Disclaimer: I do not own Animorphs. Yet. But if the copyright ever goes up for sale…

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Chapter one

My name is Illunina-Asmortian-Darvune. My human friends, however, call me Nina.

Yes, I said human friends. I myself am an andalite. An andalite female, to be precise, with deep purple fur and what I am often informed is a sleek physique.

One of the axioms I have heard in writing chronicles is that it is often wise to start at the beginning. This is not, apparently, when my parents moved to earth in order to live a peaceful life outside of the Andalite Military, nor is it when a strange human wearing a hat asked me what I thought of seagulls. Rather, this would be when Jared proposed the band.

We were at his house, playing an interesting game that the humans called "Monopoly." Apparently, this game was so easily structured that it could be made in different themes. This particular version celebrated the Yeerk war, or rather the dramatized version of the Yeerk war. It is my personal belief that humans are naturally insane in order to cope with their lack of natural weaponry.

Jared adjusted his hat—it was the very same hat he had been wearing when we first met—and said, in his most silky tone, "Oh dearest beloved sister of mine, I shall offer you both Jake's room and Tom's room, as well as two hundred, for your Dome."

"Not a chance." Kelly moved her pink bang out of her face, revealing heavy eyeliner and a face pale with makeup. "The Dome Ship monopoly is the most profitable in the game, and I'm not going to give it up for the Barenson House."

((You only have the Dome, not the Stem,)) I pointed out.

"I could still get the Stem." She glared at her brother. "No deal."

Jared shrugged. "Your loss." He picked up the dice, shaking them in his hands. "Big money no whammys, big money no whammys…"

Kelly rolled her eyes. I had lived long enough amongst humans to recognize that as a signal of mild annoyance.

The dice fell. Jared smiled at his sister as he moved the pewter tiger onto the Stem and bought the property.

"Luck," she said dismissively, but her shoulders sagged slightly.. She turned to our fourth player. "Your turn, Daktak."

The Hork-Bajir nodded, examining the board. It had come as a personal surprise that Daktak could understand such a complicated game, but Jared had explained it was basic math and nothing more. I had noticed, though, that Daktak had a habit of asking Jared for help counting out the bills, but when I had made to comment on it, Jared had shushed me.

"Seven!" Daktak said proudly, moving a silver replica of a Hork-Bajir around the board.

((You owe me two hundred and fifty dollars,)) I informed him.

His brown arms and green claws hovered uncertainly over the bills in front of him, and he glanced helplessly at Jared.

"Two golds and a blue," Jared suggested helpfully.

"Daktak knew that," claimed the lizard confidently, pulling the appropriate bills and handing them over.

"Just saying," Jared replied, holding up his hands defensively.

"Okay, boys, tune it down," Kelly said as she rolled up the dice. A roaring bear was moved onto free parking. "Nina, your turn. Dice or payment?"

((I still do not understand how landing on one space can get you directly imprisoned.))

"It's a game of skill, with an edge of chance," Jared explained. "Just… adapt."

((I will pay,)) I announced, handing my recently obtained fifty dollar bill to Jared. As he stuck it in the proper slot, I rolled the dice and moved my pawn (an andalite, of course) seven spaces forward.

I drew a card and read it. ((You're a suspected controller. Go to Jail, do not pass Go, do not collect two hundred dollars.)) I turned to my human friend. ((I believe this is somewhat unfair.))

"Like I said," Jared grinned, picking up my pawn and placing it back where it was. "There's an edge of chance." He grabbed the dice.

And then he paused.

"I just got a really great idea."

Kelly groaned. "Oh, not another great idea. All your great ideas end us up in bad situations."

"Not all of them! The blueberry chili was good!"

"One success." She waved around her finger sarcastically. "That's the problem with your ideas, they're always so out there."

((Kelly does bring up a good point,)) I nodded. ((Most of your plans are not normal.))

"Normal? There is no such thing!" Jared laughed maniacally.

((I beg to differ.))

"Said the purple centaur."

I glared at him with all four of my eyes and crossed my arms. ((So andalites are not normal?))

"Andalites on Earth are not normal. All we have are tourists, give it a few years."

"Anyway," Kelly interjected, putting her hand on my shoulder, "Whatever your idea is, it's not going to be something simple like a bake sale. And I most definitely will not go with it."

