Takehiro
She stood up on her legs, her gaze not turn away from the floor. She held the reversed-edge sword in her hand. There was a cold feeling. I didn't know why but I felt this before.
She had screamed someone to shut up. Something by the name of "Karine". Surprisingly, the Yeerk in her mind had crawled out of her ear. But that was not all. She suddenly just cut the Yeerk in half with the sword. She stood there silently. I took a step forward, feeling worried.
-...Kaoru?- I whispered. Only to her.
I was trembling. She wasn't a Controller anymore, so why was I trembling?
Slowly, she opened her eyes, looking up. I saw no emotions in her eyes. Just plain blankness. Calm, but cold eyes. I trembled uncontrollably. I've seen those eyes before!
-No,- I gasped. I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to. But it was the truth.
She had lost her mind. And for the second time.
Two Hork-Bajir targeted at Zoe and leapt in her direction. Their blades flashed wildly.
I saw a flash swing at them. The Hork-Bajir unexpectedly stopped in mid-flight. Wounds opened on their skins and their blood spilled. They fell dead. On the sword, I smelled blood. It tinkled down over the sharp blade and dripped to the floor.
I heard Marco gapped beside me. -How? She didn't ever do anything to them!-
-She did. Her movements were just quick,- I answered him. Macro looked at me, puzzled.
Another three Hork-Bajir saw her as a threat and scurried, tearing the air with their blades. Zoe looked up and stared coldly at them. They stopped and I saw them trembling.
In a split second, she was near them. She had darted in an incredible speed. Even I couldn't run that fast. She slaughtered the Hork-Bajir. They didn't twitch, scream or move just as she slashed at them quickly. And in every slaughter, she smiled coldly behind that scarf.
A Taxxon wriggled to her, its jaws snapping. She held the handle up and punched in the mouth. The blade cut at its skin and it exploded like a stink bomb. Guts splattered everywhere. I felt my stomach turning upside-down.
-I think I'm going to be sick,- whimpered Cassie, in her wolf morph not far.
-What's wrong with her?- Marco demanded. -It's as if she possessed!-
-She lost control of herself,- I said.
-We gotta stop her. This is getting serious,- said Cassie, worried.
-We can't,- I told her. -We just can't...-
-What do you mean we can't? We gotta do something before she tears up the place,- Marco demanded.
-...She won't stop. She won't stop until she kills her target.-
-Kills?- Cassie shrieked.
-You're kidding me...- Marco mumbled.
I wasn't. I wished I was, but I wasn't.
-Is there anything we can do?- Cassie asked.
I shook my head. -No. She just won't stop until she kills her target.-
-The question is who,- muttered Marco.
I looked up and saw her gaze. She was looking at something. I looked at her direction and saw Ax fighting against Visser Three. I knew straight away who was her target.
Visser Three.
She took the scabbard out from her belt and swung the sword back into it. Her gaze never stopped watching Visser Three. She bent her knees and her hand reached close to the handle. Her other free hand held the scabbard.
-She's going to attack Visser Three!- I cried.
-What?- Marco and Cassie yelled in disbelief.
But, Zoe didn't budge a muscle. With the dragon's good sight, I looked at her hand an inch away from the handle. I saw shivers. She was trembling.
Zoe, no, Kaoru... Is she fighting herself? I thought. She hasn't lost her mind yet. There was still hope. I could save her!
FWAPP! Visser Three's tail fired.
Miss. Ax jumped away, far from range.
Visser Three then eyed at Zoe. He withdrew his tail. My eyes widened with fear. I knew the truth.
FWAPP! The Andalite tail fired.
-NO!- I screamed, scattering to Zoe. –Zoe! Get away!-
-Zack! Stop!- Marco shouted.
I didn't stop. I didn't want Zoe to get hurt. I didn't want. I leapt in front of her. I felt something cut at my scaly skin. Blood flew past my eyes. The pain was unbearable. I fell, skidding and crashing into some crates. I grounded my teeth as the pain pounded agonizingly.
-Zack! Are you okay?- Tobias yelled, flying over me.
I looked up at Zoe. I was more concerned about she than I was about myself. That was when I saw a glimpse of panic in her eyes looking at me. Then she went mad.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed intensely. Her eyes widened with rage. Holding her head like pain was driving at her. Nearly ripping off her hair.
Her eyes turned completely white. White as a ghost. Everyone, turning away from the battle, turned to the sound of her scream.
She continued to scream, not taking a breath. Her shivering hand hastily grabbed the handle and she stopped screaming. All her hatred was building up inside her. She took a step. She darted towards Visser Three like an arrow shot from a bow. She was a mad person on the loose who has lost her tranquilly.
-Impudent human,- Visser Three said, before firing the Andalite tail.
FWAPP! The Andalite tail fired.
