(It's so NOT interactive it's... non-interactive)
Created by: Super Hurricane, Pheophins, Rachel9466, Jinako-Chan, Alikat, Bookworm, Snow_bliz, ... other people when I decide to use their ideas... oh yeah, and ME!!! T.B. Stormshot!
Well here we are at chapter three... it's pretty cool I guess... and Bookworm and Pheophins' characters show up... and I can move on to my next story... hm... anyway, this story is now officially NON-interactive, meaning you can't officially give me any ideas. However, you can always e-mail me unofficial ideas at Shiftywind1984@msn.com. I will always except those. Read and Review!
Disclaimer: The Animorphs are cool... you think if I saved K.A. Applegate's life she would give them to me?
The Animorphs, Georgia, Steve, Ali, and the Drode appeared in what looked to be a bright green forest. A normal bright green forest. Trees, grass, flowers. The singing of birds and buzzing of insects hit their ears. It was warm, but not humid, a perfect spring day.
It's Earth, Tobias said after a moment of silence.
"Why'd you bring us back here?" Georgia asked. "I thought we were going to that planet, Changarie."
"Yes, it does look a lot like Earth doesn't it? But believe me, it isn't. In fact it's a whole lot worse. In my opinion of course." the Drode smirked as he waved off-handedly to the world around.
"But it has to be Earth. Look at all the trees, the flowers. That's a squirrel!" Rachel pointed out as a familiar animal ran up a tree that seemed to be an oak.
"It's not Earth," Cassie said firmly. The others looked at her in surprise.
"Why do you say that Cassie? It looks like Earth to me," Jake asked.
"For one thing, I don't think the Drode has any reason to lie-"
The Drode snorted. "As if having a reason has anything to do with lying..."
"As for another, just look around you. Doesn't everything seem a little off? Everything a little too perfect? If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was a warm spring day, but look at those flowers. They look like black-eyed susans, but black-eyed don't appear till late summer. And all these trees around us... they're oaks. Up to that point," Cassie pointed out over to a few yards away," then suddenly there aren't any oaks. Those trees over there are all maples"
"So?" Steve snorted. "A tree's a tree."
"No, I think I'm starting to get what Cassie's saying. Everything is all sort of in an order. It looks like it's just ordinary wilderness, but I think we're seeing a pattern... Look at those flowers, those black-eyed whatevers Cassie pointed out," Marco told the others as he pointed to a patch of black-eyed susans under a tree. "Those flowers, they seem all over the place, but if you look closely, you'll notice they only show up in bunches, in a crossing pattern. It's all planned out."
"It looks like Earth though. You think they have malls like on Earth? It'd be cool to see if they have a Hot Topic or something," Ali commented.
"Well, maybe not a Hot Topic, but definitely an Old Navy, or a Banana Republic," Rachel agreed.
"No clothes for me. But I wouldn't mind checking out the video games. And I'm sure the Ax-man here wouldn't mind an alien cinnabun," Marco added, elbowing Ax who stood behind him.
Are they more tasty than human cinnabuns? Ax wondered out loud.
"Oh, this is fun. 'I just landed on an alien planet. Let's talk about clothes'," the Drode remarked sarcastically, and rather angrily. The usual snide carelessness he usually tried to portray gone. "I suppose before you battle you argue about shoes too? Interesting way to start a life-or-death mission."
"Shut up!" Rachel yelled angrily.
"Hey, don't you have somewhere to go, prune?" Steve asked in annoyance.
"Oh my," the Drode replied in a mock-shocked tone, clutching his chest as though shot. "Prune! Prune! How shocking! How painful! How original!" Steve growled and took a step towards the Drode, but the Drode hopped backwards and grinned. "Relax. I'm going, I'm sure you have no need of me. But a word of advice before I leave."
"We don't need your advice Drode," Jake stated firmly.
"Oh, really Jake, the yeerk killer?" the Drode asked, looking over Jake's shoulder at Georgia. He gave a personal grin that Georgia knew was meant for her. "Well too bad. You're going to get it anyway. All I have to say is: Don't. Screw. Up."
And here I thought you loved destruction Drode, Tobias mention from is perch in a nearby tree.
"True, true. I do love destruction. But not when it threatens the great Crayak... or me for that matter. A planet here or there. The mass of the galaxy being wiped out. It's all good. At the third-dimensional level. But you have to understand that this-this situation, it's at another level entirely. Higher than Crayak. Higher than the Ellimist. More powerful. More restrictions. But one thing is for certain, if an attack happens, they'll wipe out all the lower dimensions, including the one I live in. Just remember there are a lot of lives riding on this little mission of yours, and while I don't care about any of them, one of them is mine." the Drode told them, making eye contact with all of them with his own cat-like eyes.
