AN: Okay, so last chapter of The Fissure, see told you it was short. I'm going to post chapter one of the sequel today as well. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and favored.

Chapter 4
Aximili-Esgarrouth -Isthill

In only a few months since the incident on the aircraft carrier, it seemed as if everything had fallen down around us.

The Yeerks had found out about the Animorphs, realizing now exactly who they were, where they lived.

Cassie and Rachel managed to get their families away in time. Prince Jake ,unfortunately, was not able to rescue his own parents, who now were, most likely, under Yeerk control. We had even collected Tobias' mother, who had been a vecol; specifically, she had been rendered blind by a car accident which also cause a severe case of amnesia. We had given her the morphing powers which had given her, her sight back, but not her memory.

This was the woman who had married my brother. Who had mothered his child. I could not help but be a little fascinated by her. But once I realized she had no memory, it dissipated, leaving me feeling empty once more.

Worse of all, we had lost the Escafil device while giving the powers to new Animorphs, but the original group was falling apart.

Prince Jake had become cold, a more ruthless leader, and the others were starting to question him. Tobias had become distant, perhaps having his mother around now was affecting him in a different way than he expected. Rachel was becoming more bloodthirsty, and causing a rift between Jake and herself, and problems within her family..

And Marco? Outside of what was necessary, Marco did not talk to me. Though I never initiated conversation, I was not sure weather I would be welcomed to.

Now though, Tobias and Marco were reporting on their last mission: surveying the transportation of tanks into the city. We speculated that the Yeerks were going to take control of the National Guard; therefore, Prince Jake put Marco, Tobias and I in charge of warning the governor. This would be yet another turn in this war. If we succeeded, the world would know about the Yeerk invasion.

We had destroyed the Yeerk pool, and had now commandeered the pool ship. Unfortunately, we lost our auxiliary Animorphs.

We had succeded in capturing Visser One, but we now stood on the ship, staring at the large screen that was currently in transmission with the nearby Blade ship, showing the bridge and a furious Tom. We watched as Rachel appeared behind him morphing into Grizzly.

As I watched Rachel die, I whispered the ritual of death for her, wondering why Prince Jake had not asked me to do this, he know I would have without question.

I almost wished he had.

The war was over. Jake, Marco, Cassie, Tobias and I had survived this war. The Andalite's had promoted me straight from aristh to Prince. They declared me a hero to the people, and to Earth, I felt nothing. I could not force it onto myself. The fleet were allowing me one Earth year as a 'vacation' as Cassie had said.

I stayed in the forest, slowly getting rid of most of the things I had collected over the years. I had not spoken to Marco since Rachel's funeral. I had seen him though, on TV. He had become sort of a celebrity, telling the world our story one interview at a time.

Cassie and Jake had broken up, and near the end of my last year on Earth, she had found another mate. She would still fly out to see me, or we would go out somewhere, free now to do what we wanted without fear of the Yeerks. Cameras now were our biggest threat.

Prince Jake had continued to visit, but each one slowly became shorter and shorter until finally it had been over a month since I had seen him. I went to him, but there were plenty of empty bottles around his apartment and his behaviour was different. Drunk, I believe humans call it, from consuming too much fermented fruit juice, or a type of wheat.

From then, I tried to visit him, realizing that he needed help more than any of us did, but in the end, he pushed me away, telling me he wanted nothing more to with me, the Andalites, or even the other Animorphs.

Worst of all was Tobias. The death of Rachel hit him hard, and I tried to be a good shorm to him. Perhaps I failed because my hearts truly were not into it. How could I help my friend when my own hearts were broken? It was not long before Tobias abandoned me as well, retreating back into the hawk.

When the Andalites called me at the end of my year, I was no longer sad to leave Earth. Nor was I happy to be going home. I suppose that is the problem, I do not know where my home truly lies anymore.

Late in the afternoon I stood as an Andalite, looking towards the ship that would be taking me back to my birth planet. Back to my mother and father. Away from the friends I had made here, from my shorm, my Prince-

From Marco.

Cassie held my hand, the only one who had come fell from her eyes as she looked towards the Dome Ship and the Andalite Warriors and Princes standing around talking to the smaller shapes of human Generals and Soldiers.

"I wish things had turned out differently." Cassie whispered, her hand squeezing mine. "I thought hero's lived happily ever after?"

((This is real life Cassie, not a story.)) I replied, perhaps a little too harshly. She wiped the tears from her cheeks, but it was fruitless as more replaced them.

((Prince Aximili. It is time to go.)) A warrior called, Riniak was his name. I did not reply but turned my full attention to Cassie.

((Thank you. You have been a good friend Cassie. And I am sorry of my behaviour over the-))

She squeezed my hand, before jumping forwards, hugging me around my waist. Hesitantly I wrapped my weaker arms around her. "It's alright Ax." She sobbed. "Come back to visit alright?"

((I will try.)) I said to her, but we both knew better. I would not be back now, not if I could help it.

((Prince Aximili!)) I heard the engines being started on the ship, the Andalite's began entering, heading to their stations. Cassie pulled away, whipping her cheeks on her sleeves.

"Bye Ax." She said. "Go be a hero." she stepped away and with one final nod, I turned and ran towards the Ship, not looking back. I almost wished I had now. Maybe I would not have gone.