It was early in the morning. The sun had just about to rise but it was still dark. It had been almost two days since I'd tried run home. I think we were stalling.

But today was the day. I sat outside the ship, listening to the sounds of the woods when Floran stepped out from the ship. In his hands he had a small, blue box.

"Is that it?" I asked.

{Yes. This is called the Escafil device. It will allow you to change, like I do.}

"Really? Is that standard issue for Andalites?"

His eyes seemed to dart away, avoiding me. {No... only Princes are allowed to keep them.}

"So, you're a Prince?"

{No. I am only a warrior.} He was quick to change the subject. {Touch the device.}

Part of me didn't want to. I was scared, I'm not ashamed to admit it. But I couldn't back away.

I touched the box. After a second my hand began to tingle, it was like a charge spread out from the box, through my hand.

{It's done.}

I took a deep breath. No big deal. I didn't feel any different. "So... now what?"

{We should find some animals.}

I laughed. "Well, we're in the right place. The woods are full of animals, we just have to catch some."

{That will not be a problem.} He handed me a weapon, it looked a lot like the ones the Yeerks used.

"It looks like a Dracon Beam." I muttered.

{Dracon Beams were created by the Yeerks by altering this weapon. This is a shredder. It's on it's lowest setting. Any animal you shoot with it will be momentarily stunned.}

"Long enough for me to get close and... 'acquire' it?"

{Yes.}

I gripped the Shredder in my hands. "Well, let's get to it."

{Before that... there are some things you should know.}

"Uh, okay."

{When you morph into another species, you will experience the animals natural instincts. It may be overwhelming.}

I nodded. "Okay."

{Also, you should know that there is a time limit. If you have not morphed back into a human in two of your earth hours, you will be trapped in that shape. Forever.}

Part of me couldn't believe we were talking like this. Like I was ACTUALLY going to become an animal.

"I understand."

Let it be said that I am NOT a hunter. I'd never even seen a real gun before, Dracon Beams not withstanding, and I was a lousy shot. Luckily, Floran was better then I was, and he managed to shoot a fox darting away with a dead mouse in it's mouth.

I ran over to it. The fox wasn't red, it's fur was mostly gray and black. It was stunned but it's chest heaved in fear. "W-what now?" I asked.

{Touch it. Focus on the animal.}

I gingerly touched the fox and stroked it's fur. I thought about the fox, I focused on it. As I did it began to breathe more easily, like it was falling asleep.

As soon as I pulled my hand away, the fox jerked up and ran away into the brush.

{Now think of becoming the animal.}

I swallowed and took a few deep breaths, then began to imagine the fox in my mind. I imagined becoming the fox.

The changes came slowly at first. At first I had no idea if it was happening at all, then I opened my eyes. I was getting smaller. Fur had sprouted on my hands and arms and my fingers had devolved into nubs.

"Oh god!" I gasped. No, no! I didn't want to do this!

{Focus!} He ordered.

I closed my eyes again and focused on the image of the fox. I could hear and feel the bones inside my body crunching, shrinking, and shifting. It didn't hurt, but I could still FEEL it.

And then it was done.

I opened my eyes. I pulled myself out of my clothes that lay in a crumpled pile on the forest floor.

The world was so different, everything was bigger, stranger.

Suddenly, I smelt something. I could smell my own scent. I could smell everything! Bugs, trees, other animals... then I smelt blood, food.

My eyes scanned the area and I spotted a mouse, my mouse. I ran to it and gripped it in my mouth.

{Sydnee.}

I could see Floran, but my mind couldn't make sense of him. It was a new predator, a threat.

I took off in the opposite direction.

{Stop!}

I ran to a tree and leapt onto the trunk, my claws digging into the bark. I kicked up, scaling the tree and climbing out on a branch. I dropped the mouse to my paws and began to tear out chunks of meat from the fresh kill.

{Sydnee! You're experiencing the animals instincts, you have to take control!}

In a snap, my mind was back on the surface. The foxes mind receded, but it was still there. I unintentionally swallowed a chunk of raw meat.

{AAAH!} I screamed, I felt sick. I wanted to puke, but the fox was confused. It didn't understand my panic or fear. It was safe in the tree with it's kill.

{Relax.} Floran called up to me. {You're fine, try to climb down.}

I glanced down the ground several feet below me. {I- I don't know how!}

{The fox got you up there, let it get you down.}

I scanned the tree, the branch, then looked down to Floran. {I thought I wasn't suppose to let it take over!}

{Sometimes it's best to allow the creatures natural instincts to guide you. You must never completely loose control, you have to find a balance in between.}

I crawled back to the trunk of the tree, I had no idea what to do. But the fox knew.

It planted it's hind legs while it's front claws dug into the bark. Then, with planned steps I quickly, but methodically ran back down the tree, landing on my feet.

{That went better then I expected.} Floran mused, seemingly please.

{No, forget this, I'm done!}

I focused on me, the human, and my body began to shift. A few minutes later I was myself again.

Naked. In the middle of the woods. I ran back to where my clothes had fallen off when I'd morphed and started pulling them back on.

"This is NOT okay." I yelled, completely terrified and humiliated.

{Morphing is unpleasant to experience the first time, but it is fascinating to behold. It's one of our races greatest scientific achievements.} He sounded proud. At least HE was enjoying this.

"Yeah, sure." I still felt sick from eating the mouse, and changing back into my dirty clothes made me feel gross. "I need to go into town." I said.

{I don't think that's wise.}

"I need some clothes, I need to get some food. If I'm going to live out here, I'll need supplies."

{...If it is necessary, we can come up with a plan of action.}

I nodded. "Yeah, it's necessary."