Work Text:
"Is this how I go out?" I thought to myself, feeling horrified and helpless as I watched a Hork-Bajir-Controller skewer my best friend. Glancing down between shallow breaths, the Siberian Tiger, who, beyond all logic and known rules of humanity, I knew was Jake, visibly winced and recoiled in pain as he tried to escape the fearsome creature in vain.
The Hork-Bajir, or rather the Yeerk piloting him, was quick despite his size, and impaled another blade through the tiger’s chest, eliciting a large, pained reaction from the beast while simultaneously pinning him to the ground.
<“Marco, please, if you’re alive, get out of here if you can!”> Jake yelled at me through thought speech, obviously trying not to sound terrified and putting as much strength as possible into it, causing me to shut my eyes as tightly as I could as I knew what was about to happen.
No sooner than my eyes closed and before I could reply, I heard a third swish of a blade and the struggle from Jake’s direction ending. Be it the adrenaline pumping through my gorilla form or from my battle scars, the tears did not fall. "A hero and leader to the very end," I thought weakly, as I reminisced on the day’s events.
It had not gone well from the start. What started as a standard operation to try and gather more information on the Yeerks spearheaded by Ax, had turned out to be a trap. From what I could gather, it seems that about a week prior, Tobias and Ax were hanging out, and while Tobias and he were moving and talking, he had been shot down by a hunter who was illegally hunting birds like red-tailed hawks in the forest for fun with his friend while we were at school.
Ax, who quickly entered his human morph, ran to check on the bird. In his panic over Tobias being what seemed to be fatally hit, he had failed to realize that there was a third person in the truck who was watching with a tranquilizer and had caught a glimpse of the strange blue horse with a large stinger on his tail changing form.
This man was unfortunately a human-controller as well, though, and he quickly took advantage of Ax’s weakened vision and vulnerabilities as a human and shot him with a tranquilizer dart in his back as the Andalite was checking on his fallen companion. As luck would have it for the controller, his host was friends with a city council member and regularly went hunting together, so he had been given the mission to infest him over this night-long camping trip, so he was carrying a mini Yeerk pool disguised as a cooler.
Quickly knocking out his two friends who had been the ones taking turns shooting before they could register what was happening, the Yeerk quickly placed his host’s ear to Ax’s ear, infesting him and turning Ax into the second Andalite-controller.
Using the new host, he demorphed and infested the now three free men, with his original host trying to get away, but being quickly captured with the agility of Ax’s Andalite form. Making sure to finish off Tobias using the rifle, the Yeerk piloting Ax stealthily reported to Visser 1 to hatch a plan to undermine Visser 3 and capture the “Animorphs” once and for all.
Using Tobias’s remains to shake the group the following night, “Ax” took advantage of our emotional states to make us take on a mission, one that I helped plan. After a night of routine patrolling of entrances to the Yeerk pool, Cassie’s family was taken hostage, with controllers and bug fighters guarding the barn after we regrouped there, where we were suddenly jumped by armed controllers. The overwhelming numbers would ultimately do us in, as we began to fall one by one.
Cassie surrendered willingly against her and Jake’s wishes, saying she would become a controller in exchange for no harm to come to her family or the injured animals in the barn, which the Visser quickly accepted. Rachel, in her indescribable rage at losing Tobias, and now Cassie, was quickly put down as she rushed headfirst into Hork-Bajir-controller shock troops guarding Visser 1.
Down to two, and outraged at the turn of events, Jake and I took on our respective battle morphs. Ruthlessly cutting through the ranks of Hork-Bajirs, innocents taking captive in their own minds, we let go of any semblance of humanity we had at that moment. We let our wild animal instincts run wild, only using our higher intelligence to make sure they did not get themselves killed or stop fighting.
We did not care if they were innocent or guilty. We wanted blood. At one point, however, I managed to toss a Hork-Bajir aside and came face to face with Visser 1… my mom. She stood there, looking at me. Cold. Dead. Silent. Smug. I hated this Yeerk standing in front of me as it continuously impersonated my mom, the Yeerk who tore apart my family, the Yeerk who caused my dad so much pain. She was right in front of me, with no hint of fear on her face. I could have easily used the strength of the silverback to easily kill the top-ranking Yeerk in their military at that moment, or at the very least, taken her hostage to somehow win this cursed battle.
