DISCLAIMER: This is like, totally, like, not my like original main story and junk. I so do not totally own Animorphs! Like, okay? Oh, my, gosh!

But the narrator is definitely my brain work!

Okay, basically adding a new character to the Animorphs. Another member. There's almost no chance for romance in this. It's just mostly me putting a Jesus Freak character in it, seeing what will happen. What you guys will think. So, if you want me to continue, please say.

If not, okay. I've got about 10 other fanfics I'm working on right now, and I'll probably have a serious mental malfunction soon...

I definitely need REVIEWS on this, positive, or negative!

The Belief

Chapter 1

I stared at the lion in the Gardens.

We were there to pick my battle morph.

Perhaps I should seriously back up and explain.

Yeah. Might have to do that.

My name is Stephanie.

Just Stephanie. I can't tell you anymore than that because if I do, I'll wake up with a slug in my head tomorrow morning.

Sounds nuts right? Like I need to lay off the weed?

Well I don't do drugs, and as far as I know, I'm sane.

I'm also a Christian. Yes, what you'd call a 'Jesus Freak' I guess.

I have been for almost a year now. And I think it's good that I am, because I sure don't know how else I would deal with the knowledge that parasitic slugs from outerspace called Yeerks are invading Earth.

Yep. It's true.

No. Really!

Look, I'm not just another Christian kid who really likes science fiction! I'm telling the truth!

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, so why would I lie? Huh?

See? There.

Anyway. I guess I'll have to explain everything else.

There are other alien races involved in this great big fiasco.

There are the Andalites, who are basically blue furry centaurs with four eyes (two on stalks, and two on their face) and tails like scorpions have, except with a blade on the end, instead of a pinchy thingy. They created the morphing technology, which allows you to become any animal you can touch and 'acquire'. But you can only be that animal for two hours. Or you'll be stuck forever.

Imagine being your cat Oreo for the rest of a kitty's life span? Yes? Wouldn't be very fun would it?

Well, then you can imagine why I was so nervous with the very idea of morphing.

Especially the whole 'acquiring process'.

I'd needed a flight morph, so Tobias had actually allowed me to acquire him.

Now I needed a big and nasty battle morph.

I guess I should back up and say that for the past few weeks, I hadn't been fighting.

I didn't know what to do. If it would be right, or wrong. You know the Christian philosophy. The Golden Rule. Turning the other cheek. So what was I to do?

I talked to Cassie about it. Since she was nonviolent, but an atheist, I kind of valued her ideas. She understood being a pascifist, but had secular arguments for it.

But she still fought...

I decided in the end that I couldn't just do nothing. I mean, God probably didn't want slugs taking over His people. Surely there was a purpose for me bumping into the Animorphs.

Surely there was a reason for me being here.

Then there was the argument that I was supposed to walk away from it. And the other argument that I was supposed to help the fight, but nonviolently. As in espionage.

So I joined the Sharing.

Believe me, I really, really didn't want to. I had actually considered it before, before I...knew it was a secret front for parasitic slugs from outerspace to take over human beings.

I mean, hey, it sounded Christian. Even if it was secular, it sounded nice. Accepting everybody and encourage friendship and stuff. Really, it was no surprise that so many hosts were voluntary.

After all, how many times do you find people who say they'll accept you no matter what? Not very often right?

Seeing as that was the reason I accepted Christ into my life, how could I judge the people who joined the Sharing, when they were looking for just the same thing I was? Acceptance.

"Hellooooo! Earth to Stephanie?" Marco said, getting in my face and waving his arms around.

"Hmm?" I said, snapping out of my thought. I had been staring at the big scary lion for the past few minutes. He was lying in the heat, panting, looking generally bored like lions in zoos do. Another argument against keeping wild animals in zoos...

"Well, Stephanie? Do you want to morph it or not?" Jake asked. Jake, the unofficial, but extremely necessary leader of our group.

"I don't know." I replied. "I mean...it's strong, right?"

"One of the strongest animals on the planet." Cassie said. Cassie is the animal expert of the group. "Near the very top of the food chain."

"Man, that animal brings back really, really bad, bad memories." Marco said.

I shuddered, knowing what he was talking about. David. I hadn't known him. But they had told me about him.

Rachel had told me somewhat threateningly all about him as if suggesting that if I tried anything, well, there could always be more rats on Earth...

Not that I ever would have betrayed them. They were Earth's only protection. My mom and dad's only protection. My little brother Kyle's only protection.

I guess I shouldn't say only. I was positive God wasn't just sitting back in all of this...

And I'm just not the 'betrayal' type.

No. Really.

I'm probably the most nonthreatening person you've ever seen.

I'm about 4ft 11inches tall.

Yep. That's me. Small. Short, very reddish hair, touching my cheek. Brown freckles. Squinty brown eyes. That is me, Stephanie, the gothy Christian.

What? I like black... Maybe too much...

I wear other colors too. Just mostly black and white and dark purple.

So? I like gothy style. If not heavy metal and gory humor.

Of course when I go to church, I lay off the feather boas, ripped tee shirts, chains, spikes, and even my numerous earrings. It's a pretty contemporary church, but all the same, I don't think mom would be very happy if I wore my black leather trench coat complete with numerous spiked wrist bands. At least I can wear my fairy tees without getting too many stares, as most of the kids in my youth group like Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter anyway.

And I don't think Jesus minds too much anyway...

Marco began to hum the Jeopardy song. You know, that really annoying one people hum whenever you're trying to make a decision and you can't?

Rachel smirked.

I was thinking of the lion because you know how the Bible refers to Jesus as the 'Lion of Judah?' Maybe that's corny, but I just thought it would be so cool.

Plus I have a fetish for African stuff. My room is full of it. Walls covered in masks. Plushy girraffes everywhere. You name it, I've got it.

"Well..." I said, biting my lip. "Okay. I will."

"Cool." Rachel said. "Another David."

I turned to fake glare at her. "I am NOT a traitor!"

"The proof is in the pudding." Ax said. "Pudding. Pu. Ding. Ding!"

I rolled my eyes. "Where did you learn that?"

"Your mother. She says it a lot. Lot! A lot! Lot lot lot!"

I sighed. They had watched my family for three whole embarrassing days. Watched my mom power walk down the street. My dad yell at the t.v. when it was only unplugged. Kyle shave his head in a mohawk. My awfully humiliating, American family.

"I like pudding." Aximili said.

"Me too!" Marco stage whispered.

Jake rolled his eyes. "Alright guys. Tonight let's go get Stephanie a David morph. I mean...a lion morph." He quickly walked ahead of us, looking very, very embarrassed.

I groaned as Marco and Rachel laughed.

I watched the lion as we left. I tried to imagine being a lion. What was it like? To feel so powerful that you could just rip the leg off of something?

Ugh...bad mental images...

Still, I believed that the lion had gotten a bad rep because of David. And I was out to redeem the lion morph back to it's proper Biblical symbolism.

Man I had no idea what I was getting into...

Okay, please, please PLEASE commense with the REVIEWING! I mean, really, positive, negative, if you just want to rave, or if you just want to rant, whatever! COME ON!