Chapter 9

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The first thing I felt was pain. But not a horrible pain, more a dull aching like I'd been using too many muscles. More around my abdomen than anything else.

The next... complete and utter darkness. And when I say darkness, I mean... I couldn't even see the end of my nose.

Everything suddenly clicked, and I remembered being dragged down by a massive tentacle, instantly alert.

I felt my shoulder ache a little more, fighting to get to my feet, feeling very disorientated when I did. I looked around, trying to see any kind of light, or get an idea of where I was, but there was nothing.

I closed my eyes, trying to fend off the dizziness I suddenly felt, trying to listen to anything around me.

Nothing. Utter and complete silence.

Where in the hell was I?

I had a small bit of panic go through me, wondering if maybe the creature behind that tentacle had actually eaten me whole, and I was in the pit of it's stomach.

But... no, if I was in a stomach, there would at least be some kind of noise, and movement under my feet, wouldn't there?

The dizziness eventually got to much, and I ended back on my knees, bringing my communicator up and wondering if the light on that would help.

I went to tap it-

WHO

A thunderous voice suddenly rocketed the air around me, and I had to cover my ears, letting out a small yelp.

ARE

I looked around for the direction of the voice, finding it seemed to come from everywhere.

YOU!

I gasped when I saw two gigantic blood red pairs of eyes suddenly open in front of me, and something slammed into the ground beside me, making me bounce a little on the ground.

Was this the creature?

There was a horrible rumbling around me, and the ground shook violently, before everything went silent again.

WHO ARE YOU? The voice seemed to have softened a great deal, but was still nerve wracking to some extent. I noticed it now seemed to come from the direction of those huge blood red eyes that were now looking down at me.

YOU ARE NOT LIKE THE OTHERS, WHO ARE YOU? It asked again, and it took a moment for it all to sink in. This creature was actually talking to me!

"I... my name is Jade" My voice came out shaky, and it's eyes narrowed.

I HAVE READ YOUR THOUGHTS WHILE YOU WERE IN SLUMBER. YOUR MIND IS CONFUSING, AND WITH IMAGES OF RECENT MATING WITH ONE NOT OF YOUR SPECIES, BUT I SEE NO FURTHER. THERE IS NO SMALL SLUG CREATURE INSIDE YOUR MIND.

I resisted the urge to burst out laughing, purely from the insanity. This massive creature could read minds, and the only thing it could find in my head was thoughts of me and Donnie having...

It was just too much.

SMALL CREATURE NAMED JADE, TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE.

I gathered my thoughts, looking up at the creature and realising anything I said next could either have me flattened to a pancake, or possibly gain a new... gigantic from what I could see... ally.

"My name is Jade. I am a human from this planet. I have no... no Yeerk... in my brain. I fight the Yeerks, alongside others"

YOU ARE NOT WITH THE SMALL GREY CREATURES?

I shook my head "No. But I know...they're trying to find you. Did... did they hurt you?"

SMALL JADE CREATURE, I AM NOT OF THIS EARTH. THE... YEERKS, AS YOU CALL THEM, CAPTURED ME WHEN I WAS YOUNG, AND TRANSPORTED ME HERE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THEIR PURPOSE, BUT THEY CAUSED ME GREAT PAIN. AND NOW...

They eyes closed, then opened again, looking almost angry.

NOW I AM AN ABOMINATION!

Whatever had landed beside me earlier I almost felt it start to lift up, then slam back down on the ground, as well as what I guessed was other tentacles all around. I struggled to even stay upright.

"What... where did you come from?" I tried to keep my voice as level as possible, but being face to face with this huge beast in front of me, I think would make even the hardest warrior want to run or even pee their pants. I was trying to stop myself from shaking as hard as I was.

I AM TAHJEMM. MY KIN ARE NOT FROM THIS SECTOR IN SPACE.

"Well, thats a given" I muttered more to myself, then turned back to the creature "Is that your name?"

MY IDENTITY IS SEQUAE.

"Sequae, nice to meet you" I tried to wave, and the eyes squinted a little.

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND.

"What did the Yeerks do to you Sequae?"

A tentacle slapped down beside me again, and the eyes narrowed angrily.

THEY MADE ME THIS CREATURE YOU SEE BEFORE YOU. OUR SPECIES ARE LARGE, BUT THIS... I AM MUCH LARGER THAN I SHOULD BE! THEY SPOKE OF... USING MY KIN AS SLAVES! I WAS JUST THE FIRST TO BE TAKEN AND USED LIKE AN ASQUS! BUT NO MORE!