But seeing my mom… remembering my childhood with her and my dad… I just couldn’t. The moment lasted an eternity, where we stared breathlessly at each other, mother and son on opposite sides of this war for Earth.
But as fast as it happened, I felt claws enter my back. Cursing, I let the gorilla instincts take over again, as the gorilla immediately turned around and took a defensive posture. There were multiple Hork-Bajir-controllers around me. Glancing to Jake, he wasn’t faring much better.
Despite the effort, it was in vain, as I felt multiple claws eventually bring me to the ground as the pain was too much, where I watched horrified as Jake met a grisly fate of his own, much to Visser 1’s satisfaction it seemed, as I heard my mother’s voice evilly joke to the Ax-controller and now Cassie-controller that it would take Visser 3 a long time to recover from this defeat if she brought in his mortal enemies on Earth to the Council of 13, in the same voice that once nurtured and soothed me as a young child.
Mentally preparing myself, as I watched eyes turn to me, and Cassie begin to morph wolf on the Visser’s command to enter a morph for battle, the trees outside, animals making a ruckus, and even the sounds of controllers walking fell silent. I felt everything go silent around me as I thought of myself going delirious. This was like a bizarre Japanese comic book I flipped through once in a comic store where everything froze, and some vampire enemy started to gloat about his powerful ability.
Looking around with labored breathing at the frozen world, where time had seemed to stop, the Ellimist suddenly spoke softly. “I am sorry, Marco.”
Freezing, as I turned to look at him, I realized I had been healed and was back in human form and healed.
“Ellimist, what is happening?” I tried to ask desperately, but the Ellimist shook his head, causing me to stop.
“The Crayak beat me. This timeline is doomed. The Crayak managed to craft an unfortunate chain of events without my knowledge that led to this and will undoubtedly lead to Earth’s swift subjugation by the Yeerks. Your friends dead or enslaved,” the Ellimist suddenly said solemnly.
Calming down while hearing those words, I finally felt the gravity of the situation hit me. Feeling hot tears form, I tried in vain to morph but realized nothing was happening.
Without prompting, the Ellimist spoke again. “This is the last time we will meet. You were the last Animorph who fought. You have endured a lot that a boy your age should not have gone through. I will save at least one of you from the Crayak’s genocidal wrath. Fret not, you have earned this, but in exchange, I have stripped you of your morphing power. You will no longer need it. Farewell, Marco the Animorph.”
Wanting to object, I began to yell but suddenly felt myself get whisked away and drowsy, not sure what the Ellimist meant. Seeing stars as I felt myself begin to levitate and look down on the barn, once our safe hideout, now soaked in the blood of my friends. Trying to morph in vain, I yelled for the Ellimist to return me to the ground so I could try and save them all, anybody I could, but got no response.
Before I could say anything more, I felt myself succumb to the drowsiness as I fell asleep.
-
"...wake up," a voice gently nudged me, pulling me from the depths of unconsciousness.
Groaning, I blinked my eyes open, immediately greeted by warmth and a familiar face—Rachel's. Her blonde hair and piercing blue eyes were a reassuring sight, but my mind was still clouded with the memories of what had transpired before.
"Rachel..." I managed to utter before the events of the battle and the Ellimist's cryptic words flooded back to me.
As I tried to make sense of the surreal moment, Rachel's embrace helped ground me in the chaos. Despite the relief of seeing her, the weight of the recent horrors lingered, refusing to fade away.
"Marco, are you okay?" Her voice was filled with genuine concern, her grip on my hand tight and reassuring.
Struggling to find the right words, I muttered, "Yeah, I'm... I'm fine," though the turmoil inside me said otherwise.
From the front seat, Jake glanced at me, his expression a mix of worry and relief. "You took quite a fall back there, buddy. Good to see you awake."
A fall? It felt more like a plunge into darkness, the memories of Tobias, Rachel, and Jake's fates haunting me relentlessly.
But here they were, beside me, alive and unharmed. Was this reality or some twisted illusion crafted by the enemy?
As we continued our journey, the familiar sights of our town gradually came into view, yet an unsettling unease lingered within me, which did not go unnoticed by the would-be blonde warrior next to me.
