Night Air

 My name is David.  You may have heard of me.  Every town has a David.  One who is the smartest, strongest, and severest person around.  Though I am one of a kind.
 There is an invasion force on Earth.  They call themselves the Yeerks.  Fighting against the Yeerks is a band of  'Animorphs'.  That's all you'll learn about them from me.  I detest them in every way.
 I used to be an Animorph.  But I was too smart to be controlled by those freaks.  Unfortunately, they came up with a good plan and trapped me in a rat morph.  Forever.  But some day . . . some day I vowed I would destroy them.  Kill them one by one.  Starting with the one who had caught me.  Cassie.
 Or perhaps I could go after Rachel first.  She and I had a score to settle.  No one would threaten the lives of my parents and get away with it.  But wasn't that what the Yeerks did?  Perhaps.  The Yeerks weren't worth bringing down.  Visser Three has his weaknesses, but why risk it when the Animorphs were so much easier?
 Yes.  I would bring the Animorphs to their doom . . .

Chapter One

 My life is pretty dull now.  I spend my days on the surface of a rock about a mile out from the beach.  Too far for a rat to swim.  With the splashing waves it only made for a suicide mission.
 Instead, I wander around finding whatever scraps of food I can get to eat.  My home is a small hole in the rock with algae growing all around it.
 I licked at the algae.  It tasted awful, but it would keep me alive.  Although these days I was starting to wonder if life as a rat verses death was that much different.  I was sick of eating algae.  My mind ached for flesh and blood.
 Behind me was a rat smaller than I, looming up to lick at the algae also.  The perfect chance for a meal.
 As the rat came up beside me, I moved behind him.  A rat is not a killer.  But when you have had the mind of a lion in you, you learn something.
 My tiny teeth nibbled at his tail just hard enough to make him spin around.  And as he did, I opened my tiny jaws.  Reached for the neck.
 FLASH!
 Swirling!  Swirling down with shattered glass all around.  The tiger next to me fell, too, as we both clawed and scrapped and gasped for strong holds that would end the other's life.
 I reached out.  My fangs sank deep into the tiger's throat until blood welled up and choked me, forcing me to let go and swallow the blood before my life was ended.  I backed off and fell gracefully on the white tiles beneath me.  The tiger fell hard.  The leader of the Animorphs was down.
 FLASH!
 I was back at the rock.  Though I had never actually left it.  But the memory proved well.  The rat I had attacked now lay dead in my small cove.  I leaned over and spit the blood out of my mouth and tore off a chuck of the meat.
 "Yes!  Yes, I love it!  Ruthless killing, even while in the most pathetic morph ever!"
 A voice.  I spun around to find who it belonged to, but could see nothing but another rat beside me.  Hunching over my kill, I hissed as well as a rat can to defend it's food.
 The rat smiled unusually before saying, "I have not come for your food!  I have come to restore you!  Yes, yes, my Master, the Crayak, wishes you free!"
 < What are you talking about?!  Who are you? >
 "My name is Drode.  I have chosen a form that can well suite you."  He smiled.  "The Crayak has a grudge against the Animorphs.  Jake, especially.  He want's them dead, but those blasted rules of the Ellimist's have bound him from doing so!  However, what would happen if you were restored?  Your morphing abilities renewed?  Ah yes, such events could lead to others.  It would prove a very interesting show."
 I sneered.  < The Animorphs.  I could destroy them even when that Visser Three can't. >
 "Yes, yes, exactly!  Do you wish your powers restored?"
 I grinned and swallowed the flesh of the rat.  What an oppurtunity.  < Yes. >  My revenge on the Animorphs was near.  I could feel it.
My stomach churned for their blood as I felt myself renewed to my human form.  The Drode laughed.  "Two hours," he said before diving into the surf and disappearing.
"Two hours," I repeated.

