Chapter 2

"Get up, boy!"

My uncles voice jerked me awake.

I looked at the time. "But it's only three in the morning, and I have school."

"So? Why should I care if ya got school. I want a beer."

"Get your own." I said.

"Are ya backtalkin me, boy?"

"So what if I am?" I asked.

"Listen here, boy. You are just like that no good mother of yours. She was just a waist of space."

I was just about to go get him a beer. I didn't want to make him get the belt.

Then, I saw something.

Elfangor suddenly appeared at the foot of my bed.

I had thought all of this was just a dream, but it looked like it wasn't, since he was really there.

Elfangor opened the door and walked out of my room.

My uncle's eyes widened in shock, and then hatred. "Andalite!" He shouted.

Was he one of those Yeerks that Elfangor had been telling me about?

"You filth are using human children now? You must be truely desperate to defeat us."

[We Andalites wouldn't use human children in our war under usual circumstances. Law of Seerow's Kindness, and all that. But this human is special.]

"How is this human special?" My uncle's Yeerk asked. "My host and I both agree that this boy is a stuck-up little brat that would be a waste of a Yeerk. He's trash."

[He has a connection with the Andalites.] Elfangor explained. [His father was an Andalite before he came to Earth. He morphed human but I heard he went missing when Tobias was seven.]

My eyes widened at this new information. Elfangor knew my father? My dad had been an Andalite?

[Is your host voluntary or do you simply share a mutual dislike of Tobias?]

"My host is voluntary. He understands the desire to enslave others and abuse them. His personality is very much like that of a Yeerk."

Elfangor ran into my room. He came back out with the bag.

He fished around in it for a minute.

When his hand came back out, he was holding some sort of gun.

It looked like nothing I'd ever seen.

He turned the gun on my uncle.

[Tobias. I am sorry. But I have to kill him. He is no better than a Yeerk.]

As much as I hated it, I realized Elfangor was right. He had to kill my uncle. This was war. He knew my secret.

This thought sickened me inside a little bit, but I knew he was pure evil.

Elfangor fired the gun, and a laser beam or something came out of the end and hit my uncle.

He disappeared, reduced to only the smallest atoms.

I sat down on my bed in stunned silence.

I didn't like my uncle that much. He was an abusive alcoholic who made me get him his beer, and then hit me if I didn't.

But I couldn't help feel a little disturbed at just watching him die.

I knew that Elfangor had only done what he really had to. He didn't even want to do it himself. But he had to. He killed Yeerks all the time. What was one more?

I kind of started to feel better.

"Elfangor? I have a question." I said, walking up to the Andalite.

Elfangor was standing in the middle of the living room.

[Yes, Tobias?] He asked.

"You said you wanted me to help you fight the Yeerks. How can I do that. I mean, it's not like I can morph like you Andalites can."

[Actually ..."

"What?"

[Go into your room. My bag is on your bed. Inside, there is a small blue box. Bring it to me.]

"Okay."

I walked into my room, where, sure enough, I found the bag on my bed. I began looking through it, when I saw something that made me stop.

My eyes widened as I looked at the picture.

It wasn't a picture of Elfangor and other Andalites, as I'd expected. It was a much different picture. A much more familiar picture.

It was my dad and I. I recognized this photo. It was my sixth birthday party.

My father and I were standing outside. He had one arm around my shoulder, and the other hand was holding the camera.

We were standing in front of a birthday cake. A bunch of family members from my mom's side were piling presents beside me on the table.

I had the biggest, goofiest smile on my face.

Where had Elfangor gotten this?

[Ah. I see you have found the photo.] Elfangor's silent voice startled me, and I jumped.

[It is all right. You are not in any trouble. You may recall that your father was an Andalite. The cause of his disappearance was that he was returned to the Andalites. He gave me this photo.]

"Why?" I asked.

"He felt that looking at it was too painful for him. I was great friends with him. He gave it to me so I would always remember him. It also served as a reminder that humans are a good people. Although there are some exceptions. Such as your uncle.]

I smiled at him.

[But I still need the box.] He said.

He began looking through his bag. When his hand came out, he was holding a blue box. It was glowing. I was nervous about touching it.

[This is the Escafil device. It can grant anyone who touches it the ability to morph, as you saw me do last night. It is standard military protocol that all Andalite arisths receive it.]

"What's an aristh?" I asked.

[My apologies. I forget that you are not well practiced in Andalite customs and terms. An aristh is an Andalite cadet. Most arisths are between the age of fourteen and seventeen human years. My brother, Aximili, was one. Sadly, he died shortly before I landed on this planet.]

"I'm sorry to hear about your brother." I said respectfully.

[As am I. I still feel the grief over his loss. You would have liked him.]

"I wish I'd met him." I said sadly.

Then I realized what else he'd said. "Wait. Your telling me that I can morph into animals like you did last night."

[Yes. You need only to touch a creature for a few seconds. Concentrate on its DNA becoming a part of you, and it will. Know that you are only copying its genetic code. You are not absorbing the entire animal itself. The original animal will remain unchanged after the process is complete.]

I touched the box. I felt a weird tingling sensation.

[Now you have the same power I have. With your permission I will demonstrate. Will you allow me to acquire your DNA and morph you? It could give you a better understanding of the morphing process.]

"Yeah. Sure." I said.

He put one of his seven-fingered hands on the top of my head. I suddenly felt really tired.

I closed my eyes. And all at once, the feeling went away.

[When a creature is being acquired, it goes into a sort of trance-like state. Now I will morph you.]

Elfangor began to change. It was kind of disgusting watching his bones rearrange themselves and all the noises it made.

But soon it was over.

And standing right in front of me, completely naked, was another identical copy of me.

A/N: I know it's been a while.

I hope you enjoyed.

Please review.

Until next time.