The Puppet

Part One: The Puppet

I’m Kit. Only Kit. I sometimes go by a last name, but the one I use isn’t mine. I’m not even going to mention it here. This unit is secure, but I’m not taking any risks.

I frankly don’t know how I got this unit. It was in among my stuff when they found me in the woods, half-dead, with complete amnesia. The five or so things that they found in the pouch three years ago, lying next to my unconscious body.

This is a warning to any person who can open this. Only an Andalite with morphing capability can open it, and even then, they need my password.

I know who the Animorphs are. I know that they are humans, except for the Andalite with them

And I am a puppet, ruled by an evil puppet-master. The Antrim. Or, rather, an Antrim. The enemies of the Ellimists. Allies of the Yeerks.

It told me everything that it knows about the Animorphs. It has threatened me with my past. And it can control my mind and body. But it can’t keep me from using this. And it can’t get me to tell the Yeerks. That would break the vantia, the agreement between the Ellimists and the Antrims. The Ellimists would have complete authority over the Antrims.

I know my past. Who my father is. What he is now. And how I came here.

I am a nothlit. A non-human nothlit. A Laman.

The Laman used to live on Earth. Then they left. Today’s stories of vampires come from them. We need blood, but we are not Taxxon.

What do I mean, we? I’m an Andalite. I was one for most of my life.

I don’t need blood, but I’m still stronger than a human. Stronger than most animals, even. And I look completely human.

In fact, I didn’t know that I wasn’t human until about a week ago.

Now I guess it doesn’t matter. Because I had to break into Marco’s house tonight. Oh joy.

I really hate this.

A lot.

And I can’t do a thing about it.

The Antrim had quite a first job; I broke into Marco’s house.

The window wasn’t locked. At least, to me it wasn’t locked.

I was wearing a black shirt, jeans, black boots, and a face wrap. My hair and face were both hidden. And I was carrying a sword. I can swordfight pretty well, actually.

When I opened the window, I heard him stir. I gained control over myself for just that moment; I made myself freeze. It didn’t last long. The Antrim stopped fooling around and made me do it.

“Marco,” I whispered.

He opened his eyes and jumped three feet into the air.

“Who are you?”

It didn’t let me reply. Instead, I slashed at his neck. Missed, by a quarter inch! Thank God.

He ran to the door and locked it. Then he began to morph.

Looked like a monkey. No, a gorilla. I leaned against the door-frame, waiting for him to finish. I even let him pick me up with one fist.

Then, cleanly, I opened his hand and made him set me down.

He pushed me against the wall.

My lips made me speak words that I would never say- “Andalite-serving scum.”

His fist flew at me, but I was too fast. He missed.

No! NO! Stop it!!!!

You would like that, wouldn’t you?

Yes!! I HATE YOU!!!!! You’re making me betray-

Silence! Or I will make you kill him!

I stopped screaming. I couldn’t risk Marco’s life. The Antrim stopped moving my body, too. But it moved my lips.

“We will meet again, filth.”

I jumped out the window and left. Then I got control over myself.

I ran away, went home.

Other than being a ninja girl from hell, a nothlit, and, for all purposes, a vampire, I have another life. One with a boyfriend, school, and some very annoying teachers. Pretty much normal.

Except now school is primitive, the teachers are soft (compared to old Sofor), and my boyfriend is a Controller.

I have to find a reason to break up with him. Soon. After I meet his brother.

Tom’s brother, Jake, is the leader of the Animorphs. Tom is a fairly high-ranking Controller. And to him, I’m just a prospective host.

He’s tried to get me to join the Sharing before. I went to two meetings before denouncing it as a cult.

He got mad at me for that. Told me not to knock what I didn’t understand.

I just told him, hey, if I don’t want to join, I don’t want to join. And besides, I was too busy. There was speech and volleyball to worry about. I didn’t need another meeting after school.

He acted okay with that, but kept on trying to get me to join. We’ve been going out for about three weeks.

For the past week, I’ve known about him.

Now he’s trying to get me a job at a McDonalds. I haven’t said anything. Part of me wants him to blow his cover and give me an excuse to attack.

Violence does that to you. Makes you impulsive.

Then again, my entire family was impulsive. Reckless, even. Moody, definitely. Even before the Antrim showed up, I was classified by the social worker at my school as “manic-depressive” because I’m always really hyper and energetic, or else I’m brooding.

Actually, I’m usually brooding. The hyper stuff is just an act.

So it was no surprise that I blew up at Tom that afternoon after what happened at Marco’s house.

He was starting on the Sharing again, for the nine-millionth time. He kept on pestering me. Finally I just yelled at him.

“I don’t care about your stupid group!!! You don’t need to shove it down my throat!! And, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m sick of hearing about it.”

“Listen, I’m sorry. But if you just try being a full member, even for a week, it’ll change your life.”

I mumbled something along the lines of “Yeah, whatever,” and left. It was only just before seventh period, so I ended up cutting study hall and biology. Not like my “parents” would really care. To them, I was just a tax deduction.

I went down to the woods to think. It was very calm, very peaceful. Just what I needed. Even the heavy rain didn’t bother me very much.

