Distant Dreams 3

By: Olivia
Narrator: Zizih
Nuttypeanutbuddy@aol.com

   < No! No! Wait! > I galloped after the Andalite fighter that was blasting off. The Andalite inside was bending his upper chest down, trying to grab my hand. < Please, please, no! > He looked behind me and his eyes widened. I swerved my eyestalks and saw Aximili, charging up behind me. < Leave her alone. > I shook my head to the mysterious Andalite. <No! Please! > He looked away and pressed a button on the wall beside the door. < No! Please, do not leave me! > The hatch closed and I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned my head to see who was behind me. My main eyes stared into Visser’s. < No! > I shrugged his hand off and ran behind Cassie’s barn, stirring up the animals. He chased after me. Aximili chased after us both, cursing at Visser and telling me to run. I swung my eyestalks back to see Visser stopping, letting Aximili barge into him. Visser towered over him, smiling. In one quick slice, Aximil’s head was rolling across the tall grass, staring up at me. His body tipped over and fell. I screamed as Visser turned and walked over to me. I cowered and I felt his hand grip my wrist. I let my eyestalks look up at him. The Andalite in the fighter was holding my wrist, laughing evilly.

   < No! > My main eyes flew open. I glanced around the scoop, seeing Estril and Aximili sleeping. Aximili's stalk eyes searched the scoop, one looking dead at me. Aximili woke up and walked over to me. < What is the matter? > I was soaked in sweat, badly quivering. Aximili placed his palm on my face. I stared into his sparkling green eyes, placing my palm on his cheek. < Nothing, Aximili. Just go back to sleep. > He nodded and walked back to his place and shut his main eyes, his stalk eyes still searching for danger. I walked out into the night air, taking in deep breaths and absorbing the grass as I ran. It has been years since the Animorphs had a break. Not a day goes by I worry about my family. Estril has turned bloodthirsty, wanting to kill everything in her path. Aximili has grown quiet, keeping more and more secrets from our family. I have had these strange dreams for weeks. I was getting to the point off being afraid of the dark and going to sleep. I looked up at the moon, round and elegant. The stars shone like Aximili's eyes. I closed my eyes briefly, thinking of my family in the Dome ship. My stalk eyes spotted something up in the black sky. I focused all four eyes in a second. Twin columns of fire from an Andalite fighter blemished the night sky. I wanted to run to Aximili, but my legs were like rubber. The fighter came into the atmosphere, landing just behind Cassie's barn. I draped my arms around my upper chest, trying to stop myself from shaking so much. The hatch opened. A strong male Andalite stepped out, his main eyes laid on my small figure.

   < You, female! Is this Earth? > I did not want to answer, but I held back my fear. < Yes. I am here with Aximili Esgarrouth Isthill, and my daughter Estril Nerefir Shamtul. I am Zizih Zittiu-Jevirkcor. > He smiled with brown eyes. < I am Kilipan Kiostock Jevirkcor, and I am the Captain of the Andalite fleet. > My eyes widened and he laughed. < I see you are surprised. Yes, five long Earth years. Where is your scoop? > I stuttered < It is in the, um, woods. The rest of my family is sleeping. > I looked away from his eyes. and led him to my home. I peeked in and stepped inside. < Aximili? A guest is here. > All four of his eyes focused on Kilipan. < Who is this, Zizih? > He asked sternly, as if I brought a dead Andalite I have killed to him. Kilipan answered for me. < I am Kilipan Kiostock Jevirkcor, captain of the Andalite fleet. > Aximili stood tall, arms to his sides, all eyes on him. < I am sorry for the rudeness I have given you. > Estril woke up and saw that her father was standing tall. She copied him, poising her tail. Kilipan raised his hand. < You are both relived. Visser is in his blade ship looking for us now. I cloaked the ship before I landed. > Aximili let his shoulders fall about a millimeter, but Estril kept her guard up. Aximili kept all eyes on Kilipan but privately spoke with me. < How dare you bring him here? He could be a Controller, even Visser in disguise! He could kill us before we even help him. > I stood beside Aximili. < Do not judge him before you know him! >

   The next day, Kilipan promised that he would come back to this area tomorrow. The Animorphs met in the barn, Eric telling us that Visser made another Yeerk pool entrance in somewhere called Target. Aximili was the one that brought up Kilipan. < The Andalite fleet is here. Captain Kilipan Kiostock Jevirkcor landed behind Cassie's barn and Zizih was the one that showed him our scoop. > Everyone's eyes were on me in a instant. Jake asked me a series of questions. He also told me the same thing Aximili told me the night before. Estril did nothing and fooled around with a sick duck, sticking her fingers in the cage and petting its soft feathers, probably wanting to kill it. I was being yelled at, mostly by Jake. I could not take it anymore. < STOP! I can tell I made a mistake! > I ran out of the barn, leaving all my troubles behind me. I ran into the woods and stood in a small clearing. I noticed the burnt dirt in the middle of the clearing and four logs around it. A small hut made of clothing stood two feet from the clearing. I morphed human and sat on the log, sobbing, letting the tears fall in the dirt. Soon I fell asleep, letting the fears and failures slip into the blackness of my brain, the dream holding back for my guilt.