Chapter Two

 I stood around on my rock for a few minutes.  I couldn't move, lest I fall into the splashing waves all around me.  My mind began to focus on the golden eagle.  The changes began.
 My arms stretched out and folded back into wings.  Feathers all along my arms, now wings, sprouted and formed, bristling in the wind.
 My tail bone elongated out to become sturdy back tail feathers.  The hard enamel of my teeth spread over my face as it bulged out like some deranged disease.  Lastly, I shrank while my knees flipped backwards.
 I snapped my head left and right, alert with the instinct.  My mind quickly gained control.  The transformation was complete.
 < First things first.  Take down the Animorphs.  >  I thought openly to no one.  < But who first?  Hmmm . . . yes.  Rachel will be the first to go.  She always did get on my nerves.  Never will she suspect this coming. >
 I propelled myself forward and soared back to the shore line.  Oh what a beatiful site to see land after being trapped by water for nearly seven months.  I focused my mind.  I had to get a red-tailed hawk morph.
 The Animorphs are very stupid.  They do not seem to notice that DNA is in dead creatures.  All I had to do was find a dead red-tailed hawk in order to morph it.  Perhaps I could kill one in the air.
 No, that would be to difficult.  If that bird-boy saw me, my plan would be ruined.  However, I could go kill him . . .
 But I couldn't do that either.  I needed to do it the other way.  I longed for it.  Rachel needed to be tortured.  Tortured in such a way . . . yes.  I would kill the others, and bring their deaths to Rachel.  The ultimate horror.
 I laughed at my own delight.  Jake would be the first now - leaderless, the Animorphs would not ban together.
 < Here I come, kitty.  There's only room for one king of the jungle. >  I corrected my flight course to adjust to Jake's neighborhood.  This tiger's time was up.

Chapter Three

 With precise accuracy, I landed on the window sill.  Jake slept inside, sound asleep.  The night air was thick with a heavy mist.  Perfect for death.
 I tapped on the window with my beak.  Jake rolled around and looked up.
 "Cassie?"  He asked, still half asleep.
 I nodded my bird head.
 "Cassie . . . what . . . what's wrong?"  He reached over and opened the window.  I flew in silently and landed on the floor before him.
 Quickly, I demorphed.  Jake's jaw dropped open.  His eyes grew wide.  "You!"  He yelled, climbing to his feet.
 I grinned menacingly.  "Poor Jake."  I drew the image of a lion to me, and instantly the images became me.
 Jake looked bewildered.  His mind clicked and suddenly his changes came, too.  I would wait for him to morph.  Killing humans is wrong.  Murder.  But animals?
 Jake growled, fully tiger.  < Can't you just stay away?  Haven't you learned?! >
 I moved my lion jaw into a half smile, half curl and let my tongue loll out.  < Haven't you, fearless Jake? >  In an instant, I was on him, all teeth and claws.
 Jake fought his best against me.  But this was different from last time.  I had caught him fresh out of sleep when he had not been expecting an attack.  When his mind had freed itself from battle strategies briefly.  The perfect striking moment.
 I leaped outside the open window and landed gracefully on the grass below, twirling around quickly to face the tiger dropping into the shadows.  No need to wake the family within.  No need to alert the brother Yeerk and interrupt my own plans.
 Jake growled a deep thing back in his throat.  < We've given you all the chances you needed!  But you still attack us!  Don't you realize what you're doing?! >
 We paced around in a circle, tails twitching, muscles poised and ready.  I reached out and slashed him across the face, laughing.
 < Earth needs a defense! >  He yelled, the anger rising.
 < Does it?  From who, Jake?  The Yeerks, or . . . me? >  I grinned wider and leaped at him, rolling head over tail and pinning him to the ground.
 He tried to bite for me - to grab at my neck where my jugular vein could end my life just as it gives me life.  But nature had a way of protecting me.  All Jake was getting was thick mouthfuls of red/tan fur from my mane.
 I reached down and grabbed at his own neck, drawing it up in my mouth.
 < Sorry kitty, but it's time to put you down. >  In an instant, I snapped my jaws shout.  Jake's tiger form went limp, save for a few random muscle spasms.
 I rolled off of him, and demorphed.  Leaning down, I made sure the tiger was dead.
 Indeed, it was.  In the night air, I grinned.
 Sleep tight, tiger.

