LittleMidgett; yay! A cookie! Yum yum!
Elwing; thankyou for your reviews, I'm so glad you're enjoying this story!
Karone-sakura; thankyou thankyou thankyou! And thankyou for taking the time to read all of Shattered. I really appreciate it.
Hey, if any of you like crazy stories, check out the one I wrote with LittleMidgett (its on her page) full of insanity and part of the time no plot! It's called 'What happens when maniacs meet'. Enjoy!
Now, on with the show!
Chapter seven; Meeting
Present…
Jade
I reached out to Tobias… we were both falling faster now… fingers brushed his wings…
"Gotcha!" I cried as I grabbed him, pulling him close to my body. He was unconscious.
The bottom of the ground was getting a bit close…
I flared my newly formed wings, feeling the painful snapback in them but not caring. I flapped hard, realising I'd come within mere feet of the bottom. I could see the bodies of the fallen Terinans all around.
I flew upwards, then stopped and hovered between the ravine bottom and the top of the cliff where I still heard the cries of my friends.
"Tobias?" Nothing.
"TOBIAS!" A slight movement in my arms, but still nothing from the bird boy. I heard Jake roaring in pain and anger, and knew it wasn't looking too good for them.
"Come on Tobias, they need us. And I can't do anything with you in my arms" I tried again, shaking him. My new leather wings kept me in the same place as I did this, and I wondered where Ithiell and the others were, and if they were all right.
And… my friends on the cliff? Was it getting worse up there? It sounded like it.
"Come on Tobias! You can't sleep on the job!" I snapped, knowing it wasn't really his fault but just needing someone to get angry at, and hey, he was unconscious so how would he know what I said?
(What job?) he mumbled.
Okay, maybe I was wrong.
He opened his eyes and looked up at me.
(What's going on? What happened?)
"You got shot, you fell. Now please, repair your wing so we can get up there" I pleaded.
(But…)
"HHHWWWWWWUUURRRRR!" An elephant!
(Think it's…)
"HHHREEEEEEEEUU!"
"Another one!"
We looked at each other, then Tobias quickly shifted to roach, then back to himself. I threw him up in the air, shifting to Chanaiben and following him up. The battle sounded intense!
(Yeah, that's right; run! Run like the cowards you are!) Rachel yelled, roaring in bear triumph. We got up top… and saw three elephants and a polar bear staring at us. I could still see the Terinans scurrying away into the trees. The rest of the Animorphs looked bruised and bloody. Marco was missing an entire arm, and Rachel's leg was gone. Jake and Cassie both had more deep cuts than I could count, and Cassie had an eye out, and half an ear. Ax had a deep gash on his side, and a stalk eye missing.
But they were alive, and that's what mattered.
They all fixed themselves up as the three elephants and polar bear shifted back. In their place were the four people I never thought I'd see again.
"Amanda!"
"Jade!" We ran to each other, nearly knocking one another over as we hugged each other tightly. We grabbed Ithiell who was nearby, bringing him into the hug with us.
"Glad you made it" Ithiell said, looking beat.
"Glad you got here in time too" I pulled away from them, looking over at Rtaia. I took her clawed hands in mine.
"I thought you'd left"
"I did not. I am here, and well" She said giving one of those rare smiles. Then I turned to Robert, noticing his bandage but strolling over to him anyway.
"Oh no you don't!" He backed up into a tree.
"Don't what?" I asked innocently.
"Don't even think it Jade. No, no"
Ithiell grabbed his arm and threw him forward. I gave him a great big bear hug. He tried to squirm away, but I wouldn't let him.
"Oh god, this is worse than death!" He cried, and I let go of him, laughing. He went and hid behind Rtaia. Which only made us all burst out laughing.
"You're alive" Jake said like he couldn't quite believe it, wiping a tear from his eye.
"Yeah, we're alive all right. But…" Ithiell looked at Robert "It was close"
"Oh you're such a drama queen Ithiell. I'm fine, okay. This is nothing to what we've been through"
"Yeah. You should try being electrocuted some time" I muttered.
"Don't think so" Robert replied quickly.
"Knew you wouldn't"
(Prince Jake, Ithiell, I believe we may need to leave this place. The Terinans could be coming with more of their kind)
"All right, all right" Jake turned to Ithiell. He thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. And I didn't even know he could do that.
