My name is Bernice.
I can't tell you my last name. Well, I could, but I won't because this isn't my story. I mean, I suffered too, but not in the same way that Nat did. I mean, at least I remembered my fucking last name, you know? This is Nat's story, and I'm just here to fill in the blanks as best as I can, not steal the spotlight. So, really, Bernice will suffice.
A long story short, the yeerks left most of the animals in the pet shop alive. They shot a dog out of anger, but didn't do a systematic slaughter of us all. For which I'm eternally grateful. The police eventually showed up after a while; I guess they're pretty busy during natural disasters and took their sweet time on what they thought was a prank laser call.
All of the animals got moved to a rescue shelter downtown the road due to all of the damage to the pet shop. Have you ever been in a rescue shelter? It was a pretty shitty week for me.
The thing is, I didn't even know what to do. I had no idea where Nat was, and Cassie never told me how to change back into a human. So I just kind of waited around. Keep in mind that I was an adorable kitten, so plenty of people wanted to adopt me. I didn't know where they'd take me if I got adopted and how far it would be away from Nat and Cassie, so I hissed and scratched and generally acted like I had a bad kitty attitude.
Exactly one week after the accident, I was being looked at and abused by this little girl who should never, ever own a pet as long as she lives. She wasn't much older than 4, so I was trying to figure out how to get her to hate me without drawing blood. I settled for peeing on her.
"MOMMY!" She screamed, as I used her as a walking litter box. She threw me to the ground, and an animal handler snatched me up.
"Tabitha!" She scolded. This is what the handlers had named me, even though I was clearly a Patches. "You are the nastiest kitty I have ever met. Can't you play nice?"
Nope, I thought maliciously. She lifted me towards my cage and placed me inside. Just as she was about to latch it, a piercing scream tore through our heads.
(AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-)
The cats began yowling, and the dogs starting barking. It sounded like the pet shop all over. The little girl, her mother, and the trainer all covered their ears in a futile attempt to block out the noise. I, on the other hand, knew exactly what and who that noise was.
Nat, I thought. He was screaming, inside of our heads like Cassie and the other animals. A jolt of excitement shot through me. I had never figured out how to talk inside of people's heads, or else I would have had a very calm and rational conversation with one of the handlers about how I was actually a human being and could you please help me find Cassie so I can turn back into one.
If I could find him, he could show me how to talk inside of people heads. He probably hadn't had very much luck as a tiny insect getting people's attention. With my size and mobility, and his communication skills, we'd be able to find Cassie and get changed back before the day was over!
(AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-)
That was, if he wasn't getting assaulted with a can of raid or something. He was screaming, after all. My only chance to avoid a lifetime of cat nip and fish could be dying this very second. I hurled my little kitty form against the cage door, and it swung open. The handler made a grab for me in midair, but I barrel rolled past his hands and still managed to land on my feet.
Cat agility for the win, I thought. I powered towards the exit at top speed, a blur of tan and white. Some wonderful, clueless little intern had paused in the front door when the screaming had started. The path to the outside was wide open. He would probably get cussed out and fired for letting an animal escape, but he was my hero.
Underneath my padded feet, carpet gave way to grass and then to concrete. The screaming in my head had a sort of direction to it, almost; I could tell that it was coming from near the pet shop, even if I couldn't tell how. Nat was screaming bloody murder, a long, continuous wail. That could not be good.
I hauled kitty ass. I glanced to my side, and could have sworn that I was keeping up with a car. The driver had probably slowed down some to see where the hell this insane kitten on the side of the road was running to, but still – I was clocking.
I dashed straight into the wreckage of the pet shop, dashing through a hole-in-the-wall-formerly-known-as-window. I paused, panting, sniffing the air as if I'd be able to smell Nat. My senses were good, but not that good.
(AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-)
It was coming from outside, not inside! I turned around and looked behind me. In the dirt yard behind the pet shop where the animals used to run around, two men were scanning the ground. I could tell that they were tense, and angry.
They were looking for something to stomp, I realized. With a sudden blast of anger, I realized that they probably had laser guns in their pockets.
Oh no you don't, you bastard yeerks, I thought. I crouched in the shadow of the building and stared.