"Okay, okay, Sequae, you're making me think you're going to flatten me... please don't"

I WILL NOT...FLATTEN... THE JADE CREATURE. THE JADE CREATURE DISLIKES THE YEERKS.

"Uh, yeah, I don't like the Yeerks, and my friends don't like the Yeerks. We're actually trying to take back our planet from them. The planet you're on"

THESE YEERKS NEED TO BE... FLATTENED, AS THE JADE CREATURE DESCRIBES.

"That they do Sequae. Do... do you think you can help us with that?"

WILL THE JADE CREATURE RETURN ME TO MY KIN?

"We will definitely do our best. If we can, maybe even help reverse whatever they did to you, but I can't make promises with that"

HMM, HOW DO I KNOW YOU WILL DO THIS IF I HELP YOU?

"If you want, if you can, you can try and read my mind again. I'm sure you'll find more than just... ahem...mating... in my mind when I'm awake" I blushed a little, still finding it hard to believe that this large creature picked those images out of all the others while I was unconscious.

VERY WELL, HOLD STILL JADE CREATURE.

Something cold and wet suddenly touched my forehead, making me jerk a little, before my dizziness got worse, whatever it was suddenly making images flash through my mind, like seeing a moving a photo album.

Images of my friends, of my past... everything to do with the Yeerks... I almost relived part of my capture in flashes... now finding I was feeling everything I was seeing behind my eyes. The first time I shifted... images of sitting with Amanda on a park bench, laughing as our ice creams melted... Robert... Ithiell...

Everyone and everything flashed by in my mind, suddenly going faster, and faster...

And then it was all gone, and I collapsed to the ground, barely catching myself with my arms as whatever I ate last all came up and out onto the floor in front of me, feeling like everything was spinning.

I collapsed backwards, then felt I had to lay down, everything around me spinning as I pressed my forehead to the cool ground under me.

I HAVE READ YOUR MIND, AND YOU ARE TELLING THE TRUTH, JADE CREATURE. I... APOLOGISE... FOR CAUSING YOU PAIN.

I just wanted everything to stop spinning, holding my stomach and feeling a horrible nausea wash over me.

YOU ARE... AN AMAZING CREATURE... JADE. AND THE YEERKS HAVE CAUSED YOU MUCH PAIN. I... UNDERSTAND NOW.

"No... problem" I managed go get out, feeling something touch my cheek, disappearing just as quickly.

Whatever my new friend did, it seemed to have at least dulled the dizziness and nausea, to the point where I could at least deal with it.

JADE CREATURE. I WILL FIGHT WITH YOU AND YOUR... ALLIES. BUT I WILL ONLY REVEAL MYSELF WHEN YOU HAVE DIRE NEED.

I nodded "I understand. The Yeerks might try and kill you if they find out you're here. Wherever here is..." I added, managing to at least get myself back to my knees, looking around.

DEEP UNDERGROUND. DEEPER THAN YOUR FRIENDS... THE TURTLES... HAVE BEEN.

"Are you going to be all right down here? I mean... well, I don't know if you guys eat or anything, but... I mean, if they find you?"

Yes Jade, ask the big giant creature from the deep if it needs a pillow and a blanket!

I could have kicked myself.

THEY WILL NOT. I AM AWARE OF THEIR MOVEMENTS ON THE SURFACE, AS I WAS WITH YOURS.

"So... you knew we were up on the roof?"

YES

"Um...can I ask how?"

I COULD FEEL WHEN YOUR SENSORS TRACKED ME. I DID NOT WANT YOU COMING DOWN HERE AND ATTACKING FIRST.

"So... you guys are like, super sensitive to electronics or something?"

The big eyes closed, then opened again, looking almost sad.

I BELIEVE THIS IS WHY THEY CAPTURED ME. LIKE WITH YOUR CAPTURE, I BELIEVE THEY WANTED SOMETHING FROM ME. INSTEAD...

Sequae waved his... or her... tentacles around just to emphasis the point.

"All right... I get you" I was being bounced around again, half falling onto my side.

IS THE JADE CREATURE FEELING... BETTER?

I was left kind of speechless for a minute or so.

This big giant...monster... whatever you'd call it... was asking me if I was okay?

Oh my world was weird.

"Yeah, I'll be all right. I don't know about you, but I kinda can't live in the dark like this. Its a little... disorientating"

Suddenly the ground rumbled again, and I saw Sequays big eyes move along with what I guessed was his body. I fell backwards from the shaking, landing on my butt.

SOMEONE IS HERE.