Chapter Four

 After straining to pull the heavy, burdensome beast into the bushes away from prying eyes, I stood up, wiping the blood from my hands.
 "One down, five to go.  Who now?  Who now . . ."  I thought aloud.  I've come accustomed to talking to myself in the months since my isolation.
 "Ah yes, I do believe Marco lives near here.  Stupid moron."  I muttered under my breath.  The Animorph who first found me and the box.  Had it not been for him, I would still be me.  Perhaps my family would still be alive.
 I choked back tears and returned to the grim nature I've also grown used to.
 In no time at all, I had changed back to the golden eagle form and flown up and into the sky.  There really is nothing that matches the carefree flying of a bird.  I suppose flying in a TomCat may come close, but it's nothing like the real thing.  So free to look down on the world.  So high away from your troubles . . .
 I zeroed in on the house I became so familar with those seven long months ago.  Tipping my wings and adjusting my tail, I came to a cool and easy landing in the tree outside Marco's window.
 Inside, the boy slept peacefully, no doubt dreaming of his lost mother.
 What would be the best way to go for a clown who hates the new kid?  I thought to myself.  Of course.  Endless laughter.
 I flew into the open window as silently as possible, and demorphed just as silently.
 Back when the Animorphs slightly trusted me, they entrusted Cassie to escort me to The Gardens to acquire morphs for battle.  That's where I got my lion morph - from a whole African themed exhibit.
 But they also had Hyenas.  Scavangers of the savahana, yet strangely powerful.
 And forever laughing.
 I grinned as I walked over to Marco.  Still wrong to kill a human.  Afterall, I'm not a murderer.  Animals die all the time.  But Marco was still sleeping in his human form.
 I wondered if getting him to think of a morph while in his sleep would be enough for him to actually do it.  Confidently, I leaned down by his ear and whispered, 'Gorilla.  Morph gorilla.  Morph, Marco, morph to gorilla and your mother can be free again!'
 Silently, I waited, morphing to hyena myself.  My hind legs came up, my front legs leaning over to appear slightly shorter.
 In the darkness, the idea of food made me eager.  And to my surprise, Marco had begun to morph to his gorilla form.  But the uneasiness of the changes woke him.
 < What the?!  Why am I a gorilla?!  How long's it been?! >  He jerked around, feeling all of a sudden terribly alone.  < Jake?  Is that you . . . ? >  He peered into the darkness seeing my flashing eyes.
 At that instant, I stepped from the shadows and let out a laugh.  < Marco, Marco, Marco. >
 He recognized the voice instantly.  Apparently, trapping me as a rat has done a lot to this band's conscience.  He pulled his lips back and narrowed his eyes.  < David! >
 < Ding, ding, ding! You are correct!  Tell 'em what he's won, Johnny! >  Letting out another laugh, I leaped onto the gorilla still laying helplessly on the bed.
 Through his struggles, I gave way to the hyena's killing instinct.  Within moments, the gorilla lay motionless, the blood flow ceased - now mostly spilled onto the white and tan sheets.  I rolled off and demorphed, yet again.
 Silently, I pulled the sheets over to cover the mess.
 Walking over the window, I leaned over and turned off the lamp on the desk that had been left on.  "Sleep tight, King Kong."
 In a silent hurry, I leaned out the window, grabbed the branch of the tree that hung low, and swung to the ground.

