRAID. The One had said. YOU'RE AFRAID THAT I WILL KILL THEM. GUESS WHAT?
I WILL. I'LL EVEN USE YOUR BODY TO DO IT, IF IT SUITS ME. The One told the Andalite-once-human.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW ANGRY I WAS WHEN YOU CHANGED FORM. A WEAK, HUMAN BODY HAS SUCH LIMITED CAPACITIES. THE BODY OF AN ANDALITE SUITS MY NEEDS MUCH BETTER.
I'm so glad you got what you wanted. Ax commented not without a tinge of bitterness.
NOW, NOW, THERE'S NO NEED TO BE SARCASTIC. YOU'RE NOT ANY GOOD AT IT. The One scorned.
BESIDES, YOU LOOK LIKE A FOOL. OF COURSE, YOU WERE ONE TO BEGIN WITH. The One added.
YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR HOW YOUR LUCK HAS CHANGED. DID YOU BELIEVE YOU COULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THEM? THAT THEY WOULD HAVE ACCEPTED YOU? The One asked Ax.
The Andalite tried not to think about what The One was questioning. They were questions he didn't want to answer.
It was true he had decided to become human. The Andalites could never have accepted him back into the fold, not after what Christopher Tompson had made public knowledge. Ax had learned that the moment his father had shunned him and his mother, though she still loved her son, had advised him to leave. Ax knew the truth of that all too well. But were the humans any different? There was more than once that he'd felt the difference between his peoples was a murky one. He'd been aware of the intense backlash against his kind that existed on Earth, and the prejudice and fear that Tompson's broadcast had ignited. Humans, too, were not the most tolerant creatures.
Could it have lasted? Could his relationship with Marco have lasted through all of that? Ax had his doubts.
Doubts born of seeing his then-friend jump from relationship to relationship, woman to woman, within the course of days to months. Despite the years of friendship and now what Ax suspected was love between them, was that a guarantee that it all would not fall apart and develop what would be remembered as a short fling?
No. There was no guarantee. There never had been.
GLAD TO SEE YOU'RE WAKING UP TO THE TRUTH. The One commented in a smug tone.
Oh, I am? Ax asked, angered at The One's observation.
IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU REALIZED YOUR SHENIGAINS WERE DOOMED. The One said to Ax.
There are no guarantees. Ax said, plain and simple, to The One. His captor took a moment to respond.
I SUPPOSE WE'LL SEE. AFTER ALL, THEY ARE COMING.
Little did Ax or any of The One's other captives know just how close The Rachel was to approaching them.
The One had an acute awareness of this, however, and it was going to fight to the death to prove the Ellimist wrong.
The One knew the destiny the Ellimist had set forth. It was to fight this destiny that The One had set out to capture the Andalite, and for that reason it had been willing to kill him, until that idiot of a human had stopped him.
What fools love made. Not that it mattered, The One would triumph over both love and the meddler of the galaxy.
The One had no other choice.
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It happened close to a month later.
Of course, Ax hadn't paid much attention to the passing of the days. His days were so similar it hurt deep inside.
Then again, that was slavery for you. It was a lonesome experience being a part of The One. Ax knew that he wasn't the only one inside of the symbiote, but he could not sense any of the others. It was as if they didn't exist.
The One could sense his thoughts and feelings, but Ax had no way of knowing what The One felt, assuming that The One even felt, of course. It was much like, from what Ax had seen and heard, like being a Controller.
All of him laid out like a book to read. His fears, doubts, and little hopes that seemed to be dying each day.
Ax had beaten himself up over this ever since the day The One had taken him full prisoner. He knew it was an act of cowardice to feel this way, to be giving up his hope. It would be better to die than do such a thing.
Except he couldn't even take his own life now. That decision would be up to The One.
How could he have let this happen? How could he have let his fate be dictated by a demented parasitic symbiote and the infamous meddler of the galaxy? How could he have had such little faith in himself to handle this?
It was the right thing to do. Ax tried to comfort himself. It was either this or thousands dead.
Unbidden, Ax recalled when he'd been forced to make another decision like this one. It was a memory he'd been better off not remembering.
Ax felt the cords of despair wrap around him. It was not fair that he should have to make such choices. Even more unjust in what was to supposed be a time of peace, after the war had ended. When his life seemed to be fitting together. Then it had all been snatched away from him, in the blink of an eye. Yes, Ax admitted he had a choice in the matter, but what kind of a choice was your own happiness vs. the lives of millions and the ones you love?
Why did he have to make this kind of a sacrifice? What kind of horrible deed had he done in another life?
What was eating up the former human with an intense voracity was the fact that he now had no idea how the ones he cared about were doing. The Ellimist had told them there would be a catch, there would be consequences.
Ax had not been prepared for how much those consequences would hurt. It pained him to not be on Earth. It pained him to not be in his little ramshackle apartment, to not drop by and say hello to his old, kind landlady.
It pained him to not be able to see Prince Jake and Cassie, it even hurt to not Tilopid, strange thought she was.
It hurt him that after three years of separation he was once again torn away from his shorm, though this time by his own choosing. It hurt to know that he had lost the chance to rebuild their broken and frayed bond.
