Mew: Nice long chapter. See how inconsistent I am?
Draiku: Idiot!
Controller
Chapter 4
Malik sat in his cage at the Yeerk pool once again, leaning against the back. He had wanted to become a voluntary host, but the Yeerks in charge just laughed and didn't believe him. So he was stuck in the cage for now. He looked at his watch and walked to the front of the cage.
"Hey! You! The Hork-Bajir! It's time for Marik to control me again," he called. The Hork-Bajir rolled his eyes and opened the cage.
"Fine, since you're so eager, child, let's see you put your head in the pool yourself. I'm tired of the thrashing that involuntary hosts do," he spat.
"Yeah, yeah, you big, green, monstrosity of a lizard," Malik replied. He went to the edge of the pool and stuck his head into the sludge, waiting for Marik to come. He felt Marik at the entrance of his right ear, and then he watched as Marik swam around his head to his left. Malik smiled slightly, wondering how he could tell which ear was which.
/Just so you know/ Marik said once he was inside and had his head out of the sludge/Yeerks have something similar to sonar. It's extremely sketchy, but it helps us identify our hosts./
/So that's how you could tell which ear was my left one/ Malik replied, feeling Marik dry his head off.
/Yeah. When we're up close to something we can 'see' it clearly with the sonar/ he replied.
/That's neat/ Malik said softly.
/And you seriously called that Hork-Bajir over there a big, green monstrosity of a lizard/ Marik asked with a laugh. /You're lucky that I'm not a low-ranked Yeerk. Otherwise the Visser would have excused him if he chose to cut off your head./
/Then I should be more careful around them/ Malik replied.
/Especially Taxxons. If you have a large open wound, they won't hesitate to eat you alive. They're cannibals, you saw it/ Marik pointed out.
/Don't remind me. That was disgusting./
/I'm just glad that I never had to control one of those things. The Gedd was okay, the Hork-Bajir was better, and then when I started controlling humans…well, let's just say that you're better than some bark-eating lizard./
/What! The Hork-Bajir eat bark/ Malik asked, amazed.
/That's what the blades are for. Cutting bark. They're peaceful by nature, but the Yeerks who were in charge of taking over their planet saw them as weapons. I wasn't born back then, I'm still quite young./
/How old are you? You've never told me./
/Thirty-nine Yeerk years, but I'm only seventeen earthling-years old/ Marik replied.
/So you're still a teen./
/Exactly. The only problem is puberty. According to your memories, earthlings experience it too/ Marik said.
/Yup. It sucks big time. We get acne and sweaty and stuff, our voices crack…gods, it really sucks. But being a teenager is great, otherwise/ Malik said, mentally grinning.
/When Yeerks get it, we become extremely active, more active than usual. We get bigger, our sonar doesn't work as well, and we have to re-train ourselves to enter hosts/ Marik said.
/Then you have it worse./
/I guess so, especially when I had it. Before I was thirteen earth-years old, I could enter hosts whenever I wanted, pretty much. Then I grew larger, and I had to be trained again./
/Wow. That sucks./
/Yeah, I guess it does. Anyway, do you want to go anywhere specific/ he asked. Malik mentally shrugged as Marik left through one of the many exits of the Yeerk pool.
/I don't know. What about you/ he asked.
/Someplace quiet. I want to tell you something./
/Okay, then maybe the lake/ Malik suggested. /I know a spot near it that's entirely private./
/That sounds good. Let's go./ Marik walked to the lake and Malik let him access his memories to find the area.
/This is it/ Malik said. /You took us right to it./ Marik smiled slightly.
/Wow, it is quiet here. You're good at choosing spots like this/ he commented. Malik, surprised by the sudden comment, paused to see if he wasn't imagining things.
/Thank you/ he finally said. Marik sat himself against a weeping willow and stared at the sky.
/You really do have a beautiful planet. We Yeerks shouldn't be trying to take it over. The Visser wants to eliminate all forms of dangerous life here if we ever manage to enslave the entire human race/ Marik murmured. /Which, of course, leaves almost no creatures left. And all the very dangerous ones have bright colors and beautiful pelts./
/I guess so/ Malik replied softly, wondering where this was going. Marik didn't answer, even though Malik knew that he could read his mind.
