MARCO'S POV
The Hork-Bajir had no time to react, not even pull the triggers on their dracon beams, before we were on them. We just hurled ourselves at them and smashed through their front line in an instant.
Rachel's bulk thundering through the astonished Controllers and crushing them flat. Another going down in a whirlwind of blades as Cassie locked her jaws onto its throat. Jake swatting at them with massive paws, claws extended and slashing them. Tobias, a black dart, tearing through the ranks in a blur of claws and jaws. Ax, striking again and again with his tail, cutting them down in flashes of blue. And me, bowling into them and thrashing with my massive arms, punching and striking.
The Hork-Bajir quailed. They outnumbered us but we were so worked up and ready for them that for a few moments that didn't matter any more. They backed off in surprise and for a few seconds even the evil creep in the Tyrannosaur's form looked amazed, blinking its massive yellow eyes.
With every meter we advanced into the enemy's army more Controllers fell. We were unstoppable, washing over them and bringing them down. They had underestimated us. They panicked. And still we came on.
But then the world was shaken by a horrifying roar. The Tyrannosaurus Rex lunged forward and snapped those awful, tooth-lined jaws. It lunged out at Rachel in her elephant form, crushing two of its minions with its massive feet in the process. Rachel took a few clumsy steps backwards, narrowly avoiding the jagged teeth.
The Hork-Bajir, still numbering over seventy, rallied around the Emperor like flies to road kill. And Visser Three galloped forward, tail held high, heading for Ax.
We had fought well. We had taken a lot of them with us. But we couldn't go on. They were too many and he was too powerful.
The T-Rex raised one forelimb. And they all stopped where they were. We backed off a few wary steps, panting with exertion. But as of yet unscathed.
The Lord gazed at us, evaluating us with the predatory, fiery eyes of the Dinosaur. The Hork-Bajir just glared angrily at us but looked a little shaken. And the Visser was motionless, keeping all four eyes locked onto Ax.
(We can't win), Rachel despaired to us, so that the enemies couldn't hear us.
(You're saying that? Wow, that's encouraging), I muttered. I was angry. Angry because although we had tried our hardest and done all we could possibly do, we were still doomed to die.
(Marco, shut up), Tobias snapped. Even with death staring at us in the face and all the turbulence between them, he was still sticking up for her. But it just made me madder. Why did he hate me so much? It wasn't my fault that she had kissed me.
Of course, with death coming at you like a freight train, you do dumb things. There had been countless occasions when we all thought we were going to die. Some times we said dumb things. But occasionally it made you mad, and right now I was furious. And so was Tobias.
(Why don't you shut the), I yelled some inappropriate words at him, (up yourself! Get a grip! I didn't do it, it's not my fault! All you ever do is blame me!)
(That's because you're determined to make a joke out of everything and screw me up inside!)
(Stop it guys, please) Rachel sobbed in our heads, (Just leave it).
Rachel crying is a disturbing thing to witness, even in thought-speech.
(Yeah, this is so not the time to be discussing your love lives), Jake observed grimly as the Emperor shook the boxy head of the Tyrannosaur.
(Arguing amongst yourselves perhaps, my dear little humans?) he snorted, obviously sensing through our body language the turmoil, (Well, well, how inappropriate. True warriors do not cry or argue. I am a true warrior).
(My dear tender fools), he continued, (I have no mercy. I feel no pity. Or fear. But let us see how you shall react to the spoils of war between Andalite and Yeerk).
One of the Lord's fingers twitched and a Hork-Bajir stepped forward, carrying a large brown sack. I felt a twitch of dread in my stomach.
The Tyrannosaurus sniffed the air.
(Fear. The rebels are rank with it), he smirked and his troops laughed cruelly, (Let us ease their pain. Release the prisoners!)
The Hork-Bajir flung the bag at us and it landed in front of us, spilling its contents. The heads of Andalites. Ax moaned in horror. It was a gruesome scene. The heads rolled across the floor, all with their eyes open and looks of abject terror on their faces. They had been cruelly hacked off from the neck, probably by Hork-Bajir blades.