After classes ended, and I could walk around without fear of being caught, I decided to spy on Jake. Maybe I could find some way to warn them. Or even talk to Aximili. . .

No getting emotional here, Kit, or Catherine, or whatever your name is, I thought to myself. Just control it.

I walked to his house and stood outside the window. I could hear inside. He was in there with Marco. They were testing a new morph. Tom was at the Sharing. . .

Tom wasn’t at the Sharing! It was canceled!

Sure enough, I could also hear him in the house. He must have gotten there before I had, but after Jake and Marco.

They were halfway done with the morph.

Tom started knocking.

“Jake! Are you in there?”

He was banging on the door.

“I have the key, and I’m going to open it!”

I ran to the front door and rang the doorbell.

He hesitated. Then he walked down the stairs and opened the door.

“Kit! You’re soaked!”

“Yeah. I lost my house key and didn’t want to wait outside for two hours until someone gets home. Is it all right if I crash here?”

“Uh. . . sure. If you don’t mind my dorky little brother stopping by.”

I laughed. “

No problem.”

Then, Jake and Marco came downstairs.

“What, were you guys dead in there? I was banging on the door, and there was no answer.”

Jake answered, “We were ignoring you.”

“Duh,” Marco added thoughtfully.

“Midget, Marco, this is Kit.”

“Wooo-oo! Lover-boy’s got a girlfriend,” Marco crooned. Jake just laughed half-heartedly. He probably thought that I was a Controller.

Tom treated them as if they were infants. I wondered what he would think if he knew that his “girlfriend” was the same age as his little brother. . .

See, they got my age wrong by one year when they found me. So I was placed a grade ahead of where my age would put me.

“Gee, nice to meet you too,” I replied.

Marco just looked at me strangely. He probably remembered my voice, but couldn’t place it. Then he shook his head very slightly, shrugging off the thought-twinge.

“Well, we’ve gotta go. See ya later!” Jake said hurriedly, practically dragging Marco behind him.

“Wait! Was Homer in there with you? I’m supposed to walk him.”

“No, he’s at the vet. Mom took him.”

They left through the back door.

Tom and I talked for a bit. I apologized for yelling at him, but made it absolutely clear that I wasn’t going to join The Sharing.

Then I noticed that it had stopped raining.

“Tom? My dad’s probably home now. He’s going to wonder where I am. I’d better go.”

“All right. Later, Kit.”

Much later.

Last night was my second job. This time it was Jake’s house, not Marco’s.

It was even easier than Marco’s had been. Sometime that afternoon, the Antrim had me swipe a key. I didn’t remember doing it. I can betray people, and not even know it.

I unlocked the door and went up the stairs to Jake’s room. Nobody woke up. I guess if the Antrim wanted it that way, they could sleep through world war three.

I opened his door and went into his room, my brain working at a mile a minute.

My memory wasn’t perfect; I wasn’t sure of what Andalite powers I had.

The blade pressed against the side of Jake’s throat.

“Wake up,” “I” hissed.

He woke up. And practically impaled himself on my sword.

Could I thought-speak? I didn’t know.

He dodged away from the blade, and went on the other side of the room.

I swiped at him. This time, I actually cut his arm.

Not too badly, though.

If I could just warn him. Get him to kill me. . . it would be over. No threat to them anymore. At least, not from me.

He took a swipe at me. I dodged.

If I could only thought-speak. . .

“Try and fight me, Animorph.”

If you don’t stop this, I’ll find some way to kill you.

You couldn’t.

I’ll find a way. Or I’ll kill the Vissers. Visser Three first.

You are just a puppet. You couldn’t do anything without me.

I felt white-hot fury rise in me.

Jake looked about to morph.

Had to warn them. . .

< Jake!!! Just go out the window! It won’t make me chase you. Trust me, I know it’s. . . aahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! >

My head started burning inside, like someone starting a fire. He must see it in my eyes, it was so bright.

I didn’t care. I had control, a bit. I could get out of there.

< Jake, listen! It won’t make me chase you! The Antrim won’t make me chase you. >

I tried to draw the blade to my throat. I couldn’t get my arm close enough.

I was going to be stuck doing this forever.

I told you. You can’t escape me. I am EVERYWHERE. We’ll see.

Without saying another word, I walked towards the door. Then the Antrim, having control over my body once again, made me speak to him. Thought-speak.

< Your secret isn’t safe, Animorph. Someone knows. >

I walked back down the stairs, afraid that I would have to do this again the next night. Would it be Cassie? Rachel? Tobias or the Andalite in the woods?

Who would I hurt next?

I felt like garbage.

Today was Saturday, so I actually got some sleep. I woke up with Charles, my foster father, shaking me awake.

“It’s eleven-thirty. Get up. We’re having company.”

“Unngh,’ was my reply.

“Why don’t you go over to Tom’s house?” A not-so-subtle ploy to get the strange kid out of the house before the socialites came over.

“Yeah, okay. Just give me time to get out of the house. I’ll use the window if I take too long,” I couldn’t resist adding.

He looked like he wanted to slap me. But he just left.

