Review responses:
AllOrNone: It's only finished if you want it to be! This chapter will be the last one that sticks to canon. The rest will be AU, and I will only post it if at least one person reviews to say they'll read it.
Singer of Time: Thanks! Be sure to keep reviewing.
OK, here's the last chapter of Part 1. NOT necessarily the last ever chapter.
I began to really feel the terror now. Up until that point, everything had been too fast for me to have time to be afraid. But now it really hit me; I was going to starve.
I tried desperately to calm down, tried to convince myself that I could be saved. I ran through every possibility of escape, and found them all to be impossible or too risky. I opted to ask only for a quick death.
I felt myself being raised to an ear for the second time that day. This time, though, it was a human ear I crawled into.
I suspected it would be Cassie, and was proved correct when I connected with the brain.
(I knew you would come for me, Cassie.)
Cassie was unsure. She thought there were so many things to thank me for, she didn't know where to start. I felt I had far more to thank her for, but I couldn't put it into words. I just let her feel my emotions, and I knew she understood.
(Thank you for helping me save Ax's life,) Cassie began.
I laughed softly, attempting to make light of the situation. (If you had told me when we first met that I would ever do anything to aid an Andalite…)
(Or become a Yeerk freedom fighter.)
(That, too,) I replied. I knew I would have to ask her, sooner or later. (Cassie, there's something I have to ask you to do for me.)
(Anything.) She replied without hesitation.
(I need you to kill me.)
(What?) she cried. (No!)
I sighed. (We both know I will be dead in three days no matter what you do. You have witnessed Kandrona starvation. I ask you to spare me that. End my life now. You can make it quick and painless.)
I felt Cassie's sorrow. But she had an idea; one I had thought of myself but then dismissed.
(You could stay in me!)
(No. You would have to go into the Yeerk pool every three days. It's too dangerous. If you were somehow found out, Visser Three would learn everything about your friends and the peace movement. All would be lost.)
I felt Cassie's pain, and tried to comfort both her and myself. (It's not too bad to die for what you believe in. There are much worse deaths. Many worse deaths.)
(Please, I want to talk to the rest of the group. Perhaps we can come up with some way to save you.)
(Don't take three days, please Cassie.)
(I won't, Aftran. I swear.)
I started to disconnect from her brain, but she said: (wait!)
(What?)
(Aftran, if you are going to die, I don't want you spending your last few days blind. Stay in me, at least until I can talk to the others.)
(Are you sure?) I asked, barely able to believe what I was hearing. (What about the others? I don't think they'll be too happy with me…)
(Let me deal with that, Aftran.)
(Thank you, Cassie. For everything.)
On my second day out of the Yeerk pool, the group came together for a short meeting at Cassie's barn. They clustered around Ax's stall while Cassie was giving an old wolf his meds. I was tense, wondering what the others were thinking about me.
(Aftran, you're tensing my body up and making the wolf nervous. Can you relax and let e have control?)
(Sorry, I didn't realise I was doing it.)
(Just relax, they don't hate you. Honestly.)
(Oh, really? Well, you want to see a memory?)
I played back the memory of what Rachel had said to me while Cassie was a caterpillar.
(Look, she didn't mean it. She was just worried about me, that was all.)
(She meant it, Cassie. You know Rachel.)
(Yes, I do. You don't.)
(Cassie, you can't lie to me. I know you're worried, too.)
"Hell-o-o?" Rachel. "I just asked eight times if we can start the meeting. Jeez."
"Sorry, I was talking to Aftran."
"Oookay."
"Right, can we start now, please? Aftran's running out of time," Jake ordered, in a tone that made everyone listen.
(We can't just let her die,) Tobias said. (We have to do something..)
"I think we all agree on that," Marco said. He looked around at the others; Jake, Rachel, Cassie, Tobais. They all nodded.
"Ax?"
(I will do as Prince Jake says, despite finding his decision to be foolish. Although I am unsure as to why he has made such a decision, I trust my Prince.)
"Charming," I muttered.
They all looked at me.
"Sorry." The puzzled looks continued. "I have Cassie's permission, remember?" I snapped, exasperated. "What? Stop staring at me!"
"It's just I didn't expect a Yeerk to make a joke," Marco said. "Sort of a human thing, you know?"
I sighed. "Can we get on with the meeting now?"
(Why does this Yeerk think that I am charming?) Ax asked, thoroughly puzzled.
"Ax, look up 'sarcastic', in the dictionary," Marco told him.
"Right, that's enough talking. I don't have all that much time, 'cos Mum asked Tom to make sure I didn't go out. I guess the Yeerk needs to do something though, he went about half-an-hour ago. But I don't have all day."
"Could Aftran stay in Cassie?" Rachel wondered.
"Too dangerous." Marco and I said it at the same time. We looked at one another.
Jake began to pace. He walked over to the wolf pen, then back towards a horse's stall. He scratched his chin thoughtfully. He stopped, rubbed the horse's forehead, and set off pacing again. We all watched him.
"Uh, Jake, man? What's up?"
"I'm thinking, Marco. Be quiet."
"Yes, prince Jake."
Jake grinned. "Sorry, Marco. Guess I'm a little testy."
(Jake counts on Marco to knock him down a peg or two if he takes his role of leader too seriously,) explained Cassie.
(Yeah, I know.)
Jake turned to face us. Spoke up. "We have the Escafil device. The morphing cube."
"And?" Rachel asked.
"Aftran won't need Kandrona Rays if she's not a Yeerk. She could morph."
END OF PART 1
IMPORTANT NOTE: From now on, this story will be AU, okay? If you don't like it, don't read it. Please let me know if you will read the next chapter or not if it's posted. I'll post it if one or more people think it's a good idea. If I do go down the AU line, it will make the story very much longer. If not, thanks to all of you.