Cassie groaned, (Oh no).
But Ax was the worst. He rushed from head to head, wailing in grief. Ax rarely shows much emotion. Now he was crying in anguish. The Emperor laughed sadistically. It was an evil chuckle, bought on by the amusement of watching others suffer at the hands of his own brutal work. The T-Rex leered as he laughed.
Rachel straightened, lowered her head and charged directly at the Lord. We stared in amazement for a second. But of course it was a classic Rachel thing to do.
(Free or dead!) she cried as the Hork-Bajir leapt aside, clearing a path for her towards the drooling Dinosaur.
This time, her shout was answered.
"Free or dead!", the forest was full of the cry.
Suddenly, from behind the Controllers, dark shapes leapt at the enemy Hork- Bajir and started to hack the back rows down in swift blows.
(The Hork-Bajir!) Tobias yelled.
Of course! The free Hork-Bajir had come. Or at least, some of them. I could see roughly fifty, all adults, attacking the bewildered Controllers and forcing them back.
(What is this?!) the Lord roared in our minds, turning to see, flattening several of his own Hork-Bajir in the process.
(Now's our chance!) Jake ordered, (Charge!)
There was no questioning. No arguing. We just lunged as one for our enemy. The Lord of the Council of Thirteen. With the Hork-Bajir troops occupied by this new enemy, this was our chance.
Something flashed, lunging to intercept Ax! Visser Three! Ax blocked the attack with his own tail, and then stabbed at his foe, who leapt nimbly back.
(Ax?) Jake began.
(You deal with the Lord!) Ax yelled, (I will deal with the Abomination!)
I hesitated. I wasn't sure that Ax could hold out for long against the Visser. But then, what hope did any of us have?
Jake leapt for the Tyrannosaur, who watched still in bewilderment as his troops battled the free Hork-Bajir. Jake hooked onto the tail of the Dinosaur with his mighty claws and bit with his huge canines.
The tail flicked once, almost in annoyance, and Jake went flying. A few tiny red marks stained the olive skin of the T-Rex.
There were no cocky remarks this time. He bared his teeth and lunged at Jake.
Rachel's considerable tonnage slammed into the flank of the Rex. He stumbled, powerful legs staggering.
(Ha ha! Yes, take that you evil creep!) she yelled.
Yup, that was definitely Rachel.
The Tyrannosaurus Rex roared and suddenly its neck snapped forward.
"Huuuh-RRROOOOOAAAAARRRRR!"
(AAAAHHH!)
Massive fangs sunk into the back of the Rachel's elephant morph. Huge fangs punched through the thick hide like cardboard. Rachel screamed.
Then we were all on him. Jake on his thigh, slashing and biting. Tobias on his back, incisors locked onto his spine. Cassie tearing at his feet. And me, futile as it was, slamming my massive fists into his ribs.
The Rex squirmed in discomfort and the jaws released Rachel. Then it wheeled around, attempting to shake off Tobias and Jake. He succeeded in one ripple of those big muscles. But before we could recover he was on us again.
Massive talons tore up the floor as he raced for me and Cassie.
Suddenly, there was a flood of Hork-Bajir between us. The battle was being forced on, the Controllers amazed by the rage of the free Hork-Bajir and backing down slowly. But they still weren't giving in.
A scream of frustration escaped the Rex. Then suddenly the wave of battling Hork-Bajir had moved on, also carrying away the others. I felt a huge foot crush down on my chest, pushing me to the floor and pinning me.
I was left alone, the Dinosaur looming over me.
Out of the corner of my eye I could see Jake in tiger form trying to push through the combatants to get to me. But he was too far. They all were.
The game was over for me.
Down the jaws came, swinging open like a great gate. As the yellow teeth and red maw descended on me, I remembered as a young kid a toy T-Rex I had. A crude plastic monster I kept on my windowsill. At night as I lay in my bed my imagination and the darkness made an unholy alliance and the shadows lengthened, rearing over the wall and reaching for me...night after night.