Rachel thought of that, her lips pressed firmly at that thought. This mission was more serious than any other they had ever taken on. More serious than any against Visser 3. More serious than even the games between the Ellimist and Crayak. Even if the person they were working for was a complete wacko.
"Why are we here?" Jake asked, the rest looked up at him in confusion, but saw a very serious glitter in his eyes as he looked at the Drode.
"To play the game Crayak and the Ellimist have laid out for you. Save the planet from the invading space aliens, win a prize so to speak. That's what happened. Don't forget," the Drode told them seriously before disappearing in a poof of white smoke. Jake looked, thin-lipped, at the others.
"You heard him. This is all a game between the Ellimist and Crayak. That is all it is," he told them firmly. The others nodded in understanding. Most of them.
"Wait, I thought that-" Ali started to say.
"It was the Ellimist," Jake said firmly.
"But I thought she said her name was-"
"No. It was the Ellimist," Jake repeated, staring daggers at Ali.
"Um, okay. Whatever you say," Ali said, looking slightly confused.
"So uh... what now?" Steve asked uncertainly.
"Uh, well I guess we go save this planet. Where are all the people though?" Jake asked as he looked around, "The uh... what were they called?"
The Changarians, Prince Jake, Ax reminded.
"Right, the Changarians. And Ax," Jake started to say.
Yes Prince Jake? Ax asked.
"Don't call me prince."
Yes Prince Jake, Ax confirmed.
Steve suddenly shivered. "Whoa, I don't know what that was..."
"Huh?" Rachel asked as she looked over at the poorly dressed boy.
"I just get this feeling that someone is coming," Steve said uncertainly.
"Jitters, it probably isn't anything," Rachel snorted.
"No, wait. Didn't the, uh, Ellimist say something about super powers?" Cassie suddenly asked. "That could be it."
"Tobias! Take a look around!" Jake shouted, shooting a glance over at Tobias.
Already on it Jake, Tobias responded in a flurry of feathers. With a couple swipes of his wings he was soon high in the air. Geez, it's forest everywhere I look, but it's like Cassie said, all patches. I don't see anybody-Wait! We have two people coming over here! Should be here in 10 or 12 minutes. It's strange though...
What is strange Tobias? Ax asked for the group.
They look human. Exactly like humans. If I didn't know better I'd say they were!
"Well, the Ellimist did say the changarians looked human. It must be them," Cassie said slowly.
"Ax, if they're coming right for us, what do you think? You think we should tell them about our situation?" Jake asked as he glanced over at the young andalite. Ax looked thoughtful for a moment before responding.
I do not believe so. They may be peaceful, but telling them of our situation may cause unforeseen problems in the future. I believe we should remain as discrete as possible. We can't put ourselves at risk, the andalite said, shrugging as he did so. Jake nodded understandingly.
"Then I want you and Tobias to go human. If these changarians look as human as Tobias says they do, then we should be able to blend in," Jake ordered as he looked up towards the sky. Ax relayed the message to Tobias and Tobias wheeled down to the ground. Immediately Ax and Tobias began to change, to morph into their human forms.
A unified gasp came from the behind the Animorphs as Steve and Ali looked at the morphing pair. Jake and the rest remembered that they had not been awake when they had arrived and demorphed at OverLord's castle.
"Oh my God!" Steve shouted in a shocked voice.
"Cool!" Ali squealed.
"I guess we should explain..." Jake said, looking at the two. Quickly he recapped the invasion of planet Earth and the morphing power, Ax letting him know as the minutes ticked by. "... and so we are fighting the yeerks, we're pretty much the only thing that stands between them and the domination of Earth."
"Whoa... that is not exactly very comforting," Steve said, sucking air through his teeth as he tried to digest the information.
"You're not the first to say that," Jake replied grimly.
"That is so... awesome!" Ali grinned. The other Animorphs looked at her in surprise. "I mean, I always knew my English teacher was an alien! Nobody would believe me!"
"Gee, I wonder why," Marco commented sarcastically.
"I do too," Ali agreed.
Georgia said nothing while listening to Jake's story. So the Animorphs had come to be of Elfangor. Aximili's big brother. Visser 3's most hated enemy who had crash landed on Earth. He had been alone for only a few minutes on Earth, but in those few minutes had bore the most painful thorn in Visser 3's side. The so-called "andalite bandits." Otherwise known as the Animorphs.
