A/N: Hello all! Sorry it's been so long, but as I explained, I was busy with Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. :D great installment to the Harry Potter series. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I'm going to try to finish editing chapter 13 tomorrow or Wednesday so hopefully that will be up soon. We'll see. Enjoy!

Chapter 12

Ax

Prince Jake had ordered us all to get out. I was the closest to the pool exit which we had come from. I used my tail blade to knock controllers unconscious in the hopes it would allow my friends to get past me safely.

Marco lumbered past me in his gorilla morph, bleeding from several places and some skin on his chest was a hanging flap. He hesitated to leave and watched me from the stairs.

((Go Marco! Prince Jake ordered us to leave.)) I told him. Marco lingered another moment. ((You are injured, you must get to safety.)) Marco hesitated then continued up the stairs, leaving me to deal with the next group of controllers rushing at me alone.

Prince Jake came seconds after Marco left, flanked by Rachel.

((Where's Tobias and Cassie?)) Rachel asked me.

((I have not seen them.)) I stated. I swiveled my stalk eyes around to scan the crowds, all the while I focused on the controllers before me. I spotted Cassie in wolf morph picking up an injured Tobias.

((Prince Jake, Cassie is approximately 25 of your feet to the left. She's picking up Tobias who appears to be injured.))

Rachel snapped her bear head around and let out a roar. I watched as Cassie was blind-sided by a Taxxon which caused her to drop Tobias with a howl. I quickly lost sight of my shorm.

((Tobias!)) Rachel yelled. We watched as Cassie picked herself up and glance around for Tobias.

((Cassie, let's go!)) Prince Jake yelled. Cassie hesitated, still looking for Tobias before following her orders and fought her way towards us. ((Everybody, out.)) Prince Jake said, looking directly at Rachel.

((Nnnoo! Tobias!)) Rachel yelled and started to go after him. Prince Jake let out a roar and leaped in front of her, the tiger in a crouch and ready to pounce if necessary. ((Get out of my way Jake.)) Rachel said, in a tone I could not identify but it sounded threatening.

((No, Rachel. We won't do Tobias any good getting ourselves killed. Now get out.)) Prince Jake said, equally as deadly, gradually stepping closer to Rachel. She unconsciously took steps backwards up the stairs.

((I have to save him.)) Rachel insisted.

((You won't do him any good if you get yourself killed.)) Prince Jake repeated.

Rachel hesitated. She stared down to the yeerk pool; her bear eyes actually showed her human worry. ((We'll save him Rachel. We have to leave and re-group.)) Jake said, and Rachel followed his orders and continued up the yeerk pool steps. Only Prince Jake and I remained, about half way between normalcy and hell.

((Let's go Ax.)) Prince Jake said. He began to walk forward a few steps.

((I'm sorry Prince Jake but))

((Ax, don't call me prince.))

((Yes Prince Jake.)) I said and added ((I must go against your orders.))

((Ax, we'll get Tobias out.)) Jake said, his voice determined.

((Someone needs to))

((Ax, we go. We regroup, and we plan. Only then will we rescue Tobias; after careful planning. Let's go before they come after us.)) He turned to leave and my main eyes followed him. My stalk eyes swiveled around to look behind me.

One way was my Prince whose orders I was supposed to follow. And in the other direction, my shorm, who was injured seriously and quite possibly dead.

I knew what I had to do. I only hoped the others would forgive me for my discrepancy.

((I am sorry Prince Jake.)) I said, before turning around and galloping back to the darkness.

((Ax, NO!)) Prince Jake yelled. I think he was going to say more, but his thought-speak cut short. I knew I was being foolish, but I felt I had to protect Tobias.

"Andalite."

((That is correct.)) I stated. Before I could even twitch my tail, I felt the dracon blast hit my chest.

((AAAHH!)) The setting wasn't very high, but it was still painful. It was enough to knock a full grown hork bajir unconscious. I knew it would momentarily do the same to me. I swayed on my feet and tried to fall with some grace so I wouldn't injure myself too badly.

My vision began to blur and out of the darkness, I could make out the figure of Visser Three, holding a rumpled and bleeding hawk that I knew to be my friend. His laughter rang in my head long after I lost consciousness.

Thank you to CASSIE101 (I actually don't know why I had Cassie with Tobias. It just worked out that way when I wrote it, lol!) GenesisDragon, rockergurl13 (maybe, maybe not. We'll just hafta see…though I already know the answer…I cannot disclose it, as it'll ruin my plot. Can't have that now can we…), and LucreziaNoin86 For the reviews of the last chapter. Hope you all enjoy this one as much as the rest. :D