Animorphs: The One Chapter 1: Jake, an animorphs fanfic

Thank you so much for reviewing, weetzybat and DID!

Answering your questions:

Weetzybat: of course they're gonna open it! I would have a pretty crummy story if they didn't! and as far as having a warning on the ship, yep definitely.

DID: I'm going to explain the One's character a lot more, so don't worry! As far as absorbing someone's memory, naw, he can't do that. (but you'll find that out pretty soon, when I write a chapter from his POV).

------------------------------

Okay, I guess I'd better put a little disclaimer here, since I'm actually going to be writing from the Animorph's POV:

I do not own Animorph.

There.

Spoilers: this book takes place after #54, so if you haven't read the ending to the series, ignore this warning and read my story anyways!!!! (why would I turn away a possible review?) Okay, this was originally supposed to be from Marco's POV, but Jake just clicked better.

-------------------------------

Half year after Visser One's trial (1.5 years since the war ended) :

My name is Jake. Jake Berenson.

A few years ago, I wouldn't have told you my last name because it would have been too dangerous.

But a lot can happen in a few years. The war with the Yeerks has ended. And amazingly we won. Five kids and an Andalite aristh, against the entire Yeerk empire. And we won. Earth is free, the Yeerks threat is gone, the Hork-Bajir are restoring their way of life, the Taxxons are at peace.

So why am I so unhappy? Because all these things were gained at a great price. A very great price.

I was running, running so fast, but they were gaining on me. I knew that they'd catch me.

"Jake!" The voices called. "Jake! Save us!"

I threw my hands over my ears, trying to ward off the cries, but it didn't make a difference.

"Jake!" The voices wailed louder.

I ran faster.

"Save us!" They insisted. "Jake!"

I stopped running, and whirled about to face them. To face them all. Rachel. Tom. The Auxilary Animorphs. The seventeen thousand Yeerks.

"Jake! Save us!" They cried in unison.

"No! Go away!" I screamed. "Leave me alone!"

Tom's face twisted into a sneer. "You promised me Jake. You promised you'd save me."

I shook my head. "I tried. I tried." I pleaded.

Tom lifted his head back and laughed coldly. "Well, you didn't try hard enough!"

I looked at Rachel. "Rachel, tell him. Tell Tom how hard I tried!" I begged her.

Rachel glared at me fiercely. "You didn't try." She snapped. "You didn't care! You killed me Jake! You killed Tom! You killed us all!"

No. I shook my head fiercely.

"NO!!!!" I howled, my eyes snapping open.

I sat upright in the bed panting and absently wiped the tears from my eyes.

This was not the first time that I'd had this particular nightmare.

I squinted into the darkness, and slowly objects blurred into focus as my eyes adjusted to the gloom. I had slept in this room for almost a year, but it still didn't feel like my room. My room had been destroyed when we blew up the Yeerk pool. This room, was just a place I slept in.

I glanced at the glowing red display of the alarm clock. 6:34. I stifled a groan. It was too early to get up, but to late to go back to sleep. Not that I'd be able to sleep after that dream. It always left me feeling shaken.

I knew that if I stayed in bed, I'd just keep thinking about the nightmare, so I decided to get up. Sighing, I struggled out of the sweat soaked sheets and headed for the bathroom.

After a long hot shower, I got dressed, and walked into the kitchen to make some breakfast.I pulled out a box of Tricks from the pantry and made myself a bowl of the cereal. Slumping into a kitchen chair, I stared gloomily at my reflection in the milk.

I knew this day would come sooner or later. It was the beginning of the end.The Animorphs were splitting up. Cassie, Marco, Tobias, had all gone their separate ways. Cassie, with her work with the Hork Bajir. Marco, with his entertainment career. Tobias, well I had no idea what Tobias was up to, I hadn't seen him since Rachel's funeral. I wasn't sure that I wanted to see him.

And now Ax was leaving Earth. He had relinquished his position as liason to Earth, and the Andalite fleet had finally commissioned him. They were outfitting him with his own ship, the Intrepid.

Ax was very excited, and I felt that I owed it to him to be happy for him, but I wasn't happy. I was down-right depressed.

Tonight we were throwing Ax a Going Away party. It would be the last night that Cassie, Marco, Ax, and I spent as a group.

I stared sadly at the bright fruity shapes in my bowl. The cereal had turned into mush.

I had won the war, but now what? What do I do with myself?

It felt like my life had ended with the war, and I was just waiting for the moment that I'd finally die.

Somehow, Ax, Marco, and even Cassie, have moved on. They fought the war and its over for them. But for me, it will never really end.

The others worry about me, I know. They try to understand why Jake isn't Jake anymore. But they don't know what I lost. How can they?

We all lost friends, family.

Rachel.

But I lost something else. I lost my soul.

------------------------------------

This was supposed to be a longer chapter, but it just didn't write that way. So I'll probably go ahead and write another one over the weekend.

Now if you're really cool, you'll review this. Even if you just type "hi" in the review, that way I know that you're actually reading it. ThankS!