I hate my foster parents. They are so snobby. And so “upper-crust.” They hated me because I wouldn’t wear designer gowns and talk with a snooty accent.

I know that they just have me here for the tax deduction.

I mean, their names are Charles < the third! > and Judith. Not Chuck or Charlie and Judy, but Charles and Judith. And they named me Catherine Louise. And they don’t call me Kit. It’s always Catherine Louise.

Could you just throw up?

Anyway, I knew I had to get out of there before someone came over. I might have to play the piano for them. That’s the only “cultured” thing that I can do.

I put on my jeans and my T-shirt, walked into the bathroom, got ready, and left. I was NOT dressing for fashion.

The final touch was the wooden dagger hidden in my boot. I always use a wooden one- the school had metal detectors. And I found that it was lighter.

I had to carry one- I never know if I’ll have to fight.

I went out the window easily and headed towards Tom and Jake’s house. Tom was up, fortunately, and so was Jake.

Tom and I sat in the family room talking, with Jake listening in nearby. Then, Tom suggested that we go to the mall.

When we got there, we ran into a bunch of friends. Not close ones, but acquaintances. I was quiet for most of the time, until Dani Stevens decided to diss me.

“Little rich girl, why are you being so quiet? We’re not good enough for you?”

I felt my anger shoot straight up. I had a bad night, I was tired, and I hated being called a snob.

I felt a strange feeling in my mouth, but I ignored it. Instead, I screamed at her.

“Shut up!! It’s great being a ‘little rich girl.’ My parents kick me out of the house every time we have a guest, I have to perform on demand, and everything I do is wrong! I’d give anything to trade places with any of you. So don’t even start with that-”

I stopped yelling. Dani had slapped me. I was about three inches away from her face.

Oh, to rip her face out. . . but I couldn’t do that.

But I could slap her back. I swung my hand, ready to hit her. My hand came forward. . .

A hand clasped my wrist. A surprisingly strong hand. . .

I turned, ready to yell at Tom. It wasn’t Tom. It was this guy, Jared that I kinda knew. He was another kid adopted by a rich family.

I drew my lips back in a grimace. He just looked at me long and hard, with a puzzled look on his face.

He touched his teeth. I checked to make sure there wasn’t anything there.

My teeth were sharp. . .

I told you that you wouldn’t escape. Remember, only two hours in a morph. Then you’re stuck with the animal’s features. And then, its instincts.

"You-" I couldn’t find a strong enough word.

“She’s not worth it, Kat,” he said.

Tom spoke up, playing the jealous boyfriend.

“Okay, Kit, maybe we’d better go.”

Jared spoke before we left.

“Talk to me later, okay.” It was a low whisper, and I don’t think Tom noticed.

I just looked at him, confused. He was familiar, but I couldn’t place him. And he called me Kat, not Kit.

I’d have to look into him later.

Jeez, I thought. I’m getting paranoid.

We went back to the house. Jake was still there, which was good.

In the family room, again, we talked and Jake listened in on us. Tom started on about the job at McDonalds. I dodged, as usual. Then, suddenly, the phone rang.

Tom picked it up.

“Hello?” A pause. Then-

“Kit, it’s my grandma. Why don’t you go with Jake for a bit?”

“Sure. You know, whatever.”

I went outside, where I knew Jake was listening. He was standing just by the door.

“I can’t believe him! McDonalds- ugh!”

“You’re not going to take it, are you?” Jake asked nervously. He wanted to keep track of Controllers, obviously.

“No.” I laughed. “It could be dangerous to my health.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, laughing.

“Nothing. Never mind. Jake?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t trust your brother. He’s a liar, a sneak, and pure scum.” I had to find a way to tell him. Maybe this would work.

He looked at me weird.

“Listen, I’ll tell him you said that.”

“Whatever.”

< Stupid, stupid!! > I said to myself. < Doesn’t understand- >

He looked at me like he’d seen a ghost. He mouthed the word “Andalite.”

I was speaking out loud! I didn’t want to do it that way!!

Had to play the part. I went for my dagger.

< What is your name? Your real name. Tell me or I slit your throat. >

“You fight them?” he whispered.

< Your name. I know what you are- a filthy slug. >

“I’m not a Controller-”

< You lie!!! Tell me your name. >

“I’m not a Controller.”

< Then who are you? Do you serve the Yeerks? Or do you fight them? Tell me. >

“I fight them.”

< Good. You speak the truth. > I lowered my knife. < Jake, I need to talk to you. Later. Alone. You don’t have to come, but I hope that you will. Tell Tom that I had to leave. See ya later. > I know, my mood changes like crazy. But it worked.

< Oh, and by the way, where should I meet with you? >

“Tomorrow morning. In the woods. There’s a side trail that branches out from the main trail. I’ll meet you where it starts at nine.”

< Thank you. > I knew that he would probably bring everyone with him. He probably expected an entire Yeerk army.

So, as I left, I began to consider whether or not to bring a weapon.

I didn’t have to go out that night. The Antrim was probably mad at me for talking to Jake.

Like I cared if it made him mad. As long as he stayed away from me, I was happy.