"Marco, seriously, what's going on?" Rachel's voice cut through my thoughts, her eyes searching mine for answers.
Taking a deep breath, I struggled to find an explanation for the inexplicable. "I... I don't know," I confessed quietly. "Everything's just... messed up."
Jake's understanding gaze offered some comfort. He didn’t even need to know what I was talking about to be helpful and simply said "We're in this together, buddy. We'll figure it out."
Grateful for their unwavering support, I nodded, though uncertainty still gnawed at me.
As we arrived at the school, the sense of déjà vu washed over me. Hadn't I just been fighting for my life? It all felt like a distant dream, blurred and indistinct.
"Come on, Marco, let's go inside," Rachel said, her tone gentle yet encouraging.
With a hesitant nod, I followed them, still trying to make sense of the surreal experience. But as we stepped into the gymnasium, the music enveloping us in its comforting embrace, the turmoil within me only grew.
Against my better judgment, I tried to morph into my gorilla form, but to no avail. I then tried to transform into that female wolf I had been forced to acquire the DNA for, which also failed. A bit panicked, I even tried morphing into an ant, anything at all, but that also failed, which in the back of my mind I had to admit was quite relieving that I was not turned into an ant again.
I looked back up and observed the surroundings around me, be it from my honed battle instincts or curiosity, I couldn’t tell. I saw familiar faces dancing, some with snacks, and friends talking. It felt so normal, yet this wasn’t my normal anymore.
“We don’t have time for this! The Yeerks are on a one-way stop to taking over the Earth!” I thought with urgency.
Turning to Jake to discuss this with him, I noticed he and Cassie slinked off towards the snack bar and holding hands. Blinking a bit as they were never this open before, I turned around to try and go find Ax and Tobias but came face to face with a concerned-looking Rachel.
“Listen Marco, I did not want to say anything with Jake around, but you’re acting strange. You have been since we were on the way.” She stated bluntly. “Jake is a bit preoccupied tonight with Cassie, but you have me.”
Hearing those words, as foreign as they felt, also felt oddly good. I had always had a thing for Rachel, her beauty not lost on me. She was Xena: Warrior Princess, and yet seeing concern and care on her face felt so natural and good in an indescribable way.
Feeling a smile start to tug at me, I looked at Rachel warmly and realized just how beautiful she really was with how caring she was being. I had no idea what was happening, but it felt alright.
“Rachel… thank you,” I said as I pulled her into a hug, feeling the urge to cry but holding off.
Rachel wasted no time in returning the hug fully, an action that caused my heart to flutter. I stood there just holding the blonde beauty never wanting this moment to end, as I was scared if I let go, I would wake up from this beautiful dream to see my friends dead… my real friends… did I deserve this?
Pushing away the thought, I let go and took her hand. She blushed as she glanced at me in a manner unlike the Rachel I knew that would brutally slaughter Yeerks for everything they did to humanity.
“Don’t be too close now!” a loud, yet familiar voice boomed. Startled, I felt myself let go of Rachel’s hand and turned to see Vice Principal Chapman.
My fury returned in full force as I recognized one of our biggest threats. Our own vice principal. Seeing him made my blood boil.
“Hands to yourself most of the time kids,” he said strictly, seemingly annoyed at having to be here.
“Yes, Vice Principal Chapman,” I heard Rachel meekly say, in another uncharacteristic instance for her.
Seemingly satisfied at that, Chapman walked away towards another unfortunate couple who were having a moment.
Sighing, Rachel turned to me. “That sure killed the moment, huh!” she joked to me as she grabbed and tugged on my arm. “Let’s go meet up with the others!”
Only nodding, I allowed her to pull me through the sea of kids dancing awkwardly to the cheesy school-appropriate music. Finally, her eyes shining when she saw Cassie by herself, pulled me over to her. Upon noticing Rachel and me approaching her, Cassie smiled and waved.
“Where’s Jake?” I inquired before Rachel could say anything.
"He said he had to go to the bathroom," Cassie said, shrugging, as she turned back to the snack bar to get herself a refill of fruit punch.
"You'll never guess who is here?" Rachel interjected, sounding annoyed with the world.
"Who?" Cassie asked.
"Chapman," Rachel replied.