"I know just the place. It could provide us with protection, and there's a chance it's well out of the way of the Terinan forces, providing they haven't spread their forces too far east"
"East? But is that not…"
"Yes Rtaia. The graveyard. Now let's get going before it's too late"
Ithiell opened his wings and flew upwards, shifting as he went. Soon, we were all birds in the sky, flying to the place where the terror had truly begun.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Past…
An hour later we met up with Robert in the woods, trekking until we found the small cave. But I didn't see Ithiell in it.
"Where's-" I started, jumping when I heard the trees rustling above me…
And we all screamed as a creature jumped down from the trees.
"Do not fear. It is only I" Ithiell said gently.
"Holy… you scared us!" Amanda cried, going and slapping his arm. He reacted by curling up into a ball.
"Don't worry, she's not really mad at you. You just worried us. Then you scared the living heck out of us" Robert explained. He brushed his hair back out of his face with one hand. Not like it helped much anyway.
He and Amanda helped Ithiell up, who soon got over it.
"I am… glad you are here. I have seen a ship, possibly Chanaiben…"
"We saw it too" I said, looking up at the sky and checking there weren't any other ships about to crash down on us.
"Ah, I see. I believe it crashed somewhere in the east"
"Let's go then"
"But… it may take all night to get there"
"What do you suggest then Ithiell? We fly with little wings on our feet?" I said sarcastically, and he cocked his head at me.
"Sarcasm Ithiell. Don't mind her" Robert patted him on the back.
"What do you suggest then Ithiell?" Amanda asked kindly, looking up at him. Was it just me, or did Ithiell look taller than yesterday?
"I do believe… we may be able to fly there. As birds. If… if you remember what u have taught you"
"Oh we do. We just don't know if we're ready to try a crash-landing"
"I will guide you how to fly, and how to land. Shall we?"
"All right. Let's do it!" Robert said enthusiastically.
"Ithiell, do you have a bird in mind?" Amanda asked as we took off our heavy clothes, ending up in tight shorts and t-shirts. Or, in Amanda's case, a short skin-tight little dress that ended halfway up her thighs. I honestly didn't think she'd ever owned a pair of jeans in her life.
"Yes. A bird called the barn owl"
"Oh yeah. We might not be able to see in the dark" I muttered, feeling ridiculous. At least I could wear my sneakers.
"Well, we gotta learn to do owls then. Let's get moving!" Robert was already starting to shift.
"Ithiell, can you carry a torch for us?" I pulled one out of my bag. He nodded, and I gave it to him, watching in the low moonlight as it shifted into his chest, which was sprouting beautiful white feathers.
I closed my eyes, and began my own change. I kept the image of the golden eagle I'd researched in my mind.
Focus Jade! Keep your focus!
I felt my head change shape, and my eyes go big and half cover the sides of my face. My nose and lips melted together, then shot out, forming the ripping beak of the golden eagle. I felt, with some relief, my clothes and shoes changing with me. Fingers shot out, and feathers sprouted, completing the wings. Feathers soon covered my changing body as I shrunk, and finally I felt my shoes melt and become the deadly talons. Finally, I opened my eyes. And yelped.
I'd only shifted this bird once before, and the incredible sight shocked me. It kind of felt like someone had glued binoculars to my face. In the moonlight, I looked around and saw the others. Someone was just completing their shift, and Ithiell was waiting for us to finish. Now, there was a golden eagle, an owl, a pigeon hawk and a peregrine falcon standing in front of the small cave.
(Okay, we're four nice birds waiting to get eaten) Robert muttered.
(What now Ithiell?) Amanda asked, and the pigeon hawk turned its head, making me realise it was her.
(Now, we fly. Watch me carefully, and I'll meet you in the air) He opened his wings, flapping them hard to get above the tree line. We followed his example, and soon we were all flying.
(Well, this is… interesting) I murmured, feeling panicked as my wings took me further up, beyond the tree line. I had never been this far up, at least not without being encased in a big safe plane. My little birdie heart was beating very, very fast.
(Just keep your face in the direction your going. Remember to adjust your tail and wings to go with the wind. It will be a much faster journey then)
So we did, and about half an hour later we all caught sight of something smouldering in a large ditch of some kind. There was scorch marks where this thing had hit, and a blackened path of trees about three kilometres, leading up to the thing. It looked like fat oval or something, with bat wings facing forward. It was lying on its side, smoke and small fires still pouring out.
(What is that thing!) Amanda cried.
(A Chanaiben cruiser. Class 343-A. Military use)
(Oh. Oooookaaayyyy) I mumbled.
