DISCLAIMER: I do not own Animorphs or any of the characters present in this fanfiction. K.A. Applegate and Scholastic own the Animorphs and these characters.
Most Human music is terrible and painful to the ear. It is loud and unpredictable, and filled with the intensely unpleasant howling and screeching Humans call "singing". "Singing" is not warping words and speaking in nonsensical hoots. Singing is what a kafit bird does when the first sun in rising. Singing is what a hoober does when it's in musth to attract more mates.
Like with most things, the andalite equivalent to music is far superior to the insolent noise Humans make. Andalite music is used in rituals and for meditation. It does not have emotional meaning. No sensible creature would even use music to gain personal wealth! Humans are such a backwards and odd seem to enjoy listening to their "music" for recreational purposes. Human music is just noise, and nothing else.
Today, I gathered Marco and Tobias at my scoop so they could experience real music. Andalite music is the purest form of music. It is pleasingly harmonic and gentle to the ear, not chaotic, complicated and shifting is frequency so often it could make a small gish's head burst.
"So, we finally get to listen to some Andalite artists? Cool." The Human Marco said with his mouth.
((I wonder what alien music is going to sound like. You guys hear things differently from us, right?)) Tobias asked using though-speak. He landed next to me on my television set.
((Human ears are very different from andalite auditory organs,)) I told him and lifted a small device handcrafted from discarded Human "junk" in my weak hands so they could see it clearly. Tobias already could with his extremely impressive hawk eyes, but Marco may have not seen it completely.
"What is that? An Andalite CD player?" Marco asked and inspected it more closely. Even the most simple andalite things are marvels to Humans.
((No,)) I corrected him, drawing it closer to my torso. ((Andalites do not utilize primitive compact discs. This is a simple recording device I built myself. Now,)) I added a bit modestly, ((I am only an adequate musician, taking only two classes on the subject, so don't expect works like the ancient ritual symphonies by Tobreiv-Brenozat-Yyrth when you listen to this. I recorded it two days ago in my scoop using primitive instruments of Human origin, so the sound is already marred, if not done so already by my sub-par musical skills.)) I did not really want myself to be the one representing the whole of andalite music. Truth be told, my music skills are poorer than I told Tobias and Marco. Add to that the pitiful fact that I nearly forgot these tunes during my stay on the planet Earth. But I hoped the essence of our masterful melodies would reach the Humans all the same.
((This piece is the music traditionally played during the Ritual of Formal Union.)) I flipped the Gairtmof on the recording device and the music played.
Despite the doubts I held earlier, I felt proud of my work. Perhaps it was just because I had not heard andalite music for such a long time, but I felt like I played the difficult and backwards instruments of Earth better than I had ever done before with even andalite musical-sound producers.
The music used for the Ritual of Formal Union is one of my favorite pieces. Unlike Humans, andalites have a reasonable amount of songs. The number is somewhere near sixty-five Electorate-approved tunes, give or take a few.
Andalite music truly is superior to all other forms of it! It is rhythmic and percussive, with short melodies. It is all very soothing and uplifting.
I opened my eyes and looked at the Animorphs with me, expecting to see signs of pleasure and enjoyment on their faces. I did not expect disturbed and unhappy expressions on their mouths and eyes.
"What is this?" Marco inquired loudly.
((What's wrong? Isn't it beautiful?)) I demanded. The Human Marco fidgeted.
((Is it my instrument-playing? I already established that I am not the best andalite musician, but-))
No, Ax, it's just, sort of, the whole thing…" Marco said in a low voice.
My shorm, Tobias, looked up at my main eyes. ((Um, no offense, Ax, but it's just… odd. Jarring might be the right word?))
"It's just noise, Ax-man! It's got no melody! Maybe you Andalites like this, but I don't get the appeal," said Marco. He smiled nervously, but I think what he said was an insult.
((It is melodic!)) I declared. Couldn't they hear it?
((It's just random noise, dude.)) Tobias said.
"Awful, in my opinion." Marco interjected. "Look, I just don't like it, okay? Like how you don't like our music, we don't like yours."
((No offense, though, I mean.))
I stared at the both of them in bewilderment.
Humans! So backwards and primitive! Why do I even try?
AN: I haven't read Animorphs in a long time, so I'm sorry if the characters seem a bit OOC. I hoped, you enjoyed reading this, though. c: