gpshaw; hey, cool idea. I like your thinking...
Maybe our characters can meet somewhere..... :P
Okay, this is my version of the ending, with my characters included. But this will be shorter than my others, hopefully. All opinions count to me!
My name is Jade.
And I was flying in a lazy circle above the destroyed town. And what was left of the old Yeerk pool. I saw birds here and there, and thought nothing much of them.
It had been months since I'd last heard from the Animorphs. They'd gone into hiding when the Yeerks finally found who they were. They'd taken their parents to wherever they were. All but Jake's parents. They had been Yeerked. I knew.
I was tested as well at school. Tested by none other than Tom himself. But I passed the test. Who knew I was such a good actor?
But it wasn't over yet. I knew. They had been watching me. Seeing if I'd slip up. I was careful not to make the wrong moves, but it was tricky. If they got too close, they'd know about me. And all the secrets they needed to know about the Animorphs.
I was definitely worried about them. The last I heard, they were getting Tobias's mother out. Then... nothing. Nothing at all.
But the explosion told me they were. They were very much alive, and still fighting.
Luckily, two days before the explosion, I had gotten my family out of the area and into the woods. I'd tied them up, and waited three full days before I knew for sure that they were all free. Then I told them everything, and we'd packed up and went on a 'camping trip'. I was lucky. I'd nearly gotten us caught, but after I provided a diversion, my family got away. And there was only one place I could think to take them. And now, after the explosion, I'd gone out to investigate. And I was glad they'd done it.
I watched with the eyes of the golden eagle as the Yeerks were brining cleanup crews in to repair the damage done. There were Taxxons everywhere. And in the middle of it all... a Yeerk pool ship. It made the Blade ship look like a toy. It made me feel like as small as a molecule. But I'd seen what I had to see. I knew, if they had survived the explosion... if the Animorphs had survived... that it was all against them now. Against us.
I'd only been with them for only a year and something, but already I'd witnessed and been a part of more carnage than ever before. And this time, instead of attacking Terinans, and fighting back with the friends I knew so well, I was fighting humans with people I still hardly knew. So much death and destruction... and I was a part of it.
I keeled away from the destruction and the gigantic ship, instead heading for the woods, to where I knew my family was waiting. They needed me now. I was their only defence.
I landed next to the bits and pieces of the camp site, watching as my father put more wood on a makeshift fire, then put a cooking pot over it. I became myself again, suddenly realising that my little sister, Phoebe, was watching me. Her little eyes were wide as she pointed at me, her other hand halfway in her mouth.
"Cookie!" She said as the traces of feathers finally disappeared and she laughed and giggled. Cookie was her way of saying 'cookoo'. You know, like a chicken or something? She was a little cookoo herself, but then again... she was only three years old. Such innocence...
"You're back" Dad said nonchalantly, deliberately looking away from me as I changed back. I guess he still hadn't gotten used to me being able to change into animals and stuff like that. I guess it was pretty creepy.
"Yeah. Where's Tina and mum?" I asked, seeing my brother's foot was sticking out of one of the tents. It was only then that he dared to look at me.
"Gone to see what berries and that they could find that are edible. You know your mum's a natural botanist at heart"
"Uh-huh" I muttered, going over to the stream and taking a drink. I waited for them to return, tense, and watched as they came back with mushrooms of some sort. Then I woke up Ryan and told them what I planned to do.
"But... will you be all right going there? I mean, by yourself?" My mother asked, looking worried. She was still a little edgy about me too. After all, I'd told her everything... from the time I was ten... to now. To the Animorphs and the Yeerks. It was a lot to absorb. I mean, her whole life she's been trying to protect me from... stuff like this.
"It's all right mum. Remember what I told you? The Hork-Bajir might look deadly, but they're harmless. Really" I assured her, going and hugging her to assure her. She hugged back, tightly.
"I'm sorry" She whispered in my ear "I'm sorry you had to go through all this... alone"
"Not alone mum. Never alone" I replied, pulling away and smiling at her.
"You take care of yourself, all right? I want to still be able to count to four with my children" my dad said, and I nodded as I began my change. Dad and Tina looked away, but my mum and brother watched. And Phoebe.
"You just focus on taking care of yourself. And remember, if you hear anything out of the ordinary..." I trailed off as my nose and lips melted together, then pushed out to become a beak, and I began to shrink.