She swung herself to the left, missing it but that didn't stop Visser Three there. The tail swung back, running to her opened back. To my surprise, she swung herself over the charging tail!
-What!- Visser Three shouted. He was surprised as well.
I saw a flash of metal. She slipped the sword halfway out of the scabbard and screamed wrathfully. She glared heatedly, her eyes still white, still burning with anger. Visser Three didn't run away in time. Only watched at her in terror.
She gashed at his side. He fell on one leg, bleeding. Flying past him, she turned around. She halted on a wall and kicked herself off, her sword ready for another attack. She gave another war cry.
Just as he turned, she cut at his other side and skidded on the ground. She slowly eyed at the bleeding Andalite. She put back the sword in the scabbard and darted again, her hand at the handle. She swung the sword again but Visser Three evaded the attack.
-She's done for!- Marco yelled. Visser Three would have this advantage to kill her instantly.
But she was quicker than he was. She swung the scabbard at his ribs like a top. I could imagine the bones breaking. Visser Three fell, bearing the pain.
I struggled to my feet. The wound wasn't so bad. Although, I bit my tongue. Jake trotted to me.
-Zack, get out of here and demorph!- he ordered.
-B-but what about Zoe?- I asked.
I saw his ears flapped down and he looked back. Zoe landed multiple assaults at Visser Three on and on with the sword. Her movements were quick, giving him no time to react. I didn't need an answer to that question. No one could bring Zoe back to reality. She had gone over the edge. Returning her back to sanity was a difficult problem to solve. Even if I could call out to her, she wouldn't come back to herself.
The dragon scent picked up something. It was a foul smell but it smelt familiar.
-...Gasoline?-
I saw sparks flaring. Zoe was charging towards Visser Three. The sword was touching the floor, making sparks fly. A flare ignited as it ran over a small stream of gasoline. Flames burst everywhere. I tried to look for Zoe but the smokes clouded everything.
-We got to get out of here!- Marco yelled not far.
-But what about those people in the cages?- Cassie wondered.
Jake looked at her and shook his head. -All of them had already become Controllers. I just saw the last one.-
We did see the last one having a Yeerk crawl into his head before we attacked. Ax came to us at last. All of the Controllers and the Hork-Bajir have already left the burning warehouse.
-What happened to Visser Three? And Zoe?- I wondered worriedly.
-I lost him in the fire. I don't know what happened to your sister,- he replied.
I became stone-cold. I looked back at the flames.
-We better get out of here!- Rachel demanded, swinging her trunk around.
A small explosion occurred. Zoe was in there, somewhere in the flames. I didn't want to believe she was gone. She wasn't. I could feel it. Without thinking, I ran towards the flames at the same time, while beginning to demorph.
-Zack! Don't! It's too dangerous!- Jake yelled, knowing what I was going to do.
I ignored him. That was my sister in there and there was no way I was gonna lose her again!
I jumped over the flames and landed on hard ground. I got small burns over my scales but that didn't stop me. My claws turned back to human hands. I still had the dragon tongue in my mouth. I quickly got up on two feet and looked around. I was in a circle of fire, and I wasn't alone.
I saw her. Zoe. Standing before Visser Three who was weakly getting up. He had so many cuts, all deep and bleeding. Zoe had none. She was unharmed.
The flames freckled around us. Crates were being burnt and the watery liquid in the Yeerks Pools were bubbling.
I gazed at Zoe. Her glance directed to Visser Three. Both cold and calm, different from Visser Three's eyes. Totally different. She had become completely different.
Her skin had darkened for some strange reason. Like she recently took a suntan. And her ears, they were pointed. Short but pointed, making her look like an elf. Scratch marks appeared on her cheeks like paint. Or looked like they were there purposely. Her eyes... for a minute, I thought they were red because of the flames. But it was like the color of her blue eyes just turned ruby red.
It was like she changed into another person.
Her scarf had fallen off, revealing an emotionless mask. I almost could have not recognized her. I don't think even Visser Three would be able to recognize her.
Thesword was still in her hand. It was stained with blood, dried up by the heat.
An Andalite who's controlled by a Yeerk facing a berserk person who was my own sister.
Which one was worse? Zoe who has completely gone insane or Visser Three?
It looked like no one had seemed me since I was hiding behind some crates. I was sweating, breathing hard and was still halfway though demorphing. I looked like a reptilian human. My heart felt like it was going to burst any minute.
Zoe looked coldly at Visser Three. I looked at him too. He was shivering. No, laughing more like it. He looked at her with his stalk eyes. His eyes showed pure evil.
-This is the first time a human scum has ever attacked me...or should I say Fa'deria.-
Fa'deria? What was that?
-...But...it will be the last!- he hissed as he began morphing.
Visser Three has morphs acquired from dozens of planets and moons spread across the galaxy. We'd seen some of them. And this one was something I have never seen.