It hurt to not see Marco.
Before they had been parted, he'd told Marco that he loved him. Now Ax had become far too aware of that fact.
When his feelings had developed from a strong attraction into love, the Andalite was not certain. They had changed, though, to something much deeper than the simple crush he'd had not too long ago. It would be an all-out lie if the Andalite did not admit that this scared him. He'd been ready, though, to deal with that fear.
If only he'd been aware that in the end they would be separated. He would have said it sooner, made it known.
You didn't know. The little voice in the back of the Andalite's head told him. You should be proud you said it all.
Perhaps, Ax thought. That did not change the pain he felt inside, though. It did not change the pain he could no longer see a way out of. Aximili-Esgarrouth-Ishtil could no longer see the light at the end of the tunnel.
He had no inkling of the events that would unfold soon, no idea of the events that waited ahead for him to seize.
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They had come, just as The One had said they would.
The One had begun cooking up its deception, trying to capture the Animorphs so that it would have new minions.
The One would make certain that they could not interfere with its plans. It could not be allowed, that was it. Because if anything went wrong, it could mean the end. The One knew that far too well.
The One had first used the form of a Human-Controller to arose their suspicions, to get them closer. It had shown them the Eevan hidden deep within, and then as a great crescendo, a devastating denouement, The One had shown those assembled inside The Rachel their friend. It shown them the Andalite, but had mixed it with a foul-scaled red creature called a Basara. They had horrid mouths. Mouths known to strike terror into the hearts of the brave. It had done the job. The One relished the shock and terror reflected in their eyes. It was wonderful.
Then, from inside of The Rachel, The One heard the words that set destiny in motion.
"Ram the Blade Ship."
The ship shook with a terrifying tremor. The One, still a mix of Andalite and Basara, hit the ground.
There was a rip in its side caused by one of the sharp edges surrounding the communications center.
It was a bad wound. Bad, but not fatal.
Ax felt a strange sensation, as if all of his senses had been heightened somehow. He could see through a gaping hole in the ship to the inside of The Rachel. Somehow, during the crash, the ships had been meshed together without a consideration for organization. Through melted metal and jagged, sharp cuts, the ships were now one.
He saw the others. Prince Jake, his grip just now loosening off a bar on the side of the ship. Tobias let his talons loosen from the same bar. Ax saw a tall woman with long black hair on her knees, surveying the ships with the same kind of amazement he felt. He saw a gruff man in his late thirties to early forties pulling himself up from a podium of sorts. He saw Menderash, in his human morph, getting up amongst the wreckage.
Then Ax spotted the one he'd been searching for. He felt a great relief wash over him as he saw that Marco was not dead or injured in any way. If that had been the case, then Ax would have killed The One by any means.
It was at that second, that instant that Ax felt overwhelmed. Somewhere in the wide and wondrous world, someone had pulled a string. Someone had allowed an accident of random chance. Something had changed.
Hello. The One's Andalite/Basara eyes widened in shock as it realized what had occurred.
Hello. Came another voice, different from the one before. Another voice joined the two. Hello.
Soon the three voices had evolved into a chorus, a mixture of voices all speaking different languages, yet understood without any doubt by one another. A chorus of millions sharing a simple Hello.
They had been set free. The Basara, the Eevan, an elven-like species, the Kigora, a metallic race. All of them granted freedom in one mind-blowing moment. Even Controller and Andalite were set free from The One.
The One began losing its reasoning. It flew into an outright panic, now unable to control the millions of beings stored within over the centuries. The whip had flown out of the hands of the master who'd forgotten to chain his slaves. A master who had been far too ignorant for far too long of what lie inside his dungeons.
It had to gain some control! The One thought in desperation. Perhaps acquiring more beings for its collection would calm down the blubbering chatter inside. There had to be some way to do it, and that seemed the only solution.
The One, using the control of its body to its advantage, moved towards those inside of The Rachel.
They were all intelligent and strong. Most of them humans, yes, but The One sensed the hidden potential inside of them.
Besides, if it meant a return to its power, The One would steal the weakest being of the galaxies. It no longer mattered.
As fortune would dictate, however, these were not weaklings. Good.
They would make more than suitable slaves.
Those inside of The Rachel had begun morphing. A tiger, a hawk, a gorilla, a lioness, and a black bear and a human nothlit stood inside the half-destroyed Bug Fighter ready to duel to the death.
The One was prepared to face them and absorb them. No matter what their strength was.
The One, however, did not expect the strong tug of resistance it felt in the next second.
NO! Ax was in shock for a fleeting moment as he realized that he had said those words.
Then he remembered the exact reason he'd said them. I will not allow you to take them!
The One had almost forgotten. The Andalite had a special attachment to these people, hadn't he? He'd even been in love with one of them. The one who had prevented The One's earlier attempt at assassinating the Andalite.
With a renewed vigor to capture and use these humans, The One continued on towards the Rachel.
The One also set to killing the Andalite. It could be done this time, no interference, nice and quick inside within his own body.
Ax noted with intense surprise that some sort of shield had come up around him.
