Divide And Conquer

I ran.

And as I ran I cried.

I ran as fast as I could, trying to run away from the barn. Trying to run away from what I saw, trying to forget. It didn't work. No matter how many miles I put between me and the barn, I could still see in my minds eye, the disgusting sight of the boy I loved kissing another boy. Tobias and Marco? How could they? No. How could he? Tobias said that he loved me, that he would watch over me forever, how could he betray me like that? I wasn't angry. I was too sorrowful, too hurt and heart-broken to feel angry. Anger would come later. For now I'm trying to heal these wounds inside my heart. Trying and not succeeding. I rationalized to myself that if Tobias was gay, then it wasn't my fault that he didn't love me, I just couldn't give him what he needed. That thought didn't make it any better.

I ran far and fast, pausing only to morph to wolf and demorph. Night fell and still I ran. Running away from my pain, running away from my heartbreak. I could vaguely hear the clock strike twelve in the background but it made no difference to my keen wolf eyes which could see as well in the dark as in the day.

Suddenly my pain disappeared. It was replaced by a fierce, burning anger. Like the anger I feel during a tough battle but subtly different. This anger was more…focused. It had a target, a person whom I should destroy. But who?

Ax. Aristh Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. A smug, superior Andalite. He thinks he's so smart, so capable and in control. Andalites are the meddlers of the galaxy, always poking their noses in what doesn't concern them. But when something comes along where they should interfere to help people do they? NO! They just stand aside and watch. Or even worse kill everybody and call it helping. Like they did on the planet of the Hork-Bajir, like they tried to do here. Ax knew about Tobias and Marco and he didn't tell me. Ax must have known. Tobias is what Ax calls a shorm, Ax's best friend. Ax is Tobias's 'uncle'. Tobias would have told Ax. And Ax didn't tell me. This is all Ax's fault.

My tears had dried by now but I kept running as I demorphed and then morphed to grizzly bear. Now I was heading in a specific direction though instead of just running aimlessly. I was heading for Ax's scoop. I was heading towards the truth.

I reached the outer perimeters of his territory and stopped. It occurred to me that if I was careful, I could find out exactly how long Tobias had been deceiving me. I demorphed, feeling strangely vulnerable, standing in the woods in the night. I had never been scared like this before. I felt fragile as if a butterfly flying past could shatter my world. My anger returned full force. This was Tobias's fault! I had never felt weak but just knowing that he didn't love made me feel as if I was made of glass. I would kill Ax for not warning me!

I walked to the edge of his scoop and stood there. His stalk eyes turned towards me but his main eyes were fixed on the TV in front of him.

Hello Rachel. Why are you awake? he asked. I was simmering on the inside but stayed cool. I mustn't let him guess how angry I am.

"Oh, I was just thinking about stuff. You know things like how Andalites are such arrogant pieces of scum, even worse than the Yeerks because the Yeerks don't pretend to help  you and then stab you in the back." I answered in a deliberately light-hearted tone.

WHAT? he practically shrieked. His tail-blade stiffened and he held it higher.

"You know, at least a Yeerk would bother informing me that my boyfriend doesn't love me. Andalites seem to be such sadistic bastards that they don't even tell people the truth. Not to mention that some of them are treacherous cowards like you." I continued merrily, taking pleasure in how his expression changed from shock to anger.

Has it occurred to you that maybe Tobias doesn't love you because you are a psycopathic killer who doesn't care which side you're fighting on as long as you get to fight! he retorted angrily, his expression darkening. At that something inside me snapped and I ran screaming towards him without even bothering to morph. I just wanted to kill him, to see his blood spill out, to hear his dying gurgle, to make him plead for his life.

"Why didn't you tell me about Marco and Tobias!" I yelled as I ran towards him. He swung his blade towards me and I ducked, rolling on the ground to come up from underneath him and punch his side. He veered off to a side and I saw his tail-blade swing towards me once more but this time I couldn't avoid it. It hit me on the side of my head and knocked me out cold.


************
Crayak: I left her body and watched as the Andalite lifted up with his weak arms and then slung her onto his back. He began to move towards Cassie's farm. I followed, checking up on the other Animorphs as I did. Marco had gone to his mother and accused her of being a voluntary Controller and a spy for the Yeerks. He had then gone to the mall and spent his time shoplifting from the Gap, a human shop that had a Yeerk pool entrance. After that, he disguised himself and checked into a hotel. Jake and Cassie were both sleeping as it was after midnight. Tobias was flying frantically, looking for Rachel. I was confused. According to my calculations, she should have joined my side. Everybody has good and evil struggling for control inside them. And trying to kill Ax should have pushed her over the edge but she was still good and I couldn't understand why for her soul was now definitely evil but she hadn't attached herself to me. And then I understood why. Love. She was in love with Tobias. Even though she thought that he had betrayed her, Rachel still loved him. If I wanted to win her over, I would have to destroy her love for him or make her destroy him. The second option was more tempting but I couldn't for I had to collect all 7 seven souls and I would have to convert him first else I would lose his soul and lose the game. I had to act fast as I only had 24 hours in which to convert Rachel. Then I would have to wait another 24 hours before entering the next Animorph. I drifted above the Andalite and watched as he deposited Rachel in the barn. He then morphed to owl and woke Cassie. He brought her down to the barn. I decided that it was time for Rachel to wake up so I re-entered her.


