The gorilla helped save me, believe it or not. I decided I liked that gorilla.

We went up the elevator together, and the gorilla got chatty. ((So what's your story? Andalite who survived the dome ship crash? Late to the war, because you took a left turn at Albuquerque? Or a super-intelligent elephant?))

The gorilla kept making stupid jokes like that, for a few minutes. I decided I didn't like it any more.

We ended up in a car wash, when the gorilla started asking me to demorph. I tried to tell it that I couldn't, but have you ever tried pantomiming "I can't demorph" while in an elephant's body? It's dang near impossible.

The gorilla led me to the nearby woods, presumably to hide me from any nearby humans. I bent down and wrote in the dirt "I am Dan".

((Dan? A human?)) the gorilla asked.

I nodded.

((Oh man. Oh, oh man. This is not good. How did you get morphing powers?!))

I wrote "long story" on the ground.

((Why can't you use thought-speak?)) the gorilla asked.

I tried to shrug. It didn't work.

((It's simple. You just think at someone, and the words pop into their head. Try it.))

((That makes no sense, you stupid gorilla.))

((Hey, you got it!))

((What?))

((I heard what you were thinking, in my head. Just like how you can hear what I'm thinking. See? Simple.))

((Oh, wow! It's so simple and makes perfect sense! Someone tell this psychic gorilla to kiss my big elephant butt.))

((Um, I can hear you.))

((How? Thoughts don't transmit through the air, you idiot!))

((You were thinking at me, so I heard it.))

((No, I was thinking about you! Big difference! So you're gonna hear everything I think from now on? Great. This day just keeps getting better and better.))

((I'm probably not the best person to explain it,)) the gorilla said. Thought. Whatever. ((I should get my friend Ax. He's an alien. You'll like him.))

((So I was kidnapped by crazy aliens. They built the weird animal mutation device.))

((Morphing. It's called morphing.))

((It's called whatever we wanna call it, Kid. No one's got a copyright on this stuff. So why can't I got back to normal? It worked earlier.))

((How long have you been in morph?))

((What does that have to—are you telling me this thing has a time limit?))

((You catch on quick. Yeah, if you're in a morph for more than two hours, it's permanent.))

I said some bad words. Dunno if the gorilla heard 'em or not. This thought-speak-whatever is freaking weird. Why didn't the blue box come with an instructional manual or something? This is important stuff to know!

Then I remembered something really obvious.

((What happens if you hit the reset button?))

((The what?))

((Inside the blue box. There's a reset button. I used it a few times, when the light went out.))

((What are you talking about?))

((You never opened the blue box?))

((We don't have one. You do? Is that where you got the morphing ability?))

((Maybe. I ain't sure. I always play around with alien technology, so it's hard to tell what caused this elephant curse.))

((You're sarcastic. I like you.))

((Get me outta here, and maybe I'll decide I like you.))

I made a deal with the gorilla. He gets me the blue box, I show him how the reset button works. I couldn't very well get the box myself, you know? An elephant in town kinda attracts attention.

Turns out Gorilla Boy had a few friends. Some of them went to get the box, while the others kept watch on me. They stayed in animal form the whole time, looking at me. A red-tailed hawk and a bald eagle. No way for me to escape their notice.

((You guys gonna say anything?)) I asked.

((We wait until the others get back. Then we'll find out if you're telling the truth.))

((Ooo, tough guy.))

((This is serious. You could be a danger to us all.))

((I'm a freaking elephant. What's the worst I can do? Run around town, singing the song from Dumbo? Face it, Kid. If I'm wrong about this reset button, I'm way more screwed than you guys are.))

((Kid?))

((Yeah, no offense, you sound like you're in middle-school. However the heck sound works with this thought-speak thing. Are there any adults in your little group, or am I gonna be the only one?))

((What makes you so sure that you'll be joining us?))

((I ain't an idiot. You're gonna go all "join us or die" on me, aintcha? You already said you're gonna kill me, if the blue box doesn't pan out. Am I wrong?))

((We'll see.))

They clearly weren't interested in talking anymore, so I was left alone to my thoughts. I wanted to think about how weird my life had gotten, but that wasn't useful. I tried thinkin' about where I was, and what was going on. Clearly, I had landed in the middle of some kinda alien conflict. On one hand, the angry blue dude with bladed warriors. On the other hand...these animal-changing aliens.

I still wasn't sure which group was the good guys. They both seemed to be worried that I was working for the other group. But these animal-changers didn't start off by threatenin' to kill me, so maybe they're the safe bet.

Maybe. All I could do at this point was wait.

It wouldn't be long. They'd be back with the blue box, I'd turn back to normal, and they'd welcome me with open arms. Or tentacles. Whatever these aliens have. I ain't judging.

I wonder if they have used cars on their planet...