   Later, I awoke to the sound of a crackling fire and soft voices. My eyes shot up, my Andalite eyes. No! I was laying in the same spot I was when I slipped into a dark sleep. Four Andalites stood around the campfire, their backs to me. It was night, the hut turned to a scoop. Captain Kilipan stood on the opposite side of the fire, facing his comrades, and they were not free Andalites. < I have found a free group of Earth Andalites, a large family of eight. Now, Visser will find them someday, but a female Andalite will probably make that possible. To help him, someone will have to plant a tracker of some sort. I have an idea, but it will mean adding to the Earth Andalite population. > My eyes widened. I wonder why they have not noticed me yet. He explained more of his plan as I morphed fly. He planned that I would be the victim. I flew around one of the Andalites and landed on his back vertically. < I promised those fools that I will be back to the scoop tomorrow. I think that the male will be the biggest pester, but the younger female looks like she will also be a nuisance. The older female, Zizih, is soft and I believe that I will win her hearts. > He laughed and soon the group joined. I flew home to the scoop and waited for Aximili and Estril.

   Aximili stared and Estril smiled, thinking she would get a sibling. I could tell that Aximili was jealous. I declared that we should get some sleep. Aximili stood in front of the scoop entrance, looking over the woods, Tobias flying overhead. Estril stood by my side, asking if she could name her sibling. Soon, the sun was up, telling the world to wake up. I did not sleep at all that night, worrying. Aximili stepped out and let me walk past him to eat. The sun barely peeked over the horizon, the sunrays warming my fur. Estril stepped out behind me and Aximili ended the line. I stood alone, absorbing the grass. Aximili watching me from afar, Estril also doing so. I felt so confined. Cassie walked out of the barn and over to me. " I heard you were having something with Kilipan." I looked at Aximili and glared. He looked away, embarrassed. < No, I overheard him. He is a Controller, along with four other Andalites from the same ship Visser found me on, the one fighter that had vecols and other sickly Andalites. > Cassie did not answer, for her gaze was focused on the red and pink sky. A small portion of the sky was shimmering like a hologram. Aximili ran over and stood beside Cassie and me. Estril ran over as she noticed we were staring at the sky. The fighter landed, and the hatch opened. Kilipan stepped out and stood in front of me. < Zizih, so nice to she you again! > He placed his palm on my cheek and quickly pulled it away as Aximili's tail twitched over his shoulder. He faced Aximili. < Aximili, Estril. Also nice to see you > He bowed his upper chest. He faced me once again. < You look wonderful today, beautiful even. So, about Visser. He has found you, and he is planning to capture your family and friends. I am offering that your family may come aboard my fighter and go back to the Dome ship. > He noticed that Cassie stood beside he. < You are safe around me. You may demorph. > Cassie's eyes widened and she looked away from Kilipan. " I must go. " She turned and ran back to her home.

   Kilipan watched as she ran into her home. < Strange, that one. Do you take my offer? > He smiled at me, and everything depended on me. I had to make answer. < I am sorry but we cannot take your offer. We are protecting this world, and I am happy here. > His smile turned to a glare. Three out of the four Andalites I saw around the fire stepped out of the fighter and pointed Dracon beams to our heads. Kilipan laughed and held another Dracon beam to my head. < Zizih, I am afraid this is an offer you cannot refuse. One, Two, set to level two, stun them, throw them in their quarters and lock them in. Three, level four, knock out, and I will deal with her. > He smiled as One and Two shot Aximili and Estril. They let their bodies drop and they drug them into the fighter. I struggled as the Dracon beams trained to my head. I felt the sting and the world blacked out.