********
I could hear voices. My head hurt. Those were my first two thoughts on regaining consciousness. I could recognize the voices. One voice was Cassie and the other was a thought-speak voice so it was Ax. I listened with my eyes closed, waiting for the pounding in my head to stop.

"Ax, are you sure that Rachel said Marco and Tobias?" Cassie asked in an incredulous voice.

Yes, I clearly heard her scream their names. She also insulted my race and accused me of  being a traitor. Ax said, his voice emotionless.

"But I don't think that Tobias and Marco are together. I also don't understand why she should attack you if they are." Cassie said, sounding bemused.

Apparently she thought that I knew about them and I had withheld that information from her.Ax suggested.

"But-"Cassie started to say and then stopped. I heard the fluttering of wings. And I knew that it was Tobias. I opened my eyes and saw nothing but blue. I rolled my eyes upwards and saw the rafters of the barn. Okay, I was in the barn and Ax and Cassie were standing in front of me. I closed my eyes again.

Hey, have you guys seen Rachel? I need to talk to her. I really need to talk to her. Tobias demanded.

"Actually, she attacked Ax. Ax then knocked her out and brought her here." Cassie said, sounding slightly ashamed that she knew something about Tobias that he had kept secret.

WHAT? Is she okay? he blurted out.

Why would he care? He doesn't love me, he loves Marco. He lied to me, cheated on me and thought I wouldn't find out. Yet despite all that I still loved him. He was after all my first love and the first love is always the sweetest love. Still that is no excuse for what he did. For betraying me, he will pay. Forget about Ax for the moment, Tobias is a more immediate target. I wanted to morph but a little part of me, a cold, calculating part of me that I never knew I had told me that I had already tried brute force once and that it hadn't worked. The same part of me came up with a subtler plan. I could hear Cassie explaining what happened in more detail. I waited till she finished and then groaned and stirred. I stretched my arms out as if I had just woken up from a long nap and smiled innocently at Tobias who was now perched on the rafters above me.

"Hello Tobias. Hello Cassie. Hello Ax." I said in a friendly tone.

"How do you feel Rachel?" asked Cassie, sounding concerned.

"Okay, but I have a slight headache. Tobias I want to apologize for reacting the way I did. If you and Marco are involved then I should just accept it for I love you and I want what is best for you." I said in a sugar- sweet voice. Tobias shifted uneasily on his perch.

Uh Rachel, Marco and I aren't together and I love you too. I tried to tell you that but Marco kept interrupting. I wasn't kissing him, he just grabbed me and kissed me so that you would get the wrong idea about us.he explained in thought-speak. I pretended to sulk.

"I don't believe you. You do love Marco and you are gay or at least bi. " I said petulantly.

I really love you, and I really hate Marco. What do I have to do to convince you! he exclaimed. I tilted my face upwards and smiled invitingly.

"Kissing me would be a good start." I said flirtatiously. He hesitated and then fluttered down. He began to demorph.

"Tobias, I don't think that this is a good idea." Cassie protested weakly.

"Oh, don't be such a prude Cassie. Tobias is my boyfriend and I have as much right to kiss him as you have to kiss Jake." I said in the same sweetly reasonable voice I had used earlier. Cassie looked surprised but made no further objections. Not so Ax. As Tobias walked towards me I saw him shake his head slightly at Ax, leading me to believe that Ax had tried to talk to him in thought-speak to stop Tobias from kissing me.

I stood up and opened my arms. I then flung my arms around and pulled him closer until our lips touched. This kiss was different. Normally when we kissed it was sweet and gentle, loving and caring, slowly growing deeper and more passionate, pleasure mixed with a bittersweet regret that we couldn't do this more often. This kiss was filled with a wild hunger, uncontrollable desire. It was hard and rough and almost angry, untamed, uncivilized, harsh, and brutal. I gave him all my passion, all my love, trying to expel my love for him from me. I couldn't breathe, I didn't need to breathe, my body was burning, liquid fire running through my veins. I opened my mouth as he opened his and we slid our tongues into each other, still frantically kissing. I was molded against his body, not caring for anything but this last savage kiss. It was as if we were trying to devour each other. We separated unwillingly, opening our eyes and stepping backwards.

"Good bye Tobias. I knew that I could never forgive you for betraying my love for you but I wanted one last kiss to remember you by." I said as I turned on my heel and walked out of the barn. Tobias watched me go; I could feel his eyes boring through my back but I didn't turn back for now all my foolish emotion was gone. Drained, I was nothing but a empty vessel, waiting to be filled with hatred.

Crayak:

Rachel was now mine as well. She, unlike Marco, was an empty vessel for after taking her humanity and her love for Tobias, she had nothing left except a wild exultation on the battlefield. For Marco though, I had left him his hate, knowing that would make him a more effective pawn. Now I possessed two souls out of 6, for it would be so easy to reclaim my old associate, David that I didn't even consider him souled any longer.