Chapter 25
KaoruI opened my eyes. It was like waking up from a dream. Underneath me, I felt the soft blanket of Takehiro's bed. I found myself lying on his bed. I looked around. I was in my bedroom.
Had I fallen asleep the whole time?
I sat up, feeling groggily and light-headed. Outside the window was still afternoon. The sun was going to set soon. It would be evening very soon. I gazed at myself in the mirror. I wasn't wearing my morphing clothes. But the clothes I wore were different. I remembered wearing them before but the more I tried to remember when, the more my head hurt.
A squeak caught my attention. My bag was still where I left it. Next to the desk. And popping out, trying to push open the zipper, was Paws. He struggled out of my bag but was struck halfway.
He must have gotten out of his cage and into my bag again. It was always a habit to him.
Then, as if within my instinct, I felt that this has happened before but at a different time. I went to my bag and picked it up just as Paws stumbled out of it. He playfully ran around in circles before standing on his back legs. He looked at me with those beady eyes.
I pulled open the zipper. I took one look and met a blue light that glowed from inside.
There resting over crumpled papers was the box. The box.
The box that had changed my life. Or was supposed to have.
I remembered everything ---- the battle in the warehouse, morphing, my evil self, the Howlers. I also remembered this day. This was the day I got a vision of Cassie' death. The day I would overhear the Animorphs of being accused of taking the box. It happened a day ago. A day before I met the Animorphs. The day Takehiro and Cassie were alive.
I knew why I was in my room. It was an hour after Grandpa's lecture. I wanted a short nap before I would go to apologize to Cassie.
It wasn't a dream. It really happened.
I felt like crying. I had it to do all over. I still had the box though. And I didn't know what to do with it now.
Paws squeaked curiously. I smiled. The answer was under my nose the whole time. It was all clear.
"Paws, you have gotten me into so much trouble," I said.
Evening came quite quick. I was on my way to Cassie's place.
No bike. No bag. Just the blue box in my hand and a note.
I didn't think of what to say to explain why I have it. So I thought that maybe a note would clear things out.
This is what I wrote:
I am sorry that I took your box. I didn't mean to. It was accidentally put in my bag. I can't tell you how. You would know who I am. I hope you forgive me. That's all I ask in return.
I didn't write my name. Why would I?
I neared the doors of the barn. Voices muffled from behind. I knew how this went.
"This is really bad news!" Jake shouted. "Who could have found it?"
"Well, it definitely cannot be those Helmacrons again," Marco answered.
"Are you absolutely sure you hid it safe, Cassie?" Rachel asked. "Maybe you forgot where you put it."
"No. I hid it exactly where it should have been," Cassie said defensively.
"It must have grown legs and walked and that's the only explanation I can come up with," Marco joked.
"Knock it off, Marco," a familiar voice mumbled. Takehiro. He was alive. I forced myself not to cry.
"Let's rethink everything," Jake suggested. "Do you know who came by here today?"
I placed the box and the note an inch in front of the doors. I didn't need to hear the next thing. I rose up one hand. I knocked on the door. I ran away. Running away from what I had come to know. Running away from the powers I would possess. Running away from the people I could call friends.
I ran because I wasn't a part of the Animorphs in the first place. I ran.
But I cried at the same time.
I ran until I found the hidden path that I took to my spot. I stopped there, wiping all my tears away. I looked up to the sky. All the stars were bright tonight.
I sat down on the cliff and looked down. It was a twenty feet deep where a stream was running. I looked back up to the sky and counted the stars.
"Kaoru? What are you doing here?"
I heard a voice speaking behind me. I recognized it. I turned back to see my brother standing there. I held back my tears. I wanted to throw my arms and hug him tightly but I knew I couldn't. I turned away, hiding my falling tears.
"Nothing," I said.
"Nice evening tonight," he said, taking a seat beside me. "Reminds me of the day we did star-gazing with Miaso. Wonder what she's up to now. Probably giving more unsolvable riddles to the whole group."
A pause.
"And hoping, avoiding the Yeerks as much as possible."
I was shocked. He shouldn't have told me that. I wasn't supposed to know that. Why would he tell me?
Takehiro reached into his jacket and pulled out something. I almost gapped. There in his hands was the reversed-edge sword, with its brand-new looks and sharp edge. It wasn't the old one when it should have been. It was the new one instead.
"You know, there's something missing about this sword," he said. He looked at me and dug into the pocket of my jacket, pulling out a string.
THE string. The string I took from the sword before I said goodbye.
"Sakura told me something before the day she died."
My eyes went wide.
"She said that the string means importance and unity," Takehiro said. "I never understood what she meant...until now."
He then tied the string around the handle to the scabbard.
"Tell me. What do you mean that I would know nothing," he asked and gazed at me. "When I remember everything that happened clearly?"
I was speechless. Shivering with fright.