"Prince Jake, they are almost here," Ax informed the Animorphs.
"Okay, um, try and act... Changarian," Jake told the group.
"Yeah, alright. Except what the heck does a changarian act like??!" Marco yelled.
"Just shut up and don't say anything!" Rachel snapped. That was all anyone had time to say before two people came into view.
"Hey! You people!" a voice shouted. The Animorphs looked over at the speaker. Afraid to say anything that might sound non-changarian. He seemed to be a teenager, like the Animorphs. Maybe 15 and was fairly tall, almost 6 feet.
"Great, another guy to make me feel short," Marco muttered in annoyance.
"Shut up," Rachel whispered.
"Yeah Marco, besides, I'll always be there to make you look tall!" Ali said brightly. Marco sighed unhappily.
Finally the two changarians caught up to the Animorphs. The first who had spoken was apparently male and looked exactly like a normal teenage boy, even his clothes were similar. Baggy jeans, a white shirt, and an apparently leather jacket. They had slightly different cuts and a different style but still looked very much like their Earth-counterparts. The only thing that really separated him from humans was his odd hairstyle. Long on top and bangs, but short everywhere else. Rachel grimaced.
"This area is restricted! An herbavorial virus has been detected in this area. We need to quarantine this section!" the boy said, looking down on the Animorphs.
"Says who?" Steve growled. The Animorphs, especially Jake, shot him angry looks and Steve subdued under the pressure of so many eyes. The changarian looked surprised.
"Well haven't you heard? Those aliens are doing this! After we resisted them, they tried to attack, but our energy barriers were too advanced for their technology. So they started dropping viruses. All civilians are being called back to the cities, we can't risk anybody being affected by whatever those filthy aliens might try to do," the boy said firmly.
Rachel snorted. "Well what are you doing here then?" She crossed her arms as Jake gave her a menacing look, unlike Steve however, she simply returned it with one of her own.
"Well, I, uh..." the boy stammered.
"He is not supposed to be here. But when I was returning him to the City for wandering outside, I received your DNA signatures and brought him along to get you. It isn't safe to be in this area of the park anymore. I doubt it is safe in any park anymore," the second changarian informed her. The Animorphs all turned to assess this new speaker. She seemed to be female. Older than the boy, maybe early twenties. She too was wearing Earth-like clothes, black shorts and t-shirt, as well as a highly-durable pair of white tennis shoes. Dark brown hair was pulled back into a much more conservative french braid.
"Who are you?" Cassie asked after looking over the speakers. They too seemed perfectly normal to her, though she still kept an eye out for any distinguishing traits.
"My name is Timolieanjigorian, my forename is Tim. But more importantly, who are you? the boy asked suspiciously. "Nobody could be that stupid, wandering outside when those aliens are dropping viruses all over us!"
"I believe your counterpart here said that you were wandering outside," Ax informed Tim, raising an eyebrow at the boy.
"Well, I, uh..." Tim stammered.
"Huh, now who would be that stupid. Wandering about with all sorts of lethal viruses being dropped..." Marco snorted.
"Hey-!" Tim began to retort, the woman cut him off.
"We have no time for this Tim. We have to get back to the city before they seal it off, "she informed him.
"Alright..." Tim muttered. "But this time I'm going to shape-shift, if it's so important to get back, it'd be faster flying." The woman seemed to grimace at this prospect.
"I will need some help then. I'm afraid I was born... disadvantaged," the woman said, looking slightly off the the side.
"Wait, you mean you can't shape-shift?" Tim asked in surprise. "Oh! Well, I... uh." Tim looked slightly disgusted, though he tried to hide it. "I guess that makes you, um..."
"I am handicapped. But I'm not helpless," the woman said, narrowing her eyes meaningfully. "Don't forget that Tim." Tim looked uncomfortable.
Cassie looked at Jake, lips pressed firmly. Jake nodded, if these changarians were naturally shape-shifters, then perhaps it would be even easier getting by. Especially if they could use their morphing powers in a fight.
"Well let's get going then!" Rachel said, stepping up from the Animorphs. "I'd rather do something then sit around here talking about it.