A bone-crunching sound resounded as his arms slowly enlarged and lengthened. His front legs dissolved away and his spine extended out. His back legs melted together with his tail. Plated scales clothed over his now-morphing body. Silver and a touch of black, red and brown.
His neck grew long and his head slowly flattened. A wide gash appeared across his face. Fangs and a tongue of a snake lolled out.
His expanding arms turned pointed and rock-hard like horns. Then I realized they weren't horns but wings. Scaly hard, sharp-pointed wings that could rip a human in pieces. The scales were silvery like metal. The wings lengthened and widened.
His morph was completed once the pupils in his eyes became slits. He looked down and hissed. It almost sounded like a snake but was definitely not snake like.
The beast that was once an Andalite Controller, bellowed down at Zoe. I nearly shivered at his roar.
But...strange thing was that...Zoe didn't flinch. Didn't move or budge. She just stared coldly at him.
-It's called a Nempyx. Interesting, isn't it?- That open gash on his scaly face was awfully like a grin to me.
I turned back to Zoe. I saw a red grin slowly widen on her face. She let out a burst of laughter.
-What is so humorous?- Visser Three snapped.
"What an act. Are you just showing me this for entertainment, weakling?" she said.
-What!- Visser Three hissed by her insult. –You dare mock me?-
I really, REALLY trembled. That wasn't Zoe at all talking! And I know it wasn't a Yeerk either!
"What a fool you are. All my opponents were weak and pathetic " she said coldly but her tone was sharp like daggers. She flashed an evil gash, showing sharp canines. "And now...you shall join them in their graves."
Her eyes deepened with lunacy. Zoe has that cruel cold grin on her face. Her smirk could frighten anything. It ever terrified me, but I knew deep down inside of me, she was still my sister. The beast slithered back, staring down at her. Visser Three was even scared of her.
Leisurely, Zoe raised the sword high to the level of her shoulders. With a start, she twirled her arm, circling the sword slowly in the air. Each spin she made, she gained more speed. Until her hand disappeared within the flames.
Unbelievable to my eyes and I do mean that, a small cyclone formed from her spinning arm and sword in hand. I felt the wind gusting everywhere. It was like being sucked into that growing cyclone.
That wasn't the only thing that was being sucked in.
Fire swirled towards the spinning cyclone. The sounds of howling and hissing combined. The heat around me was intense! And yet, I felt the cool brushing wind. But a nasty brush of wind cut my cheek.
Zoe's left arm carried on whirling the sword. Fire and wind spun around her arm like a mini-typhoon. I have never seen such a technique before! Never in my whole life!
Visser Three stared at the furious tornado of fire with wide snake-eyes.
The fire-cyclone slithered like a snake. More like a dragon to me! It ever sounded like a dragon! It was as if the dragon was born from both fire and wind. An ember shone on its forehead, making it look like it had only one eye!
It roared loudly, opening its fiery mouth and baring the flames inside. Zoe's arm stopped spinning. The cyclone still stayed, blazing heatedly as if it had come to life.
Zoe drew back her sword that brewed the end of the cyclone and grinned so sinisterly.
"Perish!" she laughed. And launched the cyclone with a thrust of her sword.
It swirled towards Visser Three, slithering like a serpent. Visser Three tried to react, tried to dodge it. But he couldn't in time.
It engulfed him. I heard his terrifying scream as he shook the flames off him. Under the flames, I saw him demorph and flee away. Trying desperately to exterminate the small fires on his blue fur. Guess he wanted to live another day, knowing he couldn't win this battle.
As the flames around us sparked and flicked, I turned to Zoe. Her left arm was blacked with soot and burns. But not completely burnt. I thought she would have lost her arm. Totally.
Then I saw her eyes. They slowly lost the calmness and coldness as they gained back her blue eyes. They closed shut. She fell backwards, which in time I caught her in my arms.
I was completely human by then. I looked at her from head to toe. No long ears. No tan. Not a different person. Just her normal self. She suffered only burns but not serious. How she survived that technique, even I don't know.
She was alive. I just knew it.
I looked around. We had to get out of here. There was one opening. A window. I went to it and jumped. Glass shattered as I jumped through the window. And just in time too. Another minute and we would have been fried. The warehouse was now a scorching inferno.
Our safe mattress was a patch of nets and rags, saving us from breaking our bones. I panted and looked at Zoe. She had an innocent look on her f unconscious ace. She was innocent all along. And had been through a lot of pain.
No wounds, only a few burns. That was good news. I looked up, sighed and saw a bird in the sky. I grinned.
"Hey, Tobias, I bet you know what Marco will say next!"
tigerlily-2250 – Don't worry. Kaoru will live eventually. Seems like you favour Kaoru a lot. Anyway, thanks for your review and hope you like this chapter.