I climbed out of my window at eight in the morning. It was actually something I did a lot. I would climb out my window on Sundays and hide twenty dollars from my allowance in the woods.

I had about two, three-thousand dollars hidden in an plastic bag stuffed inside a rock crevice. I could leave if I needed to.

If I hid it in my room, my parents would make me spend it. I know they want me to.

I didn’t bring any money with. I figured I wouldn’t have time to hide it.

I found the fork in the trail at about eight-fifty. It was pretty far along on the trail. I didn’t think I would make it; part of the trail was freshly made.

Jake was standing there. No one else was there. At least, I didn’t see anyone else. I was sure that they were morphed.

“Hi.”

“Hello. Well, you wanted to talk to me. Here I am. You’re early.”

I heard a rustling behind me. Then, a figure jumped out.

I drew my knife quickly as I turned around.

I held the knife up, ready to defend myself.

A tail-blade was at my throat. The Andalite, the one the Antrim didn’t identify.

I looked up at the face. Maybe I knew it already. . .

I knew the face.

< Freeze! >

< “Aximili,” > I whispered in both voice and thought-speak before I fainted.

When I came to, I was laying on the ground. Aximili still had his blade at my throat, but I think he recognized me. Maybe he’d seen the surveillance.

I felt pain in my left arm, the one I was holding the knife in. It had landed on the blade of my knife. It was a pretty bad cut, but I heal quickly.

< Aximili, that is you, right? > I didn’t need to ask. I knew. But it made me feel better.

< Katya? >

I nodded. < It’s me. > I looked at my body. < More or less. I moved into this morph. >

< I know. They told us. I saw the recordings. >

So that’s how he recognized me. I thought so.

< How did you get here. >

< Enough with the reunion. Who are you? >

I saw a wolf next to me. I didn’t try to sit up; the blade was still at my throat.

< Can I please sit up? > I asked politely.

Aximili let me sit up, but kept his blade at my throat.

< My name is Katya-Semitur-Trintan. But you probably know me as Catherine Louise or Kit. Except for Aximili, here. >

< Why did you threaten Prince Jake? >

Prince Jake?! Uh-oh. . .

< He’s your prince? > I asked feebly.

< Yes. >

< I didn’t know. I’m sorry, but I was suspicious. He knew I was an Andalite; he recognized thought-speak. > Okay, I did know. But what was I supposed to say? < “I knew, but I had to play a part. And, you know those little attacks at night that Marco and Jake told you about? Those were me. A twisted, evil Ellimist is making be a ninja girl from Hell, and I hate it. Sorry. Can we still be friends?” > I would have been killed right there, without them knowing about my diary. Or about Jared.

< I understand. Are you a Controller? >

< No. You can hold me if you want, but it would be a waste of time. >

< Are there others with you? > It was a bear, this time that spoke.

< No. I assure you that no one else is here. No one knows that I am here. And no one knows about me. >

I looked at my arm. It was still bleeding, but more slowly. The edges were already shorter. I grimaced, then looked back at Aximili.

< Close your eyes. Or I will slit your throat. >

I felt the dull side of Aximili’s tail blade hit my head. I couldn’t move. But I could still hear voices. And noises.

“Can we trust. . .”

< If she finds out. . . >

“. . .we have to move while she’s unconscious.”

“. . .hurt. She could die out here. . . “

“She can’t know. . .”

I was coming to, but they were whispering very softly. I only heard those snatches of what they were saying.

They were worried about whether they could trust me or not. About whether I already knew. About my health, amazingly enough. That hit would have put a normal human out for hours, maybe days.

And I was coming to. I guess I have a hard head.

No, I wasn’t coming to. I was far away. Moving farther. But I hadn’t moved.

I saw where I was laying on the ground, and the others talking, Aximili’s tail-blade still at my throat. I looked like I was out for the count.

Am I dead? I thought idly

NO, YOU’RE NOT DEAD, KATYA.

I tried to look around, to fight the Antrim. I didn’t care about the fact that I knew that it was impossible; I didn’t even have a body. I just wanted to see his face, to hit it.

I AM NOT WHAT YOU CALL AN ANTRIM. I AM AN ELLIMIST.

I shook with something like fear, and another thing like relief.

Why do you want me? I am already stuck with your evil twin.

YOU KNOW WHY.

If I knew why, I wouldn’t be asking you about it, now would I?

He. . .it. . . laughed.

YOU ARE BRAVE. YOU DON’T SHOW FEAR OF ME. OR OF WHAT YOU CALL THE ANTRIM.

Just tell me what you want me to do. Everyone loves to just yank my puppet strings nowadays.

YOU HAVE A CHOICE, KATYA.

YOU HAVE A CHOICE, KATYA.

What kind of choice? What was he talking about. I didn’t get to choose anything.

YOU ARE INDEBTED TO MY “EVIL TWIN.” HE PROTECTED YOU FROM YOUR MORPH’S INSTINCTS.

You know, I didn’t exactly ask for that.

BUT HE DID THAT FOR YOU. THAT IS WHY I CAN’T FORCE HIM TO LEAVE YOU. BUT YOU CAN.

How?

YOU’D HAVE TO LIVE AS A LAMAN. YOU’D HAVE TO HUNT.