"Yeah! Me too!" Tim agreed, looking relieved as the woman released her stare. He immediately began to shape-shift, not at all like the Animorph's own morphing powers however though. His change was fluid and quick, almost artistic a way. In mere moments he was a strange animal that none of the Animorphs had seen before. It was a brightly colored bird, it varied in shades of blue, purple, and green. Eight wings burst from the sides with wild colors, while a long bright red tail slid out in the back. Instead of a beak however, a long, hollow, needle-like tube slid out in its place, like a mosquito's, only much, much bigger. Three bulbous green eyes surrounded the tube. he shouted out in thought-speak. He turned around on three red legs to look at the rest. you guys can carry her.>
The woman looked closely at Tim before calling out, "Straighten up your foreleg Tim, it's too long. And your left wings are too short. Tim quickly adjusted his wings and feet.
Thanks, now I'm ready! Tim said again.
Jake pressed his lips together and glanced over at Cassie. Cassie shrugged. "Alright," Jake started. "But we... shape-shift a little differently."
"Whatever, just get going!" Tim said impatiently, making a sucking noise from his needle like tube.
"Wait a minute! What about us?" Georgia asked from the back of the group, she, or rather the yeerk, had kept quiet, observing the rest and how they reacted.
"They can't morph Jake," Tobias reminded him, stepping up to stare at Jake fiercely.
"Morph?" the woman asked incredulously. "That means shape-shift, correct?"
"Yeah," Tobias said, turning his head with a quick bird-like motion to stare at the woman.
Oh no! more people to slow us down! Tim wailed.
"It's alright. Cassie, what do you suggest?" Jake asked. Cassie looked thoughtful for a moment before replying.
"Horses. As long as they don't mind getting bruised," Cassie recommended.
"Okay, you, me, Rachel, and Marco can go horse and carry them," Jake said, nodding.
"And what about me?" Ax asked.
"Andalite's are pretty fast," Jake shrugged.
"Ah," Ax said understandingly.
"I guess I'll just demorph back to hawk then," Tobias muttered as he and the rest of the Animorphs began to morph rapidly.
Oh my god! Tim cried out in a shocked tone as the Animorph began to morph. The changarian woman also was surprised, but expertly managed to keep her face straight. The Animorph own way of shape-shifting was nothing like Tim's, their method had absolutely nothing fluid about it. As the Animorphs changed to horses, things happened at random and suddenly. Marco's nose bulged out first while Rachel's hands and feet turned into hooves. Jake's body had elongated, his spine suddenly changing shape has he fell to the ground. Cassie, the most talented of the group, managed to control her morph with some strange element of beauty, growing the horse hair all over her body first, as long as the mane and tail. Tobias dwindled back to hawk, a mass of feathers and talons. Ax's demorph was similar to the Animorphs, up to the four feet, however that was where the similarities ended, otherwise he was a growing mass of blue fur where the Animorphs mostly had brown, and with two eyestalks on top of his head and a gigantic scorpion-like tail growing, he was certainly different. That is so sick! Tim commented in a sickened tone. When you said you shape-shifted differently, I thought you meant like slower or something. Not like that! I've never seen anyone shape-shift like that... what kind of animals are those? Are they from the South? Tim asked, trying to get over the disturbing sight of four perfectly normal changarians shape-shifting into, into monsters, he hoped he would never end up like that.
Yeah, sure, Marco said in thought-speak, tossing back his mane with a whicker. From the South. Now how about you tell me where that came from. That thing you are has to be the saddest looking thing I've ever seen. Jake looked angrily at Marco, even as a horse, and the rest of the Animorphs had the distinct impression that a very intense, private conversation was going on between the two boys. Tim did not take any notice however.
Hey! Just because I might not remember exactly how a Habui bird looks like, doesn't mean I'm not good at shape-shifting. I mean, I am pretty good. In fact I have loads of talent. Just ask anybody! Anybody at all! Tim yelled angrily.
"Oh relax," Steve told him in annoyance. He had grown quickly used to the Animorphs as horses. Actually, it wasn't really a form of growing used to the morphing, as it was an advanced form of 'not thinking about it'. "Let's just get out of here. Who am I riding?"
Kid's got a point, Rachel said reluctantly as she sidled up to Georgia. Get on, she said. Georgia blinked in slight confusion before complying. Luckily the human who's body she was controlling had at least the rudimentary knowledge of riding, at least enough to get on the horse, the result of a year of horseback riding lessons.
Cassie allowed Steve onto her back as Jake walked up to the serious changarian woman. What's your name? he asked solemnly, looking at her with gentle horse eyes.
The woman hesitated for a moment and for a second a look of sheer shock crossed her face, but in an instant it was gone, covered with a mask of indifference. "I am... Sonya. That is my forename. That is an interesting shape you and your friends have taken. What is it called?" she asked after a moment's pause.