Now here it was. It had reached its goal at last.
I scrunched up my face and waited for the end.
A blur to my left! The Tyrannosaur's head suddenly shot back up again, up, up, up, towering above me. A bellow of pain tore from the monster's lungs. A black panther was clinging onto its face, tearing madly at one of the Dinosaur's eyes.
Then an image of an elephant crashing into the Rex's sides and the savage behemoth toppling backwards, stepping off me.
I got to my feet, breathing with great difficulty. They were all on him again, Jake, Rachel, Tobias and Cassie. They were not going to give in. And neither was I.
My sausage-sized fingers wrapped around a huge rock and I rushed to the struggling Dinosaur and began pounding his leg with it. We were all there, pummelling, tearing, charging, goring and biting. But still the Tyrannosaurus body and the Emperor mind would not give in.
Three more times he shook us off. Three more times we leapt back on him, fighting to the bitter end.
On the last time, his attempt to shake us off was weaker. And we clung on. As Rachel slammed into him again, he shuddered. A frightened gasp sounded in our heads, the last we heard from the Emperor.
The Tyrannosaurus suddenly convulsed and I knew the Lord had given up his mind to that of the Dinosaur. He didn't want to feel the pain of dying, he left that to the animal. And in that moment as the beast turned to look at us, I felt sorry for it. It hadn't asked to be here. The sights, the sounds, the smells, the species...everything was unfamiliar. It wanted to be storming across the Cretaceous landscape 65 million years ago, bellowing its superiority. It wanted to go home.
And with a last pitiful wail, it fell. Seven tonnes of Tyrannosaurus Rex dropped to the floor and the earth shook. I dropped too, exhausted and weakened. As my eyes dimmed, I could vaguely see Hork-Bajir battle Hork- Bajir. Ax and Visser Three parry and strike at one another. I couldn't tell which was which. And then one struck and the other did not parry in time.
My eyes darkened. The last I saw was the eye of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, glazed over, locked onto me.
The Hork-Bajir had no time to react, not even pull the triggers on their dracon beams, before we were on them. We just hurled ourselves at them and smashed through their front line in an instant.
Rachel's bulk thundering through the astonished Controllers and crushing them flat. Another going down in a whirlwind of blades as Cassie locked her jaws onto its throat. Jake swatting at them with massive paws, claws extended and slashing them. Tobias, a black dart, tearing through the ranks in a blur of claws and jaws. Ax, striking again and again with his tail, cutting them down in flashes of blue. And me, bowling into them and thrashing with my massive arms, punching and striking.
The Hork-Bajir quailed. They outnumbered us but we were so worked up and ready for them that for a few moments that didn't matter any more. They backed off in surprise and for a few seconds even the evil creep in the Tyrannosaur's form looked amazed, blinking its massive yellow eyes.
With every meter we advanced into the enemy's army more Controllers fell. We were unstoppable, washing over them and bringing them down. They had underestimated us. They panicked. And still we came on.
But then the world was shaken by a horrifying roar. The Tyrannosaurus Rex lunged forward and snapped those awful, tooth-lined jaws. It lunged out at Rachel in her elephant form, crushing two of its minions with its massive feet in the process. Rachel took a few clumsy steps backwards, narrowly avoiding the jagged teeth.
The Hork-Bajir, still numbering over seventy, rallied around the Emperor like flies to road kill. And Visser Three galloped forward, tail held high, heading for Ax.
We had fought well. We had taken a lot of them with us. But we couldn't go on. They were too many and he was too powerful.
The T-Rex raised one forelimb. And they all stopped where they were. We backed off a few wary steps, panting with exertion. But as of yet unscathed.
The Lord gazed at us, evaluating us with the predatory, fiery eyes of the Dinosaur. The Hork-Bajir just glared angrily at us but looked a little shaken. And the Visser was motionless, keeping all four eyes locked onto Ax.
(We can't win), Rachel despaired to us, so that the enemies couldn't hear us.