Suddenly there was a blinding light behind me, and I managed to turn, lifting my arm up from the glare of the flashlight that was bouncing around. Then I saw...

"Sequae, lookout!" I managed to awkwardly do a cat roll as the controllers fired, knowing I very well couldn't push this big creature out of the way.

TSSSEEEW!

TSSSEEEW!

Thankfully... or more, unfortunately, they only seemed to be firing at me.

From what I could see from the lights, I guessed three of them were down here.

As I went to dodge another attack, I found something wrapped around my ankle, knocking me to the floor and then dragging me upwards, high off the ground and away from the controllers.

"Hey!" I yelped, then felt a shudder as what I guessed Sequae moved again, and I could see the three lights all focused on a large tentacle, then I heard screaming as it was brought down, the ground seeming to shake violently as the three were crushed in one hit. Everything went back into darkness, besides a single torch which had fallen to the ground beside the tentacle.

The light itself was shining towards the tentacle, and I could pick up a dark blue or purple colour from it. It half reminded me of the skin of a reptile... like the turtles skin...

It was then I realised...

Well, I was still hanging upside down, a very fair way from the ground.

"Uh, Sequae?" I failed my arms and my other leg a little helplessly, trying to turn my body to look at his...her... eyes.

More movement...and more shuddering... and I could finally see the blood red eyes, looking almost angry.

THEY HAVE FOUND ME. I MUST LEAVE THIS PLACE.

"All right, but... can you put me down first?"

Suddenly I felt like I was falling, crying out a little and covering my face just before I would have hit the ground, but I jerked to a stop, realising that the creature still had a hold of my ankle, instead putting me down gently.

I got to my feet, moving and picking up the torch and moving around to look up at my new... friend.

JADE CREATURE, YOU MAY CALL ON ME IN A DIRE NEED, BUT UNTIL THEN I MUST GO DEEPER.

"Just... take care of yourself, I guess" I shrugged a little, looking around and realising I had no idea how to get out of this place.

Sequae went to turn around, the ground rumbling and me almost being knocked to the ground again, but then stopped.

JADE CREATURE...

I suddenly found myself picked up again by the ankle, yelping and almost dropping the torch, being lifted higher and higher and higher into the air...

"Whaaaaaaaa..." I cried out, suddenly starting to see a dim light, and then I was dropped onto solid ground again, finding myself in what looked like an underground car park, looking down and watching as whatever had me disappeared back down into the hole.

"Sequae, can you still hear me!" I called down, feeling another rumble go through the earth.

YES.

The creatures voice was further away now.

"How will we stay in contact!"

CALL ON ME... USE YOUR MIND, AS YOU SPEAK TO YOUR OTHER FRIENDS, AND I WILL COME.

"Will you be okay!" I felt stupid for asking, this huge creature had just flattened three controllers at once.

ONLY TIME WILL TELL. NOW THAT I HAVE TOUCHED YOUR MIND, YOU WILL KNOW IF I AM NOT.

Well, that was creepy. Mentally linked to a huge squid. Faaaantastic!

HERE.

Suddenly something small and what seemed squishy was thrown, landing just beside me. It put the torch on it, seeing it looked like a piece of tentacle. There was a deep black substance on it, which to me looked like the creatures blood.

A SAMPLE FOR YOUR CHANGELING FRIEND. THIS WILL HELP HER FIND... A CURE... FOR MY...

"We will do our best Sequae. If not... we'll find a way to get you home at least"

THANK YOU, JADE CREATURE.

A horrible thunderous rumbling came from below me, and I backed away from the hole it had brought me up through, seeing it start to crumble a little.

Soon, the rumbling started to subside, and I sat there, breathing heavily.

I couldn't believe I'd just befriended...well, sort of befriended... a big huge alien creature.

Would it help us turn the tide in this war? I didn't know.

All I knew was that this creature despised the Yeerks as much as we did, and at the very least we had an ally against them.

Enemy of my enemy?

I finally decided to move, getting up and moving towards the thing the creature had left for me. How the hell would I pick it up? It looked kind of gross...

I jerked when I heard something crumble behind me, jumping up and spinning around, aiming the torch at the sound.

It was Donnie, and he was climbing down through a hole in the destroyed building, and I saw Rtaia jump down after him.

"Guys?"

Now it was there turn to jump, turning and seeing me there as I dropped the torch.

I ran at Donnie, as he ran at me, picking me up and spinning me around, then held me close. It was then I felt him shaking slightly.

"Thought I'd lost you" I heard his voice tremble a little, and I shook my head.

