Author's Note: Dedicated to Ciel-Undomiel, my first reviewer, and Anonymous-cat, who REALLY wants to know about Tom's side of the story. (Thank you for pointing out that the anonymous reviews weren't being accepted.) Sorry about the [thing, but my computer won't upload it right.

Disclaimer: I don't own Animorphs or the expression "Marky-O". K.A.A. owns the Animorphs and the phase Marky-O is a creation of Freak Apple.

Elfangor Lives! Chapter Three: Tom's POV

[Gesundaeit,] Elfangor repeated. [Gesundaeit, gesundaeit, gesundaeit...]

I struggled to stop sneezing, but since it wasn't working, Esp grabbed control and made me breathe through my mouth and plug my nose.

"Thanks," I gasped, unsure whom I was thanking.

[You're story leaves something out, brother,] Aximili said to Elfangor. He gestured towards me with one stalk-eye. [What is his role in all this?]

[THEIR role varies. Mostly Tom provides explanations for my behavior, as he did for yours at the mall today. Esp makes sure no one finds me, and he gave me a Dracon beam to defend myself with incase someone does.]

"Who's Esp?" Marco asked. Esp cleared my throat.

"I am, Marky-O," he said. He crawled out of my ear as he had so often before. I caught him before he could fall to the ground.

Aximili reacted instantly. [YEERK!] he cried, and then tried to slice Esp with his tail blade.

Elfangor shot his own tail blade forward to intercept Aximili's, while I shielded Esp as best I could. Jake looked like he was in shock. He was staring a hole into me.

"I thought you were an involuntary host," he whispered. He sounded like I had betrayed him.

"I was," I explained, "back when I was first infested. I hated Temrash. But Esp is nice. He mostly lets me have control. I need to put back in now," I realized. "He'll dry out. But he will let me talk."

[If it's secure, they SHARE the speech centers,] Elfangor added. [It's very hard to tell them apart then.]

"Darn right it is," said Esp, just to irk everyone. I had slipped him in while Elfangor was complaining.

"So..." said Marco, noticing my hands were empty, "which of you said that?"

"Esp," I answered.

"So... that was Tom?"

"Yes."

[DON'T try to figure out which one's talking when,] Elfangor advised. [It only leads to a migraine.]

"He's right, you know," said Esp in a loud "stage whisper".

[DON'T ASK!] bellowed Elfangor, when Jake opened his mouth. As often happened when he yelled, I was strongly reminded of Visser Three.

"I was going to ask Esp to tell us more about himself," Jake protested.

"Well," Esp began, "since Yeerks are gender neutral, I'm only considered a "he" because of Tom. Esp is short for Esplin 9466 lesser of the Sulp Niaar pool. It's easier to say "Esp". The "lesser" bit means that I'm a twin. Yeerk reproduction is a great deal different than human reproduction. Three Yeerks meld together, into a big blob. Then that blob fragments into littler blobs—thousands of them—called grubs. The grubs grow into Yeerks. Twins are when two Yeerks form from the same grub. One is considered the "prime", and the other one is the "lesser". As I told you, I am the lesser."

"Which still doesn't explain why you're on our side..."

"Oh, that's what you meant. You should've said so. All my former host bodies were involuntary. I hated hearing them scream at me." He hesitated, and only added the next part to me, in thought. [But the screaming wasn't the worst part. The worst part was when they stopped screaming. When they gave up hoping for freedom...and started hoping for death.]

"Do any other Yeerks feel that way?" Jake asked. He looked so hopeful. I could almost see his thoughts, though not like Esp could see mine. If other Yeerks joined them, they could have inside information about the Yeerk Empire's plans. With more information, they could mess more things up.

"A few, but not very many. We're blind in our natural state. Having eyes is so wonderful that most Yeerks feel that hearing a host's cries and pleas are a small price to pay." I could feel anger and shame in Esp's mind as he said this. His anger was towards his people. His shame was at having once felt the same way.

"What about your twin?" Marco asked. "Is he like you? Or like... them?"

"Esi? He's like them. I think he had a few to many promotions than were good for him." Esp was rather wary of promotions. He thought that too much power would drive the promoted person crazy. "He's a Visser now, and a total psychopath. He USED to be really nice. Then he became a Sub-Visser."

[More details,] I prodded mentally.

"What's his rank now?" Jake asked curiously.

"Actually, there's a funny story there... I can never remember his number and as soon as I can, he gets yet another promotion. I now make an effort not to remember. He's crazy enough."

I rolled my eyes. "Esp, you have very bizarre logic. He's Visser Three. There aren't that many ranks left to promote him TO."

"Well, I'm sorry I kept him off the Council of Thirteen, then," said Esp sarcastically.

Aximili seemed to be trying to speak. Finally, he managed a thought-speak squawk.

[HE'S RELATED TO VISSER THREE AND YOU TRUST HIM?] he roared at Elfangor.

Author's Note: I know that in book 16: The Warning, Visser Three's twin was a nasty guy and a cannibal, but I wanted to portray him as a good guy. I think it's a better storyline for them one to be "the good twin" and one to be "the evil twin". Esp being the Visser's twin is VITAL for the rest of the plot.

Besides, this makes a REALLY good cliffhanger. (Sorry, Birdie num num.)

Quick question to reviewers: Who's POV should the next chapter be from? Choices are: Elfangor, Esp, or Aximili. (The other Animorphs show up in the chapter after that, but I want to show what happens next in the abandoned building.) You have until April 12th. GO!