Disclaimer: K. A. Applegate is queen. I am not. Everyone except Erilase-
Petori-Winya and the Bloyd family belongs to her.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
We met at Cassie's barn. Ax was in his human morph, and exercising his mouth like he would never have it again. "What are we doing here?" He asked. "Is this important? Por-tant. Im. Pour. I like the sound 'por'." He informed us.
"Yes, it's a poor man who doesn't like the sound 'por'." Marco said, making the lamest pun ever. "Ax-man is right. What are we doing here when I could be home playing my new PC game?"
"Tobias called the meeting." Rachel said. All eyes were directed to me. I ruffled my feathers. Usually they did the talking and I just joined in when they had to vote.
"Did something happen?" Jake asked. "Did you see something happen?"
Yes to both. I replied using thought-speak. I was still a red-tail. Even though they're the same question.
"Get on with it bird-boy." Marco yawned.
I saw an Andalite. I said. Everyone gaped. Ax fell right over.
"You saw what?" Ax asked, face pale. For once he forgot to play with sounds.
An Andalite. In the forest we live in. I repeated.
"Are you sure?" Cassie asked, wide-eyed. She exchanged glances with Jake. Everyone was thinking the same thing. Friend or Foe?
It's hard to mistake anything for a blue alien. I replied.
"Could it be." Jake hesitated. "Visser Three?"
"I will kill that despicable Yeerk! How dare he contaminate my home with his filth?" Ax yelled angrily. The others gasped. He was started to demorph, his tail shooting out with a loud swish.
"Ax! Get a grip!" Jake ordered. Ax took several deep breaths and his tail shrunk back into his body.
It isn't Visser Three. I said. It was a different Andalite.
"How can you be sure?" Marco asked sceptically. "Suddenly you know Visser Three like the back of your hand?" Rachel trod on his foot to shut him up. I sent her a private thanks.
She didn't feel like Visser Three. I explained. They knew what I meant. Visser Three radiated waves of intense badness. Even Cassie hated him and she rarely disliked anyone.
"She?" Jake asked.
Sorry. It morphed into a woman. I corrected myself. But I remembered the feminine grace the Andalite moved with. Something Ax lacked.
"What are we going to do?" Cassie asked Jake. He was silent. We could almost hear the wheels grinding in his head. Ax was starting to pace back and forth. I could tell he was extremely agitated. On one hand, this could be very good news. Another Andalite would mean that our fighting force would be stronger. On the other hand, if this Andalite was a controller or a traitor, the bad news would be as bad as it could get.
"Did you follow it?" Jake asked me, breaking into my thoughts. I shook my head. I thought you guys would want to know first.
"So that we can sit and stew about it and have no clue as to where it is?" Marco asked sarcastically. "Brilliant, you." Rachel hit him across the head, making him shut up.
"Is it likely to come back?" Cassie asked Ax.
"There are not many places on your planet which are safe and large enough to graze in. It will return." Ax replied. He turned to look at Jake. "Prince Jake," Ax hesitated. The expression his face was hopeful. "Is it possible that my brother did not die?"
Jake sighed and closed his eyes. For a second, he looked almost old. "No, Ax. I'm sorry. Elfangor died."
Ax nodded stiffly. I felt sorry for him. He must have been pretty close to Elfangor. A thought crossed my mind - I had never thought to ask Ax about how Elfangor was like. Just then, Ax bolted. He ran out of the barn, reminding me of a frightened deer. I spread my wings, ready to follow him.
"Tobias!" Jake stopped me. "Let him go." I watched as Ax ran into the forest, demorphing as soon as he reached the trees. His tail was twitching from side to side, showing his distress. "He'll be all right." Rachel said softly, standing under the beam I perched on.
Let's hope so.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
We met at Cassie's barn. Ax was in his human morph, and exercising his mouth like he would never have it again. "What are we doing here?" He asked. "Is this important? Por-tant. Im. Pour. I like the sound 'por'." He informed us.
"Yes, it's a poor man who doesn't like the sound 'por'." Marco said, making the lamest pun ever. "Ax-man is right. What are we doing here when I could be home playing my new PC game?"
"Tobias called the meeting." Rachel said. All eyes were directed to me. I ruffled my feathers. Usually they did the talking and I just joined in when they had to vote.
"Did something happen?" Jake asked. "Did you see something happen?"
Yes to both. I replied using thought-speak. I was still a red-tail. Even though they're the same question.
"Get on with it bird-boy." Marco yawned.
I saw an Andalite. I said. Everyone gaped. Ax fell right over.
"You saw what?" Ax asked, face pale. For once he forgot to play with sounds.
An Andalite. In the forest we live in. I repeated.
"Are you sure?" Cassie asked, wide-eyed. She exchanged glances with Jake. Everyone was thinking the same thing. Friend or Foe?
It's hard to mistake anything for a blue alien. I replied.
"Could it be." Jake hesitated. "Visser Three?"
"I will kill that despicable Yeerk! How dare he contaminate my home with his filth?" Ax yelled angrily. The others gasped. He was started to demorph, his tail shooting out with a loud swish.
"Ax! Get a grip!" Jake ordered. Ax took several deep breaths and his tail shrunk back into his body.
It isn't Visser Three. I said. It was a different Andalite.
"How can you be sure?" Marco asked sceptically. "Suddenly you know Visser Three like the back of your hand?" Rachel trod on his foot to shut him up. I sent her a private thanks.
She didn't feel like Visser Three. I explained. They knew what I meant. Visser Three radiated waves of intense badness. Even Cassie hated him and she rarely disliked anyone.
"She?" Jake asked.
Sorry. It morphed into a woman. I corrected myself. But I remembered the feminine grace the Andalite moved with. Something Ax lacked.
"What are we going to do?" Cassie asked Jake. He was silent. We could almost hear the wheels grinding in his head. Ax was starting to pace back and forth. I could tell he was extremely agitated. On one hand, this could be very good news. Another Andalite would mean that our fighting force would be stronger. On the other hand, if this Andalite was a controller or a traitor, the bad news would be as bad as it could get.
"Did you follow it?" Jake asked me, breaking into my thoughts. I shook my head. I thought you guys would want to know first.
"So that we can sit and stew about it and have no clue as to where it is?" Marco asked sarcastically. "Brilliant, you." Rachel hit him across the head, making him shut up.
"Is it likely to come back?" Cassie asked Ax.
"There are not many places on your planet which are safe and large enough to graze in. It will return." Ax replied. He turned to look at Jake. "Prince Jake," Ax hesitated. The expression his face was hopeful. "Is it possible that my brother did not die?"
Jake sighed and closed his eyes. For a second, he looked almost old. "No, Ax. I'm sorry. Elfangor died."
Ax nodded stiffly. I felt sorry for him. He must have been pretty close to Elfangor. A thought crossed my mind - I had never thought to ask Ax about how Elfangor was like. Just then, Ax bolted. He ran out of the barn, reminding me of a frightened deer. I spread my wings, ready to follow him.
"Tobias!" Jake stopped me. "Let him go." I watched as Ax ran into the forest, demorphing as soon as he reached the trees. His tail was twitching from side to side, showing his distress. "He'll be all right." Rachel said softly, standing under the beam I perched on.
Let's hope so.