Chapter Five

 After I had finished with Marco and decided that Cassie was the best new target, not to mention directly on the way to bird-boy and the Andalite, I switched yet again to golden eagle and began my flight.  By now I was exhausted from so many morphs in such a little time, but the eagerness of my blood thirst kept me going.  I wondered if Crayak had something to do with that.
 Soon the realization came to me that what I was doing was wrong.  Deep in my heart I knew it was.  But after the Animorphs had, in their own way, caused my parent's lives and thought it in their power to control my fate, I had spent my time on that rock growing more angry as the days went on.  Afterall, they weren't God.  They had no right to judge me.
 So, in essence, all I was doing was giving them what they deserved.  And to keep my sanity, or what was left of it, I told myself it was Crayak guiding my actions.  That my parent's would have understood.
 Perhaps they wouldn't have.  But before I could think anymore on that thought, I landed in the hayloft of Cassie's barn.  The same hayloft that had been my temporary bed that night I had decided to take fate into my own hands.
 Before long, I was my old human self, laying on the soft hay in black bike shorts.
 And instantly, I felt the Crayak's mind within my own.
 The one who betrayed you first.  The one who thought she could know your every move before it happened.  Kill her unlike the rest.
 I thought about that last sentence for a bit.  'Kill her unlike the rest.'  How?  Unlike the rest?  They were all dead.  As they were meant to go.  But how to kill the moral girl so she would feel the pain?  So she could know what I went through?
 As she is.
 'As she is.' echoed through my mind.  As she is . . . as she is . . . human?  Murder her while human?  Instantly, I felt a positive feeling within.
 I would have questioned it.  I should have.  Murdering a human is wrong.  But I felt anger wash over my body and soul as I realized that this was the one who had gotten me.  This was the one I had condemned to hell my entire life on that rock.
 This was the one, other than Rachel, who deserved what she got.
 Silently, I crawled out of the hayloft and made my way to the backyard, underneath Cassie's window.  I could see that it was open.
 "Cassie!  Please, wake up!"  I called up through the night air, as silently as possible, all the while loud enough to wake the sleeper within.
 Before long, I saw her dark face appear at the window, sleep still in her eyes.  "Jake?"  She called down to me.
 I shook my head.  "David."
 That woke her in an instant.  Her eyes flashed open in fright at first, followed by disbelieve.  As she looked down at me to assure her fears, I saw pity overwhelm her as she most have recalled those nights so long ago.  She disappeared momentarily, shortly after reappearing as an osprey flying silently down to the ground before me.  Demorphing, the girl stood before me in the night, wearing a black leotard.
 It was relaxing to watch Cassie demorph.  Different from the rest.
 "David?  H-how?"
 I hung my head in mock self-pity.  "I-I don't know.  I thought it was a dream.  I was on that rock . . . I'd just eaten and fell asleep inside this little knot hole thing.  When I opened my eyes, I was me.  Well . . . human me.  I was inside my house again.  I thought for sure it was a dream, but then I tried pinching and slapping myself over and over again."  I paused to look her in her eyes.  "It's like . . . it's like God gave me a second chance, Cassie.  I didn't know where to go.  I figured you'd understand."  Again, I bowed my head, tears tugging at my eyes.  I purposely thought of my parents at this moment - to make it all seem real.
 Cassie reached over and put her hand on my shoulder.  I looked up.
 "I can't explain what happened.  But I suppose if you were truelly sorry for what you did, then maybe this is your second chance."
 "I hadn't even thought about what I'd done."  I said, looking through tears at Cassie's deep brown eyes.   "Can you tell me one thing, though?"
 She nodded quickly.
 "H-how did you know what I would do that last night?  How did you know?"  I wiped at my eyes.
 "The need for power."  She answered bluntly.
 "The need for power?  Like, this?"  I asked quickly, in step as I reached out with my fist and punched as hard as I could at the layarnx within her throat.
 Instantly, she fell backwards, nearly choking on her own throat.  I saw her eyes flash fright and then anger.  For as she tried to yell out, a slow gritted gurgling sound was all that made it.
 I walked over to her as she lay on the ground gripping her throat.
 "You're the one that did this to me!  Sorry about your throat, but I really just couldn't stand to hear your moralizing while I did this."  I reached to the ground and picked up an edge from the fence that must have come loose.  The end was sharpened to a point.
 "Sorry to have to kill you  like this, Cassie.  I thought you would have understood.  At least now you'll be with your boyfriend."  I shrugged it off.  Cassie, however, was enraged by the realization that Jake had been killed by me.  She fought to stand up, then began to concentrate on an animal.  I can only guess it was her wolf form.
 I never found out.
 The wooden post, now plunged into the ground and through her heart, stood straight up.  Quickly, I pulled it off and through it into the bushes.  Blood dripped onto my hands.
 I reached down and grabbed Cassie's hands, still wrapped around her throat.  Dragging her to the side of the barn, I covered her quickly with bushes.
 "I'm sorry I had to kill you as you were.  But really.  You deserved it.  You judge me, I judge you."  I knelt down and kissed her softly on the cheek.  "Sleep tight."
 After I got up, scuffed out the blood marks, I returned to my golden eagle morph and flew silently out over the woods.

