Jake
It was Wednesday. Wednesday in the afternoon. I had slept most of the morning away. I was suffering from a serious dose of guilt. I should have heard Tobias out last night. It sounded as though what he had to say was important and I couldn't afford to make any more mistakes. The Sharing picnic was on today so I convinced myself that Tobias was talking about that. I was also suffering a serious dose of guilt from what happened with Marco. He was only looking out for me and I had to bite his head off. I wanted someone to talk to, someone like Cassie, but she hadn't said anything to me about it. I wondered if she even cared.
But I was worried now, because Rachel is probably the only Animorph to actually go to that Sharing picnic. And then something I had overlooked hit me. Tobias had mentioned a trap. The Sharing picnic was a trap! Of course. But then I shouldn't worry. Rachel could take care of herself and Tobias would tell her.
I was sitting at the kitchen table finally eating something, only because my mum was sitting opposite me, watching me like a hawk. She had deliberately made me a sandwich while I was asleep and was now forcing me to eat it. It took me about half an hour to gulp it down. When I had finished, my mum smiled up at me and took my plate. But I felt sick.
I spent most of the day lounging around in front of the television. By the time night fell and dad came home from work, I had made a serious dent in the couch. Mum had tried to coax me out of the lounge several times, but finally gave up when I refused.
"And finally the Sharing picnic has gone underway…" I had turned to a news channel. They showed footage of people dancing around a campfire. It looked nothing like a picnic. Why would they call it a picnic? But then I saw something that stopped my breath short. A familiar tall, blonde haired girl was circling the campfire with a look of distaste. Rachel.
"…but don't worry, there's still time to become a member…"
"Mum, I'm going out!" I shouted, trying to keep calm.
"Now?"
"Yeah," I said. "I forgot something at Marco's house!"
"Alright, be quick."
I walked out of the house and into my garage. I stripped down to my bike shorts and concentrated on my owl morph. The changes began.
When I was fully owl, I took off.
((Jake, I hope that's you and not some other owl,)) a voice I knew said in my head. Marco.
I twisted my head and found four owls flying directly underneath me.
((What are you guys doing?)) I asked.
((We saw a certain someone on the news,)) Tobias informed me.
((You saw her too, did you?)) I sighed. ((She just never gives up, does she?))
((What do you expect?)) Marco said. ((We were going to do this without you, but since you decided your cousin's life was worth something…))
((That's not fair, Marco,)) Cassie said. ((I'm sure she's only doing this to help out.))
((Help out?)) Marco howled. ((She could get killed! I could get killed.))
((Is that it there?)) I asked, breaking yet another argument.
((I believe it is, Prince Jake,)) Ax said, soaring down to a patch of trees away from the clearing.
I followed his lead and saw the others do the same. We all started to demorph, except Tobias.
((Tobias, do you mind…?))
((Not at all, Big Jake,)) he said, sounding happy and took off again.
((I thought you weren't our leader,)) Marco teased me in private thought speech.
((Someone has to do it now that Rachel is indisposed,)) I said.
When we had all demorphed I turned to the others.
"Alright, this is what we're going to do, Marco and Cassie morph into battle morphs," they nodded their heads and began to change. "You'll stay here and become back up if I need it. Ax morph to human. You and I are going in. We're going to find Rachel and bring her back here. If she has done something really stupid like," suddenly there was a roar, much like a bear roar. "Like that." I sighed. "Alright, Ax, forget morphing come Andalite. Marco, Cassie," I looked over at the wolf and gorilla. "Stay here, I'll morph tiger and get my horrible baby cousin out of this."
I started to morph my favourite battle morph. Tiger. I was done in no time.
((Alright, Ax, are you ready?))
((Yes, Prince Jake,)) he replied.
((I'll see you guys later,)) I said to Cassie and Marco.
((Yeah, good luck man,)) Marco said.
I raced out into the clearing, Ax following me closely. Most people were running away, screaming. Those people were innocent humans. Not controllers. Others were racing towards a large tent. Controllers. No grizzly bear in sight.
((I believe Rachel is being held in there,)) Ax pointed out the obvious.
((Yeah,)) I said.
Now that we were out in the open, people had noticed and that caused the whole campfire to go into a frenzy. Some controllers looked at us with contempt, but they just hastened their step into the tent.
((Guys,)) it was Tobias. ((Rachel is being held in a large cage in the tent. Visser Three is in there and he's not too happy about only Rachel being captured.))
((Thanks Tobias,)) I said, but then another thought struck me. ((Tobias, how do you know that Rachel is in a cage?))
((Oh… you see the thing is… all I could see from above was…well I had…))
((TOBIAS!))
((Alright, I morphed fly,)) he said sheepishly.
((Do you realise how dangerous that is!)) I shouted. ((You didn't even tell us! What is wrong with you? Please tell me you're out of there!))
((Yeah, I'm out of here, I'm back to owl,)) he sounded scared. Was I that frightening?
((Good, stay like that, alright?))
((Yeah, sure Jake.))
Ax and I must have looked really strange just standing there, but by now everyone had cleared out.
((Alright, Ax,)) I said, feeling as if I'm putting myself in a suicide mission, ((this is going to be extremely reckless, but chances are the opening of the tent is going to be blocked or there's going to be a trap, so I need you to make another opening at the back of the tent.))
((Certainly Prince Jake,)) Ax replied, sounding calm, which was far from what I felt.
We raced towards the back of the tent where we could see the shadows of figures moving along inside.
((Are you ready, Prince Jake?))
I wasn't ready.
((I'm ready.))