   I woke up feeling sore, knowing his deed was done. I felt the burn on the right side of my head and winced. < Ah, Zizih, feeling okay? Cannot let anything happen to you, can we? > I glared at him through a small glass window in the door. < How dare you! Where is Aximili and Estril? > He laughed. < Do not worry about them, WORRY ABOUT YOURSELF! > I started to feel dizzy as a green smog came out of small holes in the wall. I swayed back and forth. I finally fell on my side, the world slipping away. The only thing I heard was his maniacal laughter. I awoke on a hay-covered floor, a piece of cloth soaked in water on my forehead held up by Cassie. Cassie noticed that I was awake. " Zizih, are you okay? What happened? " Cassie helped me get up on my hooves. < Where is Aximili and Estril? > Cassie laughed. " Ax went back to the scoop with Estril. So, are you okay? " I nodded and explained what happened. Cassie looked worried. < I am guessing Eric will be here soon. > Cassie looked up at me and smiled. " You want him to be here? " I did not know, I just wanted to sleep. Cassie took the cloth from my head and let me go back to my home. I was afraid that Aximili and Estril were Controllers. I stepped inside the scoop. Aximili and Estril were watching a square yellow person with holes cook round pieces of meat on a small black square. I did not want to be around them. I stood alone in the woods. Tobias flew overhead. I greeted him. < Hello, Tobias! Mind talking to me? > He flew down to a branch in a tree. < Yep, how ya doing? > I was afraid of what his reaction would be. < I think Aximili is a Controller, along with Estril. > His hawk stare focused on me. < What? Impossible! I would know when my own uncle would be one of them! > I slunk away from him as he yelled and denied. < Oh, I'm sorry, Zizih! > He called as I ran from him. I stood in a large cluster of trees that were close together, only one opening, and sobbed, not caring who heard me. Aximili popped his head from behind a ten-foot width tree. < Are you all right, Zizih? > I backed away from his head.

   < What is wrong? > Aximili stepped closer and reached his palm out to my face. I closed my eyes tightly, pulled the muscles in my tail, and listened to Aximili scream. My eyes flew open to see Aximili holding his wrist, his hand pulsating on the grass. All four of his eyes on me, a surprised look on his face. His tail was at my neck quickly. < Yeerk! Get out of her before I kill her along with you. > I grabbed his tail and shoved it back over his shoulder. I sobbed and wrapped my arms around his upper waist and laid my head on his chest, listening to his hearts. I sobbed and Aximili wrapped his arms around my chest, letting his head rest on my eyestalks. We stayed like that until Aximili raised his head off my stalk eyes, his face red with embarrassment. I let him go, already missing his heartbeat. We looked in each others eyes. I was the first who spoke. < I though you were a Controller. I am sorry. > He morphed human and demorphed so his hand would grow back. He flexed his fingers. < It is alright. I thought the same thing. > We laughed. I noticed that it was almost night. < We better get back to the scoop. > He nodded and grasped my hand and we raced home.

   The next day, I could tell that Aximili told them that I was carrying another child. Everyone stared at me, especially Jake. I could tell Jake was upset with the news. Aximili also told them something I did not know that I did not hear. All at once, their eyes widened, then glancing at me, the frowned. Aximili's stalk eyes kept glancing at my belly, as if he was waiting for something. I was getting upset. < What is wrong? I had no say if I wanted another child; stop acting as if it is my fault! > Jake blinked once and spoke. " No, it's not that...Ax told us that.. well..." Marco answered before Jake could. " Your stomach glows like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. " I was confused. < Who is this Rudolph? Why does he have a red nose? > Cassie cleared her throat. " Rudolph's nose glows a red light, just like you. " I raised a hand to my nose. < What? > Aximili stepped up beside me. < Your belly glows at the dead of night, exactly 12 pm human time. > I did not know what to do. I still did not know this Rudolph, and why I was referred to him for glowing.

   I slept that night in Cassie's barn to be watched over by Eric. I was getting used to being touched by him, but it did bother me when he brought big machinery. It was close to midnight, and Eric was showing me Rock, paper, scissors. < Why do you always win? > I asked him as my hand was paper and he was scissors. " Well, I guess I'm talented, and that you always pick paper. " He laughed and asked if I was feeling woozy, anything. I shook my head, for I felt nothing, just bored. I asked him if he could play the hand game, but all he did was stare behind me. I started to swerve my stalk eyes back but I suddenly felt sleepy, not enough energy to do so. I shut my main eyes and I was asleep in a few seconds after that. I heard Eric call to me, telling me not to sleep.

   I awoke the next morning, bathed in sweat from the same dream. Eric was inside my stall, making a hologram to make the stall look empty. Eric looked up from paper bound together and smiled. " Awake all ready? " I nodded. < How long was I asleep? > Eric laughed, put the papers down and walked over to me. " A good four hours. Boring without you around." Four hours? That was not much to me. I could barely keep my main eyes open. " You want to get home? Ax has been worrying so much, I thought he would die of worry! He kept coming in and checking in on you." I believed every word he said. I nodded and told him I was going home to the scoop. He let me go, a worried look on his face. I quickly ran home, wanting to see my family. I walked in, seeing nobody noticed me, and stood beside Aximili, placing a hand on his back. < Aximili, I am back. I missed you. > He looked away from the T.V and smiled at me. His palm rested on my cheek. < Yes, I missed you also. Estril will be leaving soon with Rachel and Tobias to go to the mall. > I took my hand from his back to his face. < She better bring back cinnamon buns. > He laughed and agreed.

