A Moment of Humanity:

By Ashmoria

Visser One sighed and stared to the skies of Earth. They're skies were much like the ones on the Yeerk homeworld only here you could actually SEE the skies. But it was through foreign eyes. Actually the eyes of a human woman.

Her name had been Laura, which was a typical human name. She had been a wife and a mother. She had a young son....his name was...Marco...Yes, that was his name. Visser One had lived with the family for a year or so, the boy never suspected anything but the Visser would be quick to say that she quite frankly didn't mind Marco. He had a lot of what humans liked to call humor. And it made her job more....entertaining.

Gazing towards the sky she sighed again. She missed her home world, she missed her ship. But those Andalites had destroyed their underwater project and she had barely escaped with her life and now she had to wait a human week or so before her ship could come and pick her up. She hoped it would be soon, she wasn't sure if she could take anymore of Visser Three and his blasphemy.

She narrowed her eyes at the stars. The human part of her was intrigued. Laura had liked the stars, she had found great peace in them but now that she knew what was out there the human trapped in the back of Visser One's mind now looked at the stars with disdain. The Visser's host was definitely a fighter. She resisted for months and months after she was taken but as she was pulled farther and farther from her family the less and less she fought. Although she still missed her husband and especially her son more than Visser One had ever known a host mind could and the Visser had had a lot of host bodies.

Visser One on many occasions had even shared in the woman's sadness and respected her host's undying commitment and love for those who were millions upon millions of miles away.

Visser One breathed out heavily. She had been in a meeting with Visser Three and after having to listen to his pompous reprisals of battles with the Andalite bandits she had curtly decided to go for a walk. It was a nice night, about 2:00 am and she walked through the rows upon rows of human houses. To Laura this was a familiar area, her host had lived around here once and she could feel the human sadness creep into her conscience..but it was then that she heard it.

It was faint at first, barely loud enough to hear. But it was there, and as she walked closer to the nearby houses the noise became louder and Laura recognized it.

<Someone's crying.>  Her host's voice rang out from deep in her mind.

<Yes human, but why would I, the leader of the Yeerk Empire, care of such things?> the Yeerk replied.

<Because there's more to you than conquest and victory.> The woman replied.

<Oh really human? Like what?>

<Humanity.>

<You offend me with such ludicrous talk! Do you think I've come to the top of the Yeerk dynasty by acting like a human ?> Visser One cried but even as she spoke her eyes were drawn to something. There, across the street sat a young boy on a bench. He had his legs pulled up to his chest, his hood was drawn up hiding his face. He seemed to be trying to soften his sobs but his shoulders shook as he cried.

Something floated up out of the depths of her yeerk mind...something new to her but not new to her host...pity.

<Ah, see! You feel for that boy.> Laura said softly.

<I feel no such thing!> The Yeerk cried and turned on her heel, but as she looked back to the boy on the bench who looked like he had no one to turn to in the world she felt an undescribable need to stay.

There was one thing that Visser One had always envied the humans for. At night she would watch her hosts dreams. Laura dreamed of the past, the happy past and memories she had had with her son as they laughed and joked. Images so vividly and emotionally amazing that it left the Yeerk in awe. There was no greater bond or weapon on this planet then love and Laura loved her son and husband more than Visser One had thought was possible by any species.

The Visser craved this feeling, to just for once feel what it was like to have a child to have a unconditional love for. In the Yeerk world there was no "family" and no love. And now here was this boy, helpless and afraid and for some reason deep in her mind she could not walk away. Somewhere from the darkness she could feel Laura's consciousness prodding her to go.

And so gathering up her courage she walked towards the boy, he didn't look up or speak. He just continued to cry and the Visser looked down at her human hands unsure what to do.

She reached deep into her host's memory and found an image she had seen before. It had happened many years ago when Laura's son, Marco, had fallen out of a tree while sneaking out to see a friend. His mother had heard him crying and ran outside where instead of punishing the boy wrapped him in a hug and sang to him until the ambulance had arrived. The Visser looked at the boy on the bench. Would this technique work again on this human?

With great care she reached down and put her arms around the boy, he whimpered slightly and then accepted the embrace and to her surprise curled up next to her.

*It's a nice feeling isn't it?* Laura asked.

Visser One tried to lie but found she couldn't, <Yes,> she said bluntly.

The boy continued to cry and Visser One's mind filled with pity. What could have hurt this child so much that he was out here at 2 am crying? But the Yeerk realized it hadn't been her thinking this, it had been Laura. Visser One snapped out of her haze to realize Laura had taken control.

<Hey! Wait a minute!> The Visser cried, fighting Laura's conscious back but something made her stop midway through.

<Please Visser!> Laura cried, desperation tinging her voice, <Please! Just let me do this! Let me be a mother again! Just for a minute. You have my word that I won't fight again if you only grant me this one request.>

Visser didn't know if it was curiosity or pity that made her agree to the terms. Maybe it was because of the horror and pain Laura had just been through when she had found out her beloved Marco had been made a controller.

<Alright...Just this once.> The Yeerk agreed slowly.

<Thank you Visser.> Laura replied and then turned her attention to the young boy. Visser one watched though the woman's eyes with interest.

Leaning down she stroked the young man's hooded head and the child inhaled sharply, his whole body trembling. Laura reached continued to comfort the boy and then began to sing.

The boy's cries quieted and then dissolved to nothing as he slowly fell asleep. Laura smiled happy at her success. She stared at the stars with new found respect. Then realization hit Visser One.

<What am I DOING?!> She cried thrusting Laura violently to the back of her mind. < I am a Yeerk! Conqueror of races..not a...a...a.. human!>

Laura laughed lightly,  <But you enjoyed it didn't you?>

<NO! I did not!> Visser One cried getting to her feet but she was still careful not to wake up the boy who was now peacefully curled up on the bench and turned and ran down the street.

This was not what she wanted, this was not what she expected and she would NOT let this happen again. She ran faster, trying to get away from the memory of what she had just done. She had just disobeyed the Yeerk code of conduct and gave into the host's feelings.

<Not so fun when you're the victim hunh? Not so fun when YOU are the one feeling the love...feeling the pain..is it?..IS IT?!> Laura asked. Her voice rang with victory.

<SHUT UP!> Visser One screamed and continued to run blindly into the night.

Back at the bench the boy opened his eyes, pushed back his hood and looked around. A small memory still fresh in his mind and he rubbed his tear streaked eyes and wondered if what he had heard was a dream.

His song. His lullaby. It couldn't have been though....she was gone, possibly dead. The one the Yeerks had taken away and yet somewhere in his delusions he had heard her singing his song. He hadn't seen the stranger's face, there's was something that told him not to look..but still...No, it couldn't be her. It had to be a dream...it had to be!? Right?

He gazed to the stars, "Mom?" Marco cried softly into the night.

THE END

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