"Two words," Jared said, ignoring her. "Rock band."

"What is Rock Band?" asked Daktak. "Is it like wrist band?"

((It is a group of musical performers,)) I explained. ((They sing a specific kind of song. A kind,)) I added privately to Jared, ((I do not find favorable.))

"Daktak not good with singing," the Hork-Bajir said sadly. "Not going to be in band."

"Nonsense!" Jared insisted. "You don't have to sing to be in a band. You could be..." He paused only slightly. "...our drummer!"

"Drummer?"

"You know, bum bada bum bum." He rapped his hand on the table to demonstrate. "You can keep a beat, right?"

Daktak smiled and rapped out the exact same bumps. Jake laughed.

"Right, I'll be strings cause I'm just that awesome, plus I have dad's guitar in the attic. Illunina, do you have any instruments you can play?" Jared was one of the few humans who took to the andalite language like a Kafit to the winds.

((Yes,)) I grudgingly admitted, ((but it wouldn't work. The Kisial operates on a fifteen-note scale, whereas most Earth instruments have a seven-note scale.))

"We'll adapt," he shrugged. "That leaves Kelly with the singing."

"WHAT?!"

"Oh come on, sis, you know you're a great singer."

"I am not!"

"You most certainly are! I can hear your shower serenades every morning from down the hall."

Kelly's face grew red. "What? No. No, I do not sing in the shower."

"I hear Kelly too," Daktak volunteered helpfully. "Is very pretty."

((And I cannot sing due to my distinct lack of vocal cords.))

"It's unanimous!" Jared cried dramatically.

((Not that I agree with this at all,)) I added. ((I still do not like rock music.))

"Objection noted. Now, we still need to think of a name." Jared made a show of pondering, rubbing the dice in one hand while he rested his chin on the other. "Something dramatic, attention-grabbing."

"Why not call ourselves the idiots?" Kelly muttered, hiding her face behind her bangs. I noticed her face was still crimson.

"No, no. That's just not what I'm looking for." Jared stared into space for a few seconds before snapping his fingers. "I've got it! We'll call ourselves... what's that word, Illunina, the one for morphers that get trapped in a form?"

((...Nothlit?)) I ventured.

"Yes!" He reached into the monopoly box and pulled out a pewter hawk. "We'll be... THE NOTHLITS!"

"No, we won't. I will not agree to this. Sorry, no-can-do, outta here." Kelly crossed her arms and glared at her brother.

Jared smiled a hideous smile. "Care to make a... wager on that?"

"What?"

He gestured toward the board. "I will give you not only Jake and Tom's room, but also the Stem, and if I still win, you have to be the lead singer of the Nothlits."

"Really?" Kelly leaned forward, examining Jared's properties. One thing, I had noticed, that the two had in common was their obsession with games. "Hmmm. That would place you at a disadvantage."

((You still would need to convince me,)) I reminded. ((And I do not think that is possible.))

"Oh reeeeeeeeaaaaaaalllly?" Jake grinned at me. "What if I were to, say, tell your parents about that one par-tic-u-lar night?"

I snapped my stalk eyes around. ((You would not dare.))

He shrugged. "You never know."

I stared in his face. He looked right back at me.

"What night?" Daktak queried. "What Jared talking about?

"I don't know," Kelly replied. "I know the date, but he's never told me anything."

The thing is, Jared has the most expressive face I have seen, and right now he seemed to have no expression at all. I backed down.

((Fine.... But only if Daktak Lakpak can outlast me,)) I allowed

"And I'll take your wager," Kelly interjected. "With that amendment, I doubt the Nothlits are ever going to fly."

"Oh you're on, little missy," Jared taunted, handing her the properties. "I am giving up my room for this."

"Jared's room?" Daktak asked, confused.

"Don't forget who I'm playing," he reminded, tapping the tiger.

((By that logic, the Dome Ship monopoly should be mine,)) I pointed out.

"Touche, milady."

Needless to say, Jared won, with Daktak second, myself third, and Kelly last. He made me promise to bring over the Kisial the next day, and I left while he turned to a sulking Kelly. At the time, I thought it would simply be another of his crazy schemes.

Perhaps if I had known what would happen, I might never have agreed.