   Estril finally left Aximili and I alone. We sat, watching T.V, Aximili’s arm around my upper waist. I heard the ruffle of wings and Tobias flew inside and landed on Aximili's shoulder. < Ax! Zizih! We have trouble at the mall! The others are on their way as birds. Hurry! > Aximili and I morphed our birds and flew out of the scoop. Many humans ran from the large building called the mall. Behind the mall, we demorphed with the others. Jake cleared his throat. " Estril and Rachel are in there. I think they're captured." Cassie shook her head and glanced at me. " I think they got out. I think we should get inside and get into the Target store and try to find them. " I stayed out of the conversation, so did Aximili. I guess we were afraid of what will happen to my child.

   Jake decided that we would go in battle morphs and fight. Two minutes later, a wolf, a gorilla, a tiger, a hawk, and an Andalite stood in front of my lion eyes. We went inside the mall using the back door. Hork-Bajir were circling around a bear and an Andalite child, many dead Taxxons consuming their dead bothers laying on the floor. The bear slashed its long, black claws along the scaly skin of the Hork-Bajir, leaving long, bleeding cuts. Hork-Bajir blood covered it's paws. Estril slashed through the sea of Hork-Bajir, each getting shocked with over 10,000 volts of electricity that touched her blade, a murderous look in her sparkling green eyes. Everyone dove into the massacre. I crawled to Estril in the middle of the killing. A Hork- Bajir attacked me, driving its blade deep inside my belly. I growled and jumped to the side, causing the blade to slide out of me. I leaped at it's face and clawed it bloody. He screamed something in Galard and fell to the ground, and eaten by Taxxons. Blood made the floor slippery, and we were still over run by Hork-Bajir and Taxxon. Estril was getting tired, breathing heavily. < Mother, I am bleeding badly. I need to leave. > She told me this many times, still keeping her guard up. Everyone was cut up, bleeding, and tired. We drug on, trying to get through to the fleet. My head was swimming in pain and thoughts. Aximili announced that we had used eighty percent of our time, meaning we had twenty minutes of morph time.

   The monsters kept coming, and we kept up our guard and destroyed them all. Suddenly, they stepped away from us. The Animorphs and my family all stood together. I heard everyone breathing roughly, red and black-blue blood forming in a puddle under our bodies. I was about to faint from the amount of blood I lost. Jake looked in the store called Target. < Kilipan! > We all glanced and watched as Kilipan stepped out of the small red store. < Why, it is the group of Earth Andalites! > Another figure stepped up beside him, placing a blue hand on his shoulder. Visser Three! < Good work, son. > They both glared at us, hateful flames burning in their eyes. < Where is Zizih? > Nobody answered, staying where we were. < I SAID WERE IS SHE, KILIPAN? > Visser yelled, his tail twitching uncontrollably. Kilipan shied why from his father. < I...I do not know her mophs. > Fwapp! Kilipan's head rolled across the floor, Visser his killer. < Come, Zizih, and nobody will get hurt. > I stepped out of the cluster. Visser smiled. < Good, good. You are as smart as you are pretty. Take her to the Blade ship. I will be there to see her after I finish with these Andalites. > Two Hork-Bajir grabbed my legs and took me away, their blades cutting my body. I heard the soft clop of Andalite hooves. < Zizih! > Aximili! I squirmed and bucked, only in response a command in Galard and deep craters carved into my skin. < No, stay away! I will get out on my own. > I bit and tugged and the Hork-Bajir holding my front legs. He screamed and let my head hit the hard marble floor. I leapt after the Hork-Bajir holding my back legs and clawed his hands.

   Visser ran over to me, ready to kill me, his tail dancing over his shoulder. Aximili got to me first. I noticed the time. < We have only five minutes in morph! > Everyone limped to the door. I demorphed to my Andalite form as we made our way to the door. I was at the end of the line of animals. I blocked the back door, letting no Hork-Bajir out. I killed the monsters that dared try to get through the doorway. Soon, I made all the monsters afraid to get past. Aximili and the others finally finished and raced back to me. Jake told us to finish the rest of the monster scum, only three Hork-Bajir and twelve Taxxons, and run. Visser ran off back to the Yeerk pool, probably to fly away in the Blade ship, leaving his son’s body. I was breathing roughly, but alive as we flew to the scoop. I stepped out and ate, letting my hooves absorb the grass as I ran. Aximili caught up with me. < Zizih, you were quite brave. > I placed my palm on his face. < But I was afraid. So afraid that I thought this would be our last battle together. > Aximili put his palm on my cheek. < No matter what, we will never be parted, life or death. > I smiled and wrapped my arms around him, my head on his chest, listening to his beating hearts. He wrapped his arms around me and laid his head on my eyestalks. Listening to his hearts made me feel heavenly, lighter than air, and I fell asleep on his chest.

                                                      The End