Heiya again, all. Welcome to the second book in The Animorphs Alternate-Universe Series. If you haven't read the first one, I suggest you do. It's called The Difference and it's under my Author ID, so... have fun! - SMS

The Animorphs Alternate-Universe Series

Book 2: The Faith

Chapter 1: Boredom

(Sarah)

Of all the Four Gods curses… school, on top of a Mission, on top of… other things. Many other things… and the list was getting longer.

"Aren't we up early?" Alay clambered into my window sill from the outside and positioned herself as Tobias landed in the branches behind her. "And looking quite nice. All ready for school?" I swept a hairbrush through my hair and tied it with a red ribbon that matched the jacket I had found in the closet.

"Not entirely," I answered. "I think this is a bad idea. A very bad idea. I should be focusing on finishing my Mission."

"Mission schmission," replied Alay. "Besides, you don't have a choice. You have to keep up this… foster child guise thing. And foster children - normal foster children, that is, go to school."

"Kithe na," I told her, making a face. "Marco is coming over to come with me on the bus - but I do not know when he is coming."

He's here, answered Tobias. Good thing your foster parents leave early. He morphed to come here.

"Isn't he special?" quipped Alay dryly. I rolled my eyes - there was no stopping it. Alay and Marco just simply did not like each other.

Ah, early morning sarcasm. Alay, how did I ever get through a day before you came here? Marco landed on the ground outside my window and demorphed. I turned back to the mirror to fix my Aen Haihi, so as to avoid having to watch. It was not a pretty sight to watch and a sight I wanted to avoid seeing. "Shove over, psycho, and let me in."

"Apparently, stupidity leaves no room for manners," commented Alay as she slid off the window sill. Marco hoisted himself through the window and dropped down to the floor. He wore a pair of jeans that were semi-tight fitting and a sleeveless shirt that fit the same style - not tight enough to be too tight, but tight enough to stay with him when he morphed.

"Ready for your first day, Sarah?" he asked me, brushing a strand of hair from his face. My heart skipped a beat and I forced myself to nod with a small grin, instead of a stupid, dorky grin of someone who was simply… in awe of how gorgeous someone could look brushing their hair out of their eyes. And, at the same time, I had to tell myself I was not developing a thing for Marco. Despite the fact he was cute and getting cuter every time I saw him, despite the fact he made me laugh and was just so… wonderful, even despite the fact he was becoming everything I had ever hoped for in a member of the opposite sex - I was not developing a thing for on him. He was an ally, not fully trusted, but trusted enough to count, and he was my student, on top of that. Things were complicated enough without…

Your bus is coming soon, said Tobias, interrupting my reverie. You should get going.

"What are you going to do while we are in school?" I asked Alay as I gathered up the school things my foster parents had bought for me.

"Watch from the shadows and laugh at you," she replied brightly. I rolled my eyes.

"You would," I stated calmly. "But why not try doing something useful for a change, like training? You were a little soft the other day, I noticed."

"Shena," spat Alay. "Just because you beat me…" She stuck out her tongue and flipped her ponytail over her shoulder. "Besides, I just know you'll need some kind of help today and our boy Marco here won't be able to protect you all day." Marco shot her a dirty look, but I only shook my head.

"Do what you will," I told her. "Just stay out of trouble - and do not go looking for it either."

"Me?" she asked innocently. "Trouble?" Marco snorted, but made no comment, leaving it open for me to take up.

"Even he knows you are a trouble maker and he has only known you a handful of days - I have known you that many years and then some. I know you look for trouble, especially if you are bored."

"But I won't be bored!" she protested. "Promise."

"I, personally, am not so worried about you being bored," said Marco. "I'm more worried about what you're gonna do you keep yourself occupied." I could not have said it better myself. Alay - and myself, I will admit- had been known to cause trouble, if only to end the boredom that could result when we were not fighting or learning to fight. First, though, it had been Emily and I that had been the cause of trouble, simply out of dislike of being there - even though I had gone willingly with her, Emily had been forced into the Academy, out of her own safety and the safety of those around her… when seherai raishai awaken, they can either do nothing and simply exist suddenly, or they can awaken with a bang. Emily's chose to awaken with a bang… and then… well, it was not good.

After Alay and Sadie arrived at the school, my sister calmed down. In Sadie, she had someone who was in the Academy unwillingly, but was not going to slack off and was going to throw everything she had into becoming a Caster. So I looked for my fun with Alay… and between us, we caused more woe to the poor Teachers and Trainers then any other pair of students in the history of the Academy. "Boredom" was a word we lived to banish. So was the word "sanity".

"Oh, shut up," snapped Alay irately. "I'll be fine. Tobias will watch over me, woncha Tobias?"

I fear, yet again, you're not leaving me with much choice, he commented dryly. Don't worry, he told me privately. I'll watch her. If she tries anything, you'll be the first to know.

A lot of good that is going to do me, I told him. If I am stuck is some class, I will not be able to rush out and come to join the fun. Tobias was silent a moment as Alay and Marco launched into a customary argument (essentially, they insulted each other back and forth until one of them called the other something and the other could not come up with a retort).

Why am I not surprised that you would consider getting into trouble fun? asked mi atala. Because you're insane, that's why.

Would you rather I not be insane?

What kind of question is that? You know I wouldn't have you any other way. I grinned at him.

"She-male!"

"I am not that kind of nec'rin, damn it!" There was silence.

"…huh?"

Nec'rin, huh. Tobias preened a wing idly. I'm not surprised.

"Who asked you, bird?" rejoined Alay sharply. "I don't remember including you in on this argument."

"Jaia, itala," I said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Tobi'as did not mean any harm. Neither did Marco. They just did not know." Alay muttered something under her breath, but even my heightened hearing could not understand it.

"What's a nec'rin?" asked Marco, interrupting me before I could ask Alay to repeat herself.

Alay's a lesbian, Marco, said Tobias plainly. She likes girls. Plain and simple, that is mi atala…

"I know what a lesbian is, bird-boy," said Marco blandly. He too muttered something, but this time I heard it. "Competition"(?). Why was a lesbian "competition"? Alay seemed to understand, because she threw her head back and laughed.

"In your dreams, little boy," she told him. "There's so very little you understand right now. Don't worry!" she added brightly. "I'll tell ya when you're older." That set off another Argument, while Tobias and I just watched, me shaking my head, Tobias adding silent commentary only I could hear. It was unfortunate Marco and I had school to attend… this was certainly a lot of fun.