/The Yeerk home planet is quite dull. We're the only dangerous creatures there, and there are no predators. Most of the other creatures are stupid enough to fall into the pools and get infested./
/What was your planet like/ Malik asked. Marik sighed softly, closing their eyes and trying to remember.
/I only remember seeing it through the eyes of a Gedd. They had horrible vision, and the entire world looked strange/ he said, sending a mental image to Malik. /The grass was coarse and rough, the very trees were small and twisted, the sky was yellow and sickly. But it was all wonderful the first time I saw it. I had been totally blind up until I got my first host. I never wanted to leave that body, never. But it was only a drill, and in only a few minutes I had to return to the Yeerk pool, Sulp Niar./
/It doesn't look so bad/ Malik said. /And Sulp Niar was the name of the pool/
/Yes. It was the biggest pool around, with libraries and schools and such. Kind of like America, here on Earth. Anyway, even with the libraries and the schools and everything, when I first saw it…it looked horrible. I grew to hate my very life source./
/Wait a second, how would you have libraries/
/In our natural state, Yeerks have little protrusions on our bodies that we can enter into the walls of the pool. A computer connects to them and allows us to read./
/Oh. Um, sorry for interrupting./
/That's alright. Anyway, after a while I finally got assigned my own host. I could be free for three days, until I had to return. The first time I entered that body, I lost track of time and almost died, but thankfully someone rushed me to the pool. After an even longer period of time, I was promoted and got to come here. At first I thought that I'd get a host body as soon as I arrived because of my high status, but I waited for months, an entire year. It was…horrible. I was blind, mute, and mostly deaf for an entire year with nothing to do, and I could be killed at any moment. I was…afraid./
/And then I came along/
/Exactly. And because of you, I got to see how wonderful Earth really is. It was better than my home planet, much better. The creatures here are intelligent, they fight for their survival, when the creatures on the Yeerk planet are bumbling morons who wouldn't realize that they were going to die until it was too late./
/I see/ Malik mumbled.
/Anyway, I want to thank you for tolerating me, even befriending me. And I want to apologize for being so cruel to you during the first few days./
/It's alright, really/ Malik insisted.
/No it's not. I made you cry, Malik. And you still befriended me. I couldn't believe it at first, but it was true. And…I know that you may dislike me for saying this, but…I've grown to love you, even though you and I are entirely different./ Malik's eyes widened in disbelief. Marik loved him? It didn't seem possible, but it was true.
/Marik…you're telling the truth? You really mean that/ Malik asked.
/Yes. I do./
/Because…a few days ago, I did some thinking myself. I denied what I was thinking about, said that it was a lie, and tried to forget about it. But…I think that I love you too, Marik/ Malik murmured. He felt a wave of surprise and happiness come from Marik.
/You mean that/ he asked, sounding all choked up.
/Yes, I'm telling the truth/ Malik said happily.
/Oh, gods/ Marik whispered. /I just wish that I had my own set of arms so I could hold you./ Malik smiled warmly.
/I wish that I could hold you without crushing you or something/ he said, emitting a laugh from Marik.
/So we're in love, but we can't do anything to show that we're in love/ Marik said with a chuckle. /I can tell you that I love you, but I can't hold you or kiss you…/ Malik smiled sadly.
/Maybe there is a way/ he said softly. Marik raised an eyebrow.
/How/ he asked.
/Maybe, just maybe, we could go to Tobias and the others and tell them that you want to be human. Maybe they have a kind of technology that can allow a person to morph, I'm sure that the Andalites aren't just born with that ability./
/You're a genius, Malik. A genius. The Andalites do have something that allows people to change into animals. It's a blue box, I've seen it in pictures/ Marik said. Malik grinned.
/I'm guessing that they're over at Jake's. He seems like the leader, you know./
/True. Let's go then, you lead the way./ Malik smiled, taking control of their body and he managed to find Jake's home. He knocked on the door and it was opened by a teenager about his age.
