Disclaimer: If I owned Animorphs, Jake and Cassie would've gotten together fast and Rachel would have ruled the world. So needless to say, I don't own Animorphs.

Claimer: I do, however, own any characters that appear in my story that dont appear in the original books. That includes my main character. If anyone would like to borow my characters, please ask. There usually isn't a reason for me to say no.

Okay, this is my first Animorphs fanfic, so if any of the characters are OOC or something, please let me know. I used to read the books constantly, and recently, I've been revisiting them. This story actually came from a disturbingly realistic dream I had, much like my main character. I don't mind flames, because it means that someone read my story, even if they did hate it. lol.

So please review and correct any mistakes I may have made and...you know...stuff.

Chapter One

I wasn't supposed to exist. I was never a part of the battle. But it didn't end the way He wanted. So He twisted the strands of time and pulled me into this reality. I had no memory of the life I had once lived and lost, and they had no memory of a battle won and terrible sacrifices made. I had known my role, once, but now it slipped away from me, elusive behind the wall He put in my head.

But there had been a miscalculation. The anomaly had not been accounted for - yet again. Every contact I had with her pulled me between memories - between realities. Was this necessary? I could not say. All I know is that everyone would suffer as a result. They would lose countless battles that had once been victories, but the outcome would change. For the better? Only the ones with the pain in their hearts can answer that.

My eyes were slowly closing when the car slid to a stop against the curb. Yawning widely, I let the door swing open with the slope of the parking lot. Pulling myself upright, I leaned against the car and stared at my new school. Just when I had been about to start a new year where I used to live, my dad got a new job at the last minute. He decided to move us all halfway across the country, and no one was all that happy about it.

"Okay, kiddo, just head down to the office and give them your name. I nodded tiredly for an answer without looking at my dad and started walking. I joined the crowd of students that all seemed to be going the same way and tried to look like I belonged. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't have been all that hard. It had just been my luck that last night had been one of the worst ever.

Ever since I was little, I'd have these creepy flashes of some kind of gruesome fight. I'd wake up frightened and depressed and not remember why. My parents tried everything, but in the midst of all the visits to the shrink and the depression medications that no seven-year-old should have to take, they disappeared. After going nightmare-free for more than a couple years, it was decided that I was fine - that it was just some phase.

Being normal was fine by me. But then, just when I'd stopped dreading their return, bang. More horrible dreams and cryptic mood swings. And it wasn't like before. No, now I could remember it all. I was watching people die and I was watching their deaths over and over again like a scene on repeat, unable to do a thing about it.

I knew them by their voices now, if not by name or face. I could hear their voices in my mind and say 'This is how they die.' Do you realize how freakin' crazy I feel? This morning, after jolting awake in the middle of a particularly heart-wrenchingly realistic nightmare, I could barely be bothered to brush my hair, let alone wear something nice. So here I was in a black hoodie and my favorite pair of sweats. Not exactly over-the-top, but it came with the added bonus of a bad reputation that I didn't really deserve.

Slipping through the crowd easily, I scanned the plaques next to the rooms. It took me two dead ends and three sets of directions to find the office I was supposed to check in at. Pushing open the door with a martyred expression on my face, I leaned against the pale orange counter. I looked down aimlessly, waiting for someone to show up.

Suddenly I saw a flash of black, dark even in contrast to a deep orange background – of fur. A tiger leaped, its razor-sharp claws extended, a snarl rippling from its chest. ((Rachel, get the Visser! Marco, watch my back.)) I recognized the male voice instantly. Yes, the tiger was talking. Well, not talking per say - it was more of a telepathy kind of thing.

((You know, I'm probably the only guy who ever woke up on a Monday morning and wished I could go to school.)) The slightly cynical tone of voice made me turn my head to see a massive gorilla towering over me. This was Marco. I didn't budge. If this was a dream or something, they'd go right through me.

I frowned as the scenery came into view. It was a dark, cavernous room, lit only by the flickering lamps overhead and creepy green strips on the floors. Then I felt my heart constrict. I didn't like the way it reeked of death and despair.

((Jake!)) A girl's voice, filled with – and I somehow knew that this was completely out-of-character – fear. ((Where's Cassie?)) I saw the tiger's head whip towards the entrance of the cellar, a barely-concealed fear in his eyes.

"NO!" I yelled, jumping forward as though to put myself in between Jake and the monster I could now see attacking him. I threw my arms out, knowing that he was still frozen. The reptilian, dangerous looking creature didn't even see me. The blade protruding from his elbow was milliseconds away from ripping me apart when it all dissolved.

"May I help you?" an authoritative man's voice asked me, rather impatiently. I blinked stupidly, trying to erase the images that had flashed through my mind. It was pathetic that I would risk my life to save a guy I didn't know in real life, but it had seemed like the right thing to do. And yeah, he was a guy – not a talking animal. The rest of them were people, too – well, except for one, but I'd only caught a glimpse of him. There was something more there, but my dreams were pretty damn cryptic.