Jake hesitated before answering, something about Sonya's question unsettling him. It almost seemed as if she knew more than what she was telling... But that was ridiculous. It's not important, what matters is that we get out of this park as soon as possible. Climb up, Jake told her, avoiding having to answer her question. Sonya stared at him a moment more before immediately climbing up the side of Jake's horse morph. She was obviously unfamiliar with riding by the clumsy way she was climbing up, but her determination got her to the top anyway.
I don't mean to be a pain- Marco began to say privately to the Animorphs.
You don't have to, Rachel interjected, shifting her weight so Georgia would stop sliding off, apparently the riding lessons she had taken had been a very long time ago.
-but is anyone up for a little luggage trade? Marco asked, flicking his head backwards at Ali who was pretty much laying on top of Marco, trying desperately to stop falling off. She clutched his mane rather painfully.
Nope, We're all fine and dandy here, Jake said, mentally chuckling.
Hey guys! Let's get going down there! Tobias yelled from above, Jake glanced upwards at Tobias, who was barely a speck in the sky now. A few hundred feet lower, a larger speck was apparent. Jake assumed it was Tim, who had started his climb a few minutes ago. Jake then looked back at the Animorphs, the kids that strange girl had forced onto them, and the changarian women, Sonya.
Alright, let's go, he said. And they did.
The Overlord of Everything watched with interest at the television screen before her. On the screen were the Animorphs and their new companions in clear, crisp color. Sound included. Angle changed and such to give the appearance of a movie, despite the fact that there were no cameras in the Park. This caused her no alarm though, it was just an overlord thing. She watched the Animorphs leave, moving swiftly to reach the City. She was keeping an eye on them despite the fact that she would be unable to help them if they got into any trouble. But it wasn't just that... it was fun. Sure, she would be able to wipe out the Croake easily without a blink, laws allowing, mortals... people on the other hand.... they had to work at it.
Overlord suddenly blinked and pulled up the long sleeves of her black robes, revealing a silver-colored watch. The watch suddenly went off and she blinked again before grinning. "Almost forgot," she mumbled to herself. She rolled over and stuck her hand down deep inside the giant red beanbag chair, searching for a moment. Finally, she pulled out the remote control to the large television set and clicked it at the screen. The t.v. blinked off as the camera angle switched to a birds-eye-view of the Animorphs.
"Hey. What are you doing?" asked a voice from behind Overlord. Overlord turned her head and saw Melinda standing impatiently at the doorway.
"I'm experimenting," Overlord said absent mindedly.
"Well do it some other time, a couple people want to see you. They are not happy, in fact, they are kind of pissed."
"Well they can wait! Now shut up, I've been waiting all week for this!" Overlord shouted in annoyance before turning back to the television set. She dropped the remote to the floor below her. She then sat quietly, simply staring at the television set. Melinda leaned against the wall and watched Overlord curiously. The Overlord of Everything wasn't one to simply sit and stare at nothing.
A minute went past...
Suddenly, the television screen blinked on, instead of the Animorphs however, showing instead only snow. Overlord blinked at the t.v. and looked downwards at the remote control. She had not touched it. Not that it actually mattered, turning on a television set with her mind was easy enough, but she had not. And besides that, she would never turn her television set on to snow. Overlord blinked again, reached out a finger, and turned the television set off.
Another minute went past...
The television set turned on by itself again. This time instead of snow however, it turned to a fuzzy picture of a large stone well. Overlord leaned forward, her eyes widening. A large bowl of popcorn appeared at her elbow and she dug out a handful, stuffing it into her mouth and chewing slowly as she watched the screen intently.
A hand suddenly appeared out of the well. Overlord gasped and stuck another handful of popcorn in her mouth. Following the hand was an arm, soon dragging out a small body. A girl, barely ten. The child dragged herself out of the well, falling to the ground. Her arms and legs were pale to meet the whiteness of the dirty, dress she was wearing. Even though it was only a picture, the girl was obviously soaking wet. Overlord tried to get a glimpse of her face but it was totally covered in the girls long, dark brown hair. Overlord reached down to capture the old maids at the bottom of the popcorn bowl, tossing the partially-popped kernels in her mouth as the girl began to crawl forward towards the screen. Overlord watched eagerly as the girl came to the edge of the screen, logically to go beyond the picture and Overlord's view point...
She went through it.
Overlord watched, her eyes as round as oranges as the little girl began to crawl actually through the screen and into her throne room, she remembered watching the strange video last week, knowing that this was what was going to happen, hearing all about the people who had died... yet watching it anyway. The little girl was still as pale as death, because she was death. Never eating, never drinking, never sleeping... She crawled through the screen and began to crawl towards Overlord. Overlord heard Melinda stirring from behind her, but did not bother to think about it, her attention on the small girl before her.