I’ll do it. It’s better than having to hunt down my. . .friends, I guess. . . like a coward.

THIS LASTS FOREVER.

I know. You think that I don’t know that? But I don’t exactly care at this point.

I CAN’T DO IT FOR YOU UNTIL YOU TELL HIM. HE WILL COME SOON.

I was going to ask what he meant, but suddenly, I was back in my body. And completely aware, if not at my physical best.

< Unngh. . . >

< She’s waking up. >

“We should knock her out again.”

< Please don’t. I already have a massive headache, Jake, or Prince, or whoever you are. >

< Close your eyes. >

< I don’t know if I can open them. They’re closed. >

I felt the sickening feeling of my hand reaching for the knife. . . but I wasn’t doing it.

The Antrim was going to have me kill Aximili!

No!! Take it back! I don’t want your help. I’ll deal with the instincts. Now let me go!!

Nothing. My hand was around the knife and ready to strike.

Suddenly. . .freedom! I could move my hand. It was leaving me alone.

I was free!

But I was also weak. And full of instinct. Not a good combination.

My hand stayed around the knife.

< Aximili!!! You have to get your friends away from me!! I am serious, if they don’t move right now, I don’t know what will happen! > I was hysterical.

They weren’t moving away.

< Aximili, I know that it’s hard, but you have to trust me. If you don’t move right now. . . > I left it hang.

< I think you should move away, now, Prince Jake. She seems irrational. >

< You don’t know the half of it, > I muttered.

They all slowly backed away. I felt my lips draw back in a snarl.

Sheez, I probably had fangs, like I did at the mall.

Oh, yeah, I had fangs. I could tell by how everyone was backing away.

Wait, the wolf, the only one that had enough time to remorph, was walking up next to me.

It took every ounce of my willpower not to tear that wolf’s throat out. I managed to stay back, but I wasn’t exactly what you would call “rational.”

< I think that she’s just having some problems with instincts. >

“Instincts? She looks like she belongs on Buffy, and you’re talking about instincts?! ” Marco was the one that said that.

Slowly, I felt the instincts come under my control as my head wound healed. I slowly edged myself up into a sitting position.

“You’re friend is right, Aximili. This is a long story,” I explained so that everyone could hear me.

“Remember the mission I went on three years ago? You were so mad. . . I got to go on a mission, and you didn’t. But everyone knew why it was me that was chosen. Because of my father.” I knew that I wasn’t explaining anything, but I was going to get it across as quickly as possible, if not quite clearly.

“When we got here, there was a pool ship in orbit, and the Visser’s Blade ship, of course. We were attacked, and War-prince Jakin took us into an atmospheric chase. We were beaming back to you, all this time.”

“The five other arisths and I went to the loading bay and went into our morphs. We were using the morphs that the surviving Lamans gave us. We were recording at the time. You saw the tapes, I’m assuming.”

“Jakin escaped the ships and landed and we all got out. But the Yeerks were waiting for us. Three of the other arisths were killed by the Hork-Bajir. Grafan. . .poor Grafan. . . he was eaten alive by the Taxxons. The princes and War-prince Jakin committed suicide; I saw Jakin do it myself.”

“Only Barinot and I were left. I ran until I came to a fallen log. I fell over it and hit my head. I guess I rolled out of view, because they didn’t find me. Two days later, a group of hikers found me. I had no memory of anything. They thought that I was about at the age for sixth grade, but I actually was in fifth grade. Or would have been.”

“I’ll bet you didn’t know that I was alive. No one knew. Maybe Barinot is still around somewhere, but I can’t be sure. So there, now you know my story.”

< You remembered nothing, yet you told me all this. How did you know this? >

“I remembered everything about week-and-a-half ago. Since then, a kind of evil Ellimist has been using me like a puppet. Always at night.”

There were various gasps from the others. I suppose Marco and Jake had told them all about the midnight visitor. Aximili’s blade scratched my throat.

I laughed grimly. “I guess you remember me ‘< Your secret isn’t safe, Animorph. Someone knows. >’” I looked at the expression on Jake’s face. “Yeah, that was me. Or not me, but my body, anyway. You know, I really hated doing that, but that. . . Antrim. . that evil Ellimist thing. . . I couldn’t do anything. It had me in debt to it, and I didn’t even want what it gave me. . .” I stopped talking and started crying. I don’t know why I did it. I hadn’t ever cried before. Ever. Not at all during the entire three years that I had been able to.

So I sat and cried in the middle of the forest with four complete strangers, my one-time good friend, and my boyfriend’s brother. I didn’t suppose that anyone really cared. I don’t think anyone even noticed. I mean, it wasn’t like I was sobbing. I just felt hot tears falling down my cheeks.

I went on in thought-speak. It was bitter.

< So now you know who was attacking you. You know why I had to do it. And if you want to kill me right now because I know who you all are, that’s fine with me. I guess I deserve it. And you won’t have to bother with my parents. They don’t care about me. They’ll just get another little tax deduction. >

No one killed me. No one even attacked me. Aximili took his tail-blade from my throat.

< I believe you, > Cassie said.