"Hello, is Jake here?" Malik asked him.
"What do you need him for?" the teen asked.
"Oh, we're just buddies, you know. I was wondering if he'd like to play some basketball."
"Sorry, he's over at Cassie's."
"Oh. Thank you, anyway," Malik said with a smile.
"Yeah, whatever."
Malik left and went to Cassie's.
/Do you think it would be rude to talk to him when he's over at someone's house/ Malik asked.
/They're not in there/ Marik said. /Teenagers usually hang out in the living room or something, right? Well, they're not there. The light in the barn is on, though, let's check there./
/Good idea. Oh, look! A hawk just flew in. They're definitely in there./
/How do you know/
/Tobias is a hawk. He was probably watching us./
/True. Well, let's go in./ Malik knocked on the door. He heard a "Hurry up, Ax!" and suspected that he was morphing to human.
"Just a second!" said Cassie's voice. "Okay, come in." Malik opened the door and everyone instantly stiffened when he walked in.
"Don't worry, I don't have a Dracon Beam on me or something, I just want to ask you a favor," he said quickly.
"And what would that be, controller?" Rachel growled. "You want to turn us over to the Yeerks or something, Yeerk?"
"I'm not being controlled at the moment. I swear," Malik said.
/Tell them that I have no intention of handing them over to Visser Three, and repeat what I say to you to them/ Marik said.
"Marik, my Yeerk, has no intention of handing you over to Visser Three," Malik repeated.
/I only want to be a human so I have no need for Kandrona rays, so I can be free./
"He only wants to become a human so he doesn't need to go to the pool every three days, so he can be free."
"How do we know that he won't morph something dangerous and attack us?" Jake asked suspiciously.
/I won't have the DNA of a tiger or something dangerous./
"He won't have the DNA of a dangerous animal, like a tiger. He wouldn't be able to attack you," Malik said.
"Oh. Yeah."
/And I'd have to be in my natural form in order to acquire a dangerous animal. That would be a danger to my life./
"He'd have to be a Yeerk to acquire a dangerous animal, and that would put his own life in danger."
/I give them my word./
"He gives you his word." By now, Ax had morphed back to an Andalite, just in case.
/The word of a Yeerk is worthless/ he sneered.
"Ax…I think that it would be safe. He wouldn't be able to attack us at all, he'd be helpless," Cassie said.
/I agree/ Tobias added. /Malik told me that he befriended Marik./
"We'll vote. Excuse us for a second, Malik," Jake said. Malik nodded and waited for them to make their decision. Only a minute later, they turned around.
"Okay, we'll let him become human," Jake said.
"Thank you so much," Malik said, speaking for both himself and Marik. Malik felt a wave of joy come from Marik.
/Wait here. I'll go get the cube/ Tobias said. He flew away, then returned a bit later with the small, blue cube in his talons. He dropped it into Jake's palm. Jake got up and walked to Malik.
"He has to be in some sort of liquid, right?" he asked. Malik nodded.
"Yeah," he said. They walked to the sink and filled it up. Marik crawled out of Malik's ear and into his outstretched palm. He gently slipped Marik into the sink, and Jake carefully put the blue box into the water. Marik found it with his sonar and swam to it. After a few minutes, Malik took Marik out of the water, hoping that he had gotten the ability to morph. Suddenly, he blinked.
"What's wrong?" Jake asked.
"He's growing," Malik whispered. "And changing!"
"Quick, lay him down on the counter, he must be morphing!" Malik gently did so and after only a minute of morphing, Marik was human, and he looked exactly like the image he had sent Malik, he had tanned skin, spiky blond hair, and grey-blue eyes. He got up, since he had been lying face-down on the counter.
"It worked," he whispered, staring at his hands with amazement.
"How did you do that?" Malik whispered. "You didn't have the DNA of someone who looks like this…"
"I know. I acquired you and manipulated your DNA so that I'd look like this. DNA is a chemical, so you can manipulate it to your liking. Yeerks can do this all without any problem," Marik said with a grin. "Of course, the chances that I turned out like this and not some horrible mutant were very low, but it actually worked."