Cassie turned to look at her, also now bearing an annoyed expression. "That strict man?" she said with a bit of venom in her voice.
Rachel only nodded, while I stared confused. Cassie noticed the confusion on my face.
"Basically, Chapman has really cracked down on the school lately. Nearly ruined Jake and my moment when he asked me to the dance. It's weird, it's like he isn't himself, and he has started pushing this weird club called 'The Sharing'. I am just annoyed at Chapman still," Cassie nonchalantly said, turning to the door to see Jake returning and smiling.
I felt my mouth dry up. Chapman is not acting like himself? The Sharing?
I realized what was happening immediately, and it made my blood run cold. I began to run through all the possibilities in my mind, replaying memories from what seemed to be my previous timeline on repeat in my brain.
Rachel grabbed my arm, with another concerned look, and I looked down to notice that I was shaking and had begun to breathe heavily.
Realizing my heightened anxious state and not wanting to trouble Rachel, I just said I was a bit cold still and may be coming down with something, which seemed to satisfy Rachel to an extent.
Excusing myself to the restroom, I made a beeline for Chapman's office.
"I will not let things progress this way! Not here, not now! Nobody will get hurt again," I resolutely thought to myself, still figuring out a plan.
As I entered the office, I saw a scene that both confirmed my suspicions and sent a chill down my spine. Chapman stood by his desk, his expression blank yet somehow menacing, as he conversed with a group of students I recognized from various classes.
They were talking in low voices, their eyes darting around nervously, but as I entered the room, their attention shifted toward me, their gazes filled with something I couldn't quite place—fear, perhaps, or maybe something darker.
"Marco, what are you doing here?" Chapman's voice interrupted my thoughts, his tone deceptively calm.
Ignoring his question, I stepped forward, my heart pounding in my chest. "What's going on here, Chapman? What's this 'Sharing' you keep pushing?"
Chapman's facade slipped for just a moment, a flicker of something sinister crossing his features before he composed himself. "Ah, just a community organization, Marco. Nothing for you to worry about."
But I wasn't buying it. I could feel the tension in the air, the undercurrent of danger that hung palpably in the room. Thinking fast, I needed a way that I would not appear too hostile.
"I'm…interested in joining!" I said, surprising even myself, as I was not used to such on-the-fly plans.
Chapman's face went from one of bewilderment to one of false joy in a fraction of a second, anybody else with no knowledge of the Yeerks would have not noticed.
"Ah yes! That's wonderful, Marco. I am actually able to help members join quick and efficiently, so you’ve come to the right person!" he replied with false joy, though his face seemed a bit bemused.
"If you give me a minute, I'd be happy to get you signed up right away! Please wait outside my office," he told me.
Nodding and exiting the room, I closed the door, only to come face to face with Rachel. Her face was one of annoyance and concern.
"Listen, Marco," she said, raising her voice. "You've been acting really strange this entire night. I thought you wanted to spend it with me, so why are you now so nervous and hanging out with Chapman of all people?" she demanded.
Quickly shushing her, I made a decision.
"Listen, Rachel… I will tell you everything," I said, which seemed to pique her curiosity.
So, I recounted the events that had led here and watched as Rachel's face went from amusement to horror, to concern, and finally confusion.
"So…you're saying Chapman is a 'controller' or something?" Rachel asked sounding even more bewildered.
"Yes, he is. I have no idea what's going on, but I can assure you that nothing good can come of this," I replied sharply, not daring to joke fearing she would not believe me.
She stared at me and then smiled. "Alright, so what do we do?"
Amazed and confused, I looked at her. "You believe me?" I asked incredulously.
"Why wouldn't I, Marco? I like you. You wouldn't lie to me about this, something is telling me that I should trust you, like a voice in my head," she replied honestly.
"Ellimist, thank you," I thought to myself, but quickly smiled and pulled Rachel in for a quick hug.
Still feeling a bit worried, we came up with a plan that would require the others. So, we made a mad dash back to the gymnasium where Cassie and Jake were dancing together, while an odd kid watched from the side, who I couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity with.
"Jake! Cassie!" I heard Rachel exclaim.
The couple turned to face her, seemingly annoyed. "What do you need, Rachel?" Cassie asked, her face softening upon seeing Rachel's grim expression.