“Why,” Jake whispered.

< Because if she were with the Yeerks, they would already know about us. We would already be as good as dead. But she’s the only one that’s attacked us. And she doesn’t have any backup. Wouldn’t the Yeerks send somebody to watch and help attack? She hasn’t even tried to hurt us this entire time. >

Everyone relaxed, except for me. Attack or not attack, those instincts were still strong.

< Uh. . .Aximili. . . I have to. . . you know. . . uh. . .hunt. > I was having a hard time with this.

< Prince Jake? >

“Yeah, sure. It’s fine by me.”

I got up and stretched. I walked a little ways away, and then I saw a movement.

I ran after it, aware of the fact that I was traveling way too fast. At least, compared to a human.

I jumped! My teeth punctured the side of the badger.

Humans think that they invented the story of the vampires. They don’t know that the stories have a grain of truth.

Way, way back, there were two humanoid species. One evolved faster then the other. The Laman were far ahead of humans as long as a million years ago.

Humans were the natural prey of the Laman. When the Laman saw that the humans were becoming sentient, they decided to isolate themselves from them on a small continent in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Then, when they located another, hospitable planet far away, they went there with their animals, and blew up the continent in the ocean. Nothing remained of it.

They lived on that planet until the Yeerks tried to invade. When they discovered the plan four years ago, they blew up the planet rather than submit to the Yeerks. Only seventeen survived, all on the Andalite homeworld at the time. The allowed themselves to be acquired before they committed suicide.

But the fact stands that vampires, in a way, are real. Maybe not in the way that people think they are, but they do exist.

And, let me tell you, it’s not a pleasant thing to see a Laman feed.

Everyone except Tobias was seriously grossed out. And that everybody included myself.

“I guess it’s a good thing she didn’t attack,” Jake said.

Marco just turned pale and muttered some sort of comment about a cross and garlic.

“Don’t be a jerk, Marco!” Rachel said in my defense.

“It’s cool,” he said shakily. “First we have Xena, now we have Angel. Except I don’t think she’ll end up with the Slayer.”

“Sorry, Marco, but my preferences don’t run that way. I don’t think I’d mind Angel, though.”

That got everyone laughing. Most of the tension was dispersed. Cassie started demorphing. I was still disgusted with myself.

And, plus, the fangs weren’t exactly retractable. I was stuck with them. I guess that the Antrim had hidden them after the mall incident.

Oh, this was going to be fun to explain at school.

Hey, maybe no one will notice. They aren’t that big, I thought to myself.

Who are you trying to kid!

“So, uh, is there anything I can do to help you guys at all? I mean, I can spy and fight. So I should be able to do something, right?”

“What morphs do you have?”

“Uh, do you want an exact number? Because I can give you one- zero.”

Everyone just looked at me.

“How would you be able to do all that without morphing?” Jake asked patiently. I knew what he was thinking. Oh, great. Now we have dead weight.

“Let me demonstrate. Aximili,” I said as I drew my knife. “Try and fight me. Don’t cut me, but hit me with the dull side of the blade.”

I got into my fighting position. Funny. I was just now remembering all the training that they gave us on this form before the trip.

He struck! I blocked it with the broad side of the knife. He struck, I dodged with speed and used the hilt of my knife to stun the tail. He struck, I struck! Our blades were at each other’s necks.

They looked at me as if they’d seen a ghost. I couldn’t blame them. Nothing is faster than an Andalite tail-blade.

“See, I can fight. And you, Jake, and you, Marco, you guys didn’t even recognize me.”

“We can’t drag you into this, Kit,” Jake explained as if he were talking to a little kid. “You should just go on with your life.” One of the others nodded their heads in agreement.

“Excuse me?! Go on with my normal life! I don’t have a normal life. I guess maybe you don’t understand that. I know that the Yeerks are there, taking innocent people. I’m supposed to go on with my normal life? I don’t think so.”

“And, besides,” I added, “I don’t really see how you have a choice in the matter. I am going to fight, whether it’s with you or on my own. That’s all that you can choose. But it would be better if we worked together.”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t be dragged into this.”

“But you wouldn’t be dragging me-”

“Go back to your normal life. You still have that choice.”

< Are you sure about that? > I muttered in quiet though-speak. Then I turned and left. They didn’t want me to help. And I couldn’t argue with Jake, in public. Not if was a Prince, like Aximili had said. It was ingrained in me.

But that didn’t mean that I couldn’t fight.

I could hear Aximili arguing with Jake behind me.

< Prince Jake, for an Andalite, not fighting is a great dishonor. >

“She hasn’t proven that she’s an Andalite, Ax. I thought spoke once in my normal body.”

Ax, I thought. I guess that’s his nickname.

From the following comments, it was obvious where everyone stood. Rachel, Tobias, and Ax were for my fighting. Cassie and Jake were against it. Marco didn’t say anything, except for this: “She shouldn’t have to give up her life if she doesn’t want to.” Everyone took that to mean that he was on Jake’s side.

So, basically, that meant I wasn’t going to be able to fight with them. But I could fight on my own.

I listened in on what they talked about. I was seemingly out of earshot, but I have good ears. I heard what they were saying.