"Y-yeah." I stammered, trying to remember why I was standing here. "I'm Ally. I was supposed to start school here today." He looked me over, taking in my baggy sweatpants and black hoodie. The back of my neck prickled uneasily. There was something dangerous about this man, and some part of me knew what and was withholding the information.

"Hmm. I am Mr. Chapman, the vice-principal. You will follow me to your first class." he scrawled something on a pad next to the computer and gestured for me to follow. I did so, making a face when his back was turned. This guy was seriously unpleasant. My eyes were suddenly drawn to the back of his head, for some inexplicable reason. It wasn't voluntary – it just...happened. I shook off the eerie feeling and followed him through what seemed like a maze of hallways.

"This will be your first period class." I glanced into the room, seeing maps and various posters. History. I groaned inwardly and took a deep breath before walking in. Almost everyone turned to look at me immediately, making me fight to hold back a blush. I didn't do attention well. Never had.

"I'm, uh, Ally." The teacher glanced down at the clipboard on his desk and nodded, gesturing vaguely towards the back of the room. I took it as a sign to sit, so I chose one near the corner, where it was harder for people to see me. This way, they'd have to crane their necks and wouldn't be able to glance sideways at me.

"Okay," I looked up as the teacher began to speak, propping my head up on my hand. "When I call your name, please say 'present' in a loud, clear voice." He cleared his throat. "Gabby."

"Present!"

"Mike."

"Yep."

"Say 'present'. Jaimy."

I tuned it out, waiting for my own name. Hearing it after a few others, I called out. The teacher – Mr. Pearson, as it said on the board – nodded at me and continued.

"Jake?" This one was more of a question, but I was too shocked to notice that. Jake? What if...? But then I reminded myself how many Jakes there were in this country and my theory went down the drain. There was no answer for a few minutes, and I started hearing the beginnings of muttered conversations.

"Where do you think he is? He's been late a lot this week."

"Why do you care? Do you want him to ask you to the dance?"

I saw the girl in question blush. So this Jake was popular. Well, I knew I was being stupid, but I couldn't help cataloging everything I heard. It may have been a complete coincidence that soon after a vision, I'd hear his name, but I didn't believe in coincidences.

I let my attention wander for a bit while the teacher introduced himself and read through the guidelines for the class. So when I heard the next names, I wasn't really waiting for it.

"...Rachel's not here either. Do you think she's with Marco?"

"Are you joking? She's like a foot taller than him."

I must have yelped or something, because the entire class turned to look at me. "I stubbed my toe! On...the desk." I said quickly, thinking fast. I'd never met these people before. I never for one second believed that they were real. Maybe...I wanted to slap myself. Maybe what? Maybe I'm some kind of psychic and I can see these places and people because they're real? Yeah, 'cause that's totally possible. And not crazy.

I sighed and tried to focus on the class. It wasn't working. Nothing caught my attention until someone knocked on the door halfway through. I looked up, startled to see a tall boy walk in, more casual than anyone else walking in 25 minutes late would be. The teacher nodded at him and pointed to a seat next to me. As the guy looked over, I dropped my gaze. Yeah, he was a looker – if you went for the football types. With broad shoulders and an easy confidence, it was ridiculously easy to imagine him as a leader. As a tiger? Not so much.

The bell rang shrilly, signaling the end of another class that I totally didn't pay attention in. This was a bad start to a new school year already. It didn't help that everyone knew everyone else already. It didn't leave much room for making new friends. Not that I was any good at it, but still.

I swore under my breath as my books slipped off the desk, hitting the floor with a series of loud thuds.

Sighing, I bent down to pick them up, wishing I had thought to bring a backpack today. The one day I assume to be easy, teachers hand us books that weigh a ton and assign essays. A hand reached over to help me, and I took the books from them gratefully.

"Thanks." I said, seeing the guy from earlier – Jake. I was trying to suppress the images that flashed through my mind as I saw his face. I was being stupid. I just had to get over my insanity and keep moving. But why was today the first time it happened in the day? I shifted the books so that they were easier to carry, ignoring the strain on my arm.

"No problem." I froze at the sound of his voice, hearing it echo inside my head. Oh. My. God. It was him. I would recognize any of their voices anywhere. Last time I had heard this one, he had been issuing orders to the others. They were all real.

The shock seemed to be overriding my system. I honestly could not think straight. So when he asked me if I was okay, I didn't know what to say. I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, I'd say something like 'Can you turn into a tiger?' That would not have been good.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I said, working hard to keep my voice level. Shrieking and running would not have been good either. He nodded, starting to walk away. I was glad. I needed some time to think. I considered grabbing my lunch and heading for the library but the non cowardly part of me didn't like that idea. Not that there was much bravery in me – I just didn't like acting like a wimp.

This had to be another dream...right?

I'm going to try and keep my chapter this length, so it might take me a while for each one.

Please, please review.

-Dreamer