Chapter Six

 < All right, > I thought aloud privately to myself. < Ax and Tobias before Rachel. Rachel's got to be last. That leaves . . . yeah, Tobias now. He'll hear or see Ax and definitely warn Rachel. It's your last take off, bird-boy. >
 I flew through the night, my wings silently propelling me forward. Within a few minutes, I arrived at Tobias's meadow. For some reason unknown to me, the image was burned into my memory of his area from seven months ago. No doubt, Crayak, yet again, at work.
    Landing quietly on a branch at midheight above the meadow floor, I scanned the trees on the opposite side. Instantly, I spotted a bird of prey perched in the corner of an oak tree, still as a statue. Unless you were looking for it, with eyes as sharp as an eagle's, it never would have been found. I scanned down the bird to that distinguishable tail. Sure enough, red tail feathers stuck out.
    In the flash of an instant I had propelled myself forward from the branch I securely perched on and flew at top speed straight at Tobias. I anticipated his alertness and sure enough, it came.
    < Ahhh! > He yelled, seeing my sharp talons coming straight for him. My prey flung upwards into the air out of my direct line of flight. Tobias was a very well trained bird of prey.
    I corrected my flight pattern and flew up into the sky after him. Only about three feet in front of me I could see those red tail feathers.
    < Tobias! > I yelled in thought speak only to him. After all, no need to alert Ax yet. < I thought I had you once - make no mistake I will be successful this time! >
    The "voice" reached him instantaneously. < David?! > The hesitance showed up in his flight pattern. I was on him in a flash.
   Talons raked talons, fighting to reach a pivotal point in the others life. Tobias's sharp beak pierced my chest. < Ahhh! Fighting me is useless! Just as your other friends found out. >
    Tobias glared at my eyes with all the fierceness held within him. < Impossible! You're not even supposed to be able to morph again! >
   The fight sparked up. < Neither are you, bird-boy. But it's true - all of them. Dead. Dead at my hands. You're all alone, Tobias. All alone in the darkness of the night. Being hunted. How does it feel? >
    No answer. His talons raked mine.
    I saw the opening. Saw the moment to bring him down. With a thrust of my head, my beak tore straight through his left wing. Unable to keep altitude, he spiraled to the ground below.
    I chased. Tobias crumbled to the ground unconscious.
    Not far away was a stream that flowed quickly through the woods. I dragged Tobias to it. An awkward site - a golden eagle pulling a red-tailed hawk into a stream. Once he was in, he tumbled around and was brushed out of site.
    < Sleep tight, bird-boy. > Silently, I demorphed.

Chapter Seven

    Ax would be somewhere in the woods. As a result from being the only resistant Andalite on Earth from the Yeerks, he was wise to stay well hidden. However, the woods were big. I had no idea where he would be.
    Tobias's meadow was close to the edge of the woods. This way he could keep well in touch with Cassie at her barn, where most of the Animorphs meeting's took place. I ran back to her property.
    Crrrrreeeeeack.
    I froze. As I opened the large barn door, the rusted hinge gave way causing a loud creaking noise. Pausing, I waited for a light or some sign of wakefulness inside the house. After a minute, all was clear.
    Inside the barn was dark. The nocturnal animals within their cages were obviously restless and became quite interested with what I was doing. I loomed over a scythe in the storage area. Various shovels and rakes were stacked in here. The scythe would be best.
    I grabbed it and exited quietly, racing back to the woods. Once I was sure I was deep enough to avoid being heard by Cassie's family or the nearby road, I began to call out.
    "Ax!" I screamed.
    "Aximilli-Esgarrouth-Isthill! Show yourself!" I felt myself being watched. Raised the scythe in front of me as protection.
    "Ax!"
    The bushes behind me parted and the Andalite appeared, tailblade arched high. < Prince Jake! What is wrong? >
    I turned around, scythe blade raised, and grinned.
    < David! > The hatred was worse than the sneer he gave the Yeerks. < How . . . ? >
    "Yes, that does seem to be the universal question tonight. Crayak saw my potential." I anchored my feet into the soft dirt.
    < What have you done? > Curiosity broke through the alien's hot hatred.
    < Well . . . let's just say . . . long live the Prince. > I grinned, raised my weapon, and flung it at Ax's head.
    That lightning quick tailblade flung forward, invisible to my eyes, and clashed with the scythe. The vibrancy of the impact plowed down into the wooden stake it was on, nearly causing me to drop it.
    The fight went on. Strikes and blocks.
    "AHHH!" A deep gash appeared on my right shoulder. Blood ran down my bare chest.
    < Surrender. >
    I hesitated. Ax's tailblade was at my throat. Sweat dripped down from my forehead. I felt the Crayak's presence within me again. Felt the hard presence of the scythe in my hand.
    To my perspective, time slowed to a dream. I swung my arms up, curved my head to the right. Ax's tail sank into the soft tree behind me. My scythe swung up with impossible force, twisted through the air, and dove right in and past the Andalite's tail.
    It was his turn to scream. < AHHH! > Ax stumbled back, looking at his tail stump as if it were some new thing freshly attached. The blade still stuck in the tree behind me. The force of gravity brought it to the ground in a heap.
    I laughed. "Well, I guess that's why you're still a . . . what's it called? Arits? Ariths? Whatever." I walked over to him. His main eyes were still fixed on his tailblade, stalk eyes watching me.
    "Well then," I raised my weapon. "Say hello to your brother for me. I'm sure he was a nice guy." Grinning, I flung the scythe at Ax's chest, piercing his two hearts.
    In a few seconds, he stumbled backwards, looked at his blood, glanced back at me and fell over. After some muscle spasms, the body lay still.
   I threw the scythe blade down. Wiped some of the greenish Andalite blood from my hands. Ignored the sticky mess of my own blood.
   "Sleep tight, E.T." Backing away, I made my way towards the edge of the woods. The moon emerged from some clouds, falling on half of my face.
    "Well Rachel. Looks like it's just you and me now. At least, for a little while longer . . . " I laughed, and began to morph to golden eagle one last time.

Chapter Eight

    Rachel's end of the small suburb was on the opposite end of the woods where I was. Fortunately, the lust for Rachel's blood was very, very strong in my mind. I knew what she had done to me. Knew what she said of my parents. And I wanted revenge. Nothing, but sweet revenge.
    I fought for my parents.
    You mean you're too weak to fight the Yeerks for your parents. I thought as I pushed myself with powerful wings towards Rachel's house.
   The Yeerks are weak. I told myself in reply. They aren't worth it.
   Aren't worth what? The risk?
   < Shut up! > I yelled aloud in private thought speak to myself. I knew I was snapping further than before.
   After a brisk, powerful ride through the night air, I arrived at Rachel's house. Landing on her windowsill, my wings fluttered against the cool glass. The deep mist about the air was forming into low, deep clouds.
   Rachel shifted in her sleep, turned around, and through gritted eyes, looked over at me. "Tobias? What's wrong?" She yawned, sat up, and made her way to the window.
    < I told you I'd come back. >
    As she got closer, she realized this was not her usual talking red-tailed hawk, rather a golden eagle. The same golden eagle that a kid named David had picked up and morphed, desperately  fighting to kill her.
    "David!" She hissed, instantly throwing off her outer clothing to reveal the black leotard which was her morphing outfit.
    < I see you haven't forgotten, > I lifted into the air. < Just you and me this time. No bird-boy to stand in the way. This time, I was sure to get him. > I laughed, soaring over her house.
    Rachel had morphed to her bald eagle morph and flew out after me. The hatred was all around her. 'Impossible' was all she was able to mumble as she gained altitude.
    I waited. < You know, that's the same thing he told me! The others tried to resist me, but they knew it was helpless. Just you and me now, Rachel. >
    The fierceness was back in her "voice" as we flew out towards the woods. Away from prying eyes and eavesdroppers. < For a short while, at least. >
    < Ha ha! How does it feel, Rachel?! You're all alone! The last Animorph! You thought Visser Three would be surprised if he found out he was being beaten by humans. How does it feel Rachel? To be beaten by merely a human? After all, you're the big, bad Rachel. Not even some big monster could destroy you. > I laughed harder.
     < Beaten by you or the Yeerks. Makes no difference - you're both on the same level. >
     < Is it a new feeling for you to be frightened? Scared with out your bird to protect you? >
     < Hey, if you're looking for a fight, you didn't need to get the others. > She crowed back. Still, when she said 'the others,' I felt a quiver.
     As we reached over into the woods, I shifted altitude and came in diving at her head. Golden eagles and bald eagles are roughly the same size, so I didn't have as much of an advantage as I did over the red-tailed hawk.
    We hooked talons, falling through the hair, pecking and grasping for strongholds, wings being tangled all the while. We sank like lead.
    < David, you're nuts! Give it up! > Rachel tried to intimidate me.
    CRASH!
    We both smacked down hard on the meadow floor beneath us. Bruised and wings no more than tattered rags, we tore apart and began to demorph.
    I glared at Rachel as she was human once more. Noted a large branch laying next to me.
    "You are the one that brought this upon yourself! You are the one who had to threaten the lives of my parents. And you, Rachel, are the one who gave me seven long months of hell!" I pointed at her as if my finger would condemn her to the same fate as I was chosen to have so long ago.
    Rachel did not look frightened. She did not show any signs of remorse or sorrow. Her eyes only narrowed. "You betrayed us, David. We trusted you and all..."
    "You didn't trust me! You never trusted me! You just made me one of you because you were afraid of what'd I'd seen! You saved me to save your own butt!"
    "We trusted you as one of us! Did it ever occur to you that we saved you because we felt we couldn't leave you to the fate of the Yeerks? Jeez, David, think! You're parents were taken. They knew where you were. They weren't about to let some smart-mouthed freak like you go around boasting to everyone about how you saw this and that and giving away their secrets."
     The anger rose in me. Though I had never thought of that, I was not going to show it.
     "We trusted you and you betrayed us. Face the facts David,  you couldn't live up to it. We gave you the power, a place to stay, everything. And you turned and ran. You just needed more power than us. You needed the Yeerks!" She spat at me. Something I had truly never seen a human do to me in my life. "You're as low as a Yeerk."
    I glared at her hard. My hands became fists and once more I noticed that wooden log.
   "We've given you all the chances you needed. But now you're just killing us off! Don't you understand what you're doing?" The hatred again rose in her as she repeated, unknowingly, Jake's  last words. Smooth, dark fur rippled across her skin. She was morphing to grizzly bear.
    "NO!" I screamed at her, knowing she would kill me. She'd had a jump start on her morph. Instead, I leaned over, grabbed the log that lay at my side, picked it up and swung it with all the strength and hatred I had in my heart. Hatred for the Yeerks. Hatred for the Animorphs. All combined into one mind blowing swing that sent a half-human, half-grizzly bear girl falling to the ground unconscious.
    "NO!" I screamed again, running over to her. I grabbed the log again, and began to beat her. After a few minutes, her pulse was gone. Blood leaked from the half-human, half-bear head. The Animorphs were truly gone.
     I threw the log down and fell next to the beast, my back turned. Tears streamed down my face as I realized what I had become. I saw my parents, loving me as a young child. Saw the broken friendships that came from moving from city to city. Saw Marco for the first time when I had found the box. The cursed blue box that changed everything for me. That same box that tore the last hope for Earth away from the inhabitants.
      For the first time, my eyes were open to the monster I had become.

