Disclaimer: K. A. Applegate is queen. I am not. Everyone except Erilase-
Petori-Winya and the Bloyd family belongs to her.
A/N: Again, sorry for the long wait. My week was just so packed. I'll upload two chapters to make up for it!
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Marco was right. It was like déjà vu.
I perched in my tree again, scanning the ground. A baby rabbit bounded across the grass and I had to curb my instinct to hunt it. Ax was human again, and this time Rachel the grizzly bear stood over him, ready to tackle him down if he so much as twitched before the time was right. It was Jake's idea. I could tell, even though Rachel had insisted that she just didn't want to stand next to Marco anymore.
Cassie was human. Jake didn't like it that way, but she had insisted on it, saying that if we were to get Erin to trust us, we had to trust her first. Marco, that big monkey, towered over her protectively. From the look on Cassie's face, he was obviously making jokes about how Jake would have his hide of he let Cassie get hurt.
I see her coming! Jake called from above. Tobias, make a sweep to check if anyone's following. I rose to the air obediently and soared over the forest. Sure enough, Erin, in human morph, made her way through the trees. I marveled at how well she had mastered her human morph. Her fingers clasped and unclasped jerkily, and she was actually biting her lower lip. She was nervous, showing all the classic signs. Taking my gaze off her, I looked around. The baby rabbit making its way to its burrow. A sparrow busy building its nest.
All clear, Jake. I reported, swerving back towards him.
Good. Everyone, to your positions. I flew down and landed on my branch. Ax stiffened. He was also nervous, but barely showed any signs. Rachel stepped back as he began to demorph. All was going according to plan. So far.
Ax finished demorphing just as Erin stepped into the clearing. She looked around nervously, trying to find the Andalites who had told her to be there. Her eyes fell on Ax as he stepped out to face her.
"Aximili!" She exclaimed. "It is you!"
You know me? Jake asked. He had decided that Ax couldn't be trusted not to get too emotional and give everything away, so Jake would do the talking.
"How could I not? Elfangor's child brother. You used to spy on us whenever we trained together!"
I am not a child now! Ax retorted. Oops. Now Jake was really going to get pissed.
"You speak to me in two different voices. How many of you are there? Why do you hide from me?" Erin asked. She looked up and saw Jake. "You! You were there the day I was chased. Is this how you show me trust?"
How can we trust you if you refuse to demorph? Jake asked. Erin paused, eyes flashing. She closed her eyes and began to demorph. When she was done, there was silence. Then Ax gave a shout of joy. I think it was the Andalite version of 'Oh my God' but I couldn't be sure. He did this little bouncy thing like an excited deer. It was completely out of character.
Erilase-Petori-Winya! He shouted. Ax ran up to her and raised his hands. Erin, or Erilase, did the same, and they pressed their fingers together, almost like an Andalite version of a hug.
Ax, who is she? Jake asked.
She... Ax let go of Erin sheepishly. I believe you would call her Elfangor's girlfriend.
A/N: Again, sorry for the long wait. My week was just so packed. I'll upload two chapters to make up for it!
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Marco was right. It was like déjà vu.
I perched in my tree again, scanning the ground. A baby rabbit bounded across the grass and I had to curb my instinct to hunt it. Ax was human again, and this time Rachel the grizzly bear stood over him, ready to tackle him down if he so much as twitched before the time was right. It was Jake's idea. I could tell, even though Rachel had insisted that she just didn't want to stand next to Marco anymore.
Cassie was human. Jake didn't like it that way, but she had insisted on it, saying that if we were to get Erin to trust us, we had to trust her first. Marco, that big monkey, towered over her protectively. From the look on Cassie's face, he was obviously making jokes about how Jake would have his hide of he let Cassie get hurt.
I see her coming! Jake called from above. Tobias, make a sweep to check if anyone's following. I rose to the air obediently and soared over the forest. Sure enough, Erin, in human morph, made her way through the trees. I marveled at how well she had mastered her human morph. Her fingers clasped and unclasped jerkily, and she was actually biting her lower lip. She was nervous, showing all the classic signs. Taking my gaze off her, I looked around. The baby rabbit making its way to its burrow. A sparrow busy building its nest.
All clear, Jake. I reported, swerving back towards him.
Good. Everyone, to your positions. I flew down and landed on my branch. Ax stiffened. He was also nervous, but barely showed any signs. Rachel stepped back as he began to demorph. All was going according to plan. So far.
Ax finished demorphing just as Erin stepped into the clearing. She looked around nervously, trying to find the Andalites who had told her to be there. Her eyes fell on Ax as he stepped out to face her.
"Aximili!" She exclaimed. "It is you!"
You know me? Jake asked. He had decided that Ax couldn't be trusted not to get too emotional and give everything away, so Jake would do the talking.
"How could I not? Elfangor's child brother. You used to spy on us whenever we trained together!"
I am not a child now! Ax retorted. Oops. Now Jake was really going to get pissed.
"You speak to me in two different voices. How many of you are there? Why do you hide from me?" Erin asked. She looked up and saw Jake. "You! You were there the day I was chased. Is this how you show me trust?"
How can we trust you if you refuse to demorph? Jake asked. Erin paused, eyes flashing. She closed her eyes and began to demorph. When she was done, there was silence. Then Ax gave a shout of joy. I think it was the Andalite version of 'Oh my God' but I couldn't be sure. He did this little bouncy thing like an excited deer. It was completely out of character.
Erilase-Petori-Winya! He shouted. Ax ran up to her and raised his hands. Erin, or Erilase, did the same, and they pressed their fingers together, almost like an Andalite version of a hug.
Ax, who is she? Jake asked.
She... Ax let go of Erin sheepishly. I believe you would call her Elfangor's girlfriend.