(A/N: I know, everyone probably wasn't too happy with the last chapter. It was really long and probably not very interesting. I think it needed to be written, though. I was also having a hard time with this chapter because it had been so long since I'd read The Sickness. I couldn't remember exactly what type of instincts the yeerk had when Cassie morphed it, so I had to reread it.
BTW, the Animorphs aren't mine. KA Applegate created them, so please don't sue me.
Thanks for your reviews. It is incentive to write, knowing people are reading this.)
Back on the Andalite Honeymoons space ship
-Marco-
I closed my eyes – watching Rachel morph a yeerk was not something I wanted to see. My mind was reeling again. So much for not getting distracted. Who ever would have thought Rachel would want to kiss me? Pretty soon she'd be inside my head, as weird as that sounds. I wonder what it will be like? I've never been a controller before ...
I looked down and a yeerk was swimming in the water – Rachel. I picked her up and took a deep breath. Here we go. I held her to my ear.
I could feel the yeerk drilling into my head, but it didn't really hurt. I guess they must have some way of numbing it or something. It couldn't stop the bizarre feeling of being invaded. I knew it was only Rachel, but still. Yeerks were the enemy!
Anyway, pretty soon I could feel the yeerk – Rachel – connecting to my brain. She didn't say anything, but I could feel her connecting to my nerves that controlled everything.
-Rachel?- I asked -You ok?- It was weird being able to talk to her in my head when I wasn't in morph. But oddly enough, she didn't answer.
-Rachel, are you there?- I called again. –Did you lose control of the yeerk morph?-
She was inadvertently reading my memories. Weird, here was something I didn't even know I remembered.
I was looking down the hallway in the high school at some new girl, trying to get up the nerve to ask her out.
-Rachel? Talk to me please, you're freaking me out here! Try thought-speak if the yeerk can't talk to me.- I was begging now, freaked that she hadn't spoken yet.
-Right, I forgot.- she said at last. –I'm ok, this is just weird.-
She took over my eyes and ears, bumping into other memories as she did so.
Sailing with my parents when I was a kid - exhilaration
Elfangor crash landing on Earth - fear, dread.
Kissing Rachel at our fake wedding. She was seeing it from my point of view – looking into her own eyes, then kissing her, feeling my amazement afterward as we ran down the aisle.
She was trying to move my body, but it was clumsy, like she wasn't sure how to do it.
-Be careful with my body. I need it.- I tried to joke. She didn't respond.
I think she was embarrassed because she was still unintentionally seeing my memories while she was figuring out how to move my body. I could tell she was trying not to, but I'm sure it must have been hard.
Hopefully she'd be able to give me some advice before it was my turn.
-I think I've got it.- She said, sounding pleased with herself.
-Do you want to try morphing?- I asked. –Might need to ... –
-No, we're short on time. I can just let you do that part if we need to.- she said.
-Ok then.- I said, -Phase 2?-
Rachel walked my body over to the mirror. I could feel her letting go of my brain and coming out my ear.
I watched as a yeerk tail appeared, ever so slightly, then went back in.
-Nope, not far enough.- I said.
I could feel her frustration as she tried again while I watched. This time nearly half of the yeerk was visible before she went back in.
-That'll work, I think.- I told her.
-Ok, then I'm outta here. I'm sick of this morph!- She said taking control and leaning my head over next to the spa.
-Aw, princess, you don't like being in my head?- I taunted and I felt myself get control again as she let go of my brain and dropped into the water.
-Better your head than up your nose again!- she retorted while she demorphed.
I had to smile. I put my finger up to my ear and touched where she'd come out. I guess now it was my turn to be the yeerk. I was not looking forward to this. I climbed into the spa as Rachel finished demorphing.
She shuddered a little once she was completely human.
"You ok?" I asked.
"Yeah." She said smiling weakly. "Hurry up and morph, we've only got ... 20 minutes left!" she said looking at the clock.
"Any suggestions?" I asked, hoping to avoid the problem she'd had.
"Yeah." She said. "Don't let yourself get carried away with the new senses. It's kind of shocking to the yeerk to suddenly be able to see and hear. It's almost too much for the yeerk to ignore."