In one swift movement, Ax brought down his tail on the thin sheets that made up the tent. One sizeable hole appeared and I ran through it, Ax followed. Controllers were everywhere. You wouldn't have guessed from the outside, but from the inside it was large. Everyone just stopped and stared at us. I looked through them all and then I saw the one being that chilled my bone. Visser Three. He was a larger more intimidating version of Ax. He stared at us with utter hatred. At the entrance was a large cage, opened so whoever decided to drop by for a visit would be trapped in there. I had made a wise choice in asking Ax to create an entrance for us.
At the far end of the tent was a large grizzly bear trapped in a cage. Rachel was trapped. For a moment I was pleased. Serves her right for trying to over throw me as leader.
((Jake, get out of here. It's a trap!)) she screamed in private thought speech.
((Jeez, you think?)) I said rather sarcastically. To Ax I said, ((Cover me, I'm going to try and get Rachel out of here.))
((Yes, Prince Jake.))
Then all of a sudden everything went into action. Every controller got out of their state of shock and came after us, all the while Visser Three shouting obscene instructions.
((I want the Andalite for myself,)) he finally shouted, coming for Ax.
I ran towards the cage where Rachel was held. Controllers racing after me. They started firing me with Dracon Beams.
When I reached the cage, still trying to dodge the controllers and their firing, I took one metal bar between my teeth and pulled, trying to make it larger. I think I broke one tooth at that stage.
((Ahhhhhhhh!)) A dracon beam had hit me on the side.
((Jake!)) Rachel yelled although I was right near her.
((Just work on that bar, I've weakened it,)) I said, though the pain was strong.
She clasped the bar between her two paws and started to twist it. I could see my tooth marks in it. I grabbed the bar next to it and pulled again. I could taste blood in mouth. Someone had shot my tail off by that point and more dracon beams were being shot at me and this time I couldn't dodge them.
((I think I've weakened this one,)) I said, a little woozy.
As she finished on the other one she started on this one. I looked around at Ax. He was fighting Visser Three. So far all they had achieved was no more than a scratch each. They were dual fighting with their tails as weapons. I stood there a little too long. Someone shot at my back leg.
((Alright!)) Rachel cried gleefully in my head. ((I'm free! Hey!))
Someone had shot her on the back as she attempted to go help Ax.
((No!)) I shouted as she lumbered up to the controller. ((Rachel! Ax! Get out of here now!))
((But…))
((No! Now!) I shouted. I saw Ax break away from the Visser and race back out of the hole he had made. At least Ax was safe.
((Rachel, get out of here!))
((I'm not leaving you!)) she shouted.
((I'm not staying!)) I shouted back.
I saw her race towards the hole, Controllers shooting at her. I saw someone aim their dracon beam at her heart. I don't know what I was thinking, but I couldn't let Rachel die, so I leaped in front of her. It hit me in the head. Through the dizziness and confusion I saw Rachel lumber through the hole, oblivious to what I had just done. I was definitely woozy now and my leg was in pain. But I fought my way out. Knocking people to the ground in an attempt to save my own life. I finally made it out into the clearing and to my surprise nobody followed, although I could hear Visser Three shouting curses at the Controllers as I limped my way towards the trees. But all that was somehow far away from me. All the sounds they were so far away. I felt dizzy as blood continued to pour down my face where the dracon beam had hit. I finally made it to a place where a weird bunch of people were staring at me. Three humans, a hawk and a strange looking creature with a spiked tail. Strange. And now the dizziness became too much and I collapsed.
((Jake, demorph!))
People were nagging me. Why were they nagging me? Their nagging had woke me up.
((Prince Jake, I must urge you to morph immediately. You have consumed most of your morph time.))
Then I heard snippets of conversation.
"What have I done?" I heard a female voice said. "This is my fault."
"You're damn right this is your fault," an angry male voice said, snidely.
Why were they arguing? They shouldn't argue. I had to stop the arguing. But how?
"Look, he's changing!"
((That's it Jake,)) someone encouraged in my head.
The pain I had felt so strongly for what seemed like forever was now slipping away and my wooziness and dizziness with it. My sense and concentration came back and I became aware of what happened. My tiger body had become too damaged and now I was morphing back to human. When I was finished demorphing I sat up from the hard, prickly floor I lay on. All my friends looked relieved. Except Tobias, who was perched in a tree, he never showed any emotion in his hawk body.
I stood up, brushing leaves off me.
"I don't suppose we're near the picnic?" I asked.
"No," Marco said. "You were unconscious so I had to morph to gorilla and carry you to the woods in case they decided to come after us."
The sky was dark; time must have gone by pretty fast.
"Well, we better get out of here," I suggested.
"You can all come to the barn, it's not far from here," Cassie suggested. I knew it was her way of trying to get us all together again. Nobody objected, so I decided to go along and see what would happen.
When we reached the barn, everyone assumed their usual positions. Ax had by this time morphed into human. I started pacing as usual, deep in thought. I could feel everyone's eyes on me.
"Jake?" It was Rachel. I knew what this was. It was another attempt to make it all better when she stuffed up royally.
"Jake?" she repeated.
"What?" I asked. I stopped pacing and stood there, looking at her, no expression on my face. No one would have known what I was thinking, except maybe Marco and Cassie, the two people who knew me the best.
"I…I'm…"
"No Rachel," I interrupted. "If you're looking for forgiveness, look somewhere else, because I'm not going to give it to you."
"It was a mistake," she defended. "It was stupid."
"Stupid?" I echoed, showing at last what I was thinking and feeling. I used to feel young, energetic, but now I just felt like I was forty. I was growing up way too fast with all this worry and stress. Trying to look out for everyone. Now I know how my parents feel. "This was beyond stupid. You nearly got me killed. You nearly got Ax killed. Tobias was so worried about you that he morphed fly and went into that tent. He could have been killed! One swipe of the Visser's tail, that's all it would take!"