The girl climbed to her feet, water dripping and creating a puddle all around her. She began to look up at Overlord, her dark, dirty hair still covering her face like a shroud. The hair parted, Overlord saw the girl's face. Her lips, her nose, and then her eyes. Those dead, glowing eyes.
And Overlord saw the Ring.
...
. . .
. . .
. . .
The Overlord of Everything blinked.
"That's it?" she asked to dead girl before her. The dead girl said nothing, probably because she had no idea what to say.
"You know, I watched that tape last week expecting the thrill of my life this week. C'mon, there has to be more than that, right?" Overlord asked in annoyance.
"Seven days," the girl croaked.
"Yeah, I know. But I only die for really good scares. That just wasn't good enough," Overlord said unhappily.
"Seven days," the girl repeated again.
Overlord sighed. "You disappoint me," she remarked before pointing a finger in the air and twisting an invisible thread. The girl blinked her dead, glowing eyes once before disappearing out of existence.
Melinda blinked and then walked forward. "What was that all about?" she asked.
Overlord sighed and laid back on her giant red beanbag chair. "Just patching up a hole. If she had really scared me, I might have let her slide, but she didn't. Oh well, she was causing an annoying warp in the time/space matrix anyway. Stealing life force gives me headaches." Overlord looked morose despite this fact however. "I really wanted to be scared too. I'm really bored."
"And your little patch of the universe on the edge of impending war doesn't frighten you even a little bit?" Melinda asked incredulously.
"Not really."
"... okay then. But back to what I was trying to tell you before, you have a couple visitors waiting for you and they are not the least bit happy. One of them actually tried to force himself into the castle but the shielding you set up held him back. He's still not happy though," Melinda said, changing the subject. As far as she was concerned, what had just happened was simply another example of Overlord's eccentricity. Or maybe she was just simply stupid.
Overlord snorted. "Well tell them to come back next week, I'm busy."
"Doing what?" Melinda asked.
"Sleeping," Overlord replied as she began to dig her way to the bottom of the giant red beanbag.
"Oh, well all right. I think that the prune's with them though," Melinda mentioned before beginning to walk out the door. Overlord stuck her shaggy-haired head out of the beanbag, her glasses glinting in the bright lights.
"Really? Cool. Maybe I'll go meet them after all," Overlord remarked as she hopped out of the beanbag and marched up to Melinda. "Go bring them up here."
"What's with that Drode-thing and you anyway? He's not exactly cute... or even plain... or even only mildly disgusting..." Melinda asked curiously. She might blame it on Overlord's stupidity but she wanted to see if there might be a better reason.
The Overlord of Everything sighed and shook her head. "Melinda, Melinda. You have to understand that there is more to the universe then looks... or manners... or habits... Until you get that, you couldn't possibly understand."
Melinda blinked.
"It's an overlord thing," Overlord told her. Melinda shrugged and walked out the door. As she waited, Overlord walked back up to the television set, shook her head with a sigh, and made it disappear. A few moments later, Melinda reappeared through the door way leading two very annoyed entities and a few lackeys. Overlord turned around and brightened. "Hey! How ya doing?" she grinned happily.
"Not so well," the Ellimist replied. For the meeting he had taken on his usual form of a tall, blue-glowing elf. A very disgruntled looking tall, blue-glowing elf.
WE HAVE MATTERS TO DISCUSS. Crayak said coolly, hate radiating from his very being. He had chosen to appear on as his true form, a giant part-flesh, part-machine monolith darkness. His head, if you could call it a head, scraped the ceiling and his very being seemed to take up the entire room. Despite this however, there still seemed to be plenty of room. His dark, red-glowing eye stared down at the tiny Overlord.
"I wasn't talking to you guys," Overlord told them in annoyance. Hey Drode, I wanted to ask before but I didn't get a chance, you know, with the whole Changarian/Croake conflict, but now that I got the time... why are you so wrinkly? Is it like a genetic thing? Or did you get caught in a fire? If so I could probably fix you up."
The Ellimist and Crayak looked down at the evil lackey of Crayak. The Drode looked back up at them and blinked nervously. "Hey! It's not my fault she's nuts!" he shouted in denial.
"That's mean," Overlord pouted.
"Ms, despite the fact that Crayak and I are enemies, we have called ourselves at a truce so that we may both come to speak to you," the Ellimist began to say, ignoring Overlord's words.