There wasn't much time left and I was really not looking forward to this. I concentrated and watched the changes begin. My whole body first got covered in slime. Ew! Rachel was making barfing noises. I closed my eyes. I couldn't watch anymore. I felt myself shrinking and all of my organs dissolving.
My hands and legs were sucked up inside me and I continued to shrink. My hearing went away and I couldn't open my eyes anymore. No sight. No sound. Man, what an awful existence! Being a yeerk sucked! I continued the morph until I was a nasty slimy gray slug, just floating around in the water, unable to see or hear.
Now what? Rachel had to pick up and put me in her ear. I felt something warm surround me and then, the yeerk instinct completely took over. The ear. I pushed my way into it, squirting out some sort of numbing solution. I forced aside bones and flesh, squirting and drilling until I found what the yeerk was looking for – the brain. I flattened myself out further and further, filling in all the spaces in the brain and connecting to the neurons there. I poked around and around, looking for the parts that controlled eyes and THERE! I could see! Wow! The colors and ... it was overwhelming!
-Marco?- Rachel asked.
Suddenly, I realized who and what I was again. Sight no longer seemed like such an amazing thing. The problem was, what I was finding was amazing to the human me.
Rachel's memories. I tried to push away from them, find the parts that controlled motor skills, but it was so tempting and they were everywhere.
Morphing the cat the first time – cool confidence.
Flying with Tobias – sheer joy, exhilaration.
Killing Tom – pain, regret.
Rachel was not happy with me. I could feel her emotions.
-Sorry, sorry.- apologized, still hitting memories while I tried to get control of her body.
Walking through the woods with Tobias, watching him get down on one knee and propose to me, er Rachel.
I let go of the memory, no matter how tempting, Rachel would kill me if I let it continue. But, what? No one knew he'd proposed. We were only 16! How could he have...
-C'mon. Stop watching my memories. I managed better than that!- Rachel complained to me. Oddly enough, she didn't sound angry. Irritated, maybe, but not angry.
Finally, I found it – controlling her arms and legs.
I made Rachel's body climb out of the hot tub and nearly fell trying to walk around. This was weird. After a couple minutes, I managed to get it. I walked her over to the mirror to try going out and in, when the door to the room opened and Ganlor walked in.
-Rachel-
Marco was in my head, watching Tobias ask me to marry him, and Ganlor arrived early to come and get us. We weren't ready. Crap Crap CRAP!!!!! Marco looked at Ganlor through my eyes. I have no idea what kind of look was on my face, but I'm pretty sure it was surprise or fear.
-Marco, act natural or you'll blow our cover.- I yelled at him.
-I'm trying!- He said to me. "Can I help you with something?" he said in my voice.
-Yeah.- He said completely normally. But then, all of a sudden, a tail blade was at my throat. –You're coming with me!- he said, pulling a shredder from behind his back and pointing it at us/me.
He forced us along the hallway toward his quarters, just as we'd expected.
-Nervous?- I asked Marco.
-Uh, Yeah!- he said sarcastically. –I didn't get to practice this like you did!-
-Just go pretty much all the way out, hanging on to the inside of the ear canal. Maybe you'd better let go of my brain before we get in there, so I don't stumble or something that might give us away.- I tried to explain how to do it as best I could so he might manage. This was too fast.
Suddenly, I had control of my body again. I nearly tripped from the major change, but I recovered quickly.
"What is going on?" I quietly asked Ganlor. "Why are you doing this?" He didn't answer, just pushed me through the open door to his quarters and followed me in, still pointing the shredder at me. He closed the door behind him and forced me toward the cupboard. I was getting really nervous now. What if he stunned me? What if we didn't convince Ganlor that I was infested.
-Chill, Rachel. We'll pull it off!- Marco. I'd almost forgotten he was there, listening to my thoughts. It was almost . . . comforting.
-Thanks.- I calmed down, as Ganlor shoved me into the cupboard. The filter didn't go off. Huh? Marco was equally confused.
-What happened the Gleet BioFilter! . . .- Marco asked.
-No idea!- Ganlor shoved me over toward the yeerk pool and forced my body into the vice next to the pool.
-Here we go!- I thought. -Marco, be careful!-