"No, but this war just got a looot more interesting"

"Jade" Rtaia made me look at her, and Donnie seemed to reluctantly let go of me as I turned to her.

"We thought the beast had taken you. How did you escape?"

"I kinda didn't"

Now they both looked confused, and I grabbed Rtaia's arm, leading her over to the little piece of the creature, watching her eyes widen.

"If you did not escape, then how did..."

"It's a long story. But we gotta get back to the others first"

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"A what now?" Marco asked as he plopped down on the couch. We'd managed to find Ithiell and get back out of the city, finding out that the reason Ithiell hadn't been nearby when my new friend attacked, was because the fighter was having electrical issues, and had almost crashed. From what I could guess, as soon as it disappeared further underground, his systems went back to normal.

"Tahjemm" I said again, watching as everyone else filed into the room, all of them looking confused.

"So... let me get this straight. The creature attacked... took you of all people... spoke to you in this massive voice, saved you from controllers, then plopped you back up and said 'See you when the Yeerks attack'? That's..."

"Crazy, I know" I said to Rachel, sitting myself on the floor and watching as Rtaia moved to go into the medical bay, holding the box that contained the part of the creature.

(The Tahjemm are only stories in my culture. They are nightmarish creatures who take over your mind when you are asleep and control you)

(Andalite use scare tactics on kids? Yeesh...) Tobias landed near me, and I shrugged.

"All I know is, for now, we have an ally in this war"

"So we cannot betray this creature"

"Ax, do you know anything else about these creatures?" I turned to him from my spot on the floor in front of the couch, leaning my elbow on the seat.

(Well, they are large creatures, about the size of your human houses... they can speak, like humans do, but they also have an ability to read each others minds through touch)

"Do we know what they look like?"

Now, everyone turned to me.

"What?"

"You were down there with it...didn't you see what it looked like?" Ithiell asked as he leaned against the wall near the tunnel, folding his warms.

"Uh... no. All I saw of it was part of a tentacle and two pairs of big red eyes"

"So... this huge creature was in front of you-"

"Guys, where the creature took me, it was pitch flippin black! I couldn't even tell you how big the place was, cause I don't know!"

"Or how big the creature was?"

"No. All I know is that it's pissed about being experimented on, and seems to want some sort of revenge"

"Revenge is never the answer" Cassie muttered from beside Rachel, who looked at her strangely.

"It is when you're a zillion foot creature who's probably been tortured all it's life" Marco retorted, rubbing his face with his hands and leaning forward. He looked tired.

Seeing him tired, made me realise how exhausted I was. Not sleeping much really took it's toll... not that it wasn't worth it...

I looked over at Donnie, who just happened to be looking at me. Like the others, the look on his face told me he was just as confused and unconvinced as the others were that this creature would help us.

I however... had this strange trust that the creature would have our backs. I didn't know what it was... I just felt some sort of peace.

"Well, we achieved our goal at least" Leo moved forward "Speak to the creature and work out it's motives"

"Yeah, smash the Yeerks" Raphael smiled a little, and I saw Cassie shake her head.

"We're lucky to have even gotten back out of the city. We need to be more careful"

"And we will Cassie. I think the fact my instruments went as crazy as they had, was mostly the fact of the creature" Ithiell moved forward, suddenly looking straight at me. I knew the look on his face...

"Ithiell..." I trailed off, standing up and moving to go to him, stopping part way there when he smiled.

"I think it's time we knew, don't you think?" He spoke to me, and to me only. And I knew...

"Are you ready for this?" I tried to read his eyes "And what about Rtaia?"

"I have my own work to accomplish" She came out, looking at the two of us. I saw her smile, almost sadly "Please, let me know what you find"

"All right, Jade" Ithiell put a hand on my shoulder, and I saw tears come to his eyes. I put my hand over his, feeling tears spring to my own eyes and nodding. I knew we were both exhausted, but we had to know, and we had to know now.

"Guys, where are you planning to go?" Leo came up to us, and suddenly I realised everyone else was staring.

"Home" I told him, sharing a look with Ithiell.

"Not without backup you're not" Leo knew what we meant, putting an arm around Ithiell's shoulders.

"You-"

"Donnie and I will both come along" Leo said, obviously sharing a look with his brother, who was suddenly behind me, putting his arms around my shoulders and pulling me close.

We had really made some wonderful new friends. The turtles... Splinter... Serah, Mihra and Kristiana..

And now... we would finally make the journey we'd been wanting to make for almost four months.

"Let's go home" Ithiell said, and I nodded.

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Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter... we find out!

Constructive Criticism appreciated!