Chapter Nine

    "Yes, yes! Just as planned with an even happier ending!" My eyes glanced up, tear stained, to rest upon a small human boy. I only presumed it could be the Drode. Back to reward me? Back  to laugh at me? . . . Back to envy me?
    "What do you want?" I asked, wiping at my tears with blood stained hands. Two streaks of blood now ran under my eyes, appearing as an ancient indian hunter.
    "My master is very pleased. You have done well! You are a supreme master! Fit to serve only the Crayak in his quest for destruction! Yes, yes, you are that boy! The one long sought for." The Drode's giddiness was not something I could tolerate in my present emotional state. I stood up, turning to leave. I had no clue where. Just had to get away from the death . . . away from him.
    Thunder sounded off in the distance and rain began to pour down from the dark sky. The blood on my face began to run down until I could only guess I looked like some deranged clown out to end the laughter.
     "Wait! Where do you think you're going?" The Drode's suspiciously annoying eagerness came to my mind.
     "Away from you." I sneered.
     Suddenly, with a flash in front of me, the Drode appeared. I staggered backwards a few steps, finally coming to my senses upon realization. I turned yet again to leave.
     TSWEER! TSWEER! TSWEER!
      I heard three bursts of fire. The same sound as a dracon beam being fired. I turned quickly to look at the Drode as three stabbing pains raced through my back and up my spine to my brain, spanning out to all parts of my body. I stumbled backwards and fell, landing aside Rachel. I felt my back, pulling away only warm blood.
      I looked up at the Drode. Horror filled my eyes.
     The Drode walked over to me calmly. Where he had gotten the dracon beam I will never know. "Sorry to waste a master like you. But my master, the mighty Crayak, can not have competition! You betrayed the Animorphs - a very good deed that pleased us. However, who else would you betray? Yes, yes, you will perish!" In an instant, the image of the young boy was gone.
       Rain poured down on my face as I looked up at the sky. I longed for air. Though it was all around, I couldn't manage to draw any into me. I longed for water, but the coolness of the wet rain did little.
       I gasped for air. Reaching over with one hand, I grabbed on tight to Rachel's dead body. She had such courage . . .
       Such strength . . .
       Such . . .
       Such . . .
       "I'm . . . I'm . . . sorry . . ."
       Blackness filled all around. Death gripped me with it's tight fist.
       Finally, the end had come.