"Yeah, we know. Forget to pack up, and run like mad" Ryan smiled a little, still fascinated as my hair seemed to slurp back into my skull and my feet became talons.
(Don't worry, I'll be back for you. I'll do whatever it takes to protect you) I said in thought-speak, flapping my wings hard and lifting myself off the ground with a lot of effort. I finally caught a good updraft, soaring up above the trees.
Three hours of endless searching, and I was just about to give up. It was getting dark fast, and eagle eyes are just about as good as human eyes in the darkness. So I landed in a branch, and focused on making the smallest changes. Soon, I took off again as a barn owl. My wings made no noise as I glided above the darkening landscape.
Then... poof! It was all suddenly there in front of me. The free Hork-Bajir valley, and some humans... I guessed the Animorphs parents... walking around, talking. It was all very tense here, I could feel it.
Some thing must be happening, I thought, something big.
I glided down to what looked like war trenches, away from the Hork-Bajir. Away from the parents and humans. I guessed I'd cause quite a lot of havoc if I just landed and started changing in the middle of them. Chances were I'd be dead before I could open my mouth. So I decided to change in a trench, and come out as a human. Maybe I could earn their trust that way.
I began to slowly grow, with my wings melting into arms and my beak becoming a human mouth. I focused hard as the feathers disappeared into my skin, and my tattered clothes began to form from...
"Stop! Yeerk!" In seconds, there was a wrist blade pressed against my throat.
"Wait!" I cried "I'm a good guy!"
"You... good?" The guttural voice asked, but the blade stayed right where it was, inches from my throat. I don't know how, but I was still changing. The feathers were gone, and my eyes grew smaller and more human.
"No! No good! Yeerk! Yeerk trick!" Came another voice, and I saw another towering over me.
"Please, I'm not here to hurt you!" I begged "I'm here to help!"
They seemed to take a while to digest this. But then...
"I get friend. Friend will know" the second said, and bounded off to the camp. The firsts blade stayed right were it was. I think that was the only reason why I hadn't collapsed already. I was too afraid it might cut me.
Minutes later, a whole gaggle of adults emerged from the darkness, carrying torches, and the Hork-Bajir that was holding me brought me forward to them. I was fully human now, wearing tattered clothes and my hair looking like it hadn't had a good brush in a long time. I was a mess.
"Hmm" A dark haired woman said, coming close and looking into my eyes.
"Well... can you tell if she's... you know" A guy... I think Cassie's dad asked, looking worried.
"It doesn't make sense. If Visser One wanted to come back and finish us off, why send only one person. And why a young girl? I thought they'd..."
"They're taking everyone now, remember? Even young girls" the dark haired woman said to a woman with blond hair. Tobias's mother? I couldn't be sure.
"Wait! I know her. She's been around to the house... I mean, when we had a house... a few times. Marco said her name was..." I couldn't believe it. It was Marco's dad! He remembered me!
"Yeah, it's me" I croaked "It's Jade"
"Jade. That's it! But..."
"Don't be tricked by her appearance. There still could be a Yeerk hiding behind those eyes"
"I... I..." What could I say to prove it to them? The dark haired woman was right; anyone could be a controller. So I said the only thing I could think of saying; what I'd come here to say.
"Look, my family is in the woods. They're alone and scared. I pulled them out just before the town was destroyed. They... without me, they're vulnerable to a Yeerk attack. And I can't be with them twenty four-seven. I need to do what I... so I... I came to ask the free colony if I could... if we could stay here for a while. I... I made sure they're not... you know? They're clean, and my dad has a lot of camping experience and..." okay, now I'd started to babble. It happens when I'm nervous. Or when I have a blade at my throat.
"Look at her; she's terrified! What makes you think she's evil? She's just a scared little girl" Cassie's mum said. Her eyes looked sympathetically at me.
"That scared little girl just emerged from a bird. Or so these Hork-Bajir say"
"Look" I said, only sounding a little stronger "I know you have no reason to trust me... that the Yeerks are everywhere... but I..." ok, now I was lost for words. There really was nothing I could say.
"My family needs me" I whispered, fighting back tears and looking into the accusing faces of the adults. The dark haired woman narrowed her eyes, her lips pressed into a thin line. Like she couldn't figure me out.
"Bring her back to the camp" she said at last "We'll wait until the Animorphs get back. Then, we'll know"
I swear, there are times when I just hate myself. This was one of those times.