(You're saying that? Wow, that's encouraging), I muttered. I was angry. Angry because although we had tried our hardest and done all we could possibly do, we were still doomed to die.
(Marco, shut up), Tobias snapped. Even with death staring at us in the face and all the turbulence between them, he was still sticking up for her. But it just made me madder. Why did he hate me so much? It wasn't my fault that she had kissed me.
Of course, with death coming at you like a freight train, you do dumb things. There had been countless occasions when we all thought we were going to die. Some times we said dumb things. But occasionally it made you mad, and right now I was furious. And so was Tobias.
(Why don't you shut the), I yelled some inappropriate words at him, (up yourself! Get a grip! I didn't do it, it's not my fault! All you ever do is blame me!)
(That's because you're determined to make a joke out of everything and screw me up inside!)
(Stop it guys, please) Rachel sobbed in our heads, (Just leave it).
Rachel crying is a disturbing thing to witness, even in thought-speech.
(Yeah, this is so not the time to be discussing your love lives), Jake observed grimly as the Emperor shook the boxy head of the Tyrannosaur.
(Arguing amongst yourselves perhaps, my dear little humans?) he snorted, obviously sensing through our body language the turmoil, (Well, well, how inappropriate. True warriors do not cry or argue. I am a true warrior).
(My dear tender fools), he continued, (I have no mercy. I feel no pity. Or fear. But let us see how you shall react to the spoils of war between Andalite and Yeerk).
One of the Lord's fingers twitched and a Hork-Bajir stepped forward, carrying a large brown sack. I felt a twitch of dread in my stomach.
The Tyrannosaurus sniffed the air.
(Fear. The rebels are rank with it), he smirked and his troops laughed cruelly, (Let us ease their pain. Release the prisoners!)
The Hork-Bajir flung the bag at us and it landed in front of us, spilling its contents. The heads of Andalites. Ax moaned in horror. It was a gruesome scene. The heads rolled across the floor, all with their eyes open and looks of abject terror on their faces. They had been cruelly hacked off from the neck, probably by Hork-Bajir blades.
Cassie groaned, (Oh no).
But Ax was the worst. He rushed from head to head, wailing in grief. Ax rarely shows much emotion. Now he was crying in anguish. The Emperor laughed sadistically. It was an evil chuckle, bought on by the amusement of watching others suffer at the hands of his own brutal work. The T-Rex leered as he laughed.
Rachel straightened, lowered her head and charged directly at the Lord. We stared in amazement for a second. But of course it was a classic Rachel thing to do.
(Free or dead!) she cried as the Hork-Bajir leapt aside, clearing a path for her towards the drooling Dinosaur.
This time, her shout was answered.
"Free or dead!", the forest was full of the cry.
Suddenly, from behind the Controllers, dark shapes leapt at the enemy Hork- Bajir and started to hack the back rows down in swift blows.
(The Hork-Bajir!) Tobias yelled.
Of course! The free Hork-Bajir had come. Or at least, some of them. I could see roughly fifty, all adults, attacking the bewildered Controllers and forcing them back.
(What is this?!) the Lord roared in our minds, turning to see, flattening several of his own Hork-Bajir in the process.
(Now's our chance!) Jake ordered, (Charge!)
There was no questioning. No arguing. We just lunged as one for our enemy. The Lord of the Council of Thirteen. With the Hork-Bajir troops occupied by this new enemy, this was our chance.
Something flashed, lunging to intercept Ax! Visser Three! Ax blocked the attack with his own tail, and then stabbed at his foe, who leapt nimbly back.
(Ax?) Jake began.
(You deal with the Lord!) Ax yelled, (I will deal with the Abomination!)
I hesitated. I wasn't sure that Ax could hold out for long against the Visser. But then, what hope did any of us have?
Jake leapt for the Tyrannosaur, who watched still in bewilderment as his troops battled the free Hork-Bajir. Jake hooked onto the tail of the Dinosaur with his mighty claws and bit with his huge canines.