"I'm so happy," Malik said, grinning like an idiot.
"Gods, me too," Marik murmured.
/Of course, you're going to need some clothes. There are teenage girls in here, and being naked around them might count as sexual harassment/ Tobias said, chuckling. Marik blushed.
"Oh, yeah," he mumbled. Cassie laughed and tossed him a towel and Marik immediately covered himself with it. "Thanks," he said, still embarrassed.
"I bet my clothes will fit you. I could go run and get some," Malik offered.
"Yeah, they would fit," Marik said.
"I'll go get some," Malik said. "Um, make sure that he isn't seen by some adult, okay? He can't get in trouble during his first few minutes as a human."
"Sure. Come over here, Marik. Sometimes Ax hides back here when my dad walks in to check on us. He doesn't morph quite fast," Cassie said, taking Marik's hand and leading him to a stall. Malik and Marik thanked her, then Malik left to get the clothes. Ax kept glaring at Marik, although. Marik chuckled.
"I guess we'll never get along, Andalite," he said.
/I will never befriend a Yeerk/ Ax hissed, morphing back to a human. /Especially one who knows the secrets of these people, the Animorphs./
"Hey, it's not like I'm going to go back to the Yeerk pool ever again. In fact, I'm just going to live my life as a normal human would, and I don't want to interact with Taxxons, Hork-Bajir, Gedds, or Yeerks ever again," Marik said. "I don't ever want to see the Yeerk pool again. Never."
"So you'll stay in morph for more than two hours?" Marco asked.
"Exactly. No more need for Kandrona, no more danger of getting my head lopped off by Visser Three, no more screams of the involuntary hosts. And, of course, no more worry about being killed by the so called 'Andalite bandits'." He grinned and winked at the Animorphs. "I'm free, and I never want to go back to that life."
"I see. So you're not going to tell Visser Three? About us, I mean?" Jake asked.
"Of course not. I'd never sell out the lives of those who allowed me to use the morphing cube. And I thank you for allowing me to do so," Marik added.
"No problem, Marik," Cassie said. "We've only let one other Yeerk use the blue box. That was Aftran."
"Seriously!" Marik asked, surprised. "I wondered what had happened to her. She was stolen by one of you, just before getting interrogated by Visser, then never seen or heard of again. Wow."
"Yup. Wow is right," Rachel mumbled.
/Malik's back/ Tobias said. Jake opened the door for him.
"Thanks," Malik said. "Sorry I took so long, Marik, mom asked me what I needed them for, and she didn't believe me when I said they were for you, so I just said that they were for a friend who had slipped in some dog doo. Then she asked for who, so I said, sorry, that they were for Marco. She gave me this look."
"I so would not slip in dog doo!" Marco objected. "And I'm shorter than you! And now she's gonna think that I'm a lame klutz!"
"That's why she gave me the look. Sorry, it was all I could think of at the moment. And she won't believe that you're a klutz when she sees that Marik really needed them." Malik handed the clothing to Marik.
"Thanks, Malik," he said. "Ooh! Khakis!"
"I had no idea that Yeerks actually cared about their clothing!" Rachel said, sounding surprised.
"We get fashion sense from human hosts," Marik explained, pulling the boxers on while keeping the towel around his waist. "According to Malik, he has good fashion sense."
"Seriously? For crying out loud, Marik! He wears a vest that shows off his belly! He's a guy! He should wear something like Marco's wearing!" she replied.
"I'll wear what I want, thank you very much," Malik said, leaning against the wooden division of one of the horse stalls.
"I like Malik's shirt," Marik added. "Why? Is that bad fashion sense?"
"Yes," Rachel said.
"No," Malik said right when Rachel said "yes." Rachel rolled her eyes.
"Oh well, you two dress up however you want to," she said. "No matter how bad it looks," she added as an afterthought.
"Xena: Warrior Princess strikes again!" Marco said, grinning. Rachel hit him on the arm with her fist. They joked around for a while, then Malik decided to go home. They said their goodbyes and left.
TBC
Mew and Yoko: Please R&R! Next chapter is the conclusion thingy!