"Really? Wow, I feel so honored," Overlord said snidely. "You know what would really honor me though? If you went and did the tango together. That would really honor me. Why don't you go do that?" Crayak lurched towards Overlord in a rage, luckily though, the Ellimist held him back by a wall of blue light.
LET ME GO ELLIMIST! I HAVE MADE A TRUCE WITH YOU BUT IT IS EASILY BROKEN! Crayak roared.
"And if she dies, we won't be able to talk to her," the Ellimist reminded him.
"So let's have it. What is so big and important that you both needed to come and talk to me about it? Do you even know who I am?" Overlord demanded.
Crayak subsided, the blackness around him fading slightly as his temper cooled, slightly. WE FELT YOU. WE FELT YOU DELVING INTO THE TIME/SPACE FABRIC AND TWISTING IT. IT CAUSES PAIN. YOU STOLE MY PROPERTY-
"Hey, Drode. Are you really alright with being treated as property?" Overlord interrupted.
YOU HAVE CROSSED ME. Crayak said in his deep, ominous voice. THOSE WHO CROSS ME DIE.
"You know what people are called when they are considered property? Slaves man. They're called slaves. Now you Drode, you don't seem like the type-"
"Shut up!" the Drode shrieked, his voice cracking. He really didn't need the attention from Crayak.
"Hey man! I'm just saying!" Overlord responded.
"Well don't!" the Drode said.
"Alright, Alright..." Overlord muttered.
A moment of pause went by...
"So... what did you come to say again?" Overlord asked with a cough. She glanced over at Melinda who simply shrugged.
"What we came to talk about was your use of the time/space matrix. And not just that, but you are also taking people from on Earth that have special meaning to us. In fact, you were interfering," the Ellimist told her in his most diplomatic voice. From beside him, Crayak simply growled and pumped out ominous vibes. The Drode gulped at his master's anger and took a couple steps back. Overlord's talk about slavery was a subject best left untouched around Crayak. The Drode just hoped Crayak would not get the idea that it might put deviant thoughts into the small lackey's head. If so, he would not survive.
"People meaning the Animorphs?" Overlord inquired, her eyes narrowing as she got down to business.
"Yes, the Animorphs," the Ellimist nodded, his glowing blue beard picking up some minor, unfelt breeze. Totally for dramatic account Overlord suspected.
"And you said I was interfering just now. I take it you were just about to use them in some crazy escapade I've heard so much about, right?" Overlord asked, depressing a grin which had just about to overtake her face.
"...yes," the Ellimist admitted.
"Heh," Overlord responded.
PUT THEM BACK. YOU ARE INTERFERING IN A GAME THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU. OF WHICH YOU HAVE NO RIGHT. Crayak demanded, drawing himself up so that Overlord would have to crank her head straight up to look into Crayak's enormous red eye. Of which she did no such thing.
"Oh really?" Overlord said in response. She then reached out a hand and made as if to grab some invisible force, she then dragged her hand to her chest.
UGGH! Crayak grunted as he was suddenly forced down from his lofty position, he found himself pulled down to the floor so that his eye was leveled with Overlord's.
"Of which I have no right to, eh? I think you both are forgetting your position in this big universe aren't you? How you fit into the big plan, I mean. Well let me fill you in Crayak. This place. This whole galaxy. 30 billion light years man. It's all mine, you understand? Mine. It's my property, and everything that's in it belongs to me. You guys, you, the Ellimist, the Animorphs. Sentient races. You're all tenants. I let you stay in my territory. You're allowed. You have no rights. It's all privilage. And you, Crayak, you have even less privilege to complain." Overlord's eyes were narrowed to slits and sparkled dangerously. All trace of goofy idiocy was gone, only leaving the cool, calculating person that lurked just beneath the surface. It was simply a guise, the usual foolishness she showed. Or possibly, a defense against pressure. A defense against true insanity.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? Crayak asked with a gasp. Was it fear he felt? Overlord was powerful, more powerful than the Ellimist, more powerful than even him. More powerful than...?
"You know who. You were chased away Crayak. Chased away from another territory, in fact, the one currently in question. I know all about you. Don't think I'm blind. You were a lackey, a lot like the Drode actually. And then you got stupid, you got cocky. You thought you could be more powerful than your master. Idiot. When you were chased away from that territory you then bumbled your way into mine, and you want to know what? I let you stay. I could have chased you out myself just like you were before, or have given the power to one of my own lackeys to kill you. That's the one thing you got lucky with Crayak. An overlord's inability to kill. I just don't know why he didn't give another of his own permission to kill you..." Overlord stopped to think, her eyes returning to their normal width and losing that vicious sparkle. Her grip on Crayak relaxed and he moved away, his eye returning to it's regular position, though slightly lower.