They knew of a way to get into the pool that would bypass all security measures. It was heavily guarded, but accessible in morph.

Jake had acquired Tom while he was sleeping. And everyone knew that Tom wouldn’t mind. Nobody would keep Tom from going in.

Tom and his dad were going up north for the day. He couldn’t come and ruin it.

They were going to get in the pool.

And I was going to follow them.

They left right away. Fortunately, I was faster, so I had time to get my metal knife. It wouldn’t break. Ax had cracked my wooden one.

I got in through my open window and got the knife from inside my pair of navy flats. It was just as I had left it. Nice and sharp.

Then I put my face wrap on. I was already wearing the boots. I put the knife in one of them. Then I set out after the others.

I met up with them in about a few minutes. I stayed behind them at all times. They got the place.

It was in a tree! A tree.

There was a policeman standing next to it, trying to look non-chalant. But the gun in his holster was a poorly disguised Dracon Beam.

I could see why they would use this as an entrance to the Yeerk pool. It was secluded, easily guarded. It was in the beachside forests, which almost no one went into because of the snakes. It was full of all kinds of vipers.

But it also made it easier to hide, for both me and the others. Jake morphed into Tom, and everyone else morphed flies and hid under the collar of his shirt. Ax and Tobias had to pass through their normal bodies first.

Then “Tom” walked up to the police officer. He used a retinal scanner to identify Tom. As he did so, he was distracted. I ran into the hole.

I think that it was just pure dumb luck, but he didn’t see me. He just nodded and let them through when the scan finished.

I waited for them to walk in, and then followed. When they got down a ways, they demorphed.

I walked up.

< “Hi,” > I said in both thought-speak and normal voice.

“What the- who is this?” Jake demanded.

< “Kit.” >

“I told you not to come.”

< “And you really expected me to do that? Dream on.” >

Marco stifled a laugh.

“Why did you follow us?”

< “Because, Prince Jake, I didn’t want you to get killed. You were going to spy on the Yeerk pool without so much as one person in a useful form.” > I leaned against the wall, toying with a pair of sunglasses I was wearing. I had taken off the face wrap for the moment.

He didn’t like the fact that I was being snotty. Tough. He may be a “prince,” but that didn’t exactly mean much at the moment.

“And you got here. . . how?”

< “While the guard was checking you out, I ran through.” >

< Katya, that was foolish. >

< “And your point?” > I grinned, showing my nice, pointy teeth. < “Listen, you don’t really have much of a choice on this one. I’m here, and I’m ready to kick butt. And I don’t think that you are going to stop me. Or refuse some help.” >

“Fine, whatever.” Everyone began to morph following Jake’s words.

I didn’t look. I may be foolish, but I wasn’t going to look as they remorphed the flies and settled under my hair.

Ewwwww.

I walked down, into the hellhole known as the Yeerk pool. As I got closer, I began to hear a commotion. Dracon beams were going off left and right. I could hear screaming, cursing. The last two were probably normal for here, but I wasn’t sure about the first.

< Uh, people? > I said, using only thought-speak.

< What? >

< Are there usually a lot of Dracon beams going off here? >

< No. Why? > Jake sounded concerned. <

Uh, there are. > I looked around. There were Hork-Bajir fighting Hork-Bajir. Taxxons fighting Taxxons. Fighting going on between humans and everyone.

I could hear snatches of what people were saying.

“. . .gafin srin Visser Three.”

“. . .Visser One. . .”

“Jiwham kafo.” I knew what the last one was. Hork-Bajir for civil war. Not the Civil War, but a civil war.

< It’s like Clash of the Titans out here. I suppose Visser Three and Visser One don’t get along very well. Everyone’s fighting. Maybe we should leave. > I started to head towards the door.

< Are they there? > a slightly hysterical voice asked. I think it was Marco.

< No. I wouldn’t leave if they were, > I explained. Then I saw a ship. A Blade ship. I didn’t know how it could have gotten in there, unless it was stored underground or something.

It was huge. Huge. It looked like Death had come into the pool.

I didn’t know who it was. Visser One or Visser Three.

< One of them is here. They just arrived in a Blade ship. > I paused and saw an Andalite form come out of the ship. < It’s Visser Three. >

Then I saw another form. This one was human, a woman. She had dark hair. The guards were shying away from her as well as Visser Three.

< I think Visser One is here as well. There’s a woman also in the Blade ship. >

I could detect some thought-speak vaguely, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying.

< We’re going to stay. >

< Wouldn’t have it any other way. Get off. I’m hidden here, and so are you. >

They demorphed, and then went into their most dangerous forms. Ax and Tobias stayed as themselves, Cassie was a wolf, Marco was a gorilla, Jake was a tiger, and Rachel was a bear.

< Let’s go, > I heard Rachel say.

I really didn’t want to think about who I was fighting. Visser Three. The only Andalite-controller.

He used to be a war-prince. Alloran-Semitur-Corass. Used to be.

But he wasn’t anymore. I needed to remember that.

We charged forward. I had my face-wrap on, so nobody recognized me. I saw Rachel take out a Hork-Bajir, Ax stun a human-Controller.