"No time to explain, if you trust me, you guys need to come with us," I told them.
Looking a bit dazed, they only glanced at Rachel who nodded, and then they quickly agreed and left ahead of me.
As I was about to run out after them, I noticed the kid I had seen earlier. Then I realized that the guy looked familiar…Tobias!
"TOBIAS!" I exclaimed a bit loudly.
The boy looked frightened and turned to leave, but I quickly stopped him. He had been trapped for so long in a red-tailed hawk morph that I nearly had forgotten how his human form looked.
"Come with me!" I demanded, a bit harshly.
Tobias didn’t seem to mind, quickly following me, unsure of what was happening, but looking happy to be included. Regrouping with the others, they asked about Tobias, but I merely said we could trust him.
“So, first of all, guys, we need to show interest in the Sharing…” I whispered my plan to them. It was a long shot, but if we could stop Chapman, I had a strange feeling that it would go a long way to stopping the Yeerk invasion.
“All this whispering and planning is making me a bit excited,” Jake confessed, as everybody seemed to feel that this group was just right. “We should come up with a name!” Jake then said.
I smiled, knowing exactly what to call us. “Guys, don’t question it, but what about…Animorphs?”
The group thought about it, and while they were confused, they still seemed to think the name fit well.
Before anybody could object officially though, Chapman came out and bid goodbye to the students as they walked away, turning to see the group. Surprised, he just said, “What’s all this?”
“These are just friends of mine who would love to become members with me!” I replied quickly.
Chapman only smiled and said, “Yes alright, we’d love to have you all! Come with me!”
As we followed Chapman, Rachel eyed me, and I nodded. It was do-or-die time.
“Vice Principal Chapman!” Tobias said, excitement hard to mask.
He turned to look at Tobias, his expression unreadable. “Yes, Tobias?”
Suddenly, Tobias stepped forward, his expression grim. "Chapman, we know what you are. You can't hide it any longer."
Chapman's eyes darted between us, a flicker of panic crossing his features before he composed himself. "I don't know what you're talking about," he replied, his voice steady despite the tension in the room.
Ignoring his protests, Tobias continued, his voice steady and determined. "We've seen the signs. The way you've been acting, the strange organization you've been promoting—it all adds up."
Chapman's facade faltered slightly, a bead of sweat forming on his brow. "You have no proof of whatever you’re talking about," he insisted, though his voice wavered ever so slightly.
Before anyone could respond, a commotion erupted from outside the building. The sound of shouting and scuffling filled the air, and we exchanged worried glances.
“What’s happening?” Chapman exclaimed, moving to the door to investigate.
As he opened the door, a group of students burst into the room, led by Mr. Tidwell, the school's janitor. "We caught them trying to sneak into the gym," he announced, his voice filled with authority.
Chapman's eyes widened in alarm as he recognized the students—members of the Sharing. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice tinged with anger.
But the students remained silent, their faces contorted in fear and confusion.
Realization dawned on me. These students were also hosts to Yeerks, and they were here to protect Chapman, even against his wishes for what he had told them to. Without hesitation, I lunged forward, grabbing Chapman's arm and pulling him away from the door.
"Get down!" I shouted as the students rushed into the room, their intentions clear.
Using the confused Chapman-controller as a hostage, the students backed off.
Looking outgunned, things seemed bleak, and I felt a sense of déjà vu at the feeling of being surrounded. But then suddenly, a figure materialized at the end of the corridor. My heart skipped a beat as I recognized the familiar blue fur and distinctive tail.
"Ax!" I exclaimed, relief flooding through me.
The Andalite turned to face us upon hearing the odd shortened version of his name, his eyes scanning our group with a mixture of confusion and wariness. <“Who are you?"> he demanded through thought-speak.
"We're... we're humans," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady despite the tension in the air. "But we know who you are. You're Ax, an Andalite who's been helping humanity from the shadows in the struggle against the Yeerks. Your brother is the incredible Prince Elfangor."
Ax's expression remained unreadable as he assessed us. <“Humans involved in the Andalite-Yeerk conflict? This is highly unusual.">
I stepped forward, feeling a surge of determination. "We need your help, Ax. The Yeerks have this organization called ‘The Sharing,’ and it's bad news! We have one of the Yeerks who is a high-ranking member here with us right now,” I exclaimed, motioning to a still struggling but terrified-looking Chapman, trying to say and do anything at all to gain the Andalite’s trust as quickly as possible.