The others deep inside of The One, spurred on by Ax's scream of protest, had decided to act on their own and protect the Andalite in their midst. The shield was developed in the blink of an eye by some of the telekinetic beings inside The One - The Tly, The Eevan, The Retrec, and many others. Ax also came to realize something.
He could see inside them all. He could see their thoughts, their feelings, their memories both active and repressed.
They could all see the same of him, as well.
Every single being inside of The One knew of Ax's reasons for protesting The One's control of the Animorphs.
Ax, too, could see their myriad of reasons for wanting to fight for their own freedom from the symbiote.
Many of them shared Ax's own motives -- to protect the ones they loved. Some did not. However, the Andalite had the support of all of those still inside of The One. Even those that opposed his sexuality, like the Kigora. Even those that detested Andalites, like the Human-Controller. If he had been human Ax would have been crying tears of joy.
At the moment, though, he vowed to stop The One from moving another inch.
As The One began stepping to the interior of The Rachel, Ax and the others trapped inside moved it backwards.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? The One screamed. STOP!
The Animorphs all stared in shock at what was unfolding before them. It looked as if The One was fighting with itself, trying to gain control but losing it faster than a falling plate. Each step, each movement it made was retracted. The One was undergoing a continuos cycle of move, stop, move, stop, move, stop.
WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? The One asked. HOW?
Ax decided to answer for all inside. They won't permit you to move another inch. He told The One.
YOU DID ALL THIS. The One said to Ax, its voice smoldering in anger.
No. I just rallied the forces. Ax said. The One was determined to not believe him.
OUT OF THEM ALL, YOU HAD THE MOST AT STAKE. YOU DID DO ALL OF THIS.
I WON'T LET YOU! The One protested. I HAVE THE POWER! YOU ARE ALL MINE! YOU CANNOT DO THIS, I HAVE POWER OVER ALL OF YOU!
Then came the response from deep within, from each and every being within The One.
You have no power over us.
The One's eyes widened, still a mix of Andalite and Basara. Then those orbs began to close, fluttering like butterflies, attempting to stop what was happening. It could not be stopped, however.
No one, nothing, can stop death.
Losing the struggle, giving up the fight for the last time, The One shut its eyes and somewhere, sometime, a timeline ended. The One had died.
Moments later, it began to separate. Every single being once inside had been granted freedom. They were all restored to their own individual forms, all granted independence once more.
Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthil stared at his many-fingered hands, amazed at what had occurred. He was himself again.
He was free.
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Just so you know, I'm nuts. (Reviewer Response)
Early - Woohoo, another review! (Whoa, that sort of rhymed.) Glad you like Chapter 2, buddy. Yes, you nailed Ax's two major conflicts right off the bat. I think you're the first person who guessed I was going to address that "Ax being a human" issue. Yay, you get a Good Guesser Award. Hmm, I guess I did forget to mention Chapter 2 was just an Ax recap. **runs off to go change that** You're a Tard? Why, sir, don't diss yourself so! =P
Yeah, Ax no like Candice. She steal his Marco. My god, I sound like a two year-old...anyway, yeah, isn't food a great way to distract yourself? I'm sure Ax would agree. Let's see...you think the Homeworld was bad now? You're not gonna like some of the later chapters. Eeek.
As for why the Ax chapters are better, it's probably because I relate to that character more. I can't really give any objective opinion on if my Marco chapters get any better, because I think my writing sucks most of the time. But I'd say the chapters (for both characters) vary in quality. Yes, see if the chapters get better for yourself! Read more fic! Geez, I'm such a review whore. I shame myself. That all done with, glad you liked the chapter and your fics rock!
Avada Kedavra - Woohoo! M/A subtext! I think we should have a party honoring that stuff. I'm glad the last chapter wasn't confusing! Uh, what other fics are there? There's "Adventures in Clubbing" by Doctor Strangelove, which kicks @$$. Forlay's "Strange Bedfellows" and "Happy Reunion" are both M/A fics, there's "The Third Couple" by Phenomene, and "With You" by Sarsia, then "Untouchable" by Mus4u. That's all I can recall. I haven't seen any that aren't on FFn, either, so yay. There you go...no, wait, my really bad gender-bending fic is at UCA. Don't read that one. Please.
Doctor Strangelove - Who's Az? =P Some combo of Ax and Oz? Oooh, that wouldn't be a bad idea...but never mind, if I continue on that line of thought, I'll start drooling over Oz. Nobody wants that. On the bright side, this chapter is all Ax! On the downside, it sucks, but oh well. Hey, I did update quicker. Wow. Maybe you should write more Adventures in Clubbing to help me write my fic! Or just plain write more Adventures in Clubbing. That wouldn't be a bad idea. **does the Puppy Dog Eyes of Doom** Please?
Lauren - Well, now you won't have to miss Ax anymore! He's baaack! Tilopid is totally bonkers, nuts and a weirdo chic. I'm glad everybody liked her so much! You think my theory on Marco dating a zillion chicks is a good one? Wow, maybe I am smart after all. Okay. Now that I wrote, you gotta review. =P I love kittens too, but I had to give mine away. **sniff** They're in good homes now, though, so it's okay. Ta ta for now!