Hunt? My feline brain asked. I nodded mentally. Cats are incredibly patient hunters with amazing senses. They can detect sight and sounds far beyond the range of humans, especially if it involves movement. Movement, for example, like that of a tiny black ant scampering across a dark brown ground.
I saw him before either of the yeerk laser gun men realized that there were ants in this field. Something deep down told me that this was Nat; it had to be.
I darted out across the field, faster than a speeding bullet. Not actually, of course, but it felt like it.
"Hey!"
"What the – Andalite Filth!"
One of them reacted in time to swing a feeble kick at me. I was a yard away by the time that his foot reached the place I had been. Ha, puny human. I am an INFANT cat and I am still owning you!
In one swift movement, I lunged downwards and scooped the ant into my mouth.
(Hey, what - No!) Nat screamed.
It's okay Nat, I've got you, I couldn't say. I felt him moving around my mouth, tickling me with his antennae and legs. I struggled with my urge to swallow.
(Hey! Whoever you are, sharp left, on my count!) A voice ordered in my head. I recognized it from last week as one of the male voices at the pet shop.
(3 – 2 - ) He yelled. Should I trust him?
There was no real reason not to turn left, but there might be a good reason to.
(1 – Now!) He ordered. I swerved on my paws and scampered left, dodging a red beam of light that stabbed into the ground on my right.
So they did have laser guns. Fan-fucking-tastic.
(You obviously understand me, but you're not responding.) He said. (You don't know how to thought-speak? You must be one of the pet shop morphers.)
(Who's that?) Nat yelled. (Help me!)
(Okay, so you can respond. Hard right!)
I had no way of letting the mysterious and seemingly omniscient voice know that Nat was speaking and not me, so I just skidded to my right on my kitty legs and dodge the second laser blast.
(I'm being swallowed! Help me!) Nat yelled. (Please!)
There was a pause. (Oh geez – I think I get what's going on. Kitty, you have an open field. Go left if you have something in your mouth, right if you don't.)
I turned left.
(Okay, thought-speaking dude, chill out. You're inside of a friendly mouth, I think.) The voice said. (And stop talking. You're broadcasting to everyone within three miles. Kitty, you've got serious yeerk heat coming towards you. You need to do exactly was I tell you if you want to live.)
I nodded.
(Keep going forward. You're headed straight for a car, but if you move quickly enough you'll be able to get underneath it and on the other side before the yeerks get out.)
I charged forward. I really, really thought that I had it. I was high on kitty adrenaline, the space between the car and the street was locked into my vision, and I could see the doors opening in slow motion. I was going to make it, no sweat – it was fucking perfection.
But, see, I wasn't a full grown cat. I was a kitten, barely a few weeks old. And we kittens can be clumsy.
It was a stone, from the feel of it. It hit my back right leg and threw me off balance, and I spiraled forwards and skidded across the dirt on my belly. I stopped right in front of the car doors, splayed out as the men climbed out of the car.
(Crap crap crap!) The voice yelled.
A man stared down from the car. "How convenient. I thank you for offering yourself up to us so easily, Andalite Bandit. Kill it."
Another man leveled his laser gun, oblivious to the dark shadow that had appeared above him. It was growing smaller – closer.
"TSWEER!"
The man flinched as a giant bird swooped out of the sky, but it wasn't aiming for him. Giant, razor sharp talons dug into my back, and I almost mewed in pain before remembering that I had Nat in my mouth.
(This is insane! Ah! Ah! Ah!) The bird yelled, flapping his wings desperately to regain altitude.
"Kill it! Kill it! Kill it!" The first man screamed in rage. "Shoot it, you imbecile!"
The ground rushed away from us. A red light stabbed past us, and I smelled singed feathers.
(Ah! Ah!) The bird yelled again. We whipped past two more red beams, and then narrowly shot over the top of a building. The gravel roof whizzed inches away from my nose.
The bird dropped me onto the roof, and then crash landed unceremonious into a pile of rags next to an air conditioning unit.
Hell yeah! I cheered in my head. That's what I call fucking air support!
I climbed shakily to my feet and trotted over to the bird. He was even larger than I was, and sported a rusty red tail. His left wing had a large burn spot in the middle, and he wasn't moving.
I batted him gently with my paw.
(Professor Plum?) He groaned.