(Now, we have to land nearby. Here should do. Now, turn your wings just like I am doing. See how I can turn my flight into a glide. I tip my wings and… I begin to spiral down. Do the same, and don't be afraid. These bird bodies were built for this)
(Okay, we'll trust you) Robert sighed, following Ithiell in his crazy spiral downwards. Then Amanda followed, then me.
I half watched as Ithiell flared his wings and landed, trotting funnily out of the way as Robert did the same, having a bit of trouble. Amanda had the same trouble. Me…
(AH! Owwwww!) I cried as I landed, falling head over heels. I heard Robert snort with laughter.
(It's. NOT. FUNNY!) I yelled, then shifted back. The others did the same. Soon we were just four kids… well, three kids and an alien… out in the wilderness. I wanted to pound Robert one, but common sense got the better of me. I looked over with weak human eyes at the wreckage of the Chanaiben ship. Ithiell gave Amanda the torch, practically running over to the ship. I'd seen the fear and desperation on his face.
We followed, watching as he ripped a panel off the outside, doing something with the wires before the door or whatever opened to reveal a mess. Inside, I could hear and see wires snapping and sizzling. There was a red light flashing in there as well.
Ithiell ran in, not waiting for the rest of us.
"Ithiell!" I cried, bolting in after him and nearly getting electrocuted by an overhanging wire. Amanda and Robert followed.
"There has to be survivors! Oh mihaa, please let there be!" his desperate cry rang out from the left, and I darted after him.
He suddenly tripped, falling into a wall or something that slid open like a Star Trek door. He went through, and I barely managed to get through in time.
Where we ended up… it looked like a freaky version of a bridge. Ithiell was looking around, crying out in that strange language again. He shoved aside a sheet of metal, and his eyes widened.
"What? What is it?" I asked, going over to him.
"My cousin. The captain. She is… she is dead" Ithiell moaned in horror, covering his mouth and backing away. I looked down and almost gagged myself.
You could tell where the piece of sheet metal had separated her head from her body. Her eyes were glassy and lifeless.
"Oh jeez!" I backed up next to Ithiell "I'm so sorry guy"
"She's dead. Why did she have to die? Why does my family have to die!" He screamed, getting down on his knees and screaming in pain.
"Ithiell, I…" But there was nothing I could say I or do. So I walked away, checking here and there and ducking a dangerous overhead wire, still snapping away. The low yellow lights in here were flickering.
I stopped at a console or whatever, looking out and seeing the trees that had stopped the ships mad flight. Then…
"Yah!" I yelped as I felt something moving under my feet. I jumped off, just as something knocked off the debris that had been over it. It was a female Chanaiben!
"Ithiell! ITHIELL! Look!" I cried. He looked at me, then the badly beaten female, and managed to stumble over.
"Kuda? Umau pilaa?" he said, helping the other Chanaiben to her feet. She looked badly beater.
"Somesai, somesaa. Kiv… nivlatt muh gipp?" the female said as he put an arm under her shoulders, helping her to the door.
"Quener" he replied, looking sad. The girl sighed.
"Nivott-en… fei ell wuvven"
"Maiu" I opened the door and helped take her out. Amanda and Robert met us out the door, and we all got out of the ship, being careful not to get electrocuted or anything like that.
The female looked strangely at me as I helped set her down on the ground. Those big blue eyes blinked, then looked over at Ithiell.
"Huama?"
"Huama"
"Kiv… lalahk?"
"Iness"
"Ah. Hello human"
"Hello… Chanaiben"
Okay, but give me a break. I could exactly call her anything cause she didn't have a name yet.
"My name is Rtaia. I am a female of the species. I am… as my brother Chanaiben tells me… I appear to be the only survivor of the horrible crash"
"You know, and I thought I'd gotten over the whole aliens-speaking-English thing. It still shocks me" Robert said, scratching his head.
"We… this ship… was a scout ship. A way to…" She grimaced, and Ithiell spoke to her in their weird language. She continued.
"We were supposed to set up ground forces here, before…" she looked like she was finding it hard to breathe, partly leaning against Ithiell's shoulder. Ithiell didn't seem to mind much.
"Before? Before what? What's going on?" Robert demanded. The rest she said in her own tongue, but I knew it was bad by the way Ithiell reacted to the news.
"Ithiell? What is it?" Amanda asked. Ithiell turned to us, his face seeming to have lost a few shades of blue.
"The Terinans. They are coming back. And in force. She says they will be here in a matter of months"
Told ya I'm twistin it around! YAAAAAYYYYYY!
What happens next; not even I know yet! Lotsa madness though, I can assure you!