The tail flicked once, almost in annoyance, and Jake went flying. A few tiny red marks stained the olive skin of the T-Rex.
There were no cocky remarks this time. He bared his teeth and lunged at Jake.
Rachel's considerable tonnage slammed into the flank of the Rex. He stumbled, powerful legs staggering.
(Ha ha! Yes, take that you evil creep!) she yelled.
Yup, that was definitely Rachel.
The Tyrannosaurus Rex roared and suddenly its neck snapped forward.
"Huuuh-RRROOOOOAAAAARRRRR!"
(AAAAHHH!)
Massive fangs sunk into the back of the Rachel's elephant morph. Huge fangs punched through the thick hide like cardboard. Rachel screamed.
Then we were all on him. Jake on his thigh, slashing and biting. Tobias on his back, incisors locked onto his spine. Cassie tearing at his feet. And me, futile as it was, slamming my massive fists into his ribs.
The Rex squirmed in discomfort and the jaws released Rachel. Then it wheeled around, attempting to shake off Tobias and Jake. He succeeded in one ripple of those big muscles. But before we could recover he was on us again.
Massive talons tore up the floor as he raced for me and Cassie.
Suddenly, there was a flood of Hork-Bajir between us. The battle was being forced on, the Controllers amazed by the rage of the free Hork-Bajir and backing down slowly. But they still weren't giving in.
A scream of frustration escaped the Rex. Then suddenly the wave of battling Hork-Bajir had moved on, also carrying away the others. I felt a huge foot crush down on my chest, pushing me to the floor and pinning me.
I was left alone, the Dinosaur looming over me.
Out of the corner of my eye I could see Jake in tiger form trying to push through the combatants to get to me. But he was too far. They all were.
The game was over for me.
Down the jaws came, swinging open like a great gate. As the yellow teeth and red maw descended on me, I remembered as a young kid a toy T-Rex I had. A crude plastic monster I kept on my windowsill. At night as I lay in my bed my imagination and the darkness made an unholy alliance and the shadows lengthened, rearing over the wall and reaching for me...night after night.
Now here it was. It had reached its goal at last.
I scrunched up my face and waited for the end.
A blur to my left! The Tyrannosaur's head suddenly shot back up again, up, up, up, towering above me. A bellow of pain tore from the monster's lungs. A black panther was clinging onto its face, tearing madly at one of the Dinosaur's eyes.
Then an image of an elephant crashing into the Rex's sides and the savage behemoth toppling backwards, stepping off me.
I got to my feet, breathing with great difficulty. They were all on him again, Jake, Rachel, Tobias and Cassie. They were not going to give in. And neither was I.
My sausage-sized fingers wrapped around a huge rock and I rushed to the struggling Dinosaur and began pounding his leg with it. We were all there, pummelling, tearing, charging, goring and biting. But still the Tyrannosaurus body and the Emperor mind would not give in.
Three more times he shook us off. Three more times we leapt back on him, fighting to the bitter end.
On the last time, his attempt to shake us off was weaker. And we clung on. As Rachel slammed into him again, he shuddered. A frightened gasp sounded in our heads, the last we heard from the Emperor.
The Tyrannosaurus suddenly convulsed and I knew the Lord had given up his mind to that of the Dinosaur. He didn't want to feel the pain of dying, he left that to the animal. And in that moment as the beast turned to look at us, I felt sorry for it. It hadn't asked to be here. The sights, the sounds, the smells, the species...everything was unfamiliar. It wanted to be storming across the Cretaceous landscape 65 million years ago, bellowing its superiority. It wanted to go home.
And with a last pitiful wail, it fell. Seven tonnes of Tyrannosaurus Rex dropped to the floor and the earth shook. I dropped too, exhausted and weakened. As my eyes dimmed, I could vaguely see Hork-Bajir battle Hork- Bajir. Ax and Visser Three parry and strike at one another. I couldn't tell which was which. And then one struck and the other did not parry in time.
My eyes darkened. The last I saw was the eye of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, glazed over, locked onto me.