Ax's gaze flickered between us, his eyes on their stalks narrowing slightly before replying. <“I see. Very well, allow me to assist you; any enemy of the Yeerk is a friend of mine.">
With Ax at our side, our hearts pounding with anticipation, the group of Yeerk-controlled students, with malice still in their eyes but probably realizing the tables had turned without their weapons, tried to flee outside where they probably had bug fighters hidden for a quick getaway.
Without hesitation, Ax sprang into action, his Andalite tail blade flashing in the dim light of the hallway with the music still lightly heard from the gymnasium masking the sounds of the battle, or more like a massacre, occurring across the school. With incredible speed and precision, he engaged the students in battle, his movements fluid and graceful as he fought to protect us.
I watched in awe as Ax effortlessly dispatched our assailants without killing them, his skill with his tail blade looking unmatched to anybody who did not know about the rest of the Andalites. In a matter of moments, the threat had been neutralized, and the hallway fell silent once more.
As we let out large breaths of air, and some of us even caught our breath, I turned to Ax, my eyes shining with gratitude. "Thank you," I said simply, my voice filled with emotion. I almost smiled at having the entire gang back together, with or without our morphing abilities, and I was so thrilled that we had managed to win this battle. Losing Chapman would deal a blow to Visser 3 for sure. Having the six of us here just felt so right in a strange way.
Ax nodded in acknowledgment; his gaze steady as he surveyed the hallway. <“We have no time to waste!”> he declared, his tone urgent. <“The Yeerks will not rest until they have conquered this world. We must gather our forces and prepare for the coming battle. I thank you for your assistance, please rest easy now. The Andalites will most assuredly come to save this planet of such resilient creatures. It was nice meeting you.">
With renewed determination, we nodded in agreement. The fight against the Yeerks was far from over, but with Ax's words hanging in the air as he left, the five of us tied up everybody as best we could, in hopes of starving the Yeerks out of their heads.
Fleeing from the school, the five of us went to a nearby park, where Rachel grabbed my hand. My heart again fluttered, this time without any worry. We had done it, we saved Chapman and those students more than likely. The Andalites would come to fight this war, and we were free to enjoy our lives.
A pang of guilt still hit my heart as I realized that my original friends were dead and gone, and my original timeline was doomed. I am not sure why the Ellimist only saved me, but as I held Rachel in front of me, staring into her eyes, I knew this was exactly where I wanted to be.
Getting to the park, Tobias said he had to go home but he’d love to meet up with us again soon, as he ran away giddy, seemingly happy to have made some friends. Cassie and Jake also walked away as they wanted to be on their own, leaving Marco and Rachel. They lay down on the grass and stared into the vast night sky.
“So, aliens exist, huh?” Rachel amusingly asked, still sounding amazed as we both laid down and stared straight into the vastness of space and the stars, truly marveling at the beauty of the universe.
“Yep! So many of them too. Maybe with Ax’s blessing, we could visit them…together,” I said, fighting off the blush.
Rachel turned and smiled. The remaining doubts of why I was sent here from my doomed timeline melted away. This is where I wanted to be. No, this is where I needed to be. Sitting up and scooting over closer, I held her as we sat together and talked about various things. At one point she turned to look at me, and I met her gaze as she was looking radiant as usual.
“Marco?” she asked.
“Yes, Rachel?” I replied.
Staring into each other’s eyes, she leaned in awkwardly and placed a kiss on my cheek. “Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me about what happened. I’m here for you, and I always will be. Please never leave me.”
My heart exploded at this, as I remembered all the times I had seen Rachel valiantly fight which caused me to respect her, but I felt myself begin to care about her even more now that I knew she was so utterly beautiful with a feminine side to her as the same girl who would fight bravely against alien body snatchers was sitting next to me and had just kissed me and looking like a nervous school girl.
Laying back down on the grass as time marched on, I could have sworn I saw the Ellimist smiling from afar.
“Thank you,” I weakly said, as Rachel looked confused but didn’t question it. “There is no place else I'd rather be.”