I had just knocked out a Hork-Bajir when I felt something at me neck. Something so deadly still that I knew that to move would be suicide.

I was stupid. I turned around. There, in front of me was the face of Visser Three.

< “Hello, father.” >

< “Hello, father,” > I said coldly.

He didn’t kill me. He did something much more deadly. He removed my face wrap.

I was standing there with my face wrap on the floor, wearing a pair of sunglasses indoors. With a very sharp blade at my throat. No time to be cocky or annoying.

But I was dead anyway. And I am naturally reckless. So who really cared?

< “Or perhaps I should say ‘Hello, thing that used to be my father.’ That has a nice ring to it. So does ‘Hello, Yeerk scum.’” >

He hit me with the dull side of the blade. I staggered, but I didn’t fall.

< “What, you don’t recognize your daughter. You’ve never met aristh Katya-Semitur-Trintan. Your ‘host’ didn’t get the chance.” > I grinned, showing my teeth. < “Of course, she has changed a bit, hasn’t she?” >

I saw something brief and repressed flash across those eyes. Something like grief. But then there was only anger.

He drew back his tail to finish the job. His tail twitched. It went forward. . .

It hit the ground at the last minute! I used the chance to strike. First I cut a nerve to the tail. It would be helpless for a while. Then, a stab to the chest. Finally, a blow to the head using the hilt of the knife. He was out cold.

I couldn’t just kill him.

The Yeerk was crawling out. I stabbed at it. The blade just nicked the end. It was in pain. It wouldn’t recover for a long while. Maybe there would be permanent damage.

I felt hot tears in my eyes, but I kept them back. Instead, I ran away and helped the others. My father’s body lied in the dust.

We were retreating. Out the door. But, then again, we were the least of their problems at that moment. There was only a small brigade after us.

My feet slipped! I was falling off the edge of the stairs!

I felt a strong, impossibly huge, hand close around my wrist. Suddenly, I wasn’t falling anymore. When my feet rested on the ground again, I looked up at the person who had grabbed me.

Marco. In gorilla morph.

< Thank you. >

< No problemo. Just call me the Amazing Marco. >

I smiled.

They were still following us, but their Dracon shots were wild. They were missing us.

We ran up the stairs and came to a dead end. I pounded on the keypad. Nothing. I tried hitting the door. It didn’t open.

< “Huytax!” > I swore both aloud and silently. It was Galard for. . . well, something I shouldn’t say.

The door opened. I started laughing. It figured. Nice password.

< What’s so funny? > Rachel asked when Ax and I were laughing.

< I’ll explain later. We have to move. >

The entrance was in the woods. Not the ones by the beach, but the other ones. The ones by Cassie’s house.

We were running deep into the woods when I felt a searing pain in my leg.

I hit the ground, hard. Then I look at my leg. A Dracon beam hit it. The blast has shattered the bone. I’m not going to walk for a long while.

Ax stops and tried to pick me up. I shake my head.

< I’m dead now. > I reach into the hidden compartment of my boots, where I kept the end. A needle filled with poison. I had it prepared, just in case.

I give it to Ax. < Put this in a vein. > He shakes his head.

< Do it! > I tell him. Then I hand him this little device.

< The password is- > I tell him the password. Now I begin to end my link to this unit.

He injects the poison into my arm.

Good-bye.

From the Earth diary of Aximili-Egarsouth-Isthill

I injected the poison into Katya’s right arm. It hit a vein. She shuddered a bit, then lied still.

I left, holding the small device. Tobias was sitting a nearby tree.

< Tobias, my friend! Can you help her? >

< How? >

< Use your raccoon morph and fake eating her flesh. >

< You owe me for this one, Ax-man, > he said as he began to morph.

The three humans and ten Hork-Bajir that had been following us crept up and looked at her body. One of the humans put his hand to her neck.

“Dead,” he said simply.

Tobias went to Katya’s side and nibbled at her leg wound.

The human laughed and walked away. “They’ll find her here,” he said. Then he paused and took Katya’s knife from her hands. He cut her wrists and stabbed her with it in the chest. Then he placed the hand around the knife.

“You know what the humans will think,” he said with arrogant tones. Then, all of them left. We waited until they had gone back underground before running to her side.

I lowered my stalk eyes. After the others demorphed, they wept. Tobias demorphed and told what he had found.

< She was alive until he stabbed her. . . > He trailed off, sounding afflicted.

Four days later

After we had to leave Katya’s body, the Controllers came and put her near the edge of the woods. They found her there the next day.

They didn’t do an autopsy. There was supposedly a note that she had written in her room. Her wrists and heart were stabbed. The leg wounds must have healed quickly.

I went to her funeral with Tobias. We were in the back of the room. They couldn’t hold it outside because it was raining. Humans don’t like rain.

I left a bundle of grass next to the flowers that others had brought. It is a custom.

I saw Jake there with his brother, Tom. Tom had to act like he was upset.

The others couldn’t attend the funeral. It would have been suspicious.

They would have ended up like Katya, dying an honorable death too soon.

This is a three part story, click here to go to The Return.

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