"Maybe he just realized that you and the Ellimist were going to cause me a shit load of trouble with your little inner galactic war. Do you know just how much damage you did? Do you really? Damn it, the holes you were creating... you think those things just repair themselves? And they give me such headaches... You're just lucky you guys really amused me enough to make those headaches worthwhile." Both Crayak and the Ellimist sensed that the sharpened edge of Overlord had subsided back into the flow of her giddy jubilance, her anger also diminishing as consequence.
"Overlord, we didn't come here to fight," the Ellimist put forward. "Well, perhaps Crayak's reasons differentiate from my own, but I only came here to ask a question. Why did you use the Animorphs? I know that there are plenty of stronger creatures in the universe."
"Why do you use the Animorphs instead of any of the stronger creatures in the universe?" Overlord asked rhetorically. "A balance. A sense of justice has to come with all that power or nothing can be done. And besides that, like I told the Animorphs, I can't put forward too strong of creatures, or he'll catch wind of me. Like this, he'll think it was you guys, which is why I used the Animorphs in the first place. The Drode said-"
"Wait, the Drode said?" the Ellimist interrupted, turning his elven head to stare at the Drode.
DRODE...? Crayak inquired with a growl.
"I had no choice Lord Crayak! She made me tell her!" the Drode whimpered, slowly backing into the wall.
"Ah, don't blame him. I really did make him tell me. You can't blame him for not being able to stand up to the great Overlord of Everything, can you? I could probably do the same thing to you, really," Overlord said with a grin.
"This other overlord you speak of... he is the reason you're being sooo... subtle?" the Ellimist inquired.
"Yeah, I don't know how, but one of his races have managed to cross over into my territory and had begun to attack one of my races. I say how because races are naturally inclined to stay inside the boundaries of their overlord's territory. Like when humans attain Z-space travel, they'll go in all directions except in the direction of the boundary. Well, there is one way... he might have extended their linkage with him to over the boundaries and then have nudged them over... After they get over the boundary between his territory and mine the natural inclination towards staying inside their own territory wouldn't matter... But that would take a deliberate act by him... And he knows that would imply an actual act of war by him."
THAN PERHAPS IT IS AN ACT OF WAR Crayak suggested scornfully.
"But that's stupid... all overlords try to avoid war, causes too much property damage. I mean, that's the reason we split up territories in the first place, we have no reason to fight each other if we have absolutely no contact with each other... but I just don't no why..."
"Why don't you ask?" the Ellimist offered. Overlord blinked.
"That's not a bad idea..." Overlord mumbled thoughtfully. She glanced over at Melinda. "Hey! Melinda! We're going to make a little trip. You okay with that?"
Melinda shrugged. "Whatever."
"Okay, cool. What about you guys?" Overlord asked as she looked over at the Ellimist and Crayak.
"You want us to come with?" the Ellimist asked with surprise evident in his blue glowing face.
"Sure, an overlord is always supposed to be flanked by at least two guards in a overlord-overlord meeting. It's a diplomatic thing. You two are as good as any."
Crayak growled. I WILL NOT BE... WELCOME.
"Doesn't matter. You're with me," Overlord informed him.
Crayak paused as he thought, his eye dimming as he went over the facts. He then growled. I WILL COME.
"I'll come too if Crayak is coming," the Ellimist said suspiciously. Overlord knew it was because the Ellimist suspected that Crayak might take advantage of his absence. Not that she really cared.
"Great then. Hey! Melinda! Let's get out of here!"
Okay, we're all up to date here and now everybody is probably happy. Uh... really nothing to say now. I'm 18!!! An adult now! Feels kind of weird because it's like I'm old now, but yet I'm writing fan fiction and it feels like fan fiction is for young people... but I like writing fan fiction. Oh well. Review, try to leave something constructive, meaning improving my actual writing and not giving me ideas. You can give me unofficial ideas at Shiftywind1984@msn.com. That's been my e-mail address for 2 years by the way...
On a side note, Melinda's name has been fixed, several spelling errors, and the html... this story is now officially 'tweaked' and that is the last time I ever write anything without re-reading it several times before updating... err... anyone up for the task of beta-reader by the way? Shiftywind1984@msn.com, just remember, I also do DBZ stories... *sighs*