He knew. He knew what I said to Jake before.
"H-How...?"
"Jake told me when he gave me this. Not only that, Ellimist told me that he didn't erase everyone's memory."
"Erase?"
"That means we can still remember of that insane battle we were going to have in about 24 hours later," a voice spoke from the bushes.
I turned. Marco was standing there. Coming out of the bushes was Jake and Cassie. Next was Rachel and Ax. And lastly, Tobias perched on a branch nearby.
I remained speechless. I didn't know what was going on.
"You mean...all of you..." I said.
"Know what happened? Yeah," Jake said. "Just about the time you left."
"But...why...?"
[ Maybe Ellimist wishes to remove you from time...but keep you with us, ] Ax explained.
[ You're still a member of this team, ] Tobias said. [ I guess without you, it would be different. ]
"Plus, I own you that favor!" Rachel said. "So there is no way you're deciding to leave for good."
"Kaoru?" Cassie approached to me and took my hands. "Thank you for trying to save me."
She flashed me that smile. I felt guilty of not taking her the vision in time. Even though it wasn't going to happen again.
"Now that we have our member back, let's see we head out and have a milkshake or something," Marco cheered.
"At this time?" Cassie asked.
"But we still have to go after the Yeerks. Time has been reversed so that means their hideout is still in the warehouse," Jake exclaimed.
"Oh, come on! Can't we have one little break?" Marco complained.
"What? You can't handle them anymore?" Rachel said.
I felt like crying. I was in the team again. But I was afraid. What if Ellimist gave me the same test later? Would history repeat itself again?
IT WILL NOT.
I heard him. The Animorphs were still discussing on. They haven't heard him.
YOU HAVE PROVEN YOUR WORTH.
"You have done more than we expected."
Earthegra. He was speaking to me.
"You have shown truthfully that you are the rightful Master. And have chosen well. You chose sacrifice yet crave for union. That is what we, the Guardians of Karine, have given to you. We asked the Ellimist only to gain our solution. Not to erase your memories."
All my fear went away. Before I noticed, I was crying. Takehiro was the first who saw me.
"Kaoru, are you okay? Why are you crying?"
My shoulders quivered. "And all this, you made me cry because of your recklessness. You made me worried and afraid when all this time, you could have told me this before I had given you back the box?! BAKA!"
Pow!
"Ouch! What was that for?"
Everyone laughed. Takehiro clutched the sore on his cheek as he got off the ground. I laughed hysterically. It's been a while since I laughed.
YOU HAVE DONE WELL. AND NOW IS ONLY YOUR BEGINNING.
I turned back to the scenery where the night was still alighted by the stars. I had a new beginning and I wasn't going to waste that. From all my past mistakes, I've learnt one thing.
No matter where you go, no matter how bad things are, there is a much greater thing out there that can help you get out of trouble.
That something was what Crayak couldn't give me to take away my sin. That was what my evil self didn't have.
I finally found it.
Friendship.
*****
Tigerlily-2250
2004-03-31
25
Anonymous
NO! Kaoru! Well I guess she isn't dead because then there would be no fight between her and Cat Girl over Ax. Well update soon so we (the readers) can find out what happens. Right?
John – Thanks for the salute and review!
Ta-dao – Oh, so you're interested. And why would Kaoru's dark side have the sword, you ask? Simple. Her dark side is a shadow reflected in that sword at the time of the kill Kaoru did when she was ten. And you're right about Zack protecting Kaoru from her dark self. You've got good insight! Thanks for reviewing!
Anonymous-cat – Don't worry. She's not dead and this won't be permanent. Thanks for the review!
Gil – I didn't say Kaoru's gonna die now, did I? And you would just love it if Kaoru weren't around to compete over Ax, huh?
Ryo-Mew-Ki *Glares angrily at Gil* Let me rip her to shreds! *Holds sharp deadly swords that were once her arms*
; Anyway, thanks for reviewing!
Tigerlily-2250 – Sorry I took a little longer to update this. Hope you like this chapter and thanks for your review!
A/N: It's sad to say this but this is the last chapter of A Twist of Fate Book 1: The Recruit. So there won't be anymore chapters after this.
*Sniffs*
But that doesn't mean I'll stop writing the next book!
It'll take a while to get it starting so in the meantime; you can freely read my other fanfic, Strands of Destine. Although it may not be based on Animorphs but it has morphing, magic, powers and humor!
...Please? I'd like someone to read it. No one has read it for about two months running. -__-
Thanks to all you readers for supporting this fanfic and all your kind reviews! I love you all.
See ya in the next book!
Next on A Twist of Fate Book 2: The Soldier
Summary: Someone's after the box and this time it's an alien called Ryo-Mew-Ki. The Animorphs end up recruiting her but gets trouble. Will Kaoru allow this Perinduro get away when she has a crush on Ax?